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Heated Issues

SACRAMENTO — State Sen. Dean Florez, D-Shafter, is looking for more information.
For one, Florez is calling for a review of enforcement actions in the wake of several heat-related deaths of farmworkers in Valley fields over a short period of time.

In a letter to John Duncan, director of the Department of Industrial Relations, Florez cites at least four deaths in the last three months as reason for concern that current enforcement mechanisms may not be sufficient to achieve the regulations’ true aim, saying, “The efforts by Cal/OSHA to educate and cite employers are encouraging, but the state still has much to do to reach a zero-death policy goal.”

Florez has requested documentation of recent enforcement actions against employers for violations of the workplace heat illness prevention regulations, in order to formulate policy better aimed at preventing heat-related deaths.

Also, Florez wants more data on the need for doing away with fireworks — specifically, Florez has expressed surprise over the failure of Cal-Fire to provide the Senate with the data on safe-and-sane fireworks that Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger reviewed before urging Californians not to buy them this Fourth of July, severely limiting many charities’ fundraising for the year.

Adoption

The portraits of the Heart Gallery — photos of children hoping to be adopted — are now touring throughout Kern County.

The Department of Human Services recently teamed up with Delano Family Motors in Delano and displayed the gallery in the lobby of the car dealership throughout the month of July. Next, the Heart Gallery moves to San Joaquin Community Hospital for the month of August.

The purpose of the Heart Gallery is to find loving, adoptive families for the children who volunteered to be a part of this special project, and to raise awareness of the need for adoptive families.

To view Heart Gallery locations, go to: www.kcdhs.org

Business

Created in the spirit of Anna Maria Arias’ vision for Latinas in the business sector, the Anna Maria Arias Memorial Business Fund was designed to celebrate the perseverance and commitment that marked Arias’ life. Applications are being sought for this grant that awards Latina women running their own businesses.

Award winners will be presented this year at the National LATINA Symposium taking place Sept. 5 at the Washington Hilton Hotel in Washington D.C. For more information, go to: www.latinastyle.com or www.annamariaarias.com.

— Community news items compiled by Ebony Villaseñor/MÁS staff