Issues

Veterans Benefit From County Employment Program

A Veteran of the Army National Guard has become the first permanent employee hired by Los Angeles County through a program designed to give special access to employment and internship opportunities to Veterans.

Created through an August 2006 motion by Supervisors’ Don Knabe and Michael D. Antonovich, the Veterans Internship Program (VIP) is available to local military Veterans who have been honorably discharged. Participants are hired into paid internships in various County departments, lasting up to 24 months, and receive benefits and additional job training throughout their internship. VIP participants are then eligible to compete for permanent County positions.

On May 14, Kunny Yin became the first permanent County employee hired through the Veterans Internship Program when he was appointed an IT Tech Support Analyst II within the Department of the Treasurer and Tax Collector. Mr. Yin is a Long Beach resident and was initially hired into the internship program in December 2007, and once he was hired as a permanent employee earlier this month, he jumped 18 steps on the County pay scale. He served in the Army National Guard for three years, until 2006, and was trained as a computer information analyst.

The program really helped me get my foot in the door towards permanent employment, said Yin. My whole experience throughout the internship was nothing but a good thing.

A total of 50 Veterans have been placed by the VIP Program and are currently working in internships across the County in 10 different departments, including 14 in the Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk, 13 in the Probation Department, and 11 in the Department of Public Social Services. The County was also honored as Employer of the Year by the California Employer Advisory Council for providing outstanding employment services to Veterans.

Our Veterans have served our nation and sacrificed their lives for our freedom, said Supervisor Antonovich. This program provides our Veterans the opportunity to apply their skills, learn new ones and compete effectively for employment."

The County has jobs available in many areas that require very special skills or training, the same skills or training that Veterans often receive during their service to our nation, said Supervisor Knabe. Matching the wonderful talents of our Veterans, to needs of the County, in the form of a permanent job is a great way to honor the service of our nations Veterans.

Interested Veterans are encouraged to visit http://dhr.lacounty.info or call (213) 738-2175.

County Lifeguards Going Green With New Ford Hybrids

Ford Motor Company is teaming up with the Los Angeles County Lifeguards to help save lives while protecting the environment. Ford recently presented the squad with the first 10 of a fleet of 45 eco-friendly Escape Hybrids with Intelligent four-wheel-drive, specially equipped for use on rescue patrol along dozens of miles of Southern California coastline.

The 45 customized Ford Escape Hybrid beach patrol vehicles, valued at $1.5 million, were provided through a sponsorship with Ford Motor Company. The new vehicles will be an all green fleet that can go up to 500 miles on one tank of gas. The Ford Escape Hybrid dramatically reduces smog-forming emissions, as it meets California’s Partial Zero Emission Vehicle (PZEV) Certified standards. The Escape Hybrid is a full hybrid, switching between electric and gasoline power to maximize efficiency and performance similar to that of a V-6 engine. Fuel cost savings for Los Angeles County are estimated at over $200,000 annually.

We are the largest lifeguard organization in the world, and we have always blazed the trail for the profession, said Mike Frazer, chief, Lifeguard Services, Los Angeles County Fire Department. We wanted to be the first public safety agency in the country to go green.

Taste Of The Heights Festival Returns To Pathfinder Park

Supervisor Don Knabe, in conjunction with the Hacienda Heights Improvement Association, Rowland Heights Coordinating Council, local community groups, local businesses, sponsors and the County of Los Angeles Department of Parks and Recreation will host the 5th Annual Taste of The Heights Festival at Pathfinder Park.

The Taste of The Heights, which has been established as a featured annual event in Rowland Heights, is a fun evening under the stars with food, wine tasting, and the smooth sounds of jazz. The Taste of The Heights Festival will showcase fine food from local restaurants to demonstrate the cultural diversity of the Heights. Each restaurant will provide an array of their most exquisite food entrees for patrons to sample. There will also be a Children’s Fun Zone featuring games, crafts, a puppet show, and much more.

The festival will be held on Wednesday, May 21, from 5:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m., at Pathfinder Community Regional Park, which is located at 18150 East Pathfinder Road in Rowland Heights. For ticket sales and information contact (626) 333-1369. Children under 6 years of age must be accompanied by an adult.

Taste Of The Heights Festival Returns To Pathfinder Park In Rowland Heights

Supervisor Don Knabe, in conjunction with the Hacienda Heights Improvement Association, Rowland Heights Coordinating Council, local community groups, local businesses, sponsors and the County of Los Angeles Department of Parks and Recreation will host the 5th Annual Taste of The Heights Festival at Pathfinder Park.

The Taste of The Heights, which has been established as a featured annual event in Rowland Heights, is a fun evening under the stars with food, wine tasting, and the smooth sounds of jazz. The Taste of The Heights Festival will showcase fine food from local restaurants to demonstrate the cultural diversity of the Heights. Each restaurant will provide an array of their most exquisite food entrees for patrons to sample. There will also be a Children’s Fun Zone featuring games, crafts, a puppet show, and much more.

The festival will be held on Wednesday, May 21, from 5:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m., at Pathfinder Community Regional Park, which is located at 18150 East Pathfinder Road in Rowland Heights. For ticket sales and information contact (626) 333-1369. Children under 6 years of age must be accompanied by an adult.

Construction Set To Begin On Dockweiler State Beach Youth Center

Over four miles of the Marvin Braude South Bay Bike Trail will soon be refurbished or completely rebuilt after Supervisor Don Knabe agreed to fund the project with $5 million in Fourth District Capital Improvement funds. The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors unanimously approved the project today.

The portions of the bike path to be renovated are located between Culver Boulevard in Playa del Rey and Calle Miramar in Torrance. The project involves removing damaged Portland Cement Concrete (Cement) and Asphalt Concrete (Asphalt) and reconstructing those portions of the bike path with similar materials. Also, slurry and crack sealing will be used when complete restructuring is not necessary. The project will now go out to bid, and construction is scheduled to begin in summer 2009. Over 21,000 feet, over just over 4 miles of the bike path will be repaired or reconstructed.

The Marvin Braude Bike Trail stretches nearly 22 miles between Will Rogers State Beach and Torrance County Beach, with most of the path running along public beaches. This past March, the County completed the renovation of a portion of the bike path is located between 62nd Avenue and Culver Boulevard in the Playa del Rey community of the City of Los Angeles.

It is important that the bike paths running along public beaches are safe, said Supervisor Knabe. I am glad to fund improvements that will enhance the safety and increase enjoyment of the numerous residents and visitors who use the Marvin Braude Bike Trail.

Project Details

– Culver Boulevard to 38 feet north of Grand Avenue

1. Reconstruct approximately 9,000 feet of cement pavement

2. Reconstruct or slurry approximately 800 feet of asphalt pavement

– 38 feet north of Grand Avenue to 45th Street

1. Reconstruct approximately 1,000 feet of asphalt pavement

2. Slurry approximately 4,510 feet of asphalt pavement

– 45th Street to 1st Street

1. Reconstruct approximately 800 feet of asphalt pavement

– Torrance Loop to 3,960 feet south of Torrance Loop

1. Reconstruct approximately 1,000 feet of asphalt pavement

2. Slurry approximately 3,960 feet of asphalt pavement

– 3,960 feet south of Torrance Loop to Calle Miramar

1. Reconstruct approximately 100 feet of cement pavement

Historic Wetlands Project Complete Along Los Angeles River In Long Beach

Los Angeles County Supervisor Don Knabe joined other local elected officials this week for the opening of the Dominguez Gap Wetlands in Long Beach. The $7 million treatment wetlands and spreading grounds project is the latest in a series of regional, multi-benefit projects implemented by the Los Angeles County Flood Control District. At peak capacity, the new wetlands will naturally remove pollutants and other harmful chemicals from over one million gallons of storm water every day, before that water reaches the ocean or returns to the ground water supply.

The wetlands project is the first of its kind in Los Angeles County. It maintains the integrity of flood protection along the urban lower reaches of the Los Angeles River, while introducing new water quality elements, groundwater recharge, restoration of native habitat, pedestrian and equestrian trails, environmental education, and river bike trail enhancements.

The project encompassed extensive renovation of two preexisting Flood Control District spreading grounds, located along both the east and west sides of the Los Angeles River between Del Amo Blvd. and the 405 Freeway.

Enhancements to the 37-acre East Basin include one mile of constructed, treatment wetlands, pedestrian and horseback trails, two bird observation decks, woodland and riparian habitat, and a bike trail rest station. The wetlands are designed to naturally treat from 2-3 cubic feet per second (1.3 to 3.2 million gallons a day) of storm water and urban runoff, the rough equivalent of five Olympic-size swimming pools. The result will be a significant reduction in the amount of pollution, heavy metals, organic carbons, and oil and greases found in runoff within the system. Trash booms will collect floatable trash, allowing it to be removed before it can foul the wetlands. Once treated, the runoff will be moved underneath the Los Angeles River by a pump system to the project’s West Basin for groundwater recharge.

The 15-acre West Basin remains a functional spreading ground that, with new project improvements, will allow as much as 450 acre-feet a year of water to permeate into the underground aquifer of the West Coast Groundwater Basin. In simplified terms, one acre-foot of water is approximately the volume of a football field filled one foot deep with water. Both the East and West basin areas are lush with a plant palette of shrubs, trees, brush and wildflowers native to the lower Los Angeles River, selected especially for this project by the County’s project consultant, CH2M Hill.

Historically, the Los Angeles River has been impaired by pollutants from local and regional storm drains that carry storm water and urban runoff away from city streets and communities within the Los Angeles River Watershed. Polluted runoff is the result of harmful human activities like littering, illegally dumping lawn clippings and automobile fluids into catch basins, and over-watering lawns. These activities, among others, have led to stringent federal regulations (known as Total Maximum Daily Load allocations or TMDLs) that restrict the amount of trash and other pollutants that may enter designated receiving waters. By 2016, cities and County areas within the Los Angeles River Watershed must effectively have zero trash going into the Los Angeles River.

This is a great day for Los Angeles County and for its water quality partners, said Supervisor Don Knabe. The project’s open space, water quality improvements, and groundwater recharge make it a cost-effective solution for addressing some of the County’s toughest regional issues.

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.

Funding Continues For Fourth District Paratransit Shuttle Service

Supervisor Don Knabe today announced that the Board of Supervisors unanimously approved $608,000 in funding for the continuation of paratransit shuttle service for eligible patrons in the unincorporated areas of the Fourth District for Fiscal Year 2008-2009.

The program will include the following paratransit shuttle services: La Rambla, Marina del Rey, Rancho Los Amigos, Teen Mother, and the Whittier Islands.

I am pleased to be able to secure the funds for this service, said Supervisor Knabe. Many of our transit dependent residents utilize public transportation and these shuttle services are a vital component of their livelihood.

The County will provide funding through the Fourth District’s Proposition A Local Return Transit Program. The financing continues the successful shuttle service for eligible patrons of the unincorporated areas of the Fourth District, improving mobility for transit dependant patrons.

First Two Female Members Of County’s Most Wanted List Brought To Justice

The first two female members of the Los Angeles County Most Wanted List of child support evaders have been sentenced and arrested respectively this month, Supervisor Don Knabe announced recently.

Vickie Irene Nass, the first woman to find a place on the Most Wanted List, made an appearance in Superior Court on April 24. Ms. Nass, who owed $66,127 to her two sons, had been sought on a warrant issued in August 2007, for failing to obey the terms of court-ordered probation. Superior Court Commissioner John Green made a formal finding that Ms. Nass was in violation of her probation terms. He sentenced her to 180 days in the county jail, but stayed imposition of that sentence on the following terms: that she make a payment of $5,000 on or before June 19 and that thereafter she commence making payments of $499 per month beginning July 1. She will face incarceration if she fails to make the payments as ordered.

Antoniette Duran, one of the latest additions to the Most Wanted List, was arrested at her home in Pomona on April 10. Ms. Duran, who owed $16,236 to her minor son and daughter, was arrested on a warrant issued when she failed to appear for a probation violation hearing. She was on probation for failing to comply with agreed-upon terms of supporting her children. On two occasions, she made promises to appear and clear the warrant and both times she failed to do so. When she failed to appear as directed, a new warrant was issued for her arrest, with bail set at $45,000.

The Los Angeles County Child Support Services Department maintains the Most Wanted Delinquent Parent List. It was developed as a result of an appropriation by the Los Angeles Board of Supervisors on the initiative of County Supervisor Don Knabe. The appropriation provides funding that permits the Child Support Services Department to pay for the services of District Attorney Investigators to locate and arrest parents wanted on warrants for failure to pay court ordered support. Since the first arrests in December 2007, more than 275 parents with outstanding warrants have been arrested, cited, or surrendered in court after contact by District Attorney Investigators.

Interim Director And Chief Medical Director To Be Appointed To Department Of Health Services

Effective May 16, 2008, John F. Schunhoff, Ph.D., will be appointed as Interim Director and Robert G. Splawn, M.D., will serve as the Interim Chief Medical Director for the Los Angeles County Department of Health Services.

Dr. Bruce Chernof, Director and Chief Medical Officer, recently announced his resignation from County service effective May 15, 2008. Mr. Schunhoff and Dr. Splawn will serve these posts to ensure that the mission and responsibilities of this highly critical department are carried out without interruption. The Chief Executive Office is working with the Department of Human Resources to identify a highly qualified recruitment firm to conduct a nationwide search to identify candidates for the permanent position as Director of the Department of Health Services.

In these positions, Mr. Schunhoff and Dr. Splawn will operate in a collaborative manner and function as a team to address various critical issues facing the department. The Chief Executive Office will be working closely with both individuals to ensure that the County and the Department of Health Services move forward with critical initiatives, such as the Financial Stabilization and Deficit Reduction Plans, reopening Martin Luther King, Jr. Hospital, the LAC+USC Replacement Project, and restructuring departmental programs and services.