GOVERNOR BROWN TAKES ACTION ON LEGISLATION TO PROTECT CHILDREN. - States News Service

SACRAMENTO, CA -- The following information was released by the office of the Governor of California:

Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr. announced today that he has signed the following bills to protect children in California:

* AB 25 by Assemblymember Mary Hayashi (D-Hayward) - School districts: athletics: concussions and head injuries.

* AB 90 by Assemblymember Sandre Swanson (D-Oakland) - Human trafficking: minors.

* AB 194 by Assemblymember Jim Beall (D-San Jose) - Public postsecondary education: priority enrollment: foster youth.

* AB 212 by Assemblymember Jim Beall (D-San Jose) - California Fostering Connections to Success Act.

* AB 301 by Assemblymember Richard Pan (D-Sacramento) - Medi-Cal: managed care.

* AB 395 by Assemblymember Richard Pan (D-Sacramento) - Newborn screening program.

* AB 687 by Assemblymember Nathan Fletcher (R-San Diego) - Adoption.

* AB 709 by Assemblymember Julia Brownley (D-Santa Monica) - Foster children: school placement: immunization records.

* AB 717 by Assemblymember Tom Ammiano (D-San Francisco) - Child Abuse Central Index.

* AB 735 by Assemblymember Holly Mitchell (D-Los Angeles) - Interns and student assistants: hiring preference.

* AB 764 by Assemblymember Sandre Swanson (D-Oakland) - Personal income taxes: voluntary contributions: Child Victims of Human Trafficking Fund.

* AB 1111 by Assemblymember Nathan Fletcher (R-San Diego) - Debt collection: homeless youth.

* AB 1319 by Assemblymember Betsy Butler (D-Marina Del Rey) - Product safety: bisphenol A.

* SB 309 by Senator Carol Liu (D-Pasadena) - Child day care facilities: school age child care centers: nonminor students.

* SB 368 by Senator Carol Liu (D-Pasadena) - Developmental services: decision making.

* SB 578 by Senator Gloria Negrete-McLeod (D-Chino) - Schools: pupils in foster care: course credit.

* SB 646 by Senator Fran Pavley (D-Agoura Hills) -Toxics: enforcement: lead and cadmium jewelry.

* SB 929 by Senator Noreen Evans (D-Santa Rosa) - Vehicles: child passenger restraints.

The Governor announced that he has vetoed the following bill:

* AB 200 by Assemblymember Mary Hayashi (D-Hayward) - Physical education: Health and Fitness Award Program. A veto message can be found here.

The Governor also signed the following bill to encourage solar power in California:

* SB 226 by Senator Joe Simitian (D-Palo Alto) - Environmental quality. A signing message can be found here.

For full text of the bills, visit: http://leginfo.ca.gov/bilinfo.html.

Any aid is better than none; If someone suffers a cardiac arrest, help within the first few minutes significantly improves the chances of survival. Neil Connor took part in a course which could literally mean the difference between life and death.(News) - The Birmingham Post (England)

Byline: Neil Connor

You cannot do anything wrong when you are trying to save a life that is already dead - that is the message from a new organisation set up to give people training in resuscitating people who have suffered a cardiac arrest.

Apparently, many people are put off being trained in these skills because they believe they might be blamed if their attempts at bringing people back to life are unsuccessful.

But for Heartstart UK, doing something is always better than doing nothing.

The organisation, which is a partnership between the Heart of Birmingham Teaching Primary Care Trust and the British Heart Foundation, is going out into the community over the next few weeks to pass on skills which could help people to deal with a life-threatening emergency.

Latest figures show that, in the last 12 months, of the 1,032 people in Birmingham who suffered a cardiac arrest at home or outside a hospital, 988 died. Less than ten per cent received any kind of help.

Without any intervention, experts believe that a person's chances of survival fall by ten per cent every minute after a cardiac arrest.

But the good news is that anyone can learn resuscitation skills - even me.

Two former paramedics called Mike Mcleod and Paul Turner - recently recruited resuscitation officers - started the ball rolling with a demonstration, before I attempted to bring life back to the cheeks of Anne.

Anne is actually 'resusci-Anne', a doll who has probably received more mouth-to-mouth than a career-driven glamour model.

But before the serious business could start, I had to check what the situation was like around the casualty. Any electrical wires, slippery surfaces, or fallen objects should be picked up and noted as potential hazards - one casualty is better than two. It is also important to tell someone nearby to get help - a first-aider should not do everything alone.

Then it's time for an appraisal of the patient. If there is no breathing, there is a good chance the patient has had a cardiac arrest.

Now it is time to tilt the head back in order to open the airway, before two mouth-to-mouths breaths can be administered.

If there is still no response, it is straight into 15 chest-presses. To ensure that 15 are being carried out, you can sing the first verse of Nelly the Elephant while you are doing it - but not out loud.

Hopefully, by then the patient will be coughing, spluttering and returning to life. If not, the paramedics might have turned up.

Even if there is no sign of life, at least the patient was given the best chance of surviving under the circumstances.

Mr Turner said: 'The most common reasons for people not intervening range from fear, and simply not knowing what to do, to not wanting to call out an ambulance unnecessarily.

'If cardiac arrest happens in the home, in the street or in the pub, emergency teams will get there quickly - but with these simple skills we hope that anyone can buy vital time and greatly increase a person's chances of survival.'

Heartstart is urging people to attend one of its training courses, which begin today at Birmingham's Bullring, in the conference centre on the Upper Mall, starting at 10am, 12am and 2pm.

Further courses will be held at Handsworth Leisure Centre, Birmingham Sports Centre and Moseley School Health & Fitness Centre.

To arrange a session or find out more information call 0121 465 4831

A matter of life and death

The Heart of Birmingham PCT area has the highest mortality rate from coronary heart disease among under 75s in the West Midlands

Coronary heart disease in the PCT area is around one and a half times that of the regional average

Cardiac arrest is when the heart stops beating

Unless intervention occurs, usually through defibrillation, mouth-to-mouth resuscitation or heart massage, the patient will die

The chances of successfully reviving a patient in cardiac arrest greatly increase if resuscitation is given in the first four minutes following cardiac arrest

Typically survival rates for cardiac arrest in a clinical environment are around 15 per cent

Lottery grant to trace history and memories of Hilsea Lido. - The News (Portsmouth, England)

But in the meantime the local community group working to re-open the pool wants to hear from those who remember the attraction during its heyday.

The memories of Lido life will be collected as part of a social history project made possible by a A[pounds sterling]12,000 grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF).

The newly-formed charity - Hilsea Lido Pool for the People - will be researching the pool's history and impact from 1935 to the present day.

Volunteers will research how the Lido transformed local leisure opportunities for people re-located from slum housing during the depression of the 1930s and during and after Second World War.

They will look at the surge in group fitness activities such as the Women's League for Health and Beauty and how the appeal of outdoor pools waned with the growth of post-war foreign holidays.

Local people will be interviewed to capture memories of sunny summer childhoods, meeting future partners at the pool and visiting with children and grandchildren.

The project coincides with the Lido's 75th anniversary year.

Stuart McLeod, head of HLF south east, said: 'This project will raise awareness of the crucial role played by the Lido in the social life and leisure time of Hilsea over many years and will whet the appetite for a re-opening of the pool in the future.'

Sabrina Richards, from Hilsea Lido Pool for the People Trust, said: 'This is a fantastic project and we are really excited to receive the Heritage Lottery Fund grant.'

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Fishing for prizes at annual derby.(Neighbor)(Local beat) - Daily Herald (Arlington Heights, IL)

Byline: Ed Fanselow

Dust off your fishing poles and lures - it's time for the Hoffman Estates Chamber of Commerce's annual Community Fishing Derby.

The event, now in its 11th year, kicks off at 9 a.m. Saturday on the north end of town, near Whiteley School.

Two retention ponds - err, lakes - will be stocked with fish, some of which are tagged to correspond with cash prizes ranging from $25 to $100. Prizes for the longest fish will also be awarded.

Registration costs $5.

For more information, log onto hechamber.com or call (847) 781- 9100.

Fit to be tied: Also on Saturday, the Hoffman Estates Park District will kick off its new Summer Fitness Challenge with a special open house at the Higgins Road community center/ice arena.

Participants in the summer-long program will receive a Step Up to Health passport, which provides free access to all park district facilities and discounts to certain programs and services.

Registration costs $10 (or $25 for a family). For more information, call Debbie at (847) 285-5442.

Overdue honor: In a special ceremony earlier this week, Hoffman Estates village officials honored the life of longtime resident Jim Knippen, who died in March.

Knippen, a Korean War veteran and Purple Heart recipient, was among the early leaders of the village's volunteer fire department and was a 17-year public works department employee before taking a job as a dairyman with Dean Foods.

Knippen also served for many years as a deacon at St. Hubert Church.

'It's people like Jim who built this community,' Mayor Bill McLeod said. 'We wanted to thank him and his family for that.'

Local exposure: Photographs by local artist Liz Cockrum will be on display through June at the Hoffman Estates village hall. Among the works exhibited are several included in her 'Kane County' series, which chronicles the effects of suburban sprawl.

The exhibit can be viewed during regular business hours.

Party with the stars: Former Chicago Bears Jim McMahon and Steve McMichael and former Bulls Bob Love and Artis Gilmore are among the local sports celebrities expected to appear on Sunday at a special pre-party celebration in advance of the seventh annual Walter Payton Memorial Scholarship Fund golf outing on Monday.

The party will take place at the Alumni Club, 871 E. Algonquin Road, Schaumburg, beginning at 9 p.m. Tickets cost $25 and are available at the door.

Tidbits: Village officials have approved a liquor license for the owners of LaStrada Ristorante, scheduled to open later this summer along Barrington Road just north of the tollway ... Congratulations to Hoffman Estates police officer Bob Kravetz who marks his 35th year on the force this month ... Stay tuned for news next week about the new indoor water park resort planned for the Prairie Stone business park.

We sold our home and travelled 65,000 miles to help Mark fight cancer; Exclusive Hopes rise as son set to move closer.(News) - Daily Record (Glasgow, Scotland)

Byline: By Craig McDonald

DEVOTED parents Karen and Stephen McLeod gave up their home and jobs to help their teenage son fight cancer.

Now they believe brave Mark Ballantyne's two-and-a-half-year struggle and their sacrifices could finally be rewarded.

Mark, 18, who has had two bone marrow transplants, could soon be moved from Yorkhill Hospital in Glasgow to Raigmore Hospital, Inverness.

It would be the first step to him going home to Golspie, Sutherland, and an end to the long-distance nightmare which has split the family.

Karen, 40, and Stephen, 33, who is Mark's stepdad, moved to Glasgow with younger daughter Mea, three, to be closer to him.

Mark's brother Martin, 21, and sister Michaela, 16, remained in Golspie because of work and school commitments.

But each week - and sometimes twice a week - Karen and Stephen make the 500-mile round trip home to see their other children.

It all adds up to more than 65,000 miles travelled and an estimated pounds 8000 spent on petrol.

The couple also had to give up their jobs and now have a council house in Golspie after being forced to sell their four-bedroom family home.

Yesterday, Karen, who worked for a store chain, said: 'Mark's had a terrible time and we needed to be near him.

'We've given up everything but didn't think twice about it. It's been one battle after another for Mark. We just hope and pray things will work out.'

Mark was diagnosed with the bone marrow cancer myelodysplasia at just 15.

And Karen says all the upheaval will be worth it if her son can battle back to full health.

She said: 'We were devastated when first told Mark was ill. We thought he would only be in Yorkhill for six to nine months.'

She added: 'We've asked for him to be transferred to Raigmore Hospital in Inverness.

'We can't afford to stay in Glasgow - it's too far for the rest of the family to come visiting.

'Once we get him home, we hope it will be a lot better.

'I am hoping he'll be moved this summer as he is a lot better than he was. But there are still major problems to overcome.'

As well as his transplants, Mark has had eight doses of intensive chemotherapy.

Karen said: 'He's a real fighter - you have to be.'

Mark has needed a blood transfusion every two days to keep him alive and blood platelets each day to stop him bleeding to death.

Now, though, he is producing his own platelets and no longer needs transfusions, giving the family hope.

And doctors say once he puts weight on and builds his strength up, they will consider the transfer to Raigmore.

Karen said: 'We're hoping he might be moved to Inverness in six weeks.'

She added: 'He's a very intelligent boy but has missed out on vital schooling. He just wants to get home and spend six months getting back to fitness.

'It's then his aim to look at college and civil engineering.'

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The Bizz, November 5 - Inland Valley Daily Bulletin (Ontario, CA)

Today's Rancho Cucamonga chamber luncheon canceled

The Legislative Power Luncheon with state Sen. Bob Duttonscheduled for 11:30 a.m. today at Etiwanda Gardens has beencanceled. If you have paid for the luncheon, you will be issued afull refund. Contact the Rancho Cucamonga Chamber of Commerce fordetails. Information: (909) 987-1012

Fontana recreation offers job development, retention class

Residents 15 and older can register for the new job developmentand retention class at Fontana's new Jessie Turner Health andFitness Community Center, 15556 Summit Ave. The four-week class isscheduled for 7 p.m. Thursdays beginning Nov. 18. Cost: $40. Classinstruction will include job development, job retention and theproper completion of job applications. Information: (909) 428-8360,ext. 226, or visit www.fontanarecreation.org.

Urban League opens one-stop job services center in Pomona

The Urban League Pomona's Business and Career WorkSource Centerhas officially opened. The center aims to be a one-stop job servicescenter, with services such as job training, assessment andmentoring. All services are provided free of charge. The center is apartnership between Goodwill, Urban League and the state EmploymentDevelopment Department. The center, at 264 E. Monterey Road, Pomona,is open 8 a.m. to 7p.m. Mondays through Thursdays, and 8a.m. to 5p.m. Fridays. Information: (909) 242-7999.

$200,000 in grants to promote green technology in the I.E.

The Green Valley Initiative recently announced it has receivedgrants and pledges totaling nearly $200,000 to help fund futureefforts to bring clean and green technologies to the Inland Empire.The economic development agencies of both Riverside and SanBernardino counties have committed $25,000 each to the process ofidentifying and promoting clean and green technology opportunitiesand projects for the region. The Morgan Family Foundation, anonprofit benefitting youth, education, environment and stewardship,has pledged a $50,000 matching grant to help fund a detailed actionplan developed by economist Doug Henton of Collaborative EconomicsInc. The study will pinpoint strategies and approaches to take whenGVI is formally launched as an independent entity in January. Thesefunding sources come on the heels of a $100,000 grant awarded to GVIlast month by Southern California Edison.

R.C. seminar series continues with focus on export regulations

The Rancho Cucamonga Redevelopment Agency continues its ExportSeminar Series with seminar No. 6, 'Export Laws and Regulations'from 9 a.m. to noon Nov. 13 at the Goldy S. Lewis Community Center,11200 Base Line Road. Cost: $29 per seminar. Information: (909) 387-9814, or (951) 571-6443.

Clothing distributor to establish West Coast operations in SB

FTDI Inc., a Florida-based clothing distribution and logisticscompany, has signed a deal to open a 94,108-square-foot West Coastfacility at 3524 N. Mike Daley Drive, San Bernardino. The lease onthe industrial property in the Interchange Business Center wasreported to be worth nearly $2.07 million over a 66-month term.Peter McWilliams, Ruben Goodsell and Michael McCrary of ColliersInternational represented the landlord. Gus Andros of CollinsCommercial Corp. and John Bowman of the Charles Dunn Co. representedthe tenant.

San Dimas water company announces promotions

American States Water Co. in San Dimas has announced theappointment of Eva G. Tang as senior vice president-finance, chieffinancial officer, corporate secretary and treasurer of the AmericanStates Water, and senior vice president-finance, chief financialofficer and secretary of its subsidiary, Golden State Water Co. Tangsucceeds Robert J. Sprowls, who will continue as executive vicepresident of American States until he assumes his new position aschief executive officer and president of the company on Jan. 1.Tang's appointment was effective Saturday.

SB chamber welcomes new auto accessory store

The San Bernardino Area Chamber of Commerce will hold a grandopening event at 11a.m. Nov. 14 for the Auto Accessory Warehouse,327 E. Redlands Blvd., San Bernardino. Information: (909) 885-7515.

Local dignitaries attend grand opening of I.E. campus

American Career College and West Coast University recentlycelebrated the grand opening of its Inland Empire campus in Ontario.According to a news release, David Pyle, CEO and founder of AmericanCareer College and president and CEO of West Coast University, wasjoined by special guest Teresa Bello-Jones, executive officer forthe Bureau of Vocational Nursing and Psychiatric Technicians. Alsoin attendance were state Sen. Gloria Negrete McLeod and OntarioMayor Paul S. Leon.

Players must stop getting into centre of controversy.(Sport) - Western Mail (Cardiff, Wales)

Byline: By Ian Hunt Western Mail

Chairman Huw Jenkins insists his Swansea City players must act more responsibly - and stay away from the city centre on Saturday nights. Jenkins issued the warning in the wake of Swans defender Izzy Iriekpen's arrest last weekend on suspicion of causing actual bodily harm.

The 24-year-old is alleged to have been involved in a fight in the Kingsway in Swansea just hours after helping the club secure a 3-1 FA Cup victory at Newport County on Saturday.

Iriekpen was released on police bail pending further inquiries and is due to be interviewed again next month.

Jenkins declined to comment on what disciplinary action Iriekpen faces from the club, saying, 'We'll be issuing a statement when we decide what will or won't be done.

'First we need to establish the facts. We need to know, for example, whether Izzy was acting in self-defence or if he was picked upon.

'Kenny's obviously spoken to Izzy, and you'll have to ask him whether or not the player will be in the team at Port Vale this weekend.'

Speaking generally about the players' socialising habits, however, Jenkins hinted at the frustration felt by the club that yet another player has become embroiled in controversy as a result of a late-night drinking session.

In 2004, Swansea's midfield star Andy Robinson was dropped for two games after committing a public order offence outside a city centre nightclub just three days before a match.

And, in March, former Swans winger Kevin McLeod was dropped from Jackett's squad and slapped on the transfer list after going out drinking in the city on the eve of a game.

'There are times when players need to relax and have a bit of freedom, but the responsibility comes in where they decide to go,' Jenkins said.

'In that sense, I think the players have got to protect themselves a little bit more and not put themselves in situations where trouble could arise.

'To that end, we've advised the players not to be going out in the city centre on Saturday nights. Coming out of nightclubs at 1, 2 or 3am is not a great place for them to be.

'Their lives are highlighted 100 times more than other people's and, whether it's jealousy or just the drink talking, certain people are going to try and target them.

'Sometimes not a lot of thought goes into what could happen if they put themselves in these situations.

'This is an issue that goes beyond simply what's in the best interests of the club. It's also about the player protecting himself and not getting into situations that might jeopardise his career.

'It's a very well-paid career and players have got to step back and think carefully about what they've got to do to protect themselves and their career. Sometimes they've got to make sacrifices.'

Swansea take the view that Iriekpen's alleged misdemeanour was an isolated incident rather than something that points to the existence of a drinking culture at the club.

'We're not alone in this kind of thing happening,' Jenkins said. 'It happens to players at other football clubs and to staff at businesses everywhere.

'It's just that footballers are in the public eye and what happens to them gets highlighted far more.

'There's no drinking culture among the players and I think it would be difficult for one to thrive in this day and age.

'These days, the players' health and fitness levels are forever being monitored, and they're weighed weekly.

'There's very little room for them to stray off the straight and narrow when their eating and drinking habits are constantly being watched.'

Not for the first time this season, Jackett is trying to shift the focus back onto the football as Swansea's promotion campaign resumes at Port Vale this weekend.

Jenkins, too, could not be accused of downplaying the importance of the trip to the Potteries.

'There's no doubt that it's essential we get something out of Port Vale to set us up for the home match against (promotion rivals) Bristol City eight days later,' he said.

Midfielders Owain Tudur Jones and Darren Way could both be out for a further six weeks with knee and shin problems respectively.