Mountain Views News, Sierra Madre Edition [Pasadena] Saturday, October 8, 2016

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 8, 2016

SECTION B

AROUND SAN GABRIEL VALLEY

IN MEASURE M, L.A. COUNTY TRANSIT PLAN 
GOES THE DISTANCE THIS TIME: 

MICHAEL D. ANTONOVICH

COUNTY’S RESTAURANT GRADING SYSTEM 
STRENGTHENED

LOS ANGELES COUNTY – Initiated by 
Supervisor Michael D. Antonovich in 1998, 
the County of Los Angeles’ restaurant grading 
system was established to increase public 
access to information regarding local food 
facilities and their hygienic conditions, and is 
now undergoing several critical enhancements 
to further improve the prominent ABC letter 
grading system that is currently in place.

 For decades prior to 1998, the County’s 
Department of Public Health regularly 
performed routine inspections of restaurants 
and retail food facilities, but little information 
was readily available to the consumer about 
inspection results. Subsequently, media reports 
highlighted the unsafe and unhygienic food 
handling at a number of restaurants in the 
County. As a result, Supervisor Antonovich 
authored a motion that was unanimously 
approved by the Board of Supervisors which 
directed the Department to develop a plan to 
address these deficiencies in the restaurant 
inspection program.

 Since the launch of the restaurant grading 
system, the County has experienced 
dramatically improved and safer food facilities, 
better access to information for consumers, and 
overall reduced illnesses that has yielded in 
a significant benefit to the public’s health. As 
of 2008, an independent study found that the 
grading program was linked to a 20% decrease 
in food-borne illness hospitalizations.

 “To continue to preserve the public’s 
confidence in the County’s food grading system, 
we will ensure that on-going improvements are 
made that ensure the highest standards for our 
restaurants and consumers,” said Supervisor 
Antonovich.

 Public Health will continue to utilize the 
ABC letter grading system, but include new 
enhancements such as last inspection dates, 
quick response (QR) codes that allow a visual 
dashboard of inspection information, and easy 
access for business operators to view inspection 
history information. The new cards will begin 
to be issued in the coming months during 
routine inspections. 

“It is important that restaurant goers are 
provided with accurate and timely information 
so that they can make informed choices 
when dining out,” said Cynthia Harding, 
MPH, Interim Director for the Los Angeles 
County Department of Public Health. “A key 
component of the improved grading system is 
public disclosure of the grade or score earned at 
the time of inspection.”

 Major changes have been made to allow 
a more accurate grade reflection of point 
deductions that result from major violations 
that require immediate correction or facility 
permit suspensions. Critical violations such 
as no water availability, sewage problems, or 
vermin infestation, will result in an overall 
score that precludes a restaurant from being 
awarded the highest score, “A”.

 Changes to the grading system are available 
on the website for the public and retail food 
business owners to view. For more information 
on the retail food facility grading system, visit 
www.publichealth.lacounty.gov/eh.

It is vital that any ballot measure addressing 
our county’s transportation needs provides 
a comprehensive, regional solution to reduce 
congestion and improve air quality. Previous 
transportation measures were created from the 
top down and failed to guarantee a fair share for, 
or consider the needs of, Los Angeles County’s 88 
cities and 134 unincorporated communities. Those 
measures also failed to develop a truly regional, 
interconnected transportation system.

 Measure M, the “Los Angeles County Traffic 
Improvement Plan” corrects these failures.

 In 2013, as chairman of the Los Angeles County 
Metropolitan Transportation Authority board, 
following the defeat of Measure J, I sent letters to 
each of the county’s 88 cities and their regional 
Councils of Government asking them to identify 
their local and regional transportation priorities. 
This set into motion a first-of-its-kind, bottoms-up 
approach to assess the transportation needs of our 
county, which was supported by subsequent Metro 
chairs, Diane DuBois, Eric Garcetti, Mark Ridley-
Thomas and John Fasana. Hundreds of public 
meetings were held with the cities, community 
organizations, business groups, experts and 
advocates.

 In contrast to previous measures, Measure M 
creates a regional transportation system which is 
fair to our county’s local communities because it 
was developed from the bottom up. It is subject to 
tough accountability measures with an oversight 
committee and annual audits posted online. 
Further, all funds generated are for local use only 
on transit projects in Los Angeles County — and 
cannot be siphoned away by the state.

 Funding from Measure M will be used in each 
of our county’s 88 cities and unincorporated 
communities to repair and build new transportation 
infrastructure — from filling potholes to paving 
roads to synchronizing signals to improving 
intersections. Measure M will fix bottlenecks on 
freeways including the 5, 14, 405 and 605. Relieving 
traffic congestion, it will improve freight and goods 
movement by supporting the development of the 
High Desert Multi-purpose Corridor, upgrading 
Metrolink, enhancing passenger and freight 
rail corridors, and constructing critical grade 
separation projects.

Enhancing regional transit, it will extend the Gold 
Line through the San Gabriel Valley to Claremont, 
connecting with existing stations in Pasadena, 
Arcadia, Monrovia, Duarte, Irwindale and 
Azusa. Dubbed the “Brain Train,” the Gold Line 
is connecting educational institutions including 
the Pasadena Arts Center, Cal Tech, Pasadena 
City College, Azusa Pacific University, La Verne 
University and the Claremont Colleges.

 Measure M will also provide a vital connection 
between the Gold Line and the Red Line, from 
Pasadena to North Hollywood via Glendale and 
Burbank, on a dedicated bus line, which I proposed 
to further connect the county’s transportation 
system. It connects the San Fernando Valley to the 
Westside and will bring multiple lines to LAX. In 
addition, it will fund improvements to the Orange 
Line, ultimately transitioning to light rail, and 
build a 20-mile rail line from Downtown L.A. to 
Artesia.

 Under the leadership of CEO Phil Washington, 
Metro will continue to be proactive and inclusive 
of the needs of our communities through the 
region and Measure M will provide the resources 
to meet those needs into the future. It will keep 
student, senior and disabled fares affordable while 
funding critical earthquake retrofits of our bridges 
and overpasses. It will also create over 465,000 jobs 
and has bipartisan support from labor, business, 
chambers of commerce and public officials.

 On Nov. 8, Los Angeles County voters will 
have an opportunity to develop a comprehensive 
and interconnected transportation system which 
will relieve congestion and gridlock, improve 
air quality and quality of life for the residents 
of our County’s 88 cities and unincorporated 
communities. Measure M will modernize our aging 
transportation system and provide a 21st century 
transportation network which accelerates transit 
lines and ties them together into a comprehensive 
system with improved freeway and local road 
networks. Vote yes on Measure M.

 

 Michael Antonovich is a member of the Los 
Angeles County Board of Supervisors, representing 
the 5th District.

ANTONOVICH STATEMENT ON THE 

TRAGIC MURDER OF SHERIFF SGT. STEVE OWEN 
IN LANCASTER

LOS ANGELES COUNTY – Supervisor Michael 
D. Antonovich issued the following statement on 
the death of Sheriff Sgt. Steve Owen in Lancaster: 

 “Sgt. Owen was an outstanding law enforcement 
professional who I had the opportunity to know 
and work with. He was a husband and father 
who was respected by his colleagues and engaged 
in his community. He was senselessly murdered 
while responding to a call for help. His loss leaves 
a significant void for all those who knew him. 
Christine and I send prayers and condolences to 
his family and fellow deputies.” 


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