Supervisor Don Knabe, Chair of the Children’s Council of Los Angeles County, announced the findings of the 2008 Children’s ScoreCard at a press conference recently on the 8th floor of the Hall of Administration.

The data in the 2008 ScoreCard – which reviews information from 2006 as a baseline for assessing more current data – highlights the condition of children and families in a number of areas. While it shares institutional data on children involved in foster care, welfare and juvenile justice, it also attempts to shed light on overall health and educational trends. Generally, the findings indicate positive outcomes in the areas of early care and education, particularly for children ages 0-5. There are positive indicators relating to prenatal care, birth weight and immunization, and less children born to teen mothers. An increased number of children across the County attended story time at public libraries and have health insurance.

Outcomes for children in middle school and high school are less encouraging. While the number of youth homicide victims continues to diminish, there are still an increasing number of misdemeanor and felony offenses. High school graduation rates dropped slightly, and child obesity for children in middle school has gone up slightly.

"Our investments in children aged 0-5 appear to be paying off," said Supervisor Knabe. "I am confident that we will see those trends continue. However, it is clear that we have work to do with our older children. The trends the ScoreCard points out truly underscore our need to focus on children in those critical years, particularly those at highest risk. I am also concerned about the trends pointing to increasing amounts of homeless families and decreased access to child care."

Supervisor Knabe discussed how the faltering economy and the state budget crisis will have an additional adverse impact on families and the systems in place that serve them. Other speakers included, Dr. Sharon Watson, Executive Director of the Children’s Council of Los Angeles County, Dr. Jacquelyn McCroskey of the USC School of Social Work, and Armando Jimenez of First 5 Los Angeles.

The Children’s Council brings together the leaders of county government, cities, schools and the various communities of Los Angeles County to improve outcomes for children and families. Throughout its 17 years, the Council has successfully underscored the importance of using data to drive the planning needed to make conditions better for children. The biannual ScoreCard is one of the most important tools in this effort. It captures data that assesses the overall condition of the County’s 2.8 million children and youth for use in guiding, planning and tracking the impact of services.

To view the full 2008 Children’s ScoreCard visit the Children’s Council website at http://thechildrenscouncil.net

Veterans and active-duty military not in uniform can now render the military-style hand salute during the playing of the national anthem, thanks to changes in federal law that took effect recently.

The military salute is a unique gesture of respect that marks those who have served in our nation’s armed forces, said Secretary of Veterans Affairs Dr. James B. Peake. This provision allows the application of that honor in all events involving our nation’s flag.

The new provision improves upon a little known change in federal law last year that authorized veterans to render the military-style hand salute during the raising, lowering or passing of the flag, but it did not address salutes during the national anthem. Last year’s provision also applied to members of the armed forces while not in uniform.

Traditionally, members of the nation’s veterans service organizations have rendered the hand-salute during the national anthem and at events involving the national flag while wearing their organization’s official head-gear.

The most recent change, authorizing hand-salutes during the national anthem by veterans and out-of-uniform military personnel, was sponsored by Sen. Jim Inhofe of Oklahoma, an Army veteran. It was included in the Defense Authorization Act of 2009, which President Bush signed on October 14, 2008.

The earlier provision authorizing hand-salutes for veterans and out-of-uniform military personnel during the raising, lowering or passing of the flag was contained in the National Defense Authorization Act of 2008, which took effect January 28, 2008.

In honor of her decades of community service and upcoming retirement, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors unanimously approved renaming Admiralty Park in Marina del Rey as Yvonne B. Burke Park.

The name change, proposed by Supervisor Don Knabe, honors Supervisor Burke’s 16 years of service representing the Second District. In his proposal, Supervisor Knabe also cited Supervisor Burke’s many firsts, including becoming the first African-American elected to the Board, and devoting her entire professional life to public service, whether as an elected official, an attorney, or as an official of the U.S. Olympics Organizing Committee.

Today’s motion is actually the second proposal to name Admiralty Park after Supervisor Burke. During her original appointment to the Board of Supervisors in 1979, representing the Fourth District, she was instrumental in advancing the development of a park running along Admiralty Way in Marina del Rey. With park construction completed just after she left office the first time, the Board of Supervisors approved naming it the Yvonne Brathwaite Burke Park.

However, soon after, a recommendation was made to honor her service by renaming of the Health Services’ West District office to the Yvonne Brathwaite Burke Health Center. Determining that this was a more fitting tribute to Supervisor Burke due to her interest and work in the health field, the Board of Supervisors adopted this subsequent recommendation and rescinded its earlier order, instead naming the Marina del Rey Park as Admiralty Park.

Supervisor Burke has a deep personal attachment and commitment to Marina del Rey dating back nearly 30 years, said Supervisor Knabe. I am proud to honor my colleague and my friend by finally and permanently renaming this park with the name it should rightfully have.

A photo gallery featuring dramatic scenic shots of Los Angeles County is officially open at the Kenneth Hahn Hall of Administration. The exhibit was formally unveiled recently at a brief ceremony conducted by Supervisor Don Knabe.

The photos by local photographer Stephen Coleman are in the hallway of the Third Floor of the county government headquarters, located at 500 West Temple Street in downtown Los Angeles. The gallery, which is the first of its kind at the Hall of Administration, is planned to be a permanent exhibit of local works highlighting the County. Coleman has agreed to loan 22 photos to the County for a year. The photos include ocean, desert, mountain and city scenes.

The gallery was created at the suggestion of Supervisor Knabe, who met Coleman as a television news cameraman and was impressed with his photographs. Stephen’s work is stunning and captures the beauty and diversity of our great county. The composition, colors, and angles of the photos are just incredible, said Supervisor Knabe.

Coleman said his love of photography began in high school when a teacher loaned him a camera. I fell in love with the joy of experiencing the world and capturing the world’s beauty and essence through the art of photography.

Los Angeles County Supervisor Don Knabe released the following statement tonight on the newest member of the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors who will be representing the Second District:

I would like to personally congratulate Supervisor-Elect Mark Ridley-Thomas on his election victory. I look forward to working with him closely in the years ahead. Mark has a long record of working to bring people in communities together to improve services, and I am confident he will bring these strengths to the Board of Supervisors.

I also want to congratulate Councilman Bernard Parks on running an excellent campaign. He is a friend and colleague, who I’ve had the privilege of working with the last several years on the Coliseum Commission and the MTA. I look forward to our continued working relationship on both agencies. With the death of Councilman Parks’ father last month, this has been a difficult time for the Parks family and I continue to have them in my thoughts and prayers.

This is also a bittersweet moment, in that we are saying goodbye to a long-time friend and colleague, Supervisor Yvonne Burke. Her retirement is an enormous loss for the Board of Supervisors and the County of Los Angeles, but we will continue to draw inspiration from her service and her example.

– Supervisor Don Knabe

County of Los Angeles, Fourth District

As fake check scams proliferate and get more sophisticated in nature, more and more unsuspecting consumers are losing thousands of dollars to this financially harmful scam. A current scam targeting seniors across Southern California uses fake checks that appear to be from the County of Los Angeles to lure victims into wiring money to thieves in Canada.

One vigilant consumer asked the Los Angeles County Department of the Auditor-Controller to verify the legitimacy of a County check he received. Auditor-Controller staff determined that the check was counterfeit. Further investigation discovered the existence of an elaborate fake check scam.

Here is how the scam works. The victim, usually a senior citizen, receives an official-looking final notice claiming to be from Canada Customs and Revenue Agency. The notice tells the victim that he won a lottery prize, and urges him to call immediately to claim his winnings. When the victim calls, the official tells him that he has to pay a customs fee. To reassure the victim, the thief offers to mail him a check, and asks him to deposit the check in his bank account and wire the funds back to claim his prize.

The victim then receives a check that looks like it was issued by the County of Los Angeles. Convinced this is the real thing, the victim deposits the check and wires the money via MoneyGram to British Columbia, Canada. Days later, the victim’s bank tells him that the check bounced and he needs to pay the money. The victim, of course, never gets the prize.

Los Angeles County officials say that fake check scams are on the rise. Recent surveys show that fake check scams rank on the top five consumer scams, said Pastor Herrera, Jr., Director of the County of Los Angeles Department of Consumer Affairs. Consumers must protect themselves against these scams because once they wire money to thieves it is virtually impossible to get it back.

Tips for consumers to spot and avoid fake check scams:

– Never wire money to strangers. There is no reason for someone to pay you by check and ask you to wire back some of the money.

– Fake checks look real. Even some bank tellers are fooled by some fake checks. However, just because the bank accepts the fake check and releases the funds, it doesn’t mean the check is good. It can take weeks for the bank to find out and tell you that the check is bad.

– You are responsible for fake checks you deposit. When a fake check bounces, the bank will deduct money from your account or even sue you to recover the funds. If you deposit a check you know is fake, you can be prosecuted.

– It is very hard to get your money back. Thieves often live in other countries out of the reach of U.S. authorities. Your best protection is not to send them money no matter what they promise you.

– If it sounds too good to be true, it is. Don’t believe promises that you won a lottery or drawing you never entered.

Victims and people who need information on fake check scams can call the Department of Consumer Affairs at (800) 593-8222 or visit their website at http://dca.lacounty.gov

Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk Dean Logan launched a new online feature recently that allows Los Angeles County voters to verify their voter registration status.

Individuals may now log on to www.lavote.net and click on the Voter Registration Status button in the Announcements section of the home page. The next window asks for the person’s last name, birth date, house number and zip code. The system then searches the RR/CC voter registration database and notifies the individual whether or not they are currently registered. If registered, the voter is provided links to find their polling location, download an electronic copy of their sample ballot, complete an online request for a vote by mail ballot or check the status of an existing ballot request.

This exciting new web service allows voters to enter a few key pieces of information, click and view their registration status, Logan said. We think this is a valuable tool, not only for the upcoming Presidential General Election but for all future elections.

Logan noted that voters who recently registered should check the site periodically as new registrations are being entered every day. He said On average, we are collecting and entering nearly 20,000 registrations daily and this will continue until after the close of registration next week. Although there is a slight lag time from when the RR/CC receives a form and when it appears online, the voter registration database is refreshed every day, adding all registration information input from the day before.

Los Angeles County voter registration totals hit record highs recently and follow national trends that show scores of younger voters signing up, many for the first time. A recent analysis of voter registrations in Los Angeles County showed that of the 346,000 new registrants, some 50 percent were between the ages of 18 and 29.

The new online registration status function is expected to ease the sharp increase in phone calls and e-mails the RR/CC is receiving daily. A majority of callers are individuals checking their registration status and calls have more than doubled from any previous General Election. Despite the heavy volume, Logan reassured new registrants that all valid registration applications would be entered in time for the November election. Our staff is working round the clock, seven days a week to enter registrations and to answer voting inquiries. Our mission is to assure all voters receive efficient and accurate service and we will be ready to do so on November 4.

The registration lookup function is one of many new services added to the RR/CC web site this year. Voters can also check their polling place location, their vote by mail application and ballot status, or they can apply for a vote by mail ballot.

The California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) announced several extended weekend closures beginning Saturday, October 25 on the Long Beach Freeway (Interstate 710) from the Artesia Freeway (State Route 91) to the Glenn Anderson Freeway (I-105). The work is part of the Long Life Pavement Rehabilitation Project from the San Diego Freeway (I-405) to Firestone Boulevard.

The work involves rehabilitating aging pavement and providing the roadway with several decades of service life, improved pavement performance and a smoother ride for the traveling public. Roadway widening will occur where possible to provide standard lanes and shoulders, widening the Compton Creek Bridge and Atlantic Avenue undercrossings, and overlaying nine miles of the existing pavement with 10″ inches of Long Life Asphalt Concrete.

A series of up to seven extended weekend closures from Saturday overnight to Monday morning are planned through the end of 2008. The first two closures are scheduled as follows:

Full freeway closure on northbound and southbound I-710 from the Artesia Freeway (SR-91) to the Glenn Anderson Freeway (I-105):

– Saturday, October 25, 12:01 a.m. to 7 a.m.

– Sunday, October 26, 11:00 p.m. to Monday, October 27, 5:00 a.m.

– Saturday, November 1, 12:01 a.m. to 7:00 a.m.

– Sunday, November 2, 11:00 p.m. to Monday, November 3, 5:00 a.m.

– All SR-91 and I-105 connectors to southbound I-710 will be closed.

Beginning Saturday 7:00 a.m. until Sunday 11:00 p.m., a reduced number of lanes will be available to motorists: two lanes for northbound traffic and three lanes for southbound traffic. Speeds will be reduced to 45 mph. Oversized loads are not permitted during these times due to narrower lane widths. Motorists can expect delays. To decrease delay time, motorists are advised to use alternate routes around the project area. Signed detours will be available. All closures are weather permitting, as paving requires temperatures above 50 degrees and dry conditions.

Department of Health Services with Los Angeles Unified School District and Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America

DHS System-Wide Pharmaceutical Management

Department of Health Services

Information Technology Shared Services (ITSS)

Internal Services Department with Chief Information Office

Language & Culture Resource Center/Video Medical Interpretation Project

Department of Health Services – Rancho Los Amigos National Rehabilitation Center

Lease Transfer Fee: An Innovative Partnership

Department of Beaches and Harbors

Multidisciplinary Assessment Team (MAT)

Department of Children and Family Services with Department of Mental Health

Patient Visit Redesign in Ambulatory Care Clinic

Department of Health Services – Rancho Los Amigos National Rehabilitation Center

Pico Rivera Station Vandalism Enforcement Team

Board of Supervisors First District, with Sheriff’s Department, County Counsel, Office of the District Attorney, Probation Department, Department of Public Works, and City of Pico Rivera

Wireless Traffic Management – It’s the Real Thing

Department of Public Works

Women’s Reintegration Services

Sheriff’s Department with Department of Mental Health, Department of Public Social Services, Department of Children and Family Services, and Child Support Services Department

With only a few days remaining before the close of voter registration for the November 4th Presidential General Election, Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk (RR/CC) Dean Logan reported that voter registrations reached an all time high this week, breaking the record set in 2002 when registration rolls exceeded four million registered voters for the first time in Los Angeles County history.

We reached a milestone this week with 4,149,229 registrants on file and that number will continue to increase before the October 20th close of registration. Los Angeles County has the highest number of registered voters in any county elections jurisdiction in the country. These numbers signal an historical interest in the 2008 Presidential Election, said Logan.

The previous record was set during the 2002 Gubernatorial Primary when registrations totaled 4,142,514. Registration statistics for the 2004 Presidential Election showed 3,901,106 registered voters in the County and participation in that election reached 79.10 percent.

Los Angeles County Voter Profile

As of today, 51 percent of all voters in Los Angeles County are registered as Democrats, 25 percent are registered as Republicans, and 20 percent registered with the option to decline to state a party preference. The percentage of registered Democrats has remained consistent since the 2004 Presidential Primary, while the percentage of Republican registrants has decreased by two percent and the percentage of voters choosing to decline to state a party choice has increased by three percent in the past four years.

Daily voter registration activity since June 7th, the opening of registration after the June 6th Statewide Direct Primary, shows that registrations for the November election have outpaced those of every election since 1950, when records were first kept. Current average daily registrations are over three times what they were during the 2002 election, when the previous record high was established.

New Voter Profile

50 percent of voters who have registered since June of this year are between the ages of 18 and 25; 30 percent are between the ages of 30 and 49; and 14 percent are between the ages of 50 and 64. 54 percent of all new voters are female, while 46 percent are male.

56.8 percent of all newly registered voters have registered with the Democratic Party, 15.2 with the Republican Party and 27.9 percent have declined to state a party preference. These percentages follow closely with the youngest age cohort of new registrants. Of those newly registered voters between the ages of 18 and 29, 56 percent registered with the Democratic Party while 14.5 percent registered with the Republican Party and 29 percent declined to state a party preference.

Los Angeles County is the largest election jurisdiction in the United States and has more registered voters than 30 states. It has 4,394 voting precincts and employs over 25,000 poll workers in each countywide election. The RR/CC has conducted ten elections since 2007 including the February 2008 Presidential Primary, the June 2008 Statewide Direct Primary, a uniform district election and several local special elections.

With the phenomenal interest in the election, Logan predicted, voters may experience longer lines or wait times at polling places than in past elections. Where possible, voters are encouraged to vote at mid-day when lines are likely to be shorter. Additionally Logan cautions that election night results reporting could be slow due to the unprecedented number of ballots. We want to emphasize accuracy and efficiency over expediency and we will work as long as it takes to properly gather and tally all the votes cast, he said.