…Connecting Communities ArroyoFest Bulletin # 13 April 18, 2003

Upcoming Meetings (see details at end of newsletter): Standing ArroyoFest Meeting Every Monday at 2106 Colorado Blvd. 5:30 to 7:00 p.m. See details below. April 23rd - 6:30 -8:30 p.m. Arroyo Seco Teacher's Workshop Planning Meeting 6:30 - 8:30 p.m. April 25/26, May 2/3 - ArroyoFest's "River Runs Through It" Teachers Workshop - Registration available at the door on April 25 but call ahead (323) 341-5093 to confirm participation. Please pass the e-mail in the Help Needed section onto friends, family or colleagues. News: ArroyoFest Fundraising Push Closing the Gap - Over the last two weeks, ArroyoFest has been working hard to raise the final funds needed to cover event expenses. Our fundraising target is now down to $44,000. Much of this has been due to small donations for individuals and organizations. All the money that we raise goes to cover expenses of this historic event. Read the exciting news below and help us get the show on the road. You can help by putting us in touch with potential sponsors, helping with our small business drive, getting people to register for the bike ride or making a donation. Every little bit helps. Tax-deductible donations should be made payable to ArroyoFest - Occidental College and mailed to 2106 Colorado Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90041. Registration Available On-Line! - Be the first on your block to register for the Freeway Walk and Bike Ride. Thanks to Do It Sports, you can now register on-line at www.arroyofest.org. We got our first 10 riders this week! Register now and tell your friends, family and co-workers!! South Pasadena Approves ArroyoFest - On April 2, South Pasadena became the first city to officially approve ArroyoFest and lend its support. Councilmember Michael Ten voiced strong support for the event saying he was impressed with the diversity of representation on the ArroyoFest Steering and Committee. The Council approved police support for the closing of freeway ramps at Fair Oaks and Orange Grove on June 15, along with art supplies for 15 classrooms to create banners and decorations for the event, school bus service from local schools and help with some of the equipment necessary for the event. South Pasadena's support will be integral to the success of ArroyoFest's first year and speaks directly to ArroyoFest's mission of forming partnerships between residents, agencies and local governments. MTA Becomes an ArroyoFest Partner - The Metropolitan Transportation Authority has signed on as an ArroyoFest partner and will be doing a major promotional effort across Southern California to support the event. ArroyoFest's support of multi-modal transportation goes hand in hand with a number of MTA projects and its overall support for livable communities. The Gold Line is scheduled to open soon after ArroyoFest and we're discussing the possibility of having a special event on June 15 to feature the new service. MTA will be printing posters, fliers, participant hand-outs and brochures for ArroyoFest in the coming weeks. Take the Metro to ArroyoFest! Host Your Own ArroyoFest Event - Does your organization or community group want to get in on the ArroyoFest festivities? Opportunities exist for groups and organizations to host their own ArroyoFest event and take advantage of the thousands of people expected to attend the Freeway Walk and Bike Ride. Our simpleevent application is available on-line at http://www.arroyofest.org/hostevent.html. Other ArroyoFest events will be listed on our web site, in e-mail bulletins and, if your event is on June 15, in information given to participants. Reserve Your Space at the ArroyoFest Community Festival - Applications for exhibit space and/or booths at Sycamore Grove Park for the Arroyo Community Festival are available on-line at http://www.arroyofest.org/booth.html. All spaces are 10 x 10. Rates depend on the type of organization and can be reduced in exchange for volunteer hours. Call our office at 323-341-5093 for more information. Buy a T-shirt - Want to help promote ArroyoFest, support social justice and be stylishly hip at the same time. Buy an ArroyoFest Sweatshop-Free T-shirt today. Go to http://www.arroyofest.org/tshirt.html for more info or call Michelle Ashley or Alesandro Morosin at 323-341-5090. Help Needed: Help Needed Distributing Posters and Entry Forms - This week we have 150,000 entry forms and 6,000 posters arriving in our office. We need people's help distributing these to local businesses, community organizations and other locations throughout the Arroyo. Come to our office anytime between 5:30 and 7:00 p.m. on Monday to pick up materials, get directions and have your questions answered. The distribution of posters and entry forms goes hand in hand with our small business drive and is an integral part of our fundraising effort. Take a little or a lot, but give it a shot, we need your help, get 'em while they're hot! E-mail your Friends about ArroyoFest!! -- Taking advantage of technology, we need your help to spread the word about ArroyoFest. Please consider forwarding the following messages at the end of this e-mail to list serves you are a part of or individuals you think might be interested. Bike groups and bike clubs are especially important for the registration e-mail. Neighborhood Outreach Efforts Underway - ArroyoFest needs your help to get the word out about the event within specific neighborhoods. Let us know if your neighborhood group would like to have ArroyoFest make a short presentation at your next meeting or if you'd can help us contact or deliver materials to community groups or religious institutions in your area. Call 323-341-5093. Sample Newsletter Articles Posted On-line - If you belong to an organization with a newsletter, include something on ArroyoFest in your next edition. Different versions of newsletter articles (short, long, environment-focused, etc.) are now available on-line at http://www.arroyofest.org/fornewsletter.html. You can edit as necessary. Include Entry Forms with Your Mailings - Your group can also help be bundling our entry form or a small flier in your next mailing to your membership. Volunteer Registration Available On-line - Would you like to volunteer for ArroyoFest? You can do so on-line now at . Sign up for June 15 or to help us in the office prior to the event. Drop in volunteers to our office at 2106 Colorado Blvd. in Eagle Rock are always welcome, but please call 323-341-5093 to make sure someone is there to help you. Special Announcement: Watershed U Coming to You! - Local groups North East Trees and the Arroyo Seco Foundation are teaming up to offer a special course on the Arroyo Seco Watershed. Neighborhood associations, environmental groups, elected officials and their representatives, educators and concerned citizens are invited to participate and become "Watershed Ambassadors" who will use their new knowledge to bring issues related to watershed management and environmental awareness back to their communities. Six watershed classes for just $35. Visit for more details. Upcoming Meetings - Details Friends of ArroyoFest Meeting Every Monday! Find out the latest about ArroyoFest and how you can help every Monday from 5:30 to 7:00 p.m. at the Center for Food and Justice at 2106 Colorado Blvd. Drop in to pick up outreach material, hear the latest news and get your questions answered about this exciting event. Directions: Center for Food and Justice. 2106 Colorado Blvd. in Eagle Rock. The Center for Food and Justice is located one and a half blocks east (toward Pasadena) from the corner of Colorado and Eagle Rock Blvd. Storefront office is located on the south side of the street between Caspar and Mayflower. Free street parking is available after 6 p.m. ArroyoFest Teacher Training -- Final Planning Meeting This is the final meeting before our special workshop on the Arroyo for area teachers. The workshop will be held on April 25th & 26th and May 2nd & 3rd at various locations around the Arroyo. Help us bring the Arroyo into the classroom. At this meeting, we'll be covering last minute details and putting together materials. Date: Wednesday, April 23 Time: 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Location: Center for Food and Justice. 2106 Colorado Blvd. in Eagle Rock. The Center for Food and Justice is located one and a half blocks east (toward Pasadena) from the corner of Colorado and Eagle Rock Blvd. Storefront office is located on the south side of the street between Caspar and Mayflower. Free street parking is available after 6 p.m. River Runs Through It - ArroyoFest Teacher Training This special workshop, held over two weekends at various locations around the Arroyo, will help teachers meet state education standards by integrating study of the Arroyo and its communities into K-12 curriculum. Teachers can sign up for the first or both weekends. Find out more . Dates: April 25, 26 & May 2 & 3, June 15 (LAUSD teachers only) Time: 4 - 9 p.m. Fridays; Saturdays 8 - 5 p.m. Locations: The workshop will take place at locations throughout the Arroyo. E-Mail Announcements (Please forward to your e-mail lists!) Bike and Walk ON the Pasadena Freeway! On Sunday, June 15th people will have a chance to bike, walk on the oldest freeway in the American West and enjoy a community festival celebrating the Arroyo Seco. The ArroyoFest Volunteer Steering Committee consists of representatives from environmental, transportation, community and cultural groups from up and down the Arroyo and throughout the region. The goal of the event is to connect the communities of the Arroyo Seco, from Pasadena to downtown Los Angeles, and show how the Arroyo can become a model for creating more livable communities, communities with abundant parks, clean and convenient transportation, a strong sense of history and an appreciation for our region's cultural diversity. For additional information and on-line registration visit www.arroyofest.org. Call 323-341-5091 or e-mail arroyofest@oxy.edu if you'd like an entry form mailed to you or are interested in becoming a volunteer. Special Teacher's Workshop on the Arroyo!! Come to a special workshop for teachers and youth leaders entitled: A River Runs Through It: Connecting the Communities of the Arroyo Seco. The workshop will take place at various locations around the Arroyo and focus on integrating study of the Arroyo's environment, history and community into K-12 curriculum. There will be special activity demonstrations and facilitated discussions about how to meet state standards while teaching students about the Arroyo. Participants can earn postgraduate professional course credit through UCLA and salary point through their school district. Dates: Fri. April 25, 4 - 9 p.m.. Sat. April 26, 8 - 5 p.m.. Fri. May 2, 4 - 9 p.m.. Sat. May 3, 8 - 5 p.m. Participants can sign up for the first weekend or both weekends. Cost: Workshop & Salary Point Credit: $40 UCLA Post-Graduate Professional Course Credit 1.5 Qtr. Unit (1 Semester Unit): $ 90 (additional fee) 3 Qtr. Units (2 Semester Units): $ 125 (additional fee) If you'd like to receive more information, go to www.arroyofest.org, call 323-341-5093 or e-mail arroyo@oxy.edu. Registration is available at the door at 4 p.m. on Friday April 25 at the South Pasadena Community Room, 1115 El Centro St. South Pasadena, CA 91030. But please call ahead to confirm participation. ArroyoFest is sponsored by: Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, the City of Los Angeles Department of Water and Power, The Gas Company, Avery Dennison, Urban and Environmental Policy Institute at Occidental College, Amalgamated Bank, American Union Financial and Oralia Michel Marketing and Public Relations, Los Angeles County Sanitation Districts. ArroyoFest is also supported by generous grants and donations from: Metropolitan Transportation Authority, Environment NOW, Operating Engineers Local 12, REI, Office of Councilmember Ed Reyes, 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, City of Pasadena Department of Public Works, City of South Pasadena.