by Juliana Birnbaum Fox
The San Francisco Bay-Delta is the most invaded aquatic ecosystem in North America, with one new non-native species established in San Francisco Bay every 14 weeks. Arguments were heard last week in Federal Appeals court in a case challenging Environmental Protection Agency rules exempting the discharge of vessel ballast water containing invasive species from regulation under the Clean Water Act.
“Each day 10,000 species are transported throughout the world in ballast water,” said Tim Eichenberg, Pacific Region Director of Ocean Conservancy.“EPA’s exemption of ballast water from the Clean Water Act has resulted in tremendous costs to the economy, the environment and to public health.”
New ad campaign highlights marketplace accessibility for disabled and others
The Independent Living Resource Center of San Francisco (ILRCSF) launched a series of print ads last week focusing on the universal benefits of making public marketplaces accessible to all.
“These ads should be of interest to business owners because the needs of customers with disabilities are shared by a wide range of consumers: seniors, parents with small children, people with temporary injuries, and shoppers loaded down with packages,” said ILRCSF Executive Director Herb Levine.“If potential customers can’t get in the front door of a shop or restaurant, there’s a good chance they’ll move on to a business that’s more user-friendly.”
State Chancellor gives grant for multimedia-based nurse training
The Evergreen Community College District’s Institute for Business Performance has been awarded $800,000 by the State Chancellor’s Office to develop a multifaceted education program for nurses at Kaiser Permanente in San José. The grant will fund a simulation lab at San José City College, with Kaiser providing technical assistance.
Kaiser’s San José Director of Education, Katherine Ricossa, who is developing the training, said the grant will help nurses “access state-of-the-art training that reflects their day to day medical experiences. The project will create 4 four-hour modules of multimedia training using human simulator offering reality without risk.”
Gov. Schwarzenegger Joins Fight Against Early Release of Prisoners
Governor Schwarzenegger joined a major push by state and local officials to prevent the early release of dangerous criminals due to prison overcrowding. In federal court, the Governor filed a motion to support 31 Republican Assemblymembers, 15 county district attorneys and 23 county sheriffs and chief probation officers who have requested to get involved in the case against the state.
“These officials know precisely how an early release order will impact our criminal justice system,” said Governor Schwarzenegger. “We intend to fight to ensure that dangerous criminals are not released into our communities.”
In May, the Governor signed Assembly Bill 900, a plan that aims to solve the overcrowding crisis by building 53,000 new prison and jail beds and reducing California’s high recidivism rate through an increased focus on rehabilitation.
Telemundo and Mun2 honored
Telemundo, a leading U.S. Spanish-language television network, and mun2, the first cable network to offer bilingual programming for Latino youth, have been selected to receive the prestigious NAMIC Excellence in Multicultural Marketing (EMMA) Awards.
The direct mail campaign that won the award promoted one of Telemundo’s marquee news properties, Al Rojo Vivo con Maria Celeste. Telemundo produced and distributed DVDs featuring a compilation of Al Rojo Vivo segments.
The award-winning mun2 campaign consisted of posters featuring network VJs with the tagline “mun2 is TV for Latino Youth.”
