The Marina del Rey Water Bus returns this summer! Providing riders with transport to seven different locations around the Marina, the Water Bus is an efficient way to travel. Click through to watch an exclusive video preview of the Water Bus.

In an effort to support the U.S. Men’s National Team in the 2010 FIFA World Cup and the USA Bid Committee for 2018 and 2022, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors passed a motion by Supervisor Don Knabe to proclaim June 11th, 2010 as National USA Bid and FIFA World Cup Day.

In the spirit of FIFA’s goal of bringing together people of all nations under one banner of peace, friendship and spirited but fair competition on the stage of the world’s most popular sport and athletic event, said Knabe. The County of Los Angeles joins in support of the Men’s National Team and USA Bid Committee in helping return the FIFA World Cup to the United States for a new generation of Americans and their guests.

Residents can increase the United States’ chance of being named host of the FIFA World Cup in 2018 or 2022 by adding their name to the online petition on GOUSABID.com.

I urge all County residents to add his or her name to the online petition to bring the FIFA World Cup to the United in 2018 or 2022, added Knabe.

The 2010 FIFA World Cup kicks off June 11th, with the USA Men’s National Team playing their first match on June 12th.

The Los Angeles County Department of Animal Care and Control would like to remind the public of its extended shelter hours. The County’s shelters are now open on Sundays, between the hours of 10:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. The shelters will also be open on Easter Sunday, April 4, 2010 to accommodate families looking for a new pet.

The Department is using every opportunity to increase pet adoptions. Opening on Sundays gives us an additional opportunity to showcase the many wonderful animals at our shelters, said Director, Marcia Mayeda.

The six Los Angeles County animal shelters are open seven days a week, Monday through Thursday, 12:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. and Friday through Sunday, 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. The addresses of the shelters are as follows:

Downey Animal Shelter – 11258 South Garfield Avenue, Downey 90242

Carson Animal Shelter – 216 West Victoria Street, Gardena 90248

Baldwin Park Animal Shelter – 4275 North Elton Street, Baldwin Park 91706

Lancaster Animal Shelter – 5210 West Avenue I, Lancaster 93536

Castaic Animal Shelter – 31044 North Charlie Canyon Road, Castaic 91384

Agoura Animal Shelter – 29525 Agoura Road, Agoura Hills 91301

The Department’s Pet Stop Adoption Center in Lancaster is open

Tuesday through Saturday, 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and on Sunday (including Easter), 12:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.

Antelope Valley Pet Stop* – 42116 4th Street East, Lancaster 93535

*Please note that this facility only houses dogs immediately available for adoption and is not a shelter.

Each location has a wonderful selection of animals just waiting for a new home. Be sure to visit one of our locations this Easter. For more information, visit our website, http://animalcare.lacounty.gov or stop by your local animal shelter.

To celebrate the Department’s new extended public hours, the Los Angeles County Department of Animal Care and Control will host seven simultaneous adoption events on Sunday, March 7, 2010. This day marks the first Sunday that the Department will be open to the public. Each of the six shelters is now open seven days a week, Monday-Thursday, 12:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m., and Friday-Sunday, 10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.

The Department wants to ensure it is using every opportunity to increase pet adoptions. Opening on Sundays gives us an additional opportunity to showcase the many wonderful animals at our shelters, said Director, Marcia Mayeda.

For the March 7th kick-off event, the Found Animals Foundation (www.foundanimals.org) will generously donate $10 towards every adoption. This will reduce the adoption fee for individuals who adopt on this day only.

Be sure to visit one of the seven locations on Sunday, March 7, 2010. Shelter locations will be open 10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. The Antelope Valley Pet Stop is open between 12:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. The adoption event will be held at the following locations:

Downey Animal Shelter – 11258 South Garfield Avenue, Downey 90242

Carson Animal Shelter – 216 West Victoria Street, Gardena 90248

Baldwin Park Animal Shelter – 4275 North Elton Street, Baldwin Park 91706

Lancaster Animal Shelter – 5210 West Avenue I, Lancaster 93536

Castaic Animal Shelter – 31044 North Charlie Canyon Road, Castaic 91384

Agoura Animal Shelter – 29525 Agoura Road, Agoura Hills 91301

Antelope Valley Pet Stop* – 42116 4th Street East, Lancaster 93535

*This facility only houses dogs immediately available for adoption and is not a shelter.

Each location has a wonderful selection of animals just waiting for a new home. For more information, visit our website,
http://animalcare.lacounty.gov or stop by your local animal shelter.

The Southern California Home Financing Authority (SCHFA), a joint powers authority between Los Angeles and Orange Counties, recently issued mortgage revenue bonds for the purpose of assisting low- and moderate-income first-time homebuyers in obtaining below-market rate first-mortgage loans. SCHFA issued $25 million in bonds to fund its First Home Program, and it is anticipated that 80-100 loans will be originated under this bond issuance.

The Program offers qualified first-time homebuyers one of two options: (1) a 4.70% interest rate without a grant for down payment and closing assistance; or (2) a 5.125% interest rate with a grant for down payment and closing cost assistance equal to 3% of the first loan amount. The Program will also be used to purchase foreclosed properties in conjunction with the Community Development Commission’s Neighborhood Stabilization Program (NSP) and Housing Economic Recovery Ownership Program (HERO). Qualified veterans (even those who are not first-time homebuyers) may also use either of the two program options described above.

The First Home Program offers the opportunity for homeowners with an adjustable rate loan made between 2002 through 2007, to refinance their existing loan with a 30-year fixed-rate loan at 4.70%. Other restrictions apply.

The First Home Program provides valuable assistance through grants and loans to families who might otherwise be unable to afford a home, said Sean Rogan, Executive Director of the Community Development Commission. To date, working with participating private lenders, SCHFA has helped over 5,000 families in Los Angeles County purchase a home through its homebuyer programs, he added.

Under the Program, the maximum annual family income cannot exceed $84,480 in Los Angeles County, and $103,320 in Orange County. The maximum home price is $708,495 for a new or existing home in both counties. These limits are subject to change under federal guidelines. Eligible homebuyers cannot have owned a home in the last three years, except in specified target areas.

Additional information about the program and a list of participating lenders can be obtained by
clicking here or by calling the Information Line at (323) 890-7249.

The Music Center of Los Angeles County, a national leader in arts education, announced the fourteen teachers and six schools named as finalists for the 28th Annual BRAVO Awards, including three teachers from the Fourth District. The BRAVO Awards honor teachers and schools for exemplary arts education, and are an integral part of the Music Center’s leadership in supporting quality arts education for all students.

BRAVO Awards nominations were made by principals, faculty committees, superintendents, and parents. Finalists were chosen from 38 candidates who participated in an extensive review process including site visits and feedback by the judging committee.

Awards are given in four categories: Generalist Teacher, Arts Specialist Teacher, School Recognition and School Program, and are accompanied by a cash prize. The teacher awards are made possible, in part, by generous gifts from Club 100 members Lanie Bernhard, Marilyn Prewoznik, and Elinor Turner.

All candidates will be recognized and honored on Wednesday, March 3, 2010 in the Grand Hall of the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion. Recipients will receive a cash award to be used to supplement their arts programs.

The Music Center Bravo Awards program was established in 1982 to recognize teachers and schools for innovation and excellence in arts education. It honors educators who use the arts to revitalize teaching, enhance student achievement and foster self-esteem, teamwork and cross-cultural communication and understanding.

Fourth District 2010 BRAVO Award Finalists

Arts Specialist Teacher

Janna Lindenberg – Diamond Bar High School, Walnut Valley Unified School District

Lisa Ruiz – Fairgrove Academy, Hacienda La Puente Unified School District

Generalist Teacher

Dennis McGonagle – Longfellow Elementary School, Whittier City School District

Bicycle riders are invited to participate in a new countywide Bicycle Master Plan currently being developed by the Los Angeles County Public Works Department. The plan seeks to expand and connect the County network of bikeways, improve existing County-maintained bicycle facilities, develop and adopt a prioritized list of proposed new bikeway and bicycle projects, and encourage additional bikeway usage.

As part of the effort, the Public Works Department is hosting a series of community workshops to explain the Bicycle Master Plan and gather input and comments from current and potential bikeway users.

The first series of workshops will begin on February 22 and end on March 25. Meetings will be held in Los Angeles, Castaic, Baldwin Park, Topanga, Long Beach, Calabasas, Marina Del Rey and Lancaster. Follow-up workshops will be held later this year.

Visit www.lacountybikeplan.org for more information on the Bicycle Master Plan. For questions, contact County Bikeway Coordinator, Abu Yusuf, at (626) 458-3940 or ayusuf@dpw.lacounty.gov

Los Angeles County Assessor Rick Auerbach reminded homeowners to be on the lookout for scam mailers from private companies offering to file assessment reduction claims for a hefty fee. Decline-in-value reviews are done for free by the Assessor’s Department and they are usually without any request or appeal from the owner.

"As the tax collector mails out bills this month," Auerbach noted, "so, too, are private companies sending out their official-looking offers to implement a review procedure for fees of $150 or more. This pays the company to file a simple one-page form available at no cost on our website at http://assessor.lacounty.gov or by calling any of our offices. The website also provides information about decline-in-value reviews.

"Many property owners assume these letters come from the county," he added, "because the firms use names resembling government agencies and include parcel identification numbers. The envelopes look official and only in small fine print do the letters sometimes mention they are not from my department."

Because of real estate market conditions, Auerbach added, his department undertook a proactive decline-in-value survey this year, which resulted in lower assessments and tax savings on 334,000 homes and condominiums.

"These are legal, but sophisticated scams, often using inaccurate data to ‘estimate’ potential tax savings," Auerbach stated. "Some even violate laws requiring disclaimers that the letters are not from government agencies and the requested payment is not an official fee."

The Board of Supervisors adjourned Tuesday in memory of Stanley Wisniewski, former director of the Los Angeles County Department of Beaches and Harbors, who died October 15 in a single-vehicle accident at the age of 59 near his home in Paso Robles.

Wisniewski, who retired in March 2008 after working for more than 40 years with the County, was driving on State Route 41 in San Luis Obispo County when his vehicle crossed the road, going up an embankment. Investigators believe he over-corrected, driving back across and off the road, down a steep hillside and into a deep gully.

Supervisors, in comments at Tuesday’s Board meeting, praised Wisniewski for his leadership, honesty, integrity and cheerful personality. Board Chairman Don Knabe said Wisniewski’s death was a tragedy, and Supervisors Michael D. Antonovich and Zev Yaroslavsky called him a good man. We loved him, said Supervisor Gloria Molina.

Wisniewski worked his entire career for the County of Los Angeles, other than for one summer when he was 16. He began working as a recurrent beach parking attendant while a student at North Torrance High School in 1967, and continued while attending USC. After graduating, he went to work for the Auditor-Controller’s Office and then transferred to the Department of Small Craft Harbors in 1975, which ultimately was merged with the Department of Beaches to become the Department of Beaches and Harbors.

Wisniewski was named director of the Department of Beaches and Harbors in 1993 and was instrumental in overseeing the commencement of second-generation development of Marina del Rey.

As a professional, Stan was grounded in his belief to always do the right thing for the benefit of the public he served, said Santos H. Kreimann, current director of the Beaches and Harbors Department. He was a man of strong conviction, and one of the most determined and dedicated public servants I’ve ever known.

Wisniewski is survived by his two children, Dana and Weston. Memorial services are pending.