Mountain Views News, Sierra Madre Edition [Pasadena] Saturday, November 10, 2018

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 10, 2018

AROUND SAN GABRIEL VALLEY


LOCAL ATTORNEY TO ADDRESS DISABILITY 
RIGHTS AT THE FROSTIG CENTER

Pasadena, CA--Attorney Valerie 
Vanaman, a prominent advocate 
for individuals with disabilities 
and learning challenges, will 
answer questions about access 
to education, conservatorships, 
trusts and other topics during a 
free forum at The Frostig Center 
on November 27.

 Ms. Vanaman has represented 
individuals with disabilities and 
their families for four decades. 
She has helped countless clients 
secure a basic education, as 
well as their rights under the 
Individuals with Disabilities 
Education Act, Social Security 
Act, Supplemental Security 
Income Act, Americans With Disabilities Act and 
the Lanterman Developmental Disabilities Services 
Act.

 Families working to make the best choices for 
a loved one can be frustrated by the complexities 
of the laws and overlapping service agencies. Ms. 
Vanaman, a partner in the law firm Newman 
Aaronson Vanaman, will devote 
her presentation at The Frostig 
Center to answering questions 
from the audience.

 The event is part of The 
Frostig Center Speaker Series, 
which features experts in the 
field of special needs and child 
development. Ms. Vanaman’s 
presentation begins at 6:00 p.m. 
in Gates Hall at The Frostig 
Center. The event is free and 
open to the public. 

 The Frostig Center, located 
at 971 N. Altadena Drive, is a 
non-profit organization that 
strives to improve the lives 
of children with learning 
differences through research, professional 
development for teachers, and Frostig School. 
Frostig also provides services to young adults 
with learning differences who are transitioning 
to college and work. For additional information 
about Frostig Center, call (626) 791-1255 or visit 
our website at www.frostig.org. 


ASSEMBLYMEMBER CHRIS HOLDEN’S STATEMENT 
ON THE 2018 ELECTION 

Pasadena (CA) – Assemblymember Chris Holden 
was re-elected to represent the 41st District in the 
California State Assembly with 63.5% of the vote. 
Holden released the following statement: 

 “I want to thank the voters of the Foothill 
communities for re-electing me to represent them 
in Sacramento. I look forward to working with my 
colleagues in the legislature, and Governor-Elect 
Gavin Newsom to advance policies that benefit all 
Californians. 

 “Californians also spoke up this election 
on important ballot measures that will have a 
significant impact on the state. Last year, the 
legislature passed a transportation funding 
package to fix our transportation infrastructure 
and thanks to the voters, we will see much-needed 
improvements to make roads safer, fill potholes, 
and repair local streets. 

 ‘Measures to address California’s housing 
and homelessness crises were also on the ballot. 
Proposition 1, the affordable housing bond passed, 
but unfortunately Proposition 10 that would have 
allowed some form of rent control did not. I look 
forward to pursuing serious legislative solutions 
that to make housing more affordable and solve 
homelessness.” 

YOUNG LEGISLATORS PROGRAM - 2019 PROGRAM DESCRIPTION:

The Young Legislators Program is a once-in-a-
lifetime opportunity that offers high school seniors 
in the 41st Assembly District a front row seat to the 
public policy and political arena. During the six 
month program, students will meet once a month to 
become better advocates on issues they care about, 
gain valuable leadership skills, and learn about the 
legislative process. The program concludes with a 
free trip to northern California to visit the facebook 
headquarters and the State Capitol.

Requirements:

• High school seniors with at least a 2.5 unweighted 
GPA or higher
• Must live or go to school in the 41st Assembly 
District.
• Commit to five monthly, 3-4 hour Saturday 
meetings and 2-day trip in June to Northern 
California (Entire program is free of cost)
• Tentative Schedule for 2019:
• Session one - Saturday, January 12 (Program 
Kickoff at Rosebowl)
• Session two - Saturday, February 9th (Organizing 
for Change on Campus)
• Session three - Saturday March 16th (The Future 
of Transportation)
• Session four - Saturday April 20th (California’s 
Infrastructure)
• Session five - Saturday May 18th (Science and 
Technology)
• Session six - Monday, June 17th and Tuesday, June 
18 (Trip to Facebook and State Capitol)


The deadline for applying is November 21st.

LAST FIVE DAYS TO REGISTER FOR 2019 

SEISMIC RETROFIT GRANTS

$3,000 Grants to Strengthen Older Houses 
Available in 70 High-Hazard Areas of State 
(SACRAMENTO) Registration closes Tuesday 
at midnight for the 2019 Earthquake Brace + Bolt 
(EBB) program, which offers eligible homeowners 
grants of up to $3,000 for seismic retrofits to 
strengthen their older houses and make them more 
resistant to earthquake damage. With $3 million in 
funding from the California Earthquake Authority 
(CEA) and $3 million from the Federal Emergency 
Management Agency (FEMA), EBB will offer 
2,000 retrofit grants in 18 additional high-hazard 
program areas and 76 additional ZIP Codes in 2019. 
For the first time, homeowners in cities including 
Alameda, Sonoma, San Jose, Santa Rosa, Richmond, 
Burbank and Pomona are eligible to apply for 
grants. “More than 1.2 million homes in high-
seismic-hazard areas of the state are particularly 
vulnerable to earthquakes because of their type of 
construction,” said Janiele Maffei, chief mitigation 
officer of CEA and executive director of EBB. “This 
program aims to reduce the number of California 
homes that will be severely damaged by the next 
big earthquake—and improve communities’ 
ability to recover by increasing the probability 
that these homes remain safe and available for 
shelter.” Vulnerable houses that can benefit from 
a brace-and-bolt retrofit are typically built before 
1980, have a raised continuous perimeter concrete 
foundation and may have wood-framed walls in 
the crawl space under the house. A brace-and-bolt 
retrofit typically costs between $3,000 and $7,000 
and helps to prevent the house from toppling off its 
foundation during strong shaking—damage that 
can cost hundreds of thousands of dollars to repair. 
Launched in 2013 as a pilot in just two California 
cities, the demand for EBB has increased each year 
with a record number of registrants earlier this year 
for the 2018 program. The notfor-profit CEA, the 
country’s largest provider of residential earthquake 
insurance, offers premium discounts of up to 20 
percent on CEA earthquake insurance policies for 
houses with qualifying retrofits. How to Apply for 
EBB Grants Eligible homeowners have five more 
days—until Nov. 13—to apply for retrofit funding 
through EBB. To apply and for detailed program 
information, visit EarthquakeBraceBolt.com. A full 
list of eligible ZIP Codes and a searchable directory 
of licensed, FEMA-trained contractors with more 
than 1,000 trained contractors is available. Once 
registration closes, participating homeowners will 
be selected through a random drawing and notified 
via email in early 2019, if they have been selected to 
participate or if they are on the wait list. 


Jan Greteman626.975.4033Jan@JanGreteman.comJanGreteman.com#01943630Judy Webb-Martin626.688.2273Judy.Webb-Martin@podley.com#00541631 
Katie Orth626.688.0418 
KatieO@podley.com#00942500 
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