Community News Brief:

Notification of Street Reconstruction at the Intersection of 4th Street and Olympic DriveThe City of Santa Monica will be replacing the pavement at the intersection of 4th Street and Olympic Drive from April 16 to 19. During the street construction, the intersection needs to be closed and there will be no access to the freeway on-ramp. Key traffic impacts are below and access to 4th Street businesses will be maintained on Pico Blvd. Traffic Impacts/Mitigations: 1. 4th street between Colorado Avenue and Pico Boulevard will be closed to through traffic. (Civic Parking Structure access will be maintained from Pico) 2. The On Ramp at 4th and Olympic will be closed. 3. The Off Ramp at 4th will be temporally changed to two right turn lanes only. (City Hall traffic exiting Santa Monica Freeway (I-10) at the 4th Street Off Ramp may either turn right at 5th Street or 4th street and make a left on Colorado). 4. City Hall traffic will be able to access the Santa Monica Freeway (I-10) East Bound at the Lincoln Boulevard On Ramp. 5. Traffic access to the Double Tree Hotel and adjacent Buildings will be maintained from Pico Blvd. 6. If you park at the Civic Auditorium parking lot, please use the Main Street Entrance. 7. Traffic safety officers will be dispatched at various locations to keep the traffic moving. 8. Traffic signal timing will be modified to facilitate the movement of traffic on Colorado Boulevard, 4th Street, Pico Boulevard and other streets adjacent to the project area. 9. Traffic flow will be restored to normal operation on Monday, April 20, 2009, and final striping will follow.* * * *More than 1,000 Homeless Animals Seek Loving New Homes Best Friends Animal Society will host the nation’s largest pet adoption festival on Sunday, April 26 from 11a.m. to 4 p.m. at Manchester Park, W. 7000 Manchester Ave. at the intersection of Lincoln Blvd., in Westchester. More than 1,000 homeless dogs, cats, puppies, kittens, rabbits and parrots from more than 60 rescue groups and Los Angeles shelters will be up for adoption. Typically, around 400 animals find new forever-homes during these one-day festivals.Animals up for adoption will represent a wide variety of ages, breeds, sizes, and personalities. Each animal has its own unique story – some have been rescued from mistreatment or abandonment, some have never known a home other than a shelter or foster home, and all are in need of loving families to adopt them. * * * *Venice Family Clinic Receives Grant from L.A. CareVenice Family Clinic has received a grant worth $10,000 from L.A. Care to provide comprehensive primary health care services to low-income, uninsured and homeless men, women and children with disabilities on the Westside of Los Angeles.L.A. Care Health Plan is a public entity and community-accountable health plan serving Los Angeles County residents through a variety of programs, including Medi-Cal, Healthy Families, L.A. Care’s Healthy Kids, and L.A. Care’s Medicare Advantage Special Needs Plan. L.A. Care is a leader in developing new programs through innovative partnerships designed to provide health coverage to vulnerable populations and to support the safety net. With nearly 800,000 members, L.A. Care is the nation’s largest public health plan.Venice Family Clinic was one of 29 grantees chosen through a competitive process as part of L.A. Care’s initiative to support projects that improve access to care for people with disabilities in Los Angeles County. The grant supplies one height-adjustable exam table, two wheelchair accessible weight scales and two assistive listening devices for use at the Clinic’s two largest sites—the Milken Family Foundation Medical Building at 604 Rose Avenue in Venice, and the Simms/Mann Health and Wellness Center at 2509 Pico Boulevard in Santa Monica.