Lancaster’s Day of Service and Palmdale’s Semester or Service set
Cities honor Dr. King’s legacy
Lancaster Mayor R. Rex Parris last week called on Antelope Valley residents to serve alongside him at the city’s annual Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service on Saturday, Jan. 19.
This week Palmdale will kick off its Semester of Service program with an orientation meeting Saturday, Jan. 12, from 10 a.m. to noon at the Chimbole Cultural Center, 38350 Sierra Highway in Palmdale. The meeting to provide an overview of an innovative tree-planting program that will take place in 2013 throughout Palmdale.
“This is an opportunity for us all to join together in the spirit of Dr. King’s legacy to help shape and transform our city through service,” said Lancaster’s Parris. “Please join me in rolling up your sleeves this holiday to work together and improve our community.”
Last year, more than 2,000 volunteers and local businesses showed their commitment to the community by joining the Day of Service.
Local residents can visit www.cityoflancasterca.org/mlkday to find out about local King Day service opportunities. Nonprofit and service organizations, groups and individuals are all encouraged to sign up to volunteer. Businesses are invited to donate to established service projects.
Palmdale’s Semester of Service is the city’s participation in the National Day of Service in recognition of Jan. 21 being Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day.
In collaboration with the Hollywood Beautification Team and CalFire, Palmdale will host four tree plantings throughout the city in 2013. Through a grant funded by CalFire, 450 trees will be planted on Jan. 26, Feb. 23, March 30 and April 27.
The four “themed” tree planting events will be: Military and Defense Day on Saturday, Jan. 26 at McAdam Park, 38115 30th St. East; Faith and First Responders Day on Saturday, Feb. 23 at Arnie Quinones Park, 41003 50th St. West; Cesar Chavez Service Day on Saturday, March 30 at Domenic Massari Park, 37716 55th St. East at Marie Kerr Park, 39700 30th St. West; and Global Youth Service Day on Saturday, April 27 at Marie Kerr Park, 39700 30th St. West.
Organizations, clubs, churches, neighborhoods and individuals are invited and encouraged to participate. Groups wishing to participate may send representatives to the orientation.
Attendance at the orientation is not mandatory to participate in the tree planting, but is strongly urged.
A second orientation will be held on Wednesday, March 13, from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Chimbole Cultural Center.
For more information, call 661/267-5181.
The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro) will hold a Social Service Transportation Advisory Council meeting and a Transportation Development Act Article 8 Hearing Board meeting in Palmdale to review oral and written comments previously made in the North County and the city of Avalon public hearings. These meetings will follow up on the Article 8 Unmet Needs Public Hearings held in April.
LOS ANGELES, Calif. — In light of a 63-year-old woman being mauled to death by pit bulls in the high desert community of Littlerock, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors today asked staffers today to evaluate a proposed change in the county’s definition of a dangerous dog.
Supervisor Michael Antonovich, who said “four killer pit bulls” attacked Pamela Devitt, called for the change.
Lancaster continues to frame the national debate about the merits of green technology as it welcomes Chinese automaker BYD Co. here to produce electric buses. The city is rapidly becoming known as the “solar capital of the world,” and local officials believe the new manufacturing deal will provide an economic boost on both sides of the Pacific Rim.
BYD Co. (Build Your Dreams) opened shop Wednesday at 46147 BYD Blvd. (formerly 7th Street W., just north of Avenue H) to make the “K9” electric bus destined first for Long Beach Transit.
LOS ANGELES, Calif. — High surf pounded the coast and fierce winds howled across the Southland today, with gusts topping 70 mph whipping the Saugus area and 50 mph in Lancaster.
As the nation slowly emerges from the Great Recession, the economic numbers for the Antelope Valley show a much higher rate of sustained unemployment and devalued housing prices in both Lancaster and Palmdale.
The five-year economic downturn saw much of the area’s the job losses come from the construction industry and retail sales. At the beginning of the year, Lancaster had an unemployment rate of 14.4 percent while Palmdale fared better at 11.1 percent. In 2008 the two cities lost a little fewer than 1,000 jobs combined, according to a 2009 report.
