Issues

Schabarum Regional County Park in Rowland Heights Will soon undergo Three Major Improvement Projects

Over $2.2 million in renovations and improvements at Schabarum Regional County Park in Rowland Heights will be underway shortly, Supervisor Don Knabe announced today.

This extensive construction at Schabarum includes three distinct projects: the demolition and replacement of seven existing pedestrian/service bridges and the repair of two existing vehicle bridges; the regrading of the existing horse staging area to improve drainage and horse trail alignment; and the replacement of the existing playground equipment with new equipment.

The estimated cost of each project is as follows: $1,294,000 for the Bridges Replacement Project, $646,000 for the Horse Staging Area Project, and $312,000 for the Play Area Replacement Project. The total budget for the entire three-part project is $2,252,000.

The Bridges Replacement and Horse Staging Area Projects are completely funded with Fourth District Capital Project funds and the Play Area Replacement Project is funded in part by State Proposition 40 Grant funds.

This project is about making a reinvestment in our community, said Supervisor Knabe. These improvements will not only increase the safety at and usefulness of Schabarum Park, but will also benefit the many residents of surrounding communities who utilize this Park.

Overhauling Education In The Council Juvenile Justice System

The schools designed to teach children incarcerated in the Los Angeles County juvenile justice system may be seriously underserving students, according to a new report by the Children’s Planning Council (CPC). As a result, Supervisor Don Knabe today called for a top-to-bottom reform of the education system in the County’s juvenile halls and probation camps, including the possible use of charter schools.

According to the CPC, recent student performance data show that most of the youth in the juvenile justice system have been – and continue to be – left behind despite ongoing research that shows that education is one of the areas most in need of improvement in the system.

Among the recent 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 special education 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 instruction on a particular day.

Knabe’s call for reform directs County agencies to develop a comprehensive plan to dramatically reform education programs in the County’s juvenile halls and probation camps, including an exploration of the feasibility of charter schools and other innovative models of education.

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 Knabe. If we want to keep these kids from returning to the juvenile justice 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.

The United States Veterans Initiative In Long Beach Will Receive County Funds For New Kitchen

The United States Veterans Initiative – Long Beach, located at the Villages at Cabrillo, will receive $800,000 to construct a new commercial kitchen, Supervisor Don Knabe announced today.

The new kitchen and dining area, which will serve as a location for homeless veterans to receive meals, will be located in a 6,375 square foot rehabilitated building at 2220 Williams Avenue on the grounds of the Century Villages at Cabrillo. The project consists of renovating a dilapidated kitchen, and adding a small food grill/sandwich shop that will be staffed by residents of the Veterans Initiative. The project will provide needed cooking space and storage capacity, meet the recommendations of the Veterans Affairs dietician, and create a job training program for the veterans.

The kitchen facilities that are currently at the Veterans Initiative are completely inadequate in meeting the needs of the growing veteran population, said Supervisor Knabe. I am excited about this project because these new facilities will allow the staff to prepare a variety of high quality meals for our veterans.

The total cost of the project is $800,000, with funds coming from two different sources. The first $400,000 is coming from Fourth District Capital Project funds and the remaining $400,000 will come from the $80 million in funding for Countywide homeless prevention initiatives that was approved by the Board of Supervisors last year.

Fourth District Pools Scheduled to Open to the Public on Saturday, June 23

The Los Angeles County Department of Parks and Recreation has released its 2007 Summer Pool Schedule, and the pools at California High School, Cerritos Regional Park and La Mirada Regional Park will open to the public on Saturday, June 23, 2007, Supervisor Don Knabe announced today.

Recreational swimming is free of charge and will be open to swimmers of all ages, Monday thru Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. (recreational swim begins at 12:30 p.m.) and Saturdays and Sundays from 12:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. This schedule is effective through, Monday, September 3, 2007.

It is very important to me that we have public pools open during the hot days of summer, said Supervisor Knabe. This is an excellent opportunity for the public to have free access to some great pools for the remainder of the summer.

For additional information about swim lessons, aerobics and other aquatic programs, patrons may contact the parks directly for details.

Opening Pools

California High School Pool

(310) 965-8257

Cerritos Regional Park Pool

(562) 924-5144

La Mirada Regional Park Pool

(562) 902-5645

County to Acquire New Mobile Hospital for Disaster Response

The County of Los Angeles will soon have a new mobile hospital to provide support to local hospitals in the event of a large-scale disaster such as an earthquake, pandemic influenza, or bioterrorism incident, thanks to a Homeland Security grant accepted by the Board of Supervisors.

The $5,390,000 grant will allow the County’s Department of Health Services (DHS), through its Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Agency, to purchase a new Mobile Hospital, medical equipment for the hospital, a warehouse lease to house the hospital, and personal radiation equipment.

The mobile hospital system consists of a tractor-trailer facility and a tent facility. Each facility is self-contained and can be deployed independently of each other depending on the type and scale of the incident. The Tractor-Trailer Mobile Hospital Component consists of two 53-foot tractor-trailers, and will serve as the patient care facility, which includes two surgical suites and ten critical care beds. The Tent Structure Mobile Hospital Component is comprised of four 25-bed tent modules, and can be deployed as a 25-bed, 50-bed, or 100-bed facility. Each module is fully equipped with a heating and air-conditioning system, an electrical power distribution system with generator, folding patient cots and treatment beds, sanitation facilities, and a refrigerator.

DHS applied for the funds through the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s 2006 Urban Areas Security Initiative (UASI) Grant program, which provides funding to address the unique equipment, training, planning and exercise needs of large urban areas. The grant process is being overseen by the California Office of Homeland Security.

This new mobile hospital and emergency equipment will greatly enhance our ability to respond to a natural disaster or an act of terrorism, said Supervisor Don Knabe. I applaud the Department of Health Services for working hard to secure these critical funds.

Funding Approved for Fourth District Paratransit Shuttle Service

Supervisor Don Knabe recently announced Board approval of $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.

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.

Early Warning Loudspeaker Systems to be Tested in Marina del Rey

The Los Angeles County Department of Beaches and Harbors will test several different early warning loudspeaker systems at Burton Chace Park in Marina del Rey, Supervisor Don Knabe announced recently.

Several companies are competing for the County’s use of their device. The equipment is being considered as part of a mass notification warning system for residents and visitors in Marina del Rey in the event of impending danger from either a natural or human-made disaster. Beginning at 11:30 a.m., each vendor will give a brief presentation, and at 12:00 p.m. the actual tests of the devices will commence.

Three or four different devices will be tested; each device will be tested for approximately 30-45 seconds. The tests will include both siren tones (hi-low and wail) and voice broadcasts. For people in and around Burton Chace park the devices will be quite loud, but well within OSHA safety limits. The effective audible range of the devices will be an approximate 3,000 foot radius. Sheriff’s Deputies will be deployed in the park during the testing to maintain a distance between the devices and the public and to advise patrons.

If you have questions please contact Marina del Rey’s Sheriff’s Station Harbor Operations, Sergeant Mike Carriles, at 310-482-6033.

Funding Continues for the Palos Verdes Peninsula Transit Authority Shuttle Service

The Board of Supervisors approved the disbursement of $408,200 to the Palos Verdes Peninsula Transit Authority to continue public transit services for the Fiscal Year 2007-2008, Supervisor Don Knabe announced today.

The funds for the disbursement come from the Fourth Supervisorial District’s allocation of Proposition A Local Return Transit Program funds.

"This shuttle service on the Palos Verdes Peninsula has been very successful throughout the years, said Supervisor Knabe. The allocation of these funds will aid many students and seniors on the Peninsula who need an effective way of getting around."

The shuttle will continue to operate Monday through Friday from 6:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. The fare is $2 per person, per one-way trip. A $560 annual pass, a $80 monthly pass and a $280 semester student pass are also available.

Knabe Expresses Disappointment in the Conclusion of LAX Runway Studies

Los Angeles County Supervisor Don Knabe today announced his disappointment in the conclusions reached by studies commissioned by Los Angeles World Airports (LAWA) that called for moving the northernmost runway at LAX at least 340 feet north into the communities of Westchester and Playa del Rey.

"While I expressed cautious optimism at the settlement agreement we reached with the City of Los Angeles over its previous expansion plans, the move to push the north runway 340 feet further north at the expense of the Westchester and Playa del Rey communities puts that agreement in jeopardy and puts us back at square one."

Supervisor Knabe noted that each report came to the same conclusion with little, if any, discussion of available alternatives.

"Without discussion of a range of alternatives, the sole purpose of these reports appears to be an attempt to justify the expansion of flight operations for larger aircraft to land on the north runways rather than addressing a current safety issue, especially since the reports show that over 80% of incursion hazards have occurred on the south runways. Moreover, the studies show that current runway safety controls on the northside sufficiently mitigate existing risks."

As a result, Supervisor Knabe called for further consideration of all alternatives and a review of the reports by incoming LAWA Executive Director Gina Marie Lindsey.

"I continue to be strongly opposed to the movement of the north runways unless it can be shown to fix a proven safety hazard. Movement of the north runways by 340 feet would do irreparable harm to the communities of Westchester and Playa del Rey which I cannot support and which goes against the spirit of the settlement agreement. LAWA can and must find better alternatives that we all can live with."

More Information

www.laxmasterplan.org

LAX North Airfield Proposed Runway Configurations – Safety Risk Assessment
Analysis of LAX North Airfield Alternative
North Airfield Assessment
LAX Modernization – Tomorrow Is Now LAX North Airfield Special Peer Review

Irrigation Overhaul Planned at Los Verdes Golf Course

More than $2.6 million will be invested in renovating the irrigation system at the County’s Los Verdes Golf Course on the Palos Verdes Peninsula, Supervisor Don Knabe announced this week.

The existing irrigation system is more than 30 years old and has exhausted its useful life. The new system will include a weather station and computer system to fully automate irrigation of the golf course. In addition to gauging water needs, the new system will also be capable of injecting fertilizer into the turf. The funding will provide for a more efficient system that will be able to determine the optimal times for irrigation to be conducted.

The project budget is $2,627,000, which will be funded with $2.1 million in State Proposition 40 funds, $327,000 from the Los Verdes Golf Course Capital Improvement Project Fund, and $200,000 in net costs to the County.

"Los Verdes is a wonderful asset to affordable public golf in our region, said Supervisor Knabe. "This new irrigation system will help update and maintain the stunning grounds for golfers."

Los Verdes Golf Course will remain open during construction as there is no anticipated impact on play or anticipated closure of any part of the golf course.