December 19, 2006 -- Volume II, Issue XIII

Calendar of Events

Tues., Dec. 19, 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., Dec. 21, 2006
Starts at 9 a.m.
* Info at (562) 946-2425 *
Holiday Food and Toy Distribution
South Whittier Resource Center
10750 Laurel Ave.
South Whittier, CA 90605

Thurs., Dec. 21, 2006
Starts at 5:30 p.m.
* Info at (626) 856-3400 *
San Gabriel Valley Holiday
Celebration and 3^rd Annual
"Merry Mingle"
San Gabriel Valley Economic
Partnership's Office
4900 Rivergrade Rd., Ste. A310
Irwindale, CA 91706

Fri., Dec. 22, 2006
Starts at 8 p.m.
*Info at (323) 850-2000*
"Escovedo Family Orchestra
Special Holiday Celebration"
Walt Disney Concert Hall
111 S. Grand Ave.
Los Angeles, CA 90012

Sat., Dec. 23, 2006
Hanukkah ends

Sat. Dec. 23, 2006
Starts at 8 p.m.
*Info at (323) 850-2000
"Go Tell It On the Mountain:
The Blind Boys of Alabama
Christmas Holiday Concert"
Walt Disney Concert Hall
111 S. Grand Ave.
Los Angeles, CA 90012

Sun., Dec. 24, 2006
Christmas Eve

Mon., Dec. 25, 2006
Christmas Day Holiday
* County buildings closed *

Tues., Dec. 26, 2006
* CANCELLED *
L.A. County Board of
Supervisors Meeting

Sun., Dec. 31, 2006
New Year's Eve

Mon., Jan. 1, 2007
New Year's Day
* County building closed *

Mon., Jan 1, 2007
Starts at 8 a.m.
* Info at (626) 449-ROSE *
118^th Annual Pasadena
Tournament of Roses Parade
Parade Route along
Colorado Blvd. in
Pasadena, CA 91105

Tues., Jan 2, 2007
* CANCELLED *
L.A. County Board of Supervisors Meeting

Tues., Jan 9, 2007
Starts at 9:30 a.m.
L.A. County Board of Supervisors Meeting
500 W. Temple St., Rm. 381B
Los Angeles, CA 90012

Mon., Jan 15, 2007
Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday
* County buildings closed *

Tues., Jan 16, 2007
Starts at 1 p.m.
L.A. County Board of Supervisors Meeting
500 W. Temple St., Rm. 381B
Los Angeles, CA 90012

ANGELIC AND JOYFUL HOLIDAY WISHES TO ALL

Good tidings to everyone this holiday season! December is a time of family, festivity, and tradition. This year, we're keeping alive a more recently established tradition: Featuring the work of a local artist on our First District Holiday Card. This year we chose "Angel Azul" (pictured) by Dolores Haro of El Monte, California.

As a second-generation Mexican American, her ancestral root reach all the way back to the Mexican regions of Durango, Zacatecas and Meoqui, Chihuahua, and Haro's work celebrates these roots. Her primary motif is women in dreamlike states, which represent her spiritual connection with ideas and family history. Haro divides her time between her art, her family, and her work with children through her role as a teacher with the Stone Soup After-School Program Chess Club and as an instructor at the El Monte Zamora Art Teen Center. For more information, visit www.expresionesdearte.com.

1,000^th L.A. COUNTY SHERIFF'S DEPUTY RECRUIT HIRED

This December, we announced that L.A. county has hired its 1,000^th new Sheriff's Deputy trainee -- a major recruitment milestone. Scores of Sheriff's Department personnel joined me to make this fantastic announcement.

Also present were Third District Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky and Pete Carroll, the legendary football coach from the University of Southern California. He attended to express his pride in our 1,000^th recruit, Jason Leach (pictured), who is a former member of Carroll's USC football team. Sheriff Lee Baca has worked doggedly this year to increase the size of our Sheriff's Deputy force. The Board of Supervisors has partnered with him by, among other things, allocating $5.57 million specifically for recruitment efforts (in addition to the Sheriff's Department's $2 billion annual budget). If you are interested in becoming a deputy with our Sheriff's Department, call (800) 233-7889.

PARENT PROJECT GRADUATES FIGHT GANG LIFE

Fighting gang activity is essential to revitalizing many of our neighborhoods. But enhancing law enforcement efforts is just one part of the solution. Parent education is another important component. So last year, we initiated the East Los Angeles Parent Project, as series of four-hour workshops held once a week for 10 weeks that is designed to provide parents with the tools they need to keep their kids out of gangs. The Parent Project includes sessions on parenting skills, student accountability, and even insight into gang apparel so that parents can detect whether their child is falling prey to a criminal lifestyle.

Recently, 62 parents completed the program. We celebrated with an informal graduation ceremony held at the City Terrace Park Gymnasium. Several participants shared personal testimony expressing how this program has changed their life. I was particularly moved by the words of young Manuel Reyes (pictured above), who spoke about how taking part in the Parent Project made his family stronger and closer. If you are interested in joining us for future Parent Project sessions, call Albert Gomez of the Dept. of Parks and Recreation at (323) 260-2360.

IT'S A MERRY CHRISTMAS IN LINCOLN HEIGHTS!

In keeping with the spirit of the season, I also joined local residents to participate in the Third Annual Lincoln Heights Christmas Parade. This year, I brought my daughter Valentina along for the ride. This parade becomes more popular every Christmas with up to several hundred people attending this year. California Highway Patrol Officer Rick Quintero served as Gran Marshall.

Among the 78 parade entries were U.S. Rep. Xavier Becerra, Los Angeles City Attorney Rocky Delgadillo, the Burbank Middle School ROTC, the Lincoln High School Alumni Association, several local drill teams, and the always enjoyable Lincoln Heights Swing Dance Club. Many thanks to the Lincoln Heights Christmas Parade Committee -- including the Lincoln Heights Neighborhood Council and the Lincoln Heights Chamber of Commerce -- for organizing this fun tradition.