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March 2008
Arts & Culture
Los Angeles County Museum of Art
Welcomes BCAM, Newest Gallery Space
Pictured here, L-R: Tom LaBonge, Los Angeles City Councilmember; Renzo Piano, BCAM project architect; Eli Broad, business leader, philanthropist and founding donor, BCAM; Supervisor Yaroslavsky; Michael Govan, CEO and Wallis Annenberg Director, LACMA; Yvonne B. Burke, Chair, Board of Supervisors; Melody Kanschat, President and Chief Operating Officer, LACMA (2/7/08)
Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky welcomed dignitaries and other invited guests for a tour of the Broad Contemporary Art Museum (BCAM), the latest outstanding addition to the Los Angeles County Museum of Art campus. BCAM offers 60,000 square feet of new gallery space to showcase pieces from the Eli and Edythe Broad collection, among other permanent holdings and visiting exhibitions, in an airy and dramatic structure taking full advantage of the natural light.
BCAM represents Phase I of LACMA's multi-year "Transformation" project, designed to unify and expand the facility's seven buildings and outdoor areas into an integrated and coherent whole. To learn more about the project and take a virtual tour of the site including real-time webcam views, visit LACMA Transformation.
BCAM Dedicates Chris Burden’s “Urban Light”
Pictured here at the dedication event, left to right: Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky; Michael Govan, CEO and Wallis Annenberg Director, LACMA; Chris Burden, artist and creator of “Urban Light;” Renzo Piano, BCAM project architect.
“Urban Light,” a dramatic installation by Topanga artist Chris Burden, comprises several hundred historic Los Angeles streetlights. It is one of the new features greeting BCAM visitors along Wilshire Boulevard, helping to integrate the striking new BCAM gallery space with the existing LACMA campus. For an overview of “Urban Light” and the campus, check out LACMA’s live 24-hour webcam. (2/07/08)
LA Philharmonic Announces 2008-09 Season
at Walt Disney Concert Hall
Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky shares a light moment with Los Angeles Philharmonic Music Director Esa-Pekka Salonen as officials announced the program lineup for Walt Disney Concert Hall’s 2008-09 concert season. After 17 outstanding seasons with the LA Phil, the program represents Salonen’s final bow before 26-year-old Gustavo Dudamel takes up the baton as the Phil’s new Music Director beginning in 2009-10.
Upcoming highlights this year include a Stravinsky exploration, seven world and two West Coast premieres of outstanding new works; a free “Phil the House” week of concerts welcoming school children and community members; the completion of András Schiff’s two-year performance project of Beethoven’s 32 Piano Sonatas as part of the “Colburn Celebrity Series"; famed conductor Zubin Mehta presiding over the Vienna Philharmonic's debut at Walt Disney Concert Hall; and a Jazz, World and Songbook series highlights including Dave Brubeck, Milton Nascimento & The Jobim Trio, and Vince Gill. Browse the entire 2008-09 season press kit here for full details. (2/28/08)
At the County
Yaroslavsky Motion Spurs County Registrar-Recorder to Complete Crossover Vote Tally and Include 80% of Previously Uncounted Crossover Votes
Voter confusion was widespread over the “double bubble” ballots used by registered non-partisan cross-over voters in the February 5, 2008 Democratic presidential primary. In response, the Board of Supervisors on February 12, 2008 quickly adopted Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky’s urgency motion directing the County’s Acting Registrar-Recorder to conduct a thorough review of the situation and take all measures to tally and record as many unsuccessful crossover ballots as possible. Yaroslavsky's motion also directed the Acting Registrar-Recorder to redesign the ballot before the June state primary to eliminate the confusing "double bubble" party-selection requirement for crossover voters in all future elections.
On March 4, after exhaustive efforts to discern voter intentions, elections officials certified the final official results, which included some 95% of the 226,000 non-partisan ballots cast, and 80% of the 60,000 initially unsuccessful crossover ballots. The Acting Registrar-Recorder has also released an exhaustive Unofficial Summary of Undetermined Non-Partisan Crossover Ballots for the remaining 12,000 uncounted crossover ballots for which voter intent cannot be definitively determined. For more information, read the Acting Registrar-Recorder’s non-partisan voter review memo, and visit the Department’s website and scroll down to PRESIDENTIAL PRIMARY ELECTION for additional reports on the vote-tabulation process.
Latest County Annual Report Now On-Line
Los Angeles County’s 2007-2008 Annual Report has just been published, offering a comprehensive and detailed look at the demographics of the nation’s most populous county and the organizational structure, finances and public services provided by the largest local government jurisdiction in the country.
Yaroslavsky Welcomes Visiting Israeli Delegation
Menachem Wagshal, Vice Director General, Ministry of Social Affairs and Social Services for the State of Israel, presents Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky with a replica Dead Sea Scroll on behalf of a visiting delegation of Israeli officials eager to learn about the County’s network of social services as part of their Southern California tour. (2/5/08)
On the Westside
County Waives Water Bill Charges For Victims
Of The Malibu Fires
On March 4, 2008, the Board of Supervisors directed Los Angeles County Waterworks District No. 29 to waive water bill charges for homes or businesses that were destroyed or substantially damaged by the October and November 2007 wildfires. “Victims of the Malibu fires have enough to worry about without the County dunning them for a water bill on a property that may no longer even be there,” said Yaroslavsky. “Our Board felt very strongly this was the only right thing to do.” County Waterworks District No. 29 (WWD 29) serves customers in the City of Malibu, Topanga Canyon and Marina del Rey.
Yaroslavsky Celebrates One-Year Anniversary
of SM Homeless Court
Left to right, Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky commends Setareh Yavari, Senior Administrative Analyst for Homeless Services in the City of Santa Monica, and Santa Monica Court Presiding Judge Bobbie Tillman on the one-year anniversary of the County’s innovative Homeless Community Court project. The project is an attempt to break the costly cycle of arrest, incarceration, release and re-offending behavior among Santa Monica’s chronic homeless population, and connects defendants with treatment and social services as a constructive sentencing alternative. (2/29/08)
In the West Valley
Las Virgenes Creek Restoration Project
Grand Opening in Calabasas
Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky recently joined the mayor of Calabasas and other elected officials and community members to dedicate a newly restored portion of Las Virgenes Creek. The seven-month restoration project involved a 400-foot stretch of creek between the 101 Freeway and the Agoura Road bridge, entailing removal of more than 1,500 tons of concrete from what had been a flood-control channel, and planting native vegetation instead to return it to a more natural state. Funding for the $1.24 million project was shared among the state Water Resources Control Board, the California Coastal Conservancy and the Department of Water Resources, the County of Los Angeles and the City of Calabasas. Mountains Restoration Trust will assist the city with monitoring conditions for the flora and fauna in and alongside the restored streambed. (2/23/08)
Grand Opening for Hart Village
Affordable Housing Project
Pictured here, left to right: Cecilia Estolano, Chief Executive Officer, Community Redevelopment Agency of the City of Los Angeles (CRA/LA); Dennis Zine, Los Angeles City Councilmember; Allyne Winderman, Board Chairperson, Los Angeles Community Design Center; Supervisor Yaroslavsky; and Robin Hughes, President, Los Angeles Community Design Center. (2/25/08)
Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky celebrated the grand opening of Hart Village, a new affordable housing development in Canoga Park. The project is home to 47 working families, and its “green building” features include a solar energy system, Energy Star-qualified appliances and energy-efficient building materials. Residents also benefit from on-site after-school programs, job-skills training and a computer lab.
In the Valley
Census Bureau to Continue Tabulating
San Fernando Valley Data
Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky praised a recently announced decision by the U.S. Census Bureau to continue tabulating and publishing Census County Division (CCD) data for designated sub-county areas throughout the country, including the San Fernando Valley. Yaroslavsky and his numerous colleagues in federal, state, county, and city agencies, joined by business leaders and community organizations, had urged the Census Bureau to continue to gather the specialized data, which plays a crucial role in securing the County’s and the Valley’s fair share of government resources.
Springtime Means Little League Is Back
The month of March signifies the opening day of Little League competition throughout the region. Pictured here, Supervisor Yaroslavsky attends the opening ceremonies of the East Valley Little League in Sun Valley, and pays tribute to a pair of real-life baseball heroes to East San Fernando Valley kids: Tony Servera (center), “founding father” of the East Valley Little League, originally known as "Sun Valley Baseball Little League" back in the 1960's; and Frank Miceli (right), whose dedicated efforts and commitment to his community’s kids helped revive the Little League team in 2004, and who was responsible for rehabilitating the existing ball fields and building support to construct two new ones. (3/1/08)
Transportation
L.A. Metro Releases Draft EIR for Northern Extension of Orange Line Busway at Warner Center
The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro) has released its Draft Environmental Impact Report (DEIR) for a proposed four-mile northern extension of the very successful Metro Orange Line busway. The proposed extension is from the Canoga Avenue Park & Ride Lot in Warner Center to the Chatsworth Metrolink Station.
Metro will seek public comment at two hearings scheduled later this month:
• Wednesday, March 19, 2008: 6:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m., NEW Academy Canoga Park, Multi-Purpose Room, 21425 Cohasset Street, Canoga Park, CA
• Wednesday, March 26, 2008: 6:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m., Chatsworth High School, Chancellor Hall, 10027 Lurline Avenue, Chatsworth, CA
More details may be found at Metro online.
Eastside Gold Line Extension Project
On Track for 2009 Opening
Pictured in top photo left to right, front: Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky, Board of Supervisors Chair Yvonne B. Burke, Senator Barbara Boxer, Supervisor Gloria Molina and Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa don protective gear for a tour of the construction site for the six-mile Eastside Gold Line light rail extension at 1st St. and Mission Road in East Los Angeles. Bottom photo, a workman surfaces the rail bed for the $900 million project, scheduled to open in late 2009. For additional information, see Metro’s press release, and for full details, visit Metro’s Gold Line project page.
Expo Line Update
The Exposition Light Rail line (Expo) broke ground in 2007 and is currently under construction, with the Phase 1 segment connecting downtown to Culver City scheduled to open in 2010. Phase 2, extending west from Culver City to Santa Monica, is expected to open four years later. The Exposition Construction Authority will host a Project Status Update Open House on Monday, March 17, 2008, to provide members of the community with a Phase 1 project overview, and updates on the construction status and urban design issues.
Monday, March 17, 2008
Ahmanson Senior Citizen Center
3990 S. Menlo Avenue
Los Angeles, CA 90007
Meeting time: 6:30 p.m.- 8:00 p.m.
Free parking is available across the street from the Senior Center.
Visit Build Expo for more full details about the project.
L.A. Metro
Coliseum Re-Ups with USC Trojans
Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky, one of nine regular members serving on the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum Commission (LAMCC), praised a historic agreement announced on February 13, 2008 between the LAMCC and the University of Southern California to keep Trojan football at the Coliseum for another 47 years. Yaroslavsky noted that terms of the lease include the sale of naming rights to the Coliseum to fund more than $100 million in improvements, which will include a new video board, more restrooms and concession stands, new seats and locker rooms and other amenities.
Real Heroes
Deputy Stephen Bohnert Honored in Corral Fire Rescue
Sheriff’s Deputy Stephen Bohnert was honored by Supervisor Yaroslavsky and his colleagues for Deputy Bohnert’s selfless rescue of an elderly disabled man as flames from the November 2007 Corral Fire were bearing down on the man’s home in the El Nido residential area in the Santa Monica Mountains above the City of Malibu. When the fire broke out and began its march toward the Pacific Ocean in the early morning hours of November 23, 2007, Ben Kennedy, 96 years old and wheelchair-bound, was reluctant to evacuate.
By the time his caregiver persuaded him to leave, virtually all public safety personnel had already left the vicinity. Fortunately, Deputy Bohnert was the last to leave – and learning of Kennedy’s predicament, the deputy drove back into the man’s neighborhood and, flagged down by the caregiver, was able to physically carry the man into his squad car and ferry him to safety. When it was all over, Kennedy’s home had burned to the ground – the charred remains of his abandoned wheelchair standing as mute testimony to the fact that Kennedy would have perished but for the courageous actions of Deputy Bohnert. (2/6/08)
Board Honors Heroes in Lifesaving Kanan Road Rescue
Left to right, Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky honors Scott Hanna, Deputies Edward Herold and Christopher Chavez, and Don Roberts for their heroic rescue of a trapped firefighter from the flaming wreckage of vehicular accident. On October 24, 2007 a semi-tractor hauling two trailers of gravel down Kanan Road lost its brakes. The runaway vehicle plowed into an intersection, striking two vehicles and pinning one against a vertical cliff at the edge of the road.
The semi and one of the cars burst into flames, killing both drivers; the other car, driven by off-duty Los Angeles County Firefighter David Wise (pictured above behind his rescuers), was partially crushed by the trailers and gravel. Wise, knocked unconscious, was pinned in the wreckage. Passing motorists Scott Hanna and Don Roberts witnessed the collision and rushed to the trapped firefighter’s aid; they were assisted by Sheriff’s Deputies Edward Harold and Christopher Chavez, who saw the plume of black smoke from several hundred yards away and immediately drove to the location. Together, the two Good Samaritans and the sheriff’s deputies pulled the unconscious firefighter, covered in diesel fuel and gasoline, from the burning wreckage and saved his life. (2/6/08)
3rd District Kids
Yaroslavsky Honored by Alliance
to Keep Kids Tobacco Free
Pictured left to right with Supervisor Yaroslavsky (second from left) are Michael Franklin, Community Organizer with Inglewood Citizens to End Youth Access to Tobacco; Mike Pedro, Outreach Specialist with Search to Involve Pilipino Americans (SIPA); and Alisha Lopez, Director of Tobacco Prevention Program, Valley Community Clinic. The trio visited Yaroslavsky to thank him in person for sponsoring the tobacco retail licensing ordinance to crack down on underage tobacco purchases in the unincorporated areas of Los Angeles County. Yaroslavsky’s office is working to encourage the County’s 88 cities to follow suit and toughen tobacco-purchase enforcement throughout the entire County. (2/27/08)
Los Angeles County Public Library
2007 Bookmark Winners
Pictured here, from the left, are Parjanya Brahmachari, 2nd grade, Westlake Village Public Library; Samantha Tsai, 5th grade, Westlake Village Public Library; and Emily Chavez, 6th grade,Westlake Village Public Library. (2/12/08)
Supervisor Yaroslavsky recently honored these 3rd District winners for their artistic prowess in the County Public Library’s annual bookmark-design contest. For the past 25 years, the Public Library has invited children to submit their ideas in a regional contest conducted throughout the County’s 84 branch libraries. This year's theme was RISE UP READING! Winning designs were those which best represented a child's thoughts and ideas about reading and were selected on criteria including originality, creativity and neatness.
Commission Appointments
(+ denotes reappointment):
3/4 - Hope J. Boonshaft+, Citizens' Economy and Efficiency Commission
Lester Breslow, M.D.+, Public Health Commission
Joseph A. Cislowski+, Library Commission
Hilda Cohen+, LAC Law Enforcement Public Safety Facilities Corporation
David Comsky+, Board of Governors, Depart. of Museum of Natural History
Fred Cowan+, Los Angeles County Courthouse Corporation
Sophie Lampros, Developmental Disabilities Board (Area 10-Los Angeles)
Bradley H. Mindlin, LAC Citizens' Economy and Efficiency Commission
Debra L. Tom, Developmental Disabilities Board (Area 10-Los Angeles)
2/19 - Sandra Aronberg+, Los Angeles County Fish and Game Commission
Donna Bojarsky+, Commission on Human Relations
John Edelston, Emergency Medical Services Commission
2/12 - Wayne Avrashow, Esq.+, LA Convention & Exhibition Center Authority
Raymond Ojeda+, Parks and Recreation Commission
Maurice Weiner, Los Angeles County Commission on Aging
2/5 - Barry R. Binder, Esq.+, LAC Commission on Insurance
William Lambert, Commission on Human Relations
Simon Pastucha, Small Craft Harbor Design Control Board
Tom Ross+, Information Systems Commission
Thank you for reading our newsletter. If you would like to send a comment or a message to Supervisor Yaroslavsky, please send your message to zev@bos.lacounty.gov or just simply click here .
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