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APriL 29, 2011
LB Transit now offering live bus-tracking technology What time is the bus coming? Now, Long Beach Transit (LBT) customers can get the answer to that most frequently asked question directly from their cellular phone 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Long Beach Transit is the first transit agency on the west coast to implement this service. Customers simply call customer service at (562) 591-2301 and enter a fourdigit bus stop ID number, located at the bottom right side of the bus stop
sign, and the automated system will provide the next three bus arrival times. Trip planning for future bus travel is also available. This service adds to Long Beach Transit’s existing live bus tracking electronic displays at 60 LBT bus stops, on 228 LBT buses, on the LBT website and a touch-screen kiosk located at the Transit & Visitor Information Center at First Street and Pine Avenue in downtown Long Beach.
“This much anticipated new feature is really exciting for our customers. Through GPS tracking of our buses, this latest technology provides a quick informational resource for our customers 24-7,” said Mark Curtis, chairman of the LBT Board of Directors. LBT’s telephone operators are still available to assist with transit trip planning Monday through Friday 7am to 6pm and Saturday 8am to 3pm.
ChildNet CEO retiring after 27 years of service ChildNet Youth and Family Services, a private, nonprofit organization that offers innovative programs to over 5,000 young people and their families annually, has announced that Robert Di Stefano is stepping down after 27 years as president/CEO. Kathy Hughes, who was most recently COO of ChildNet, has been unanimously selected by the board of directors to serve as the new president/CEO. ChildNet was founded in 1970 as the Long Beach Youth Home. Since Di Stefano’s arrival in 1984, ChildNet has grown from a single facility serving 100 boys a year, to 13 locations covering six counties, and helping over 5,000 children and their families. Since 1984, Di Stefano has grown ChildNet from a budget of $893,000 to a current budget of over $22 million. Having worked with teenagers at Long Beach Youth Home and, before that, at Boys Republic, Chino, he realized that better results could be achieved with early intervention. Recognizing that there was often more than one issue in the family dynamic, the ChildNet goal, said DiStefano, “was to be able to handle all of the family care needs.” As a result, he conceived Continuum of Care, which created a range of services for families and their children. The concept led to several programs with a wide array of services. In 1987 the expansion began with Foster
Robert Di Stefano
Family Network, which now provides homes for abused and abandoned children in five counties. ChildNet’s two schools, Zinsmeyer Academy and Vista Ridge Academy, provide for special educational needs of children referred by school districts throughout greater Long Beach and the San Gabriel Valley. Whereas most of the children have experienced trauma and need counseling, some children may also need medical support. The Behavioral Health Services and Wraparound programs were established to meet these mentalhealth needs and provide family-support services. The newest program, Adoption Services, provided perma-
nent homes for 30 children last year. Hughes has been with the organization since 1986, when she began her career as a caseworker for the Long Beach Youth Home. A graduate of California State University, Dominquez Hills and a licensed marriage/family therapist, Hughes has held various positions of leadership throughout her many years with the organization. “I am extremely proud of everything that we were able to achieve at ChildNet over the past 27 years,” Di Stefano said. “When I was asked to join ChildNet as president/CEO, it was hard to imagine that we would become a multi-service organization, helping so many in need. I am honored to have presided over its growth and feel that it has become one of the best agencies of its kind. I am sure that Kathy Hughes will continue to guide ChildNet into the future with her gracious style and confident leadership, developing new programs and expanding our Continuum of Care.” Hughes said she is looking forward to the challenge of filling the shoes of Di Stefano. “He has built ChildNet into the leading nonprofit organization it is today. His leadership will be greatly missed, but he is leaving behind an organization that is strong, stable and successful.” -------------------------------MORE INFORMATION childnet.net
Councilmember garcia invited to white House celebration Long Beach First District Councilmember Robert Garcia has been invited to a reception at the White House on Thursday, May 5, at 5pm, in honor of Cinco de Mayo. The invitation, from President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama, invites Garcia to join other guests and dignitaries from across
the country to celebrate for an evening at the White House. “I am honored to have been invited by the President and the First Lady to the White House,” Garcia said. “I am looking forward to representing Long Beach and celebrating this historic day with other Latino Americans.”
Garcia is the first male Hispanic and youngest person ever elected to the Long Beach City Council. He is vice chair of the Council’s Federal Legislative Committee. He will arrive in Washington DC on May 4. No city funds are being used to pay for this visit. ß
Supervisor Knabe’s website offering tool that lets users draft budget To help constituents understand the context and breadth of services that make up Los Angeles County’s $23-billion-plus budget, Supervisor Don Knabe has launched a “You Draft the County Budget” tool on Knabe.com. Constituents can access the site to start drafting their budget
by going to knabe.com/draftthe budget. There are five major areas of spending, and, likewise, there are five steps for users to follow: Recreation and Cultural; Human Services; Government Services; Support Services; and Public Protection. Constituents
may spend as much time as they like in each area, and they will have a chance to make cuts in the departments which aren’t mandated, as well as seeing an example of what that cut could mean. When finished, users can share their budget with Knabe’s office or friends on Facebook and Twitter.
Fire captain was Southeast area cities adopting plan advocate for brain to reduce greenhouse-gas emissions cancer survivors The second category, land use Twenty-six cities in southeastern The Long Beach Fire Department has announced the passing of Captain Hank Zavaleta, who was well known throughout the southern California fire service for his contributions to firefighter training and workplace health and safety issues. Affected with brain cancer while an active firefighter, he became a tireless advocate for brain cancer survivors and their families. “Hank Zavaleta set the standard as a husband, as a father, and as a firefighter,” said Deputy Chief Jeff Reeb. “He will be deeply missed by all those who knew him.” A memorial service is being planned for sometime in May. Those wishing to donate in Hank’s remembrance can do so at craniumcrusaders.org. ß
Los Angeles County, located in the area called the Gateway Cities, are working together to develop an unprecedented plan to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from cars and light trucks by changing land use and transportation patterns. The plan, called a Sustainable Communities Strategy (SCS), is a new requirement of state law adopted in 2008, known as SB 375. The Gateway Cities SCS is under development and is expected to be finalized in June. The plan compiles city, county, and regional strategies in three categories. The first category, transportation projects, includes bicycle and pedestrian improvements, such as separated bike lanes, intersection improvements, and traffic signal synchronization.
changes, involves denser development near existing or planned transit stations. Examples can be seen on Long Beach Boulevard in Long Beach, along the Metro Blue Line. The third category is known to planners as TDM, or travel demand management. This refers to programs like shortened work weeks and employer-sponsored ride sharing, which enable commuters to use their personal cars less often while still getting to and from work. Additionally, a public information session about the SCS will be offered on Tuesday, May 3, at the Mark Twain Library, 1401 East Anaheim St., from 6:30pm to 8:30pm. --------------------------------MORE INFORMATION gatewaycog.org/sb375.html
SigNAL TriBuNE
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Signal Hill Honorary Police Officers Association
Texas Hold‘Em
Tournament Bring or When: Friday, April 29, 2011 this a mail d for Time: 5:30-6:15 Check-in • Dinner • Refreshments $ 6:30 Tournament begins Poke 300 in r Chi ps Where: Skylinks Golf Course, Long Beach
$65 buy-in - Donation $75 donation at the door Includes 2 drink tickets & Dinner No host dinner available
100 player maximum 2 $25 Re-buys before first break
Mail check to:
Signal Hill Honorary Police Officers Association P.O. Box 92111 Long Beach, CA 90809-2111 Tax ID# 953-86-2883 Contact Jorge Lopez (310) 629-0109 or Dale Miller 562.244.4721
• • • • • • • ASk ABOuT TABLE SPONSORSHiP • • • • • • • Registration for Signal Hill Honorary Police Officers Association Texas Hold ‘Em Tournament Name ______________________________ Phone #______________ Name ______________________________ Phone #______________ Amount Enclosed $_____________________ This ad partially sponsored by Signal Tribune newspaper