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Mountain Views News, Sierra Madre Edition [Pasadena] Saturday, June 24, 2017 | ||||||||||||||||||||
SATURDAY, JUNE 24, 2017 SECTION B AROUND SAN GABRIEL VALLEY REP. SCHIFF REINTRODUCES LEGISLATION TO REFORM RESIDENTIAL TREATMENT PROGRAMS NATIONWIDE SCARPTA INCLUDES STRONG ANTI- DISCRIMINATION PROTECTIONS FOR LBGT YOUTH AND YOUTH WITH MENTAL ILLNESS WINDING DOWN AT THE GREAT RACE PLACE By Joan Schmidt All good things come to an end and the current Meet at Santa Anita Park ends on July 4th. However there is still plenty of time to go there and enjoy some fun events in addition to great Thoroughbred Racing. The current contest for “Jockey with the MOST Wins” is REALLY heating up! Right now there are four running neck-and-neck! Flavien Pratt who hails from France has 34; Peruvian Rafael Bejarano, 31; Louisiana’s “Smokin Joe Talamo”, whose Grandfather was from Sicily and Cajun on Mom’s side, 30 wins; and Apprentice Evin Roman, from Puerto Rico has 28! I think Evin’s got a shot at the Eclipse Award in the “Apprentice Category.” Good luck to all these fine men! Upcoming events: First, they canceled the last three Thursdays of the Meet. However Friday has FREE PARKING and FREE GENERAL ADMISSION. Weekdays are relaxing to me, not real crowded and the kids even get a chance to pet the outriders’ horses in addition to watching great races! Friday, June 30-Sunday, July 2 will feature the 6th annual 626 Night Market. This is a MUST-DO if you haven’t done it already. It’s the LARGEST Asian- themed night market in the United States. The growing entertainment tradition features merchandise vendors, games, food offerings galore, music and more! There’s something for ALL AGES at the 626 Night Market. For more information, visit www.626nightmarket.com. On Saturday and Sunday, July 1st and 2nd, there will be the Family Fun Zone on the Infield. First Post is 1pm. On Sunday, July 2nd, a special family event: Bombclub So Cal Car Show, 10am-5pm. FREE PARKING and ADMISSION. Enter Gate 6 off Colorado Place. Over the weekend, Clockers Corner is a great place for breakfast. In addition, James Corral, a retired jockey is usually there and has a table set up with his great creations: unique key chains, pens, signs, wall plaques andmore. His awesome creations can be seen on the walls of many barns at Santa Anita, Del Mar, and Breeding Farms. Monday, July 3rd, and Tuesday July 4th will offer Dollar Beers, Hot Dogs and Sodas, in addition to Great racing. Lastly, one of my favorite things to do in the AM is stop by Clockers Corner for a free coffee and just watch workouts. Last time I stopped by, Gary Stevens, Brice Blanc, Kyle Frey, Modesto Linares, Ruben Fuentes and Mario Gutierrez were there. Several owners and trainers also are there and jockeys’ agents diligently working to book races. It’s a very interesting experience. Hope to see at 626 Night Market, Bombclub So Cal Car Show, Clockers Corners or just enjoying great Thoroughbred Racing. Washington, DC – Today, Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA) reintroduced the Stop Child Abuse in Residential Programs for Teens Act (SCARPTA), a bill to hold residential treatment programs accountable to a set of minimum health and safety standards, including strong anti-discrimination protections for LBGT youth and youth with mental illness. The bill will also crack down on offenders who attempt to move abusive facilities across state lines by requiring all states to improve their licensing and oversight processes, and help families weed out bad programs by requiring they publicly disclose their licensing status and any history of violations. “There are hundreds of good residential treatment programs that provide services which can truly help youth recover and transition from serious behavioral problems or traumatic experiences,” Rep. Schiff said. “But without stronger federal regulation and oversight, programs that engage in abusive practices will continue to slip through the cracks, leaving behind traumatized and abused children and families.” Residential treatment programs have existed for several decades as a last resort treatment option for children with serious mental health issues. Families opt for these programs when in need of more assistance than traditional inpatient mental health services or intermediate therapy programs can provide. Many residential treatment programs have successfully helped children and adolescents with severe behavioral problems, drug and alcohol addiction, and rehabilitation from a traumatic experience. But in 2008, the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) documented over 1,300 reports of maltreatment by staff at programs spanning across 34 states, including substantiated accounts of starvation, excessive use of physical restraints and isolation, severe verbal abuse and intimidation, and neglectful medical practices. The GAO made clear that the lack of federal oversight and patchwork of state regulations has failed to properly license and monitor residential facilities which put an already vulnerable population of children at higher risk for abuse, and even death. “Abusive facilities that operate under the guise of providing real therapy have no place in our society and families who turn to residential programs for help, often as a last resort, deserve to know that their children are safe and in the care of professionals,” Rep. Schiff said. SCARPTA is based on a bill championed by Rep. George Miller (D-CA) before his retirement. Miller’s bill passed the House twice but was not signed into law. Schiff’s legislation would: • Prohibit all programs from withholding food, water or shelter from a child, putting a child in seclusion, and all other forms of physical and mental abuse • Require licensed medical staff on hand at all times in case of an emergency and require all staff members to be properly trained in recognizing and responding to signs of child abuse and neglect, and mental health crises • Allow youth to stay in contact with their parents so that they know their children are safe, and provide uninhibited access to a child abuse reporting hotline • Publicly disclose any past record of child abuse and their state licensing status so families can make informed decisions about where to send their children • Prohibit programs from using anything other than safe and evidence-based treatment -- meaning that any form of junk science such as conversion therapy or electric shock would be banned in these programs SCARPTA is backed by a large coalition of child-serving, mental health and disability rights, and LGBT-rights organizations. “It is long past time for the federal government to follow California’s lead and finally regulate the for-profit, ‘Troubled Teen’ industry,” said Lorri L. Jean, CEO of the Los Angeles LGBT Center. “Many of these facilities and camps commit horrible physical, mental and sexual abuses under the guise of disproven and harmful conversion therapy for LGBT youth. Sometimes these ‘therapies’ even result in death. No purported religious affiliation -- often claimed by these camps -- excuses such atrocities. We commend Representative Schiff for his continued efforts to protect all young people including some of the most marginalized youth in our country.” Evin Roman Flavien Pratt Wishing Y All a Happy & SafeFr Andrea & LisaWishing Y All a Happy & SafeFr Andrea & Lisa Wishing Y All a Happy & SafeFr Andrea & LisaWishing Y All a Happy & SafeFr Andrea & LisaSOLD by BARRETT & BAUMBARRETT & BAUMRe-Designing The Real Estate ExperienceLISA BAUM 626.627.6773lisa.baum@podley.com CalBRE #01080661ANDREA HARKNESS BARRETT 626.390.3017andrea.barrett@podley.com CalBRE #01887447390 TOYON ROADSIERRA MADRE | $1,350,0002084 LILIANO DRIVESIERRA MADRE | $1,529,0002084LilianoDrive.com697 W. GRANDVIEW AVENUESIERRA MADRE | $959,000697WGrandviewAve.com286 WAPELLO STREETSIERRA MADRE | $509,000286Wapello.com Mountain Views News 80 W Sierra Madre Blvd. No. 327 Sierra Madre, Ca. 91024 Office: 626.355.2737 Fax: 626.609.3285 Email: editor@mtnviewsnews.com Website: www.mtnviewsnews.com | ||||||||||||||||||||