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L.A. County Emergency Survival Guide Is Now Available On-Line In Spanish

In coordination with the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors, the Office of Emergency Management has published a comprehensive guide to emergency preparedness intended to help the residents of Los Angeles County better prepare for, respond to, and recover from disasters.

The County’s Emergency Survival Guide is now available on-line in both English and Spanish at http://www.lacounty.gov website’s homepage in the Hot Topics in LA County, Residents, Business and Publications sections.

The Emergency Survival Guide contains 100 pages of helpful tips and information for residents to prepare for fires, floods, earthquakes, pandemic flu, terrorism, extreme weather, and tsunamis. There is space to record household emergency plans including out-of-state contacts, family evacuation gathering points, and the location of utility shut-offs. The Emergency Survival Guide also features checklists for gathering emergency supplies that will help individuals, families, pet owners, businesses and communities survive and recover after a major disaster. Additional information on preparing for disasters is also available on-line at www.espfocus.org

Residents and business owners, including persons with access and functional needs may also call 211 LA County for emergency preparedness information and other referral services. The toll-free 2-1-1 number is available 24 hours a day and seven days a week. 211 LA County services can also be accessed by visiting http://211la.org

Los Angeles County Has A Brand-New Fire Station – In Orange County

In 2005, the City of La Habra contracted with the Los Angeles County Fire Department for fire protection and emergency medical services. At the time, this was a first for the Fire Department, to reach beyond L.A. County’s boundaries to provide its services to a community in neighboring Orange County.

Part of the new service agreement called for the creation of a fourth fire station to provide additional fire protection and emergency medical services to residents in the Cities of La Habra, La Mirada, and parts of unincorporated area of South Whittier.

This week was the dedication of Fire Station 194, a new facility along Beach Boulevard, which is well positioned to answer the growing annual volume of 3,600 emergency calls for the City of La Habra, and 3,000 emergency calls for the City of La Mirada.

The City of La Habra shared in the cost by paying for 50 percent of the land purchase, design, and construction costs to bring this $3.5 million fire station to reality.

May Revise Impact

Over the last two years, we have been dealt nearly $500 million in funding cuts by the State of California to critical local programs that impact the lives of every County resident, including public health, mental health, and social services. Beyond these $500 million cuts, State leaders have also raided our coffers by borrowing an additional $360 million in local property tax revenue. Now, with the release of the State’s Budget Revision last week, Los Angeles County residents are poised to suffer from hundreds of millions of dollars in additional local cuts, potentially pushing community programs to the breaking point and pushing thousands of criminals out of State prisons and into local jails.

The Governor’s 2010-11 May Budget Revision, projects an overall $19.1 deficit, which includes $7.7 billion in the remainder of this current fiscal year and $10.2 billion in fiscal year 2010-11. Closing the deficit relies heavily on $12.5 billion in proposed additional funding cuts to health and social service programs.

Among the proposed cuts to programs that are run by Counties across California are $1.6 billion from CalWORKs, completely eliminating the program. CalWORKs provides cash grants and welfare to work services to over 1 million Californians in low-income families. Locally, 320,940 children in 167,617 families in Los Angeles County would lose over $1 billion in cash grants.

Additionally, $637 million would be cut from In-Home Supportive Services Program funding, and $73.6 million in funding for the Cash Assistance Program for Immigrants, which would eliminate the program.

$654 million in funding will be cut or redirected away from Mental Health programs and funding would be cut Statewide by 60-percent for Counties providing Federally-mandated mental health services. These cuts would result in over $239 million in funding cuts to the Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health.

We are also facing $523 million in certain Medi-Cal cost containment measures, plus $1.2 billion in cuts to subsidized child care and other childhood development programs.

The Governor is also proposing to transfer an estimated 15,000 non-violent felons to local jails, for an estimated State General Fund savings of $244 million. Even though the State would see savings from this move, the cost burdens of housing these inmates would fall to local taxpayers. Our Sheriff’s Department is estimating that this proposal alone would cost the County an additional $100 million, and result in severe overcrowding of local jails.

In every case, these cuts will have a tremendous effect on the County of Los Angeles and the people we serve.

Your County leaders are currently investigating the impact these proposed funding cuts will have on County programs and services to residents. We will continue fighting to protect the funding we need continue these critical programs for County residents.

Deputy Honored For Bravery During Hawaiian Gardens Rampage

Supervisor Don Knabe and members of the Hawaiian Gardens City Council honored Los Angeles County Deputy Sheriff Freddy Brown for his heroic actions last week in the City of Hawaiian Gardens.

Deputy Freddy Brown was credited with saving six lives by shooting 26-year-old Joseph Mercado, who is suspected of using an AK-47 to kill his former girlfriend, her brother and her father at their Hawaiian Gardens home on May 6.

Deputy Brown was honored for subduing the gunman who was allegedly killing his former girlfriend, her brother and her father and critically wounded their mother before being shot by Deputy Brown. Six other family members, including an infant escaped due to the actions of Deputy Brown.

We want to thank and commend Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Deputy Freddy Brown for his incredible display of courage, in the face of life-threatening peril to himself, and protecting the residents of Los Angeles County without hesitation, said Supervisor Knabe. Freddie, congratulations on a job well done. You are a hero.

Taste Of The Heights Returns To Pathfinder Park

Los Angeles County Supervisor Don Knabe, in conjunction with the Los Angeles County Department of Parks and Recreation, Rowland Heights Community Coordinating Council, Hacienda Heights Improvement Association, San Gabriel Valley Regional Chamber of Commerce , Friends of Steinmetz Senior Center, Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, and local community groups and businesses, will celebrate the Seventh Annual Taste of the Heights on Wednesday, May 26, 2010 from 5:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.

The annual event will be held at Pathfinder Community Regional Park in Rowland Heights, with more than 1,500 participants and more than a dozen restaurants. The night will feature a live band, The HoDads, with dancing, wine tasting, and great food.

Pathfinder Community Regional Park is a hidden beauty atop the hill overlooking the city lights. Ticket prices are $10.00 per person in advance and $12.00 at the door. This includes a taste from each of the sponsored restaurants. In addition, children’s tickets are available for $5.00 each. For information and advance tickets please call (626) 333-1369.

Mumps Cases On The Rise In Los Angeles County

Amid an increasing number of mumps cases reported in Los Angeles County, the Department of Public Health today urged residents to be alert for any sign of the disease in their community and to take steps to protect themselves.

At least nine cases of mumps have already been reported in Los Angeles County this year, six of which have been confirmed, said Jonathan E. Fielding, MD, MPH, Director of Public Health and Health Officer. By comparison, seven cases were confirmed countywide in all of 2009, seven in 2008, and five in 2007.

Four of the confirmed cases have occurred in the past two months and may be related to the multi-state mumps outbreak affecting the Hasidic Jewish population that was first seen in this country on the East Coast. Specifically, cases have been detected in congregate settings such as schools, colleges, and community centers.

Mumps is a vaccine-preventable viral illness that is transmitted by coughing and sneezing. Symptoms begin from 12 to 25 days after exposure, and include swelling of salivary glands, fever and inflammation of the testes in teenage and adult males. Up to 20 percent of infected individuals may be asymptomatic, however. Symptoms tend to decrease after one week and usually go away after 10 days, but in some cases the illness can cause severe symptoms that include inflammation of the testicles, meningitis and encephalitis.

The best protection against the mumps is to make sure that you receive the measles-mumps-rubella vaccination, said Dr. Fielding. If you develop mumps symptoms, avoid congregate settings where you could spread the disease to others, and contact your doctor immediately.

Unimmunized children under age 19 who do not have health insurance or a regular source of health care can receive low-cost or free mumps vaccine through a Public Health center (during vaccine clinic hours), or through their local community health center.

For information on Public Health vaccine clinics, locate a health center near you by using the Public Health website or by calling the LA County Information line at 2-1-1. Contact the health center to make a vaccine appointment.

Community Input Sought For Bicycle Master Plan

Bicycle riders are invited to participate in the second series of community workshops on the countywide Bicycle Master Plan, currently being developed by the Los Angeles County Public Works Department.

The Master Plan seeks to expand and connect County bikeways, improve existing County bicycle facilities, develop and prioritize a list of proposed new bikeways and bicycle projects, and promote bicycle usage.

As part of the effort, the Public Works Department is hosting three series of community workshops to obtain input on the Master Plan. During this second series, workshop participants will have an opportunity to review the input provided to date, and recommend additional bikeways and bicycle facilities for the Plan.

The workshops will begin on June 2, 2010, and end on June 30, 2010. Meetings will be held in Marina del Rey, Topanga, East Los Angeles, Ladera Heights, Newhall, Hacienda Heights, Baldwin Park, Calabasas, Lancaster and Athens Village.

A third series of workshops will be held later this year.

Visit www.lacountybikeplan.org to obtain the date, time and location of the workshop nearest you or for more information on the Bicycle Master Plan. For questions, contact County Bikeway Coordinator, Abu Yusuf, at (626) 458-3940 or ayusuf@dpw.lacounty.gov

Marina del Rey Free Summer Beach Shuttle Begins May 28

Thanks to a continued partnership between Playa Vista and Los Angeles County Supervisor Don Knabe, residents and visitors to the Marina can once again enjoy a relaxing ride on the free Summer Beach Shuttle without having to deal with the burden of gasoline costs, parking fees, and traffic headaches.

This summer, the Beach Shuttle will operate on Fridays, weekends, and holidays between Memorial Day weekend and Labor Day from May 28th to September 6th. Friday and Saturday operating hours will be from 10:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. Sunday and holiday operating hours will be from 10:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. In support of the Thursday evening classical concerts at Burton Chace Park, (July 8 and 222; August 5 and 19) the Beach Shuttle will also operate from 5:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. to provide direct service to Burton Chace Park. The Beach Shuttle will also provide service for the Sunday, September 26th Abbot Kinney Festival between the hours of 10:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m.

The free Beach Shuttle buses will travel from Playa Vista every 30 minutes beginning at 10:15 a.m., carrying passengers to major points of interest including Fisherman’s Village, Waterside Shopping Center, Mother’s Beach and Venice Beach Pier. Please note that there will be a pause in service between 3:15 p.m. to 4:15 p.m. to allow for the shuttle drivers’ lunch breaks.

The Beach Shuttle vehicles are powered by clean Compressed Natural Gas. Space for bicycles is available. Shuttle stops are also conveniently located near seven Marina del Rey WaterBus boarding locations. For more information on the Beach Shuttle, visit http://beaches.lacounty.gov or call the Marina del Rey Visitor’s Center at (310) 305-9545.

Ceramic Mural Celebrates Baywatch Avalon

Catalina Island is perhaps the only place in the world where Baywatch means something other than the popular television show of that name. Baywatch on this island refers to the cadre of highly trained paramedics, lifeguards, fire fighters and rescuers who handle everything from bee stings to diving accidents to lost hikers. This vital service is celebrated in a ceramic tile mural created by artist Sandow Birk for the fa cade of the new Avalon Lifeguard Paramedic Headquarters dedicated today.

Rendered in blue tones on white tiles in the tradition of azulejo tiles found throughout Europe, North Africa and Latin America, the mural, on the curved wall of the headquarters’ entrance, depicts the idyllic harbor of the town of Avalon. In the distance a plume of smoke rises from a boat as a lifeguard vessel speeds to assistance. In the sky above the dots and dashes of Morse code spell out S.O.S. The mural’s border features sea life from the area, while six vignettes depict the various specialized activities and vehicles of the Baywatch Avalon lifeguards.

The Los Angeles County Arts Commission through its Civic Art Program commissioned the mural as well as the tile work on the headquarters’ staircase risers leading up to the mural. Baywatch Avalon is part of the Lifeguard Division of the Los Angeles County Fire Department.

The use of ceramics reflects Catalina’s history of tile making which dates from the 1920s. The staircase tiles mix traditional Catalina Tile Co. tiles with new tiles hand painted by Birk and fabricated by his wife and partner Elyse Pignolet. The risers bear the core values of the Fire Department , Commitment, Courage, Community, Caring, Teamwork, Integrity , and a poem that is the informal code of the U.S. Lifesaving Service.

The Avalon Lifeguard Paramedic Headquarters is located at 440 Avalon Canyon Road in Avalon, a 15-minute walk from the ferry dock.

Sandow Birk worked closely with the staff Baywatch Avalon while developing the artwork for the new headquarters. The lifeguard and paramedic station is 7,005 square feet and includes office space, reception area, living quarters for personnel and a bay for emergency vehicles and watercraft trailers.

Carrie Brown of the Arts Commission was project manager for the Avalon Lifeguard Paramedic Headquarters artwork. Under the County’s Civic Art Policy, adopted in 2004, one percent of design and construction costs on County capital projects over $500,000 is set aside for the incorporation of civic art.

Paid Summer Internships For College Students Available Through Arts Internship Program

Summer job opportunities for 74 college students are now available through the L.A. County Arts Internship Program. Descriptions of and contacts for the internship positions are posted on the Arts Commission’s Web site. Go to www.lacountyarts.org, click on Internships, then 2010 Internship Positions.

Interested students should act as soon as positions are posted as there is stiff competition for a limited number of internships. Students apply directly to the organization offering the internship, not the Arts Commission. The organizations will want to move as fast as possible so their interns can start by May 31.

Graduating seniors who complete their undergraduate degrees by September 1, 2010 are eligible, as well as undergraduates. Applicants must have completed at least one semester of college by June 2010 and be currently enrolled (full-time) in a community college or a four-year university. Applicants must be a resident of and/or attending school in Los Angeles County.

The positions are for 10 weeks and pay $350 per week. Interns also take part in educational and arts networking activities. Through the program, interns gain real work experience to strengthen their resumes and develop business skills that can be put to use in their future careers.

To support the internships, Los Angeles County, through its Arts Commission, has given grants totaling $250,000 to 74 arts organizations throughout the County.

Through the program, interns gain a deeper understanding of the work involved in nonprofit arts administration and the role of the arts in a community and develop business skills that can be put to use in their future careers. Internship host organizations help mold and shape potential new arts leaders who may go on to hold positions on staffs, boards or as volunteers.