…Connecting Communities ArroyoFest Bulletin # 10 February 8, 2003

Upcoming Meetings: ArroyoFest Teacher Training Planning Group Help plan a special workshop on the Arroyo for area teachers. The workshop will be held in April at various locations around the Arroyo. Improve learning by putting the Arroyo into school curriculum. Date: Tuesday, February 11th Time: 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Location: Urban and Environmental Policy Institute, 1882 Campus Road, Eagle Rock. The Institute is located on the edge of the Occidental Campus. Turn east on Westdale from Eagle Rock Blvd. Go two blocks to Campus Road. Take a left and go up the hill. UEPI's office is to the right at the top of the hill. See http://departments.oxy.edu/uepi/about/directions.htm for more detailed directions, a map and a photo of the office. Community Outreach Subcommittee Meeting Help us with outreach to community organizations, colleges and local businesses. Help organize an ArroyoFest meeting in your neighborhood. Date: Monday, February 24th Time: 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Location: Eagle Rock Community Cultural Center. 2225 Colorado Blvd. in Eagle Rock. The Cultural Center is located just west of Eagle Rock Blvd. on the north side of the street. Street parking is available. News: New Teacher’s Workshop Planned – Last October, ArroyoFest (in conjunction with the Southwest Museum, Lummis Home and Debs Park Audubon Center) put on a special teachers workshop entitled “A River Runs Through It: Connecting the Communities of the Arroyo Seco through Transportation, History and the Environment.” The workshop got rave reviews so we’ve decided to hold a second expanded edition of the workshop in early April. The last workshop was supported by a grant. Unfortunately, this time we need more volunteer help to pull it off. Come to a planning meeting for this unique project on Tuesday, February 11 from 6:30 to 8:00 p.m. at the Urban and Environmental Policy Institute. For more information on “A River Runs Through It” contact Carmela Gomes at cngomes@quixnet.net. Friends of ArroyoFest Campaign in Full Swing – The community outreach workgroup met on January 23rd and began the drive to get community organizations and neighborhood groups signed up as Friends of ArroyoFest. Volunteers took away materials to give to the first round of neighborhood groups in Los Angeles, South Pasadena, Pasadena, La Canada Flintridge and Altadena. Come to the next meeting of the outreach workgroup on Monday, February 24, from 6:30 to 8:00 p.m. at the Eagle Rock Community Cultural Center. If you’d like to help with ArroyoFest outreach, contact Edgar Garcia (egarciathewall@earthlink.net or Alexis Moreno (lexmoreno@aol.com). ArroyoFest One Step Closer to Finalizing Event Plan – Over the past month, our event manager Nick Curl has made the rounds of all the various city agencies discussing our plans for closing the freeway. There are still several steps to go in the permit process, but everyone we have talked to has been very receptive to the current plan. For safety reasons, all participants (walkers, cyclists and equestrian riders) will now be off the freeway by 10 a.m. when the northbound lanes of the freeway open to traffic. Over the next month and a half, we will be finishing the event planning process with the cities and identifying the key volunteer positions for the day of the event. Endorsements Continue to Roll In – During the past month, several elected officials have expressed their support for more livable communities in Southern California by signing up to be Friends of ArroyoFest. Some of newest Friends include: Congressmember Adam Schiff, U.S. House of Representatives Congressmember Lucille Roybal-Allard, U.S. House of Representatives Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky, County of Los Angeles Mayor James K. Hahn, City of Los Angeles Councilmember Tom La Bonge, City of Los Angeles Councilmember Alex Padilla, City of Los Angeles Councilmember Steve Haderlein, City of Pasadena Councilmember Chris Holden, City of Pasadena Councilmember Paul Little, City of Pasadena Board Member David Tokofsky, Los Angeles Unified School District Superintendent Percy Clark, Pasadena Unified School District President Tommy McMullins, Pasadena Unified School District Keep Checking Our Web Site – Keep checking our web site www.arroyofest.org for new information about the event and upcoming meetings. This is best spot for info on ArroyoFest. Tell your friends! Help Needed: Still Looking for In-Kind Graphics Help – ArroyoFest is still hoping to secure in-kind help in the next month with design of our poster, entry form, t-shirt and a special map of the Arroyo highlighting small businesses. Let us know if you know of artists or graphic designers that would be interested in helping us out. Small Business Drive About to Begin – ArroyoFest will be starting its small business drive this month. Local businesses can become Friends of ArroyoFest by carrying ArroyoFest entry forms and posters, providing in-kind services or making a donation. Let us know if you’d like to help contact local businesses. Performers or Workshop Leaders – ArroyoFest is beginning again to take applications for performers and workshop leaders for its community festival in Sycamore Grove Park. Go the web site www.arroyofest.org and click on event, festival and performer links to get more information or contact Margaret Arnold at margaretava@hotmail.com Farmer’s Market -- ArroyoFest would like to offer healthy food and refreshments in Sycamore Grove Park to walkers, cyclists and festival goers. Let us know if you’d be interested in helping organize a small farmer’s market or Taste of the Arroyo food court for local businesses. Contact Claudine Chen at ming@caltech.edu ArroyoFest is sponsored by: Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, Urban and Environmental Policy Institute at Occidental College, Oralia Michel Marketing and Public Relations. ArroyoFest is also supported by generous grants from: Environment NOW, The Metropolitan Water District Community Partners Program, The Ford Foundation, City of Los Angeles Cultural Affairs Department, City of Pasadena Department of Water and Power