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Holiday Celebration At The Music Center Is The County’s Biggest Holiday Show

A free, six-hour holiday spectacular of music, song and dance will unfold on the stage of the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion of the Music Center on Wednesday, December 24, from 3:00 to 9:00 p.m. It’s the 49th Annual L.A. County Holiday Celebration, L.A. County’s biggest holiday show, featuring more than 40 musical ensembles, choirs, and dance companies. Five of the groups scheduled to perform are from the Fourth District:

Albert McNeil Jubilee Singers (Hermosa Beach)
Backhaus Dance (Long Beach)

Dengue Fever (Long Beach)

Inspirational Voices of Free! (San Pedro)

South Bay Ballet (Long Beach)

The Holiday Celebration, which reflects the rich mosaic of cultures found in Southern California, is the County’s yearly gift to local residents. Admission is free and also includes free parking under the Music Center. Reservations are not necessary. Doors open at 2:30 p.m. Patrons may come and go throughout the six hour performance. Complete program information will be available after December 7 at www.holidaycelebration.org and (213) 972-3099. Those who can’t make it to the Music Center can watch the live broadcast of the Holiday Celebration on KCET.

County’s Department Of Animal Care And Control Joins Nationwide Adoption Program

The Los Angeles County Department of Animal Care & Control (DACC) is participating in the nation-wide Iams Home 4 the Holidays 2008 adoption program. The Iams Company, together with the Helen Woodward Animal Center, and 3,000 worldwide pet adoption programs (including DACC) will come together to reach the ambitious goal of 1 million pet adoptions by January 5, 2009.

Since the birth of the Iams Home 4 the Holidays program in 1999, more than 2 million pets have been adopted. The program initially started with only 14 participating animal shelters in San Diego. To date, there are now 3,000 animal shelters and organizations in 15 countries around the globe assisting in placing animals into new homes. This year, award-winning actress Felicity Huffman will serve as the North American-Ambassador to raise awareness about the significance of adopting an animal from a shelter.

DACC employees and volunteers encourage everyone to visit one of the six animal shelters and adopt a shelter pet this holiday season. All six County animal shelters have an extensive variety of animals to choose. Dogs, cats, and other animals of all sizes, colors, and breeds are available for adoption today. Most people don’t know that about a quarter of all dogs in an animal shelter are purebreds. Adopters can help us to reach the 1 million pet adoption goal now through January 5, 2009. All pets adopted during this promotion will receive a starter kit including samples, coupons, and other helpful pet information.

Shelter Locations & Hours:

Downey Shelter Hours:

11258 S. Garfield Avenue Monday-Thursday 12:00PM.-7:00PM

Downey, CA 90242 Friday and Saturday 10:00AM-5:00PM

(562) 940-6898 Closed Sundays and Holidays

Carson Shelter Hours:

216 W. Victoria Street Monday-Thursday 12:00PM-7:00PM

Carson, CA 90248 Friday and Saturday 10:00AM-5:00PM

(310) 523-9566 Closed Sundays and Holidays

Baldwin Park Shelter Hours:

4275 N. Elton Street Monday-Thursday 12:00PM-7:00PM

Baldwin Park, CA 91706 Friday and Saturday 10:00AM-5:00PM

(626) 962-3577 Closed Sundays and Holidays

Lancaster Shelter Hours:

5210 W. Avenue I Monday-Thursday 12:00PM-7:00PM

Lancaster, CA 93536 Friday and Saturday 10:00AM-5:00PM

(661) 940-4191 Closed Sundays and Holidays

Castaic Shelter Hours:

31044 N. Charlie Canyon Road Monday-Thursday 12:00PM-7:00PM

Castaic, CA 91384 Friday and Saturday 10:00AM-5:00PM

(661) 257-3191 Closed Sundays and Holidays

Agoura Shelter Hours:

29525 Agoura Road Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday 9:00AM-5:00PM

Agoura, CA 91301 Wednesday 9:00AM-7:00PM

(818) 991-0071 Closed Sundays and Holidays

Knabe Advocating For Infrastructure Funding

Supervisor Don Knabe, Chairman of the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors is in Washington, D.C. today meeting with legislative leaders about local infrastructure improvements as part of the federal stimulus debate for a nationwide, multibillion dollar investment in public works projects.

Included in Supervisor Knabe’s schedule today are meetings with the Army Corps of Engineers, the offices of Senator Dianne Feinstein and Senator Barbara Boxer, and the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee. In addition to discussing County infrastructure projects, Knabe was also advocating for projects that would benefit Metro and the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach.

Although the details of a federal economic stimulus package are only in discussion, the Los Angeles County Department of Public Works still has over $485 million in infrastructure improvements projects ready to begin if a national public works investment becomes a reality. Other County agencies, including the Department of Beaches and Harbors and the Department of Parks and Recreation have also identified tens of millions of dollars in additional projects.

Included in the list of proposed local projects are $28.1 million in improvements to the County’s five general aviation airports, $122.3 million in road improvements spread over 80 separate projects that would resurface dozens of miles of County roads, $258 million in watershed and flood control projects, and $76 million in green technology and environmental improvements.

Among the largest proposals is a $20 million plan to replace residential water meters with wireless water meters, eliminating the need to drive to 65,000 homes monthly to read water meters. The wireless infrastructure will eliminate the pollution associated with driving the required 141,786 miles and 6,000 gallons of fuel annually. A $35 million project would create wetlands to treat stormwater runoff from 2.2 square miles of the Sun Valley Watershed on a 46-acre site while incorporating open space, habitat and recreation. The treated stormwater will be recharged in to the underground aquifer in Sun Valley.

"A large-scale national investment in infrastructure improvements could have the serious positive impact our economy needs, said Supervisor Knabe. Our plan for Los Angeles County will benefit the public, and more importantly create numerous jobs and businesses locally.

Supervisor Don Knabe’s Board of Supervisors Chairman’s Speech

Thank you. Even though she’s now officially enjoying retirement, I’d first like to begin by thanking Supervisor Burke for her service as Chair of the Board over this last year.

Her many years leadership and grace guided the County through very challenging times and all of us appreciate her work on behalf of the 10 million people that call our County home.

Now looking towards the future, it is my privilege to welcome our new colleague, Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas.

I thank you again for the invitation to speak at your swearing-in ceremony yesterday and I look forward to working with you.

I am certain that your talents and passion on the issues will be of great benefit to this Board in the years ahead.

If there is ever anything my staff or I can do for you or your staff, please don’t hesitate to ask.

I would also like to thank my colleagues on the Board for this opportunity to once again serve as Chairman.

We have been through a lot as a board over the last several years, the ongoing health care crisis, the state budget crunch and labor negotiations.

And I know we have many more challenging days ahead of us.

But I believe that if we continue to work together as a strong, cohesive group, we will get the job done.

I appreciate the efforts of Sachi and the Board of Supervisors Executive Office staff and that of our CEO, Bill Fujioka and his staff.

I look forward to working with every one of our departments as we chart the course for the County of Los Angeles over the next year.

In my opinion, charting that course is straightforward and uncomplicated.

It doesn’t require long speeches, rhetoric, or partisanship.

As we establish the vision of this Board and this County for the year ahead, I want to remind everyone that the answers to some of life’s most complicated questions are rooted in common sense solutions.

I believe the same can be said for the challenges that face Los Angeles County.

We need to ask ourselves:

Are we being thrifty with County tax dollars?

Are we being helpful and courteous to the customers of

County government?

Are we prepared to meet the needs of our citizens and seize new opportunities when they surface?

And are we brave enough to make the hard decisions even when they are not popular or politically advantageous?

I want to commit to you now as Chairman of the Board, the answers to those questions will be yes.

I also pledge that there will not be a Democrat or Republican solution to the challenges faced the County in the year ahead.

But, there will only be solutions that benefit our customers… the taxpayers and residents of Los Angeles County.

There is no denying that the current economic challenges facing our nation also going to have a significant impact on the County of Los Angeles.

With that in mind, I am not going to lay out a list of goals or projects for you today that I intend to achieve this year.

As it is, we face a myriad of tough decisions to ensure our County will continue to be the excellent service provider it has been in years past.

The one critical goal I do want to address today is in the area of healthcare.

As a Board we must continue to work with the Department of Health to solve their predicted budget deficit in the coming years.

I have said it before and I will say it again, we need to re-prioritize and find creative solutions to health care to make the system work and work efficiently.

And a critical part of ensuring our healthcare system is working efficiently is ensuring that we get MLK Hospital back on its feet and back open for business, serving the critically underserved residents of South Los Angeles.

In just a few weeks, our County leaders will begin working with a new Legislature, a new Congress, and a new White House.

But regardless of the party affiliation of our new leaders – our attitude of working together must transcend party lines.

As Chairman of this Board of Supervisors, I assure you I will be working hand-in-hand with elected officials from every level of government, no matter what political party they may be affiliated with, to find solutions to our challenges.

It is from this effort that we can forge an environment where Los Angeles County can continue to flourish.

As I said during my own swearing-in ceremony ten days ago, an attitude openness and cooperation must exist across our entire County workforce – from management, to the individual departments, to the thousands of employees represented by our Union partners.

Cooperation thrives in a climate of open, honest dialogue.

Political rhetoric for the sake of private goals pollutes the atmosphere and blocks out progress.

Our competition is NOT with each other, or the next County, or the other party.

Instead, the competition is to ensure the success and ensure the future of Los Angeles County.

My friends, we have a lot of work to do.

Let’s begin now.

Thank you.

Supervisors Fund Two Projects On Catalina Island

The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors allocated nearly $1 million in funding today that will benefit two projects underway on Catalina Island.

The first project allocates $415,000 in Cities Excess Funds to the City of Avalon to continue the restoration of Joe Machado Field, a community park that was damaged by mudslides and flooding following a wildfire on Catalina Island in May 2007. The total cost of the restoration is estimated at $1.4 million and will be completed in four separate phases. The first phase, removal of debris and demotion of the damaged areas of the park, is currently underway.

In exchange for the $415,000 allocation, the City of Avalon will return an earlier grant for the exact same amount of money that had been previously given to the City. In June 2005, the County committed $415,000 to Avalon from the 1996 Safe Neighborhood Parks Proposition fund. That initial grant was to be used for the construction of a community center, but the project was postponed due to lack of additional funding. Because of the community center postponement, the City of Avalon will return the initial $415,000 grant to the County in exchange for today’s new grant for the same amount of money. The funds from the new grant can then be applied to the restoration of Joe Machado Field.

The second project allocates $500,000 from Fourth District Capital Project funds at the request of Supervisor Knabe to help the Santa Catalina Island Conservancy complete road improvements across portions of Catalina Island. The money will be used for making all-weather improvements to roads that are currently unsealed and dirt roads.

Reward Established For Information Related To Shooting Deaths Of Five Homeless Persons In Long Beach

The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, first established in 1850, has reached an important milestone by growing to over 10,000 deputy sheriffs and 8,000 professional staff. As the largest sheriff’s department in the world, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department provides law enforcement services to the unincorporated areas of the County and 40 contract cities, as well the jail system, courts, community colleges and transit systems.

Sheriff Leroy D. Baca, who has led the Department since 1998, gratefully acknowledges the continued vision and support of the Board of Supervisors in helping the Department expand to meet the law enforcement needs and challenges of a flourishing County. Sheriff Baca said that by reaching this staffing milestone, the Department will continue as a national leader in providing an unsurpassed level of service to the community. He proudly credits the leadership and diversity of his personnel with the Department’s ongoing success and achievement.

2008 Children’s Scorecard: Faltering Economy Impacting Children And Families

Supervisor Don Knabe, Chair of the Children’s Council of Los Angeles County, announced the findings of the 2008 Children’s ScoreCard at a press conference recently on the 8th floor of the Hall of Administration.

The data in the 2008 ScoreCard – which reviews information from 2006 as a baseline for assessing more current data – highlights the condition of children and families in a number of areas. While it shares institutional data on children involved in foster care, welfare and juvenile justice, it also attempts to shed light on overall health and educational trends. Generally, the findings indicate positive outcomes in the areas of early care and education, particularly for children ages 0-5. There are positive indicators relating to prenatal care, birth weight and immunization, and less children born to teen mothers. An increased number of children across the County attended story time at public libraries and have health insurance.

Outcomes for children in middle school and high school are less encouraging. While the number of youth homicide victims continues to diminish, there are still an increasing number of misdemeanor and felony offenses. High school graduation rates dropped slightly, and child obesity for children in middle school has gone up slightly.

"Our investments in children aged 0-5 appear to be paying off," said Supervisor Knabe. "I am confident that we will see those trends continue. However, it is clear that we have work to do with our older children. The trends the ScoreCard points out truly underscore our need to focus on children in those critical years, particularly those at highest risk. I am also concerned about the trends pointing to increasing amounts of homeless families and decreased access to child care."

Supervisor Knabe discussed how the faltering economy and the state budget crisis will have an additional adverse impact on families and the systems in place that serve them. Other speakers included, Dr. Sharon Watson, Executive Director of the Children’s Council of Los Angeles County, Dr. Jacquelyn McCroskey of the USC School of Social Work, and Armando Jimenez of First 5 Los Angeles.

The Children’s Council brings together the leaders of county government, cities, schools and the various communities of Los Angeles County to improve outcomes for children and families. Throughout its 17 years, the Council has successfully underscored the importance of using data to drive the planning needed to make conditions better for children. The biannual ScoreCard is one of the most important tools in this effort. It captures data that assesses the overall condition of the County’s 2.8 million children and youth for use in guiding, planning and tracking the impact of services.

To view the full 2008 Children’s ScoreCard visit the Children’s Council website at http://thechildrenscouncil.net

New Law Authorizes Veterans’ Salutes During The National Anthem

Veterans and active-duty military not in uniform can now render the military-style hand salute during the playing of the national anthem, thanks to changes in federal law that took effect recently.

The military salute is a unique gesture of respect that marks those who have served in our nation’s armed forces, said Secretary of Veterans Affairs Dr. James B. Peake. This provision allows the application of that honor in all events involving our nation’s flag.

The new provision improves upon a little known change in federal law last year that authorized veterans to render the military-style hand salute during the raising, lowering or passing of the flag, but it did not address salutes during the national anthem. Last year’s provision also applied to members of the armed forces while not in uniform.

Traditionally, members of the nation’s veterans service organizations have rendered the hand-salute during the national anthem and at events involving the national flag while wearing their organization’s official head-gear.

The most recent change, authorizing hand-salutes during the national anthem by veterans and out-of-uniform military personnel, was sponsored by Sen. Jim Inhofe of Oklahoma, an Army veteran. It was included in the Defense Authorization Act of 2009, which President Bush signed on October 14, 2008.

The earlier provision authorizing hand-salutes for veterans and out-of-uniform military personnel during the raising, lowering or passing of the flag was contained in the National Defense Authorization Act of 2008, which took effect January 28, 2008.

Reward Established For Information Related To Shooting Deaths Of Five Homeless Persons In Long Beach

The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors unanimously approved a $20,000 reward this week, at the request of Supervisor Don Knabe, for information related to shooting incidents that led to the death of five homeless persons in the City of Long Beach.

On November 2, 2008, a quintuple murder occurred in the City of Long Beach in a homeless encampment. The investigation started with an anonymous caller who reported the crime. The caller gave a brief description of the location which led California Highway Patrol officers to the crime scene. Arriving officers found 5 people dead from gun shot wounds inside of a homeless encampment along the south bound side of the 405 freeway at the Santa Fe Avenue off-ramp.

The following residents of Los Angeles County were identified as the victims of the murder: Katherine Lynn Verdun – 24 years old, Long Beach resident; Vanessa Malaepule – 34 years old, Carson resident; Jose Lorenzo Villicana – 44 years old, Long Beach resident; Frederick Doyle Neumeier – 53 years old, Long Beach resident; and Hamid Shraifat – 41 years old, Signal Hill resident.

It is important for the County of Los Angeles to display its resolve in protecting innocent citizens from appalling crimes, said Supervisor Knabe. In order to bring these suspects to justice, and demonstrate our intolerance to such deplorable crimes, I believe these reward should be established, hoping someone will come forward so that we can bring these suspects to justice.

Any person having any information related to the November 2 incident is asked to contact Detectives Mark McGuire or Hugo Cortes of the Long Beach Police Department – Homicide Division at (562) 570-7244.

Supervisors Oppose City Of Los Angeles Sewer Project In Marina Del Rey

The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors voiced unanimous opposition today to a City of Los Angeles sewer expansion project that would have significant negative impacts to the residents and businesses in Marina del Rey.

The letter of opposition, authored by Supervisor Don Knabe, is over the Venice Dual Force Main Sewer Line Project, a planned expansion of the City of Los Angeles sewage system capacity by building a redundant sewer line in the Venice area that would transport sewage south to the Hyperion Treatment Plant. Although there are three possible routes for the sewer line, the City’s preferred route is by digging up streets in unincorporated Marina del Rey, going south down Marquesas Way and Via Marina.

The easiest and cheapest route is to run the expanded sewer line directly under Venice Beach, where the existing sewer line currently runs. The third route is down the middle of Pacific Avenue in Venice, inside the City limits.

The City of Los Angeles prefers the sewer route inside Marina del Rey because it impacts City residents the least. Never mind that this construction route benefits City residents at the expense of our residents in the Marina, said Supervisor Knabe. Our opposition to this route and the impact it would have on Marina del Rey is steadfast. I am pleased to have the unanimous support of the Board of Supervisors.