Top Five Benefits of Paper Shredding

Approximately 1 billion trees worth of paper are thrown away every year in the U.S. We realize the importance of decreasing this number, which is why we have a Zero Waste Plan that recommends environmental initiatives and programs to help us achieve 95 percent waste diversion from landfills by 2030. One of the ways we’re working toward our goal is by providing free paper shredding events to Santa Monica residents. It may seem inconsequential, but shredded paper increases the City’s rate of recycling.  This year the April paper shredding event occurs the week of Earth Day. In honor of Earth Day, we encourage you to do a little spring cleaning and sift through your old papers to identify which ones can be recycled at our free paper shredding event from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, April 27 at City Yards, 2500 Michigan Ave. Below are five reasons to participate in our paper shredding event on Saturday, April 27: Reduces the Amount of Waste Sent to the Landfill and Resulting Emissions The first benefit of shredding and recycling paper is obvious. reducing the amount of paper we send to landfills saves space for other materials that may not be recyclable. Landfills not only smell and look bad, but they also emit two of the most harmful greenhouse gases: methane and carbon dioxide. Twenty percent of man-made emissions around the world come from landfill sites. When these gases are trapped by and retained within our atmosphere over time, climate change occurs. The good news is that every ton of recycled paper produced saves 17 trees from being cut down. Trees are not only aesthetically pleasing but also can reduce the amount of carbon in the air by absorbing carbon dioxide. On average, 17 trees can eliminate 250 pounds of carbon dioxide from the air each year. Conversely, not properly recycling paper made from this same number of trees (17) can create 1,500 pounds of carbon dioxide. Helps Reduce Clutter in People’s Homes or Offices Despite the recent increase in paperless data management, workplaces use roughly 10,000 sheets of copy paper every year. Additionally, over half of all paper sheets end up in the garbage on the same day they were printed. Collecting these papers and bringing them to a paper shredding event not only frees up room in your office or home, but it also helps ensure that unused paper is recycled so it can be regenerated and used again. Paper regeneration occurs at paper mill facilities. At these mills, “machines called pulpers introduce water and chemicals to break down the paper into fibers, according to Earth911. Then, any ink and adhesive is removed and the paper fibers start bonding together. Finally, the fibers are rolled and dried, then sent off to make new products” such as coffee filters and egg cartons. Saves Energy Regenerating paper not only saves space but also energy. Using old paper to make new paper uses 65 percent less energy than making paper from trees. Every ton of recycled paper can save 17 trees, 380 gallons of oil, 3 cubic yards of landfill space, 4,000 kilowatts of energy, and 7,000 gallons of water. Using more energy also releases excess harmful emissions in the process. Using less energy will make us and our planet healthier.  Eliminates Risk of Criminals Obtaining Your Personal Info According to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), “4 million tons of junk mail are sent to Americans annually. In addition to junk, people still receive plenty of legitimate mail including bank statements, credit cards and other bills. This not only annoys people, but also puts them at risk for identity theft, because mail can contain personal information sought by dumpster divers. This is especially common in the Los Angeles area.   BONUS: Recycle E-Waste The City of Santa Monica Paper not only accepts paper at the paper shredding event, but also accepts electronic waste (e-waste). E-waste is a recently increasing phenomenon. As technology rapidly changes, so does the amount of clutter created by older, unused electronics. For example, the average cell phone life cycle is only 20 months, with 95 percent of people in the U.S. owning one. Luckily, many parts of these electronics include recyclable materials, such as metal, plastic, and glass, which can be repurposed into various resources like clothing and jewelry.   Sources:

About the PRC

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/278738702_Environmental_and_socio-economic_impacts_of_landfills www.bir.org/industry/paper https://www.shredit.com/getmedia/54ed541b-4817-42b2-afdf-702fdeb0f5ad/Environmental_Fact_Sheet_EN.aspx?ext=.pdf https://www.shredit.com/en-us/blog/securing-your-information/october-2017/does-the-paperless-office-really-exist-no,-10,000?returnurl=%2fen-us%2fblog%2fsecuring-your-information%3fpage%3d2

How to Recycle Shredded Paper

source https://www.santamonica.gov/blog/top-five-benefits-of-paper-shredding from Santa Monica Day https://santamonicaday.blogspot.com/2019/04/top-five-benefits-of-paper-shredding.html

Earth Day Marks One Year Until Santa Monica’s Greenest Building Opens

Earth Day 2019 marks an important milestone in Santa Monica, not only as a day to demonstrate support for protecting the environment but marks the City Services Building’s final year of construction and anticipated grand opening on Earth Day 2020. The new City Services Building (CSB) is a community facility for Santa Monica that will save taxpayers money and provide more efficient services at our Civic Center. It will be the first building the State of California has permitted to capture and treat rainwater onsite for drinking, and the first city building in the country to operate with composting toilets. No stormwater will leave the CSB, further protecting our environment and coastline from pollution. 

A 40,000-gallon fiberglass cistern being installed will store collected rainwater before treatment CSB construction remains on schedule and the project team recently oversaw the concrete pour of the building’s ground floor, a huge construction milestone for the project. The building will continue to rise through the summer and currently scheduled to complete vertical construction also known as topping out this fall. After top out, the building’s façade will be glassed-in prior to the end of 2019. City leadership has embraced the CSB as an opportunity to make a global environmental statement at our City Hall and we look forward to celebrating Earth Day’s 50th Anniversary with the CSB grand opening on April 22, 2020.  To learn more about the CSB project, visit the project website here.

source https://www.santamonica.gov/blog/earth-day-2019-marks-one-year-until-santa-monica-s-greenest-building-opens from Santa Monica Day https://santamonicaday.blogspot.com/2019/04/earth-day-marks-one-year-until-santa.html

15 Ways to Cut Your Carbon Footprint

Climate change is real, and here in Santa Monica we’ve identified this as one of our biggest city-wide priorities. Here are 15 ways you can personally eliminate carbon releases into the atmosphere, creating a better carbon balance for climate action. Energy Actions LIGHT IT UP LED lights use up to 90% less energy than incandescent bulbs and can last up to 25 years! Reduce the amount you spend on your energy bill and how often you have to change your light bulbs by using LED lights. CUT IT OFF Energy is wasted when appliances are plugged in while not in use, creating phantom loads and raising your energy bill. Use a timer, motion detector or smart power strips to use electricity only when you need it. TAKE CONTROL Manage home heating and cooling with smart or programmable thermostats, and save up to 30% on your energy bills. KEEP IT AT 100% All Santa Monica residents now enjoy 100% renewable green power from their electricity provider. Keep it at 100% green power and enjoy carbon-free electricity, or opt for the 50% and 36% green power options. The 36% rate is comparable to the standard power rate. LOOK AT THE LABEL Next time you’re looking to replace an appliance, office equipment or lighting, look for an Energy Star-rated product. They work more efficiently than traditional appliances and can save you money on your energy and water bills. SOLAR UP Solar Santa Monica is a free service for residents and businesses looking to go solar. Solar experts will provide you with unbiased technical advice to help you navigate the changing rules, incentives and financing options. Mobility Actions SIMPLIFY Getting outdoors and employing old-school mobility options like walking, biking or skateboarding is one way to promote a safer and more convenient car-free and carbon-free community. SHARE There’s car sharing, ride sharing, bike sharing, Big Blue Bus, Expo, and the list goes on. GO EV Still need to drive? Consider the driving experience and convenience of all-electric or hybrid-electric vehicles for your next purchase or lease. Waste Actions REDUCE/RECYCLE Even after you reduce, many products can be recycled or composted. Recycling and composting are most effective when there is no contamination. Learn about what you can and cannot compost, and recycle whenever possible. Food Actions EAT LOCAL Buying local produce helps reduce the need to transport food long distances to supermarkets. EAT MORE PLANTS Focus on eating more plant-based foods to reduce your carbon and water footprint and benefit your health. Water Actions WATER CHECK-UP Check for leaks and sign up for a free water consultation for your home or business to learn ways you can reduce your water use, and to point you toward incentives that can help. SIP IT Replace showerheads, toilets, faucets and washing machines with more efficient water-saving models. Generous rebates are available. PLANT IT Replace lawns with drought-tolerant landscaping and install rain barrels to capture rainwater. Generous rebates are available. Go to the Office of Sustainability and the Environment website for more information on climate change and how to take action.

source https://www.santamonica.gov/blog/15-ways-to-cut-your-carbon-footprint from Santa Monica Day https://santamonicaday.blogspot.com/2019/04/15-ways-to-cut-your-carbon-footprint.html

Remembering Santa Monica Police Officer Rashad Riley

Officer Rashad Riley came home yesterday. If you knew him, you would not forget him.  His attitude, his warmth and his smile were incandescent. As Chief Renaud informed the larger City family this week, Officer Riley had only served with the department for three years.  Yet he had an outsized impact on all he encountered.  The tragic circumstances of his death have devastated the Santa Monica Police Department family. His drowning in Hawaii comes just a few weeks after longtime Rent Control staff member Beth Leder-Pack passed in her sleep. Both were vibrant, bigger than life personalities.  Both were devoted parents. Both were deeply dedicated to serving our community. Among the things that colleagues have been saying about Rashad this week is that “no one can say a bad word about him.” He transformed even casual interactions into moments of caring and connection.  When he applied to join the Santa Monica Police Department, there were 1,000 candidates in the system.  He was one of two hired at the time.  He was a natural.  His supervisor on the Homeless Liaison Program, Sgt. Aklufi, nominated him last year as Officer of the Year, calling him “a force of nature.” Even as we mourn, there’s a silver thread in the darkness. We were fortunate to have him among us. We are blessed and grateful for who he was, what he stood for and how he touched our lives. The Santa Monica Police Department sets the bar high: the benchmark for excellence.  That spirit infuses not only what they do, but particularly how they do it. If you were looking for the face of modern policing, it was Rashad.  He and his colleagues on the HLP team have established the gold standard for compassionate problem-solving.  He loved that work and his enthusiasm inspired others. Only a few people know the world of law enforcement first hand. The rest of us are all subjected to an endless stream of media images and stories dominated by sordid crime, sensationalized violence, and rank cynicism. Police operate under unremitting scrutiny.  It amplifies wrongs — and takes for granted the sacrifices we ask of those who work to protect us. That incessant bombardment of distorted imagery inevitably colors our view of policing. That’s an injustice to the character and dedication of those who work in law enforcement, sworn and civilian. The real world of 21st Century policing tells a thousand different stories – of smart analysis, empathetic response and resilient courage.   Real progress has been made to embrace diversity, protect Constitutional rights and build community trust.  Santa Monica PD has long been at the forefront of that advance. Police have demanding jobs.  In a nanosecond, what looks like routine work can be transformed into a life-altering test of every fiber of an officer’s skill, training, and character.  It is the rare person among us who can meet that test – and the even rarer person who can do it with the energy and exuberance of Rashad Riley.  That the Santa Monica Police Department has so many of his caliber — that is rarest of all.  Understandably, everyone at SMPD is taking this hard. Let’s stand with them as they grieve – and as they continue to do their jobs to protect us and our community. And say a prayer for Rashad’s family.  Maya and Rashad met when they were in high school.  She was there on the beach when he signaled for help.  Now she’ll be raising 4-year-old Sunny, 6-year-old Austin, and 14-year-old Ty without him. There are mysteries in life that don’t lend themselves to glib explanations.  There are also precious joys and memories for us to cherish.  Rashad left lots of those.  That’s what we are left with and we are thankful for the consolation they bring in this time of tears.

The funeral for Rashad will be this coming Thursday, April 25 at 1 pm at Saint Monica’s Church, 701 California St. Police Chaplain Joseph Metoyer will be conducting the service. In support of the Riley Family, the Santa Monica Police Officers Association (SMPOA) has established a GoFundMe page for donations. Please contact SMPOA Office at [email protected] or (310) 393-1003 regarding donations by check.

source https://www.santamonica.gov/citymanager/blog/remembering-officer-rashad-riley from Santa Monica Day https://santamonicaday.blogspot.com/2019/04/remembering-santa-monica-police-officer.html

Santa Monica Fire Department Recognizes Standout Volunteer

In honor of National Volunteer Month, the Santa Monica Fire Department (SMFD) has recognized Gonenc Oztopcu or G, as she likes to be called. G has volunteered over 1,246 volunteer hours over the last six years with SMFD’s Fire Prevention Division and also supports our public safety partners, the Santa Monica Police Department.

She has been supporting data input, customer service filing, and mailing correspondences. She also makes time to assist with Fire Department public events. One of the greatest gifts G brings to our department is her wonderful smile. She is always happy to assist our staff and has become part of the SMFD family. We thank her for all her years of service to us here at SMFD and to our community.  Are you interested in volunteering with the Santa Monica Fire Department? If so, visit http://ow.ly/PLrU30otv76 to fill out the application.

source https://www.santamonica.gov/blog/santa-monica-fire-department-recognizes-standout-volunteer from Santa Monica Day https://santamonicaday.blogspot.com/2019/04/santa-monica-fire-department-recognizes.html

The West Coast’s First Concrete Pier

The History Spotlight focuses on the landmarks, residents and stories that have shaped Santa Monica into what it is today. Content is being produced in partnership with the Santa Monica Pier, Santa Monica Landmarks Commission, Santa Monica History Museum and the Santa Monica Daily Press. The article below originally appeared in the Santa Monica Daily Press on April 15, 2019. Author: Jim Harris, Santa Monica Pier

Organ music emanates from the carousel building while inside hand-carved wooden horses race in an endless circle. Laughter resonates through the air as wooden deck boards creak beneath people’s footsteps, the rhythmic roar of the waves never far away. A cool breeze carries the aroma of hamburgers, broiled fish, and fresh-popped popcorn, all mixing splendidly with the salt air. A roller coaster thunders along its track as passengers scream with delight. Seagulls chatter above erratic rows of fishing poles propped up along the blue railing, joining in the hope for a successful day’s catch. Dancing lights invite passersby to board the Ferris wheel… Who can imagine this pier as anything less than a fanciful getaway? Ironically, its original purpose was far from magical—it was born as a simple public utility. The growth of Santa Monica in the early twentieth century forced the city to confront a very serious sewage disposal problem. After considering several options, officials agreed that the best method was to cast it out to sea.

L.G. Osgood of the California Ornamental Brick Company recommended using concrete to construct the pier. Wooden piers were notorious victims both of the weather and of infestation by wood-burrowing clams called shipworms or Teredo Worms. The City Council concurred, and committed to the first concrete pier on the West Coast. On September 28,1907, the public voted in favor of a $150,000 bond to build the proposed pier. Of eleven plans submitted for the new pier, the City Council chose local architect Edwin H. Warner’s design, which proposed a 1,600-foot-long pier supporting an eighteen-inch outfall pipe running underneath the entire length of the pier’s floor, inclined so that gravity would carry the treated waste to the ocean. The plan included a treatment plant on the beach at the foot of the pier, designed to purify the sewage and pump it into the outfall pipe for disposal. The construction contract was awarded to the Stutzer Cement and Grading Company and on April 8, 1908, work on the new pier began. Journalists arrived from across the country to observe the construction of the West Coast’s unique new concrete pier, and in turn became well acquainted with the charming seaside community where it stood. On August 18, 1909 the new pier was completed with only a few minor finishing details remaining, and Mayor T.H. Dudley declared September 9 the official opening day of the new Santa Monica Municipal Pier. Thousands of people attended the grand opening and dedication ceremony, a full day of festivities and activities commemorating the City’s magnum opus—the West Coast’s first concrete pier. The celebration commenced with a parade that began at Santa Monica City Hall and ended at the foot of the new pier, where Mayor Dudley dedicated it and the featured speaker, State Senator Lee C. Gates commended the citizens of Santa Monica for their energy, spirit and courage for using groundbreaking technology. Santa Monica, he declared, had set the precedent for all future piers. Excerpt from Santa Monica Pier: A Century on the Last Great Pleasure Pier by James Harris (Angel City Press, 2009)

source https://www.santamonica.gov/blog/the-west-coast-s-first-concrete-pier from Santa Monica Day https://santamonicaday.blogspot.com/2019/04/the-west-coasts-first-concrete-pier.html

Get to Know Camera Obscura Studio Resident Dahn Gim

Dahn Gim is in residence at the Camera Obscura Art Lab from April 24 through July 17, 2019. For her Camera Obscura residency project, she is archiving and transforming beach plastics into a series of sculptures, keeping this abundant material out of the waste stream and highlighting both the problem of “forever waste” and the overlooked utility of plastic as a resource. Riding with City beach cleanup crews on their tractors, she will gather waste “at the source” and bring her findings to the studio. She is also researching and exploring various materials that can replace animal leather such as gampi fiber, sausage casings and bacteria/yeast cultures, in preparation for creating her next body of work. As part of her public events at the Camera Obscura, she is leading a variety of craft activities utilizing recycled bottles, fabric/leather remnants and mechanisms to transform waste into usable materials.

Question: What drew you to consider waste plastic as a “precious” resource? How do you utilize it in your work?   I’ve been learning about the life cycle of plastic and how much energy and chemical resources is required in the manufacturing process. Current packaging technology allows us to store liquid and solid goods, to package and ship them all over the world protected from moisture, light, vermin, leaking, shock and other forces. Most of these packaging materials are forms of plastic, conceived of as disposable but having little, if any, functional biodegradability. The breakdown period for most plastics in the environment spans decades or even centuries. And this is something we actively have to remind ourselves before using such packaged items, or items made of plastic that are supposedly “single-use.” The more I think about this life cycle, the more precious it becomes. The ubiquitous consumption of plastic is something I began to consider more seriously as the concept for my own work when I began working as a lab technician with 3D printers. The sustainability of 3D printing as a manufacturing method has always felt questionable to me. At the moment I am doing research and sketching out the idea of plastic from a macro perspective: how its protean functionality defines its environmental impact. Q: This new project seems like a departure from some of your previous works. Can you draw parallels and contrasts between the “precious plastic” work you’ve embarked on, and your other projects?  It was my last sculpture series, “Names I Had You Call Me” (2018) that led me to search for material to replace leather, which was what I primarily used at the time. The series required not only intensive physical labor but also naturally delivered a very intimate relationship with the materials. I was transforming automobile mufflers, deconstructed and reskinned with soft leather to resemble the shape, color, and texture of limbs and organs. This intimate labor of carrying, pulling, folding, stretching, sewing, and dyeing leather inspired me to learn more about its manufacture process, as well as those of alternative materials.

Viewers experiencing Dahn Gim’s Names I Had Them Call Me, installation view, leather covered muffler, thread, audio loop, 2018 From that I moved on to growing large batches of SCOBY (Symbiotic Colony of Bacteria and Yeast). When grown SCOBYs are processed properly, their texture and color resembles human skin, and my successful experiments sparked a curiosity into bioplastic. Through the process of creating vegan leather myself, I witnessed firsthand how much attention and time is needed to grow and process one batch of SCOBY into a sheet of functional material. At the end the material became “precious” to me. Bioplastic is what I plan to further explore during my residency and to share my research findings with a larger community. Ultimately, I hope to raise more conversation about “precious” plastic by sharing my thoughts and concerns about plastic whether it is made from plant or petroleum.

Dahn Gim, Rage Quit, Mixed media, audio kinetic objects, 6 minutes 35 seconds, 2015 Q: What about the immigrant experience informs your direction as a multinational art worker?   I lived in Canada as an international student for a decade and became a permanent resident but soon moved to LA to become a student again. So it’s been hard to fully consider myself an immigrant, when I feel more ambiguous about who I am and what community I belong to. But my work always stems from personal experiences, reflecting the process of adaptation to constant shifts and changes of surroundings as I struggle to gain a sense of belonging. The contrasts and juxtapositions of my experiences drive me to explore the ambiguous realm between the natural and the artificial, and inform the combination of analog and digital techniques and materials in my work. I once thought of home as where my family is, Korea… then thought it’s where I live at that moment, and now I am not sure. I still don’t feel like I am settled anywhere yet. 

Dahn Gim, unspoken truth, mixed media sound installation, 2014 Q: What are the limits of sculpture?  I still feel very new to sculpture though I am keeping myself close to it because I enjoy the fluidity and flexibility in the making process so far. I am not feeling limited in its structural, aesthetic and conservable integrity yet. Especially the materials I currently work with, which question all of these. For example, sculptures made with SCOBY will not conserve their form after few years; the muffler sculptures wrapped with leathers will darken over time due to exposure to light. I am not sure if there are limits but I think there are many challenges that allow me to be more deliberate and thoughtful about elements that choose to work with. 

Viewers experience Dahn Gim’s No Losers, digital print, scratch-off ink, metal panel, 2015/2017 Q: How does the experience of the public complete (or not) your work?  Some of my past works works, like No Losers, which begins as a ~2’ x 12’ panel covered in scratch-off ink, is completely dependent on an audience. For that project, one brave participant is the first to scratch off the surface. Then many other participants join in and quickly uncover the rest of the panel. This process reveals hidden messages and graffiti under the ink, but it also leaves creative traces of images as the participants unevenly scratch off bits of ink from the surface.

Dahn Gim, Ours, digital print, Japanese paper, thread, needle, 2015-2016 Other works like The Ballad of East and West and Ours took about 80 hours of interactive performance to complete. My directions to the audience were placed on top of an empty chair and read, “Please take a sit and receive needles coming through. Then, exchange the needles with me to remove each word.” This work invited audience to exchange embroidery needles with me over printed characters, transforming them into a textile/installation work. It also opened up a dialogue of what is means to be physically present and “connect” expanding the notion of public vs. private, individualism vs. collectivism, and human interaction. Also for these works I tried to encourage tactile and creative participation from the audience to allow intuitive response, playfulness, and humor, violence, and improvisation. Although the work I’m doing at the Camera is different, I think the way my public events engage with people will incorporate what I’ve learned from these past projects. Dahn Gim was born in Korea, raised in Canada and now lives in Los Angeles. As an artist and curator, her work stems from personal experiences reflecting the process of adaptation to constant shifts and changes of surroundings as she struggles to gain a sense of belonging. In this process, Gim explores the ambiguous realm between the natural and the artificial, combining analog and digital techniques and materials. She is a fellowship recipient of University of California Los Angeles (UCLA), UC Institute and Research in the Arts (UCIRA). After completing her MFA in Media Arts at UCLA, she has been exhibited internationally including venues such as Steve Turner Gallery, Los Angeles; Currents New Media 2017: El Museo Cultural de Santa Fe, Santa Fe; Nuit Blanche: Art Souterrain 2017, Montreal; Dongdaemoon Design Plaza (DDP), Seoul; Barnsdall Art Gallery, Los Angeles; New Wight Gallery, Los Angeles; Hammer Museum, Los Angeles; Somerset House; London, and TAG bxl, Brussels. She was awarded 2016 International Emerging Artists Award (Dubai), Curators Lab Award 2017 from Fellows of Contemporary Art 2018-2019, and 2019 Kala Art Institute Fellowship.  dahngim.com   About the Camera Obscura Studio Residency program    Santa Monica Cultural Affairs presents participatory art and culture programs for adults at the Camera Obscura Art Lab. Inspired by the camera mechanism, which has been beloved attraction in Santa Monica since 1898, activities in this community art practice space celebrate the power of art to change perspective. Residency programs invite local artists to spend time on the far western edge of the continent to create and explore ideas and practices in concert with the community. The resulting projects highlight the intersection of fine art and handcraft and offer access to a variety of artistic practice and instruction.  

source https://www.santamonica.gov/blog/get-to-know-camera-obscura-studio-resident-dahn-gim from Santa Monica Day https://santamonicaday.blogspot.com/2019/04/get-to-know-camera-obscura-studio_18.html

Únete en Solidaridad en Denim Day (día del Jean) el 24 de Abril

Por medio de la presente, extendemos la invitación a participar junto a la Comisión sobre el Estatus de las Mujeres, este miércoles 24 de abril del 2019, en punto de la 6pm, en la entrada al Palacio Municipal de Santa Mónica, con motivo de la conmemoración del 20º aniversario del Día del Denim en la campaña para la educación en prevención a la violencia sexual.  Acompáñennos en esta celebración de dos décadas de vigorosa labor en las que el mensaje que “no existe excusa alguna y jamás habrá una invitación para la violación” incrementó en volumen y ha propiciado un profundo cambio sociocultural.   El Día del Denim es una campaña creada por la organización Peace Over Violence, la cual ha provisto de cruciales servicios de atención y cuidados a las personas sobrevivientes de violencia sexual, educando al mismo tiempo sobre violencia sexual, acoso, asalto, y violación. Acompáñennos. Sobrevivientes. Artistas. La comunidad entera de Santa Mónica. Unidos en esta campaña para la prevención y la educación sobre la violación. Ustedes, sus colegas, sus amistades, y sus familias, pueden hacer una declaración hacia la sociedad portando jeans, como un visible refuerzo en contra de las concepciones erróneas en relación a la violencia sexual. Este será nuestro tercer Día del Denim anual en la Ciudad de Santa Mónica. Vengan y generen un impacto profundo, estableciendo lazos estrechos en nuestra comunidad, los cuales crearán un impacto perdurable en la gestación de un ambiente diverso, inclusivo, y seguro. Juntos, podemos sanar a nuestra comunidad, abogar por los sobrevivientes, y educar a las personas sobre el consentimiento. #DenimDay Enlace: https://www.denimdayinfo.org

source https://www.santamonica.gov/blog/unete-en-solidaridad-en-denim-day-dia-del-jean-el-24-de-abril from Santa Monica Day https://santamonicaday.blogspot.com/2019/04/unete-en-solidaridad-en-denim-day-dia.html

Stand in Solidarity for Denim Day on April 24

Please join the Commission on the Status of Women on the steps of City Hall in Santa Monica on Wednesday, April 24, 2019 at 6 p.m. to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the Denim Day sexual violence prevention education campaign. Join us in celebrating two powerful decades where the message that “there is no excuse and never and invitation to rape” grew louder and brought about profound societal change.   Denim Day is a campaign created by the non-profit Peace Over Violence, which has provided crucial healing services for survivors of sexual violence while also educating the public about sexual violence, harassment, assault and rape. Join us, survivors, artists and the Santa Monica community in this rape prevention and education campaign. You, your colleagues, your friends and family can make social statements with your fashion statements by wearing jeans as a visible reinforcement against sexual violence misconceptions. This is the third Denim Day held by the City of Santa Monica. Come out and make a positive impact and establish good community rapport that will have a lasting impact by creating a diverse, inclusive, safe environment. Together, we can heal our community, advocate for survivors, and educate more people about consent. #DenimDay Link: https://www.denimdayinfo.org

source https://www.santamonica.gov/blog/stand-in-solidarity-for-denim-day-on-april-24 from Santa Monica Day https://santamonicaday.blogspot.com/2019/04/stand-in-solidarity-for-denim-day-on.html

Celebrate Get On Board Day with Big Blue Bus on April 25

Big Blue Bus (BBB) invites you to celebrate Get On Board Day at our free pop-up on Thursday, April 25, from 12 p.m. to 2 p.m., at our bus stop located on southbound 4th St. at Santa Monica Place in the heart of Downtown Santa Monica. Get on Board Day is a new nationwide awareness and advocacy day which highlights how riding transit benefits all of us. Public transportation enhances quality of life, connects people to jobs (and jobs to people), reduces traffic congestion and strengthens the resilience of communities. Giveaways include BBB swag, complimentary day passes and TAP cards, and a fun photo booth. You’ll also be able to enter a raffle to win a BBB Annual Pass (valued at $500)! RSVPs appreciated, but not required, here.  We hope you’ll stop by to show your support for BBB, and for the many ways that transit provides environmental, social, cultural, and economic benefits to our community. Here are 3 fun ways you can celebrate Get On Board Day Change your Facebook Profile Picture to this custom “Get On Board Day” frame.  Enter to win our Get On Board giveaways! Look out for giveaways on our Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter accounts leading up to Get On Board Day on Thursday, April 25. Voice your support for public transportation across America! Sign the petition at getonboardday.org. Transit makes our communities – and our nation – stronger

source https://www.santamonica.gov/blog/celebrate-get-on-board-day-with-big-blue-bus-on-april-25 from Santa Monica Day https://santamonicaday.blogspot.com/2019/04/celebrate-get-on-board-day-with-big.html

Introducing the GoSaMo Achievement Awards

The City of Santa Monica and the GoSaMo Transportation Management Organization (TMO) are putting the finishing touches on presenting the inaugural GoSaMo Achievement Awards. The Awards are a recognition of businesses with outstanding sustainable commuting programs as well as those that are making consistent improvements in their programs. Recipients will fall in one of three categories: Silver, Gold, or Platinum. As part of the City’s Transportation Demand Management (TDM) ordinance, all employers with 30 or more employees must work to reduce the number of people driving alone to work by promoting sustainable transportation options like bus, train, carpool, vanpool, bike, walk and telework. This is no easy task and the City is proud to recognize those putting in the work to help clear our streets and air of pollution and congestion. Awards are earned through a transparent points system. There are no applications or nominations. If a business earns enough points in a year they automatically qualify for an award and earning more points earns a higher tier award. Employers earn points by improving their Average Vehicle Ridership (AVR), working with the GoSaMo TMO and by accomplishing certain actions. What can you expect as we get closer to the award ceremony and lunch? Look for the announcement of 2017-2018 winners in the Santa Monica Daily Press on Wednesday, April 24. Recipients will have continued recognition through various channels in Santa Monica, including from City Council. If you are a Santa Monica employer interested in receiving a GoSaMo Achievement Award, you have until June 30, 2019 to earn points for the 2018-2019 year. See the points chart and begin earning point towards the employer recognition program.  The GoSaMo TMO works to reduce drive-alone trips by promoting the increased use of sustainable travel options. The TMO hosts quarterly events on different transportation issues in Santa Monica. To join us at a future event and keep track of everything the TMO is up to, visit GoSaMo.org/TMO to sign up for the monthly newsletter and follow our twitter account (@AskGoSaMo).

source https://www.santamonica.gov/blog/introducing-the-gosamo-achievement-awards from Santa Monica Day https://santamonicaday.blogspot.com/2019/04/introducing-gosamo-achievement-awards.html

Get to Know Camera Obscura Studio Resident Alex Wand

Alex Wand is in residence at the Camera Obscura Art Lab from April 24 through July 17, 2019. A Grammy Award-winning musician and composer based in Los Angeles, he performs as a solo artist and with the groups Desert Magic and The Partch Ensemble. He often collaborates with filmmakers, dancers, and coders, to create music scores that involve his interests in just intonation, sonification, folk music, and sound art.  For his residency project, he is exploring the sonification – that is, the translation into sound of non-sound information – of movement from ocean waves and the visual data observed from the Camera Obscura mechanism. Both activities are part of his continuing study of the range of sounds that can be drawn from the environment. During his public events, he leads music-making and ear-training events open to all.

Question: Tell us more about “sonification.” Is this an act of translation?  Sonification maps data to sound. I like experimenting with how sonification can illuminate or bring a new perspective to natural phenomena. During a collaboration with choreographer Jay Carlon, my curiosity with motion-activated sounds led me to explore how the waves in the ocean can activate sounds on my synthesizer via accelerometer data. Another piece that uses non-musical data as source material is Dance of the Planets, an interactive solar system sonification app I created in collaboration with my music collective, Desert Magic. In this piece, we mapped eight musical patterns to tempos based on each planet in our solar system and their distinct orbital speeds. Listeners then activate, deactivate, and randomize the planet patterns to create their own soundscape of cosmic polyrhythms. 

From Desert Magic, danceoftheplanets.com At my residency at Camera Obscura, I’m interested in using the Obscura itself as the source material and inspiration for the sound. This will include an auditory realization or sonification of the street and ocean views as seen through the camera mechanism. I’m interested in exploring different ways one can perceive land. So often we think of land in terms of maps and political boundaries. Inside the obscura is a different perspective of land where one can be immersed in the surrounding streetscape and the ocean. During my residency, I want to create music and sound that also makes one feel immersed in these surroundings. Q: Speaking of boundaries, your most recent project, Camino de las Monarcas, involved following migratory patterns of butterflies and planting native seeds; what inspired the project?  In the fall of 2018 I completed a 2,000-mile bicycle trip that followed migratory paths of the monarch butterfly from Los Angeles to Michoacan, Mexico. Throughout the trip, I posted annotated videos each day on my blog, Camino de las Monarcas. The videos contain stories of ecological discovery, bike adventure tales, field recordings, original music, and investigate non-anthropocentric outlooks on ecology. My landing point was the Guapamacátaro Residency in Michoacan, where I was artist-in-residence during January of 2019.  This cycling trip was my version of Donna’s Haraway’s science fiction tale, Camille Stories. In the story, the protagonist Camille, lived a life that was entwined with the monarch butterfly by planting milkweed and working with people on the monarch’s path to protect this threatened critter. I was inspired by Camille and wanted to live out my own real-life version of this fictional story. 

Alex Wand during his Camino de las Monarcas project, 2018 Q: During the project it looks as if you went by a Spanish version of your name – do you consider the project a performance?  My alias for the monarch cycling project was Alejandro Botijo. I guess I do consider the project a performance but I also consider Alejandro Botijo to be an actual part of me. My mother is Argentinean so I liked the idea of having a name that reflects the hispanic side of my family. I create aliases for myself that highlight certain qualities of my person. I think of them like archetypal, mythological people that help me realize existing aspects of myself. For example, Alejandro Botijo is helped me bypass the physical limitations of my body, feelings of loneliness, fear of being hit by a truck, along with many other vulnerabilities that come with cycling over 2,000 miles alone. 

Q: What is music? Music is joyfulness and beauty and not beauty and heartbreak and the wind all in one thing and not.  Q: Who should participate in your public events? What do you hope to see and hear?   I hope both musicians and non-musicians attend my public events. They are designed with inclusivity in mind. Come prepared to learn folk melodies and experience the joy of group singing. I will probably bring some muffins or cookies. too.  

Originally from Detroit, Alex Wand studied music composition at the University of Michigan and at CalArts with composers Bright Sheng, Michael Fink, Ulrich Krieger, and Wolfgang von Schweinitz. He is a guitarist and singer who has performed at venues and festivals from California to Tibet such as REDCAT, MicroFest, the Bootleg Theater, and the Xinghai International Poetry Festival. He often writes music for film and dance with recent projects including the documentary The Harvest Run, the drama Porcupine, and Sometimes I Fall, an evening-length dance piece by Carlon + Lollie Dance Company. In 2014, he founded Song A Day, a challenge to musicians to write and upload a song every day for a month. With sessions every January and July, the collective has written over 7,000 songs. Most recently he biked 2,000 miles from Los Angeles to Michoacan, Mexico for his project Camino de las Monarcas, and composed the score for choreographer Jay Carlon’s FLEX at L.A. Dance Project.  alexwand.com   About the Camera Obscura Studio Residency program     Santa Monica Cultural Affairs presents participatory art and culture programs for adults at the Camera Obscura Art Lab. Inspired by the camera mechanism, which has been beloved attraction in Santa Monica since 1898, activities in this community art practice space celebrate the power of art to change perspective. Residency programs invite local artists to spend time on the far western edge of the continent to create and explore ideas and practices in concert with the community. The resulting projects highlight the intersection of fine art and handcraft and offer access to a variety of artistic practice and instruction.    

source https://www.santamonica.gov/blog/get-to-know-camera-obscura-studio-resident-alex-wand from Santa Monica Day https://santamonicaday.blogspot.com/2019/04/get-to-know-camera-obscura-studio.html

Answering Questions about the Clean Power Alliance

A version of this article originally appeared in the April/May edition of Seascape.  Enjoy the advantages of clean, renewable power at competitive rates. Clean Power Alliance will purchase clean power and Southern California Edison (SCE) will deliver it. Clean Power Alliance offers three new, competitively priced options for your electricity, all cleaner than what Edison provides, and Clean Power Alliance also reinvests funds back into the community. What is Clean Power Alliance? Clean Power Alliance is the new, locally controlled clean electricity provider for 32-member cities and counties in Southern California, including Santa Monica. Clean Power Alliance is a Joint Powers Authority (JPA) governed by a board of directors which includes an elected official from each member agency. Councilmember Kevin McKeown serves as the director representative for Santa Monica. How does it work? The short answer is Clean Power Alliance procures the electricity from renewable energy sources, and Southern California Edison delivers it to residential and commercial customers. Southern California Edison still owns and reads your electric meter, sends your monthly bill, and provides the same maintenance and other repair services they always have. Santa Monica customers automatically receive 100% Green Power. For the average residential customer, this will amount to a $7-9 increase on your monthly bill. When did Clean Power Alliance begin serving customers? Starting on February 1, more than 48,000 Santa Monica residential customers were switched over to Clean Power Alliance’s 100% Green Power. The remaining 5,300+ commercial accounts in Santa Monica will switch over on May 1, 2019. Taken together, the switch to 100% Green Power will reduce the City’s greenhouse gas emissions by a fifth, accelerating our progress toward carbon neutrality by 2050 or sooner. Where does Clean Power Alliance get its electricity? Clean Power Alliance gets its electricity from private suppliers that have gone through a rigorous qualification and selection process, with a goal of incorporating locally generated power whenever possible. These suppliers get their electricity from a variety of generation sources such as wind or solar. The majority of power will be generated from California-based sources, with some suppliers located within Ventura and Los Angeles counties. The exact proportion of each varies, based on demand and availability. Do I have a choice? What are my options? Clean Power Alliance offers customers the opportunity to choose their electricity provider and their energy sources. A customer’s options are: 1) Do nothing and continue to support Clean Power Alliance and receive 100% Green Power; 2) Opt down to a lower level of renewable energy (50% or 36%); 3) Opt out of the program and remain a customer with SCE. Customers can make these selections and reverse them at any time. Who do I call to opt down or out of the program, or if I have questions about my service? If you ever have questions about the Clean Power Alliance portion of your bill, you can call 888.585.3788, or email [email protected]. If you have questions about the rest of your Southern California Edison bill, call Southern California Edison at 800.655.4555. What about low-income customer discounts? Customers enrolled in Clean Power Alliance continue to receive their CARE, FERA, and Medical Baseline discount within their Southern California Edison delivery charges. There is no need to reapply with Clean Power Alliance. Even on the 100% Green Power rate, low-income customers will not see any net increase to their utility rates. New CARE, FERA, and Medical Baseline enrollments or renewals must still be done through Southern California Edison’s customer service center or website. To apply for your discount, visit sce.com/care.

source https://www.santamonica.gov/blog/answering-questions-about-the-clean-power-alliance from Santa Monica Day https://santamonicaday.blogspot.com/2019/04/answering-questions-about-clean-power.html

Big Blue Bus is Stroller Friendly!

Whether you’re heading out on a family adventure, running errands, or commuting to work or daycare, it’s easy to ride Big Blue Bus (BBB) with young children in a stroller. Here are five things to know about riding BBB with your stroller on board: You can ask the operator to deploy the wheelchair ramp. We also suggest telling the operator where you are getting off so that he or she can deploy the wheelchair ramp at the right place and time. Stroller placement: New! Once you’re on board the bus, park your stroller in the wheelchair securement area. If possible, fold the seats in the wheelchair area as well. You may leave your child in the stroller.

Safety First: Secure your child into the stroller, lock the wheels, and hold onto the stroller at all times. Just in Case. Prepare to fold your stroller if the bus becomes crowded or a customer with a wheelchair boards the bus. If you own multiple strollers, bring the one that is the most compact or easiest to fold. Plan Ahead. As a mom who rides BBB frequently with her toddler son, my advice to new parents is to be as adaptable and hands-free as possible. When my son was an infant, I found it helpful to bring a baby carrier if I had to to fold my stroller, or if it became more practical to wear him instead. I also use a fanny pack instead of a purse, and wear a lanyard with my TAP card for easy tapping at the farebox.

Why This Matters Making it easier for families to leave their car at home and ride the bus, especially those with infants and young toddlers, is part of Santa Monica and BBB’s commitment to creating a diverse, connected, and safe mobility system while helping customers move efficiently and reduce carbon emissions. Too often families may feel compelled to drive because riding transit, especially with a baby or toddler, seems daunting – even if transit is statistically up to 10 times safer than driving. More importantly, riding BBB and other forms of public transportation is a vital way to connect with your community. I can’t count the number of times that my toddler has helped me start conversations with our customers. It’s touching when customers engage with my child by playing peek-a-boo or by chatting with him. We would love to see photos of you and your children on board! Take a selfie and use the hashtag #bigbluebus so we can share with other families.  

source https://www.santamonica.gov/blog/big-blue-bus-is-stroller-friendly from Santa Monica Day https://santamonicaday.blogspot.com/2019/04/big-blue-bus-is-stroller-friendly.html

Celebrate Earth Day With Kidical Mass

The click of clasping helmets, the whirr of wheels rolling along the pavement, and the sight of dozens of families cruising down Santa Monica’s streets on two wheels… It’s all part of Kidical Mass — an event that takes place five times a year in which scores of families take to the streets by bike. The event aims to introduce kids, parents, siblings, and guardians to a sustainable, eco-friendly mode of transportation, while equipping them with the proper knowledge and techniques that will keep them safe on the road. The family-friendly ride is co-hosted by Santa Monica Spoke — a nonprofit organization dedicated to improving walking and biking in the city — and Safe Routes to School — a partnership between the city, the school district, and the Parent Teacher Association   Picking Up Critical Skills At Kidical Mass In Santa Monica, we’re working hard to build a community that’s healthy and sustainable — one that our children can enjoy for years to come That’s why events like Kidical Mass are so invaluable; they equip our kids with skills that’ll serve them well in the future — skills that encourage active lifestyles and eco-conscious behavior. Kidical Mass also equips our kids with safety skills. The family-friendly ride is a perfect opportunity to model safe biking behavior, while teaching kids the rules of the road, and each ride begins with a bike safety check to make sure all equipment is in proper working order. This focus on safety squares with Santa Monica’s Take the Friendly Road community education effort— our city’s commitment to reach zero traffic-related fatalities and injuries. Education is a key part of our campaign, and educating our kids is just as important as educating ourselves. When we all know — and follow — the laws put in place to keep us safe on the road, we can drastically reduce the risk of serious crashes.   Staying Safe… And Having Fun! Staying safe and saving the planet are serious business… but Kidical Mass makes it a lot of fun. It’s a great way to make new friends and meet neighbors while getting some fresh air and exercise, and we always have snacks and drinks on hand (including coffee!). We also have creative activities in store once we return from our bike ride.   It’s Time To Get Those Wheels Turning… on April 20th The next Kidical Mass is coming up soon! Join us at Memorial Park on Earth Day — April 20, 2019. We’ll meet at the 14th Street entrance at 9am set out for a 2-mile ride at 10am. The theme is The Lorax so feel free to dress up in your favorite Seuss-inspired attire! When we return, we’ll have treats, Earth Day decorating activities, and a tour of the community gardens on Park Drive between Broadway and Santa Monica Boulevard. If your kids have bikes, but you don’t, you can check one out from any Breeze Bike hub. Remember to bring your helmets and that children must be accompanied by adults   RSVP to [email protected] by April 19th so we know you’re coming! Kidical Mass: April 20th, 2019 at 9am Meet at Memorial Park, 14th St. entrance

source https://www.santamonica.gov/blog/kidical-mass from Santa Monica Day https://santamonicaday.blogspot.com/2019/04/celebrate-earth-day-with-kidical-mass.html

Celebrate Arbor Day in Santa Monica on April 25

The City of Santa Monica will celebrate Arbor Day with a tree planting on Thursday, April 25 from 3:00 to 4:30 p.m. at Hotchkiss Park, located off of 4th Street and Strand Street. The green space of the two-acre park used to boast a grid pattern of trees several years ago. The goal of the planting is to restore the historical design by adding six 24” box trees. Local service organizations will assist with the tree planting, and snacks and giveaways will be available to anyone who stops by. The small park features trees, a sloping lawn with a path, and partial ocean views. The event is organized by the Public Landscape Division of the City’s Public Works Department, which maintains the city’s parks, urban forest, downtown and Santa Monica State Beach. To learn more about the group’s work through brief summaries and photos, please sign up for its monthly newsletter at www.smgov.net/landscape. In addition to making Santa Monica greener, tree planting for Arbor Day is one of the requirements to become a Tree City USA, which is an Arbor Day Foundation program in cooperation with the United States Department of Agriculture’s Forest Service and National Association of State Foresters. Santa Monica has been a Tree City USA for 37 years.

source https://www.santamonica.gov/blog/celebrate-arbor-day-in-santa-monica-on-april-25 from Santa Monica Day https://santamonicaday.blogspot.com/2019/04/celebrate-arbor-day-in-santa-monica-on.html

New CityTV Episode of “Wave” Celebrates Art and Activism

Check out the latest episode of ~wave~, “Art and Activism,” this month on CityTV 16 or watch online here.

This episode spotlights artists who use visual art, performance and creative community projects to shape public option and inspire change. Peace Activist Jerry Rubin and Artist Marissa Rubin offer insight into preserving important public works of art in Santa Monica. These works include Paul Conrad’s Chain Reaction (Civic Center) and Jane Golden’s “Muir Woods” mural (Lincoln and Ocean Park). Local internationally celebrated artist Mary Kelly gives a public tour of her new works at the Desert X Biennial, returning us to the Cold War intervention of Women Strike for Peace, a group formed in 1961 to protest against nuclear weapons testing in the Mojave Desert. Kelly’s repurposed bus shelters employ slogans from the WSP, cartographies of military expansion in the California desert, and a Doomsday Clock. Artist Ron Finley, otherwise known as the Gangsta Gardener, shares how he uses gardening to empower communities and gives a sneak-peak into an upcoming exhibition he is organizing titled “Urban Weaponry; Weapons of Mass Creation” featuring shovels created by artists in different mediums from stained glass to paint. See every episode of “wave”, Santa Monica CityTV’s series about arts and culture, on the City of Santa Monica’s YouTube channel.

source https://www.santamonica.gov/blog/new-citytv-episode-of-wave-celebrates-art-and-activism from Santa Monica Day https://santamonicaday.blogspot.com/2019/04/new-citytv-episode-of-wave-celebrates.html