Calendar of Events

Mon., Feb. 19, 2008
Presidents Day
* County buildings closed *

Tues., Feb. 20, 2008
Starts at 1 p.m.
L.A. County Board of
Supervisors Meeting
500 W. Temple St., Rm. 381B
Los Angeles, CA 90012

Mon., Feb. 25, 2008
Starts at 2 p.m.
Alameda Corridor East (ACE)
Board of Directors Meeting
Irwindale Council Chambers
5050 Irwindale Ave.
Irwindale, CA 91706

Tues., Feb. 26, 2008
Starts at 9:30 p.m.
L.A. County Board of
Supervisors Meeting
Public Hearing
500 W. Temple St., Rm. 381B
Los Angeles, CA 90012

Thurs., Feb. 28, 2008
Starts at 9:30 a.m.
Metro Board of
Directors Meeting
1 Gateway Plaza
Los Angeles, CA 90012

Tues., Mar. 4, 2008
Starts at 9:30 a.m.
L.A. County Board of
Supervisors Meeting
500 W. Temple St., Rm. 381B
Los Angeles, CA 90012

Sun., Mar. 9, 2008
Daylight Savings Time Begins

Tues., Mar. 11, 2008
Starts at 9:30 a.m.
L.A. County Board of
Supervisors Meeting
500 W. Temple St., Rm. 381
Los Angeles, CA 90012

Wed., Mar. 12, 2008
Starts at 9 a.m.
Mt. San Antonio College
Women’s History
Month Forum
Mt. San Antonio College
1100 N. Grand Ave.
Walnut, CA 91789

Thurs., Mar. 13, 2008
Starts at 6 p.m.
East L.A. College
(ELAC) Foundation
Reception and Gala
Dorothy Chandler Pavilion
135 N. Grand Ave.
Los Angeles, CA 90012

Mon., Mar. 17, 2008
St. Patrick’s Day

Tues., Mar. 18, 2008
Starts at 9:30 a.m.
L.A. County Board of
Supervisors Meeting
500 W. Temple St., Rm. 381B
Los Angeles, CA 90012

Mon., Mar. 24, 2008
Starts at 2 p.m.
Alameda Corridor East (ACE)
Board of Directors Meeting
Irwindale Council Chambers
5050 Irwindale Ave.
Irwindale, CA 91706

Tues., Mar. 25, 2008
Starts at 9:30 a.m.
L.A. County Board of
Supervisors Meeting
Public Hearing
500 W. Temple St., Rm. 381B
Los Angeles, CA 90012

Thurs., Mar. 27, 2008
Starts at 9:30 a.m.
Metro Board of
Directors Meeting
1 Gateway Plaza
Los Angeles, CA 90012

Thurs., Mar. 28, 2008
Starts at 7 p.m.
* Info at (323) 966-2890 *
American Diabetes
Association (ADA)
11^th Annual Los Angeles
Political Roast
Beverly Hilton Hotel
9876 Wilshire Blvd.
Beverly Hills, CA 90210

Tues., Apr. 1, 2008
Starts at 9:30 a.m.
L.A. County Board of
Supervisors Meeting
500 W. Temple St., Rm. 381B
Los Angeles, CA 90012

Tues., Apr. 8, 2008
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. 10, 2008
* Property Taxes Due! *

Tues., Apr. 15, 2008
* Income Taxes Due! *

Tues., Apr. 15, 2008
Starts at 9:30 a.m.
L.A. County Board of
Supervisors Meeting
500 W. Temple St., Rm. 381B
Los Angeles, CA 90012

Sun., Apr. 20, 2008
Passover

Tues., Apr. 22, 2008
Starts at 9:30 a.m.
L.A. County Board of
Supervisors Meeting
Public Hearing
500 W. Temple St., Rm. 381B
Los Angeles, CA 90012

Wed., Apr. 23, 2008
Secretaries’ Day

Thurs., Apr. 24, 2008
Starts at 9:30 a.m.
Metro Board of
Directors Meeting
1 Gateway Plaza
Los Angeles, CA 90012

Mon., Apr. 28, 2008
Starts at 2 p.m.
Alameda Corridor East (ACE)
Board of Directors Meeting
Irwindale Council Chambers
5050 Irwindale Ave.
Irwindale, CA 91706

Tues., Apr. 29, 2008
Starts at 9:30 a.m.
L.A. County Board of
Supervisors Meeting
500 W. Temple St., Rm. 381B
Los Angeles, CA 90012

Tues., May 6, 2008
Starts at 9:30 a.m.
L.A. County Board of
Supervisors Meeting
500 W. Temple St., Rm. 381B
Los Angeles, CA 90012

Wed., May 7, 2008
Starts at 9:30 a.m.
L.A. County Fiscal Year
2008-2009 Budget Hearing
500 W. Temple St., Rm. 381B
Los Angeles, CA 90012

Sun., May 11, 2008
Mother’s Day

Tues., May 13, 2008
Starts at 9:30 a.m.
L.A. County Board of
Supervisors Meeting
500 W. Temple St., Rm. 381B
Los Angeles, CA 90012

Tues., May 20, 2008
Starts at 9:30 a.m.
L.A. County Board of
Supervisors Meeting
500 W. Temple St., Rm. 381B
Los Angeles, CA 90012

Thurs., May 22, 2008
Starts at 9:30 a.m.
Metro Board of
Directors Meeting
1 Gateway Plaza
Los Angeles, CA 90012

Mon., May 26, 2008
Memorial Day
* County buildings closed *

February 15, 2008 -- Volume IV, Issue I

GARFIELD FOOTBALL--THE PRIDE OF EAST L.A.!

East L.A. could not be prouder of the James A. Garfield High School Varsity Football Team. They closed their season by bringing home the CIF City Section 3A Football Championship--a fantastic achievement! Despite the devastating fire last year which destroyed the beautiful Garfield High School Auditorium, the community came together and showed tremendous unity and school spirit, culminating in the Garfield Varsity Football Team’s championship. Under the guidance and leadership of Coach Lorenzo Hernandez and Athletic Director Guillermo Gonzalez, these talented young men worked incredibly hard--and their teamwork and determination certainly paid off. Not only are these young champions fine athletes but they are good citizens as well. Each and every member of the team has pledged to serve as a positive role model for their East L.A. peers. Congratulations--and “Go Bulldogs!”

NEW PLAYGROUNDS AT DALTON, SUNSHINE PARKS

For so many children in L.A. County--especially those whose families simply cannot afford to buy homes--public parks take the place of private backyards. So we take park and green space development very seriously. Last summer, we prioritized the construction of splash pads at First District parks and the creation of green space along our rivers. More such projects are on the horizon.

But in the meantime, we are pleased to report that work is complete on two new playgrounds: Dalton Park in unincorporated Azusa and Sunshine Park in unincorporated Valinda.  Both new playgrounds offer children between the ages of two and 12 a new colorful structure on which to play--and rubber tile surfacing, which ensures that our kids play safely.  Look for more news of more First District park improvements in future newsletters.

‘LA ALAMEDA’ JOB FAIR ON FEBRUARY 23^rd

Construction is almost complete on La Alameda Regional Shopping Center in unincorporated Florence-Firestone/Walnut Park.
La Alameda is a $59 million, 18.3-acre project that will combine 220,000 square feet of retail space with 18,000 square feet of office space and will feature a transit center so that it can be easily accessed via public transportation.

La Alameda also is expected to generate up to 700 new jobs. Retail tenants who have committed to the project include Ross Dress 4 Less, Payless Shoe Course, CVS Pharmacy, Starbucks, Marshall’s, Tacos Don Chente, Wingstop, Office Depot, Dollar Tree, Chuck E. Cheese, Panda Express, EB Games, Coldstone Creamery, Petco, and Susie’s Deals.  On Saturday, February 23^rd from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Primestor Development, Inc. and HUB Cities will hold a job fair at La Alameda--located at the corner of Alameda St. and Florence Ave.--to give local residents the opportunity to apply. There will be free food, workshops, and children’s entertainment. For more information, call HUB Cities at (323) 586-4718.

DISASTER PREP TRAINING IN CITY TERRACE

If a large-scale disaster occurs--whether it’s an earthquake, a flood, or even a terrorist attack--you and your family should be prepared. As the infamous Hurricane Katrina catastrophe demonstrated, all police, fire, and medical services will be in extremely high demand. That means people will have to rely on each other to meet immediate life-saving and life-sustaining needs.

This is especially true in isolated neighborhoods that may be cut off from main roads for a period of time. So the L.A. County Fire Dept. has initiated a Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) program to prepare the general public. CERT courses will be held on the following dates and times:

All CERT courses are free and open to the public--and all CERT courses will be held from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. at the City Terrace Elementary School Auditorium, located at 4350 City Terrace Drive, Los Angeles, CA 90064. To enroll, contact Ms. Luz Loza by e-mail at northrowanhillsca@yahoo.com or call (323) 707-6546.

MASH TRAINING HELD AT ROOSEVELT PARK

It is so important for local residents to receive the high-quality county services they deserve. The quickest, most effective way to do this is to hold county departments directly accountable. Navigating through the county bureaucracy may seem daunting--but that is precisely why we created the “More Advocates for Safe Homes” (MASH) program.

Residents who receive MASH training are provided with clear instructions on which county staff to contact, how specifically they can be held accountable, and what steps residents can take if their complaint remains unresolved. MASH trainings are so popular that we’ve established local MASH groups throughout the First District; there are ten MASH groups in unincorporated East L.A. alone. We recently initiated a new MASH organization in Southeast L.A.’s Florence-Firestone/Walnut Park community by holding a MASH training session at Roosevelt Park.

Over 100 seniors attended. If you are interested in starting a MASH group in your neighborhood, call our office at (213) 974-4111 and our staff will direct you to the proper First District field deputy so you can get started.

1^st ST. BRIDGE TO REOPEN BY FEBRUARY 29^TH

Los Angeles commuters will be pleased to learn that the 1^st St. Bridge will reopen by February 29^th! The bridge has remained closed since January 27^th while Metro constructs the Gold Line Eastside Extension. Though its closure has been inconvenient for some, Metro opted to finish all bridge-related construction in 30 days rather than subjecting commuters to intermittent bridge closures throughout the year.  Now Metro is just about finished.

This long-awaited, $898.9 million light-rail line will run from Union Station in downtown L.A., traverse over the 1^st St. Bridge into Boyle Heights, and end in East L.A.--with the East L.A. Civic Center serving as the light rail line’s penultimate stop! Metro anticipates that the Eastside Extension will be fully operational by 2009. We can’t wait!

LIGHT RAIL COMING TO EASTERN L.A. COUNTY

Most First District residents are aware of the Gold Line Eastside Extension, which will connect East L.A. to the rest of L.A. County’s light rail network. But not everyone knows that Metro is planning to extend this line even further east. There are 17 different route proposals along three major corridors: One would extend the line to the City of Industry along the 60 Freeway while the other two would extend it to Whittier. No proposal is set in stone--but all possibilities are very exciting.

Still, we want to hear from local residents which route makes the most sense to them.  In this spirit, we held two meetings in the East San Gabriel Valley in November to generate awareness of the these plans, which Metro calls Gold Line Eastside Extension Phase 2. We will be holding another round of community meetings in late March or early April--and we’ll be sure to let First District residents know when and where these forums are scheduled in our next newsletter.

'IT’S A WRAP!’ FOR REPORTER LINDA ALVAREZ

For many years, Linda Alvarez has been a familiar face to television news viewers throughout L.A. County. As both a T.V. journalist and news anchor, Linda Alvarez has kept local audiences well-informed through her thorough, professional reporting and her smooth delivery.  She has served as an inspiration to the Latino community--especially our young women--and has inspired countless young people to pursue careers in journalism.  We recently honored her at a Board of Supervisors meeting after she announced her retirement after close to thirty years in the news business.

She has worked at KNBC Ch. 4, KCBS Ch. 2, and KCAL Ch. 9, and has earned numerous awards--including 12 Emmys, various Press Club Honors, and Gold Mike Awards.  We will miss Linda Alvarez, and we wish her the best in all her future endeavors.