Related Downey Stories

11/03/09 Knabe To Announce $9.2 Million In Long Beach Area Projects

09/01/09 Irrigation Overhaul Planned At Los Amigos Golf Course

07/29/09  Two County Hospitals Rated Among America's Best

06/02/09  Seismic Retrofit Of Imperial Highway Bridge Now Complete In Downey And Norwalk

03/17/08  Traffic Congestion Relief For Downey, Norwalk, and La Mirada

10/29/08  Rancho Los Amigos To Host Annual Exhibition Of Patient Art

10/23/08  Wild Cats To Be Removed From Rancho Los Amigos After Increased Public Health Concerns

Don Knabe. Working for DOWNEY.

Downey Accomplishments

2009

Overhauling the Outdated Irrigation System at Los Amigos Golf Course More than $5.5 million will be invested in renovating the irrigation system at the County’s Los Amigos Golf Course in the City of Downey. The existing irrigation system at Los Amigos is more than 35 years old and has exhausted its useful life. The project consists of replacing the outdated irrigation system with a new fully-automated reclaimed water system. In addition, the golf course's two lakes, which currently require frequent refilling, will also be renovated, so they can be used as reservoirs for the new reclaimed water irrigation system.
 

Retrofitting Bridge in Downey
The Imperial Highway Bridge over the San Gabriel River has been seismically retrofit in the Cities of Downey and Norwalk. This $812,040 project is a part of the Federal Highway Bridge Program. Additional funding for the project was provided by the Fourth Supervisorial District's Road Construction Program.
 

Relieving Traffic Congestion in Downey
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.

2008

Preventing Graffiti Vandalism in Downey
Supervisor Knabe in partnership with Helpline Youth Counseling, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, the Cities of Downey, La Mirada, Norwalk, Santa Fe Springs, Whittier, and Unincorporated Whittier launched the Aware Teens Against Graffiti or A.T.A.G., which is an innovative delinquency prevention program that targets first time tagging and vandalism offenders between the ages of 9 to 15 and their parents. The weekend-long program focuses on the parents receiving an intensive two-day skill-building training, and the youth offenders participating in community service projects and group discussions while being supervised by law enforcement.
 

Working to Reduce Violence
Supervisor Knabe and the Hispanic Outreach Taskforce hosted the inaugural Southeast Summit on Youth & Violence. The purpose of this summit was to bring forth a conceptual framework for reducing violence in our communities. This framework will focus on a strategy that encourages cooperative, coordinated efforts among elected officials, law enforcement, educators, community organizations, outreach and intervention workers, health and mental health workers, faith based representatives, businesses, government agencies, and local nonprofits all working toward the common goal of reducing violence levels in neighborhoods and communities.

2007

Protecting Community Health

Supervisor Knabe and leaders from the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health participated in the ribbon-cutting and dedication of a new laboratory. The public health lab is the County’s focal point for testing, observation, and rapid response on hundreds of thousands of human specimens and environmental samples. The lab is unique among other local public health laboratories in California due to the volume of testing it performs. The laboratory conducts more than 700,000 tests on 400,000-plus specimens per year.

Repairing Intersections Impacted by Heavy Truck Traffic
The Board of Supervisors approved a transportation infrastructure improvement project that is designed to minimize the impact truck traffic has at several congested intersections. In Downey the project is in the vicinity of Florence Avenue and Paramount Boulevard and consists of increasing curb radius at the southeast and northwest corner of the intersection, relocating a fire hydrant, catch basin, street lights, and traffic signals, upgrading traffic signal, and the installation of video detection cameras on all approaches.
 

Going Green in Los Angeles County
Los Angeles County has adopted new building standards that will require all new County buildings over 10,000 square feet to meet strict sustainability guidelines set by the U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) program. Among the sustainability rules adopted by the Board are requirements that buildings commissioned by the County include drought-resistant landscaping, water use efficiencies, natural indoor lighting and recycled construction materials. The new County Data Center in Downey was designed to meet the new standards and will be the County’s first Green Building.

Downey Activist Joins County Commission
Supervisor Don Knabe appointed Downey resident and community leader Wendy Welt to be his appointee to the Los Angeles County Commission on Disabilities. Welt is a motivational speaker who performs seminars for various corporations, organizations and churches. She also volunteers to help children who have been abandoned, disabled, or abused.


Downey Celebrates Safe Surrender
Safe Surrender #50 occurs in the City of Downey when a baby girl is handed over at Downey Regional Medical Center on February 10.

Funding Fourth District Paratransit Shuttle Services

The Board of Supervisors approved $660,000 in funding for the continuation of paratransit shuttle service for eligible patrons in the unincorporated areas of the Fourth District for Fiscal Year 2007-2008. The program will include the following paratransit shuttle services: La Rambla, Marina del Rey, Rancho Los Amigos, Teen Mother, and the Whittier Islands.

2006

Los Amigos Golf Course Irrigation and Lake Renovation Project - In the Design Stage (project pending).

Public Library Headquarters Reconfiguration Project.

Public Health New Lab Construction Project.

Supports various community-based organizations including: Arc of Southeast LA County, Gangs out of Downey, True Lasting Connections (one stop services for poverty level students in Downey Unified School District).

2005

Led efforts to keep Rancho Los Amigos National Rehabilitation Center Open.

Los Padrinos Juvenile Hall Mental Health Room Conversion Project.

Los Padrinos Juvenile Hall Medical Modular Building Construction Project
Funded the Creation of the Rancho Pediatric Arts Program.

2004

Funded playground for children with disabilities at Rancho.

Downey Animal Shelter Construction Project.

Los Padrinos Juvenile Hall New Housing Unit Construction Project.

Vegetation and debris cleaned from flood control channel rights of way in the County's South Maintenance Area, in the vicinity of Downey. Channel lining weep holes, joints, and cracks will also be cleaned.

2003

Rancho Replacement Building Construction Project.

2002

Rancho Pharmacy Relocation Project.

Los Padrinos Juvenile Hall Mental Health Modular Building Construction Project.

Traffic signal synchronization on Rosemead Boulevard, from San Gabriel Boulevard to Telegraph Road, in the vicinity of Downey.

2001

Traffic signal modification and synchronization project on Firestone Boulevard, between Alameda Street and Rosecrans Avenue, in the city of Downey.