Kim has been a Field Representative for former Congresswoman Jane Harman for the past two years, working on labor, aerospace/defense and transportation issues. Prior to her role with the Congresswoman, she was the Manager of Public Affairs and Community Relations for the Los Angeles Convention & Visitors Bureau, where she served as the liaison between the Convention Bureau and local elected leaders.  Previously, she worked as a Press Aide for Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa.

“I am excited to have Rebekah join our staff,” said Knabe. “She brings a wealth of experience and community relationships that will be beneficial to the Fourth District.  Rebekah has done an excellent job representing Congresswoman Harman and I know she will be a great asset to my office.”

Kim holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Social Ecology from the University of California, Irvine and speaks conversational Korean.

Residents in Cities of Long Beach, Hawaiian Gardens, Lakewood, Artesia, Cerritos, Bellflower, Norwalk, Whittier, and Downey will soon be able to enjoy vast improvements to the San Gabriel River Bike Path. $3.57 million will be invested to refurbish and rebuild nearly 8 miles of the path, from Del Amo Boulevard to Florence Avenue.

In addition, the Lakewood Golf Course will receive $5.63 million in upgrades for additional storage, numerous handicap access improvements, and junior golf access.

Supervisor Knabe’s commitment of $9.2 million in capital project funds for the Long Beach area and the Gateway cities is part of a series of projects the Supervisor will be funding across the Fourth District this year, totaling nearly $42 million in construction projects that will lead to hundreds of jobs and many new community facilities for recreation, social services, and public safety. Supervisor Knabe will announce all the projects and the funding levels during his annual State of the County address at the Long Beach Convention Center on November 4.

For the first time, Supervisor Knabe’s speech will be broadcast live on the Internet at www.knabe.com. The event begins at 11:30 a.m., but the Internet broadcast will begin at approximately 12:30 p.m., once the Supervisor actually begins his speech. Viewers can log on to on www.knabe.com on Wednesday, November 4, beginning at 12:30 p.m. to see the Supervisor’s speech.

The historic Torrance Health Center will get $2.78 million for an advanced HVAC system that works for a tuberculosis testing facility, new security systems, a kitchen refurbishment, and space for public health outreach programs.

In the City of Rancho Palos Verdes, the Los Verdes Golf Course will receive $985-thousand to replace 230,000-square-feet of artificial turf with natural turf, and to install a new high-tech, water-saving irrigation system.

A new lifeguard headquarters station will be built in the City of El Segundo. The 13-hundred square foot, $1.7 million building will also include space for our Junior Lifeguard Program.

The San Pedro Service Center will receive $2.48 million to renovate and expand. The Center, which opened its doors in 1972, has continued to expand its services over the years, while receiving hardly any upgrades. An addition to the northeast side of the building will include an 800-square-foot multi-purpose room. A 1,350-square-foot addition to the southeast side of the building will provide two daycare classrooms.

Harbor Interfaith Services will receive $4.97 million for the construction of a new three story building dedicated to serving approximately 13,000 homeless and working poor people in San Pedro, Lomita, Wilmington, and Harbor City. The new building will include a food pantry, office space for case workers, indoor playground, nursery, after school program space, and other specialized facilities for homeless children.

Additionally, the Supervisor, earlier this year, funded the refurbishment of over four miles of the South Bay Bike Trail. Construction on the $4.9 million project is expected to begin next September. A total of 21,000 feet of the bike trail will be rebuilt, with sections in Playa del Rey, and the Cities of El Segundo, Manhattan Beach, Redondo Beach, and Torrance.

Supervisor Knabe’s commitment of $12.9 million in capital project funds for the South Bay is part of a series of projects the Supervisor will be funding across the Fourth District this year, totaling nearly $42 million in construction projects that will lead to hundreds of jobs and many new community facilities for recreation, social services, and public safety. Supervisor Knabe will announce all the projects and the funding levels during his annual State of the County address at the Long Beach Convention Center on November 4.

For the first time, Supervisor Knabe’s speech will be broadcast live on the Internet at www.knabe.com. The event begins at 11:30 a.m., but the Internet broadcast will begin at approximately 12:30 p.m., once the Supervisor actually begins his speech. Viewers can log on to on www.knabe.com on Wednesday, November 4, beginning at 12:30 p.m. to see the Supervisor’s speech.

There is tremendous need across the County for programs and facilities that are helping children, families, and seniors, said Supervisor Knabe. Programs like Harbor Interfaith are helping meet that need, so I am honored to commit funding that will be used to help expand these programs and ultimately expand how we help those members of our community who are most in need.

Supervisor Knabe’s commitment of $4.969 million in capital project funds for the Harbor Interfaith facility is part of a series of projects the Supervisor will be funding across the Fourth District this year, totaling nearly $45 million in construction projects that will lead to hundreds of jobs and many new community facilities for recreation, social services, and public safety. All told, the South Bay will benefit from $12.92 million in projects paid for from the Fourth District Capital Improvement funds. The additional projects will be built in Torrance, El Segundo, and Rancho Palos Verdes. Supervisor Knabe will announce all the projects and the funding levels during his annual State of the County address at the Long Beach Convention Center on November 4, 2009.

Details about the event can be found at: http://www.stateofthecounty.com

The following three camps are available for the spring program: surf camp, ocean-sports camp, and beginning sailing.

Surf Camp (Ages 11-17)
Dockweiler Bluffs in El Segundo on April 6-10, from 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.

Ocean-Sports Camp (Ages 7-14) Dockweiler Bluffs in El Segundo on April 6-10 and at the Venice Pier at Washington Boulevard on April 13-17. Both camps run from 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.

Beginning Sailing Camp (Ages 11-17
Marina del Rey Boathouse in Burton Chace Park on April 6-10, from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

The W.A.T.E.R. program, designed to raise awareness of ocean and beach safety through aquatic-related sports activities, is conducted by County Ocean Lifeguards who have received special training in working with young people.

Youngsters must pass a swim test in order to qualify for the camps. All equipment is provided and fees range between $115 and $150 for the week-long sessions. Financial aid is available based on family income. Free transportation is also provided from inner city areas for young people whose parents are unable to drive them to the camp locations.

For program registration, swim tests, or to request an application, call the W.A.T.E.R. Youth Program at (310) 305-9587 or visit http://www.beaches.lacounty.gov

The total project cost is currently estimated to be $86.95 million. In addition to the County’s $12 million contribution, the City of Industry has committed an additional $12 million, plus $2 million from Union Pacific. The remaining funds will come from Proposition 1B railroad safety funds and grants from the Metropolitan Transportation Authority.

The actual design and construction of the overpass will be completed by the Alameda Corridor-East Construction Authority. Design plans are scheduled to be completed in September 2009 with construction beginning in March 2010 and completion in March 2013.

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.

The Los Angeles County Golf Club (LACGC) visits and conducts tournaments at a different County golf course each month. In 2009, the LACGC will visit four Fourth District golf courses; Lakewood Golf Course on January 25, La Mirada Golf Course on February 22, Diamond Bar Golf Course on June 28, and Los Verdes Golf Course on December 13. Additionally, in 2009 we have added two new tournament events to our schedule, LA County Club Championship, and the LA County / PLGA Partners Cup.

Dust your clubs off and join the fun! Log onto www.lacountygolfclub.com or call (626) 254-8533 for more information. See below for the full 2009 schedule for the LACGC.