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Calendar of Events Thurs., July 2, 2009 Thurs., July 2, 2009 Thurs., July 2, 2009 thru Fri., July 3, 2009 Sat., July 4, 2009 Sun., July 5, 2009 Sun., July 5, 2009 Mon., July 6, 2009 Mon., July 6, 2009 Wed., July 8, 2009 Wed., July 8, 2009 Thurs., July 9, 2009 Fri., July 10, 2009 thru Sat., July 11, 2009 Sat., July 11, 2009 Mon., July 13, 2009 Wed., July 15, 2009 Fri., July 17, 2009 thru Sat., July 18, 2009 Sat., July 18, 2009 Wed., July 22, 2009 Thurs., July 23, 2009 Fri., July 24, 2009 Sat., July 25, 2009 Tues., July 28, 2009 Thurs., July 30, 2009 Fri., July 31, 2009 thru Sat., Aug. 1, 2009 Sat., Aug. 1, 2009 Sat., Aug. 1, 2009 Fri., Aug. 2, 2009 thru Tues., Aug. 11, 2009 Sat., Aug. 15, 2009 Sun., Aug. 16, 2009 thru Wed., Aug. 19, 2009 at 9 a.m. Wed., Aug. 19, 2009 Fri., Aug. 21, 2009 Wed., Aug. 26, 2009 Thurs., Aug. 27, 2009 Thurs., Aug. 27, 2009 Tues., Sept. 8, 2009 * Tickets at (800) 745-3000 * |
July 1, 2009 – Volume V, Issue II | |||||||||
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L.A. COUNTY POOLS OPEN FOR SUMMER! | ||||||||||
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Summer is here! What better way to beat the heat than to go for a swim at your local county pool? We understand that for millions of families -- many of whom simply cannot afford a home -- public pools and parks take the place of private backyards. And although California’s budget deficit threatens to close state-run lakes and pools, L.A. County pools will remain open all summer long since we’ve balanced the county’s budget carefully for years. | |||||||||
We also gave four Eastside pools a makeover! Atlantic Avenue Park, Belvedere Community Regional Park, City Terrace Park, and Eugene A. Obregon Park pools now feature aquatic-themed paintings by artist Sonia Romero. Titled The Water Cycle: Eternal Flow / El Ciclo del Agua: Eterno Manantial, Romero’s artwork brings attention to the importance of fresh water through symbols of the water cycles, representations of water gods and protective nymphs from a variety of cultures, as well as images of swimmers, divers, and other human activities. Youth from the Los Angeles Conservation Corps provided the paint labor. Romero’s paint scheme also helps us abate graffiti. If walls are tagged in the future, we’ll use stencils already on-hand to recreate Romero’s designs quickly -- and proactively. Our thanks go to staff at the L.A. County Arts Commission’s Civic Arts Program for bringing these projects to fruition. For information on county pools located nearest to you, call (626) 369-1021. | ||||||||||
FLORENCE AVE. IMPROVEMENTS ON TRACK | ||||||||||
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We are very happy to report that major improvements to Florence Ave. in unincorporated Florence-Firestone/Walnut Park are underway. This streetscape enhancement project extends from Central Ave. on the west all the way to Mountain Ave. on the east. Work from Central Ave. to Graham Ave. is on track -- and the remainder should be finished by the end of this year. It includes street resurfacing, new sidewalks, tree-lined streets, and attractive street medians. Future streetscape improvements also should include community archways, monuments, and wrought-iron banners proudly announcing the Florence-Firestone and Walnut Park neighborhoods to commuters and passers-by. The entire project totals $16.7 million with $3.9 million of that cost paid for by Metro. Many thanks to staff from Metro, the county’s Dept. of Public Works, and the Second Supervisorial District for working hand-in-hand with us on a project that has become a point of civic pride for Florence-Firestone and Walnut Park residents, merchants, and visitors alike. | ||||||||||
$1,000 PRIZE FOR NEW ‘LA PLAZA DE CULTURA Y ARTES’ LOGO! | ||||||||||
Attention graphic designers! LA Plaza de Cultura y Artes -- a new Mexican-American cultural center that will be located in the heart of the historic El Pueblo District within Olvera St. in downtown L.A. -- is asking artists to create a logo based on the Mexican ceramic tradition of El Árbol de la Vida (The Tree of Life). We need a captivating logo that captures the organization’s mission of educating the public about Mexican roots and Mexican-American culture as well as Los Angeles history. The logo should be versatile enough to be marketable and will appear on all LA Plaza de Cultura y Artes marketing materials. All submissions must be entered no later than Thurs., July 23, 2009 by 5 p.m. and must be submitted electronically as a high-resolution PDF to LogoDesignContest@lapca.org. The winner will be announced on Mon., Aug. 10, 2009 and will receive a $1,000 prize! |
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CITY TERRACE LIBRARY’S MURAL RESTORED | ||||||||||
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We are pleased to announce that the glazed ceramic tile mural at the entrance to the City Terrace Library is completely restored. Titled Ofrenda Maya I (Mayan Offering), the colorful mural by art restorer José Luis Gonzalez of Goez Art Studio in East L.A. measures 9’x12’ and is done in a pre-Columbian Mayan style. Each earthenware clay tile measures six inches square -- and there are 432 tiles total. We love it! Once again, many thanks to staff at the L.A. County Arts Commission’s Civic Arts Program for managing this project. The City Terrace Library is located at 4025 E. City Terrace Dr. in East L.A. and staff there can be reached at (323) 261-0295. | |||||||||
EAST VALINDA SHUTTLE NOW IN SERVICE! | ||||||||||
We’ve made local travel easier for unincorporated Valinda Corridor residents by operating shuttle services in the Avocado Heights, Bassett, and West Valinda communities. Now L.A. County has extended it to East Valinda. The shuttle runs Monday through Saturday from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., and the route includes stops at or near all East Valinda schools, churches, parks, and grocery stores in addition to the Nogales High School community library. Each ride costs just 25 cents -- but individuals with disabilities, children less than 5 years of age, and seniors 60 years and older ride for free. We accept regional EZ cards and Metro transit passes as cash fare. For more information, call (626) 258-3393 or go to http://dpw.lacounty.gov/PDD/Transit/EValindabrochure.pdf. |
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HEALTH CLINIC OPENS IN BOYLE HEIGHTS | ||||||||||
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We are proud to announce the availability of new health care services at the Gateways Percy Village facility in Boyle Heights. The existing center currently provides housing and mental health services for adults who’ve recently been discharged from public mental health institutions and for youth who’ve just aged out of the county’s foster care system (commonly known as “transitional age youth”). Now we’ll be offering medical services to this population up to two days a week thanks to a partnership between the First District, Gateways, the county’s Dept. of Mental Health, and the non-profit organization Los Angeles Christian Health Centers. Up to 40 patients are seen each week -- and over the next year, we anticipate serving 260 additional clients from institutional settings as well as full-service partnerships! If you are interested in accessing these services or if you have other questions, please contact Steve Flores at (213) 215-8858 or sflores@lachc.com. | |||||||||
CUDAHY RIVER PARK HELPS ‘GREEN’ L.A. RIVER | ||||||||||
Few public projects generate as much excitement as the prospect of “greening” the L.A. River. It’s an especially important project for us since the river winds through some of L.A. County’s most densely populated communities, many of which suffer from a severe lack of parks and open space. Cudahy is a perfect example. At just 1.1 miles square, it is the second smallest city in the nation in acreage -- yet with close to 25,000 residents, Cudahy has one of the highest population densities of any incorporated city in America and a median family income of $28,883. So we are proud of our $150,000 investment in Cudahy River Park. Located at the corner of Elizabeth St. and River Rd., this park gives locals a pretty place to enjoy some quiet repose. And with its new lighting, bike lanes, and jogging path, the park also provides top notch recreational amenities to Cudahy’s more active residents. Our heartfelt thanks go to the City of Cudahy, North East Trees, the Rivers & Mountains Conservancy, the Prop A Open Space District, and the county’s Dept. of Parks & Recreation for partnering with us on this river park. |
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MEDICAL HUB FOR FOSTER YOUTH OPENS IN EL MONTE | ||||||||||
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San Gabriel Valley youth who’ve just entered L.A. County’s foster care system will receive medical care and social services assessments more efficiently and conveniently now that L.A. County has opened a satellite medical hub for them at the former MacLaren Children’s Center in El Monte, which has been beautifully renovated. On-site professionals will give incoming foster children comprehensive evaluations -- including medical and forensic assessments, mental health screenings, and proper crisis intervention -- in one place and during one session. This set-up also allows staff to more quickly identify children with special needs and connect them with proper services. Plans are underway to open a preschool specifically for them at the site. The satellite medical hub is located at 4074 N. Durfee Ave. in El Monte. Our appreciation goes to the entire county health and social services family -- especially staff from the LAC+USC Medical Center -- for helping transform the old MacLaren Children’s Center campus and the way we provide services there. Many thanks also to Job Corps for their vital work. | |||||||||
STREET LIGHTS UPGRADED, INSTALLED IN SOUTH WHITTIER | ||||||||||
Keeping our streets safe and well lit is one of the public sector’s primary responsibilities. So when local residents alert us to the need for upgraded street lights -- or the installation of new ones -- we take their concerns very seriously. That’s why we’re pleased to report that we’re making exactly these kinds of improvements near the Sunshine Acres neighborhood in unincorporated South Whittier at the intersection of Telegraph Rd. and Telechron Ave. Two existing street lights now at 100 watts will be upgraded to 150 watts – and we’ll install two new street lights nearby, one at 200 watts and the other at 150 watts. Work should be complete by July 1st. |
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These are just the latest upgrades to the unincorporated South Whittier neighborhood, which include weekly Farmers’ Markets at Mayberry Park every Friday; speed bump installation along Rivera Rd. between Pioneer Blvd. and Norwalk Blvd. in Los Nietos; and new indoor exercise equipment at the Los Nietos Community and Senior Center. | ||||||||||
NEW AND IMPROVED STREET SIGNS IN EAST L.A. | ||||||||||
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We are excited to be unveiling over 700 new street signs along major thoroughfares in unincorporated East L.A.! On roads with speed limits of 30 mph or greater, we’ll be installing signs with larger lettering that is easier to read at night. Best of all, these signs will display both the East Los Angeles community name and the county seal to symbolize the unity already very strong in the neighborhood. This street sign upgrade is part of a larger countywide project in which all unincorporated neighborhoods will receive signs with their respective community’s name affixed to them. Installation of all East L.A. signs should be finished by Fall of 2009. | |||||||||
FEDERAL STIMULUS COMING TO FIRST DISTRICT | ||||||||||
Though L.A. County -- like the rest of the nation -- remains mired in economic recession, hope is on the horizon in the form of federal economic stimulus funds. Approximately $2.3 million will be spent on five public works projects in unincorporated areas; one of these is situated in unincorporated West Whittier (which is part of the First and Fourth Supervisorial Districts) and two others are located entirely in the First District’s unincorporated Florence-Firestone/Walnut Park community. In unincorporated West Whittier, Meyer Rd. from Leffingwell Rd. to north of Imperial Highway will be completely resurfaced and beautified. In Florence-Firestone/Walnut Park, the affected thoroughfares are Firestone Blvd. from Graham Ave. to Juniper St. and Nadeau St. from Alameda St. to Santa Fe Ave. These three projects will create 68 new jobs in the First District. Work on them should proceed in the second half of 2009. |
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SALT LAKE PARK COMMUNITY CENTER OPENS | ||||||||||
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Huntington Park residents can take pride in the new community center at Salt Lake Park. The center includes a refurbished recreation center, a full-service kitchen, a covered patio, and a wireless Internet connection. It is brand new and beautiful. The community center is a perfect example of civic collaboration at its best since every level of government pitched in to fund the $3.35 million project with L.A. County contributing $300,000, the City of Huntington Park supplying $1 million, the state allocating $900,000, and the federal government spending $1.15 million. It’s just the latest local improvement; the Huntington Park City Council approved playground equipment for Salt Lake Park and L.A. County recently dedicated the San Antonio Mental Health Center on Clarendon Ave. | |||||||||
10,000 MORE FAMILIES ELIGIBLE FOR FOOD STAMPS | ||||||||||
The current economic recession has hit California’s families particularly hard. In L.A. County’s First District alone, over 7,200 people have lost their jobs. Many people are finding themselves -- for the first time in their lives -- without enough money to keep food on the table and a roof over their head. They’ve been employed most of their adult lives and have paid into the public assistance safety net. But now their families’ lives are on the verge of serious disruption -- and some are even close to becoming homeless. To mitigate this problem, we recently worked with our state representatives to amend food stamp qualification rules so that families with assets worth over $2,000 (and that still meet income limits) can receive public assistance. As a result, an additional 10,000 L.A. County families are potentially eligible for food stamps. To learn more about the Food Stamp program, call their hotline at (877) 597-4777 or visit the county Dept. of Public Social Services’ website at www.ladpss.org. |
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YOUTH FISHING CLUB CELEBRATES 20TH ANNIVERSARY | ||||||||||
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Congratulations to the Belvedere Park Youth Fishing Club of East L.A. for reaching its 20th anniversary! Founded by David and Rachel Kraft, the Belvedere Park Youth Fishing Club disseminates thousands of toys and fishing poles to Eastside kids through the annual Belvedere Park Holiday Toy Give-Away -- and its members participate in regular fishing excursions to learn about the wonders of the ocean and our natural environment. The Krafts also coordinate Belvedere Park Lake Fishing Derbies which have become very popular in East L.A. and bring together lots of local fishers who compete for the biggest catch. The club recently was featured in The Fish Taco Chronicles -- a prominent Southern California sport fishing magazine -- and was honored by the L.A. County Board of Supervisors at a recent meeting. Again, congratulations! | ||||||||||
HIGHLAND PARK CHARTER SCHOOL TO REMAIN OPEN | ||||||||||
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It’s not often that L.A. County government gets the chance to improve education for local youth since the California State Constitution requires independent school boards -- which are separate from county government -- to manage our schools. But the burgeoning charter school movement recently gave L.A. County a unique opportunity to make a positive difference in this area. All charter schools must renew their charters through their respective school districts -- and, if their renewal is denied, they can appeal to the county’s Office of Education. So when Los Angeles International Charter High School needed to appeal the LAUSD’s decision to deny their renewal, we quickly stepped in to help them. This exceptional school serves hundreds of Highland Park youth. It gives them a chance to master a college-preparatory curriculum in newer facilities and smaller class size settings. It was worth fighting for -- and it was a fight we won when the school’s charter was renewed for another five years. Los Angeles International Charter High School is located at 625 Coleman Ave. in Los Angeles. For more information, go to http://www.laicharter.org/. | ||||||||||
‘GIFT FOR GUNS’ NETS 3,853 FIREARMS | ||||||||||
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We’d like to congratulate the Sheriff’s Dept. for hosting a successful Fourth Annual “Gift for Guns” program. It netted 3,853 firearms this year -- with 1,141 originating from the San Gabriel Valley. Gun owners voluntarily dropped off firearms at various sheriff’s station, county park, and community center parking lots. In exchange, they received a $100 gift card for any handgun or rifle and a $200 gift card for any assault weapon -- 110 of which were collected this year. All firearms eventually are melted down into construction materials. The First District is proud to partner with Sheriff Lee Baca in the “Gift for Guns” program -- and we’d also like to thank South El Mayor Blanca Figueroa her ardent support. Because of the “Gifts for Guns” program, communities throughout L.A. County are safer and many lives undoubtedly have been saved. | |||||||||
H1N1 (SWINE) FLU UPDATE -- NO NEED TO PANIC | ||||||||||
By now, the world has heard of the H1N1 virus -- commonly known as the “swine flu” virus -- and people know that while it is serious, there is no cause for panic. L.A. County has declared a “local public health emergency” so that we can receive federal and state funding in order to properly respond to any local swine flu outbreaks in the future. But there is no cause for alarm. You cannot get swine flu from eating pork or pork products -- and you should treat swine flu the same as you would treat ordinary flu symptoms by staying home, getting plenty of rest, drinking lots of water, washing your hands frequently, and taking over-the-counter medicines to ease flu symptoms. There is no need to wear a mask to prevent the spread of swine flu nor should you purchase penicillin or antibiotics over-the-counter since they will neither prevent nor cure swine flu. To learn more, go to http://www.lapublichealth.org/acd/Diseases/Swine.htm. |
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4801 East 3rd Street
Los Angeles, California 90022
Phone: (323) 881-4601
Fax: (323) 887-7286
500 West Temple Street, Room 856
Los Angeles, California 90012
Phone: (213) 974-4111
Fax: (213) 613-1739
molina@lacbos.org
3400 Aerojet Avenue, Suite 240
El Monte, California 91731
Phone: (626) 350-4500
Fax: (626) 448-1573