Arts and Education

County Celebrates National Adoption Day

The Los Angeles County Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) will co-host the 10th Annual Adoption Saturday with 200 children adopted into permanent families.

A news conference will be held on November 15, 2008, at 8:30 a.m. in the first floor conference room of the Edmund D. Edelman Children’s Court, 201 Centre Plaza Drive in Monterey Park. Speakers at the event include DCFS Director Patricia Ploehn, Presiding Children’s Court Judge Michael Nash, actress and UNICEF ambassador Lucy Liu and dignitaries from other organizations including the Children’s Law Center and the Alliance for Children’s Rights.

Los Angeles County founded "Adoption Saturday" which led to the creation of National Adoption Day. Since Adoption Saturday began 10 years ago, more than 10,000 adoptions have been completed. On November 15th, Judge Michael Nash and approximately 15 judicial officers will volunteer their time to finalize almost 200 adoptions. They will be joined by dozens of pro bono law firms and their attorneys representing the adoptive families.

This event is made possible each year through the collaboration of DCFS, the Los Angeles Juvenile Court, the Alliance for Children’s Rights, and Public Counsel Law Center. For more information about adopting through Los Angeles County, please call 1-888-811-1121, or log on to the DCFS website at www.lacdcfs.org and click on to the adoptions link at the top of the page.

Education Overhaul Approved For County Juvenile Justice System

Supervisor Don Knabe’s proposed overhaul of educational opportunities in Los Angeles County’s juvenile camps and halls was unanimously approved by the Board of Supervisors today. The reforms were proposed by Supervisor Knabe in June 2007 after a study revealed students were seriously underserved by the schools designed to teach children incarcerated in the Los Angeles County juvenile justice system.

Among the reforms will be the creation of charter schools in the probation system. The reforms will also customize educational opportunities based on the individual needs of the student, including a vocational education path, a college-bound path, and a GED completion path, among others. Additionally, the reforms will now tie education in the camps and halls with education in school districts across the County so that students leaving the juvenile justice system will have better continuity and consistency when they return to regular schools.

The implications of today’s actions matter to every resident of our County because of the long-term goals of these reforms, said Supervisor Knabe. By improving access to educational opportunities in the juvenile justice system today these kids are less likely to commit future crimes tomorrow and end up in and out of our justice system throughout their life.

According to the 2007 report by the Children’s Council of Los Angeles County, education is the area most in need of improvement in the juvenile justice system.

Among the report’s findings:

– In 2004, 74 percent of juvenile justice students did not pass the California High School Exit Examination.

– 20 percent of all Probation students require special education programs; double that of the general school population.

– School attendance records for Nidorf Juvenile Hall reveal that on one particular day in April 2007, 14% of students in the hall were not enrolled in the on-site school and only 78% of the enrolled students attended that day.

– Students in some high-risk units received little more than one hour of educational instruction a day.

We have nearly 3,000 children enrolled in our probation schools and we have an obligation to provide each and everyone one of them with access to educational opportunities, said Supervisor Knabe. If we want to keep these kids from returning to the probation system or from ending up in County jails later in life, then access to quality schooling must be a critical component of how we are serving children in our camps and halls.

County Seeking Performers For Holiday Celebration

The Los Angeles County Arts Commission is currently seeking County-based youth and adult community and professional choirs, dance companies, and music ensembles to perform in the 49th Annual Los Angeles County Holiday Celebration.

The Arts Commission encourages all Los Angeles County-based performing groups representing diverse communities, traditions, and performing disciplines to apply for the Los Angeles County Holiday Celebration. Proposed programming should be suitably themed for a multi-cultural holiday production. All performing groups are paid. Interested organizations are required to submit an electronic grant (eGrant) application, which is accessible via the Arts Commission website at www.holidaycelebration.org

Both the application guidelines and the eGrant application are available online now, and the deadline to apply is Wednesday, August 6, 2008. If you have additional questions, please send an email to
www.publicevents@arts.lacounty.gov

The Los Angeles County Holiday Celebration is a free public event that honors the spirit of many cultures and holiday traditions through music, song and dance and takes place every December 24th from 3:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion at the Music Center in downtown Los Angeles. The stage production is also broadcast live on KCET, and an annual one-hour highlight broadcast is carried nationally on PBS.

Avalon Lifeguard and Paramedic

Station
The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors has approved a $5.423 million project to construct a state-of-the-art lifeguard and paramedic headquarters building in the City of Avalon on Catalina Island. Of the $5.423 million total budget, $3.924 million was awarded to AMG Associates, Inc., for the construction contract, while the remaining funds will be used for project management costs, furnishing and equipping the building, and a public art project for the exterior of the building.

The proposed project is a two-story, 7,005 square foot lifeguard/paramedic station, which consists of a two-bay apparatus area for housing a paramedic truck, a utility vehicle and watercraft trailers; an office with storage rooms; and a reception area with a public restroom.

The Avalon Lifeguard facility will also have one unique feature among all of the County’s similar buildings. This will be the first to include dormitory space for workers, which will consist of a living room, kitchen, dining room and bedroom space for up to eight personnel. County lifeguards on Catalina Island are on-call for 24-hour periods, meaning that anyone stationed in Avalon must secure housing in the City’s limited and expensive housing market. With the new building, lifeguards will be able to complete their shifts without having to acquire housing off-site.

The new building will be constructed on a parcel of land adjacent to City Hall that was donated to the County by the City of Avalon. Construction is scheduled to be completed by summer 2009.

Los Angeles County Funds 124 Summer Internships At 87 Arts Organizations

Los Angeles County, through its Arts Commission, has given grants totaling $496,000 to 87 performing, literary, media and municipal arts organizations throughout Los Angeles County to support paid internships for college undergraduates in summer 2008.

Descriptions of and contacts for the 124 internship positions are posted on the Arts Commission’s web site. Go to www.lacountyarts.org, click on Internships, then 2008 Internship Positions or click here to download the information.

Interested undergraduates should apply directly to the organization offering the internship, not the Arts Commission. College undergraduates either resident in or attending school in Los Angeles County are eligible for the internships.

Interns are paid $350 per week for ten weeks and take part in educational and arts networking activities. Through the program, interns gain a deeper understanding of the work involved in nonprofit arts administration and the role of the arts in a community, and develop business skills that can be put to use in their future careers. Internship host organizations help mold and shape potential new workers in the arts field who may go on to arts leadership positions on staffs, boards or as volunteers.

Organizations in the County’s Fourth Supervisorial District offering arts internships include: Arts & Services For Disabled, Inc., City of Torrance, Friends of the Cerritos Center, International City Theatre, Long Beach Symphony Association, Musical Theatre West, and Public Corporation for the Arts/Arts Council for Long Beach.

Examples of County internship experiences include:

– An operations/education intern to work at the Long Beach Symphony Orchestra to plan and prepare for the 2008-2009 season of artistic, production, and education activities, working closely with the Artistic Department staff to gain a hands-on experience in preparing and coordinating multiple aspects of concert production, artist relations, and programs.

– A music production & administrative assistant to work at Arts & Services for the Disabled to support programs for students with development disabilities. The summer project will culminate with the intern and ASD students creating and producing a musical piece for broadcast by ASD that will potentially air on local state and/or community college radio stations and online.

– An education associate to work at the Friends of the Cerritos Center to assist in the development and implementation of the Center’s educational programs for youth. The intern will gain hands-on experience in arts instruction activities, including curriculum development for the Professional Development Workshops for Teachers program, production of the annual Educator’s Handbook, and general implementation and program administration.

Opera Tales Returns To Fourth District Libraries

Supervisor Don Knabe today announced that the highly-acclaimed Opera Tales program will soon be returning to Fourth District County Libraries. Opera Tales is a LA Opera program that introduces children and families to the world of opera at local libraries. Supervisor Knabe established the partnership between the LA Opera and the County of Los Angeles Public Library, and provided funding to bring Opera Tales to libraries in the Fourth District.

This year, Opera Tales celebrates the 150th anniversary of Giacomo Puccini’s birth. The program highlights opera’s combination of story and music, and four singers from the LA Opera will sing various arias and act out key scenes from the stories. The stories to be read and performed are from the works of Puccini, including The Girl of the Golden West, Turandot and Gianni Schicchi.

County Libraries in the Fourth District that will host Opera Tales are:

– Diamond Bar Library – Monday, April 14 at 7:00 p.m.

– Hacienda Heights Library – Tuesday, April 15 at 7:00 p.m.

– Hermosa Beach Library – Friday, April 18 at 3:00 p.m.

– Lomita Library – Tuesday, April 22 at 6:30 p.m.

– Artesia Library – Thursday, April 24 at 3:00 p.m.

– La Mirada Library – Saturday, April 26 at 2:00 p.m.

For information on library locations or future programs, please call

(562) 940-8422, or visit the County Library Web site at
www.colapublib.org

New Avalon Lifeguard and Paramedic Headquarters Funding Approved By County

The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors has approved a $3.897 million project to construct a state-of-the-art lifeguard and paramedic headquarters building in the City of Avalon on Catalina Island. Of the $3.897 million budget, $2.915 will be used for actual construction costs, while the remaining funds will be used for project management costs, furnishing and equipping the building, and a public art project for the exterior of the building.

The proposed project is a two-story, 7,005 square foot lifeguard/paramedic station which consists of a two-bay garage for housing a paramedic truck, a utility vehicle and watercraft trailers; an office with storage rooms; a reception area, with a public restroom.

The Avalon Lifeguard facility will also have one unique feature among all of the County’s similar buildings. This will be the first to include dormitory space for workers, which will consist of a living room, kitchen, dining room and bedroom space for up to eight people. County lifeguards on Catalina Island are on-call for 24-hour periods, meaning that anyone stationed in Avalon must secure housing in the City’s limited and expensive housing market. With the new building, lifeguards will be able to complete their shifts without having to acquire housing off-site.

The new building will be constructed on a parcel of land adjacent to City Hall that was donated to the County by the City of Avalon. Construction is scheduled to be completed by January 31, 2009.

Knabe Announces New Funding To Improve Juvenile Probation Services

The Los Angeles County Probation Department will soon add dozens of new jobs that will benefit juvenile service programs, thanks to new funding totaling $4.6 million that was successfully sought by Supervisor Don Knabe. The new funding comes after Supervisor Knabe directed County budget staff to fund a reduction in field caseload levels within the Probation Department. The resulting recommendations include the $4.6 million allocation, which will fund 71 new positions.

34 of the positions are for the Juvenile Services Placement Bureau, to reduce the current caseload level down to 25 cases per Deputy Probation Officer. These positions will also improve efforts to properly manage and administer State and Federal regulations that govern case management.

33 of the new positions will be in the Juvenile Special services Bureau, which will reduce the current caseload to 50 cases per officer. This will help the department adopt a home-based service delivery model to increase family participation and decrease risk factors which lead to crime.

The final four positions will be Assistant Probation Directors in the Residential Treatment Bureau. They will support and assist camp managers in the administration of the juvenile camps.

Park Projects Across The Fourth District Receive Grant Funds From The County

The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors unanimously approved the allocation of $1,784,893.68 in competitive grant funds to 17 Cities and two County departments, which will enhance recreational opportunities at various facilities and natural areas across the Fourth District, Supervisor Don Knabe announced today.

A general description of the 19 total projects includes: enhancing recreation facilities, graffiti prevention, natural lands restoration, trails acquisition and development, and urban tree planting. The recommended project grants will be funded from the Fourth Supervisorial District’s allocation of the Safe Neighborhood Parks Propositions of 1992 and 1996. Requests for grant proposals for projects in the competitive categories described in the 1996 Proposition were sent to all eligible public agencies and nonprofit organizations in the Fourth Supervisorial District. Upon submission, grant proposals were screened for completeness and eligibility. Since sufficient funding was available to fund all eligible project proposals submitted, no eligible proposals were left unfunded.

I was very glad to assist in having these funds allocated to our Cities, said Supervisor Knabe. These projects are about making a reinvestment in our communities. These improvements will not only increase the quality of life for those who reside in the cities, but also the residents of the surrounding communities that utilize these areas.

Proposed Fourth Supervisorial District Excess Funds Projects

Project Grantee

Old Firehouse Restoration Project Artesia

Scope: The City of Artesia is converting an old firehouse into a multi-purpose community center. The project consists of renovation of the building’s interior including a new restroom and renovation to the parking lot, fencing, windows, landscaping and painting as well as building improvements for Americans with Disability Act compliance.

Joe Machado Field Restroom Reconstruction: Avalon

Scope: Reconstruction of a restroom facility at Joe Machado Field with graffiti-prevention materials including ceramic tile and stainless steel partitions and fixtures.

West Branch Greenway Multi-modal Transportation Corridor: Bellflower

Scope: Asphalt bicycle and pedestrian trails, trail signage, landscaping, irrigation and a drinking fountain.

Cerritos Forestation Program: Cerritos

Scope: The planting of 900 trees throughout the City’s arterial median, parkways and in several parks.

Development of Sycamore Canyon Park Trail – Phase III: Diamond Bar

Scope: Construction of approximately 1,290 feet of decomposed granite/natural soil to connect two trail heads and the installation of two benches, signs, split-rail safety fences and steps/stairs.

Hermosa Senior Activity Center: Hermosa Beach

Scope: Renovation of approximately 1,800 square feet of existing space including upgraded electrical panels, a commercial kitchen, lighting, counters and cabinetry.

Blue Line Stream Restoration:
La Habra Heights

Scope: Removal of debris, non-native plants and concrete in and adjacent to the City’s environmentally sensitive stream and development of a trail along Hacienda Park.

Therapy Spa for the Splash: La Mirada

Scope: Installation of an 18-person therapy spa at the City’s Splash that will feature a hydrotherapy bench and specialized jets for muscle and joint massage.

Bloomfield Park Teen Resource Center Expansion Project: Lakewood

Scope: Expansion and renovation of an existing craft room to accommodate a new at-risk youth center including new windows, paint, security lighting and Americans with Disabilities Act compliant upgrades to the facilities restrooms.

Lomita Park Senior Walking Path: Lomita

Scope: Improvement of a mile path around Lomita Park to allow for unimpeded travel and installation of fitness stations designed for use by seniors.

Norwalk 2007 Urban Tree Project: Norwalk

Scope: Planting of 500 trees in residential neighborhoods, parkways, arterial medians and along boulevards.

Trail Rehabilitation and Improvement: Rancho Palos Verdes

Scope: Rehabilitation of the Point Vicente Neighborhood Trail including installation of metal hand rails, concrete resting pads and strengthening of existing wooden steps. The project will also include improved trail linkages in the Portuguese Bend Nature Preserve.

North Redondo Beach Bikeway Lighting Project: Redondo Beach

Scope: Purchase and installation of 45 solar-powered bicycle pathway lights for the North Redondo Beach Bikeway to allow night use of the path.

George F. Canyon Nature Preserve Habitat Restoration: Rolling Hills Estates

Scope: Removal of non-native trees and plants and replacement with native plants.

Trail Improvements and Repair Project: Signal Hill

Scope: Repair of decomposed granite trails, installation of steps where grade exceeds 10%, repair of irrigation system, rehabilitation of landscaping and installation of trail signage and pet waste disposal stations.

Madrona Marsh Preserve Restoration Project: Torrance

Scope: Removal of non-native vegetation, installation of an irrigation system and planting of native plants in a “-acre tract of land on the western edge of the facility and five acres on the southeast corner of the marsh.

Whittier Greenway Trail Signage and Enhancement: Whittier

Scope: Installation of interpretive panels and interactive exhibits along the trail and the planting of trees, shrubs and grasses.

South Coast Botanic Garden Graffiti Prevention Project: Dept. of Parks & Recreation

Scope: Installation of new fencing along Rolling Hills Road and the horse trail to prevent access when the garden is closed.

Coyote Creek Bike Trail: Dept. of Public Works

Scope: Construction of 1.04 miles of a Class 1 bike trail along the west side of the Coyote Creek Channel between Carson Street and Wardlow Road.

Total: $1,784,893.68

Long Beach To Receive New Funding For Homeless Programs

Los Angeles County Supervisor Don Knabe announced today a $500,000 grant to the City of Long Beach to improve and enhance specialized services for homeless veterans in the Long Beach area. The grant includes a specific provision of $140,000 for the establishment of a County-funded mental health coordinator position within the City’s health department to ensure that residents, especially those who are homeless or at risk of homelessness, have a greater awareness of mental health resources.

The City of Long Beach has a highly-effective continuum of care in place to address homelessness, but recent census statistics show that up to 14% of the total number of homeless veterans in Los Angeles County can be found in the Long Beach area. The goal of this new funding is to design a service program for homeless veterans and any special needs they may have. The addition of the coordinator position will ensure that individuals have knowledge of and are given access to mental health resources both the City and the County provides.

Supervisor Knabe has been a strong advocate on enhancing services for the homeless in Long Beach, and homeless veterans in particular. Earlier this year, he appropriated $1.2 million in County funding to support the US Veterans Initiative at the Villages at Cabrillo and in 2006, was instrumental in the establishment of the Bethune School for homeless children. He has also identified funding for child care and preschool services for homeless children and has pledged funding for the construction of a new family shelter for Catholic Charities. In addition, the Supervisor played a key role in the establishment of the Project Achieve shelter on Oregon Street, and continues to be the shelter’s primary source of funding.

"There are veterans living on our streets right now who are suffering and we anticipate a new influx of veterans who will be coming into our service systems that will require our help. We have to work proactively and not stand by and wait for solutions to emerge from Washington," Supervisor Knabe said, "The City of Long Beach has a strong program that is admired across the region as a model for addressing homelessness. It is my hope that this funding will enhance it even further."