Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk (RR/CC) Dean Logan announced that polling location address information and images of sample ballot pages for the November 4, 2008 Presidential General Election are now available online at www.lavote.net. We are happy to offer this interactive service to Los Angeles County residents, Logan said. We are committed to providing accurate and efficient information and we encourage everyone to visit our web site or to call us with any questions.

Voters may access their polling location and sample ballot information at www.lavote.net by clicking on Locate Polling Place or View Sample Ballot from the Online Services box located on the right margin of the home page. Our website includes a wide range of voter information and educational materials to assist voters as they prepare to cast ballots in the November 4, 2008 Presidential Election, Logan added.

Voters must provide their house number and street name, which the system matches to the corresponding polling location and sample ballot information. The voter’s polling location address is displayed and a View Sample Ballot link appears, enabling the voter to access their sample ballot, including images of the official ballot pages, candidate statements, ballot measure, analyses and arguments that are applicable to their ballot. In addition to English, online information is also available in Spanish, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Vietnamese and Tagalog/Filipino. There are 706 different ballot combinations for the November 4th Election. These combinations consist of Federal, State and local contests as well as ballot measures that apply to local jurisdictions throughout Los Angeles County.

A voter may also call the RR/CC Office at (800) 815-2666 and use the Interactive Voice Response (IVR) telephone system to obtain automated polling location address information. The IVR system prompts the voter to use the telephone key pad to select digits corresponding to the voter’s zip code, street address and numeric birth date. The IVR then accesses the voter registration file seeking a match for the data provided. If a match is located, an automated voice recites the polling location address to the voter. If a match is not found, the caller is transferred to a live operator for assistance.

The Los Angeles County Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) has partnered with Los Angeles County Harbor-UCLA Medical Center to celebrate the re-opening of the newly expanded Kids in the Dependency System (KIDS) Clinic. An open house at the KIDS Clinic will be held on Monday, September 29, 2008, from 9 to 11 a.m. at 1000 West Carson Street, Building N-26C, in Torrance.

The KIDS Clinic is operated by the Los Angeles County Department of Health Services (DHS). The KIDS Clinic, along with five other Medical Hubs in the County, provides mental health, forensic and medical screenings for children who are under the care of DCFS or at risk of entering the foster care system. By working in cooperation with other County departments, the complex medical and mental health concerns of children in the child welfare system are addressed through these Hubs.

The KIDS Clinic has received numerous community donations of funds, services and supplies to decorate and make it kid-friendly, as many of the children have incurred physical or emotional trauma. Among the donors to be honored at the open house will be Los Angeles County Supervisor Don Knabe.

"The South Bay area has the highest caseloads of children and families involved in foster care in Los Angeles County. Identifying potential problems these children are experiencing – particularly mental health issues – must be done as quickly as possible. Expansion of this clinic will go a long way to helping us meet this critical need," said Supervisor Knabe.

Created in July 2006, Medical Hubs are designed to increase the safety of children, service families more effectively and decrease the re-entry of children into the foster care system with the standardization and coordination of high quality initial examinations. The Hubs facilitate streamlined information sharing with other County department’s to ensure timely and complete follow-up for the children. Through the Medical Hub Program, the capacity exists to provide medical assessments and mental health screenings 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Additional Medical Hubs are located at High Desert Health System, Children’s Hospital of Los Angeles, Valleycare Olive View – UCLA Medical Center, MLK Jr. Multi-Service Ambulatory Care Center, and at the L.A. County/ USC Medical Center Violence Intervention Program.

"The Medical Hubs provide the children with a high level of medical assessment and care, as well as mental health screening in order to determine the best plan for their future. Through the medical hubs, we are better able to provide information that will assist in the best placement for a child entering foster care, as well as a more stable plan to keep families together," said DCFS Medical Director Dr. Charles Sophy.

Discover Marina del Rey Day 2008, an annual day of family fun and activities, will take place Sunday, October 12, 11 am to 4 pm, in Burton Chace Park, 13650 Mindanao Way, Marina del Rey. The popular event is presented by Arrowhead Mountain Spring Water and sponsored by Los Angeles County Supervisor Don Knabe and the Department of Beaches and Harbors. As in past years, there’s something for everyone, including some of the event’s most popular offerings, such as the air-sea rescue demonstration in the Marina’s main channel by the United States Coast Guard and the Los Angeles County Fire Department, and the inflatable games for children. Among other special events returning this year are the Bob Baker Marionettes, that will present performances throughout the day, preceded by Children’s Storytime by the Lloyd Taber-Marina del Rey Library. The Los Angeles Department of Parks and Recreation will offer unique arts and crafts workshops and Beaches and Harbors’ W.A.T.E.R. Youth Program will offer leisure kayaking from noon to 3 pm in the main channel for visitors ages 6 and up. A train on wheels will take boys and girls on a ride throughout Chace Park.
From 1:00 to 3:00 pm, the Los Angeles County Arts Commission will present a concert in the park with the sensational Orquesta Charangoa band playing traditional Cuban dance music. They will be preceded from 12:30 to 1 pm by the Venice High School choral group, the Allegros.
Though the event is presented free to the public, those who want to use the inflatable games pay $5 for a wristband, which also includes access to hair braiding and painting booths, snack carts and a pumpkin from the pumpkin patch. Throughout the day, a variety of exhibitor booths will offer vital information on health, safety and the environment. Parking for the day is available at $5 in Los Angeles County Lot 4, near the park, at 13500 Mindanao Way.

The County of Los Angeles will examine how trauma and violence shapes the behaviors of young people of today as it will be conducting a one-day training for mental health professionals, probation officers, community workers, school administrators and teachers entitled A Transformational Learning Opportunity, Understanding How Trauma and Violence Impact Children and Youth taking place at Quiet Cannon in Montebello on Wed., Oct. 1 (8 a.m.-5 p.m.).

The training day is hosted by Los Angeles County Supervisor Don Knabe, Children’s Council of Los Angeles, Department of Mental Health, Interagency Operations Group, Los Angeles Unified School District and the Los Angeles County Probation Department.

For far too long, we have viewed kids involved in the juvenile justice system – over 27,000 in Los Angeles County alone – from primarily a prosecutorial standpoint, and that really impairs our ability to help them move past their delinquent behaviors and overcome the significant obstacles they face, said Supervisor Knabe.

Our goal for today’s conference is to impart upon staff who work with these young people everyday specific, concrete practices that take into account the trauma and violence these kids grew up with and are continually exposed to. I hope that these new groundbreaking practices will be a positive and significant step towards improving their lives and ultimately eliminating violence and the pervasive influence of gangs in their communities.

This training day has been inspired by Supervisor Knabe’s vision and support in focusing our collective efforts on healing youth who have experienced violence and trauma in their lives. Among the priority populations to be served by the Mental Health Services Act Prevention and Early Intervention funding are children and youth who are trauma-exposed, living in stressed families, and those at risk of experiencing juvenile justice involvement, said Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health Director Marvin J. Southard, D.S.W.

"Understanding trauma and how it affects children is critical in helping understand treatment options that are available. Those of us involved in juvenile justice see far too many children affected by trauma. We often become the front line for treatment as a result of children acting out," said Los Angeles County Chief Probation Officer Robert B. Taylor.

The training day will feature three keynote speakers who are experts in the field of trauma and violence: Marlene Wong, Ph.D., L.C.S.W., Assistant Dean and Clinical Professor, Director of Field Education, School of Social Work at the University of Southern California (USC) will make a presentation on The Impact of Community Violence on Children and Youth (8:15-10:15 a.m.); Jennifer L. Skeem, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Department of Psychology and Social Behavior at the University of California, Irvine (UCI) will talk about Evidence-Based Practices in Community Corrections and Mental Health (1:30-2:30 p.m.); and Todd Sosna, Ph.D., California Institute of Mental Health (CiMH) will make a presentation entitled Towards an Integrated Model of Behavior Change (3:45-4:45 p.m.).

The free summer Beach Shuttle that ran from Memorial Day to Labor Day on Friday, Saturday, Sunday and every other Thursday night for the Marina del Rey Concerts, had its best year ever. Los County Supervisor Don Knabe wants to thank the 6,000 riders that used the Beach Shuttle this summer, increasing ridership by 100% over last year. The Beach Shuttle is an easy way to navigate the Westside traffic, as well as offering savings on parking, said Supervisor Knabe.

You still have one more chance to catch a ride on the Beach Shuttle. On September 28th the Beach Shuttle will be providing transportation to the Abbot Kinney Festival from 10 am to 6 pm. Don’t miss this opportunity to come out and have some fun and leave the driving to someone else. See you there and bring a friend.

The Beach Shuttle is provided to the public free of charge courtesy of Supervisor Don Knabe and Playa Vista.