Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky, Board of Supervisors Chair Yvonne B. Burke, Senator Barbara Boxer, Supervisor Gloria Molina and Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa don protective gear for a tour of the construction site for the six-mile Eastside Gold Line light rail extension at 1st St. and Mission Road in East Los Angeles.

Bottom photo, a workman surfaces the rail bed for the $900 million project, scheduled to open in late 2009. For additional information, see Metro’s press release, and for full details, visit Metro’s Gold Line project page.

Supervisor Yaroslavsky (fourth from right) pays a visit to the construction site of the Sun Valley Middle School Health Clinic. The first full service school-based health clinic in Los Angeles County, the clinic is a partnership between the County, Los Angeles Unified School District, UCLA and the community-based non-profit Northeast Valley Healthcare Corporation.

On November 3, 2008 Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky joined Placido Domingo, General Director of the LA Opera, and other officials to announce the “Ring Festival,” a major Countywide arts and culture extravaganza planned for 2010 to celebrate LA Opera’s presentation of Richard Wagner’s Ring Cycle. Events will include exhibitions, performances, symposia and special events developed for the occasion, which will mark the first time that Wagner’s four-opera epic work will be presented in its entirety in Los Angeles. A wide variety of venues will host events throughout Southern California from April 15 through June 30, 2010.

“We can all be proud that so many diverse organizations are joining together in this incredible effort,” Yaroslavsky said. “Ring Festival LA will highlight the wealth of arts and culture that is unique to our town. The festival puts Los Angeles at the forefront of our major international cultural destinations, drawing together visitors from around the world and residents from neighborhoods across our county. It’s truly a celebration for all of us.” Visit LA Opera Ring Festival for full details.

On September 26, 2008 Los Angeles County Fire Chief P. Michael Freeman, joined by Supervisor Yaroslavsky and other officials, presented a display of airborne firefighting resources available to the County for the 2008 Fire Season. The LA County Fire Department’s Air Operations Section has a fleet composed of three Sikorsky Firehawk Type I helicopters (1,000-gallon tank, crew of 14, ground- or hover-fill from numerous water sites), six Bell 412 Type II helicopters, two SuperScooper fixed wing planes leased from the Province of Quebec, Canada (1,620 gallon tanks), and one Sikorsky Helitanker leased from Erickson Air-Crane Incorporated (2,200-gallon tank); as well as “Helicopter 10,” a Bell 412 that acts as Helicopter Coordinator.

helicopters

The SuperScoopers and the Sikorsky are leased during the high-risk fire season from September to December to augment our aerial firefighting resources. Each helicopter is configured for multiple missions. In addition to aerial firefighting, they perform EMS medical transport, search and rescue, hoist rescue, swiftwater and ocean rescue, fire crew transport, and night operations. Air Operations Section is comprised of 63 dedicated personnel who respond to approximately 1,600 calls for service every year.