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Teacher Tenure Rules on Trial

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Teacher Tenure Rules on Trial

LOS ANGELES — Opening arguments began, Jan. 27, in a trail that challenges the constitutionality of California teacher tenure rules, seniority policy and dismissal processes.

Nonprofit advocacy group, Students Matter, filed Vergara v. California on behalf of nine students and their families. The lawsuit contends that the educational laws violate the state’s equal protections because it does not ensure student access to all.

The lawsuit seeks to change dismissal, lengthen the time to obtain tenure and dismantle the last-hired- first-fired policies.

Los Angeles Superintendent John Deasy is a known supporter of the repeals.

POLA Begins Roadway Projects

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POLA Begins Roadway Projects

SAN PEDRO — On Jan. 27, the Port of Los Angeles announced the upcoming In the construction start on two major roadway projects on the Interstate 110 freeway and nearby surface streets in San Pedro and Wilmington.

The work is scheduled to begin in February, extending through fall 2016. The Interstate 110 and C Street project will help separate car and truck traffic near the port.

POLA is investing $46.6 million to widen the westbound transition from the State Road 47 to the northbound Interstate 110 and reconfigure the Interstate 110 and C Street interchange. The two projects will improve key segments of the freeway as part of Southern California’s larger Regional Transportation Improvement Plan for a six-county area.

POLA’s contribution represents about half the $101 million cost of both projects. The port is the lead agency working in partnership with two sister city agencies – the Department of Water and Power and the Department of Public Works Bureau of Engineering. POLA also is partnering with the California Department of Transportation and the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority.

Two Southern California companies, C.A. Rasmussen Inc. and Griffith Co., are the prime contractors. The work is expected to generate more than 700 direct and indirect jobs in the immediate five-county region.

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Weekend Closure Set for 710/Anaheim St. Connectors

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Weekend Closure Set for 710/Anaheim St. Connectors

As part of the ongoing Anaheim Street Improvement Project all four Long Beach (710) Freeway on- and off-ramps for eastbound Anaheim Street will be closed beginning at 8 p.m. on Friday, Jan. 24 through 5 a.m., Jan. 27. Traffic will be detoured to Pacific Coast Highway.

GDB Replacement Project Work:

EB Ocean Blvd. Lane Closure

Type of Work:Lane closure

Area of Work:Eastbound Ocean Boulevard will have one lane closed from SR-47 to Pier T Avenue. Access to eastbound Ocean Boulevard via the SR-47 on-ramp will remain open during the lane and shoulder closure.

When:7 p.m., Friday, Jan. 24 to 5 a.m., Saturday, Jan. 25

WB Ocean Blvd. On-Ramp from Pier T Ave. Closure

Type of Work:On-ramp closure

Area of Work:The westbound Ocean Boulevard on-ramp from Pier T Avenue will be closed. The temporary westbound ramp begins at the Pier T Avenue/Pier T Lane intersection – approximately 300 feet from the former westbound on-ramp. The detour route follows Pier T Lane to Pier S Lane and connects at the westbound Ocean Boulevard off-ramp for Pier S/Terminal Island Freeway (SR-47) where motorists can travel through the intersection toward San Pedro or drive north on SR-47.

When:Closed through mid- to late-2014

Beyond the Bridge:

For your convenience, we include traffic impacts from other construction projects in the area from the Port of Long Beach, Caltrans and the City of Long Beach.

Anaheim Street On- and Off-Ramp Closures (POLB)

Type of Work:On- and off-ramp closures

Area of Work:All four Long Beach (710) Freeway on- and off-ramps onto eastbound Anaheim Street will be closed as part of the ongoing Anaheim Street Improvement Project. Traffic will be detoured to the Pacific Coast Highway (PCH) ramps. Traffic on Anaheim Street is reduced to two lanes in each direction from the L.A. River to 9th Street. Limited access will be allowed via side streets. (Project information)

When:710 Freeway on- and off-ramp closure will take place from 8 p.m., Friday, Jan. 24 to 5 a.m., Monday, Jan. 27. Ongoing, Anaheim Street work takes place on weekdays from 7 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
Use Harbor Avenue, Santa Fe Avenue or 9th Street to cross Anaheim Street

Santa Fe Avenue Lane Closure (LBPW)

Type of Work:Lane closure

Area of Work:Santa Fe Avenue, between Anaheim Street and West Willow Street, is reduced to one lane in each direction for City of Long Beach Public Works maintenance.

When:7 p.m. to 4 p.m., Friday, Jan. 24 and Saturday, Jan. 25.

Gerald Desmond Bridge Lane Closures (LADPW)

Type of Work:Lane closure

Area of Work:One lane will remain open in each direction on the Gerald Desmond Bridge for Los Angeles Department of Public Works maintenance.

When:Eastbound traffic lane closure will take place from 2 a.m. to 12 p.m., Saturday, Jan. 25 and 5 a.m. to 5 p.m., Sunday, Jan. 26. Westbound traffic lane closure will take place from 5 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sunday, Jan. 26.

Pico Avenue Lane Closure (POLB)

Type of Work:Lane closure

Area of Work:Pico Avenue between Broadway and Ocean Blvd., is reduced to one lane in each direction for a pipeline installation.

When:8 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday-Friday

East Long Beach Soccer Meeting

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East Long Beach Soccer Meeting

Councilman Patrick O’Donnell and Councilwoman Gerrie Schipske are hosting a joint stakeholder meeting to discuss funding, maintenance for East Long Beach Soccer, at 6 p.m. Jan. 30, at the El Dorado Community Center.

Parks, Recreation and Marine representatives will be on hand to answer questions regarding field usage and maintenance, funding, and other topics that may affect participants in soccer programs at eastside parks.
The discussion will include the recent appropriation of $2.1 million dollars for the city’s soccer fields and how this will impact the eastside.”
Details: (562) 570-6932, (562) 570-6918
Venue: El Dorado Community Center
Location:2800 N Studebaker Rd., Long Beach

Glaza Stepping Down from LB Arts Council

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Glaza Stepping Down from LB Arts Council

Long Beach – On Jan. 22, the Arts Council for Long Beach Board of Directors announced today that they have reluctantly accepted the resignation of Executive Director John Glaza.

Glaza has been associated with the council for several years, initially as a consultant to the board and grants review panel facilitator. For the past 30 months he has served as interim executive director and executive director.

During Glaza’s tenure the council:

  • Increased funding to artists and arts organizations
  • Strengthened the financial condition of the institution
  • Created a more inclusive organization with an open nomination process for board members
  • Improved arts education efforts in partnership with LBUSD
  • Expanded access to the arts throughout the City

The council, which turns 40 in two years, was established in 1976 by the City of Long Beach to respond to the needs of the growing local arts community and to develop cultural resources. As the city’s arts agency, it functions as a private 501(c)(3) organization.

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AFSCME 3299 CALLS STRIKE VOTE

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OAKLAND — After more than a year of bargaining, American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees 3299, the University of California’s largest union, has called for a strike vote amongst its 8,300 service unit members and a sympathy strike vote amongst its 13,000 Patient Care Technical Unit members, for Feb. 11 through 13.

The strike vote comes more than two months after UC agreed to restart bargaining, which had previously broken down after former UC President Mark Yudof unilaterally imposed contract terms that included pay cuts on AFSCME 3299 members in September.

In making the announcement, AFSCME 3299 has also released a new web video highlighting the troubling double standard that UC has employed during contract negotiations.

Of the roughly 40 unsettled contract articles at the outset of negotiations, AFSCME 3299 has now conceded to UC’s position on more than thirty 30. This includes an agreement on UC’s stated priority of pension reform, which will require substantially higher employee contributions for AFSCME 3299 members.

The biggest of the remaining points of disagreement include staffing and wages.

Throughout negotiations, AFSCME 3299’s top priority has been safe staffing standards which are needed to address the huge spike in workplace injuries amongst UC Service Workers and the growing numbers of fines against UC hospitals for patient safety deficiencies.

While UC has already granted safe staffing standards to its nurses, it is refusing to make similar accommodations for the hospital and campus workers represented by AFSCME 3299.

On wages, though AFSCME represents the lowest paid workers at UC–99 percent of whom are income eligible for some form of public assistance–UC continues to propose that AFSCME workers accept second class treatment. Specifically, it has offered AFSCME represented workers less than half the wage increase it recently granted nurses, and substantially less than UC has already granted its highest paid executives, other non-represented employees, University Professional Technical Employees, Police Officers, Clerical Workers, and Lecturers and Librarians.

Murder in Long Beach

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Murder in Long Beach

A 33-year-old man was killed Jan. 20, near New York Street and Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue in Long Beach.

The Long Beach Police Department responded after shots were heard at about 10 p.m. that night. When they arrived they found Sambo Chhoy, of Long Beach, on the street with a gunshot wound to his torso. He was taken to a local hospital and pronounced dead.

No suspect information is available nor is there a motive known for the shooting. The investigation remains ongoing.

Anyone with information is asked to call (562) 570-7244 or visit www.lacrimestoppers.org.

Old Theater Becomes New Library

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Old Theater Becomes New Library

The public is invited to attend the Demolition Ceremony for the Atlantic Theater, which will be replaced with the new North Neighborhood Library, at 10 a.m. Jan. 25 in Long Beach.

The 25,000-square-foot facility will be a state-of-the-art focal point for the North Village Center. It will feature artistic glass walls and green foliage, and incorporate the theater’s tower into a glass roof overlooking a reading room. The library will offer areas for children, teens and adults, as well as a community center and pedestrian plaza.

Built in the early 1940s, the Atlantic Theater operated as a contemporary Art Deco-style venue for more than 40 years before being adapted and reused for various purposes, most recently as a church and as a discount furniture store.

Venue: Atlantic Theater
Location: 5870 Atlantic Ave., Long Beach

Senate Approves Disaster Response Improvement Measure

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Senate Approves Disaster Response Improvement Measure

 

SACRAMENTO – With the goal of improved delivery of emergency medical equipment in Los Angeles County, the California Senate approved measure to improve disaster responses, Jan. 23, on a unanimous, bipartisan vote.

Under existing law, hospitals cannot move emergency equipment, trailers, personnel, medications and related items to an impacted healthcare facility or to an emergency scene without a police escort. Local law enforcement officials acknowledge, however, that they may be unavailable to provide escorts during a major incident because they may be responding to the disaster itself.

Senate Bill 573 would help 13 county hospitals designated as Disaster Resource Centers that have recently added emergency response equipment such as trailers and vehicles to deliver emergency health care when deployed by the county’s Emergency Medical Services Agency. The medical and pharmaceutical assets from each Disaster Resource Center can treat dozens to hundreds of patients, including some pharmaceutical antidotes that are solely available through Disaster Resource Center stockpiles.

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Garcetti Announces Independent Assessor Announcement

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Garcetti Announces Independent Assessor Announcement

 

LOS ANGELES — On Jan. 21, Los Angeles May Eric Garcetti announced the appointment of Sue Stengel as independent assessor by the Board of Fire Commissioners.

The independent assessor is the top internal watchdog for the Los Angeles Fire Department and assists the Fire Commission in providing direction and strong civilian oversight of the department.

Stengel is a lawyer with extensive experience in law enforcement oversight, criminal law and public safety policy. She serves as the policy director on policing and crime policy for Mayor Garcetti’s Office of Homeland Security and Public Safety.
She previously served in two inspectors general offices, providing oversight and bringing transparency to two major departments: the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation and the Los Angeles Police Department. Stengel also served the Los Angeles as the public safety deputy to former Councilman Jack Weiss, when he chaired the council’s Public Safety Committee. Stengel began her career as a deputy public defender for Los Angeles County and was also the Western States Counsel for the Anti-Defamation League.

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