Issues

New Storm Drain Planned for City of Industry and Hacienda Heights

Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors Chair Don Knabe has announced plans to contract for construction of reinforced concrete box and pipe storm drains and related structures in the vicinity of Industry and Hacienda Heights. The contract will also provide for the reconstruction of asphalt concrete pavement, curb, gutter, sidewalk, and driveways as needed as a result of the storm drain construction.

Work will take place on Clark Avenue, from Ridley Avenue to Ninth Avenue; Ninth Avenue, from San Jose Creek to Gale Avenue; Gale Avenue from Finegrove Avenue to Ninth Avenue; Palm Avenue from Finegrove Avenue to Ninth Avenue; Ridley Avenue from Palm Avenue to Wedgeworth Drive and from Los Robles Avenue to Lujon Street; Los Robles Avenue from Ridley Avenue to Ninth Avenue; Lujon Street from Darley Avenue to Ridley Avenue; and Valencia Avenue from Clark Avenue to Folger Street. This project is part of the County’s program for the construction, repair, and rehabilitation of its extensive flood control system and will provide flood protection to the local area.

The County Department of Public Works will open bids May 18 on a contract to perform the work. Public Works expects the work to start in August and take 180 working days to complete, ending in May 2005. Once work begins, Gale Avenue may be reduced to two traffic lanes, one lane for each direction, during daylight working hours.

Traffic Signals To Be Installed In Industry and Whittier

Chairman of the County of Los Angeles Board of Supervisors Don Knabe announced plans to contract for the installation of traffic signals at the intersection of Leffingwell Road and Santa Gertrudes Avenue, et al., in the vicinities of Industry and Whittier. Improvements will also include modification of traffic signals and construction of curb ramps. This project is part of Public Works’ ongoing highway construction and maintenance program to provide for improved traffic flow and safety for drivers and pedestrians.

The County Department of Public Works will open bids May 18 on a contract to perform the work.

Work is expected to take 25 working days, with an estimated start in June and completion in July. During construction, Leffingwell Road, Santa Gertrudes Avenue, Lambert Road, and First Avenue may be reduced by one lane in each direction with the left-turn lane closed when in conflict with construction. Seventh Avenue may be reduced to two traffic lanes, one lane for each direction, and a left-turn lane where existing. Clark Avenue will maintain at least two traffic lanes, one lane for each direction, and a left-turn lane where existing during construction. Local access will be maintained at all times.

Streets To Be Slurry Sealed In Whittier

Chairman of the County of Los Angeles Board of Supervisors Don Knabe announced plans to slurry seal various County streets in the vicinity of Whittier. Slurry seal is a mixture of asphalt and sand applied to existing pavement to seal minor cracks and extend the life of the roadway. This project is part of Public Works’ ongoing construction and maintenance program to improve highway facilities for the traveling public.

The County Department of Public Works will open bids May 11 on a contract to perform the work.

Work is expected to take 50 working days, with an estimated start in August and completion in October. Once work begins, project streets with four traffic lanes may be reduced to two traffic lanes, one lane for each direction and a left-turn lane where existing, during daylight working hours. All other project streets may be reduced to one traffic lane for both directions, controlled by flaggers, during daylight working hours. Local access will be maintained at all times.

Street Improvements Planned For Whittier

Chairman of the County of Los Angeles Board of Supervisors Don Knabe announced plans to contract for improvements to Scott Avenue, between Mulberry Drive and Leffingwell Road, in the vicinity of Whittier. Improvements will include reconstruction of roadway pavement, curb, gutter, sidewalk, driveways, and cross gutters; construction of curb ramps and masonry retaining walls; root pruning and planting of parkway trees; and modification of traffic signals. This project is part of Public Works’ ongoing construction and maintenance program to improve highway facilities for the traveling public.

The County Department of Public Works will open bids May 11 on a contract to perform the work.

Work is expected to take 75 working days, with an estimated start in August and completion in November. Once work begins, the left-turn lane on Leffingwell Road that allows traffic to turn on to Scott Avenue may be closed. Scott Avenue and all other project streets at their intersection with Scott Avenue may be closed to through traffic during daylight working hours. Local access will be maintained at all times.

Knabe Opens Long Beach Multicultural Health Education Center

Supervisor Don Knabe was on-hand to help open the City of Long Beach Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) new Miller Family Health Education Center (FHEC) located at 3820 Cherry Avenue in Long Beach. The building’s completion marks the culmination of a six-year, public-private partnership.

The City of Long Beach has taken a leadership role in creating a health education center that is important to local residents because it is focused on our diverse population, said Knabe who represents Long Beach. Much of what we do in public health deals with education and prevention.

The most unique feature of the FHEC is the Multicultural Pavilion, a conference training facility with simultaneous language interpretation technology to deliver program content to audiences in three languages simultaneously.

The 2000 Census identified the City of Long Beach as one of the most ethnically diverse large cities in America. The census also pointed out that over forty percent of Long Beach households do not speak English at home. The Miller Family Health Education Center is an innovative approach towards reaching the entire community in a culturally and linguistically appropriate fashion.

The FHEC will reach diverse community members dealing with chronic diseases like diabetes, a condition over-represented in African-American and Latino populations. Presentations on managing medications can be presented in Spanish and English at the same time. The facility will also accommodate childcare services for families attending health education workshops and meetings. Some of the outreach and education programs, which were brought together to operate out of the FHEC, will focus on Latino Diabetes management, Child Health Disability Prevention, Tobacco Education and HIV/AIDS prevention, among others. The state-of-the-art center is dedicated to community and provider health education, leadership development, and collaborating with community residents as well as health and human and social services providers in the greater Long Beach area.

Partnering organizations that provided capital and programmatic support include Kaiser Permanente, which donated the building, the Earl B. and Lorraine H. Miller Family Foundation, The California Endowment, the Boeing Company and the Center for Natural Lands Management. Additional local and regional organizations and foundations such as the Bixby Land Company, the Port of Long Beach, Molina Healthcare, the John H. Hancock Family Foundation and the City of Long Beach Board of Health and Human Services have joined the FHEC Circle of Giving in support of the center.

County Plans To Install Solar-Powered Bus Stops

Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors Chair Don Knabe has announced Board approval of a $1.3 million contract with LNI Custom Manufacturing, Inc., of Hawthorne, for the installation of solar-powered bus stop shelters at various bus stops around the County, including in the vicinity of Whittier.

Work will include the installation of non-advertising solar-powered bus stop shelters and solar light poles and related work. This is part of the County’s ongoing program for the construction and maintenance of transit facilities, and will improve the bus stops while reducing reliance on purchased electricity.

The County Department of Public Works received six bids on the project. The highest bid was $2.3 million. Grants from Caltrans and the MTA as well as Proposition A Local Return Transit Funds will finance the project cost.

Public Works expects the project to be completed in 60 working days, with an estimated start this month June and completion in July.

Prop 13 Grant to Fund Water Quality Improvement Project at Marina Beach

A $1.75 million Coastal Nonpoint Source Program Grant from the Proposition 13 Clean Beaches Initiative has been authorized for the Marina Beach Water Quality Improvement Project. Grant funding follows completion of Phase I of an intensive study aimed at addressing chronic bacterial contamination at Marina del Rey’s only beach.

It has always been our goal to provide consistently good water quality at Marina Beach, said Supervisor Don Knabe in announcing the grant. This funding will make possible an environmentally sound solution to the problems at one of our most popular beaches for young families.

Phase II is a two-part project: Part 1 that involves redirecting of local storm water run off from the waters of Marina Beach and Part 2 that involves the installation of two water circulators, or submersible banana-bladed pumps, within the Beach waters to reduce high concentrations of pollutants. The $1.75 million grant would fund Phase II.

A resolution approving Phase II of the Marina Beach Water Quality Improvement Project and accepting the grant funding was passed by the Board of Supervisors at its meeting held Tuesday, February 24.