Yaroslavsky Turns Over Chairmanship to Supervisor Yvonne Brathwaite Burke, Cites “Year of Accomplishment” – On December 3, 2002, outgoing Board of Supervisors Chairman Zev Yaroslavsky turned over the gavel to Second District Supervisor Yvonne Brathwaite Burke, and in farewell remarks praised his colleagues for making possible the Board’s year of accomplishment. Supervisor Burke will hold the one-year rotating position of Board Chair until December 2003, when she will pass the gavel to Chair Pro Tem Don Knabe, Supervisor for the Fourth District.
Yaroslavsky Conducts Town Hall Meeting on Sun Valley Watershed Management – On Wednesday, November 20, 2002, Supervisor Yaroslavsky convened a Town Hall Meeting at Sun Valley Middle School for a discussion of practical, creative solutions to longstanding problems of chronic stormwater flooding and related traffic hazards in the Sun Valley watershed area. The Sun Valley Watershed Stakeholders group – comprising elected officials, environmentalists, government agencies, and community groups – laid out various strategies for how to best maintain adequate flood control, facilitate environmental conservation, and enhance public space. As outlined by County Public Works officials, proposals included plans to collect rainwater and prevent flooding in Sun Valley by diverting runoff to several basins, including an abandoned gravel pit that will subsequently be transformed into an artificial lake with a surrounding recreation area. The water collected would then seep back into the ground to replenish groundwater supplies, thus minimizing surface flooding while reducing reliance on imported water. Joining Yaroslavsky were representatives from various agencies and community groups, including the Los Angeles County Department of Public Works. Click Town Hall presentation for further information on the Sun Valley Watershed Project, and click SunValleyWatershed.org to learn more about the watershed itself.
Yaroslavsky, Officials Address Rising Youth Crime at Regional Gang Symposium – On Thursday, November 21, 2002, Supervisor Yaroslavsky joined more than 150 gang experts, probation officers, detectives, attorneys and elected officials in the City of Alhambra for a day-long symposium to consider new strategies for combating rising gang violence and related crime. The Countywide Criminal Justice Coordination Committee-Interagency Gang Task Force has traditionally fought crime as though Los Angeles County were one large region; the new plan calls for dividing the County into 13 areas, assigning a team of between 12 and 21 Task Force members to each. Yaroslavsky said that the idea is to ensure that every area of the county gets the attention it needs in fighting gang violence and to improve the effectiveness of existing anti-gang programs, in part by making it easier to track gang cases that span city boundaries. "We have a challenge on our hands,” Yaroslavsky told the group. "This is a very ugly business, but the people of this county have a right to live in safety.” Philharmonic Unveils Walt Disney Concert Hall Opening Season for Fall 2003 – The Los Angeles Philharmonic has announced its inaugural Fall 2003-2004 Concert Season for the new Walt Disney Concert Hall. This spectacular new addition to the County’s performing arts venues is set to open Thursday, October 23, 2003 with a dedication and ribbon-cutting in the morning, followed by a special program that evening entitled “Sonic LA: An Inaugural Gala for Walt Disney Concert Hall,” featuring a repertoire of pieces designed to showcase the Hall’s outstanding acoustical attributes.Click Walt Disney Concert Hall | News & Press for full information on the inaugural season; click Welcome to The Walt Disney Concert Hall for a comprehensive look at the venue itself from its earliest inception as a gleam in the eye of visionary architect Frank Gehry. Board Approves Project Budget, Hires Builder for County-USC Medical Center Replacement Project – Also on December 3, 2002, the Board unanimously adopted a project budget of roughly $820 million and awarded a construction contract to the consortium of McCarthy, Clark, Hunt as prime contractor on what will be the largest construction project in County history. The Board also approved a financing package for the County’s portion of the costs, and adopted Supervisor Yaroslavsky’s motion to seek a change in state legislation that would allow the County to qualify for substantial additional federal funding to complete the project with minimal additional cost to County taxpayers. Click DPW recommendation and Med Center funding issues for further information. State Forwards Health Waiver Proposal To Feds - On Wednesday, November 27, Gov. Gray Davis formally transmitted the County’s Medicaid waiver renewal proposal to federal Health and Human Services officials at the Centers for Medicaid Services in Washington. First granted in 1995 by then-President Bill Clinton’s administration, the initial five-year waiver gave the County enough flexibility in its use of Medicaid funding to begin stabilizing its health-care budget and enter into partnerships with community-based nonprofit clinics to help care for County patients. The waiver was renewed in the year 2000, but inadequate funding and continued growth in the number of uninsured residents has prompted the County to seek additional financial assistance from the federal government with the help of state official in Sacramento. Click state waiver request for further information. Yaroslavsky Honored by Los Angeles Free Clinic - On December 2, 2002, the Los Angeles Free Clinic honored Supervisor Yaroslavsky with the prestigious Lenny Somberg Award in recognition of his and wife Barbara’s longstanding support of the clinic and its mission to provide free health care and human services to the indigent. Yaroslavsky was instrumental in creating the public-private partnership between the County and the Clinic at the recently opened Hollywood-Wilshire Health Center, a national model of how to provide health care that is cost-effective and meets the needs of the community. Barbara Yaroslavsky serves on the Board of Directors for the Friends of The Los Angeles Free Clinic. To learn more about the LA Free Clinic and its services, click LA Free Clinic. Board of Supervisors Honored for Support of the Arts - The Board of Supervisors was honored this fall with the James A. Doolittle Award for Leadership in the Theatre in recognition of its support of the arts in the County of Los Angeles. The honor was one of this year's Ovation Awards, established in 1989 and bestowed annually by a panel of LA theatre professional to celebrate the artistic excellence of LA’s theatre and theatre artists. For more information, click Theatre LA: Ovation Awards. Yaroslavsky Urges Residents to “Live Lightly” in Malibu Creek and Adjoining Watersheds - Supervisor Yaroslavsky has announced the release of the Malibu Creek Watershed Advisory Council’s new report, “Living Lightly in Our Watersheds” - available on-line at Malibu watershed report. Geared for residents of the Malibu Creek watershed and adjoining watersheds - including the cities of Malibu, Agoura Hills, Westlake Village, Calabasas and unincorporated Santa Monica Mountains communities including Topanga, Malibou Lake and Monte Nido - the guide offers useful information to promote watershed protection and preservation. Included are tips on how to improve the environment while saving money, ranging from recycling center locations and public transportation/commuting alternatives to landscaping tips and green building resources. Yaroslavsky Notes Release of Las Virgenes/Malibu Council of Governments Report on County Disaster Preparedness Efforts - Supervisor Yaroslavsky recently noted the release of the Las Virgenes/Malibu Council of Governments (COG) report updating County disaster readiness efforts, which include receipt of an $11,000 federal emergency preparedness grant to support expansion of the Malibu /Lost Hills Sheriff ’s Station ’s Community Arson Watch Volunteer Program. The program, comprising 150-member volunteer patrol, has been active since 1982 serving an area of the Santa Monica Mountains from Topanga to the Ventura County line. Yaroslavsky said the federal grant would help pay to buy and equip the group’s very first Arson Watch command and control vehicle. Click COG report for further information. Yaroslavsky Announces 2002 Bravo Award Nominees for Outstanding Arts Educators - Chairman Yaroslavsky proudly announced that once again, the Third District has topped the list with the most nominees for the Los Angeles Music Center's prestigious Bravo Awards, given annually by the Center's Education Division to recognize the area's most outstanding arts educators among local teachers and schools. Click Bravo Awards for further information and a list of Third District teacher and school nominees. For further information about the BRAVO Awards program, please click BRAVO.County Energy Conservation Efforts Win EPA’s “Energy Star” Award - The County of Los Angeles was honored on November 19, 2002 with the federal Environmental Protection Agency’s “Energy Star” Award, in recognition of the successful energy conservation programs undertaken by the County’s court system and its Internal Services Department, the agency responsible for maintaining and operating County facilities. Yaroslavsky Welcomes New Field Deputy for West Valley
– Supervisor Yaroslavsky welcomes to his staff Ben Saltsman, recently hired as a
Field Deputy in Yaroslavsky’s Calabasas District Office. There he is responsible for
constituent services in the southwest San Fernando Valley, Topanga, Malibu, Las Virgenes
and Santa Monica Mountains areas. He previously served as Legislative Liaison with the
California Small Business Association, where he was responsible for coordinating outreach
to small businesses statewide. Prior to that, he was a legislative intern for State Sen.
John Vasconcellos. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science from UCLA, where
he was Phi Beta Kappa as well as a member of the Golden Key Honor Society, the National
Association of Collegiate Scholars, the Bruin Democrats, and a volunteer on gubernatorial
and school board campaigns. Welcome aboard, Ben!
12/10/02 Fred B. Cowan+, Los Angeles County
Courthouse Corporation 12/10/02 Stanley Rogers+, Consumer Affairs
Advisory Commission 12/10/02 Alfred S. Samulon+, Information
Systems Commission 12/10/02 Michael J. Sopher, M.D.+, Narcotics
and Dangerous Drugs Commission 12/03/02 Teresa A. DeCrescenzo+, Los Angeles
County Children’s Planning Council
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