Rep. Waters awards millions in grants

Representatives from several local organizations were thrilled  Friday when U. S. Representative Maxine Waters (CA-35) awarded them with  letters stating that they were granted funding from the $7 million  Waters had secured for 14 projects in her 35th Congressional district.
Funding  for the projects was included in the fiscal year 2008 appropriations  legislation passed by the United States Congress and was recently signed  into law by President George Bush.
I am proud to announce that I  have secured nearly $7 million dollars for projects in my Congressional  district in the appropriations process for fiscal 2008, said Waters.   In this time of economic hardship, I know how it is important to invest  in our communities, and this funding will go a long way for the  citizens of the 35th district.
A number of representatives of local  agencies were present when Waters announced the awarding of the grants  at the Flight Path Training Center. Each of the recipients were handed  letters of acknowledgment regarding the federal legislation awarding the  grants.  The chosen organizations will receive the grant money at a  later date.
Dr. Bettye and Hal Walker, co-founders of the African  American Male Achievers Network (A-MAN) who established the  Science-Technology Engineering Program (STEP) for inner city youth  interested in space and science, received two grants $39,000 and  $150,000.
Ive known Bette and Hal Walker for 14 years, noted  Waters, who said she is a big supporter of the Walkers minority youth  after school and Saturday program. This program prepares youth for  future jobs in the sciences in the United States and Africa, said  Waters.
AMAN board member William Nikkel expressed his gratitude to  Waters during the announcement of the grants. We will be able to   acquire the building we have been in for 15 years, said Nikkel.
The  Walkers, who were in Africa at the time that the grants were announced,  were nonetheless thrilled to learn that they had received the funding.
Dr.  Jack E. Daniels III, interim president of Los Angeles Southwest  College, expressed his gratitude to Waters for the grant of $400,000,  which will be used for improvements for the Los Angels Southwest College  Transit Center.
Daniels said that the grant will help to enhance and  provide new pedestrian walkways across Western Avenue and Imperial  highway to improve pedestrian safety that are heavily used by Southwest  Colleges 700,000 students. The crosswalks connect existing Metro bus,  Metro Rapid and Gardena bus stops to the main pedestrian entrance to Los  Angeles Southwest College. This transit center will provide students  with shelter and will help to transform the whole entrance to Southwest  College, said Daniels.
Other organizations receiving project awards  included the Westchester Streetscape Improvement Project, $1,000,000;  the El Camino College Improvement Initiatives, $195,000; Frank R. Seaver  Science Center at Loyola Marymount University, $1,000,000; LAU-7  Upgrades to Navy and Marine Corp Equipment from Marvin Engineering,  $1,000,000; Grow Inglewood small business loan program, $500,000;  Computer Aided Dispatch System for Inglewood Police Department,  $423,000; Police Department Security Improvements for Gardena Police  Department, $47,000; Improved Law Enforcement Technology for Gardena  Police Department, $235,000; Ballona Creek Watershed feasibility study,  $344,000; South Bay Work Investment Board Bridge-to-Work Program,  $390,000; bus system upgrades for Municipal Transit Operators Coalition  (MTOC), $1,100,000.