Zev Yaroslavsky Supervisor Third District What's New

Malibu Fires

Officials Announce Suspect Arrests
in Corral Canyon Fire

Left to right: Los Angeles County Fire Chief P. Michael Freeman, Sheriff Lee Baca and Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky announce the identification and arrest of several young men whose nocturnal camping and party activities are suspected of starting the Corral Canyon fire on the weekend following Thanksgiving. The fire eventually scorched nearly 5,000 acres, consumed more than 50 homes, inflicted an estimated $100 million in damage and injured six firefighters. "It is illegal to set fires in the cave above Corral Canyon under any circumstances, whether there are Santa Ana wind conditions or not," Yaroslavsky declared, "and it's reckless on top of the illegality to set a fire anywhere in the mountains when there are Santa Ana wind conditions, as there were the night this fire broke out." (12/13/07)

In the Environment

Yaroslavsky Welcomes Green Xchange
Global Marketplace Conference

Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky welcomes participants to the inaugural GreenXchange Global Marketplace Conference, an event designed to bring together public and private sector leaders, policymakers and entrepreneurs engaged in buying, selling, manufacturing, financing, endorsing and legislating in the emerging field of green technologies, products, innovations and services.

The two-day conference included numerous panels, presentations and myriad networking opportunities for participants to “grow” their businesses and promote their policy initiatives. It also served as a “curtain-raiser” to hone the agenda for next year’s premiere GreenXchange Xpo, scheduled for October 1-3, 2008 at the Los Angeles Convention Center, billed by its organizers as “a multi-sector and cross-disciplinary exhibition marketplace allowing attendees to discover their complete portfolio of green solutions and market opportunities under one roof.” (12/11/07)

A Day Without A Bag

Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky shows off a reusable canvas shopping bag to kick off “A Day Without a Bag” at the Grove at Farmers Market. The event was conceived as an education and holiday giveaway program mounted by a coalition of major retailers, local governments and regional environmental groups in the County of Los Angeles.

Yaroslavsky’s holiday message urged Southland shoppers to give a present to the environment this holiday season by foregoing plastic or paper grocery bags in favor of reusable totes like the one pictured above. The bags were distributed free to patrons at high-profile shopping centers throughout the region during the special day of in-store promotions and giveaways.

Yaroslavsky noted that County residents use more than 6 billion disposable plastic shopping bags each year. According to environmental group Heal the Bay, California municipalities spend nearly $50 million each year just to collect and dispose of plastic bag waste. Fewer than 5% of plastic grocery bags are recycled annually in Los Angeles, so the remainder consumes precious landfill space, litters public spaces and can harm animal life when the bags blow into waterways.

While paper bags are biodegradeable under some circumstances, they still require vast amounts of fossil fuels and water to produce, distribute and collect for disposal. Millions around the world have embraced heavy-duty reusable bags as a convenient, environmentally friendly alternative. For more information on safe and environmentally friendly solid-waste reduction and clean-up ideas, visit Clean LA. (12/20/07)

In the Community

Yaroslavsky Kicks Off El Proyecto Del Barrio
Toy Drive and Health Fair

On Saturday, December 15, 2007, Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky helped kick off El Proyecto del Barrio’s traditional Navidad En El Barrio Christmas Food and Gift Distribution, Holiday Carnival and Health Fair at Calvary Lutheran Church in Arleta. The annual events offer a bit of seasonal cheer, along with a holiday meal and toys to more than 3,500 members of needy families. Keyes Automotive Group sponsors the events, and many of its employees volunteer for them.

El Proyecto del Barrio, one of the County’s leading nonprofit agencies offering health and human services to low-income communities, has been hosting the annual events since 1991. In addition to distributing food and gifts, the events offer medical and dental screening, immunizations, and plentiful information about how to obtain free health and human services throughout the year. Pictured here with Supervisor Yaroslavsky, from the left, are Corrine Sanchez, President and Chief Executive Office of El Proyecto del Barrio and Helen Madrid Worthen, El Proyecto board member. (12/15/07)

2007 In Review

Message From Supervisor Yaroslavsky

On December 4, 2007, I completed my one-year rotating turn as Chairman of the Board of Supervisors, and turned over the gavel to Supervisor Yvonne B. Burke. Below are my reflections given in an address to the Board of Supervisors on some of the highlights of the past year's accomplishments.

Perhaps the single most significant development this past year has been the change in our government structure and the hiring of our new CEO, Bill Fujioka - and the retirement of David Janssen, one of the great public administrators that I’ve ever had the pleasure of working with.

Thanks to David’s fiscal stewardship and our Board’s committed spending discipline, the County will save millions of dollars in lower borrowing costs since Standard & Poor's Rating Services raised our credit ratings in June. Taxpayers will be reaping the benefits for years to come. For his part, Bill quickly stepped in to fill those shoes and hit the ground running. At the same time, we’ve implemented a new governance structure to evolve the way we do business into a more organized and efficient fashion, and while it's a work in progress, I think we're moving in the right direction.

The closure of King-Harbor Hospital was a very painful experience for all of us. But there's a silver lining to that cloud, and we are hopeful that the work now being done to bring new leadership there ultimately will enable us to reopen that hospital sooner rather than later under competent management.

In the environmental arena, we have taken steps here to construct our new buildings in a manner that meets "Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design" (LEED) standards, emphasizing renewable energy resources to make us part of the solution rather than part of the problem.

We've made strides this year in our efforts to address the problems of homelessness. Earlier this year, the Board approved a framework in which all 88 of our cities can plug into the County's human resources delivery system if they want to, and we’ll provide the vital human services that are necessary to bring people out of homelessness and into permanent supportive housing.

The County of Los Angeles has demonstrated that there are a lot of things it does right and does well, and among them is emergency response. In my own district, I’ve had two major fires since late October. We have been victimized by high Santa Ana winds and dry conditions and brushfires, but we have also been blessed with incredible response from our fire department and neighboring fire departments from all over the region, as well as our law enforcement personnel.

On a more positive note, we have some exciting projects underway. The new Broad Contemporary Art Museum at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art will open February 9th. The new leadership of Museum president Michael Govan has been spectacular. He has attracted new people to the Museum family who have a stake in it and will elevate it into one of the finest institutions of its kind in the world.

Arts and culture, as we all know, are vitally important to our region. The Hollywood Bowl attained its highest attendance ever this past summer, and the Walt Disney Concert Hall remains an outstanding success. Los Angeles continues to be one of the premier locations in the world for cutting edge arts and culture. For several years now, we have employed more people in the arts than we employ in the defense industry. These are truly the golden years of the arts in Los Angeles, and we're very fortunate as a Board and as residents of this County to be living in them.

Finally, I'm thrilled that in her last year, Supervisor Yvonne Burke – who has served with great distinction as a member of this Board – will serve out the final year of her term as Chair of the Board. She is a historic figure in this country, and we are all privileged to have served with her on this Board. She has served with great distinction as a member of the State Legislature and as a member of Congress. I look forward to the coming year, and I know that we're all excited about capping her career in this way. She’s a great conciliator and a great leader, and we all wish her well. Thank you again for allowing me to chair this Board during the past year.

On October 2, 2007, Supervisor Yaroslavsky and his colleagues honored Philip Mangano, Executive Director of the United States Interagency Council on Homelessness, a body comprising twenty cabinet secretaries and agency heads charged with developing a federal strategy and coordinating a response to end homelessness throughout the nation.

Mangano’s efforts focus largely on prodding local governments to adopt the goal of ending chronic homelessness and devise their own 10-year plans toward that end. More than 300 cities and counties to date have signed on to the program. During his visit, Mangano was also feted at a banquet hosted by the Rockefeller Foundation, which jointly funds the Council on Homelessness with Common Ground Community. Common Ground is a non-profit housing development and management organization dedicated to creating supportive housing for homeless and low income individuals.

Yaroslavsky Endorses “Project 50”
at Regional Homeless Meeting

Pictured here, from the left: Edmund D. Edelman, former County Supervisor and currently homelessness consultant for the City of Santa Monica; Horace Sibley, Director, United Way Atlanta; Philip Mangano, Executive Director, U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness; Zev Yaroslavsky, Chairman, Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors; Rosanne Haggerty, President, Common Ground; Rob Hess, Department of Homeless Services, City of New York; Richard Bloom, Mayor, City of Santa Monica. (10/4/07)

On October 4, 2007, Board of Supervisors Chairman Zev Yaroslavsky (center) participated in a day-long working session with national experts and local officials to address “Regional Strategies to Solve Homelessness.” Yaroslavsky endorsed the “Project 50” concept, an intensive program to identify the so-called “anchor” homeless, the top 50 individuals living longest out on the street and relocate them into permanent supportive housing that includes links to essential social services. Yaroslavsky expressed the hope that demonstrably changing the social dynamic for the hardcore homeless could create a "tipping point" to deal more effectively with homelessness on the streets of Los Angeles overall.

The gathering was co-sponsored by the United States Interagency Council on Homelessness and New York-based Common Ground, with major funding from The Rockefeller Foundation. Common Ground has hosted several delegations from Los Angeles County to tour their homeless projects, including the historic Times Square Hotel that was redeveloped into housing for 652 low-income and formerly homeless individuals.

Yaroslavsky Co-Chairs 2007 PATH
National Mall Network Summit

As co-chair of the 2007 Mall Network National Summit, Supervisor Yaroslavsky recently welcomed more than 200 participants to the National Mall Network Summit convened in Los Angeles. Led by PATH Partners (People Assisting The Homeless), the two-day event involved various community leaders who are actively engaged in efforts to reduce homelessness across the country.

Challenging the traditional “maintenance” approach of shelters and soup kitchens, Yaroslavsky described the Mall concept of “one-stop, multi-service homeless centers” as a promising new strategy to better serve the nation’s homeless population, allowing service providers to pool their efforts to assist clients within a facility where those in need can obtain under one roof all the services and support they require. (10/4/07)

Yaroslavsky Joins United Way to Announce
First-Ever “HomeWalk”

On Monday, October 15, 2007, Supervisor Yaroslavsky joined other local elected officials and representatives from United Way of Greater Los Angeles to announce the agency’s first-ever “HomeWalk,” a 5K Family Walk in Exposition Park to be held as part of its A Pathway Home initiative to prevent and end homelessness.

The walk, in collaboration with the Fannie Mae Foundation Help the Homeless Program and Walkathon, will take place simultaneously in Washington D.C. and across six other cities. While this will mark the walk’s Los Angeles debut, Washington, D.C.’s event celebrates its 10th anniversary this year with more than 35,000 walkers.

HomeWalk and A Pathway Home are key elements in United Way’s recently launched Action Plan, aimed at creating pathways out of poverty by building increased public and political will for workable, effective homelessness solutions like supportive housing. For more details on the event, read the press release. (10/15/07)

Improving Our Waters

New Water Treatment Plant Opens
at Malibu's Marie Canyon

On Thursday, October 11, 2007, Board of Supervisors Chairman Zev Yaroslavsky was joined by City of Malibu elected officials, representatives from environmental organization Heal the Bay and County Department of Public Works officials to dedicate a new $1.3 million water quality improvement project at Marie Canyon in Malibu. The County owned and operated facility can treat as much as 100 gallons per minute - roughly triple the average amount of flow - of dry weather runoff flowing from Marie Canyon, effectively removing bacteria and other pollutants before they reach the public beach at the canyon’s outlet to the ocean (indicated below right by Supervisor Yaroslavsky).

In recent years, water quality at the beach outlet of Marie Canyon has ranked among the three worst in the state, according to Heal the Bay’s Annual Beach Report. Designed by Clear Creek Systems, a Bakersfield-based water treatment solutions firm, the plant (shown above left) employs a filtration system using multimedia and organo-clay beds to remove common pollutants like litter, leaves, oils, and pesticides, then passes the water through a series of two UV-light filters to eliminate bacteria and viruses.

The County of Los Angeles operates 18 other devices in the Santa Monica Bay intended to divert low-flow urban runoff away from the ocean to nearby sewage treatment facilities, which have been credited with substantially reducing Santa Monica Bay beach closures during the summer of 2007.

Malibu’s Whale of a Problem

Photos courtesy of Northern Section Lifeguard Chief Fernando Boiteux

Around 8 a.m. on Sunday morning, September 30, 2007, a 65’ blue whale carcass washed ashore at Broad Beach. Officials believe it to be one of three animal carcasses that had washed up on a Ventura County beach two weeks earlier. Los Angeles County’s Lifeguard Rescue Boat “Baywatch del Rey” towed the carcass 15 miles offshore under the US Coast Guard request. Several days later, on Thursday, October 4, 2007, at 7:30 a.m., the unlucky whale washed back ashore at 24500 Malibu Beach Road, Malibu. That afternoon, County lifeguards tried again. At 1 p.m. “Baywatch Malibu” began towing the carcass a planned 20 miles off shore, and since then no further sightings have been reported. (10/4/07)

For information on how to remove sea animals that have washed ashore, you can contact the Northern District of the Los Angeles County Lifeguard Headquarters at 310-454-7962.

Improving Our Environment

A Tree Grows at the Hollywood Bowl

Board of Supervisors Chairman Zev Yaroslavsky oversees the planting of a new 25-foot sycamore tree in the Hollywood Bowl’s Box Office Plaza as part of the County’s ongoing Urban Reforestation Project. Replacing a diseased and potentially dangerous older tree that was previously removed, this sycamore tree – a beautiful California native variety tolerant of heat and wind, offering generous shade - is the largest of the more than 9,000 trees planted throughout Los Angeles County as part of the effort.

Under the project, by year’s end some 59 Los Angeles County parks will have received 9,168 trees and planted 7,000 small shrubs. The Los Angeles County Urban Reforestation Project is funded by $3.7 million from State Bond Proposition 12. All trees and shrubs are planted on irrigated Los Angeles County Park property by the Los Angeles Conservation Corps using at-risk youth workers, and will be nurtured and maintained by the Los Angeles County Department of Parks and Recreation. (10/3/07)

Transportation

Yaroslavsky Welcomes Former
Curitiba Mayor Jaime Lerner

Board of Supervisors Chairman Zev Yaroslavsky welcomes to Los Angeles former Mayor Jaime Lerner of Curitiba, Brazil, whose innovative and highly successful “Speedybus” Bus Rapid Transit system sparked Yaroslavsky’s proposal to build the 14-mile Orange Line Busway across the San Fernando Valley. Launched in November 2005, the Orange Line continues to set monthly ridership records, now topping 24,000 daily weekday boardings. (9/28/07)

In the Community

Yaroslavsky Addresses UCLA Town & Gown Conference

Supervisor Yaroslavsky also tackled matters of planning and land use as a featured speaker at this year’s 2nd Annual Town & Gown Conference held at UCLA Covel Commons, hosted by UCLA’s Community & Local Government Relations Division. Other speakers addressed such diverse topics as best practices pertaining to issues in economic development and policies concerning student conduct. (10/12/07)

Yaroslavsky Discusses Density, Development
at VICA Conference

Board of Supervisors Chairman Zev Yaroslavsky offered keynote remarks on the topics of growth, density, development and neighborhood protection at the 2007 Newsmaker Connection conference organized by the Valley Industry and Commerce Association (VICA). Afterward, Yaroslavsky took questions from participants on a range of issues such as land use and transportation challenges facing residents throughout the County. Yaroslavsky is scheduled to speak as a panelist at VICA's upcoming 19th Annual Business Forecast Conference on November 8, 2007. (10/11/07)


3RD DISTRICT NEWS
In the Valley Sun Valley Middle School Health Clinic Dedicated Pictured here, from the left, are Kim Waldhanz, human resources, NEVHC; Rosie Lopez-Castel, information technology, NEVHC; Theresa "Missy" Nitescu, Chief Operating Officer for NEVHC; Marirose Medina, nursing director for NEVHC; Dr. Ursula Baffigo, Associate Medical Officer, NEVHC; Jan Marquard, Sun Valley Health Center Administrator; Kim Wyard, Chief Executive Officer for NEVHC; Yaroslavsky; Patricia Moraga, Chief Financial Officer for NEVHC; and Dr. Patrick Dowling, UCLA Department of Family Medicine. (4/2/08) Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky was joined by local elected representatives, community leaders, school officials and students to celebrate the grand opening of the Sun Valley Health Center, the County’s first school-based health center to be designed and built from the ground up as a clinic. The 10,840 sq. ft. facility, sited on the campus of Sun Valley Middle School, serves students and families, and is operated by community-based non-profit Northeast Valley Health Corporation (NEVHC). Asthma screening services are provided by the UCLA Geffen School of Medicine. Grand Opening for Parthenia Street Senior Housing Facility Pictured here, from the left, are Sean Spear, Director of Major Projects, City of Los Angeles Housing Department; Herman Ransom, Acting Director, Los Angeles Multifamily Hub, U.S. Department of Housing & Urban Development; three tenants of Parthenia Street Senior Housing; Lance Bocarsly, Chair of the Board of Directors, Menorah Housing Foundation; and Anne Friedrich, Executive Director, Menorah Housing Foundation. Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky cuts the ribbon to dedicate the Parthenia Street Senior Housing Facility, the latest project of the Menorah Housing Foundation, a community-based non-profit formed in 1969 to meet the housing needs of low-income seniors. The cheerfully painted housing complex, located at 19455 Parthenia Street in Northridge, offers 77 affordable independent-living apartments set in a distinctive stepped four-story design amidst landscaped gardens. Menorah’s next project, made possible on a motion by Supervisor Yaroslavsky, will provide affordable senior housing on the site of a former County Public Social Services office at Pico and Veteran Avenues in West Los Angeles. Protecting Our Enviroment Yaroslavsky Celebrates Earth Day in Studio City Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky joined a group of Studio City youngsters to celebrate Earth Day 2008 with a special tree-planting effort. The fourth-graders from Carpenter Avenue Elementary planted some 300 native shrubs and nine trees along the LA River, taking their place in a global community comprising tens of millions of similar volunteers joining in International Earth Day observances. Yaroslavsky’s office coordinated the event in conjunction with the County’s Department of Public Works, with the new riverfront garden planting intended as the beginning of a proposed greenbelt project extending from Coldwater Canyon Avenue to Fulton Avenue. The site will be tended by the Village Gardeners, a volunteer-based, nonprofit organization dedicated to beautifying this stretch of the Los Angeles River. The County has coordinated dozens of Earth Day events over the years within its watershed communities and in partnership with local schools. Students won’t soon forget their hands-on lessons in planting native vegetation, disposing of trash properly, and shopping with reusable bags instead of disposable plastic or paper sacks. It’s all part of the effort to teach them to protect their own health, and the health of their natural habitat throughout the County. (4/21/08) Yaroslavsky Opens Pepperdine University Water Conference Supervisor Yaroslavsky – pictured here, from the left, with Heal the Bay founder Dorothy Green, Malibu Mayor Jeff Jennings, and Rhiannon L. Pregitzer, Pepperdine University’s Director of Regulatory Affairs - welcomed participants to the Water Run-Off Conference at Pepperdine’s Malibu campus. Those attending learned how to reduce water use and better manage water run-off. Breakout sessions reviewed existing water conservation projects and ordinances, offered realistic and aesthetic solutions through landscaping, water recapture, and other best management practices, and explained the connections between water, energy and global climate. Green, serving as Honorary Chair for the event, spoke and introduced her latest book “Managing Water.” Visit www.malibuwatershed.org for more information. (3/5/08) EPA Awards Pacoima Beautiful $300,000 “Green Practices” Grant Pictured here with the check, from the left, are Supervisor Yaroslavsky; Matt Haber, US-EPA Air Division Deputy Director; Detrich Brown Allen, General Manager, City of Los Angeles Environmental Affairs Department; State Sen. Alex Padilla; Nury Martinez, Executive Director, Pacoima Beautiful; and Karen Y. Henry, Environmental Scientist with US-EPA’s Region 9 Environmental Justice Program. For more grant-funding opportunities, visit the US-EPA Office of Air and Radiation grants page, here. (3/14/08). The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency recently awarded a $300,000 grant to Pacoima Beautiful - a local non-profit group advocating for a healthy, environmentally safe, prosperous and sustainable community. The grant promotes a variety of green practices aimed at improving the environmental quality of life for area residents. The funding will underwrite efforts in the largely low-income, light industrial portion of Los Angeles to identify high diesel emissions from trucks and school buses and encourage area auto dismantlers to engage in environmentally-sound practices such as recycling and using cleaner-diesel trucks and equipment. It also pays for an $89,000 academic research study in partnership with the EPA’s Office of Research and Development to examine the links between nearby roadway air pollution, adverse birth outcomes, and vulnerability factors. For more grant-funding opportunities, visit the US-EPA Office of Air and Radiation grants page, here. On the Westside Los Angeles Free Clinic Becomes the Saban Free Clinic Pictured here, from the left, Los Angeles Free Clinic Co-Executive Director Abbe Land, Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, and philanthropists Cheryl Saban, Ph.D. and Haim Saban, gathered to announce the Sabans’ gift of a $10 million endowment and the formal re-naming of the Clinic to become the Saban Free Clinic. Officials said the donation will provide much needed discretionary funds for special projects at the facility. The Los Angeles Free Clinic was established some 40 years ago and has grown into one of the region’s most highly regarded health and social services organizations, comprising four clinics, 195 employees, more than 400 volunteers, and over 100,000 patient visits annually. (4/21/08) Breaking Ground for Hollywood/Los Angeles Beautification Team Headquarters Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky joined other officials to break ground for the new permanent headquarters of the Hollywood/Los Angeles Beautification Team, (HBT) a grassroots environmental organization whose mission is “to enhance the quality of life in Los Angeles by teaching and empowering people to change their environments through community capacity building, physical improvements and job creation.” HBT was established in 1992 by neighborhood volunteers, and has since grown into a countywide organization, serving communities by improving school campuses, neighborhoods and business districts, as well as by providing educational workshops and vocational training to at-risk youth. The group has adopted more than 110 public schools, hired 2,500 young people on various projects and helped create 250 mural walls. Teaching children about art and the environment, the HBT staff has gone on to mentor more than 27,000 young people in interactive art, tree planting, and cleaning projects at their own schools. HBT annually plants 2,000 trees, abates more than two million square feet of graffiti, and picks up more than 30 tons of trash throughout the city of Los Angeles. (4/4/08) Board to Fund Step Up On Second’s “Daniel’s Village” Permanent Supportive Housing Project On April 1, 2008, the Board of Supervisors approved Supervisor Yaroslavsky’s request to authorize $200,000 in Third District discretionary funding for the “Daniel’s Village” renovation project located at 2624 Santa Monica Blvd. in Santa Monica. The project sponsor, Step Up on Second, is a well-established Westside community-based non-profit agency assisting the homeless. When completed, Daniel’s Village will offer eight new units of permanent supportive housing for youth aged 18-28, who are aging out of the foster-care system and are homeless or at risk of homelessness. See Daniel report for full details. Building Healthy Communities Yaroslavsky Joins East Valley Family YMCA for “Healthy Kids Day” Pictured here from left to right are Stephen Swofford, East Valley YMCA Board Member; Supervisor Yaroslavsky; Disney volunteers and members of the East Valley YMCA – and Goofy. (4/12/08) Supervisor Yaroslavsky recently helped celebrate YMCA Healthy Kids Day held at the East Valley Family YMCA at North Hollywood Park. The local event was part of YMCA’s Activate America™, a national initiative to help all Americans improve their health and wellness by making fitness fun. The Obesity Society reports that roughly one in five of today’s youth is overweight. The YMCA program introduces parents and kids to an array of activities that teach healthy eating and ways that the whole family can play together. At this year’s event, kids and families enjoyed a climbing wall, obstacle course, relay games, arts and crafts, healthy snacks, a healthy foods cook-off with celebrity chefs, dancing, stage performances, and even a surprise visit from Disney’s Goofy. To learn more about childhood and adult obesity or how to make healthy lifestyle changes, visit CDC Division of Nutrition, Physical Activity and Obesity. Yaroslavsky Joins Childrens Hospital Los Angeles to “Top Off” New Hospital Building Pictured here with Supervisor Yaroslavsky, from the left, are Richard Cordova, CEO of Childrens Hospital Los Angeles (CHLA) and Mary Hart, TV personality, Board Member and Co-Chair of Fundraising for CHLA's New Hospital Building. They were among several hundred guests and participants on hand for a “topping-off” ceremony to celebrate placing the final structural steel beam atop CHLA’s new $548 million, seven-floor, 460,000-square-foot New Hospital Building. With its scheduled opening set for 2010, the wing will be the finest medical and surgical environment for seriously ill and injured children in the United States. (3/9/08) Grand Opening for Kaiser Hospital in Panorama City Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky presents a plaque to Dr. David Potyk, past medical director for Kaiser Permanente Panorama City Medical Center, who helped oversee the successful completion of Kaiser’s brand new $280 million facility. The Kaiser medical center becomes the first full-service hospital to open in the San Fernando Valley in 14 years, and replaces Kaiser’s original Panorama City Hospital dating back to 1962. The 400,000-square-foot hospital includes an electronic medical records system accessible by computers in every patient room and at nurses' stations, a state-of-the-art digital system for MRI's, CT scans and other diagnostic imaging, and 10 operating rooms with high-definition cameras to assist surgical teams. An entire floor is devoted to labor and delivery, with 13 patient suites and a 24-bed level 3B neonatal intensive care unit, among the most advanced and well-equipped neonatal facilities in the nation. (4/25/08) Arts & Culture LA Philharmonic Unveils 2008 Hollywood Bowl Summer Season The Los Angeles Philharmonic has announced the concert lineup for the 2008 Summer Season at the Hollywood Bowl, recently named by Pollstar Magazine as “Best Major Outdoor Concert Venue” in the nation for the fourth year in a row. As always, the program is an exciting and eclectic mix of classical, world music, jazz, spectaculars and special events. This year marks the farewell for long-time LA Phil Music Director and principal conductor Esa-Pekka Salonen, who departs at the conclusion of the 2008/9 season to devote more time to composing. In the meantime, we welcome as special guest conductors – pictured here with Supervisor Yaroslavsky, from left to right - Bramwell Tovey, wielding the baton for the Philharmonic at the Bowl, and Thomas Wilkins, presiding over the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra. Full ticket information may be found at Hollywood Bowl tickets.(3/17/08) Plácido Domingo Feted At 40th Anniversary Gala From the left, pictured here are Mark Stern, Chairman of LA Opera, Supervisor Yaroslavsky and Plácido Domingo, General Director of LA Opera. On Friday April 18th, the renowned tenor was celebrated for a lifetime of achievements on the 40th anniversary of his starring debut at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion. At the time, the young singer was touring with the New York City Opera, performing the title role in Alberto Ginastera’s Don Rodrigo. Since that time, Plácido has sung 22 different roles in 120 opera performances and has conducted 52 performances of 10 different operas in Los Angeles. Visit LA Opera online to attend any of the outstanding upcoming performances. (4/18/08) Santa Monica College Performing Arts Center Receives $10 Million Endowment Supervisor Yaroslavsky acknowledges with gratitude a new $10 million gift endowment for the Santa Monica College (SMC) Performing Arts Center from philanthropist and arts patron Eli Broad (center), seated next to Oscar-winning actor Dustin Hoffman, one of the better known SMC alums and chair of the facility’s artistic advisory board. The endowment will support programming and arts education at the college. Set to open on September 20, 2008, the 499-seat state-of-the-art theater will present renowned artists and world-class operas, symphonies, musicals, dance troupes, film and live theater. The adjacent smaller black box theater will present readings, plays and other small-audience offerings, showcasing new material and experimental dramatic, musical and dance performances. The Santa Monica College Performing Arts Center is located at 1310 11th Street, Santa Monica, California. For further details, see the SMC press release (3/6/08) In the Community County Commission for Women Honors 2008 "Women of the Year" Pictured from left to right: Supervisor Yaroslavsky, former State Assemblywoman Fran Pavley, Bobbi Jean Tanberg, Chair of the Awards Luncheon, and Charlotte Lesser, President, Los Angeles County Commission for Women, gathered for the 23rd Annual Women of the Year Luncheon to celebrate “Women of Service” and salute them for their work to bring about social and economic change. This year, the 3rd District honored Pavley as a former educator and successful state legislator who saw more than 70 of her bills and resolutions adopted. An ardent environmentalist, Pavley’s landmark tailpipe emission-reduction bill was among the first global warming laws in the nation and has become a model for other jurisdictions. To date, bills based on Pavley’s “Clean Car” legislation have been enacted in 11 other states and many provinces in Canada. (3/10/08) West Hollywood Community Remembers Murder Victim with Candlelight Vigil Supervisor Yaroslavsky, pictured here adding his candle to an improvised shrine, joined family and community members at Poinsettia Park Recreation Center in Los Angeles to honor the life of Katan Khaimov, a 70-year-old grandfather and father of five who was fatally stabbed in an apparent street robbery while walking his dog in the evening near the border between West Hollywood and Los Angeles. Among those in attendance were officials from the cities of Los Angeles and West Hollywood, LAPD and County Sheriff’s representatives, and many others who turned out to express their outrage at the incident. On Tuesday, May 6, 2008, the Board of Supervisors approved Yaroslavsky’s motion offering a $10,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and/or conviction of the person or persons responsible for the murder. This brings to $67,000 the total reward being offered in the case. Anyone with any potential information is urged to call Hollywood homicide detectives at (213) 972-2910, or the 24-hour hotline (877) LAWFULL. (4/11/08) Board Honors Award-Winning Theatre Company for At-Risk Youth Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky presents a County commendation to 19-year-old Jose Ramirez, an orphan and one-time incarcerated gang member, who is accepting as the current youth representative for The Unusual Suspects Theatre Company (US), a Culver City-based non-profit organization renowned for their work over the past 15 years with incarcerated and foster youth throughout Southern California. The group was recently recognized by the President’s Committee on Arts & Humanities as one of 18 national and international recipients of the Coming Up Taller Award, the nation’s highest honor for after-school arts programming. Founded in 1993 by actress Laura Leigh Hughes in the wake of the Rodney King verdict riots, US brings together theatre and film professionals to help the participating teens collaborate in the creative process to produce 12 separate productions a year. The intensive 12-week program helps participants cultivate pride, racial tolerance and social consciousness as they write and perform original plays as an ensemble. (3/18/08) At James Monroe High School, Yaroslavsky Champions Public Service Supervisor Yaroslavsky champions the importance of public service, appearing as an invited guest speaker for 10th and 11th graders in the Law and Government Magnet Class at James Monroe High School in North Hills. Yaroslavsky shared his enthusiasm about his lengthy career as a public servant, fielded questions about his family life and how he chose a career in elective office, and shared with students a savvy insider’s perspective on city and county government. Yaroslavsky’s son is a graduate of the Monroe Law and Government Magnet, Class of 2000. (4/18/08) Commission Appointments (+ denotes reappointment): 5/6 - Jacquelyn McCroskey+, LAC Policy Roundtable for Child Care Stephen Rosmarin+, LAC Veterans Advisory Commission 4/15 - Rosi Dagit+, LAC Beach Commission Stanley Rogers+, Consumer Affairs Advisory Commission 4/8 - Clare Bronowski, Esq.+, LAC Beach Commission Jeffrey D. Jennings, Esq.+, LAC Beach Commission Scott J. Svonkin+, LAC Commission on Insurance Ross Eden Viselman, Esq., LAC Workforce Investment Board 4/1 -Peer Ghent, M.B.A., Board of Governors of the County Arboreta and Botanic Gardens Alan M. Glassman, Ph.D., LAC Citizens' Economy and Efficiency Commission Helen A. Kleinberg+, LAC Commission for Children and Families Helen Levin+, LAC Consumer Affairs Advisory Commission 3/18 - Renee Adams+, LAC Developmental Disabilities Board (Area 10-Los Angeles) Judith Frank+, LAC Health Facilities Authority Commission Anne R. Greer+, LAC Consumer Affairs Advisory Commission 3/11 - Honey Amado, LAC Child Support Advisory Board Fred Flores+, LAC Veterans Advisory Commission 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. 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 Baseball 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 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. 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
Supervisor Thanks Senator Feinstein Supervisor Yaroslavsky presents Senator Dianne Feinstein with a scrapbook of historic photos, illustrations and postcards of the West LA VA site, where this picture was taken, in gratitude for her recently-enacted legislation protecting the nearly 400 acres of that site from commercial development and preserving it for the benefit of veterans. Feinstein’s legislation, which passed the House thanks to the strong support of Rep. Henry Waxman (D-Los Angeles), who represents the area, was included in an omnibus appropriations bill signed into law by President Bush in December. (1/16/08) Rocketdyne Field Lab Site to Be Cleaned Up Under State Jurisdiction Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky praised a decision by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger to retain state jurisdiction and oversight over long-overdue efforts to clean up the contaminated Rocketdyne Santa Susana Field Laboratory, a former rocket-engine testing and nuclear research facility located near Chatsworth just across the Ventura County line. In an action that pleased local environmentalists and neighboring residents of the site, Schwarzenegger and state officials determined that at this point, seeking federal Superfund status for the area would slow down and weaken the clean-up effort. In December, the Environmental Protection Agency recommended adding the former Rocketdyne facility to the National Priorities List of sites to qualify for federal cleanup under the Superfund program. Schwarzenegger decided instead to ask the EPA for a six-month delay before making its final decision, both to further study the issue and strengthen Sacramento’s hand in negotiations with the site’s current owner Boeing Corp. over terms for a cleanup that would ultimately turn over the decontaminated 2,850-acre site to the state for open-space parkland.
Yaroslavsky Tackles Transportation at “Move LA” Transit Summit Pictured here with Yaroslavsky, from the left, are Dr. Manuel Pastor, USC; John Fasana, Metro Board member; Richard Katz, Metro Board member; and Parke Skelton, political consultant. On Thursday, January 10, 2008 Supervisor Yaroslavsky delivered a blunt and candid assessment of the region’s transit challenges as a featured participant on the concluding panel convened as part of the "Move LA" all-day public transit conference held in downtown Los Angeles. Yaroslavsky’s remarks touched on various transit projects underway such as the Expo Line light rail through Culver City to Santa Monica and the Eastside Gold Line light-rail, as well as other suggested projects including the Wilshire subway extension. Sherman Oaks Homeowner Association Welcomes Yaroslavsky On January 16, 2008, speaking to members of the Sherman Oaks Homeowners Association, Supervisor Yaroslavsky criticized looming overdevelopment threatened by measures like SB 1818, a state law that offers apartment and condo project developers greater density and taller buildings in return for minimal set asides for affordable housing units. “Land use is one of the most important and critical issues to the areas of Los Angeles,” Yaroslavsky told the audience. “The land use regulations we have are designed not only to protect you against a towering building and traffic. It’s also to ensure that your home doesn’t lose value because someone else decided to gain value at your expense,” he added, warning that what were once considered “settled land use issues” are now under attack through law and policy changes. For a full account of Yaroslavsky’s presentation, read more in this Sun Community Newspaper article. Yaroslavsky Joins Santa Monica Symphony in Salute to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Supervisor Yaroslavsky takes a bow with Santa Monica Symphony conductor Allen Gross after narrating a matinee performance of Schwantner’s “New Morning for the World - Daybreak of Freedom,” a musical setting for the stirring words of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. The occasion, on Sunday, January 20, 2008, marked the Symphony’s 2nd Annual Commemorative Concert to celebrate Dr. King’s birthday, and the 25th anniversary of the composition’s first full symphonic performance. Forty-five years after they were first uttered, and 40 years after his tragic assassination, Dr. King’s words still resonate with us today: “I have a dream. The dream is one of equality of opportunity, of privilege and property widely distributed; a dream of a land where persons will not take necessities from the many to give luxuries to the few: a dream of a land where persons do not argue that the color of one’s skin determines the content of one’s character; the dream of a place where all our gifts and resources are held not for ourselves alone but as instruments of service for the rest of humanity; the dream of a country where everyone will respect the dignity and worth of all human personality, and men will dare to live together as brothers…” Commission Appointments (+ denotes reappointment): 1/29 - Robert A. Ringler+, Los Angeles County Highway Safety Commission
Congress Bars Future Sale and Commercial Development at the West Los Angeles VA site; Yaroslavsky Hails Historic Vote

On Wednesday December 19, 2007, Congress passed HR 2764, the omnibus budget bill that included long-sought legislative provisions protecting the 380-acre West Los Angeles Department of Veterans Affairs property against sale, exchange, long-term lease and commercial development. That night, Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky addressed a rally outside the VA (pictured above) to celebrate the historic vote. President Bush signed the bill into law on December 26, 2007.
Project 50 Completes Phase One of Skid Row Homeless Effort
Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky opens a special briefing for County and City staff on Project 50, an ambitious demonstration project to house the 50 most vulnerable residents of the streets of Skid Row in downtown Los Angeles. Yaroslavsky has championed the plan, modeled after a highly successful program to reduce homelessness in New York City, particularly in Times Square. That effort was coordinated by Common Ground, a New York social services agency, which was hired to shepherd the Los Angeles project through to completion. In early December, Common Ground led a team of County, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and other homelessness professionals to survey and identify every homeless person living on the streets of Skid Row. Each homeless individual was interviewed and ranked according to a “vulnerability index” that weighed their length of homelessness, health, mental health and other needs. The number one person on the list has lived on the streets for over 37 years and suffers from liver and kidney disease. The top 50 on the list averaged more than nine years of homelessness, and each has several chronic diseases. They were all deemed to be in danger of dying if they remained on the streets. In mid-January, outreach teams will return to Skid Row to offer these 50 homeless persons permanent supportive housing. The County of Los Angeles and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs will provide the supportive social services, including substance abuse treatment, health and mental health services. The City of Los Angeles has identified 50 federally rent-subsidized housing units which will be administered by the Skid Row Housing Trust. If successful, it is the County’s hope that the program can be expanded in Skid Row and other parts of the County where there are particularly heavy concentrations of highly vulnerable homeless persons. View a Project 50 PowerPoint presentation here.
Malibu Fires Officials Announce Suspect Arrests in Corral Canyon Fire Left to right: Los Angeles County Fire Chief P. Michael Freeman, Sheriff Lee Baca and Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky announce the identification and arrest of several young men whose nocturnal camping and party activities are suspected of starting the Corral Canyon fire on the weekend following Thanksgiving. The fire eventually scorched nearly 5,000 acres, consumed more than 50 homes, inflicted an estimated $100 million in damage and injured six firefighters. "It is illegal to set fires in the cave above Corral Canyon under any circumstances, whether there are Santa Ana wind conditions or not," Yaroslavsky declared, "and it's reckless on top of the illegality to set a fire anywhere in the mountains when there are Santa Ana wind conditions, as there were the night this fire broke out." (12/13/07) In the Environment Yaroslavsky Welcomes Green Xchange Global Marketplace Conference Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky welcomes participants to the inaugural GreenXchange Global Marketplace Conference, an event designed to bring together public and private sector leaders, policymakers and entrepreneurs engaged in buying, selling, manufacturing, financing, endorsing and legislating in the emerging field of green technologies, products, innovations and services. The two-day conference included numerous panels, presentations and myriad networking opportunities for participants to “grow” their businesses and promote their policy initiatives. It also served as a “curtain-raiser” to hone the agenda for next year’s premiere GreenXchange Xpo, scheduled for October 1-3, 2008 at the Los Angeles Convention Center, billed by its organizers as “a multi-sector and cross-disciplinary exhibition marketplace allowing attendees to discover their complete portfolio of green solutions and market opportunities under one roof.” (12/11/07) A Day Without A Bag Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky shows off a reusable canvas shopping bag to kick off “A Day Without a Bag” at the Grove at Farmers Market. The event was conceived as an education and holiday giveaway program mounted by a coalition of major retailers, local governments and regional environmental groups in the County of Los Angeles. Yaroslavsky’s holiday message urged Southland shoppers to give a present to the environment this holiday season by foregoing plastic or paper grocery bags in favor of reusable totes like the one pictured above. The bags were distributed free to patrons at high-profile shopping centers throughout the region during the special day of in-store promotions and giveaways. Yaroslavsky noted that County residents use more than 6 billion disposable plastic shopping bags each year. According to environmental group Heal the Bay, California municipalities spend nearly $50 million each year just to collect and dispose of plastic bag waste. Fewer than 5% of plastic grocery bags are recycled annually in Los Angeles, so the remainder consumes precious landfill space, litters public spaces and can harm animal life when the bags blow into waterways. While paper bags are biodegradeable under some circumstances, they still require vast amounts of fossil fuels and water to produce, distribute and collect for disposal. Millions around the world have embraced heavy-duty reusable bags as a convenient, environmentally friendly alternative. For more information on safe and environmentally friendly solid-waste reduction and clean-up ideas, visit Clean LA. (12/20/07) In the Community Yaroslavsky Kicks Off El Proyecto Del Barrio Toy Drive and Health Fair On Saturday, December 15, 2007, Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky helped kick off El Proyecto del Barrio’s traditional Navidad En El Barrio Christmas Food and Gift Distribution, Holiday Carnival and Health Fair at Calvary Lutheran Church in Arleta. The annual events offer a bit of seasonal cheer, along with a holiday meal and toys to more than 3,500 members of needy families. Keyes Automotive Group sponsors the events, and many of its employees volunteer for them. El Proyecto del Barrio, one of the County’s leading nonprofit agencies offering health and human services to low-income communities, has been hosting the annual events since 1991. In addition to distributing food and gifts, the events offer medical and dental screening, immunizations, and plentiful information about how to obtain free health and human services throughout the year. Pictured here with Supervisor Yaroslavsky, from the left, are Corrine Sanchez, President and Chief Executive Office of El Proyecto del Barrio and Helen Madrid Worthen, El Proyecto board member. (12/15/07) 2007 In Review Message From Supervisor Yaroslavsky On December 4, 2007, I completed my one-year rotating turn as Chairman of the Board of Supervisors, and turned over the gavel to Supervisor Yvonne B. Burke. Below are my reflections given in an address to the Board of Supervisors on some of the highlights of the past year's accomplishments. Perhaps the single most significant development this past year has been the change in our government structure and the hiring of our new CEO, Bill Fujioka - and the retirement of David Janssen, one of the great public administrators that I’ve ever had the pleasure of working with. Thanks to David’s fiscal stewardship and our Board’s committed spending discipline, the County will save millions of dollars in lower borrowing costs since Standard & Poor's Rating Services raised our credit ratings in June. Taxpayers will be reaping the benefits for years to come. For his part, Bill quickly stepped in to fill those shoes and hit the ground running. At the same time, we’ve implemented a new governance structure to evolve the way we do business into a more organized and efficient fashion, and while it's a work in progress, I think we're moving in the right direction. The closure of King-Harbor Hospital was a very painful experience for all of us. But there's a silver lining to that cloud, and we are hopeful that the work now being done to bring new leadership there ultimately will enable us to reopen that hospital sooner rather than later under competent management. In the environmental arena, we have taken steps here to construct our new buildings in a manner that meets "Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design" (LEED) standards, emphasizing renewable energy resources to make us part of the solution rather than part of the problem. We've made strides this year in our efforts to address the problems of homelessness. Earlier this year, the Board approved a framework in which all 88 of our cities can plug into the County's human resources delivery system if they want to, and we’ll provide the vital human services that are necessary to bring people out of homelessness and into permanent supportive housing. The County of Los Angeles has demonstrated that there are a lot of things it does right and does well, and among them is emergency response. In my own district, I’ve had two major fires since late October. We have been victimized by high Santa Ana winds and dry conditions and brushfires, but we have also been blessed with incredible response from our fire department and neighboring fire departments from all over the region, as well as our law enforcement personnel. On a more positive note, we have some exciting projects underway. The new Broad Contemporary Art Museum at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art will open February 9th. The new leadership of Museum president Michael Govan has been spectacular. He has attracted new people to the Museum family who have a stake in it and will elevate it into one of the finest institutions of its kind in the world. Arts and culture, as we all know, are vitally important to our region. The Hollywood Bowl attained its highest attendance ever this past summer, and the Walt Disney Concert Hall remains an outstanding success. Los Angeles continues to be one of the premier locations in the world for cutting edge arts and culture. For several years now, we have employed more people in the arts than we employ in the defense industry. These are truly the golden years of the arts in Los Angeles, and we're very fortunate as a Board and as residents of this County to be living in them. Finally, I'm thrilled that in her last year, Supervisor Yvonne Burke – who has served with great distinction as a member of this Board – will serve out the final year of her term as Chair of the Board. She is a historic figure in this country, and we are all privileged to have served with her on this Board. She has served with great distinction as a member of the State Legislature and as a member of Congress. I look forward to the coming year, and I know that we're all excited about capping her career in this way. She’s a great conciliator and a great leader, and we all wish her well. Thank you again for allowing me to chair this Board during the past year.
A Message From Supervisor Yaroslavsky on the Malibu Canyon Fire
Santa Ana winds are suspected of sparking the first of a series of wildfires throughout several Southern California counties that began shortly before dawn in Malibu Canyon on Sunday October 21. The fire moved erratically toward Malibu Crest, Carbon and Las Flores Canyons, above Serra Retreat and into the Malibu Road area south of Pacific Coast Highway before firefighters managed to fully contain the blaze by Wednesday night, October 24. When it was all over, the final damage tally included the Malibu Presbyterian Church, which was burned to the ground along with six homes and one business. Also, more than a dozen homes and other structures including two local school classrooms were damaged. Some 4,565 acres were scorched, and the cost of fighting the fire was put at $5.2 million. Thankfully, no lives were lost. Santa Ana winds were among the strongest in memory, making fire fighting especially treacherous. Winds in the Santa Monica Mountains above the City of Malibu were clocked at 60 mph, and reached as high as 111 mph, Category 2 hurricane force, at Laguna Peak near Point Mugu along the coast north of Malibu. Officials put the Topanga Emergency Plan into effect immediately as the growing fire threatened lower Topanga Canyon on Sunday and Monday. Residents of Malibu Crest, Monte Nido and the various canyons in the vicinity were evacuated, and citizens readily cooperated with public safety personnel. The Equine Response Team moved quickly and helped evacuate hundreds of horses without incident to Pierce College for safe keeping. All in all, the fire could have been much worse. The hot, dry and windy conditions made for a perfect firestorm. Only the heroic efforts of firefighters, both in the air and on the ground, limited the damage. Fire officials credited citizen cooperation with the authorities as well as compliance with brush clearance regulations for substantially reducing the potential loss. Other parts of our County and Southern California were not so lucky. Our hearts go out to those in northern Los Angeles County, Orange, San Bernardino and San Diego counties who lost lives and a large number of homes. I want to personally thank Governor Schwarzenegger, the State Office of Emergency Services and all other agencies that came to our assistance through a unified command and mutual aid agreement that characterizes emergency response in California. Above all, I want to thank our firefighters, law enforcement personnel and other emergency responders on whom we have grown to depend in disasters like these. Los Angeles County and its neighbors have the best trained and most experienced first responders in the world, and we should never take them for granted. If you see one of them in the neighborhood, let them know how much you appreciate the risks they take and the sacrifices they make on our behalf. Malibu Fires Message From Supervisor Yaroslavsky The Corral Canyon Fire that broke out in the wee hours of Saturday, November 24, 2007 has proven to be the most devastating fire to strike the Malibu area in 14 years. According to the latest information from the Los Angeles County Fire Department, the fire was started by human activity and burned at least 4,901 acres before firefighters achieved 90% containment, with full containment anticipated by Tuesday, November 27. The Sheriff’s Department is asking anyone with information about the fire's origin to please contact them at (818) 878-1808. Losses to date have been tallied at 53 single family homes and 35 outbuildings destroyed, with another 33 single family homes and 12 outbuildings damaged. There were 37 vehicles destroyed. Regrettably, one California state firefighter has been hospitalized with moderate injuries, and seven other firefighters suffered minor injuries. All mandatory evacuations have been lifted and all roads are open in affected areas. The evacuation shelter at Agoura High School is slated to remain open until further notice. I’m pleased to report that things are rapidly moving forward on the recovery front. On Tuesday, November 27, 2007, the Los Angeles County Operational Area in coordination with the state Office of Emergency Services and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) will open a local assistance center (LAC) for fire victims. The LAC will serve as a one-stop source for disaster relief services, including information on how to replace records lost in the fire, file insurance claims and apply for assistance and housing. Various federal, state, county, local and private non-profit agencies such as Red Cross offering disaster relief, small business loans, building permits, health and social services and consumer protection advice will be represented at the local assistance center. It is located at: Malibu Bluffs Park 24250 Pacific Coast Highway Malibu 90265 It will operate Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.; Saturday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.; and Sunday from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. The hours and days are subject to change. In the meantime: Residents and business owners who sustained losses may begin applying for assistance by calling 1-800-621-FEMA or 1-800-462-7585 (TTY) for the speech and hearing impaired or by registering online at http://www.fema.gov. The Los Angeles County Assessor’s office notes that properties suffering $10,000 or more in damage from the recent wildfires are eligible for a reduction in property taxes, while comparable replacement properties will be able to retain their pre-existing base-value assessments. Visit property tax relief for more information; download the application here. Flooding and mudslides are always a risk in the winter storms that often follow the fire season. For mudflow protection advice, please contact the County’s Department of Public Works at (626) 458-6145 for an on-site assessment of affected properties. Finally, I want to offer my sincere condolences to the firefighters injured and the residents displaced or dispossessed in this tragedy. Fortunately, our region has long experience with disasters of this kind and we are well-positioned to move forward quickly together to begin the healing, recovery and rebuilding process. Sincerely, ZEV YAROSLAVSKY Chairman of the Board Supervisor, Third District Above photos by Williiam Foster, courtesy of Office of Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger Yaroslavsky Calls For Wildfire Safety Improvements The earlier Malibu Canyon Fire that began on October 21, 2007 fortunately claimed no lives, but consumed six homes, damaged six others, destroyed a church and a business and charred 4600 acres. Fire officials identified the cause as sparks from broken power lines downed by ferocious Santa Ana winds preceding the fire’s outbreak early that Sunday morning. Could it have been avoided? On October 31, 2007, the Board of Supervisors adopted a motion authored by Supervisor Yaroslavsky directing County officials to recommend improvements to the strength and integrity of the power line system – particularly the potential undergrounding of power lines and poles in the County’s Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zones – as well as any other improvements to enhance the County’s ability to prevent and withstand the spread of wildfires. Homelessness and Housing Board Approves “Project 50” to Assist Long-Term Homeless On November 20, 2007, the Board of Supervisors unanimously adopted a motion sponsored by Board of Supervisors Chairman Zev Yaroslavsky to identify the 50 most vulnerable, long-term homeless persons on LA’s Skid Row and assist them to move into permanent supportive housing with access to a full range of social services. These services include mental health care, substance abuse treatment, counseling and other programs. Yaroslavsky explained the concept behind the program: that by moving these most challenging members of the hardcore homeless population into housing, others will more readily follow. The strategy of confronting the longstanding culture of homelessness was pioneered by the New York-based social service agency Common Ground, which has enjoyed spectacular success in reducing the homeless street population in Times Square and elsewhere in New York. Yaroslavsky said he expects the program to develop a registry of participants and begin the outreach in a matter of weeks. Menorah Housing Wins Federal Grant for Affordable Senior Apartments Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky has announced that a new senior affordable-housing project will soon be underway at the former site of a county Department of Public Social Services office at Pico and Veteran in West Los Angeles. On October 31, 2007, federal Housing and Urban Development officials notified Menorah Housing Corporation of the government’s agreement to subsidize the construction of 45 housing units under the federal Supportive Housing Program for the Elderly. Menorah Housing Corporation was established in 1969 by the Jewish Federation Council of Greater Los Angeles to develop and manage affordable independent-living senior apartment units. Since that time, the agency has developed and manages nearly 1000 apartment units in fourteen buildings geographically dispersed throughout Los Angeles County. Its programs house very low-income seniors on fixed incomes in safe and accessible housing which they would otherwise be unable to afford. Visit Menorah’s website and learn how to qualify. Health Annenberg Clinic Ribbon Cutting Supervisor Yaroslavsky joins LA Free Clinic officials to cut the ribbon for the new Wallis Annenberg Children and Family Health Center at the LA Free Clinic/Hollywood Wilshire Health Center. Numerous benefactors, led by philanthropist Wallis Annenberg (at right, holding scissors) helped turn a proposal on paper into reality. Yaroslavsky noted that the facility will offer primary care services, health education classes, and dental care, accommodating an additional 20,000 patient visits to bring the total up to 100,000 patient visits per year at the site. Nearly a quarter of the households in the clinic’s Service Planning Area earn less than the Federal Poverty Level, and nearly a third of the adults and 10% of the children lack health insurance. Yaroslavsky noted the clinic’s operating hours extend to 9 pm weeknights, a major boon to the mainly working families unable to take time off during the day. The clinic will also be open until 5 pm on Saturdays. Pictured here, left to right: Bruce Rosenblum, President, Friends of the Los Angeles Free Clinic, Karl Pettijohn, President, Board of Directors, Los Angeles Free Clinic, Sam Fischer, Chair of the Clinic’s 40th Anniversary Committee, Supervisor Yaroslavsky; Jeff Bujer, Co-CEO of the Los Angeles Free Clinic, Abbe Land, Co-CEO of the Los Angeles Free Clinic; and Wallis Annenberg. (11/2/07) Yaroslavsky Welcomes Third District Mental Health Community Forum Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky welcomes participants to the Third District Mental Health Community Forum at the Sportsmen’s Lodge in Studio City, an event organized to provide the community with updated information on County programs carrying out mandates of the Mental Health Services Act, passed by voters as Proposition 63 in 2004. Yaroslavsky noted that the first phase of the Act, designated as the Community Services and Supports Plan, included a $130 million allocation to support Los Angeles County’s plan providing mental health assistance and programs to children, transitional age youth, adults and older adults. Phase Two, Prevention and Early Intervention, is in the beginning stages of the planning process, which includes participation from community agencies and organizations that have a vital role to play in the course of developing the County’s plan. Mental health officials estimate that Los Angeles County is in line to receive between $60 million and $70 million for implementing Phase Two. (11/8/07) 3rd District Services Department of Children and Family Services Celebrates Chatsworth Office Grand Opening Supervisor Yaroslavsky (third from left) shares the ribbon-cutting duties with Trish Ploehn (second from left), Director of the County’s Department of Children and Family Services, to formally open the Department’s new Chatsworth office, a state-of-the-art facility that will provide a full range of child welfare services in the San Fernando Valley. The building houses some 400 DCFS staff members, who partner with other County departments such as Public Social Services, Mental Health, Child Support and Probation in meeting the needs of children and families in the County’s dependency programs. The San Fernando Valley is the largest population center served by any DCFS regional office. (11/09/07) Joining Yaroslavsky, from the left: Dawna Yokoyama, DCFS Regional Administrator, San Fernando Valley; Rita Baer, Executive Director, Valley Trauma Center; Deborah Davies, Director of Programs, Friends of the Family; Lisa Mandel, Children’s Deputy for Supervisor Yaroslavsky; and Paul V. Freedlund, DCFS Regional Administrator, West San Fernando Valley. Yaroslavsky greets advocates and volunteers staffing tables at the office’s Open House to share information about County and community programs to assist children and families in the dependency system. Environment & Open Spaces Yaroslavsky Dedicates Long-Awaited Tujunga Wash Greenway Project Top: A dismal-looking stretch of Tujunga Wash before improvements. Bottom: Left to right, State Sen. Alex Padilla, Supervisor Yaroslavsky, and Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy Executive Director Joseph T. Edmiston pause in their stroll along the streambed and greenway on the mile-long reach between Oxnard and Vanowen, while in the distance a local resident walks his dog. On Wednesday, November 7, 2007, Board of Supervisors Chairman Zev Yaroslavsky was joined by Joseph T. Edmiston, Executive Director of the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy and residents of the Valley Glen community to celebrate the grand opening of the eagerly anticipated $7 million Tujunga Wash Greenway and Stream Restoration Project. The pride was evident as community members turned out in force to celebrate the project’s completion. With its new trails and meandering streambed, this joint project between the County of Los Angeles and the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy brings plant and animal habitat, water quality enhancement, groundwater replenishment, and passive recreation to a one mile reach of the Tujunga Wash, one of the many local channels flowing into the Los Angeles River. Both sides of the Wash (between Vanowen St. and Oxnard Ave.) now feature vibrant vegetation that is native to the Los Angeles River Watershed and pathways for walking and biking. To reintroduce a sustainable, healthy stream system into the park-poor community of Valley Glen, the Los Angeles County Flood Control District diverted water from the concrete channel that formerly fed directly into the Los Angeles River. In an average rainfall year, up to 325,000 gallons daily will flow through the Wash’s new naturalized streambed, improving water quality in the region by recharging enough groundwater into the San Fernando Valley Groundwater Basin to supply 760 families of four for an entire year. For more information on this local tributary, visit Tujunga Watershed; to learn more about the larger Los Angeles River Watershed and the County Department of Public Works’ watershed management programs, please visit DPW’s watershed management page. Board Approves Santa Monica Mountains Local Coastal Program On October 30, 2007, the Board of Supervisors capped two days of lengthy public hearings by adopting the Santa Monica Mountains Local Coastal Program. Crafted after months of discussions with state and local officials and area residents, the far-reaching plan strives to be a responsible blueprint to protect coastal resources and dramatically limit development in the Santa Monica Mountains, while fully protecting Environmentally Sensitive Habitat Areas and all other sensitive environmental resources in the Santa Monica Mountains. Through such efforts as reducing zoning densities and prohibiting ridgeline development, the Local Coastal Program will also help safeguard lives and property from wildfires and other natural hazards. Supervisor Yaroslavsky led the effort to adopt this historic plan. See motion for added conditions to the plan. See final action here. Arts in the 3rd District Santa Monica College Performing Arts Complex Readies Its Debut Pictured here, from the left, Board of Supervisors Chairman Zev Yaroslavsky, The Stage Artistic Director Dale Franzen, Santa Monica College President Dr. Chui L. Tsang and architect Renzo Zecchetto prepare to tour the school’s nearly completed Stage and Second Space theaters. The facilities are located on SMC’s former Madison satellite campus, north of the school’s main campus between 10th and 11th Streets. The theaters are part of the school’s Madison Project, an ambitious effort that will eventually house the SMC Music Department, classrooms and facilities. The Second Space, a 99-seat black-box theater and rehearsal space, opened in August. The Stage, a 541-seat theater still under construction, will formally open in May 2008. The $45 million project was mostly paid for through two Santa Monica city bond measures, along with $5 million in private donations. College officials anticipate using The Stage 45 days a year, freeing up the state-of-the-art facility for a variety of programs involving other local, regional and visiting performers and ensembles such as L.A. Opera, the L.A. Baroque performance group Musica Angelica and others. For further information about the facility and upcoming performance schedules, visit SMC Madison Project. (10/17/07) Transportation Yaroslavsky Talks Transit at VICA Business Conference Pictured here with Yaroslavsky, from the left: Richard Katz, Board member, Metropolitan Water District and Metro; Councilmember Wendy Greuel, Chair, Los Angeles City Council Committee on Transportation; Rod Van Bebber, Senior Vice President, Distribution, United Western Growers; Rita Robinson, General Manager, Los Angeles Department of Transportation; and Supervisor Michael D. Antonovich. (11/8/07) Board of Supervisors Chairman and Metro (formerly MTA) Board member Zev Yaroslavsky (at right) takes part in a panel titled “AB 32 & Transportation: How California Should Fight Gridlock and Smog,” examining the impacts of state global warming legislation and worsening traffic congestion on the Southern California region’s business climate and quality of life. The panel was part of the Valley Industry and Commerce Association (VICA) 19th Annual Business Forecast Conference, held at the Universal Hilton in Universal City. In the Community Hope Lutheran Church Celebrates 65th Anniversary Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky was among the many on hand to help celebrate the 65th anniversary of Hope Lutheran Church in Hollywood. Yaroslavsky is pictured here presenting Pastor Mark Rasbach with an official County greeting. Pastor Rasbach’s 26 years of ministry at Hope have been distinguished by a long history of community involvement, including service as an advisory board member of ANGELCARE (an international relief organization on behalf of children), and CHRISTIANS CONCERNED (an organization formed to confront anti-Semitism). After an arson fire destroyed the church building in 1983, Pastor Rasbach guided his congregation through the tragedy and helped spearhead the effort that in 2 1/2 years rebuilt the new church. He has hosted worldwide tours to the Middle East, Europe and Asia. (11/11/07) Van Nuys Neighborhood Council Hears Yaroslavsky Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky was an invited guest speaker for the November 7, 2007 meeting of the Van Nuys Neighborhood Council to provide an update on County projects and activities of interest to the community, taking questions and later enjoying refreshments and conversation with those in attendance. Commission Appointments (+ denotes reappointment): 10/30 - Ronald D. Rosen, Esq.+, Los Angeles County Arts Commission 10/2 - Neal Kaufman, M.D.+, Los Angeles County Children and Families First Proposition 10 Commission (aka First 5LA)
A MESSAGE FROM SUPERVISOR ZEV YAROSLAVSKY November 2, 2007 COUNTY FIRE DEPARTMENT UPGRADES FIRE WEATHER WATCH TO RED FLAG ALERT Los Angeles County will be under a Red Flag Alert from Friday evening November 2nd through Sunday evening November 4th due to gusty northeast Santa Ana winds and low humidity. The Fire Department will augment its normal staffing for both Friday and Saturday. The Fire Department offers the list of things to “be aware of” in conditions of high winds and low humidity: Be aware of outside activities such as power tools such as weed-whackers, edgers and any other tools that might cause any sparks Be aware of any power lines that might be blown down Avoid outside fires such as bonfires, pit fires and open BBQs Report any suspicious persons to the local police or Sheriff’s Department Gather together important personal documents and/or store them on a key-chain flash drive memory device and be ready to go if you need to evacuate your home Always have a pre-designated route of evacuation route for your family For detailed information on how members of the public can take special precautions to make their homes and property more fire-safe, see Fire Prevention on the County Fire Department’s website. Sincerely, ZEV YAROSLAVSKY Chairman of the Board Supervisor, Third District
Addressing Homelessness Yaroslavsky Testifies in Congress On Tuesday, October 16, 2007, Board of Supervisors Chairman Zev Yaroslavsky testified before the House Subcommittee on Housing and Community Opportunity, chaired by Rep. Maxine Waters (D-CA), to express the County’s support for reauthorizing the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act. Enacted in 1987, the legislation is the key federal funding program for homelessness programs around the country. Read a copy of Yaroslavsky’s full testimony here. Federal Homelessness Czar Philip Mangano Visits Los Angeles
On October 2, 2007, Supervisor Yaroslavsky and his colleagues honored Philip Mangano, Executive Director of the United States Interagency Council on Homelessness, a body comprising twenty cabinet secretaries and agency heads charged with developing a federal strategy and coordinating a response to end homelessness throughout the nation. Mangano’s efforts focus largely on prodding local governments to adopt the goal of ending chronic homelessness and devise their own 10-year plans toward that end. More than 300 cities and counties to date have signed on to the program. During his visit, Mangano was also feted at a banquet hosted by the Rockefeller Foundation, which jointly funds the Council on Homelessness with Common Ground Community. Common Ground is a non-profit housing development and management organization dedicated to creating supportive housing for homeless and low income individuals. Yaroslavsky Endorses “Project 50” at Regional Homeless Meeting Pictured here, from the left: Edmund D. Edelman, former County Supervisor and currently homelessness consultant for the City of Santa Monica; Horace Sibley, Director, United Way Atlanta; Philip Mangano, Executive Director, U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness; Zev Yaroslavsky, Chairman, Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors; Rosanne Haggerty, President, Common Ground; Rob Hess, Department of Homeless Services, City of New York; Richard Bloom, Mayor, City of Santa Monica. (10/4/07) On October 4, 2007, Board of Supervisors Chairman Zev Yaroslavsky (center) participated in a day-long working session with national experts and local officials to address “Regional Strategies to Solve Homelessness.” Yaroslavsky endorsed the “Project 50” concept, an intensive program to identify the so-called “anchor” homeless, the top 50 individuals living longest out on the street and relocate them into permanent supportive housing that includes links to essential social services. Yaroslavsky expressed the hope that demonstrably changing the social dynamic for the hardcore homeless could create a "tipping point" to deal more effectively with homelessness on the streets of Los Angeles overall. The gathering was co-sponsored by the United States Interagency Council on Homelessness and New York-based Common Ground, with major funding from The Rockefeller Foundation. Common Ground has hosted several delegations from Los Angeles County to tour their homeless projects, including the historic Times Square Hotel that was redeveloped into housing for 652 low-income and formerly homeless individuals. Yaroslavsky Co-Chairs 2007 PATH National Mall Network Summit As co-chair of the 2007 Mall Network National Summit, Supervisor Yaroslavsky recently welcomed more than 200 participants to the National Mall Network Summit convened in Los Angeles. Led by PATH Partners (People Assisting The Homeless), the two-day event involved various community leaders who are actively engaged in efforts to reduce homelessness across the country. Challenging the traditional “maintenance” approach of shelters and soup kitchens, Yaroslavsky described the Mall concept of “one-stop, multi-service homeless centers” as a promising new strategy to better serve the nation’s homeless population, allowing service providers to pool their efforts to assist clients within a facility where those in need can obtain under one roof all the services and support they require. (10/4/07) Yaroslavsky Joins United Way to Announce First-Ever “HomeWalk” On Monday, October 15, 2007, Supervisor Yaroslavsky joined other local elected officials and representatives from United Way of Greater Los Angeles to announce the agency’s first-ever “HomeWalk,” a 5K Family Walk in Exposition Park to be held as part of its A Pathway Home initiative to prevent and end homelessness. The walk, in collaboration with the Fannie Mae Foundation Help the Homeless Program and Walkathon, will take place simultaneously in Washington D.C. and across six other cities. While this will mark the walk’s Los Angeles debut, Washington, D.C.’s event celebrates its 10th anniversary this year with more than 35,000 walkers. HomeWalk and A Pathway Home are key elements in United Way’s recently launched Action Plan, aimed at creating pathways out of poverty by building increased public and political will for workable, effective homelessness solutions like supportive housing. For more details on the event, read the press release. (10/15/07) Improving Our Waters New Water Treatment Plant Opens at Malibu's Marie Canyon On Thursday, October 11, 2007, Board of Supervisors Chairman Zev Yaroslavsky was joined by City of Malibu elected officials, representatives from environmental organization Heal the Bay and County Department of Public Works officials to dedicate a new $1.3 million water quality improvement project at Marie Canyon in Malibu. The County owned and operated facility can treat as much as 100 gallons per minute - roughly triple the average amount of flow - of dry weather runoff flowing from Marie Canyon, effectively removing bacteria and other pollutants before they reach the public beach at the canyon’s outlet to the ocean (indicated below right by Supervisor Yaroslavsky). In recent years, water quality at the beach outlet of Marie Canyon has ranked among the three worst in the state, according to Heal the Bay’s Annual Beach Report. Designed by Clear Creek Systems, a Bakersfield-based water treatment solutions firm, the plant (shown above left) employs a filtration system using multimedia and organo-clay beds to remove common pollutants like litter, leaves, oils, and pesticides, then passes the water through a series of two UV-light filters to eliminate bacteria and viruses. The County of Los Angeles operates 18 other devices in the Santa Monica Bay intended to divert low-flow urban runoff away from the ocean to nearby sewage treatment facilities, which have been credited with substantially reducing Santa Monica Bay beach closures during the summer of 2007. Malibu’s Whale of a Problem Photos courtesy of Northern Section Lifeguard Chief Fernando Boiteux Around 8 a.m. on Sunday morning, September 30, 2007, a 65’ blue whale carcass washed ashore at Broad Beach. Officials believe it to be one of three animal carcasses that had washed up on a Ventura County beach two weeks earlier. Los Angeles County’s Lifeguard Rescue Boat “Baywatch del Rey” towed the carcass 15 miles offshore under the US Coast Guard request. Several days later, on Thursday, October 4, 2007, at 7:30 a.m., the unlucky whale washed back ashore at 24500 Malibu Beach Road, Malibu. That afternoon, County lifeguards tried again. At 1 p.m. “Baywatch Malibu” began towing the carcass a planned 20 miles off shore, and since then no further sightings have been reported. (10/4/07) For information on how to remove sea animals that have washed ashore, you can contact the Northern District of the Los Angeles County Lifeguard Headquarters at 310-454-7962. Improving Our Environment A Tree Grows at the Hollywood Bowl Board of Supervisors Chairman Zev Yaroslavsky oversees the planting of a new 25-foot sycamore tree in the Hollywood Bowl’s Box Office Plaza as part of the County’s ongoing Urban Reforestation Project. Replacing a diseased and potentially dangerous older tree that was previously removed, this sycamore tree – a beautiful California native variety tolerant of heat and wind, offering generous shade - is the largest of the more than 9,000 trees planted throughout Los Angeles County as part of the effort. Under the project, by year’s end some 59 Los Angeles County parks will have received 9,168 trees and planted 7,000 small shrubs. The Los Angeles County Urban Reforestation Project is funded by $3.7 million from State Bond Proposition 12. All trees and shrubs are planted on irrigated Los Angeles County Park property by the Los Angeles Conservation Corps using at-risk youth workers, and will be nurtured and maintained by the Los Angeles County Department of Parks and Recreation. (10/3/07) Transportation Yaroslavsky Welcomes Former Curitiba Mayor Jaime Lerner Board of Supervisors Chairman Zev Yaroslavsky welcomes to Los Angeles former Mayor Jaime Lerner of Curitiba, Brazil, whose innovative and highly successful “Speedybus” Bus Rapid Transit system sparked Yaroslavsky’s proposal to build the 14-mile Orange Line Busway across the San Fernando Valley. Launched in November 2005, the Orange Line continues to set monthly ridership records, now topping 24,000 daily weekday boardings. (9/28/07) In the Community Yaroslavsky Addresses UCLA Town & Gown Conference Supervisor Yaroslavsky also tackled matters of planning and land use as a featured speaker at this year’s 2nd Annual Town & Gown Conference held at UCLA Covel Commons, hosted by UCLA’s Community & Local Government Relations Division. Other speakers addressed such diverse topics as best practices pertaining to issues in economic development and policies concerning student conduct. (10/12/07) Yaroslavsky Discusses Density, Development at VICA Conference Board of Supervisors Chairman Zev Yaroslavsky offered keynote remarks on the topics of growth, density, development and neighborhood protection at the 2007 Newsmaker Connection conference organized by the Valley Industry and Commerce Association (VICA). Afterward, Yaroslavsky took questions from participants on a range of issues such as land use and transportation challenges facing residents throughout the County. Yaroslavsky is scheduled to speak as a panelist at VICA's upcoming 19th Annual Business Forecast Conference on November 8, 2007. (10/11/07)

Yaroslavsky to VA: Protect These Lands
Testifying on the future of the West Los Angeles Veterans Affairs property at the final public hearing of the Capital Asset Realignment for Enhanced Services (CARES) community advisory panel, Board of Supervisors Chairman Zev Yaroslavsky urged federal officials to reject efforts to sell off or commercially develop portions of the campus and instead re-dedicate their efforts toward protecting the property for the exclusive benefit of veterans. In his remarks, Yaroslavsky noted the land was originally deeded by its private owners to the federal government in 1888 for an Old Soldiers’ Home for veterans of the Civil War. Until very recently, the property had been confined to veterans uses, but since then portions have been leased out for use by Enterprise Rent-a-Car and Fox Studios, among others. Yaroslavsky expressed the hope that federal legislation sponsored by Sena