MARCH 2010: Census forms are mailed or delivered to households
APRIL 2010: National Census Day—use this day as a point of reference for sending your completed forms back in the mail
APRIL - JULY 2010: Census takers visit households that did not return a form by mail

Here’s what Officer Buscaino has to say:

If a U.S. Census worker knocks on your door, they will have a badge, a handheld device, a Census Bureau canvas bag, and a confidentiality notice. Ask to see their identification and their badge before answering their questions. However, you should never invite anyone you don’t know into your home.**

Census workers are currently only knocking on doors to verify address information. Do not give your Social Security number, credit card or banking information to anyone, even if they claim they need it for the U.S. Census. REMEMBER, NO MATTER WHAT THEY ASK, YOU REALLY ONLY NEED TO TELL THEM HOW MANY PEOPLE LIVE AT YOUR ADDRESS.

While the Census Bureau might ask for basic financial information, such as a salary range, YOU DON’T HAVE TO ANSWER ANYTHING AT ALL ABOUT YOUR FINANCIAL SITUATION. The Census Bureau will not ask for Social Security, bank account, or credit card numbers, nor will employees solicit donations. Any one asking for that information is NOT with the Census Bureau.

AND REMEMBER, THE CENSUS BUREAU HAS DECIDED NOT TO WORK WITH ACORN ON GATHERING THIS INFORMATION. No Acorn worker should approach you saying he/she is with the Census Bureau.

Eventually, Census workers may contact you by telephone, mail, or in person at home. However, the Census Bureau will not contact you by Email, so be on the lookout for Email scams impersonating the Census. Never click on a link or open any attachments in an Email that are supposedly from the U.S. Census Bureau.

How to Identify a Census Field Representative
If you are visited by someone from the United States Census Bureau, here are some RECOGNITION TIPS to assure the validity of the field representative;
* Must present an ID Badge which contains: photograph of field representative, Department of Commerce watermark, and expiration date.
* Will provide you with supervisor contact information and/or the regional office phone number for verification, if asked.
* Will provide you with a letter from the director of the Census Bureau on U.S. Census Bureau letterhead.
* May be carrying a laptop and/or bag with a Census Bureau logo. When in doubt, please call the Los Angeles Regional Office for verification at 1-800-992-3530. Office hours are Monday through Friday, 7:30 a.m.- 5:00 p.m., Pacific Standard Time.

The 2010 celebration of the Great Los Angeles Air Raid of 1942 will happen this Saturday at Fort MacArthur Museum. There will be live music, dancing, vintage costumes and cars and food and drink.

WHAT: The Great Los Angeles Air Raid of 1942
WHEN: Saturday, February 20, 2010, Noon–8 pm
WHERE: Fort MacArthur Museum, 3601 S. Gaffey St.
TICKETS: $20 Pre-Sale (ends today at 5 pm) or $30 the night of the show

Related Articles:
Fort Macarthur news

From the Daily Breeze:

“A building that houses eight art studios in the Angels Gate Cultural Center in San Pedro is expected to reopen Wednesday in the aftermath of a weekend fire that damaged one of the studios.

The fire, reported at 5:30 a.m. Sunday, was extinguished quickly after flames and smoke were spotted by a member of the Los Angeles Department of Recreation and Parks, which oversees the property.

The blaze burned one studio and caused minor smoke damage to the remainder of the 1940s-era building, a former U.S. Army barracks at Fort MacArthur located at 3601 South Gaffey St.

Sculptors, musicians, painters, writers and others who work in the building were not allowed inside while Los Angeles fire inspectors assessed the damage, said Deborah Lewis, director of the center. Though the building is old, there were no issues with asbestos, she said.

“We are airing the building the out, and we’re making sure that everything is safe,” she said.

One art class that meets in the building was moved to another building this week, Lewis said. The cultural center is comprised of five buildings with work-studio space for 52 artists.

A spokeswoman with the Los Angeles City Fire Department said the cause of the fire is under investigation.

CORRECTION: An article Wednesday about a fire at Angels Gate Cultural Center misstated the number of buildings on the site. There are a total of 11 buildings, including administration offices, constructed in the 1930s.”

Related Articles:
Angels Gate Cultural Center news

Dear Friends and Supporters of Angels Gate:

As you may already know, the City of Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs [Click here for link] is being threatened with catastrophic budget and staff cuts. Staff reductions of 24-48% have been proposed as has the total elimination of the $2.2 million in grants that the Department awards annually. This includes grants that have been awarded for the rest of this year that have not been invoiced. In addition, five councilmembers have introduced a motion to remove the city ordinance that guarantees 1% of the “hotel bed tax” for the Department’s budget, a move that would eliminate any obligation to fund the Department at all.

We don’t have to tell you about the valuable programs and organizations that will be adversely affected by this action. The arts in Los Angeles are a 14.8 billion dollar industry. For every dollar spent by the Department of Cultural Affairs, eight dollars are generated directly in jobs for artists and businesses. This doesnt even take into account the value of the arts to society overall.

We need your help and we need it now

Angels Gate, in partnership with the Grand Vision Foundation, hosted a letter writing party, February 1, at the Grand Annex on 6th Street in Downtown San Pedro. They wrote letters to the city council, Council District 15 councilmember Janice Hahn and the Mayor’s office, letting them know how
important the Department of Cultural Affairs and its services are to you and your families. Your words can change things.

If you didn’t make our letter writing party, you can write a letter online via Arts for L.A.’s website [Click here for link]. If you don’t live in the City, but enjoy the services provided by the DCA, you should direct your Emails to either council president Eric Garcetti or councilmember Janice Hahn, who represents Council District 15, where the Angels Gate Cultural Center is located.

Write a letter online here: [Click here for link]

You can also contact your councilmember’s office directly, via the City of Los Angeles website [Click here for Council District 15 link].

Thank You,
The Angels Gate Cultural Center Staff:

Deborah Lewis, Executive Director
Marshall Astor, Visual Arts Director
Jessica Yang, Education Director
Oscar Garcia, Development Director
Dana Joy Helwick, Program Administrator

You can find out more about this issue on Marshall Astor’s website.

Related articles:
Angels Gate Cultural Center articles

Copyright:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/paulwatson/ / CC BY-NC-SA 2.0

L.A. City’s Bureau of Street Services offers free sand and sandbags during the storm season. Local residents may pick up sand and sandbags at the Bureau of Street Services at the location below. Please note that residents must fill the sandbags themselves. Shovels will be available at the yard. The maximum number of bags per residence is 25 bags at the yards.

Thank you to the Coastal San Pedro Neighborhood Council for providing us with this information.

Related Articles:
Emergency Preparedness articles

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Previous Filming Articles

The construction project hotline for SRHS#15 has changed; the new number is 213/ 241-8736.

Mass grading is tentatively scheduled from late January through June 2010. “Mass grading will include the excavation, leveling and other earthwork in preparation for building the foundations for the school buildings. Work will commence with the relocation of underground utilities. While these activities involve the movement of significant quantities of soil, the contractor performing this work will strictly observe the LAUSD Best Management Practices, Design Standards and the mitigation measures adopted by the Board of Education and identified under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA).”

Related Articles:
School articles

The California Coastal Commission (CCC) will be ruling on the Coastal Permit Application by Verizon Wireless for the “installation of wireless telecommunication equipment on new 29-43 foot high (grade level) wood utility poles in five various locations. The equipment will consist of six foot double extension arms, two panel antennas, microcell, power meter mounted on the five single poles, and one 25’ x 7’ underground transmission equipment vault” at four locations in the Palisades and one in Point Fermin. Application No. 5-09-125 is item number 20a on the agenda.

The locations of the proposed installations are:
* 2531 S. Western Avenue (west side of street in the ‘S’ curve south of 25th Street)
* 820 S. Paseo Del Mar (north side of street just down the hill from the Korean Friendship Bell)
* 4101 S. Pacific Avenue (corner of Pacific Avenue and Sheppard Street in Point Fermin)
* 3627 S. Gaffey Street (west side of street on south side of entrance to the Korean Friendship Bell)
* 3135 S. Gaffey Street (west side of street just south of 30th Street by the new entrance to SRHS#15)
To see pictures of some of these locations, please click the Related Articles link at the bottom. A map can be found in Verizon’s proposal.

Download a copy of Verizon’s proposal, including maps, diagrams, and two letters of opposition, by clicking Here (downloads a 1.3MB pdf) or click on the agenda link above and look for Verizon.

The CCC meeting will start at 9:00 a.m. on Thursday, February 11, 2010 at the City of Oceanside, City Council Chambers, 300 North Coast Hwy., Oceanside, CA 92054

If you wish to speak at the meeting, you will fill out a “Request to Speak” form and give it to a staff person at the meeting.

Letters and written comments may be submitted to the CCC no later than three working days before the hearing. In the upper right hand corner of the first page of your submittal please identify the agenda item number (W22c), application number (5-08-251) & your name. Please summarize your position in two or three pages. You may attach any exhibits you feel are necessary. Please Note: You are discouraged from submitting written materials to the Commission on the day of the hearing, unless they are visual aids. Letters can be sent to:

If you are unable to be present at the meeting you may view and listen to this meeting gavel to gavel live on the web. When in session, see:
* Just the webcast
* Webcast and the agenda in a frames page
* Just the audio

Related Posts:
Proposed Verizon Cell Towers

Click image to view larger

Hear the latest plans and give your feedback on the L.A. waterfront at a public meeting to be held on Thursday, February 11.

WHEN: Thursday, February 11, 2010, 6:00–8:00 pm
WHERE: Crown Plaza ballroom, 601 S. Palos Verdes St.
DETAILS: For more details, call (310) 290-0049

Related Posts:
Sustainable Waterfront Plans
San Pedro Waterfront Plans
Harbor Air Pollution Study Results

Neighbors:

In reviewing last week’s crime maps, I’m please to inform you that in the week of 01/17-01/23 your neighborhood did not have a single Part 1 crime reported. Let’s continue to look out for each other and follow the basic crime prevention tips.

You may also visit www.lapdonline.org for more information.

Let’s keep those garage doors closed and expensive items out of our cars!

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Crime articles