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County Fire Department Deploys Swift Water Rescue Team To The Hurricane Ravaged Louisiana Area

On Sunday, August 31, the Los Angeles County Fire Department deployed a 14-member Swift Water Team to Louisiana to support logistical and potential rescue operations for those affected by Hurricane Gustav.

The team assembled out of the Technical Operations Center in Pacoima and prepared for a caravan to the Gulf Area. The crew will be there for an unknown amount of time to assist and support the Office of Emergency Services for the State of Louisiana. The team is one of seven supporting FEMA teams, which responded to the Gulf States Region.

The members of the Department’s Swift Water Team are well trained individuals that specialize in various water rescue skills, including working with watercraft and search equipment to perform life saving missions.

Street Signs Upgraded In East Whittier

Supervisor Don Knabe unveiled new street signs this week that will be placed throughout the unincorporated community of East Whittier. The upgrades are part of a project currently underway by the Los Angeles County Department of Public Works.

The project is part of a Countywide program to increase the visibility of street name signs along roadways with speed limits of 30 mph or greater. These new signs will have larger lettering and will be easier to read at night, increasing safety and mobility on the major streets of the East Whittier community.

The signs will include the community name along with the Los Angeles County Seal as a symbol of community unity already strong in East Whittier. Over 114 signs will be installed along the major streets in the community.

Supervisor Knabe was joined by Whittier-area community leader Jean Wall to unveil an installed sign at the intersection of Tigrina Avenue and Imperial Highway on August 27. Public Works expects to complete this project by end of fall 2008.

Reaching Out To Voters With Specific Needs

In an effort to promote a greater opportunity for all voters to participate in the election process, the Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk (RR/CC) has produced a Voter with Specific Needs video presentation highlighting accessible voting services and sensitivity in serving voters with special needs and voters with limited English proficiency.

Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk Dean Logan has incorporated segments of the video into staff and poll worker training for the upcoming November 4th General Election. Additionally, the RR/CC has distributed the video to all local public libraries for general circulation and educational purposes.

Making voting accessible to all eligible citizens is a priority, said Logan. This video emphasizes the services currently available to accomplish this and reminds us all of best practices for ensuring our voters with special needs get the service they deserve.

The RR/CC collaborated with its Community Voter Outreach Committee (CVOC) on the Voter with Specific Needs video. CVOC, comprised of nonprofit organizations with election interests, partners with the RR/CC throughout the year providing input from the public sector on election related matters, as well as, assisting with voter registration, public education and election services. CVOC members’ collective expertise helps provide a successful voting experience for all voters, said Logan.

Toward the goal of providing voters with efficient and accessible elections, the RR/CC requires poll worker volunteers to attend training prior to each election. The Voters with Specific Needs video has now been included as part of the poll worker training curriculum and serves as a guide for poll workers to providing election services for persons with specific needs.

The video consists of a 6-minute and a 12-minute abridged version, as well as a 25-minute expanded version with a comprehensive how to guide. Translated versions of the video are available in English, Spanish, Chinese, Tagalog/Filipino, Korean, Japanese and Vietnamese.

For more information or to obtain a copy of the Voter with Specific Needs video, contact Nelson Fernandez, Voter Outreach Coordinator, by calling (562) 462-2117 or by emailing
nfernandez@rrcc.lacounty.gov
A full list of accessibility services available through the RR/CC may be found on the RR/CC website www.lavote.net
Voters may also call the RR/CC at (800) 815-2666.

Knabe Responds To Orange County/Los Angeles County Boundary Study

Earlier this week, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors called for a study that will examine whether the boundary between Los Angeles and Orange Counties should be slightly adjusted in the area near the Coyote Creek flood control channel.

The areas to be studied include small pockets of the Cities of La Mirada, Hawaiian Gardens, Cerritos, Lakewood, Long Beach and an unincorporated part of Los Angeles County east of Coyote Creek. The proposed changes also would affect the Orange County cities of Buena Park, Fullerton, Cypress, La Palma, Los Alamitos and Seal Beach.

Los Angeles County Supervisor Don Knabe asked for cooperation with Orange County on the issue after he received a request from Orange County Supervisor John Moorlach to look at various issues next to the common boundary.

I want to make it perfectly clear that this question of whether the boundary should be shifted has not even been formally discussed, said Supervisor Knabe. Neither County has taken definitive action or made any suggestion of a boundary change other than to evaluate the issue as requested originally by Supervisor Moorlach.

Now that this study is underway, County service agencies, such as the Fire Department, Sheriff’s Department, school districts, and others, will be asked to provide their own input. Then the several Cities involved will be included in the process and allowed opportunities to comment. Additionally, residents will be part of the process through community meetings.

The bottom line is that nothing has happened on this issue, said Supervisor Knabe. There has been no public discussion and absolutely no decisions on changing the boundary.

Lakewood And Norwalk Sheriff’s Stations To Receive State Funding For Alcohol Awareness Programs

Supervisor Don Knabe announced today the acceptance of a grant award from the State Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC) that will pay for alcohol abuse and prevention programs that will be run by the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department.

The State ABC grant to the Sheriff’s Department is in the amount of $276,154, and will be divided among the Lakewood, Lancaster, Norwalk, and Carson Sheriff’s Stations. The program, now in its fifth year at the Lakewood Station and in its second year at the Norwalk Station, will use trained Sheriff’s Deputies to identify and target problem businesses that are taking part in criminal activity, such as underage sales, and will work with ABC to deliver sanctions, if necessary.

The primary focus of the Alcohol and Beverage Control Program is to decrease the number of alcohol related offenses and DUI arrests made in Lakewood, Norwalk, and their surrounding cities.

Oriental Fruit Flies Detected In Lakewood

Last week several specimens of the exotic pest, the Oriental Fruit Fly (OFF), were found in the City of Lakewood. Three OFF specimens were found on the same property in Lakewood on August 13, and since then, five other OFF specimens have been found in Lakewood.

In response to the recent OFF discoveries in and around Lakewood, the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) is employing a "male attractant" technique in parts of Lakewood, Bellflower, Long Beach, and along a border of Cerritos. This technique has proven successful in past instances of exotic fruit fly infestations and is designed to prevent the invasive pest from spreading and destroying commercial crops and home-grown fruits and vegetables. This technique presents no inconveniences to residents, and there are currently no aerial treatments planned.

Due to the high number of specimens found in Lakewood, a quarantine will be established. The quarantine puts restrictions on the movement of fruit and vegetables from or through the Lakewood area. Residents with any questions or concerns about the male attractant technique may contact the CDFA Pest Hotline at (800) 491-1899.

The Oriental Fruit Fly is one of the world’s most destructive insect pests. Mated female flies pierce the skins of hundreds of different fruits and vegetables and deposit eggs. After maggots hatch from the eggs, they feed on the flesh of the fruits and vegetables, rendering them unfit for consumption. Not native to California and not established in the state, the OFF originates from Southeast Asia and is now found in Hawaii and other Pacific Islands. A longstanding, continuous exotic pest exclusion and detection program has helped prevent this and many other pests from becoming established here and threatening California’s $32 billion agricultural industry.

To find out what is prohibited to bring into Los Angeles County, call

(562) 622-0426. Anyone who wants to transport fruits or plants into or out of Los Angeles County should call (562) 940-7803 to obtain additional information.

Gale Avenue Improved In Hacienda Heights

The County of Los Angeles has completed the construction of a roadway improvement project on Gale Avenue in the unincorporated community of Hacienda Heights, Supervisor Don Knabe announced today.

The $2,467,046 project focused on the resurfacing, reconstructing and slurry sealing of the roadway; the construction of a curb and gutter, sidewalk, curb ramps, cross gutters, alley intersections, storm drain, catch basins, and connector pipes; and the installation of new striping and pavement markings.

It is important that we constantly look for ways to improve the roads in the County, said Supervisor Knabe. By improving Gale Avenue, the residents of Hacienda Heights, along with the residents of nearby cities and unincorporated County areas that travel this route will benefit.

Newborn Safely Surrendered In South Pasadena

Los Angeles County Supervisor Don Knabe is pleased to announce the County’s Safe Surrender Program celebrated success again yesterday with the report of another safely surrendered newborn. This most recent report of a safe surrender occurred at a fire station in the City of South Pasadena.

The newborn Hispanic male was surrendered on Thursday, August 14 at South Pasadena Fire Station #81 and was transported to a local hospital. The newborn is reported to be in good health. As is standard practice, the baby boy is in protective custody and will be placed with a family approved for adoption by the Department of Children and Family Services.

This case could have ended in tragedy, but because of the Safe Surrender program, this baby boy has a long life ahead of him, said Supervisor Knabe. I am happy this mother made the right choice for her baby.

This is the sixth Safe Surrender in Los Angeles County in 2008, and the 68th since the program began seven years ago. The program was initiated by Supervisor Knabe and approved unanimously by the Board of Supervisors in 2001. It allows someone to surrender an infant that is no more than three days old, as long as the infant shows no signs of abuse.

Taggers To Pay For Graffiti Damage Under New Plan

The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors unveiled a plan today to fine graffiti taggers for the damage they cause. The Board will take a final vote on the ordinance next week. If approved, it would take effect in 30 days.

Supervisor Gloria Molina and Supervisor Don Knabe introduced a motion with the idea last year ago after a Pico Rivera grandmother was killed on August 10, 2007, when she tried to stop a graffiti vandal from defacing a wall near her home.

The average taxpayer cost to catch a tagger is $665, and the average cost of removing or painting over graffiti is $552 per incident. Los Angeles County spends over $30 million per year in graffiti cleanup costs in the unincorporated areas.

Graffiti is a huge problem in many of our neighborhoods and communities, and it is reducing the quality of life, property values, business growth and development in these areas, said Supervisor Knabe. It is my hope that this new plan teaches young offenders about accountability, responsibility, and about the consequences of their actions.

Public Health Tips On How To Find A Great Beach

During the summer months, many Los Angeles County residents and visitors enjoy the natural beauty and recreational benefits of our beaches. Before they take that first swim though, they may be wondering if the ocean water is safe, what beach advisories mean, and what they can do to keep our beaches clean.

The vast majority of beach water along the coast of LA County meets State ocean water quality standards, which means it is safe for swimming, surfing, or otherwise playing in the waves, said Jonathan E. Fielding, MD, MPH, Director of Public Health and Health Officer. We encourage residents and visitors to keep our beaches healthy and clean by remembering that whatever is discharged into the street or on the ground flows to a storm drain and eventually makes it way into the ocean. People can help prevent ocean pollution by properly disposing of animal waste, pesticides, households paints, chemicals and motor oil, using a broom and dustpan instead of a hose to clean driveways and sidewalks, and by participating in beach clean-up days.

How do you test beach water?

Los Angeles County’s Ocean Water Monitoring Program tests dozens of sampling sites from the Ventura/Los Angeles County border to San Pedro. These sites are tested at least once a week. Samples are also collected at Avalon Beach on Santa Catalina Island from April through October. If beaches are found to have bacteria levels that exceed State health standards, then they are tested more often.

What do warning signs or rain advisories mean?

When bacteria levels exceed State ocean water quality standards, warning signs are posted to let swimmers, surfers, and other beach-goers know that the water in a specific area is unhealthy.

The signs will remain in place until tests indicate that bacteria levels meet State standards. Some areas have permanent signs posted due to historically poor water quality.

A rain advisory is issued anytime there is significant rainfall that may cause bacterial levels to exceed State standards in ocean waters. The advisory stays in effect for 72 hours after rainfall has ended.

On rare occasions, sewage from ruptured sewage lines inland can make its way into the ocean. When this occurs, the affected beach area and water is immediately closed off so swimmers, surfers, and other beach-goers will be protected.

The area will re-open once testing confirms that bacteria levels are again within State standards.

What areas of the beach should I avoid?

It is best to avoid water contact in areas adjacent to or in front of discharging storm drains. Storm drains direct runoff from urban areas to the ocean. While they do not normally contain sewage, water in storm drains can contain disease-causing bacteria. Depending on the amount of flow, the discharging storm drains can affect ocean water quality several hundred yards from the discharge point. Much greater areas may be affected following major rainstorms.

Avoid swimming next to piers. Piers attract birds which may contribute to higher bacterial levels. In addition, plumbing under piers may occasionally be in disrepair and may discharge sewage into the water.

If a beach area is posted with warning signs or is closed, avoid contact with the water in that area. If you have any questions about where it is safe to swim, ask a lifeguard.

How do I find the cleanest beaches in LA County?

Visit our website at www.publichealth.lacounty.gov/beach to see beach grades from A – F. Or call the Public Health Beach Closure and Advisory Hotline at (800) 525-5662 for the latest information on ocean water quality conditions.

A word about sun safety:

Before you take that refreshing dip in the ocean, take a moment to protect your skin, said Dr. Fielding. Skin cancer is still the most common form of cancer diagnosed in the United States, so it is important for men, women, and children to protect themselves by applying a sunscreen with a minimum Sun Protection Factor (SPF) of 15, avoiding tanning and tanning beds, and staying in the shade as much as possible.

Prevention tips:

Use a beach umbrella or other covering to stay in the shade as much as possible.

Avoid sunburn by applying a sunscreen with an SPF of 15 or higher every day may reduce one’s risk if used properly. Make sure to thoroughly reapply sunscreen after water activities, such as swimming, surfing, or otherwise playing in the waves. Sunscreen should also be reapplied often, even if you are not spending time in the water.

Cover up with long sleeves and pants, and wear a wide-brimmed hat to further avoid sunburn.

Wear UV-blocking sunglasses to protect your eyes.

Avoid tanning and UV tanning booths. Try a sunless tanner instead.

Infants under the age of six months should be kept out of the sun. Sunscreen should be used on babies over the age of six months, and their exposure to sun should be limited as much as possible.

For more information on sun safety, check the Skin Cancer Foundation’s website at http://www.skincancer.org