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California River Parkways Grant Awarded to Long Beach

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Supervisor Don Knabe is proud to announce that the city of Long Beach has been awarded a $2.5 million grant from the Proposition 84 California River Parkways Grant Program for the DeForest Wetlands Restoration Project. The grant is awarded to projects that provide public access or are part of conservation activities.

The DeForest Wetlands Restoration Project is part of the Long Beach RiverLink, a plan to create integrated open space with improved habitat and a recreation network along the Los Angeles River that will connect Long Beach and the natural river systems. The DeForest Wetlands Restoration Project will restore 34 acres of wetlands along the lower Los Angeles River and allow native vegetation and animal habitats to thrive again. The project is a joint project between the City of Long Beach and Los Angeles County Department of Public Works.

“I am pleased that the California Resources Agency has awarded $2.5 million in funding to the City of Long Beach for the restoration of the DeForest Wetlands project along the lower Los Angeles River,” said Supervisor Knabe. “This project will be the longest public open space project on the Los Angeles River to date.”

Construction of the project is expected to begin next summer.

Knabe Katch Fishing Derby Returns to La Mirada Regional Park

Over 1,200 youth ages 3 to 15 will be angling for a prize catch at the Fourteenth Annual Knabe Katch Fishing Derby this Saturday, September 18, 2010.  This year’s event is sponsored by Los Angeles County Supervisor Don Knabe and the Los Angeles County Department of Parks and Recreation, in partnership with the City of La Mirada, Kiwanis International of La Mirada and the California Department of Fish and Game.  It promises to be a fun-filled day for the entire family.

“The fishing derbies are always fun events that children and families look forward to and many return to participate each year,” said Supervisor Knabe.  “Even if a child has never fished before, there are volunteers on-hand to show them the art of casting a line and the fun of putting a worm on a hook.”

The event will begin at 7:00 a.m. with a free pancake breakfast, followed by the derby kickoff at 8:00 a.m.  Children may take part in free fishing and angler safety lessons as well as other arts and craft activities.  Each child will also receive a free t-shirt and be eligible for prizes in several categories.

The fishing derby is a successful collaboration of sponsors and volunteers which includes Norms Restaurant, U.S. Food Service, CARE Ambulance, Central Basin Municipal Water Districts, Edco Waste and Recycling Services, Rainbow Bait & Tackle, Sav-on Tackle, First Day Community Angels, and the Junior Leagues of Los Angeles and Long Beach.

La Mirada Regional County Park is located at 13701 South Adelfa Avenue in the City of La Mirada.  For more information, call (626) 333-1369.

County to Improve South Whittier Roadways

The Board of Supervisors unanimously approved a project to resurface roadway pavement on Arroyo Drive, Dunton Drive and connected streets, in the unincorporated community of South Whittier, Supervisor Don Knabe announced today. The project is part of Los Angeles County’s continued efforts to improve infrastructure in the unincorporated areas.

“It is important that we look into ways to improve road quality and motorist safety throughout the County,” said Supervisor Knabe. “By making these improvements to Arroyo Drive and Dunton Drive, not only will the residents of South Whittier benefit, but so will the residents of neighboring cities and our other unincorporated communities who drive these routes every day.”

The total cost of the project is $1,279,853.36 and will be financed with State Proposition 1B funds and is included in the Fourth Supervisorial District’s Road Fund Budget. Construction is expected to begin this fall and will take approximately three months to complete.

Click here for a complete list of streets that will be affected by this project.

County to Assist BP With Gulf Oil Spill Clean Up Efforts

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Los Angeles County Department of Beaches and Harbors will send one of its existing BeachTech 2000 sanitizer units to the Gulf Coast to assist British Petroleum (BP) with its Gulf Coast clean up efforts, Supervisor Don Knabe announced today.

Following the worst oil spill disaster on record, BP placed orders for new sanitizer units, however, orders could take several weeks to fill. Since BP would like to have the units in service right away, it requested the manufacturer of this sanitizer to ask its clients if they would be willing to immediately provide functioning BeachTech 2000 units to BP for the cleanup effort.

In exchange for releasing the equipment to BP, LA County will receive a brand new BeachTech 2000 sanitizer unit, with new warranties, valued at an estimated $50,000. The new BeachTech 2000 unit is currently being manufactured and is expected to be delivered October 2010.

“Given the devastating events that have occurred in the Gulf, it is more important than ever to take action and lend our support,”  said Supervisor Knabe. “This is an incredible opportunity for the County to help with the clean up efforts along the Gulf Coast.”

County to Improve Rowland Heights Roadways

The Board of Supervisors unanimously approved a project to reconstruct and resurface Pathfinder Road and Alexdale Lane in the unincorporated community of Rowland Heights, Supervisor Don Knabe announced today. The project is part of Los Angeles County’s continued efforts to improve infrastructure in the unincorporated areas.

“It is important that we look into ways to improve road quality and motorist safety throughout the County,” said Supervisor Knabe. “By making these improvements to Pathfinder Road and Alexdale Lane, not only will the residents of Rowland Heights benefit, but so will the residents of neighboring cities and our other unincorporated communities who drive these routes every day.”

The project will reconstruct and repave Pathfinder Road-Alexdale Lane to 300 feet west of the Brea Canyon cutoff in Rowland Heights. Additionally, the project includes reconstruction of adjacent curbs, gutters, curb ramps and sidewalks. The project is funded by the Fourth Supervisorial District’s Road Fund Budget. Construction is expected to begin in March 2011 and be completed by July 2011.

LA Phil to Perform Free Concert at Cerritos Center For The Performing Arts

The Los Angeles Philharmonic will perform a free concert at the Cerritos Center for the Performing Arts (CCPA) on Wednesday, September 29, at 7:30pm, Supervisor Don Knabe announced today.

The full orchestra will be conducted by Manuel Lopez and will perform for one hour with no intermission. This event is a partnership between the Los Angeles Philharmonic, the City of Cerritos and the Office of Supervisor Knabe.

“The Los Angeles Philharmonic is one of the treasures of LA County,” said Supervisor Knabe. “This is a unique opportunity to see the Los Angeles Philharmonic perform outside of downtown, and I encourage our residents to attend this free concert.”

Tickets to this event will be available by visiting the CCPA Ticket Office or by mailing a self-addressed, stamped envelope with the number of tickets requested to the CCPA Ticket Office at 12700 Center Court Drive, Cerritos, CA 90703.  The box office is open Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Saturday from noon to 4 p.m.   There is a limit of four tickets per household.  Seating is General Admission.  All ticket holders must be seated by 7:15 p.m.

The LAPHIL presents free community concerts as part of its dedication to provide music for audiences throughout Los Angeles County.

I-710 Closures Expected Over Weekend

The California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) will conduct six extended weekend closures on the Long Beach Freeway (I-710) in both northbound and southbound directions from just south of Firestone Boulevard to just north of the Glenn Anderson Freeway (I-105).  The construction taking place is part of the I-710 Long Life Pavement Rehabilitation Project to replace 10 to 15 inches of aging pavement from I-405 to I-5.

This weekend’s closure begins Friday, August 27 at 11:45 p.m. and continues through Monday, August 30 at 5 a.m.  FULL FREEWAY CLOSURES will occur twice during the weekend: Friday at 11:45 p.m. until Saturday at 6 a.m., and again on Sunday at 11 p.m. until Monday at 5 a.m.

During the first six-hour FULL FREEWAY CLOSURE, moveable median barriers will be placed that will guide all motorists onto the northbound side when I-710 is re-opened on Saturday at 6 a.m. The number of lanes available to motorists will be reduced:  two lanes for northbound travel and three for southbound.  On Sunday at 11 p.m., another FULL CLOSURE occurs to remove the temporary barriers in time for the Monday morning commute.

CLOSED On-ramps to northbound I-710:
Eastbound & westbound on-ramps from Rosecrans Avenue and Imperial Highway

CLOSED On-ramps to southbound I-710:
Eastbound & westbound on-ramps from Florence Avenue, Firestone Boulevard and Imperial Hwy

CLOSED Freeway Connectors: Eastbound and westbound I-105 to northbound I-710

I-710 Full Freeway Closures are scheduled for these 6 weekends:
August 27-30
(No construction Labor Day weekend    September 3-6)
September 10-13 September 17-20
September 24-27
October 1-4
October 8-11

RESTRICTIONS: Speed reduced to 45mph. No oversized loads permitted due to narrow lanes.

DELAYS AND DETOURS: Motorists can expect delays and are advised to use alternate routes and marked street detours. Trucks are advised to use Garfield Avenue.

PROJECT DETAILS: This pavement rehabilitation project will apply several layers of a long life asphalt concrete mix that will provide the roadway with several decades of service, improve pavement performance, require less future maintenance and result in a smoother ride for the traveling public. The contractor for the $50 million project is Sully-Miller.  The project is 50% complete.  The estimated completion date is spring 2011.

BENEFITS OF EXTENDED WEEKEND CLOSURES: Moving all motorists to one side of the freeway allows construction crews to work safely and continuously for 53 hours throughout the weekend.  This schedule is cost effective and reduces the need for weeknight closures when traffic volumes are normally higher.



Knabe Honors Local Scouts For Service

By Jessica Donnelly, Whittier Daily News

Aaron Espinoza went to the bench for his Star Scout status. The park bench, that is.

He and a team of 16 volunteers repainted and refurbished about a dozen benches at Schabarum Regional Park in January and for his efforts was awarded the rank of Star Scout and was lauded Tuesday night by Los Angeles County Supervisor Don Knabe.

“When you give back to your community it makes you feel great,” Aaron, 12, said. “It feels good to make our public areas look better.”

He organized the service project with the help of his parents, Maria and Tony Espinoza, to receive his Star Scout ranking and be on a accelerated path toward his ultimate goal: Eagle Scout.

His 16 helpers consisted of parents and boys from his troop, which meets Monday nights at Faith Lutheran Church in Whittier.

Revamping the benches took participants seven hours. The paint and primer for the project was supplied by the park, while the boys brought scrapers and brushes.

Knabe presented Aaron and four other boys with a certificate for their hard work at the opening ceremony of Schabarum Regional Park’s Summer Concert Series.

“The Scouts have been a major part of the overall improvement of Schabarum Park,” Knabe said. “These young men were able to successfully rally over 100 volunteers to help with the projects, and I couldn’t be more thankful for their service and dedication.”

Aaron used the opportunity to thank Knabe for paying for buses that took Boy Scouts to the Puente Hills Skyline Trail, a 20-mile hike through La Habra Heights and surrounding areas. Aaron has completed the hike twice over the past year.

Aaron has been in Boy Scouts since age 6 and is working hard to attain his goal of Eagle Scout, the highest rank in Scouting, before he turns 14. More important to the eighth-grader at Rancho Starbuck Intermediate, he wants to become an Eagle Scout during President Barack Obama’s first term.

“Obama is a hero to me,” Aaron said. “He’s the United States’ first black president, and he’s a very intelligent man and great speaker. Whatever he wants, he goes and gets it.”

Aaron is on track to receive his Eagle Scout rank within a year, just in time for his birthday and the end of Obama’s first term.

His Whittier Regional Troop 54 leader, Lonnie Wold, is proud of all Aaron has accomplished.

“Aaron is a very good-natured young man,” Wold said. “He has received a great honor, and I feel very proud of him.”

Supervisors to Request Amendment to Non-Revocable Parole Program Criteria

The Board of Supervisors unanimously approved a motion to send a five-signature letter to the state legislature and Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger requesting to amend the criteria for the non-revocable parole program so that known membership in a street gang will disqualify an individual from the program, Supervisor Don Knabe announced today.

SBX13 18 requires the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation to screen offenders for eligibility to unsupervised parole prior to release from State Prison.

“Excluding known street gang members from non-revocable parole will ultimately make our communities safer,” said Supervisor Knabe. “Known gang members require intensive supervision and potentially pose a significant risk to public safety.”

While SBX3 18 contains provisions to disqualify individuals from non-revocable parole if they are validated members of a prison gang, the program does not include criteria to exclude known membership in a street gang. Offenders who are placed on non-revocable parole are not required to report to a parole agent.