April 11, 2006 -- Volume II, Issue V

Calendar of Events

Tues., Apr 11, 2006
Starts at 9:30 a.m.
L.A. County Board of
Supervisors Meeting
500 W. Temple St.,
Rm. 381B
Los Angeles, CA 90012

Thurs., Apr. 13, 2006
Passover Begins

Sun., Apr. 16, 2006
Easter Sunday

Mon., Apr. 17, 2006
11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.
24^th Annual L.A. County
Volunteer Recognition and
Awards Luncheon
Cathedral of Our Lady
of the Angels
2^nd Floor Ballroom
555 W. Temple St.
Los Angeles, CA 90012

Tues., Apr. 18, 2006
Starts at 9:30 a.m.
L.A. County Board of
Supervisors Meeting
500 W. Temple St.,
Rm. 381B
Los Angeles, CA 90012

Thurs., Apr. 20, 2006
Passover Ends

Thurs. Apr. 20, 2006
9 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Veteran's Community
Job Expo
South El Monte
Community Center
1530 Central Ave.
South El Monte, CA 91733

Mon., Apr. 24, 2006
2 p.m. to 3 p.m.
Alameda Corridor East (ACE)
Board of Director's Meeting
Irwindale Council Chambers
5050 Irwindale Ave.
Irwindale, CA 91706

Wed., Apr. 25, 2006
Secretaries Day

Mon., May 1, 2006
Starting 8 a.m.
* East L.A. Civic Center Opens to the Public *
4801 E. Third St.
Los Angeles, CA 90022

Tues., May 2, 2006
Starts at 9;30 a.m.
L.A. County Board of Supervisors Meeting
500 W. Temple St.,
Room 856
Los Angeles, CA 90012

Wed., May 3, 2006
Starts at 9 a.m.
MTA Board of Directors Meeting
1 Gateway Plaza
Los Angeles, CA 90012

Thurs., May 4, 2006
11 a.m. to Noon
Bell/Cudahy Riverfront
Groundbreaking Ceremony
and Southeast Earth Day Celebration
* Located adjacent to the Ellen Oachoa Learning Center where Live Oak St. dead-ends at the L.A. River *
Cudahy, CA 90201

Thurs., May 4, 2006
7 p.m. to 10 p.m.
4^th Annual "Hispanic
Business Magazine "Woman of the Year" Awards & Reception
Caesar's Palace
3570 S. Las Vegas Blvd.
Las Vegas, NV 89109

Tues., May 9, 2006
Starts at 9:30 a.m.
L.A. County Board of Supervisors Meeting
500 W. Temple St.,
Room 381B
Los Angeles, CA 90012

'CENTRO ESTRELLA' HOSTS KIDS AQUATICS COMPETITION

Eastside parents, relatives, and friends were on hand recently to cheer for their preschool children at an aquatics competition and awards ceremony held at Centro Estrella in East Los Angeles. Centro Estrella -- which is Spanish for "Center of the Stars" -- was designed primarily to assist local children with special needs. It also includes family and peer support programs, aquatics lessons, and a preschool. ALMA Family

Services provides staff to operate the facility in all its capacities. The funding to run the preschool is supplied by Los Angeles Universal Preschool, commonly known as LAUP.

Centro Estrella even boasts a special aquatics facility featuring water therapy equipment for children with special needs. Over time, the pool's purpose has evolved and it now functions as a site for "Mommy & Me" classes, senior exercise programs, and swimming classes for youth. So each day, 23 youngsters enjoy the good fortune of receiving their preschool education and their swimming lessons at the same location. The pool is one of the most cherished amenities offered on the Centro Estrella property. However, it also is the most costly. So many thanks go to the Amateur Athletic Foundation for joining my office to co-sponsor the operation of the pool. But it is thanks to everybody's combined efforts that local residents -- whether seniors or children -- have the benefit of participating in such enriching activities directly in the East L.A. neighborhood. To learn more about the types of services offered at Centro Estrella, call (323) 881-3799 or exlor the ALMA Family Services website via the Internet at www.almafamilyservices.org.

FOND FAREWELL TO MARCO ANTONIO FIREBAUGH, AGE 39

The tragic passing of former Assemblyman Marco Antonio Firebaugh at the young age of 39 is a genuine loss for all of us who knew him and for the residents he so ably served. I met Marco prior to his election to office when he worked as a young aide to State Senator Richard Polanco. I quickly learned that Marco was a man of his word who always honored his commitments and who deserved his reputation as a true community advocate. Marco's accomplishments include authoring key air quality legislation for our most polluted areas and providing $16 billion to modernize state public schools. But Marco's legacy surely will be his landmark bill permitting California's high school students to pursue a college education regardless of their immigration status. We extend our deepest condolences to Marco's surviving family and to all who knew and loved him.

PICO RIVERA CHAMBER HOSTS 'STATE OF L.A. COUNTY'

Recently, I gave a "State of L.A. County" address at a luncheon hosted by the Pico Rivera Chamber of Commerce and attended by chamber members from Montebello, Norwalk, Santa Fe Springs, and Whittier. The purpose of the gathering was to swap information with San Gabriel Valley entrepreneurs on the health of our local economy and to shed light on L.A. County government's fiscal scenario.

Thankfully, we are enjoying good financial times. This means we have more revenue to fight crime, abate graffiti, augment foster youth services, maintain our public health care network, refurbish libraries, and create more parks.

CIVIC-MINDED LATINAS OFFER POLITICAL 'H.O.P.E.'

It is always reassuring when younger generations demonstrate that they take their civic responsibilities seriously. So it was with great pride that I addressed the young women who comprise "Hispanas Organized for Political Equity" - also known as H.O.P.E. - during one of their recent leadership sessions. I was gratified at their interest in hearing my personal story and my journey through politics. Yet what I most enjoyed hearing

was what they had to say about the current political landscape. It was refreshing to hear the viewpoints of our young, committed Latinas. To learn more about H.O.P.E., go to www.latinas.org.

$100 MILLION FOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING & HOMELESS

L.A. County recently made a historic, $100 million investment to increase affordable housing opportunities and prevent homelessness. Of this amount, $80 million in one-time funds will be used to build emergency, transitional, and permanent housing. Some of these funds also will be used for rental subsidies - a less expensive, more efficient way to provide people with a roof over their head while permanent shelter is being constructed. The remaining $20 million in ongoing funds will be spent in various ways. First, we plan to open a 24-hour family access center to help get homeless families who already are living on Skid Row in downtown L.A. off the streets. The center will be staffed with specialists to help clients with job placement, access to public social services, mental health counseling, and recovery from substance abuse. Second, we hope to create a special court for the homeless. Our goal is to better identify those individuals who frequently come into contact with law enforcement and who may require more intense mental health services. Next, we plan on assembling a housing database specifically to help the homeless -- and people on the verge of living on the streets -- find transitional, temporary, and permanent housing. We also will start a pilot program that provides at-risk individuals who already are receiving general relief payments with housing subsidies. Additional funds will be used to place within our public hospitals county staff specializing in public social service eligibility. Our goal is to identify discharged patients who, in fact, are homeless and to help them find a place to live so that they do not make their way back to Skid Row. Finally, we hope to build five 24-hour stabilization centers -- one per supervisorial district -- specifically for individuals recently released from county jail. Our goal is to help them find a place to live if they have no other place to go than Skid Row.