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LA County Kicks-Off Annual Youth@Work Program for the Summer

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LA County Kicks-Off Annual Youth@Work Program for the Summer

LOS ANGELES — The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors and the County’s Department of Economic Opportunity OR DEO July 3 kicked off its Youth@Work program, announcing the availability of up to 10,000 paid employment opportunities for local county youth.

Youth@Work connects marginalized and underserved youth ages 14 to 24 to 160 hours of paid work experience, often their first exposure to the world of work, with local employers in high-growth and emerging industry sectors such as hospitality, trade and logistics, advance manufacturing, IT, health care, and the public sector – including the County of Los Angeles.

Through Youth@Work, DEO places youth participants in various public, social, and private sector worksites throughout LA County including the County’s Department of Parks and Recreation, Walgreens, Antelope Valley Medical Center, LA LGBT Center, God’s Pantry, City of Compton, and hundreds of other host employers. Since July 2023, Youth@Work has placed 6,439 youth, amounting to a total of $13.2M in wages earned.

Recognizing the challenges faced by underserved communities, Youth@Work prioritizes youth with the greatest need, including those who are justice-involved, experiencing homelessness, have a disability, in foster care, Transitional Age Youth, low-income, LGBTQ+, children of CalWORKs households, pregnant or parenting.

Additionally, through this program, youth can participate in projects facilitated by local partnerships within the public sector such as the Youth@Work Summer Stars program, which placed 90 youth across 46 LA County libraries to assist school age children in K-6th grade in high need areas with math and literacy tutoring services during the summer break.

Youth can apply by completing the following interest form here. Employers interested in partnering with DEO and hosting youth, can get started here. Watch here to see DEO’s partnership with Parks and Recreation.

City of Carson Responds to Incident at SouthBay Pavilion Mall

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City of Carson Responds to Incident at SouthBay Pavilion Mall

 

CARSON — The City of Carson is addressing an incident that occurred at the SouthBay Pavilion Mall on Saturday, July 6, involving a large group of juveniles.

Around 2:30 p.m., deputies from the Carson Sheriff’s Station responded to reports of a large-scale disturbance involving approximately 200 juveniles. The incident included the setting of a trash can on fire and the use of illegal fireworks within the mall premises. The swift and coordinated response by the Sheriff’s Department resulted in the detention of between 60 to 70 juveniles for refusing to disperse.

The detained juveniles were issued citations and released to their parents or guardians. There were no reports of thefts or injuries, thanks to the prompt action by law enforcement and the cooperation of the mall patrons and staff.

“Criminal activity of this nature is disruptive to our businesses and harmful to our community and will not be tolerated,” stated the Carson Sheriff’s Station in a post on X. Additional information confirmed by the Carson Sheriff’s Station indicated that three of the detained juveniles are from Carson, with the rest are from neighboring cities.

Mayor Lula Davis-Holmes commented, “The safety and well-being of our residents and businesses are our top priority. We are taking immediate steps to ensure such incidents do not recur. Our community’s strength lies in our ability to come together and address challenges head-on. I commend the Sheriff’s Department for their quick action and the community for their cooperation.”

Additional security measures will be discussed in upcoming city council meetings to prevent future disturbances and maintain a safe environment for all.

For further information, please contact Margie Revilla-Garcia at 310-830-7600 Ext: 1741; or www.carsonca.gov

SoCal Grocery Workers Ratify Strong Contract Agreement with Food 4 Less/Foods Co.

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SoCal Grocery Workers Ratify Strong Contract Agreement with Food 4 Less/Foods Co.

 

Los Angeles County, Calif. — Members of United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) Locals 8GS, 135, 324, 770, 1167, 1428 and 1442 July 3 voted to ratify a new three-year contract with Food 4 Less/Foods Co. The contract was reached after months of negotiations and active participation from thousands of Southern California grocery workers.

The seven UFCW Locals released the following statement

“​​Today, by ratifying this contract, Food 4 Less/Foods Co. workers have secured meaningful raises, increased hours for part-time workers, and a more direct path to top-rate pay over the next three years. After countless hours at the bargaining table and in the streets between their shifts, the hard-working members of UFCW stood together for their families and each other and secured a strong contract. This contract is a concrete and direct result of the tireless work of the member-led bargaining committee. Together, our members are fighting for a more promising future, and this contract will help to achieve that goal.”

BACKGROUND

Key provisions of the agreement include:

  • Wage increases for all workers

  • More hours guaranteed for all part-time workers

  • Reduction in the hours it takes to reach top-rate pay

  • Additional premiums for select positions

  • Ratification bonuses for all workers

  • Increased starting wage rate

This contract will go into effect immediately for over 6,000 essential grocery workers in Food 4 Less/Foods Co. locations across Southern California.

The Art of Great Community Policing in the Harbor Gateway

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The Art of Great Community Policing in the Harbor Gateway

By Rick Thomas, Columnist

Doing a column on the Los Angeles Police Department or any urban police department comes with challenges.

“Nobody likes cops…until you need them.” Right?

We’ve heard that one many times. I needed the local police department. When I had my café, I needed the Philadelphia PD. Owning a retail establishment back then in the 90s was rough.

We needed police then.

But we need them more now.

Called Caffe Rocks, South Street in Philly. The week I opened; I got a visit from an officer from Philly PD. Kathy Simon. Another visit from Officer Charlie Kapusniak. Both walked the beat on South Street, introduced themselves, and got their cards so that I knew them, and they knew me.

Great beat officers.

That’s community policing.

Charlie was working undercover one day. I didn’t know. I saw him at a 7-Eleven near the café and started chatting him up, talking about stuff in the area where my café was.

That’s community policing.

Kathy was rough and tumble. She would take ANYBODY down. She always popped in to grab a cup of coffee. Never take it for free.

She would take ANYBODY down.

Anybody.

I opened the Comic Stop Comedy Club. I hired off-duty Philly officers as security. Hired another uniformed officer, called him ‘Kenny the Cop,’ to do cash drop-offs after the shows. Back then it was all cash. Meant when the show was over I would have to take a boatload of cash and do drop-offs after midnight at the bank. That wasn’t fun when I only had a .22 caliber handgun for protection. ‘Kenny the Cop’ in fact used to laugh at me saying that a .22 “ain’t gonna do no damage.”

He would drive me to the bank, armed, so I wouldn’t get jacked up.

Community policing.

“Until you need them,” right?

Trust me, when working and serving the public, you want to have a great relationship with the local police department.

So, we’re good Officer Bravo?

Cool!

When Neighborhood Council meetings are held in the HG South our Senior Lead Officer comes in to share what’s going on in our neighborhood. Crime stats are given out to the few that attend, meetings are bland, and not a whole lot comes out of most of them. Field Deputies from the Mayor’s office, the Council office, our Congressional office, the Assemblyman, and the County Supervisor give presentations about the work they are doing in our district. Did I miss anyone?

A lot of political representation.

Some days it’s hard to understand. All of these elected officials are getting paid all that money yet we are always complaining that nothing is getting done.

I’ll leave that for a future post.

At the June Neighborhood Council meeting, it was a lot different. It was held at Normandale Recreation Center. I headed there. It was brutal finding parking, which is not unusual for LA. I did a few drive-byes and thought I’d go home. Not much happens at these meetings. You look at the agenda and there is not a lot of red meat there. I get yelled at saying negative things about this Council but give us meat to chew on.

We ain’t vegan.

This meeting was different. I moved here in 2019 and have attended 95% of the Council meetings. This was without question the best I attended. I’m glad I found parking.

I walked into Normandale Recreation Center and saw five, or six, or maybe 127 uniformed members of the LAPD’s Harbor Division. Memories from my time in the music and entertainment industry back in the 80s and future decades came flooding back. I quickly emptied all my pockets of any contraband.

“THOSE BAGGIES ARE NOT MINE!!! IT’S FLOUR!!!”

But they weren’t there for me.

WHEW!!!

Oh, the good old days…

The boss was there, our Senior Lead Officer by committee was there and there were four members of the Gang Unit. To keep them safe, I’m not gonna say their names, I’m going to share the story as to why this type of community policing is vital to our communities.

The boss said he wanted to do something different. So he brought in the Gang Unit to explain what they do and what they are doing to relieve gang issues in our neighborhoods. This was the first meeting where Gang Unit officers were in the hood.

This is community policing at its best.

I had a chance to chat with them outside as they left. Talking to these officers was clearly important. Gangs are a huge problem in LA. Reality hits as I know this issue will never go away. Not in my lifetime, not in our kids’, nor grandkid’s lifetimes. Living in LA, being in a gang is a badge of honor.

It’s cultural.

It’s generational.

One gang member that I have the pleasure to know, his dad was in a gang, his brother was in a gang and he just had a kid.

Note the pattern here.

I guess I can take solace now that his brother moved out of town.

The son of another OG in the hood, he moved his son out and off the block. Didn’t want it for his kid.

There is hope.

So, I’m talking to these Gang Unit officers and sharing information about a problem in our community, right?

Just to show you how good these guys are? This officer knew the perp. He knew the perp’s car. And get this… the officer was able to relay back to me the description all the way down to the color of his bumper. I looked at the officer for 47 seconds gobsmacked.

How the heck did he know that?

Well, good community police work.

“We’ve pulled that guy over multiple times, and he doesn’t carry, but he’s affiliated.”

Is this good community policing?

No.

It’s great community policing.

“It’s their job as gang officers to know all the bad apples in the community, but I feel it is also very important to know all the good people in the community and build relationships with the good people so that we can work together.”

From LAPD.

This is community policing at its best.

Catherine Jun Named Deputy City Manager

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Catherine Jun Named Deputy City Manager

 

RANCHO PALOS VERDES — The City of Rancho Palos Verdes July 3 announced the selection of Catherine Jun, an experienced public administrator with 14 years in local government, as deputy city manager. Ms. Jun joins Rancho Palos Verdes from the City of Huntington Beach, where she served as deputy city manager since 2023. She succeeds former deputy city manager Karina Bañales, who left Rancho Palos Verdes in October to become city manager in Rolling Hills. Ms. Jun’s first day at the city is July 8.

“It is a tremendous honor to join the talented team at the City of Rancho Palos Verdes,” she said. “As Deputy City Manager, I look forward to collaborating with staff to continually serve our City Council and community stakeholders in ways that will enhance the quality of life of all residents and visitors, while also building upon our legacy of public service excellence.”

Ms. Jun began her career as a photojournalist at The Arizona Republic, covering everything from the 2008 U.S. Presidential campaign, to major professional sporting events and local human interest stories.

In 2010, she entered the public sector as a policy analyst at the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health. In 2014, she joined the City of Bellflower as a Management Analyst, overseeing multi-million-dollar public works grants and various housing and economic development projects.

Ms. Jun began her tenure in Huntington Beach as assistant to the city manager at the start of the pandemic, leading the city’s COVID-19 public communication program and community engagement strategies. As deputy city manager, she took on citywide projects involving complex matters such as homelessness, Charter amendments, strategic planning, sustainability, and legislative funding requests.

City manager Ara Mihranian said he is excited to introduce Ms. Jun to City staff and the community.

Ms. Jun holds a Master of Public Policy degree from USC and a Bachelor of Arts degree in American literature and culture from UCLA.

First-Generation Homebuyers: California Will Assist With Down Payments

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First-Generation Homebuyers: California Will Assist With Down Payments

 

SACRAMENTO – In California, 1,700 first-generation homebuyers have been conditionally approved for the Dream For All Shared Appreciation Loan program. The program provides potential homebuyers with vouchers offering up to 20% of a home’s value for down payment and closing cost assistance.

Since 2023, California’s Dream For All Program has helped thousands of Californians who were previously unable to attain homeownership. Nearly 2,200 families across the state have been able to purchase their first home through the first round of financing. Now, 1,700 more low- to moderate-income families will be offered the same opportunity.

The second round of Dream For All has focused on first-generation homebuyers – those whose parents did not own a home, and therefore did not have the opportunity to experience the social and economic benefits that homeownership provides, such as generational wealth-building.

Due to high demand, the California Housing Finance Agency or CalHFA used a random selection process to ensure all 18,000 applicants had an equal chance at receiving funding from the $255 million available from the second round of financing. A third-party audit was performed to certify that voucher recipients met key program requirements.

CalHFA will allocate funds across nine regions throughout the state: the Capital Region, Central Coast, Central Valley, Inland Empire, Los Angeles, Orange County, San Diego, San Francisco Bay Area, and rural areas.

Voucher recipients now have 90 days to find a home using Dream For All down payment assistance. When recipients sell or refinance the home, they will repay the initial amount of assistance, plus up to 20% of any increase in the home’s value. Those proceeds will then be used to fund the next round of homeowners, continuing the cycle of expanded homeownership opportunities.

Details: here.

LA Briefs: Mental Health Dept. Provides Ongoing Assistance While Celebrating Pride & Juneteenth and JCOD Launches Pretrial Services Pilot

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LA Briefs: Mental Health Dept. Provides Ongoing Assistance While Celebrating Pride & Juneteenth and JCOD Launches Pretrial Services Pilot

LACDMH Celebrates Juneteenth & Pride with Two Events for Black & LGBTQIA2-S+ Communities

LOS ANGELES — The Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health or LACDMH hosted two community celebrations last weekend; a Rainbow Resilience Pride event in West Hollywood and Juneteenth in South Los Angeles. Both events were supported by the California Mental Health Services Authority or CalMHSA and were an extension of LACDMH’s Take Action for Mental Health, L.A. County campaign to encourage people to take action on their mental health for themselves and others year-round.

“LACDMH is proud to partner with communities throughout Los Angeles County to break down barriers to mental health care and wellbeing,” said LACDMH Director Dr. Lisa H. Wong.

In addition to these June events, LACDMH encourages county residents in every diverse community to utilize the resources available through the department and its partners, including the 24/7 Help Line at 800-854-7771, 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, iPrevail digital wellness platform, walk-in clinics and peer resource centers and partnerships with many L.A. County agencies and organizations.

Details: dmh.lacounty.gov.

 

JCOD Launches Independent Pretrial Services Pilot Program

LOS ANGELES — The Justice, Care and Opportunities Department or JCOD launched its Independent Pretrial Services Pilot program July 1 at Airport Courthouse in Los Angeles.

The pilot program is the culmination of several months of planning and collaboration among multiple stakeholders including the Los Angeles Superior Court, health and justice county departments, the Defense Counsel Bar, the LA County District Attorney’s Office, various city attorney offices and contributions from community-based organizations and justice-involved individuals.

This program marks a milestone in JCOD’s efforts to implement the Board of Supervisors’ Care First vision to establish LA County’s independent pretrial services agency in JCOD. The program offers voluntary service connections, including court hearing reminders, transportation, emergency housing and care management services unique to each person’s need.

In the coming months, JCOD will launch voluntary service linkages to additional courthouses and begin the necessary steps to implement conditional releases.

Details: https://jcod.lacounty.gov.

Long Beach, L.A. Ports Invest $25 Million in Truck Charging

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Long Beach, L.A. Ports Invest $25 Million in Truck Charging

 

The ports of Long Beach and Los Angeles will provide $25 million for an ambitious partnership with regional air quality agencies to jump-start charging infrastructure for electric heavy-duty drayage trucks in one of the nation’s most populous regions.

The $135 million in projects led by the Mobile Source Air Pollution Reduction Review Committee will install up to 207 charging units at eight sites around Southern California, in Wilmington, Rancho Dominguez, Rialto, Fontana, Commerce and the Port of Long Beach. Contracting for the projects is being administered by the South Coast Air Quality Management District.

“With more than 23,000 trucks working the harbor, the investment potential provided by the Clean Truck Fund rate is a key to our air quality efforts,” said Port of Long Beach CEO Mario Cordero. “These projects with our partners shows the program is working as designed, and demonstrates zero-emissions goods movement is not a buzz phrase here in San Pedro Bay but a goal we make progress toward every day.”

In separate actions this week, the Long Beach Harbor Commission and Los Angeles Harbor Commission each approved allocating $12.5 million from their respective clean truck funds for the plan. The clean truck fund rate is a key component of the ports’ efforts to transition to a zero-emissions truck fleet by 2035, as established by the Clean Air Action Plan.

Rate collection began in April 2022 at $10 per twenty-foot equivalent unit or $20 per forty-foot equivalent unit. Exemptions from the rate are provided for loaded containers hauled by zero-emissions trucks, and under limited circumstances, by low-nitrogen oxide trucks. Through March 2024, the Port of Long Beach has collected almost $75 million; the Port of Los Angeles about $78 million.

Homicide detectives Investigate Murder of a Male Adult That Occurred on July 1, on Long Beach Boulevard.

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Homicide detectives Investigate Murder of a Male Adult That Occurred on July 1, on Long Beach Boulevard.

 

At about 9:51 p.m., officers responded to the 6000 block of Long Beach Boulevard regarding a shooting. Upon arrival, officers contacted a male adult victim with gunshot wounds to the upper body, on the ground near the intersection of Victoria Street and Long Beach Boulevard.

Officers rendered medical aid and attempted life-saving measures until being relieved by Long Beach Fire Department personnel, who transported the victim to a local hospital where he succumbed to his injuries.

The suspect(s) fled the scene prior to the officers’ arrival.

Homicide Detectives responded to the scene to investigate the incident. The motive for the shooting and circumstances of the incident are still under investigation.

The victim has been identified as Vernont Murray, a 39-year-old resident of Long Beach.

Anyone with information regarding the incident is urged to contact Homicide Detectives Eric Thai or Kelsey Myers 562-570-724, or anonymously at tips may be submitted through “LA Crime Stoppers” by calling 800-222-8477, www.lacrimestoppers.org

California to Help Provide Housing for Homeless Youth Across 52 Counties

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California to Help Provide Housing for Homeless Youth Across 52 Counties

 

SACRAMENTO — Gov. Gavin Newsom July 2 announced awards to 52 California counties to provide housing and supportive services to vulnerable young Californians transitioning into adulthood.

The three Transitional Age Youth or TAY programs administered by the California Department of Housing and Community Development or HCD allocate funding to eligible county child welfare agencies to provide housing and services for young adults under 25, with priority given to those currently or formerly in the foster care or probation systems. Since its inception in 2020, TAY has provided housing and services to more than 5,700 young adults. The $56 million is expected to bring the total of Californians served by TAY to 8,075.

Based on county reporting data submitted to HCD, the youth served through TAY program funding have identified themselves as experiencing homelessness at program entry, currently in the state’s foster care or probation system, or identifying as LGBTQIA+. Services offered include housing support, wrap-around case management, financial literacy, education and employment assistance, and financial assistance.

Additionally, in an ongoing effort to address homelessness experienced by families with young children, HCD announced the recipients of the second tranche of the Family Homelessness Challenge or FHC grant program. The program provides competitive grants and technical assistance to local jurisdictions with the goal of promoting rapid innovation, accelerating nascent programs, and expanding promising practices to create scalable solutions that can be shared across the state to address and ultimately end family homelessness.

As one of the communities, the City of Los Angeles has been awarded $3,850,000

Details: hcd.ca.gov.

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