Board of Appeals
Michael Garcia

Entertainment Commission
John Newlin

Health Service System Board
Jordan Shlain, MD

Human Rights Commission
Todd Mavis

Municipal Transportation Agency
Cheryl Brinkman

Port Commission
Rodney Fong

SFPUC Revenue Bond Oversight Committee
Aimee Brown.

“The great courage he displayed in the line of duty is an example of true patriotism. As they mourn the loss of this outstanding soldier, Maria and I extend our thoughts and prayers to Andrew’s family and loved ones.”

Castro, 20, died August 28 in Babur, Afghanistan of wounds suffered when insurgents attacked his unit with an improvised explosive device. He was assigned to the 2nd Brigade Special Troops Battalion, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), Fort Campbell, KY.

In honor of Spc. Castro, Capitol flags will be flown at half-staff.

“The funds awarded today will aid in reigniting California’s economy by creating jobs and improving infrastructure in rural communities. I congratulate today’s recipients and applaud their dedication to improving our schools, medical centers and fire stations.”

The $242.3 million in Recovery Act projects announced today are funded through the USDA Rural Development Community Facilities Program and will be matched with $58.4 million from other sources. Funding of individual recipients is contingent upon their meeting the terms of the loan or grant agreement. Below is a complete list of the selected recipients from California:

Boys and Girls Clubs of The Sequoias: $63,630 grant. The funding will be used to renovate a commercial kitchen.

City of San Joaquin: $162,690 grant. The funding will be used to renovate and expand a public works building.

Cutler-Orosi Joint Unified School District: $63,750 grant. The funding will be used to replace an obsolete cold food storage unit with a larger and more efficient unit.

Cutler-Orosi Joint Unified School District: $130,350 grant. The funding will be used to replace an obsolete cold food storage unit with a larger and more efficient unit.

Marshall Medical Center: $3,000,000 loan. The funding will be used to purchase medical equipment.

Orange Cove Fire Protection District: $41,900 grant. The funding will be used to retrofit a fire station.

Palacios Community Center: $90,000 grant. The funding will be used to renovate a community center to meet accessibility standards.

San Jose Community & Bea Main Learning Center: $27,000 grant. The funding will be used to purchase a fire sprinkler system for a community center.

Southern Humboldt Community Health Care District: $61,875 grant. The funding will be used to purchase health record management equipment for a critical access hospital.

Strathmore Union Elementary School District: $48,750 grant. The funding will be used to renovate an elementary school cafeteria.

Governor Schwarzenegger created the California Recovery Task Force to track the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funding coming into the state; work with President Barack Obama’s administration; help cities, counties, non-profits, and others access the available funding; ensure that the funding funneled through the state is spent efficiently and effectively; and maintain a Web site (www.recovery.ca.gov) that is frequently and thoroughly updated for Californians to be able to track the stimulus dollars.

Many Californians have taken initial steps toward earthquake preparedness, but more than 60 percent of Californians have not done enough to make their homes safer and guard their personal finances in preparation for an inevitable, large-scale earthquake, according to a recent California Earthquake Preparedness Survey. Fewer than 20 percent have participated in neighborhood disaster planning or have received specific disaster trainings and fewer than 50 percent have participated in disaster trainings at work.

“Understanding your level of risk is important, but action is required to save lives and property,” said California Emergency Management Agency Secretary Matthew Bettenhausen. “Every Californian should be prepared to be self sufficient for at least 72 hours after a major disaster. Every Californian is an essential member of our state’s emergency response team. By taking a few simple steps now, each of us can make sure we are better prepared for the next emergency or disaster.”

The California Emergency Management Agency and CaliforniaVolunteers provide the following 10 disaster preparedness tips:

1. Identify Your Risk — What are the hazards where you live or work? Find out what natural or human caused disasters pose a risk for you. Do you live near a flood plain, an earthquake fault, or in a high fire danger area? Are you prepared for an unexpected human-made disaster that can strike any time? Does your neighborhood or community have a disaster plan?
2. Create a Family Disaster Plan — Your family needs a plan that tells everyone: where to meet if you have to evacuate; who you’ve identified as an out-of-state family contact; how to get emergency information in your community; and how to take care of your family pets. The plan should include your children’s school policies for emergencies and how you will reconnect in case of disaster. Also create an “I’m OK” contact list on your cell phone so you can quickly send updates via text or social media website and make calls to let your family know you are safe and where you are located. Keep contact numbers and emails of family member on electronic devices up to date. You can also register your family’s emergency contact information with the National Next of Kin Registry.
3. Practice Your Family Disaster Plan — After you have sat down with your family and written your plan, practice it. Start by having family members meet at a designated spot outside your home, as you would after a fire or after the shaking stops. Know how to respond in the event of any disaster and whether to stay put indoors or whether to evacuate your neighborhood by car. If your family needs to evacuate, know the proper evacuation procedures and routes as determined by your local emergency services office.
4. Build a Disaster Kit for Your Home and Car — In order to be self-sufficient until help arrives, you need to have a disaster supply kit. Have at least a three-day supply of food and water for all family members.
5. Prepare Your Children — Talk to your kids about risks and what your family will do if disaster strikes.
6. Keep in Mind Those with Special Needs — Prepare for those with unique needs such as small children, seniors or individuals with disabilities.
7. Learn CPR and First Aid — Contact your local chapter of the American Red Cross today and get trained on basic first aid and CPR. Your training could save the life of a loved one or neighbor following a disaster.
8. Secure Your Space in Your Home and the Workplace — You must secure the contents of your home or office to reduce hazards, especially during shaking from an earthquake or from an explosion.
9. Understand Post 9/11 Risks — Disaster preparedness must account for man-made disasters as well as natural ones. Knowing what to do during an emergency is an important part of being prepared and may make all the difference when seconds count.
10. Get Involved and Volunteer — Donate blood, join a local Community Emergency Response Team, educate your neighbor or volunteer with your local American Red Cross.

“We recently launched the CaliforniaVolunteers Disaster Corps to coordinate trained disaster volunteers statewide,” said Secretary of Service and Volunteering, Karen Baker. “We urge Californians to volunteer for local disaster preparedness efforts now before a disaster occurs. Trained disaster volunteers are a huge asset in helping neighbors and the community.”

A variety of free online disaster preparedness resources such as a customized family plan, personalized children’s book and disaster preparedness tips are available online at www.CaliforniaVolunteers.org/familyplan. Additional disaster preparedness resources are available at www.calema.ca.gov.

The text of Governor Schwarzenegger’s Disaster Preparedness Month proclamation is available at gov.ca.gov/proclamation/15881/.

“From 30-10 to hiring more police officers to making Los Angels more business friendly, jobs creation is truly at the crux of everything we do in the City,” Mayor Villaraigosa said. “I am proud to announce two new programs driven by the City – Fashion’s Night Out and Shop LA – that will drive consumers to all the independent as well as large retailers in every pocket of our thriving, diverse City.”

Fashion’s Night Out is an unprecedented global initiative to celebrate fashion, restore consumer confidence and boost the industry’s economy in cities across the world on September 10th from 6pm – 10pm. Under the leadership of Mayor Villaraigosa, President of Public Works Cynthia Ruiz and the Mayor’s Office of Economic and Business Policy, the City of Los Angeles will participate for the first time in Fashion’s Out.

From Abbot Kinney to the Beverly Center to the Fashion District, over 300 large and small retailers will participate by offering in-house fashion shows, creative give-a-ways and sales to promote consumer spending in an industry that already generates $5.7 billion dollars in direct sales for the City a year.

At the press conference, the Mayor unveiled the Fashion’s Night Out billboard located at the entrance of the Beverly Center facing La Cienega Boulevard. The Mayor also toured the newly opened stores in the mall, the recently built Capital Grille that employs 100 people and the construction site for the new Forever 21. The Beverly Center employs 2,300 people including parking, retail, restaurant, security, and management staff.

Mayor Villaraigosa also announced Shop LA, a year-long effort to encourage Los Angeles residents to do their shopping, dining and other spending within Los Angeles city limits to generate significant and much-needed revenues for the City.

Sales tax constitutes the 5th largest source of general fund revenue for the City of Los Angeles and is projected to be $292 million for this fiscal year. For every ten dollars in sales tax generated within Los Angeles, the City receives a dollar that goes towards services such as public safety, libraries, park and recreation programs and animal shelters

“The concept of Shop LA is brilliantly simple: it’s really about slightly changing your habits,” Mayor Villaraigosa said. “This small change will have large implications for our City’s revenue.

For more information about Fashion’s Night Out and Shop LA, go to fno.lacity.org and www.shoplacity.com.

Highlighting the 100th anniversary of infrared photography, four photographers have joined forces for a traveling show that exemplifies the versatility of the medium. The show exhibits how unique each artist’s interpretation can be and allows us to see beyond the visible spectrum of the human eye and into the world of infrared.

The appeal of infrared photography is varied. The images that are captured are dramatic and surreal. A landscape becomes dreamlike. Portraits and nudes take on an ethereal beauty. Skies and clouds are dramatically pronounced, the vegetation glows and there is transcendent essence to the work. This is the mystery and magic of infrared photography.

We invite you to join us and share in the festivities as we showcase the works of Theresa Airey, Susan Bloom, Jill Enfield and Elizabeth Opalenik as they approach the medium from different viewpoints, showing the range of possibilities inherent to infrared.

ARTISTS’ RECEPTION: THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 16, 5:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.

The Gallery at the
Creative Center for Photography
Freestyle Photographic Supplies
5124 Sunset Boulevard
Hollywood, CA 90027-9897, USA
323.660.3460 x 105.

With hurricane season in full swing, Southeast Computer Solutions hopes its appeal to the charitable nature of south Florida businesses will help lessen the economic harm done by hurricanes every year. “The financial impact to small and mid-sized businesses after a hurricane is sobering,” says Ralph Ceccarelli, Vice President of Southeast Computer Solutions.

“Based on some estimates we have seen, up to 60 percent of businesses that experience downtime greater than 48 hours will be closed within three years. And what’s unfortunate is that kind of economic devastation to businesses can be prevented with relative ease.”

The IT consulting firm recommends having a disaster recovery plan for not only natural disasters like hurricanes but also fires, hardware failures, data theft and deliberate sabotage by disgruntled workers.

Ceccarelli says: “Because a ‘disaster’ can come in many forms, we always recommend a risk analysis to determine what areas pose the greatest risk. Based on identified risks, a business continuity plan can be created and preventative measures established to prevent, or minimize, potential damage.”

Southeast Computer Solutions plans to contribute all proceeds to United Way of Miami’s “Operation Prepare and Share” campaign, which notes on its Web site that 33 percent of south Floridians have no disaster plan. With only 339 donations made to date, Ceccarelli hopes his company can do its part to make “disasters” a little more manageable for all involved. Donations to Operation Prepare and Share can be made online at: www.unitedwaymiami.org .

About Southeast Computer Solutions:

Southeast Computer Solutions has been an IT consulting firm and Sage Authorized Reseller since 1985. Headquartered in Miami, Southeast has offices in Dallas and Buenos Aires. With over 600 installations across the United States and in Latin America, Southeast Computer Solutions is the largest Sage Reseller in Miami and was ranked 75 on the 2010 VAR 100 list. For more information about how to raise your company’s performance, please contact us at: www.southeastcomputers.com .

News Source: Southeast Computer Solutions :: This story was issued by Send2Press® and is Copyright © 2010 Neotrope® News Network – all rights reserved.

Using statistics drawn from the Foreclosure Deals database of foreclosure properties, the company revealed that bank repossessions, also known as REO properties, totaled 94,500 during July with a drop of less than 1 percent in the month of August, nearly matching the single-month record. Bank repossessions represent the final stage of the foreclosure process, but are still sold for discounts as bank owned homes. Notices of default, which mark a new foreclosure, were up 1 percent in July, but down over 28 percent from July of 2009.

The trend of increasing bank repossessions and fewer Notice of Default has been the case for several months, but experts are careful to point out that it does not signal that the foreclosure market is flagging.

“Foreclosure totals are up over 300,000 for the month of August, and that’s a huge number,” remarked James Foxx, a business analyst with Foreclosure Deals. “A lot of bank repos are occurring because they’re finally clearing out the huge log of properties that have been in foreclosure limbo due to moratoriums, loan negotiations and similar delays. Notices of default are down, but a lot of that has to do with foreclosure prevention programs. So we’re cutting down on new foreclosures, but there are still plenty of bank-owned homes out there, keeping the foreclosure inventory high.”

The top 5 states for foreclosure totals, California, Florida, Michigan, Illinois and Arizona, all saw foreclosures increase during August by at least 7 percent, except for California, which saw its totals decrease slightly by 3.1 percent. Illinois saw a staggering monthly increase of 33 percent mainly in Chicago.

The states with the highest rates of foreclosure however, Arizona, Florida and Nevada, all saw a dramatic decrease in foreclosures from August of 2009. Other states saw their foreclosure rate increase dramatically during the same time period, including Michigan, up 128 percent; Illinois, up 35 percent; Maryland, up 35 percent; and Georgia, up 13 percent.

“A lot of buyers are reporting great deals on bank repossessions,” notes Foxx. “Banks are looking to get rid of that surplus inventory, and prices have been very competitive.”

Foreclosure Deals is a leading source for detailed foreclosure listings, news and information for buyers and investors. For more information on foreclosures or to browse listings in your area, visit www.ForeclosureDeals.com .

News Source: Foreclosure Deals :: This story was issued by Send2Press® and is Copyright © 2010 Neotrope® News Network – all rights reserved.

Mark Maio, co-founder of RFQ Resources, explains, “During my years working with channel resellers, I found recurring pricing data needs that no one was meeting. There was tremendous demand for reliable and real-time pricing intelligence, but channel customers didn’t have time to contact every distributor and couldn’t risk revealing their product requirements to all players. RFQ Resources meets those pricing needs easily, affordably, and anonymously.”

RFQ Resources is endorsed by NASBA – The Association of Channel Resellers (www.nasba.com). NASBA Executive Director Frank Raimondi adds, “Today’s buyers have just-in-time requirements in a volatile market, and at the same time, limited visibility to spot market pricing. The process of researching the market can be a very time consuming and bring unwanted exposure. In line with NASBA’s goals of providing empowering services for resellers, RFQ Resources offers an innovative way for Resellers to quickly and anonymously collect spot market pricing from Mainstream Distributors to meet their procurement goals.”

The RFQ Resources process was designed for ease-of-use. Buyers anonymously post their specific requirements while sellers respond with equally specific anonymous bids. A secure site is provided for identity exchange to efficiently facilitate deal closure, while prospective buyers capture real-time street price data regardless of actual purchasing activity.

The current lineup of Distributors includes ASI Computer Technologies, Avnet Embedded, Americas, a division of Avnet, Inc. (NYSE: AVT), Computech, SED International, and Synnex. Channel Customers pay just $19.98 per month for unlimited access to post RFQs and obtain real-time street pricing for their product requirements. There are no other fees.

About RFQ Resources:

RFQ Resources (www.rfqresources.com) is a Web-based clearinghouse for B2B buyers and sellers of computer components to arbitrate spot-market pricing. It charges only a monthly membership and takes no active or monetary part in any transaction that is consummated.

In addition to its core service of price discovery, RFQ Resources hosts an active Channel Forum (www.channelforum.com).

News Source: RFQ Resources :: This story was issued by Send2Press® and is Copyright © 2010 Neotrope® News Network – all rights reserved.

Mark Maio, co-founder of RFQ Resources, explains, “During my years working with channel resellers, I found recurring pricing data needs that no one was meeting. There was tremendous demand for reliable and real-time pricing intelligence, but channel customers didn’t have time to contact every distributor and couldn’t risk revealing their product requirements to all players. RFQ Resources meets those pricing needs easily, affordably, and anonymously.”

RFQ Resources is endorsed by NASBA – The Association of Channel Resellers (www.nasba.com). NASBA Executive Director Frank Raimondi adds, “Today’s buyers have just-in-time requirements in a volatile market, and at the same time, limited visibility to spot market pricing. The process of researching the market can be a very time consuming and bring unwanted exposure. In line with NASBA’s goals of providing empowering services for resellers, RFQ Resources offers an innovative way for Resellers to quickly and anonymously collect spot market pricing from Mainstream Distributors to meet their procurement goals.”

The RFQ Resources process was designed for ease-of-use. Buyers anonymously post their specific requirements while sellers respond with equally specific anonymous bids. A secure site is provided for identity exchange to efficiently facilitate deal closure, while prospective buyers capture real-time street price data regardless of actual purchasing activity.

The current lineup of Distributors includes ASI Computer Technologies, Avnet Embedded, Americas, a division of Avnet, Inc. (NYSE: AVT), Computech, SED International, and Synnex. Channel Customers pay just $19.98 per month for unlimited access to post RFQs and obtain real-time street pricing for their product requirements. There are no other fees.

About RFQ Resources:

RFQ Resources (www.rfqresources.com) is a Web-based clearinghouse for B2B buyers and sellers of computer components to arbitrate spot-market pricing. It charges only a monthly membership and takes no active or monetary part in any transaction that is consummated.

In addition to its core service of price discovery, RFQ Resources hosts an active Channel Forum (www.channelforum.com).

News Source: RFQ Resources :: This story was issued by Send2Press® and is Copyright © 2010 Neotrope® News Network – all rights reserved.