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Job Creation Program Passes Halfway Mark

There is good news for the local economy – Supervisor Don Knabe, Chairman of the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors, announced today that the County is more than halfway towards meeting its goal of employing at least 10,000 people in temporary local jobs.

A total of 5,480 people have been employed as part of the 10,000 Jobs Initiative, so far. Of this number, 75% are young people between the ages of 16 and 24. Nearly 350 businesses across the County have hired employees through the program.

On March 3, 2009, Supervisor Knabe introduced the program, which utilizes almost $200 million in federal stimulus funding to create temporary subsidized employment opportunities in County departments, private sector employers, non-profit organizations, and in cities across Los Angeles County.

We are continuing to move rapidly in getting these jobs created and filled. said Supervisor Knabe. The federal stimulus money we are using expires in September 2010, so we want these temporary workers to have the maximum amount of time in their jobs.

Two resources are available for employers looking to hire workers or for those looking for a job. The first is the County’s telephone hotline, 211.

The second is a dedicated website: www.employmentstimulus.org

The Banning Museum Is Looking For Volunteers

The Banning Museum is seeking new volunteers for a variety of programming opportunities and will host two Get to Know Us receptions in September for prospective volunteers.

The Get to Know Us receptions will take place at 11:00 a.m. on Friday, September 11 and Saturday, September 12, 2009 in the Museum’s Library in the Barn at 401 East M Street, Wilmington. Reservations are required. Please contact the Museum at (310) 548-7777 to RSVP.

Volunteers at the Banning Museum will attend a training class to gain the background necessary to offer public tours and special group tours of the interior of the Museum, Stagecoach Barn and grounds. Once the training class is completed, the volunteers are able to participate in a full range of Museum programs such as conservation and maintenance of antiques, participating in decorative arts exhibitions, special events, Museum Shop assistance, lecture and discussion committees, volunteer activities, Living History Program and the School Program.

The Museum’s School Program is designed to introduce fourth grade students to local cultural and historical heritage and may require additional training to familiarize new volunteers to the program details.

Marina del Rey Used Oil Collection Center Will Be Closed Temporarily

Due to necessary maintenance, the Marina del Rey Used Oil Collection Center located at 13483 Fiji Way, Marina del Rey will be closed for a two-week period from Monday, August 31 through Friday, September 11.

During the temporary closure period, the public will not be able to dispose of used motor oil/used oil filters at the collection center. It is illegal to leave items on the ground at or around the center, and any items left on the ground pose a safety hazard and will delay the maintenance project. There will be no pick-up service scheduled at this time. The center is for residential waste only, no business waste is allowed.

An alternative disposal center at the Hyperion Treatment Plant is available during the closure and is located at 7660 West Imperial Highway, Gate B, Playa del Rey for items that require immediate disposal. Hours of operation are Saturdays and Sundays from 9:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.

For additional information about the closure, call the Los Angeles County Department of Public Works at (626) 458-2505.

Whittier Greenway Trail Transit Plan Derailed

Light rail trains will not be running down the middle of the Whittier Greenway Trail in the future, Supervisor Don Knabe announced today.

Metro has started work on the Eastside Transit Corridor Phase 2 project that would extend the Gold Line light rail system to cities further east of Los Angeles, including Whittier. One of the four routes under consideration for the future light rail extension would have included running tracks down the middle of the Whittier Greenway Trail.

Metro will be abandoning any further consideration of the Greenway Trail option after significant community opposition and the opposition by Supervisor Knabe, who serves as First Vice Chair of Metro’s Board of Directors. In addition, technical analysis indicates that the route has several fatal flaws that renders it infeasible for construction.

I am adamantly opposed to any Gold Line track alignment that would come anywhere near the Greenway Trail, said Supervisor Knabe.

Having train tracks run down the middle of the trail was not what I had in mind when committed $100,000 in public park funds towards the project, and it is not what supporters of the Greenway Trail had in mind either. The expansion of mass transit options in the area is critically needed, given our congested roads and expected 25-percent increase in local population in the next two decades, but we can’t expand mass transit at the expense of parks and open space."

The Greenway Trail is a five-mile bicycle/pedestrian trail which replaces an abandoned railroad right-of-way. The trail was dedicated in January 2009 and begins in the northwest corner of Whittier, near the 605 Freeway.

Another Most Wanted Delinquent Parent Is Sentenced

Osvaldo Fernandez, one of Los Angeles County’s Most Wanted Delinquent Parents, was ordered to serve 90 days in jail recently. He was remanded into Sheriff’s custody one day after being arrested by District Attorney Investigators working in collaboration with the Los Angeles County’s Child Support Services Department.

In April, 2008 Fernandez pleaded no contest to a charge of criminal contempt for failing to support his 8 year old daughter. He was placed on probation for 36 months and ordered to make payments. Despite repeated assurances to the court that he would comply, he made no payments between June 2008 and June 2009. On July 20, Superior Court Commissioner Marshall Rieger found him in violation of probation and ordered him to surrender on July 22 to serve 45 days in the County Jail. Fernandez failed to surrender as ordered and a warrant was issued for his arrest.

Fernandez, who owes more than $21,000 in unpaid support, was quickly added to the County’s Most Wanted Delinquent Parent website. His case was turned over to investigators assigned to the Child Support Arrest Warrant Project, a joint effort of the Child Support Services Department and the District Attorney’s office. Following up on leads provided by associates and former neighbors, a team of two DA Investigators succeeded in tracking down Fernandez. He peacefully surrendered to them at a downtown location and was transported to the County Jail for booking.

On Wednesday, Fernandez appeared in custody before Commissioner John W. Green at the downtown Central Arraignment Court facility. Green found Fernandez guilty of a second probation violation for failing to surrender as ordered. In addition to remanding him to serve the 45 days previously imposed by Commissioner Rieger, Green tacked on 45 more days to the sentence for the additional violation.

Since the inception of the Most Wanted Delinquent Parents website in March of last year, 22 parents have had their photos posted with details of their cases and the warrants for their arrest. 15 of the 22 have been arrested or surrendered to court after their photos and stories were made public.

The Los Angeles County Child Support Services Department maintains the Most Wanted Delinquent Parent List. It was developed as a result of an appropriation by the Los Angeles Board of Supervisors on the initiative of Supervisor Don Knabe.

New Adoption Fees And Incentives At County Shelters

On July 28, 2009, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors approved changes to fees for services provided by the Los Angeles County Department of Animal Care and Control (DACC). The Department has not raised its fees for a number of years, and as such, the increase in certain fees was needed to offset escalating operating costs. Fee structures for other services were streamlined to provide more efficient public service.

The new adoption fee for dogs and cats is $50. This price includes the animal’s initial vaccinations and microchip implantation with national registration. While the previous adoption fee was $10, vaccinations and microchip registration were extra required charges that would generally price the adoption at approximately $38. The new adoption fees have been standardized to better align with other animal control agencies in the Southern California region. DACC’s adoption fee is still lower in comparison to most other animal control agencies.

Spay and neuter fees have also changed. Previously, the fees ranged anywhere from $30 to more than $100 depending on the size and gender of the animal. The revised spay and neuter fee has been standardized to $50 for any dog and $40 for any cat.

The combined adoption fee and spay and neuter fee would bring the cost to adopt a dog that requires spay or neuter surgery to $100. Cats requiring spay or neuter surgery would be priced at $90. These fees apply to animals that have been at the shelter for 10 days or less.

In an effort to adopt out animals that have been at the shelter for more than 10 days, DACC is offering an incentive to potential adopters. The adoption fee for these animals is lowered from $50 to $30 after 10 days in the care of the shelter. An even greater benefit is that spay and neuter fees for these animals will be paid by the Los Angeles County Animal Care Foundation’s SAVE program. The total adoption cost for these animals, excluding an animal license which varies by jurisdiction, would be $30. The goal of the Animal Care Foundation’s contribution is to give these animals a better chance of finding a new home. This new incentive will not only encourage potential adopters to adopt animals less likely to be adopted, but will also help decrease the risk of those animals being euthanized because of overcrowding.

DACC believes that these new fees will not prevent any individual from adopting a pet. The current fees continue to be lower than fees charged by other agencies. Moreover, the incentives for animals that have been in the care of the shelter for 10 days should increase adoption opportunities for many more of these adoptable pets. We strongly encourage you to consider visiting one of the County’s six animal shelters when you consider adopting your next pet.

For more information and a complete list of our new fees visit our website at http://animalcare.lacounty.gov or stop by your local animal shelter.

Termino Drain Public Meeting Held Next Wednesday

You are invited to attend a public meeting next Wednesday, August 19 to learn about the construction phase of the Termino Avenue Drain Project. The meeting will take place from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. in the Wilson Classical High School Auditorium located at 4400 E. 10th Street in the City of Long Beach.

This public meeting is sponsored by City of Long Beach Councilmembers Gary

DeLong and Patrick O’Donnell, the City of Long Beach Department of Public Works,

and the County of Los Angeles Department of Public Works.

The purpose of the Termino Avenue Drain Project is to construct a storm drain to relieve flooding problems. Construction is scheduled to begin October 13, 2009. To view the project’s final environmental impact report, please click here.

Summer Festival Returns This Saturday To South Whittier

The 3rd Annual South Whittier Educate & Celebrate Festival is coming to Adventure Park this Saturday, August 15, Supervisor Knabe announced today. The festival is sponsored by Los Angeles County Supervisor Don Knabe and the Los Angeles County Department of Parks and Recreation.

This year, the South Whittier Educate & Celebrate Festival will include a Free Health Fair in partnership with Presbyterian Intercommunity Hospital, a Free Job Fair hosted by SASSFA, Free Haircuts by Whittier’s Marinello School of Beauty, and a Food Giveaway by Hearts of Compassion. The festival is expected to draw over 2,500 people from the community.

This is one of the largest community events in the history of South Whittier, said Supervisor Knabe. I am thrilled by the response and excitement that the community is showing for this event.

There will be over 75 vendors in attendance that will set up information booths in the park. All festivities will occur between the hours of 10:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. In addition, there will be local community groups performing entertainment, and Karaoke hosted by the Los Angeles County Department of Parks and Recreation. Activities available at the festival will include:

– SASSFA Employment Resource and Job Fair

– Free Employment Training Workshops

– College Town

– Local Youth Entertainment

– Arts & Crafts

– Community Flea Market

– Kid Zone

– Free Haircuts by Whittier’s Marinello School of Beauty

vNeighborhood Watch Groups

– Face Painting

– Petting Zoo

– Community Based Organizations and Local Non-Profits

– Social Service Resources

– Los Angeles County Resources

Adventure Park is located at 10130 South Gunn Avenue in South Whittier. For more information on the festival, please call Adventure Park at (562) 698-7645.

First Symptomatic Human Case Of West Nile Virus Confirmed In Los Angeles County

The Los Angeles County Health Officer has confirmed the first symptomatic human case of West Nile Virus (WNV) infection in Los Angeles County for the 2009 season. The case is a teenager, with pre-existing medical conditions, from the Antelope Valley who became symptomatic in mid-July. The individual has now recovered. Earlier this year, two individual blood donors, including one reported in June, tested positive for WNV, but did not show any symptoms (asymptomatic). The donated blood was not used.

People should take precautions to avoid mosquitoes, as that is the primary way this disease is transmitted. Mosquitoes obtain the virus by feeding on infected wild birds, said Jonathan E. Fielding, MD, MPH, Director of Public Health and Health Officer. West Nile Virus can appear anywhere in Los Angeles County or around the state, and we urge residents to get rid of pools of stagnant water around their homes where mosquitoes breed, and to use a repellant containing DEET or another approved repellent when outdoors in mosquito-prone areas, especially around dawn or dusk.

As of August 5th, Public Health and the independent mosquito abatement districts have detected WNV in 38 dead birds, 6 mosquito pools, and 10 sentinel chickens. The Antelope Valley region of the county has shown the most WNV activity to date in 2009. In past seasons, most infected birds and positive mosquitoes have been found in the San Fernando Valley, San Gabriel Valley, and East Los Angeles County areas.

Exposure to West Nile Virus

WNV is spread from humans through the bite of an infected mosquito; mosquitoes can become infected by biting a bird that carries the virus. Most mosquitoes do not carry the virus and most people bitten by a mosquito have not been exposed to the virus. The virus is not spread through person-to-person contact, or directly from birds to humans.

In most case, people who are infected with West Nile Virus never become sick, or have only very mild symptoms that include fever, headache, nausea, body aches, and a mild skin rash. Symptoms of West Nile Virus could appear within three to 12 days after infection. Fortunately, fewer than one in 150 people who are bitten by an infected mosquito become severely ill, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). In these rare cases, the virus can cause encephalitis and death. The elderly are most at risk for severe cases of the disease. There is no specific treatment for West Nile Virus. However, individuals with severe symptoms may be hospitalized.

Preventive Measures

People can decrease their risk of infection by following these recommendations:

– Avoid mosquito-infested areas at dawn and dusk.

– Wear long-sleeved shirts and long pants whenever you are outdoors.

– Repellants containing DEET, picaridin, or oil of eucalyptus, when used as labeled, are effective defenses against mosquitoes.

– Check your window screens for holes.

– Do not allow water to collect and stagnate in old tires, flowerpots, swimming pools, birdbaths, pet bowls, or other containers. These are prime breeding grounds for mosquitoes.

– Clean and chlorinate swimming pools; drain water from pool covers.

– Stock garden ponds with goldfish or other mosquito-eating fish. These eat mosquito eggs and larvae.

– Empty and wash birdbaths and wading pools weekly.

The Los Angeles County Public Health Department has established a toll-free information line that will provide callers with updated information on West Nile Virus within the county. Call (800) 975-4448. If a recently dead bird (less than 24 hours) is found, the public is encouraged to report this by calling (877) 747-2243. If residents see a green pool or stagnant swimming pool at a home, please report this to Public Health’s Environmental Health Bureau at (626) 430-5200.

Where to call with questions about mosquitoes:

Greater Los Angeles County Vector Control District: (562) 944-9656

Los Angeles County West Vector Control District: (310) 915-7370

San Gabriel Valley Mosquito and Vector Control District: (626) 814-9466

Antelope Valley Mosquito and Vector Control District: (661) 942-2917

Compton Creek Mosquito Abatement District: (310) 639-7375

Pasadena City Health Department: (626) 744-6004

City of Long Beach Vector Control Program: (562) 570-4132

20 Arts Groups From The Fourth District To Receive Grants From The Arts Commission

Supervisor Don Knabe is pleased to announce grants to 20 arts organizations from the Fourth District. The Los Angeles County Arts Commission Organizational Grant Program (OGP) grants were awarded competitively, reviewed and scored by panels, and approved by the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors July 14, 2009.

The grants for the Fourth District are part of awards totaling $4,418,000 to 153 nonprofit arts organizations countywide for fiscal years 2009-10 and 2010-11. An estimated 9 million people will be served by the organizations receiving grants.

23 additional Fourth District organizations will also receive grant funds in 2009-10 through two-year awards made last year, bringing the total number of Fourth District organizations funded by the Board of Supervisors to 43. A double asterisk next to the organization name indicates a first-time grantee.

ORGANIZATIONAL GRANT PROGRAM I/SMALL BUDGET ORGANIZATIONS

Bluepalm: Art Culture Education (ACE) (Los Angeles)

Grant Amount: $11,400

Project: To provide, for the first time, salaries for the Executive and Artistic Directors

Chorale Bel Canto (Whittier)

Grant Amount: $18,700

Project: To support development of marketing plans, improve the website, and develop a succession plan.

Culture Shock Los Angeles Dance Troupe (San Pedro) **

Grant Amount: $19,400

Project: To support Program Director position, professional development for teaching artists, and program evaluation.

JC Culture Foundation (Cerritos) **

Grant Amount: $4,200

Project: To support the purchase of performance and technical equipment and hire a part-time administrator.

Long Beach Community Concert Association (Long Beach)

Grant Amount: $13,500

Project: To support artists’ fees for two concert seasons.

Los Cancioneros Master Chorale (Torrance)

Grant Amount: $7,800

Project: To support the production of eight concerts.

Whittier Community Theatre (Whittier) **

Grant Amount: $8,900

Project: To support musicians for productions.

ORGANIZATIONAL GRANT PROGRAM II/MID-SIZE BUDGET ORGANIZATIONS

Downey Symphonic Society, Inc. (Downey)

Grant Amount: $13,500

Project: To support funding for the live concert part of our Music In the Schools Program.

Hernandez Mariachi Heritage Society (South El Monte)

Grant Amount: $15,200

Project: To recruit sponsors, help sites become financially self-sustaining,establish new sites and provide curriculum training.

Institute of Art, Music and Science (Bellflower)

Grant Amount: $11,500

Project: To support fundraising and development plans to increase the participation of low-income children in music education.

Khmer Arts Academy (Long Beach)

Grant Amount: $38,600

Project: To support the Salon Series.

Regina Klenjoski Dance Company (Long Beach)

Grant Amount: $14,100

Project: To support the administrative manager and booking managers .

Rio Hondo Symphony Association (Whittier)

Grant Amount: $17,700

Project: To support planning initiatives with new conductor and a grant writer.

San Pedro City Ballet (San Pedro)

Grant Amount: $11,600

Project: To support the development of a year-round studio performance program that advances works-in-progress.

Shakespeare by the Sea (San Pedro)

Grant Amount: $21,600

Project: To support the Artistic Director and Festival Producer staff positions.

South Bay Ballet (Torrance)

Grant Amount: $21,400

Project: To support artistic and administrative staff.

ORGANIZATIONAL GRANT PROGRAM 2.5IMID-SIZE BUDGET ORGANIZATIONS

Angels Gate Cultural Center (San Pedro)

Grant Amount: $31,900

Project: To support visual and performing arts programming.

Arts Council for Long Beach (Long Beach)

Grant Amount: $75,500

Project: To support temporary public arts projects in vacant lots.

Friends of the Cerritos Center (Cerritos)

Grant Amount: $45,100

Project: To support educational programming and professional development workshops for teachers.

Long Beach Opera (Long Beach)

Grant Amount: $35,700

Project: To support two fully-staged large scale contemporary operas.