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Fullerton Road To Be Improved In Rowland Heights

Fullerton Road in the unincorporated community of Rowland Heights will soon undergo improvements, Supervisor Don Knabe announced today. The project is part of the County’s effort to provide improved infrastructure in its unincorporated areas.

The $308,505 project will focus on the resurfacing of the roadway pavement; the reconstruction of curb and gutter, sidewalk, and driveways; and the construction of curb ramps. The project will be financed with State Proposition 1B funds and is included in the Fourth Supervisorial District’s Road Fund Budget. This project is scheduled to start in June and be completed in July.

It is important that we constantly look for ways to improve the roads and increase motorist safety in our County, said Supervisor Knabe. By improving Fullerton Road, not only will the residents of Rowland Heights benefit, but so will the residents of neighboring cities and our other unincorporated communities that travel this route.

653 Firearms Collected During Gifts For Guns

653 guns, including one grenade, were surrendered by local residents during the first weekend of a two-month expansion of the Gifts for Guns program, Supervisor Don Knabe announced today.

The Gifts for Guns program allows County residents to anonymously and safely turn in guns and firearms to law enforcement. Since Sheriff Lee Baca began the program in 2005, over 3,000 guns and firearms have been surrendered in exchange for gift cards. A firearm that’s no longer working can be exchanged for a $50 gift card, working firearms are worth a $100 card, and an assault weapon is exchanged for a $200 card. The gift cards can be used at Target, Wal-Mart, Food-4-Less, and Ralphs.

The first three collection events were held on March 28 and 29 and resulted in 653 firearms being surrendered, including:

Norwalk Sheriff Station: 197 firearms, including one grenade

Century Sheriff Station: 143 firearms

Lancaster Sheriff Station: 313 firearms

I was amazed when I stopped by the Norwalk collection site on Saturday. Within 30 minutes, 18 firearms had been collected, said Supervisor Knabe. The men and women of our law enforcement agencies do a tremendous job protecting our communities, but enforcement alone isn’t enough to reduce gun violence on our streets. Reduction requires the support of the public, and successful programs like Gifts for Guns will help get the job done.

Over the next two months, Gifts for Guns collection sites will be held throughout the County and will be open to any residents. Specific details for each collection event are available by contacting the individual Sheriff stations. Locations include:

April 4-5, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Palmdale Sheriff Station

Carson Sheriff Station

Walnut Sheriff Station

April 18-19, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Santa Clarita Sheriff Station

Lomita Sheriff Station (April 18 only)

Lakewood Sheriff Station

April 25, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Altadena Sheriff Station

San Dimas Sheriff Station

May 2, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Crescenta Valley Sheriff Station

Marina del Rey Sheriff Station

May 8-9, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

East Los Angeles Sheriff Station

Lennox Sheriff Station

Industry Sheriff Station

May 22-23, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Lost Hills Sheriff Station (May 23 only)

Avalon Sheriff Station (May 22 only)

May 30-31, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Temple Sheriff Station

Compton Sheriff Station

Pico Rivera Sheriff Station

County’s Use Of Hybrids Is On The Rise

Supervisor Don Knabe, Chairman of the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors, lauded a recent report that shows a dramatic increase in the County’s use of hybrid vehicles.

Earlier this month, the Los Angeles County Internal Services Department released its annual Clean Fuels Report. The report shows that hybrids now make up over 20-percent of the County’s entire passenger car fleet. The County currently has a total of 268 hybrids, which is an increase of over 1,400-percent since the Board of Supervisors made acquiring hybrids a priority four years ago. This number does not include vehicles within the Department of Public Works, the Fire Department, or the Sheriff’s Department, which each maintains their own vehicles and fleet management.

In November 2005, the Board of Supervisors unanimously voted to modify the County Clean Fuels Policy to ensure that hybrid vehicles become the standard for new non-emergency passenger vehicles acquired for routine County business. The Board also directed County Departments to begin purchasing hybrids as they replaced their gasoline powered passenger vehicles, whenever practical and economically feasible.

I am very pleased with the results of this report, said Supervisor Knabe. The County of Los Angeles is one of the largest employers in the region, and it is important that we are at the forefront of reducing energy use. By increasing the use of hybrids, we are not only saving money on fuel costs, but we are also reducing the amount of resources that we consume.

Traffic Congestion Relief For Downey, Norwalk, and La Mirada

Supervisor Don Knabe announced a new traffic reduction effort in the Cities of Downey, La Mirada, Norwalk, Santa Fe Springs, and South Gate as part of an expansion of the County’s Traffic Synchronization Program.

The $1.27 million project will modify traffic signals, install fiber optic equipment, and closed circuit television cameras on Firestone Boulevard from Stewart & Gray Road to Imperial Highway, Imperial Highway from Firestone Boulevard to Carmenita Road, and Imperial Highway from Paramount Boulevard to Bellflower Boulevard.

The County’s Traffic Synchronization Program began over 20 years ago. It’s now stretched across the South Bay, San Gabriel Valley, and Gateway Cities. The County has completed 122 projects on 81 different routes, synchronizing over 2,300 intersections. Another 434 intersections are currently being synchronized and the County plans to upgrade an additional 313 intersections over the next few years.

On roadways where the County has completed synchronization upgrades, commuter travel times have been reduced by as much as 29%. The result is drivers saving $387 million in vehicle costs annually, saving 26.3 million travel hours in their cars, saving 32.6 million gallons of fuel per year, and eliminating 11,400 tons of pollutants from going into the environment each year.

The expansion approved today will install a wireless communications network, known as an Intelligent Transportation System, along Firestone Boulevard and Imperial Highway. It will allow the County to change traffic lights in real-time, and immediately respond to accidents and congestion from the Countywide Traffic Management Center in Alhambra. Work is scheduled to start in May 2009 and be completed January 2010.

Traffic synchronization works and is a huge benefit to commuters, said Supervisor Don Knabe. As soon as we complete a project, it has an immediate impact on reducing commute times and reducing our impact on the environment."

Board Renews $50,000 Reward In Attempted Murder Case Of Whittier Sheriff’s Deputy

The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors once again unanimously approved a $50,000 reward today for information leading to the arrest and conviction of Emigdio Preciado, the primary suspect in the shooting of Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Deputy Michael Schaap. The Sheriff’s Homicide Bureau requested that the Board re-establish the $50,000 reward to prompt individuals to come forward and provide information as to the whereabouts of the suspect.

On September 5, 2000, Deputy Schaap was shot and injured while on routine patrol in Whittier with his partner, Deputy David Timberlake. While attempting to stop a van for a vehicle code violation, the alleged assailants opened fire with an assault rifle from inside the van. Multiple rounds were fired, one of which struck Schaap in the head. The bullet fragments were removed at St. Francis Medical Center, and Schaap was released and home with his family by Thanksgiving Day. A first suspect has already been apprehended, but the second suspect, Emigdio Preciado, is still at large and wanted for attempted murder. Preciado is an adult male Hispanic presumed to be in Mexico and considered armed and dangerous.

By renewing this $50,000 reward, this Board intends to send a clear message that we support our deputies 100 percent and that this sort of egregious assault will not be tolerated, said Supervisor Knabe. If this reward serves to bring Deputy Schaap’s attacker to justice, I consider it money well spent.

Information on the whereabouts of Preciado or any other information related to this case should be directed to any local law enforcement office or to the Homicide Bureau of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, at (323) 890-5500.

Nirupa Sejpal-Parmar Named Fourth District Woman Of The Year

Los Angeles County Supervisor Don Knabe is pleased to announce that he has chosen Nirupa Sejpal-Parmar as his selection for the 2009 Woman of the Year Award. The coveted award is presented by the Los Angeles County Commission for Women each year to ten women, five from the community-at-large and one from each of the County’s five Supervisorial districts.

Nirupa Sejpal-Parmar is an active Board Member with the South Asian Helpline and Referral Agency, better known as SAHARA. SAHARA, located in the City of Artesia, was founded by a courageous group of women, and provides services to what is regarded as a very private society, where victims of domestic violence suffer silently within the confines of their culture, with literally nowhere to turn. Nirupa develops innovative programs for the families SAHARA works with, actively pursues funding and grants, and provides treatment in her capacity as a licensed child psychologist.

I do not know of a more persistent and passionate advocate not only for SAHARA, but for the women and children they serve, said Supervisor Knabe. Her tireless efforts, along with the outstanding people of SAHARA, to shed light on what many in their community would rather not acknowledge is truly a profile in courage and service that flies in the face of fear.

Yvonne B. Burke Park Dedication Ceremony Set

A dedication ceremony is scheduled for April 1 at 9:30 a.m. in Yvonne B. Burke Park, located at 4350 Admiralty Way, Marina del Rey. New signs reflecting the name change were installed in honor of Burke’s retirement and decades of service to the community.

The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors unanimously approved renaming Admiralty Park as Yvonne B. Burke Park. The name change, proposed by Supervisor Don Knabe, honors former Supervisor Burke for her 16 years of service representing the Second District citing Burke’s many firsts, including becoming the first African-American elected to the Board of Supervisors, and devoting her entire professional life to public service, whether as an elected official, an attorney, or as an official of the U.S. Olympic Organizing Committee.

Supervisor Burke has a deep personal attachment and commitment to Marina del Rey dating back nearly 30 years, said Supervisor Knabe. I am proud to honor my colleague and my friend by finally and permanently renaming this park with the name it should rightfully have.

For additional information regarding the Yvonne B. Burke Park dedication ceremony please call (310) 305-9503.

Statements from the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors

The Honorable Don Knabe, Chairman of the Board – Supervisor, 4th District:
"The critical services provided by having a well-functioning hospital and emergency room in South Los Angeles are far too important to be lost forever. As private hospitals continue to close and we keep losing inpatient beds, having this public hospital open is critical to the safety net of our entire County Healthcare Network. This partnership with UC is an important first step in ensuring that we get MLK Hospital back on its feet and back open for business."
The Honorable Gloria Molina – Supervisor, 1st District:
"From the moment Martin Luther King, Jr. Hospital closed its doors, my colleagues and I committed ourselves to reopening a hospital withcritically needed inpatient beds and Emergency Services for the community of South Los Angeles. I am pleased and optimistic that our goal for a partnership with the UC Systemis one step closer to making that vision a reality."
The Honorable Mark Ridley-Thomas – Supervisor, 2nd District:
"The matter of health care in LA County is urgent. Therefore, the announcement of this proposal marks a significant step toward restoring quality patient care at the Martin Luther King Medical Center. The public-private partnership approach we are taking is prudent, feasible, scalable and potentially catalytic in ways that improve the health care outcomes in the region. I commend the governor, the UC and County CEO for their hard and diligent work, and the Board of Supervisors for their critical support. I am hopeful that any remaining details can be successfully resolved in a timely manner. Time is of the essence as communities with very deserving patients impatiently await the reopening of this important medical center."
The Honorable Zev Yaroslavsky – Supervisor, 3rd District:
"The reopening of MLK Hospital is the County’s most important health care priority today. The partnership between the University of California and the County of Los Angeles is the best hope for restoring critically needed hospital and emergency room care at the high level of excellence our citizens deserve. I salute Governor Schwarzenegger, the University of California leadership and our own County team for their persistence toward getting this done. Since the UC/L.A. County relationship was first proposed last May [2008], we have come a long way. There is a lot of work yet to be done, but the finish line is now in sight."
The Honorable Michael D. Antonovich – Supervisor, 5th District:
"It is vital that a reestablished hospital serving this community is held to the highest standard of quality medical care. While I have questions about the details of its proposed structure, I wholeheartedly support a cooperative partnership with the University of California and look forward to reviewing the proposed details."

Road Resurfacing Project In Whittier Receives County Funding

The County of Los Angeles will provide $200,000 in the form of Highways-Through-Cities funds to the City of Whittier for their resurfacing project on Lambert Road, Supervisor Don Knabe announced today.

The project, which is entirely in the City of Whittier, will resurface Lambert Road from Washington Boulevard to Leffingwell Road, and cost an estimated $1,800,000, of which $200,000 will be financed by the County. The funding for the County’s contribution is available from the Fourth Supervisorial District’s Road Construction Program in the Fiscal Year 2008-09 Road Fund Budget. The estimated completion date of the project is April 2009.

It is important that we constantly look for ways to improve the roads and increase motorist safety in our County, said Supervisor Knabe. By improving Lambert Road, both the residents of Whittier and the nearby unincorporated County areas that travel this route will benefit.

County Funds South Bay Groundwater Monitoring Project

Supervisor Don Knabe announced a multimillion dollar effort to further protect groundwater aquifers in the South Bay through a new technology project. The Los Angeles County Department of Public Works will soon begin a $2.6 million project to build an underground telecommunications conduit that will allow better monitoring and control of wells throughout the South Bay.

A total of 153 injection wells stretch from the Palos Verdes Peninsula, north to Los Angeles International Airport, as part of the West Coast Basin Barrier Project. By injecting into water into these wells, seawater from Santa Monica Bay is prevented from seeping into the critical freshwater aquifers underneath the Los Angeles Basin. Seawater intrusion is the movement of ocean water into fresh groundwater, causing contamination of the groundwater by salt.

By creating a unified communications system between the wells, engineers with the Department of Public Works can control the West Coast Basin Barrier remotely from a monitoring facility in Alhambra. This allows for more rapid changes in the injection system and better monitoring of the groundwater supply in the underground aquifers.

In this first phase of the project, the County will construct a 12-inch-wide underground conduit which the future telecommunication controls will eventually run through. Public Works expects the conduit construction, which will involve areas in the Cities of El Segundo, Manhattan Beach, Hermosa Beach, Redondo Beach, and Torrance, to start in April 2009 and complete in October 2009. Access to adjacent properties will remain open during construction and traffic impacts will be minimal.