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From February 14 to February 23, 2014, residents celebrate the return of the National Date Festival at the Riverside County Fair for only nine dollars.
See the unique experiences below and learn what makes Riverside County Fair different from any other fair in Southern California.
January 12, 2014 marks the anniversary of the Earthquake in Haiti that resulted in over 300 thousand deaths and 2 million left without shelter. Shortly after the quake, the Firme Foundation, a humanitarian aid organization that is geared to helping victims of the earthquake with housing needs, was started by a former EMT/ firefighter who was in the mix of the devastation when the earthquake struck.
Now nearly 4 years later, civilians are coming together for a charity fundraiser and Silent Auction at the Redbury Hotel, located in Hollywood, Calif., to raise funds for people who are still in need of housing.
To see more, watch the video below.
It was three days of Peace, Love and Guacamole at the California Avocado Festival in Carpinteria, Calif. as hundreds of So Cal residents filled the streets to eat, drink and buy avocados. Various music groups performed on three different stages set up for the weekend and there was even a “Kids Only” zone where children could play miniature golf and race slot cars.
See the video for more information on this unique festival.
Once a month, Los Angeles County residents and visitors have the opportunity to stroll through Coldwater Canyon Park located on the ridgeline between Studio City and Beverly Hills and view the beauty of the city in a rural setting. For just five dollars, people of all ages and skill levels can walk along a choice of three different trails: a kids hike for those who just want to enjoy the scenery, a medium hike for the average hike and an advanced hike for those who wish to challenge themselves with an hour long hike up and down the side of the mountain.
All hikes are under the supervision of a trained associate of TreePeople, an organization celebrating 40 years of its work and dedication to preserving the environment through education and restoration of the parks and recreation.
For a full list of monthly activities including Hiking under the Harvest Moon, visit the calendar section of their website.
It’s a new year, Thai New Year that is and on Sunday, April 7, 2013, residents of Hollywood Calif. joined together to remember those who have passed and celebrating what is to come in the New Year.
Watch now to see how members of the community came together in little Thai Town.
The Traditional Celebration of the Thai New Year would be held the following week at the Buddhist temples.
Solvang…
One of the oldest destinations based on Denmark and Scandinavian History, found just two hoursNorth of Los Angeles.
As previously reported, it is home to the Santa Ines Mission.
On the opposite side of Solvang, just within walking, there is another museum that shows a different side of the city’s history.
The Elverhoy Musuem of History and Art gives visitors a look into the home of its founders, an internationally recognized painter and sculptor, Viggo Brandt- Erichsen and his wife. The collection of houses that make up the museum contain antiques including a spinning wheel as well as a collection of painting and sculptures.
It’s “one of the few museums outside Denmark, devoted to the Danish- American experience” and it’s free to experience while in Solvang.
Starting in 2005, the Reserve Enlisted Training Corp (RETC) allows children from ages 10 to 18 to learn the army regiments without fear of peer pressure in school. The after school program enforces skills such as marching and drills in a fun environment. Lt. Col. Jack Thomas works with these young children and says he’s amazed at how interested the children are when they come into the program, especially the young girls. In the following video Lt. Col. Thomas and the children explain the best part of the RETC program and what they are preparing to do in the future.
The recent addition of License Plate Scanners to Law Enforcement cars in roughly 38 States is raising concern amongst residents.
In San Diego, Calif, the cameras have been in use for four months and the Sheriff’s Department Spokeswoman, Jan Caldwell, confirms that the cameras have helped recover a “stolen car within the first ten minutes” of deployment.
But groups like the American Civil Liberties Union of Iowa (ACLU) argue that the cameras “represent a potential threat to the privacy of Innocent (people)”.
In California, there are distinct laws regarding invasion of privacy—
The scanners are meant to help law enforcement fight crime and terrorism, but in a report from
“ACLU says, their biggest concern is figuring out ‘how long the location and movements of people are being kept on file’ after the pictures are taken by cameras mounted on police cars.In a question posted on Facebook that asked if “License plate scanners should be used to curb crime or if they are an invasion of privacy”, Manuel Vasquez of San Fernando, Calif. answered, “Invasion of Privacy”.
Thus far in Los Angeles County, according to a the July 2012 report in the Police Chief Magazine, there are only “12 cars fully installed with the systems, 8 in the Compton area and 4 in the La Habra Heights area.”
In Celebration of Earth Day 2012 and as part of a statewide initiative of The California State Park Foundation, nearly 100 Los Angeles residents came out on the second Saturday in April to work on preserving and restoring the natural side of Los Angeles. They worked in groups to remove Fennal plants as well as nonnative California plants, cleaned up and preserved trees, removed dead trees and planted new trees and shrubbery for future generations to enjoy its beauty.
A debate in Florida has the senate and house quarreling over whether texting and driving should be ban.
As we reported earlier, studies report drivers that text are more likely to be in an accident, however Florida officials who are against the ban, say they are against the “silly laws” not the safety.
A study by the Highway Loss Data Institute shows, in fact, that accidents increased in states where bans were put up.
Subsequently officials both agree, “the problem stems from distracted drivers.”
The California Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) defines driver distractions under three types.
Just Drive, a program designed by Froedtert & Medical College of Wisconsin did a survey to find the top five driving distractions. They include,
Additionally the report went on to say “90 percent of these distractions resulted in accidents, however 50 percent say, ‘they will not be giving any of these things up any time soon’.”