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Reward Payout Authorized In Beating Of Rowland Unified School District Police Officer

The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors today approved payout of two $5,000 rewards for information that led to the conviction of four juveniles responsible for the beating of a Rowland Unified School District Police Officer at Jellick Elementary School in Rowland Heights.

On August 15, 2006, the 62-year-old officer was investigating a burglary at Jellick Elementary when he was beaten with an aluminum baseball bat, receiving injuries to his head and eye. On August 22, 2006, Supervisors Gloria Molina and Don Knabe called for a $10,000 reward for information in the case. The next day, two tipsters contacted the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department Walnut Station, where they viewed video evidence. The tipsters were able to identify two subjects, who were students at Alvarado Intermediate School at the time. Because two separate tipsters aided in the investigation, the County has authorized payout of the $10,000 reward in the form of two separate amounts of $5,000 each. The two individuals who will receive the reward will remain anonymous.

Armed with information provided by the tipsters, investigators were able to ultimately arrest four juveniles responsible for the assault on the officer. Three of the juveniles were convicted of burglary and vandalism and sentenced to probation. The fourth juvenile was sentenced to eight years in custody.

Supervisors Payout Reward In 2006 Death of Newborn Baby In Alhambra

The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors today approved payout of two $5,000 rewards for information that led to the arrest and conviction of the person responsible for the death of Baby Rose, a newborn baby girl whose body was found along railroad tracks in the City of Alhambra.

The body of Baby Rose was discovered wrapped in plastic grocery bags on March 11, 2006. On March 16, 2006, Supervisor Michael D. Antonovich called for a $10,000 reward for information in the case. Over 50 tips were received by the Alhambra Police Department. Two of the tips aided in the investigation, so the County has authorized payout of the reward in the form of two separate amounts of $5,000 each. The two individuals who will receive the rewards have asked to remain anonymous.

Armed with information provided by the tipsters and DNA test results, the Alhambra Police Department was able to positively identify and arrest 41-year-old Tonya Shafer on November 29, 2006. On April 30, 2008, Shafer was sentenced to a prison term of 25 years-to-life.

This case shows that our reward system works and I am glad that the woman responsible for the death of Baby Rose is now in prison, said Supervisor Don Knabe. The sad reality is that newborn abandonments like this don’t need to happen. In Los Angeles County, we have a very successful alternative in the Safe Surrender Program, which allows for a person to confidentially handover a newborn.

The Safe Surrender 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. Since its inception, 67 newborns have been safely surrendered in Los Angeles County.

Sheriff’s Department To Hold Career Day For Women

The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department will hold a "Women in Law Enforcement Career Day 2008" on June 28, 2008, at the S.T.A.R. Center from 9:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. There will also be on-site testing for Deputy Sheriff Trainee positions beginning at 10:00 a.m., and oral interviews for the position following the exam.

The S.T.A.R. Center is located at 11515 South Colima Road in Whittier. For more information and reservations, call 1-800-A-DEPUTY or log onto www.lasd.org

Knabe Opposes Sales Tax Increase

Supervisor Don Knabe announced his opposition today to a proposed half-cent sales tax increase to pay for transit projects across Los Angeles County. The Metropolitan Transit Authority (Metro) Board of Directors, which Supervisor Knabe is a member of, is scheduled to discuss the sales tax proposal at tomorrow’s Board Meeting.

Now is not the time to burden the residents of Los Angeles County with yet another tax increase, said Supervisor Knabe. Taxpayers in our County already pay the second-highest tax rate in California, behind only Alameda County. Metro’s proposed increase would unfairly push our local tax rate even higher.

We need to make long-range investments in expanding mass transit options and improving our existing transportation infrastructure across every part of our County, but now is not the time to do it on the backs of taxpayers. We have too many people in Los Angeles County struggling to make ends meet right now. This tax increase, at this time, is an unnecessary burden on residents.

Junior Golfers Can Play At County Courses For $1 During The Month Of July

On a motion by Supervisor Don Knabe, July 2008 has been declared Junior Golfers Appreciation Month throughout Los Angeles County, and to salute the County’s young golfers, green fees have been reduced to $1.
Click here for a map of LA County Golf Courses

During the month of July, at all 17 County golf courses, junior golfers (18 and under) can play golf for $1, after 12:00 p.m., when accompanied with a regular adult fee, senior fee, twilight fee or super-twilight fee. In addition, each golf course will hold a free Special Skills Day including activities such as free lessons, clinics, skills challenge contests, and other such events that will improve and promote junior golf participation.

Youth sports programs have traditionally been valuable recreational activities for the young residents of Los Angeles County. Not only do they offer an opportunity for kids of all ages to learn new physical, social, and mental skills, but youth sports also serves as a deterrent to crime, said Supervisor Knabe. This is a great way for us to show our appreciation to all of our junior golfers who use our County golf courses.

For more information on Junior Golfers Appreciation Month contact your local County golf course.

Los Angeles County Golf Courses

Alondra Golf Course
(310) 217-9919

Altadena Golf Course
(626) 797-3821

Diamond Bar Golf Course
(909) 861-8282

Eaton Canyon Golf Course
(626) 794-6773

El Cariso Golf Course
(818) 367-6157

Maggie Hathaway Golf Course
(323) 755-6285

Knollwood Golf Course
(818) 363-1810

Lakewood Golf Course
(562) 429-9711

La Mirada Golf Course
(562) 943-7123

Los Amigos Golf Course
(562) 869-0302

Los Verdes Golf Course
(310) 377-7370

Marshall Canyon Golf Course
(909) 593-8211

Mountain Meadows Golf Course
(909) 623-3704

Santa Anita Golf Course
(626) 447-2331

Victoria Golf Course
(310) 323-4174

Chester Washington Golf Course
(323) 756-6975

Whittier Narrows Golf Course
(626) 288-1044

Free Summer Beach Shuttle Begins This Weekend

The Beach Shuttle which serves Playa Vista, Marina del Rey and the Venice Beach Pier for the summer will begin its free weekend service this Friday, June 27, Supervisor Don Knabe announced today.

The free Beach Shuttle will operate Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays plus holidays from June 27 to September 1. The two clean-fuel shuttles will circulate hourly along the route on Fridays and Saturdays from 10:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m., and Sundays and holidays from 10:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Space is also available for bicycles on the Beach Shuttles so passengers can cruise along the bike path once they exit.

The Summer Shuttle program is a hassle free and relaxing form of community transportation, said Supervisor Knabe. Whether you want to use the services to attend the Marina del Rey Summer Concert Series or travel to Venice Beach to enjoy the restaurants and shops, the Beach Shuttle can get you there at a fraction of the cost of using gas in your car.

For more information on the Beach Shuttle call (310) 305-9545 or visit www.marinadelrey.lacounty.gov

Free Marina Del Rey Summer Concerts Begin July 10

The 8th Annual Marina del Rey Summer Concert Series kicks off Thursday, July 10, at 7:00 p.m. waterside at Burton Chace Park in Marina del Rey, Supervisor Don Knabe announced recently.

The concert series is presented free to the public by Arrowhead Mountain Spring Water, and will offer Classical Thursdays, and on alternate weeks, Pop Saturdays, bringing to the Marina internationally famed artists from the worlds of pop and jazz. Popular KUSC personality Rich Capparela appears as series host.

The Classical Thursday series starts July 10, with the brilliant young Polish cellist Marek Szpakiewicz as soloist in the Elgar Cello Concerto in E minor, and music by Ravel, Poulenc, and Hindemith. July 24 introduces a new Night at the Opera event, featuring some of the nation’s most important operatic talents, finalists in the famed Loren L. Zachary National Vocal Competition. August 7 promises to be one of the most exciting symphonic programs the series has ever presented, including works by Gershwin, Ravel, Debussy, Shostakovich, and Respighi’s masterpiece Roman Festivals; and August 24 features the brilliant young pianist John Novacek as soloist in Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue and Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto no. 2 in C minor.

The Pop Saturday series opens on July 19 with Grammy winning singer Melissa Manchester; followed on August 2 by Steve March Torm, a singer some critics predict will be the Sinatra of his generation. On August 16, The 5th Dimension will thrill audiences with their greatest hits; and closing the season on August 30 are Cleo Laine and John Dankworth in one of this series’ most popular concerts.

Sponsors of the Marina del Rey Summer Concerts are Los Angeles County Supervisor Don Knabe; The Department of Beaches and Harbors; and The Ritz-Carlton, Marina del Rey. KUSC classical fm 91.5 is the Media Sponsor. For further information call (310) 305-9545 or visit www.marinadelrey.lacounty.gov

Resource Fair To Be Held For County’s Foster And Probation Youth

The Los Angeles County Education Coordinating Council (ECC) is sponsoring its first-ever countywide Resource fair for five hundred youth ages 0-24, their caregivers, and those who work with these youth.

The event will provide vital information about county and community resources for after-school and summer enrichment programs, tutoring, mentoring, sports and arts programs, mental health services, early childhood education, workforce readiness, college preparation, libraries and literacy. Connecting youth and their caregivers to these valuable programs and services is an important start in helping to close the achievement gap between the county’s youth and other youth.

The fair will be held on Wednesday, June 25, 2008, from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., at the California Endowment’s Center for Healthy Communities facility, which is located at 1000 North Alameda Street in Los Angeles. For more information about the fair, contact (626) 333-1369.

The ECC was created by the Board of Supervisors in November 2004, and was charged with raising the educational achievement of foster and probation youth throughout Los Angeles County.

Norwalk Clinic Receives Funding To Provide For More Visits

The Norwalk Regional Health Center will be able to accept roughly 1,600 additional medical visits after the Board of Supervisors approved an agreement with JWCH Institute, Inc., Supervisor Don Knabe announced today.

The Norwalk clinic, which provides free and low-cost medical care and social services to the residents of the surrounding communities, will now be able to see over 1,500 more patients. These newly-funded visits will go primarily to uninsured or indigent adult patients that are not eligible for any publicly funded programs. According to the County’s Health Department, nearly 27,000 people in the City of Norwalk have no health care insurance.

Health centers like the one in Norwalk are absolutely vital to the County’s healthcare system, and the more patients they can see the better, said Supervisor Knabe. A clinic visit is substantially more cost effective than a trip to the emergency room, and by making our clinics more accessible we are reducing the strain on a very fragile ER system.

The $150,212 for the Norwalk clinic was part of a larger $2,075,708 Public-Private Partnership (PPP) Program Health Care Services Agreement with JWCH. PPP agreements are critical to the healthcare safety net of the County and through private partners like JWCH they provide primary, specialty, and/or dental care to the indigent, low-income, uninsured patient population throughout Los Angeles County. The Norwalk Regional Health Center is located at 12360 Firestone Boulevard in the City of Norwalk.

New Series Of Property Tax Assessment Seminars Set

The County of Los Angeles is sponsoring a series of free seminars during July, August and September to assist property owners who feel their taxes should be lowered due to a decline in the value of their property. The 90-minute seminars will be offered at six locations: Culver City, El Monte, Glendale, Lakewood, Lancaster and Van Nuys. Additional seminars will be scheduled throughout the County on a year-round basis.

The seminars are intended to help taxpayers better understand the assessment appeals process, which many find confusing. The seminars will be of value to homeowners who are interested in learning about the assessment appeals process and to those who have already filed an appeal. The seminars will cover taxpayers’ appeal rights when and how to file an application for reduction in assessment. The seminars will also cover how to prepare for a hearing, what qualifies as admissible evidence, what will happen at the hearing and what to expect after the hearing.

The dates, times and locations of the sessions are as follows:

– Lancaster – Lancaster Library, 601 Lancaster Boulevard, July 16, 10:00 a.m.

Free parking at library.

– Glendale – Glendale Library, 222 Harvard Street, July 23, 10:00 a.m.

The library will validate three hours parking at the corner of Maryland and Harvard.

– Culver City – Culver City Library, 4975 Overland Avenue, August 18, 10:00 a.m.

Free parking behind the library.

– El Monte – Crippen Senior Center, 3120 Tyler Avenue, August 21, 10:00 a.m.

Free parking at the center.

– Lakewood – Iacoboni Library, 4900 Clark Avenue, September 22, 10:00 a.m. Parking at corner of Clark Avenue and Del Amo Boulevard.

– Van Nuys – Bernardi Senior Center, 6514 Sylmar Avenue, September 24, 2:00 p.m. Free parking, entrance on Hamlin Street.

Persons with disabilities who believe they need reasonable accommodation or help in order to attend a seminar may call (213) 974-1431. Hearing-impaired persons with TDD equipment may leave a typewritten message by calling (213) 974-1707 (TDD).

Schedules for the seminars may be obtained by calling (213) 974-4240 or on the Internet at http://bos.co.la.ca.us/SCRIPTS/publiced.htm