AUGUST ARCHIVES
1998
Board Backs Yaroslavsky Proposal to Improve Youth Mental Health Services at Metropolitan State Hospital - On August 18, Supervisor Yaroslavsky won unanimous Board approval for a six-point plan to improve mental health services for children placed as County referrals at Metropolitan State Hospital in Norwalk. In his motion, Yaroslavsky sought action by both County and state officials to improve conditions for some 85 children placed by the County under the facility’s care, including additional County caseworkers, state appointment of a patients’ rights advocate, and improved recreational opportunities. Click for details.
Board Approves for County Firefighting Aircraft Contracts for 1998-99 Fire Season - Supervisor Yaroslavsky has announced final Board approval for a $3.2 million program to lease a fleet of firefighting aircraft to complement the County Fire Department’s ground-based firefighting capability (click for details). The package includes two fixed-wing "Super Scoopers" and three air-tanker helicopters, which will be available and standing by for at least 60 days, beginning in September. While County fire officials are prepared to respond to emergency calls as needed with equipment and personnel, Yaroslavsky stressed that County residents in fire-prone areas should also be prepared and help protect themselves by adhering to all brush-clearance requirements and familiarizing themselves with evacuation routes.
Yaroslavsky MTA Initiative Faces No Opposing Argument - Yaroslavsky’s initiative to reform the MTA and halt new local subway spending beyond completion of the North Hollywood leg will face no opposing argument on the November ballot. Subway backers cited in the Los Angeles Times offered several reasons for their silence, among them concern that the MTA is so unpopular that such an argument would be misconstrued as condoning fraud and the agency’s poor decision-making. One long-time lobbyist suggested that many subway contractors have lost interest in the issue, concluding that the project was likely to be downsized and turning their attention elsewhere in search of new business.
Yaroslavsky Reminds Parents About Back to School, Day-Care Immunizations - Yaroslavsky is reminding all parents that "back to school" means "protect your children" with all necessary immunizations. Any child entering school for the first time is required by California law to be fully immunized against diphtheria, tetanus, whooping cough, polio, hepatitis B, measles, mumps and rubella, and chickenpox vaccines are also recommended for children who haven’t had the disease. County-operated health centers offer free immunizations and TB skin tests, and parents can find locations and hours of clinics by calling (1-800) 427-8700, Monday-Friday from 8 a.m. - 5 p.m.
Agoura Household Hazardous Waste Roundup - Yaroslavsky is alerting San Fernando Valley and Conejo/Las Virgenes area residents about an upcoming free Household Hazardous Waste Roundup to be held in Agoura at the Calabasas Landfill, 5300 Lost Hills Road, on Sunday, October 11, from 9:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. Materials eligible for collection include used motor oil, cleaners and solvents, paint, car batteries, pesticides and herbicides. Further information may be obtained on the Web at www.lacsd.org, or by calling the Los Angeles County Department of Public Works at (1-888) CLEAN-LA.
Proposition A Park and Recreation Grant Applications Window Now Open - The time-window is now open for 1998 Competitive Grant applications under Proposition A, a $319 million ballot measure for park and open-space acquisition sponsored by Yaroslavsky and approved overwhelmingly by County voters in 1996. The deadline to submit proposals is December 1, 1998 at 11 a.m., with final approval by the Board of Supervisors anticipated by the end of March, 1999. Grant categories include: At-Risk Youth Facilities; Graffiti Prevention; Natural Lands; Rivers and Streams; Senior Centers; Trails; and Urban Tree Planting. The Department of Parks and Recreation, which administers Prop. A funding, will hold a series of eight Grantsmanship Workshops in September and October to assist those eligible to apply. For further information on the Grantsmanship program, or to reserve a space in a workshop, e-mail to ben@tgci.com; call Ben or Meredith at (213) 482-9860; or fax the request to "TGCI Parks Workshops" at (213) 482-9863.
Community Delinquency Prevention Grants - Yaroslavsky has announced the award of Community Delinquency Prevention Grants to the following nonprofit agencies serving youth and families: Hollywood Community Service Project; Hollywood YMCA; Neighborhood Youth Organization; Venice Community Housing; Project Heavy West; New Directions for Youth; San Fernando Valley Child Guidance; El Nido Family Centers; Korean Youth and Community Center; and Search to Involve Pilipino Americans (SIPA). In addition, the following agencies received After-School At-Risk Youth Grants as part of an ongoing Countywide anti-gang effort: El Nido Family Centers; Communities in Schools, San Fernando Valley; Boys & Girls Club of SFV; Pacoima Community Youth Culture Center; Amer-I-Can; and the Mid-Valley YMCA.
Agoura Hills Fire Station Project Moves Ahead - Yaroslavsky announced that a project to construct the new Fire Station 89 in the City of Agoura Hills is moving ahead, with Board approval August 18 to begin selection of a project architect. Land acquisition for the project was approved in October, 1996. The $2.65 million estimated total project cost will be shared between $1.38 million in developer fees and $1.27 million in Consolidated Fire District capital project funding.
Yaroslavsky Defends MTA Reform Initiative as "Last Chance" for Public Transit in Los Angeles - In an August 3, 1998 op-ed article in the Los Angeles Times, "Digging L.A. Out of Its Transit Mess," Supervisor Yaroslavsky defends his initiative, The MTA Reform and Accountability Act of 1998, and debunks the four major myths about what it will do, arguing that his ballot measure banning new subways would enable the Southland to plan a system that makes sense, and may be the public's last chance to save Los Angeles County from a regional transportation nightmare. Click on highlighted entries for full text.
Yaroslavsky Announces Upcoming Assessment Appeals Seminars - Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky has announced an upcoming series of free seminars aimed at assisting property owners to understand and utilize Los Angeles County’s Assessment Appeals Program. The seminars will be held in the San Fernando Valley on the following Wednesdays: August 26, September 9, 16 and 30 at 10:00 a.m. at the Bernardi Senior Center, 6514 Sylmar Avenue in Van Nuys; and on the Westside on Friday, September 25, at 10:30 a.m. at the Santa Monica Public Library, 1343 Sixth Street in Santa Monica. Click here for further details.
Yaroslavsky Announces Valley Quake Repair Projects - Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky has announced three new quake repair projects to replace portions of reinforced concrete channels in San Fernando Valley portions of the County’s flood-control system. Affected portions include the Browns Creek Channel in Canoga Park; Bull Creek Channel in Northridge where aircraft from Van Nuys Airport cross the channel; and the Calabasas Creek Channel at Fallbrook Avenue near Hatteras Street in the Woodland Hills area. Click on individual locations for further details.
Yaroslavsky Urges Long-Distance Customers to "Play Your (Pre-Paid Phone) Cards Right!" - In a consumer advisory, Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky is urging long-distance phone customers to shop smart when they consider purchasing pre-paid phone cards. Before they buy, Yaroslavsky recommended, consumers should find out whether the retailer or other seller will stand behind the card in case of service problems, and provide a toll-free service number to card purchasers. He also suggested that before buying, phone-card customers compare the cost-per-minute offered among the various cards, and to scrutinize any surcharges, monthly fees and per call "access" charges which can boost the cost of calling. Yaroslavsky urged consumers experiencing phone-card problems to contact the Los Angeles County Department of Consumer Affairs at (213) 974-1452 for advice and assistance.
Yaroslavsky Announces Commission Appointments in August (+ designates reappointment)
08/04/98 Karleen A. George, + Los Angeles County Judicial Procedures Commission
08/18/98 Mary J. York, Los Angeles City-County Native American Indian Commission