First Fridays at the Natural History Museum [May 2011]

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Photo by Jeremiah Garcia

First Fridays
Once a month, the entire Natural History Museum stays open until 10 pm and features live music, exciting scientific discussion, and behind-the-scenes curatorial tours. Since its inception in 2004, First Fridays has been has been an immersive program designed for audiences of all ages, bringing together a dynamic discussion with scientists on the cutting edge of their fields and musical performances by fresh and innovative artists. In recent years the program has been hailed as Los Angeles’ “Best Intellectual Event in Disguise” (L.A. Downtown News, 2008) and “Best Museum Party Night” (Los Angeles magazine, 2009). First Fridays welcomes its audience back to the Museum they loved as kids, putting a new and exciting spin on an old favorite.

First Fridays 2011: Nostradamus Edition!
One of the many great attributes of science is that it allows us to use the tools of today to understand where we have been and to predict where we are going. For the 2011 edition of First Fridays we take out our scientific crystal ball to ask what may be in our future. Will we be walking among woolly mammoths? Will we be able to harness the power of your brain to be more creative? Is climate change causing us to evolve? Will we live in a building designed by termites?  Are we doomed to go the way of the dinosaur? Or, perhaps, will we live forever?  This is not science fiction of the future but the real science that is affecting our life today. Join us this January as we look at the latest happenings in the fields of genetics, neuroscience, evolution, biomimicry, paleontology and human biology and learn how the science of today is paving the way for a fascinating journey into our future!

Check out what's happening this Friday 6 May 2011.

Tickets are now available

Get your tickets today >

Learn more about ticketing options including information about buying a season pass by visiting the Ticketing FAQ Page. Want to be the first to receive First Fridays updates? Send an e-mail at performances@nhm.org and to be added to the mailing list.

Listen to First Fridays Radio

Discover First Fridays Radio on Pandora. Learn more >

Los Angeles County Natural History Museum

900 Exposition Boulevard, Los Angeles 90007 [MAP]
213.763.DINO
http://www.nhm.org/site/

Go Metro!

Exposition 102
Vermont 204, 754
Figueroa 81
SILVER LINE: 37th Street/USC Station
EXPO LINE: (coming late 2011)

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First Fridays in Bixby Knolls, Long Beach [May 2011]

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First Fridays Long Beach — a celebration of art and music.

The mission of First Fridays Long Beach is to promote and support local artists and musicians by providing them with an outlet to showcase their work. Every first Friday night of the month, participating Bixby Knolls businesses unite to promote local artists and musicians through extended
operating hours. In doing so, we hope to encourage a dialogue between businesses, artists and the community.

Visit http://www.firstfridayslongbeach.com/ or the Facebook First Fridays, Long Beach event page for details including a listing of participating businesses.


Stop by Bella Cosa (3803 Atlantic) from 6:30pm – 8:00pm to find all the information about First Fridays, maps, business info, and restaurant recommendations.

Bixby Knolls, Long Beach, CA 90807
View Larger Map

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The first Wednesday of every month is FREE at the Craft And Folk Art Museum!

Here's what's going on this Wednesday 4 May:

A Marriage of Craft and Design:
The Work of Evelyn and Jerome Ackerman
Curated by Jo Lauria and Dale Carolyn Gluckman
Jan. 23, 2011 - May 8 2011

Artist-designers Evelyn and Jerome Ackerman brought beautiful and affordable home accessories to a rapidly expanding post-World War II California population. Ranging from tapestries and mosaics to ceramics and metalwork, this exhibition is a testament to the husband-and-wife team whose 62-year marriage spawned a prolific creative collaboration that defined an era of modern design. A true marriage of craft and design, the Ackermans’ timeless works continue to be a vital part of California’s distinct modern aesthetic.

Read the Marriage of Craft and Design press release HERE

View the Ackerman's official website HERE

This exhibition was organized in an expanded format at Mingei International Museum, San Diego, CA where it was first presented in 2009–2010.

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Crossing the Line: A Space by Tanya Aguiñiga
Jan. 23, 2011 - May 8 2011

Step over the line and enter a space created by Los Angeles-based furniture designer Tanya Aguiñiga. In her new site-specific installation, Aguiñiga uses weaving techniques she learned in Chiapas, Mexico to create a sweeping three-dimensional environment crafted entirely from yarn and custom-built furniture. Drawing on her experience growing up on the US/Mexico border, the exhibition considers how physical borders and cultural boundaries are traversed everyday in an interconnected world. Visitors will also be invited to add their own weavings to the installation.

Read the Crossing the Line the press release HERE 

View Tanya Aguiñiga's official website HERE

Craft And Folk Art Museum

5814 Wilshire Boulevard, Los Angeles 90036 [MAP]
323.937.4230
http://cafam.org/

Hours:

Mon: closed, Tue-Fri: 11am - 5pm, Sat & Sun: 12noon - 6pm

Admission: 

Members: FREE
General: $7
Students & Seniors: $5
Children under 10: FREE
First Wednesday of every month: FREE

Go Metro!

Wilshire 20, 720
La Brea 212, 312
Fairfax 217, 780

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Natural History Museum Free Day [May 2011]

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The first Tuesday of every month is FREE at the Natural History Museum!

The NHM has amassed one of the world’s most extensive and valuable collections of natural and cultural history — more than 35 million objects, some as old as 4.5 billion years. Its curatorial staff not only cares for those collections, but uses them for groundbreaking scientific and historic research. The Museum also curates new, immersive exhibitions that give visitors the opportunity to explore the “big picture” of our planet — specimens and objects, the stories behind them, and the increasing interrelatedness of the natural and cultural worlds.

Just some of what you can see and learn at the NHM:

Age of Mammals Media

Go in depth with our researchers and the unique specimens from the
Age of Mammals exhibit.
Learn more >

Our Exhibits Meet State Standards!

Our diorama halls are just one place where teachers and chaperones can meet State Standards! To download easy-to-use field trip guides that are aligned with Standards. Learn more >

Behind-the-Scenes Tours

Get special access to the Museum's vast collections on these exclusive tours! 
Learn more >

See all you can see at the Natural History Museum website.

Find events specific for Tuesday 3 May 2011 at the Natural History Museum using their calendar.

Los Angeles County Natural History Museum

900 Exposition Boulevard, Los Angeles 90007 [MAP]
213.763.DINO
http://www.nhm.org/site/

Hours:

9:30am - 5pm daily

Admission:

Members                         FREE

Adult	$9
Seniors (62+)	$6.50
Students with ID	$6.50
Children 13 - 17	$6.50
Children 5 - 12	$2
Children 4 & younger	FREE

Go Metro!

Exposition 102
Vermont 204, 754
Figueroa 81
SILVER LINE: 37th Street/USC Station
EXPO LINE: (coming late 2011)

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LACMA College Night

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Image: 2011 © Museum Associates/LACMA.

College Night 2011 Thursday, April 28 | 8:00 pm

A free evening just for college students! Come, bring your friends, and explore the special exhibition David Smith: Cubes and Anarchy. Discover what influenced and inspired the greatest American sculptor of the twentieth century. Share your ideas in a gallery discussion, create art, or enjoy a free reception in your honor! LACMA is open to the public until 8 pm—Feel free to stop by and check out the rest of the museum before the reception.

Resnick Pavilion | Free, no reservations | College ID Required | Admission is pay what you wish for LA County Residents after 5 pm | Parking is free in LACMA lots after 7 pm. | Sign up for College Night emails.

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Los Angeles County Museum of Art

5905 Wilshire Boulevard, Los Angeles 90036 [MAP]
http://lacma.org/
(323) 857-6000

Hours:

Mon, Tue, Thu – Noon - 8pm
Fri – Noon - 9pm
Sat, Sun – 11am - 8pm

Admission:

Adults – $15
Seniors (62+ w/ID) – $10
Students (18+ w/ID) – $10
Children – (17 & under) – FREE
Members – FREE
Second Tuesday of every month – FREE
Mon, Tue, Thu, Fri – FREE for LA County residents (w/ proof of residency)
Target Days – FREE

Go Metro!

Lines 20, 212, 217, 312, 720

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Richter Scale Day

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Tuesday 26 April 2011

In 1935, Charles Richter and his colleague, Beno Gutenburg, devised a scale of measurement to define an earthquake's absolute intensity.  Prior to this, the Mericalli Scale was used in which a temblor was rated from 1-12 on how people observed the effect on buildings.  Richter and Gutenburg replaced this subjective measurement with scientific one using a seismograph.  The Richter Scale was used late into the70s until a more precise scale, the Moment Magnitude Scale (MMS), was developed.  Though the MMS has been used for 30 years now, the term Richter Scale is still widely recognized and used–sometimes erroneously.

In observance of Richter Scale Day (26 April), infoLA reminds you to make sure you are ready for the inevitable.  Take necessary measures to protect your property and update your Emergency Preparedness Kit and review safety precautions and skills with your household.

Before An Earthquake

Earthquake-ready your home:

• Anchor large and heavy furniture securely to the walls (including your water heater).
• Avoid hanging or placing heavy items such as mirrors or pictures over beds, couches etc.
• Ensure sure all your cabinets latch securely.
• Ensure all gas connections and electrical wiring are not leaking or defective.
• Repair any structural damage such as cracks in your walls, ceiling or foundation.
• Consider chimney reinforcement, foundation anchoring.

Earthquake-ready yourself and house-hold members:

• Identify safest places inside to take cover during a temblor such as under a sturdy table or desk, against a secure wall away from windows, mirrors, pictures and heavy furniture.
• Identify the safest places outside to be during a temblor away from buildings, trees, telephone or electrical lines and away from overpasses and elevated transitways.
• Teach children how and when to dial 9-1-1 for emergency assistance and which radio station to tune to in case of emergency.
• If you live in a multi-unit building, identify stairwells, fire escapes and fire exits.
• Have an evacuation plan and meeting spot.
• Have an out of state contact for house-hold/family members to check in with (it is easier to call long-distance).
• Ensure all members of house-hold can locate and turn off (if necessary) circuit breakers/fuses, water line, gas line.
• Maintain an earthquake/emergency preparedness kit (see below).

During An Earthquake: 

• Indoors: Take cover under a sturdy piece of furniture and cover your head and face with your arms.  Make sure you are away from heavy furniture that may fall on you or block your exit after the shaking has stopped.  Stay away from windows, glass doors, pictures, lighting fixtures.  If you take cover in a doorway, make sure it is a load bearing doorway and do not get your fingers caught in a swinging door during the shaking.
• Outdoors: Move away from all buildings, trees, telephone or electrical lines, street lamps and away from bridges, overpasses and elevated transitways.
• In a moving vehicle: Stop the vehicle when in a safe clear spot as soon as possible.  Avoid stop next to buildings, trees, telephone or electrical lines, street lamps.  Never stop on or under bridges, overpasses and elevated transitways or in tunnels.

After An Earthquake:

• Make sure all members of your house-hold are safe and attend to injured persons promptly.  NEVER move a seriously injured person unless they are in further imminent bodily harm.  Call for medical personnel.
• Expect aftershocks which can further damage the structure you are in or around.
• Tune your radio or TV to your local emergency broadcast station to be aware of the latest emergency information. If you live in a coastal area, be advised of possible tsunamis.
• Stay away from damaged areas.
• Inspect for gas leaks: If you smell gas or hear a blowing or hissing noise, open a window evacuate the building.  Shut the gas off at the main valve outside and notify the gas company.  A professional must turn the gas back on–NEVER do it yourself.
• Inspect for electrical damage: if you see sparks, broken or frayed wires or if you smell hot insulation turn off the electricity at the main fuse or circuit breaker box.  Call an electrician for repairs.
• Inspect for sewage and water line damage: Avoid using the toilets if you suspect sewage lines are damaged.  If water pipes are damaged, avoid using tap water and notify your water company.
• Inspect your chimney for damage.
• Clean up any hazardous materials and cleaners that may have spilled or leaked.
• Avoid making telephone calls.  Texts might go through if calls do not but avoid texting as well unless necessary.
• Be careful when opening cabinets, objects inside may have shifted and may fall on you.
• If you are trapped under debris:  Do not light a match or lighter.  Do not move or kick up dust.  Cover your mouth with clothing if possible.  Tap on a pipe or wall so rescuers can hear you.  Avoid shouting as you may inhale dangerous amounts of (possibly toxic) dust.

Emergency Preparedness Kit

Water:

• A normally active person needs 2 qt/day.  Hot environments or excess physical activity will require double that.  Children, nursing moms and the ill will require more.
• Store 1 gal/person/day (2 qt for drinking, 2 qt for sanitation/food prep per person per day).  Store at least three days worth of water (seven days if possible). Store additional water for pets.  Water should be stored in plastic containers.  Water should be changed every six months.
• If you need to purify your water, you can boil it, add purification tablets to it or add bleach to it.  Use regular bleach (do not use scented, color-safe or bleach with other cleaning agents).  Bleach or purification tablets should contain 5.25% sodium hypochlorite.  For bleach, add 16 drops of bleach per gallon  of water.  For tablets, follow dosage requirements on packaging.

Food:

• Canned fruits, canned vegetables, canned juices, canned soup.  Avoid foods that take a lot of water to prepare such as rice, dry beans, pastas.  Consider military style Meals-Ready-to-Eat (MRE) that only require a small amount of water to be added.
• Vitamins, formula and other special dietary foods for infants, the elderly or the ill.  Pet food: one ounce per pet-pound/day.
• Store at least 3 days worth of food (seven days if possible).  Restock your food once a year.
• Have a manual can opener, disposable utensils and plates/bowls.

Medical Supplies:

• First Aid Handbook
• Latex gloves
• Sterile dressings, adhesive bandages of various sizes
• Cleansing agent, antibiotic ointment
• Eye wash solution
• Thermometer, scissors, tweezers
• Prescription medicines
• Pain relievers, anti-diarrhea medicines, antacid, Syrup of Ipecac, laxatives, eye drops, sunscreen

Sanitary Supplies:

• Toilet paper, bucket with lid
• Soap, detergent, bleach
• Feminine products
• Towels, rags

Tools and Supplies:

• Crescent wrench to turn off gas and water (if necessary), pliers, utility knife
• Fire extinguisher
• Radio and flashlights (hand crank preferred as batteries must constantly be replaced and are bad for the environment once disposed)
• Tape, foil, plastic bags/containers
• Paper, pencil, needle, thread
• Medicine dropper
• Sturdy shoes/boots, rain gear, blankets/sleeping bags, warm clothing, sunglasses
• Land-line telephone that does not require electricity

Documents:

• Will, insurance policies, contracts, deeds, stocks and bonds
• Passports, social security cards, immunization records
• Bank and credit card numbers and contact information
• Inventory of house-hold valuables, important phone numbers
• Family records (birth, marriage, death certificates

Earthquake Guides

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Putting Down Roots in Earthquake Country 
Read Online 
Download PDF 
Request Free Handbook(s) 

Seven Steps to Earthquake Safety 

Echando Raíces en Tierra de Terremotos 
Leer en español 
Bajar en español 
Solicite una copia impresa en español 
Request free Spanish-language handbook(s) 

Los Siete Pasos de Seguridad contra Terremotos 

7 Steps to an Earthquake Resilient Business 
Download PDF
Request Free Handbook(s)

“10 ways YOU can be Disaster Prepared” Download a PDF copy of the brochure in 8 languages English - Spanish - Tagalog - Armenian - Chinese - Korean - Laotian - Russian Listen to an audio version of the brochure

	Disaster Preparedness Coloring Book for kids Download the coloring book

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Sources/Links

Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)
United States Geological Survey (USGS)
California Institute of Technology (Cal Tech)
American Red Cross
California Emergency Management Agency (Cal EMA)
Emergency Management Department City of Los Angeles
"Make Your Own Preparedness Kit" SFGate
"Preparing Your Earthquake Survival Kit" LA Times 17 Oct 2005
First Aid Kit Ready America
"Putting Down Roots in Earthquake Country" earthquakecountry.info

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Huntington Free Day [June 2011]

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The Huntington offers free admission on the first Thursday of every month! 

The Huntington, founded in 1919 by Southern California businessman Henry E. Huntington, is a first-class cultural, research and education center.  Located in San Marino (near Pasadena), The Huntington is comprised of libraries, art galleries and botanical gardens.

From the Huntington website:

Library The Library’s collection of rare books and manuscripts in the fields of British and American history and literature is nothing short of extraordinary. For qualified scholars, The Huntington is one of the largest and most complete research libraries in the United States in its fields of specialization. For the general public, the Library has on display some of the finest rare books and manuscripts of Anglo-American civilization. Altogether, there are about 6 million items. Among the treasures for research and exhibition are the Ellesmere manuscript of Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales, a Gutenberg Bible on vellum, the double-elephant folio edition of Audubon’s Birds of America, and a world-class collection of the early editions of Shakespeare’s works. The Huntington also is among the nation’s most important centers for the study of the American West, with an unsurpassed collection of materials that span the full range of American western settlement, including the overland pioneer experience, the Gold Rush, and the development of Southern California. The Munger Research Center, the newest addition to the Library structure, adds 90,000 square feet of space for scholars and staff, preservation, conservation, and storage. Art Collections The Art Collections are distinguished by their specialized character and elegant settings in three separate galleries on the Huntington grounds. A fourth space, the MaryLou and George Boone Gallery, hosts changing exhibitions. The Huntington Art Gallery, originally the Huntington residence, contains one of the most comprehensive collections in this country of 18th- and 19th-century British and French art. It serves as home to Gainsborough’s Blue Boy and Lawrence’s Pinkie.  On display in the Virginia Steele Scott Galleries of American Art, The Huntington’s American art collection includes works from the 1690s to the 1950s, including important paintings such as Mary Cassatt’s Breakfast in Bed, Frederic Edwin Church’s Chimborazo, Edward Hopper’s The Long Leg, and John Singer Sargent’s Portrait of Pauline Astor. Botanical Gardens The Botanical Gardens are an ever-changing exhibition of color and a constant delight. Covering 120 acres, more than a dozen specialized gardens are arranged within a park-like landscape of rolling lawns.  Among the most remarkable are the Desert Garden, the Japanese Garden, the Rose Garden, and the Chinese garden. The camellia collection is one of the largest in the country. Other important botanical attractions include the Subtropical, Herb, Jungle, and Palm gardens. To the north of the Scott Galleries sits the Botanical Education Center, featuring the Helen and Peter Bing Children’s Garden, the Teaching Greenhouse, and The Rose Hills Foundation Conservatory for Botanical Science. The Conservatory provides children and families with exhibits designed to capture the imagination, engage the senses, and teach some of the fundamentals of botany. The Children’s Garden is most suitable for kids ages 2-7; the Conservatory is designed for middle-school-age students.

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Bunka Sai Japanese Cultural Festival

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The Torrance Sister City Association presents:

The 39th annual Bunka Sai Japanese Cultural Festival 

Saturday 30 April & Sunday 1 May. 

Come experience Japanese art, dance, koto and shakuhachi music, Taiko drums, origami and martial arts demonstrations, including kendo, judo, aikido and naginata. Ikebana arranged flowers, bonsai, Girls Day dolls and batik will also be on display.  Games and crafts for the kids make this an event for the whole family.

The festival will be held from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. both days at the Ken Miller Recreation Center in Torrance.  Admission and parking are free.

Proceeds benefit student cultural exchange program which sends students to Kashiwa Japan in the summer for three weeks.

Ken Miller Recreation Center

3341 Torrance Boulevard, Torrance 90503 [MAP]
(Free parking)

Go Metro!

Torrance Blvd: T1, T2, T3
Madrona / 190th St: T6
Hawthorne Bl: 344, T8



TSCA Mission Statement:

Our mission, as the Torrance Sister City Association, is to promote friendship, goodwill, and understanding between the City of Torrance and the City of Kashiwa, Japan, through a people-to-people, citizen diplomacy approach and through joint participation in mutually established programs.We do this under the guidelines of Sister Cities International, the parent organization, and SoCal Inc., the Southern California Chapter of Sister Cities International. 

For more info see https://torrancesistercity.org/

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Denim Day LA [2011]

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Slip on some jeans and make a statement!

In 1998, an Italian Supreme Court decision overturned a rape conviction because the victim wore jeans. The Italian Supreme Court dismissed charges against a 45-year old rape suspect because his 18-year-old victim was wearing jeans at the time of the attack. The Court stated in its decision that "It is common knowledge...that jeans cannot even be partly removed without the effective help of the person wearing them....and it is impossible if the victim is struggling with all her might." The judgment sparked a worldwide outcry from those who understand coercion, threats and violence go along with the act of rape.  Enraged by the verdict, the women in the Italian Parliament launched into action and protested by wearing jeans to the steps of the Supreme Court. Wearing jeans became an international symbol of protest against erroneous and destructive attitudes about sexual assault.  Denim Day was launched in the USA in 1999 in California as a prevention education campaign. Since then, states across the country have joined in this effort.

• Research consistently shows that rape is about the need to act out power and control, not what a person wears. In fact, women and girls have been raped while wearing everything from pajamas to jeans to business suits.

• Every 2 and a half minutes, somewhere in America, someone is sexually assaulted.

• 82.8% of rapes committed by an intimate are not reported to the police.

• 35% of college men who voluntarily participated in psychological research conducted at several universities indicated they might commit a rape if they knew they could get away with it.

• 20% to 25% of college women in the United States experience attempted or completed rape during their college career.

• About 44% of rape victims are under age 18, and 80% are under age 30.

• Around the world, at least 1 in every 3 women has been beaten, coerced into sex, or otherwise abused in her lifetime. Most often the abuser is a member of her own family.

• In 2005-2006, there were an average annual 232,010 victims of rape, attempted rape or sexual assault.

• About 44% of rape victims are under age 18, and 80% are under age 30.

• The heath care costs for intimate partner rape, domestic abuse and stalking exceed $5.8 billion each year, nearly $4.1 billion of which is for direct medical and mental health care services.

• About 75% of rape victims are assaulted by someone they know . . . intimates or acquaintances. This could include dates, family members, boyfriends, and husbands.

• Coercing or forcing someone to have sex against their will is sexual violence. Knowing, dating, being married or related to, is not a license to rape.

For more information and to find out how you can support and participate, see the Denim Day LA site:  http://denimdayinla.org/

See also Peace Over Violence: http://www.peaceoverviolence.org/

With questions on donations, please contact Heather Masterton at heather@peaceoverviolence.org

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Barack Gridlock!

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Thursday 21 April 2011 [Updated 16:25 Thu 21 Apr 2011]

Picture from Total Traffic LA.

Hail To The Grief: The President Is Coming!

Los Angeles - President Obama will be dropping in on the westside of Los Angeles for 2012 campaign fund-raisers today.  Citizens, especially those that live and commute in or through the Beverly Hills, Hancock Park and Mid-Wilshire neighborhoods, still have fresh and unpleasant memories of his late summer 2010 visit.

On 16 of August 2010, President Obama was in town for a fundraiser for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee at a private residence.  Major thoroughfares from Beverly Hills to Mid-Wilshire, including Olympic and Wilshire boulevards were shut down.  A great chunk of Hancock Park, where the event, which raised $1 million, took place was also closed off.  Commuters whose normal travel time was 45 minutes found themselves delayed for up to three hours.  Even people on bike and foot were denied access to streets and neighborhoods.  That visit left many unhappy and questioning the location of the fundraiser and the planning and scope of the closures. 

On President Obama's next visit to Los Angeles, he traveled mostly by helicopter to his destinations of the University of Southern California and Burbank.  Only streets around the USC campus were closed for a significant amount of time.  This time around, however, the president will once again be traveling via motorcade.

President Obama is scheduled to land at LAX around 2:30 pm and will be attending a rally and fund-raising dinner at Sony Pictures Studios in Culver City.  Officials have not released details about the president's route or what streets will be closed but some no parking signs are already posted in the area surrounding Sony Pictures Studios.  After the Culver City events, Obama will head north for two more fund-raiser dinners at Tavern in Brentwood at approximately 8pm.  CNN has the details about the fund-raising dinners here.

The president will be staying overnight at the Beverly Hilton.  President Obama will likely be driven from the Hilton to the VA where a helicopter will shuttle him to LAX for his 8:55 am departure time.

According to LA Observed, city officials say that traffic will be most impacted between 3 and 8pm.  If your commute will take you through these westside areas, allow yourself extra time.  If you travel via bus, Santa Monica's Big Blue Bus website advises riders to expect delays of 45 minutes to several hours.  Metro's blog, The Source, now lists bus lines that will be impacted and encourages passengers to use Nextrip for real time bus arrival information: www.metro.net/nextrip.  Metro also will be updating service impacts via its twitter account @metroLAalerts.  Culver City Bus' website says nothing about service impacts but be assured that service will most definitely be disrupted there as well.

Total Traffic LA has maps of likely motorcade routes and will be updating any additional information as it comes in.  You can follow Total Traffic LA on twitter: @TotalTrafficLA for updates on road closures and traffic delays for the Obama visit and all of LA County.

infoLA writer, Ry N., 01:56 Thu 21 Apr 11 [Updated 16:25 Thu 21 Apr 2011]

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Easter Celebration at the LA County Arboretum

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Beatrix Potter in The Garden 

an Easter Celebration at the Arboretum 

Saturday, April 16 

10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. 

301 North Baldwin Avenue, Arcadia 

The day's activities for children ages 10 and younger include the annual Easter egg scramble, Potter stories read by Beatrix Potter Society members, live animals featured in the stories, art and gardening, botanic demonstrations, magic, entertainment, games, face painting, and photo opportunities. For an additional cost, a special "Brunch with Peter Rabbit" is offered for the entire family. 

Event entry fees are $5.00 per child for members and $10.00 per child for non-members. Regular Arboretum admission fees apply for non-members. 

For details visit www.arboretum.org. 

Frederick Warne & Co. is the owner of all rights, copyrights and trademarks in the Beatrix Potter character names and illustrations. © Frederick Warne & Co. 2011

Los Angeles County Arboretum & Botanic Garden

301 North Baldwin Avenue, Arcadia, CA 91007-2697 [MAP]

http://arboretum.org/

(626) 802 - 8471

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Melrose Night [April 2011]

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The celebration of community that has spread across Los Angeles neighborhoods in the form of "First Fridays," "Second Saturdays," "Gallery Nights," "Art Crawls" and the like has finally hit Melrose.  LA's favorite hipster strip gets its own once-monthly celebration of self in the form of "Melrose Night."  Begun on Thursday 6 January of this year and continuing every First Thursday of the month, sidewalks and storefronts swell with activity.  The formula is much the same as in other community nights: from about 6 to 10 pm, local shops and eateries have extended hours and one-day specials and some of the city's most popular food trucks descend on the community to feed roaming horde.  Most of the action happens on Melrose Avenue between Ogden Drive and Curson Avenue.

Check out the Melrose Night website for this month's participating businesses, special deals, a list of food trucks and parking options.

For more on Melrose Night, see the Facebook page or follow @MelroseNight on twitter.


View Larger Map

Go Metro!
Melrose: 10
Fairfax: 217, 218, 780
La Brea: 212, 312

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Prayer Vigil Planned For Hospitalized Giants Fan

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From the Associated Press:

A prayer vigil is planned for a San Francisco Giants fan who was savagely beaten by two men wearing Los Angeles Dodgers gear after the season opener.

Community activists, clergy members and the family of Bryan Stow will gather Wednesday evening outside Los Angeles County-USC Medical Center where Stow remains hospitalized in critical condition.
Police said Stow, a paramedic from Santa Cruz, was punched in the back of the head by two unidentified assailants and fell to the pavement after the Dodgers' 2-1 victory over the Giants on March 31. A $100,000 reward is being offered.

The vigil is organized by The Wall-Las Memorias Project, which helps Latinos with HIV and AIDS. The group is urging the public to combat violence and alcohol abuse among young adults.

Los Angeles County Medical Center

1100 N State Street, Los Angeles 90033 [MAP]

323.257.1056

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City of Los Angeles Crisis Response Team Now Recruiting [Spring 2011]

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CITY OF LA CRISIS RESPONSE TEAM NOW RECRUITING - SPRING 2011!

Office of Mayor Antonio R. Villaraigosa

Mayor’s Office of Homeland Security & Public Safety

CRISIS RESPONSE TEAM
NOW RECRUITING - SPRING 2011!

Crisis Response Team (CRT) members are community volunteers who respond to traumatic incidents at the request of the Los Angeles Police and Los Angeles Fire Departments. CRT volunteers provide immediate on-scene crisis intervention, attend to survival & comfort needs, act as a liaison between the victim & emergency personnel and give referrals to victims & their families affected by a death, a serious injury, a violent crime or other traumatic incidents. These incidents include homicides, suicides, serious traffic accidents, natural deaths and multi-casualty incidents. The CRT program is managed by the Mayors Office of Homeland Security & Public Safety in collaboration with the City's Fire & Police Departments.


MAY 2, 2011 – JUNE 20, 2011
MONDAY & WEDNESDAY EVENINGS 6:30 pm – 9:30 pm
LOCATION: SOUTH L.A. SPORTS ACTIVITY CENTER
(Figueroa St & Florence Ave) [MAP]

Training Topics Include:

• Police & Fire on Scene Protocol with Police Detectives & Fire Personnel.
• Emergency Hospital Room Protocol with E.R. Social Workers.
• The County Coroner and the Victims of Crime Programs with L.A. City & L.A. County Victim Assistance Programs.
• Suicide Aftermath Support w/ Suicide Prevention Center.
• The Grief Process in Adults and Children.
• Traumatization & Crisis Intervention Principles and Skills.
• Diverse Populations: Working with the Elderly and People with Disabilities.
• Cultural & Religious Diversity with L.A. City’s Human Relations Department.

OTHER GUEST SPEAKERS INCLUDE: County Dept. of Mental Health, LAUSD Mental Health, City’s Disabilities Dept., and additional collaborating agencies.

***BILINGUAL VOLUNTEERS NEEDED***

PLEASE SUBMIT YOUR RESUME TO:

CRISIS RESPONSE TEAM - Mayor’s Office of Homeland Security & Public Safety
200 North Spring Street, Room 303, Los Angeles, CA 90012
Jeffrey Zimerman, M.S.W., CRT Manager
Phone: (213) 978-0697 Fax: (213) 978-0718
E-mail: LACRT@lacity.org

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Sea Lions and Domoic Acid

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Sick sea lions have been reported on the Southern California coast.  Lions seemed to have beached themselves as they may be sick with domoic acid.  This is the "Domoic Acid" entry from Beachapedia which includes who to contact if you see a sick sea lion:

 

Domoic Acid and Sea Lions

From Beachapedia

A naturally-occurring neurotoxin called domoic acid has been responsible for the deaths of hundreds of sea lions in southern California during the last few years. Domoic acid is a chemical that is produced by algae or plankton when it blooms. Domoic acid was not discovered until the late 1980s, and scientists still don't understand why or when the algae blooms occur, nor can they predict which blooms will produce toxins and when they will impact wildlife. What is known is that anchovies, sardines, clams, mussels and other sea life ingest the algae. Then when sea lions (and to a lesser extent, dolphins) eat the anchovies and other affected sea life, they become sick.

The toxin affects the part of the brain known as the hippocampus and causes rapid deterioration. Affected sea lions exhibit head weaving, bobbing, bulging from the eyes, mucus from the mouth, disorientation and sometimes seizures. The sick sea lions are almost always female, and are often pregnant. Unfortunately, not much can be done for the affected sea lions. Treatment typically consists of injecting approximately 4 liters of an electrolyte solution containing vitamin B-12 to flush out the toxin. The mammals are also given medication to control seizures. The survival rate is only about 25% to 50%.

If you see a sea lion in distress, it's important that you don't go near, touch or feed the animal. You should contact a lifeguard or a marine mammal care center. [emphasis added] Four such facilities exist in southern California:


Santa Barbara Marine Mammal Center 389 North Hope Avenue Santa Barbara, CA 93110-1572 (805) 687-3255
Fort MacArthur Marine Mammal Center in San Pedro (310) 548-5677
Pacific Marine Mammal Center in Laguna Beach (949) 494-3050
Sea World in San Diego (800) 541-7325

There are numerous additional Marine Mammal Stranding Network Participants along the ocean coasts of the United States.
Also see Domoic Acid and Amnesiac Shellfish Poisoning from Oregon Sea Grant.

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