Issues

LA Phil to Perform Free Concert at Cerritos Center For The Performing Arts

The Los Angeles Philharmonic will perform a free concert at the Cerritos Center for the Performing Arts (CCPA) on Wednesday, September 29, at 7:30pm, Supervisor Don Knabe announced today.

The full orchestra will be conducted by Manuel Lopez and will perform for one hour with no intermission. This event is a partnership between the Los Angeles Philharmonic, the City of Cerritos and the Office of Supervisor Knabe.

“The Los Angeles Philharmonic is one of the treasures of LA County,” said Supervisor Knabe. “This is a unique opportunity to see the Los Angeles Philharmonic perform outside of downtown, and I encourage our residents to attend this free concert.”

Tickets to this event will be available by visiting the CCPA Ticket Office or by mailing a self-addressed, stamped envelope with the number of tickets requested to the CCPA Ticket Office at 12700 Center Court Drive, Cerritos, CA 90703.  The box office is open Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Saturday from noon to 4 p.m.   There is a limit of four tickets per household.  Seating is General Admission.  All ticket holders must be seated by 7:15 p.m.

The LAPHIL presents free community concerts as part of its dedication to provide music for audiences throughout Los Angeles County.

I-710 Closures Expected Over Weekend

The California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) will conduct six extended weekend closures on the Long Beach Freeway (I-710) in both northbound and southbound directions from just south of Firestone Boulevard to just north of the Glenn Anderson Freeway (I-105).  The construction taking place is part of the I-710 Long Life Pavement Rehabilitation Project to replace 10 to 15 inches of aging pavement from I-405 to I-5.

This weekend’s closure begins Friday, August 27 at 11:45 p.m. and continues through Monday, August 30 at 5 a.m.  FULL FREEWAY CLOSURES will occur twice during the weekend: Friday at 11:45 p.m. until Saturday at 6 a.m., and again on Sunday at 11 p.m. until Monday at 5 a.m.

During the first six-hour FULL FREEWAY CLOSURE, moveable median barriers will be placed that will guide all motorists onto the northbound side when I-710 is re-opened on Saturday at 6 a.m. The number of lanes available to motorists will be reduced:  two lanes for northbound travel and three for southbound.  On Sunday at 11 p.m., another FULL CLOSURE occurs to remove the temporary barriers in time for the Monday morning commute.

CLOSED On-ramps to northbound I-710:
Eastbound & westbound on-ramps from Rosecrans Avenue and Imperial Highway

CLOSED On-ramps to southbound I-710:
Eastbound & westbound on-ramps from Florence Avenue, Firestone Boulevard and Imperial Hwy

CLOSED Freeway Connectors: Eastbound and westbound I-105 to northbound I-710

I-710 Full Freeway Closures are scheduled for these 6 weekends:
August 27-30
(No construction Labor Day weekend    September 3-6)
September 10-13 September 17-20
September 24-27
October 1-4
October 8-11

RESTRICTIONS: Speed reduced to 45mph. No oversized loads permitted due to narrow lanes.

DELAYS AND DETOURS: Motorists can expect delays and are advised to use alternate routes and marked street detours. Trucks are advised to use Garfield Avenue.

PROJECT DETAILS: This pavement rehabilitation project will apply several layers of a long life asphalt concrete mix that will provide the roadway with several decades of service, improve pavement performance, require less future maintenance and result in a smoother ride for the traveling public. The contractor for the $50 million project is Sully-Miller.  The project is 50% complete.  The estimated completion date is spring 2011.

BENEFITS OF EXTENDED WEEKEND CLOSURES: Moving all motorists to one side of the freeway allows construction crews to work safely and continuously for 53 hours throughout the weekend.  This schedule is cost effective and reduces the need for weeknight closures when traffic volumes are normally higher.



Supervisors to Request Amendment to Non-Revocable Parole Program Criteria

The Board of Supervisors unanimously approved a motion to send a five-signature letter to the state legislature and Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger requesting to amend the criteria for the non-revocable parole program so that known membership in a street gang will disqualify an individual from the program, Supervisor Don Knabe announced today.

SBX13 18 requires the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation to screen offenders for eligibility to unsupervised parole prior to release from State Prison.

“Excluding known street gang members from non-revocable parole will ultimately make our communities safer,” said Supervisor Knabe. “Known gang members require intensive supervision and potentially pose a significant risk to public safety.”

While SBX3 18 contains provisions to disqualify individuals from non-revocable parole if they are validated members of a prison gang, the program does not include criteria to exclude known membership in a street gang. Offenders who are placed on non-revocable parole are not required to report to a parole agent.

Beat The Heat, Visit a Cooling Center

If you are planning to visit one of these Cooling Centers, it is advisable that you call in advance to make sure there is still seating available.  If a Cooling Center is not operational, check the attached list for another Cooling Center nearest you or call “211”.  You may want to check with your local library when looking for a place to cool down.  They have great resources and plenty to read while you escape the heat.

If you plan to be outdoors, please take precautions to protect yourself from the sun and heat.

  • Put on plenty of sun block and wear a wide brimmed hat or carry an umbrella.
  • Wear light, loose-fitting clothing.
  • Drink water often, don’t wait until you are thirsty.
  • Avoid unnecessary exertion.
  • If you experience dizziness, fatigue, faintness, headaches, muscle cramps and increased thirst you need to relax in a cooler, shaded place and drink water or a sports drink.
  • More severe symptoms (such as disorientation, pale and clammy skin, a rapid and weak pulse, and/or fast and shallow breathing) may indicate heat exhaustion or impending heat stroke.  Seek immediate medical attention.
  • If you are traveling on vacation or running errands around town, NEVER leave a senior, child or pet in a closed car or any vehicle since temperatures can quickly rise to life-threatening levels.
  • If you know seniors who live alone or people whose immune and/or respiratory systems are not working properly, check on them regularly to make sure they are staying cool.
  • Offer assistance to “shut-ins” in your neighborhood.  Check on them frequently during hot weather.

For a listing of Los Angeles City Cooling Centers go to www.lacity.org or call “311”.

Knabe to Highlight Successes of 10,000 Jobs Program

Los Angeles County Supervisor Don Knabe will be joined by Congresswoman Jane Harman, Torrance Mayor Frank Scotto, Redondo Beach Mayor Mike Gin, Hermosa Beach Mayor Michael DiVirgilio, and Manhattan Beach Mayor Mitch Ward at a press conference on Thursday, August 12 to highlight the success of Supervisor Knabe’s 10,000 jobs program and the need for the federal government to extend its funding to get Los Angeles County residents back to work.

On March 3, 2009, Supervisor Knabe introduced the 10,000 jobs program, which utilized almost $200 million in federal stimulus funds to create temporary subsidized employment opportunities through the South Bay Workforce Investment Board, resulting in over 11,000 jobs in private, public, and nonprofit businesses across LA County.

Date: Thursday, August 12, 2010

Time: 12:00 pm to 12:30 pm

Location: South Bay Workforce Investment Board/Beach Cities One-Stop Business and Employment Center

320 Knob Hill, Suite 4

Redondo Beach, CA 90277

Newborn Girl Safely Surrendered in Woodland Hills

Los Angeles County Supervisor Don Knabe is pleased to announce the County’s Safe Surrender Program celebrated success for the fourth time this year with the report of another safely surrendered newborn.  This most recent safe surrender occurred at a hospital in Woodland Hills.

The mother delivered the baby girl at the hospital and told hospital staff that she would like to surrender the infant. The baby is reported to be in good health.  As is standard practice, the baby girl 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 girl has a long life ahead of her,” said Supervisor Knabe. “I am happy this mother made the right choice for her baby.”

This is the fourth Safe Surrender in Los Angeles County in 2010, and the 80th since the program began nine 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.

Supervisor Knabe To Answer Questions Live Online Tonight

Los Angeles County Supervisor Don Knabe will be holding an online town hall on Wednesday, August 4, at 6:30 p.m., answering questions from the public live on knabe.com.

To view the town hall, go to www.knabe.com/askdon, and click the play button around 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday the 4th. Questions for the Supervisor can be submitted in advance on Twitter @donknabe or emailed to askdon@bos.lacounty.gov.

Constituents can view the online town hall through Facebook by going to http://www.facebook.com/SupervisorKnabe and clicking the play button. Utilizing this feature will allow anyone to send a question to the Supervisor for him to answer immediately and allow them to chat with other viewers about the topics discussed by the Supervisor. Viewers will only be able to submit a live question and chat if they have a Facebook account, but anyone can still watch the live town hall without needing a Facebook account.

Any organization wishing to simulcast Don’s live Q&A can embed the video stream from the following link: http://www.ustream.tv/channel/ask-don-live1.

Since his first successful online webcast earlier this year, Supervisor Knabe remains the only member of the Board of Supervisors to host open question sessions online with constituents.

“We have learned much since our first online town hall, and I hope our new changes will allow even more Fourth District residents to participate,” said Supervisor Knabe. “This time, the town hall will be in the evening to accommodate people who cannot watch during work and we have created a way for people to email questions in advance, without requiring a Facebook account.”

If you’re not already following Supervisor Knabe on Facebook, become a fan and gain access to exclusive content, including videos, photos and news alerts, visit http://www.facebook.com/supervisorknabe and click the “Like” button at the top of the screen.

Los Angeles County Seeks Repairs To Orange County Runway

The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors has joined a regional effort to secure $17 million in Federal funding to repair the cracked and deteriorated runway surface at the Joint Forces Training Base in Los Alamitos, the main entry point for rescue workers and disaster supplies that will come into LA County after a major disaster.

Although the base is located in Orange County, the runway at Los Alamitos is the only military facility between Ventura County and San Diego County that is able to accommodate large transport aircraft – the type needed for personnel and supply delivery after a disaster. The runway surface is cracked and deteriorated to a point where there are loose chunks which can be sucked into a jet engine and cause the engine to explode after ingestion. This condition recently caused Air Force One to land at Long Beach Airport instead of the more secure facility at Los Alamitos and will prevent planes full of disaster supplies from landing there unless it is repaired.

Under today’s action, Supervisor Don Knabe asked his colleagues to formally support the request for $17 million to repair the runway and give the Southern California region a fully functioning airfield during a disaster.

Fourth District Arts Groups Receive LACAC Grants

Supervisor Don Knabe is pleased to announce The Los Angeles County Arts Commission has awarded two-year grants to 24 arts organizations that focus on cultural services for residents of the Fourth Supervisorial District. The Organizational Grant Program (OGP) grants were awarded competitively, reviewed and scored by panels, and approved by the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors.

The grants for the Fourth District are part of awards totaling $4,118,000 to 166 nonprofit arts organizations for fiscal years 2010-11 and 2011-12. An estimated 10 million people will be served by the organizations receiving grants.

Additionally, 20 organizations delivering services in the Fourth District will also receive grant funds in 2010-11 through two-year awards made last year.

Grant recipients providing most of their services to the Fourth District are listed below.

ORGANIZATIONAL GRANT PROGRAM I/SMALL BUDGET ORGANIZATIONS

Camerata Singers of Long Beach (Long Beach)

Concert Singers (Long Beach)

Garage Theatre (Long Beach)

Golden State Pops Orchestra/Friends of the GSPO (San Pedro)

Harry Bridges Project (Los Angeles)

Helios Dance Theater (Pacific Pallisades)

Interact Theatre Company (North Hollywood)

Rhapsody In Taps Incorporated (Long Beach)

Second City Council (Long Beach)

South Coast Chorale Inc. (Long Beach)

Zhena Folk Chorus (San Pedro)

A Window Between Worlds (Venice)

Enrichment Works (Valley Glen)

Grand Vision (San Pedro)

Los Angeles Dream Shapers (Inglewood)

Masters of Harmony (Santa Fe Springs)

Pacific Crest Youth Arts Organization (Diamond Bar)

Taiko Project (Long Beach)

Harmony Project (Los Angeles)

Arts & Services for Disabled, Inc. (Long Beach)

Long Beach Museum of Art Foundation (Long Beach)

Museum of Latin American Art (Long Beach)

Norris Center for the Performing Arts (Rolling Hills Estates)

Palos Verdes Art Center (Rancho Palos Verdes)