Timed in concert with Valentine’s Day when many reflect on those they’ve loved, the exhibition is the largest San Francisco showing of the Quilt since its original home on Market Street closed in 1999. Sections of the Quilt will be shown at five locations throughout the week: the primary exhibition will take place the former Tower Records store at 2278 Market Street; other locations include the Under One Roof gift shop at 518A Castro Street, Catch restaurant at 2362 Market Street (where the Quilt and Under One Roof were initially housed), Bank of America at 501 Castro Street and BODY clothing store at 450 Castro Street.

The 2278 Market Street exhibit will feature 35 12’ x 12’ ‘Blocks’, or completed quilts, each comprised of eight 6’ x 3’ memorial panels – each panel created especially for one individual stricken by the AIDS crisis. The additional Quilt exhibits will house one 12’ x 12’ Block each.

The main Market Street exhibit will be open to the public free of charge from 12:00 noon – 8:00pm from Sunday, February 12th through Monday, February 20th. At 12:00 noon on the 12th, a traditional unfolding ceremony will be held, during which a traditional ‘reading of the names’ of those memorialized will take place.

“While the AIDS and HIV community has made tremendous progress across the last three decades in fighting this devastating disease, our battle is far from over and there is still much work to be done,” said Beth Feingold, executive director of Under One Roof. “We wanted to do something big that would draw attention back to this critical issue, and combat what we’re seeing as a decreasing concern about getting infected. We’re so grateful to all involved for their hard work in getting this event off the ground, and hope the Quilt will remind the community of the thousands of friends and loved ones we’ve lost through the years. They are still, and will continue to be, dearly missed.”

AEF executive director and NAMES Project co-founder Mike Smith says, “In a war against a disease that has no cure, The AIDS Memorial Quilt has evolved as our most potent tool in the effort to educate against the lethal threat of AIDS. By revealing the humanity behind the statistics, The AIDS Memorial Quilt helps teach compassion, triumphs over taboo, stigma and phobia; and inspires individuals to take direct responsibility for their own well-being and that of their family, friends and community.”

“I’m looking forward to talking about my experiences in California politics with the students and faculty of USC. What we do here in California influences our nation and the world. When I was a student at MIT, I took advantage of these types of speaker programs because they added a real world perspective to what I was learning in the classroom,” said Senator Alex Padilla.

Alex Padilla, a graduate of MIT with a degree in Mechanical Engineering, was elected to the Los Angeles City Council in 1999 at the age of 26. Two years later his colleagues elected him council president. Padilla was not only the first Latino, but the youngest person ever elected city council president in Los Angeles. He was unanimously re-elected twice and served as council president of America’s second largest city for four and half years. Padilla was elected to the State Senate in November 2006 and successfully re-elected in November 2010. In the Senate he has won legislative approval for 69 bills, 54 of which have been signed into law.

The Latino Leaders Fireside Chat Series is sponsored by the Latina/o Student Assembly and El Centro Chicano. The series showcases and acknowledges Latino leaders in the community who continuously push for social change in America by inviting prominent Latino leaders to campus to discuss their paths to success, the meaning of Latino identity, and their thoughts on the future of Latinos in America. The series provides students and faculty an opportunity to listen first hand to the inspirational story of individuals who have risen to success in their field.

Who: Senator Alex Padilla, Chair, Senate Energy, Utilities and Communications Committee
What: Fireside Chat Series – Latino Leaders
When: Friday, January 27, from 12 noon to 2 p.m.
Where: University of Southern California (USC), Ronald Tutor Campus Center, Rosen Family Theatre, Room 227

For more information on the event please call Juan Espinoza at 213-740-7906.

Senator Alex Padilla represents more than 900,000 residents of the 20th State Senate District which includes most of the San Fernando Valley in Los Angeles.

The conference will be held tomorrow, December 15, 2011 at the California Academy of Sciences in Golden Gate Park in San Francisco. Due to space limitations, attendance is by invitation only. The entire conference will also be webcast live on Governor Brown’s website at www.gov.ca.gov and conference viewers can submit questions to conference speakers through this site.

Event registration will open at 8:30 a.m. and the conference will begin at 9:30 a.m. See below for additional media information, a full agenda with speech and panel times and parking information.

The Governor’s Conference on Extreme Climate Risks and California’s Future

Participants (partial list):
• California Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr.
• Former California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger
• Dr. Rajendra Pachauri, Chair of the United Nations’ Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change
• Sir Richard Branson, Founder of the Virgin Group
• Nancy Sutley, Chair, White House Council on Environmental Quality
Other participants include public safety, insurance industry, public health and climate change experts, emergency response officials, public utility experts and farmers.

Topics:
• California and the Global Climate Challenge
• Climate Change’s Human and Economic Impacts on California
• A National Perspective on Climate Action
• Climate Solutions to Protect California Communities and Help our Economy
• Perspectives on California’s Leadership on Climate Change

Media interested in attending the conference should RSVP to Richard.Stapler@resources.ca.gov or call 916-653-9402. All press attendees must have current, valid media credentials.

A full agenda can be found here. Additional information is available at www.gov.ca.gov/ecrcf.php.

PARKING: Free, four hour on-street parking is available around the California Academy of Sciences. In addition, garage parking is available onsite for a fee.

The Holiday Toy Express will roll into the Downtown Burbank station (201 N. Front Street) at 5:00 p.m., where it will be welcomed by elves, strolling entertainers and thousands of cheering families on the platform. There will be free arts and crafts for kids, hot chocolate, holiday cookies, the Wienerschnitzel Wiener Wagon and more.

Attendees are invited to bring new, unwrapped toys and sporting equipment for the ABC 7 Spark of Love Toy Drive in cooperation with the Burbank Fire Department. All toys collected go to Burbank kids in need.

Don’t forget to have your picture taken with Lil’ Squirt and the heroes of Burbank Fire Department Engine and Truck 11!

Ample free parking is available in two adjacent parking lots. Holiday Toy Express is part of 12 Days of Holiday Cheer and is presented by Downtown Burbank Partnership, the City of Burbank, Burbank Town Center and the Burbank Community YMCA.

For further information the public is asked to please call 818.238.5180 or visit www.downtown-burbank.org .

Downtown Burbank encompasses 34-blocks of retail, office, residential and entertainment destinations with 200 shops and 80 restaurants including Macy’s, IKEA, PF Chang’s, Urban Outfitters, AMC-16 and Burbank Town Center. The area is bounded by Verdugo Avenue, Glenoaks, Burbank Boulevard and the I-5 in Burbank, Calif., and contains more than 9,000 parking spaces. Dubbed “one of Southern California’s most appealing urban centers” by Sunset Magazine, the district is managed by Downtown Burbank Partnership, a California nonprofit mutual benefit corporation.

The tree will be decorated with 900 hand-crafted ornaments created by children and adults with developmental disabilities who receive services and support from the state’s development centers and 21 nonprofit regional centers. It will be illuminated by 10,000 ultra-low wattage LED lights.

The Governor will be joined by six-year-old Makayla Jones, of Visalia, who will assist him in lighting the Capitol Christmas tree.

Kitty O’Neal, of KFBK Radio, will emcee the ceremony, which will also feature performances by: California Army National Guard, 59th Army Band, The Brass Quintet, The Governor’s Own; Bel Tempo Ringers; Galena Street East; students from the Oakland Military Institute and Oakland School for the Arts; Woodland Opera House; St. Paul’s Baptist Church Choir and Kevin Wilson.

When: Wednesday, December 7, 2011 at 4:30 p.m.
Where: State Capitol, West Steps, Sacramento, California, 95814

**Note: This event is open to the public and credentialed media. Attendees are encouraged to donate non-perishable food items to benefit the California Emergency Foodlink. This event will be webcast on the Governor’s website: www.gov.ca.gov .

This year’s tree is a 40-foot tall white fir tree donated by the U.S. Forest Service’s Institute of Forest Genetics in Camino, El Dorado County. It will be placed on the west lawn of the Capitol.

The tree will be decorated with 900 hand-crafted ornaments created by children and adults with developmental disabilities who receive services and support from the state’s development centers and 21 nonprofit regional centers. It will be illuminated by 10,000 ultra-low wattage LED lights.

When: Wednesday, December 7, 2011 at 4:45 p.m.
Where: State Capitol, West Steps, Sacramento, California, 95814

**Note: This event is open to the public and credentialed media. Attendees are encouraged to donate non-perishable food items to benefit the California Emergency Foodlink.

This event will be webcast on the Governor’s website: www.gov.ca.gov.

The Governor’s conference will focus on the risks of unpredictable and extreme weather events caused by climate change and how our communities can prepare and adapt.

The Governor’s conference builds on the findings of a United Nations’ Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report outlining the link between global warming, extreme weather events and their economic impact. The IPPC report will be released later this month.

The Governor will be joined by Nobel Prize Winner Dr. Rajendra Pachauri and other leaders at the Conference, which will be held at the California Academy of Sciences in Golden Gate Park. More information will be made available as event details are finalized.

“Our City’s American Indian community is a living mosaic of tribal nations who come together as one to celebrate a vibrant and enduring heritage,” said Mayor Villaraigosa. “This month we honor the Native American Indian Commission which continues to serve and advocate for this community – a community whose sacrifices and contributions strengthen Los Angeles.”

The Los Angeles City/ County Native American Indian Commission was created on June 25, 1976 through a joint effort of members of the Los Angeles American Indian community to improve the delivery of federal, state, local resources and services to urban Indian communities. Los Angeles has the largest urban Indian population in the United States. Through the Commission, local American Indian residents have the opportunity to impact the decisions and programs that affect their lives.

This year’s Heritage Month sponsors included ABC7, Media Image PR, The Walt Disney Company, Time Warner Cable, Bank of America, SEIU and Southern California Edison.

American Indian Heritage Month launches a month-long calendar of cultural events, arts activities, and free music classes for elementary, middle, and high school students presented by the City of Los Angeles, The Walt Disney Company, Nielsen, Fox Audience Strategy, and the Department of Cultural Affairs (DCA) through its Music LA Program. The music classes celebrate, preserve, and promote various Southern California native music traditions. American Indian musical and cultural forms are explored and presented in their historical contexts, relying heavily on precious knowledge passed down generation after generation through oral tradition and inter-generational teaching.

A list of all activities and events is available at www.culturela.org. For more information, call (213) 922-9762, or follow the Heritage month Facebook page at www.facebook.com/HeritageLA.

DCA’s Music LA American Indian Heritage Month Free Classes
United American Indian Involvement, Inc.’s (UAII) Seven Generations Child and Family Counseling Services will work together with Southern California Indian Center, Inc. to offer the fifth annual Music LA American Indian Heritage Month Program for youth, focusing on the song and dance traditions of the pow wow. Activities that will be incorporated in UAII’s 8-week Music LA Program are Drumming, Singing, Dancing, Arena Traditions, and Regalia Design.

The Autry Griffith Park
4700 Western Heritage Way
Los Angeles, CA 90027-1462
Contact: Brighid Pulskamp
(213) 241.0979 ext. 7155
bpulskamp.uaii@gmail.com

United American Indian Involvement (UAII)
1125 West 6th Street, Suite 103
Los Angeles, CA 90017

Pukúu will offer 8 weeks of Music LA classes for youth ages 6 though 18 at the Rudy Ortega Sr. Park in San Fernando. This program will focus on the music, song, and dance of two Southern California Tribes, Quechan and Tataviam.

“This bill gives San Francisco the flexibility it needs to finance important waterfront improvements,” said Governor Brown. “The Port of San Francisco is a beautiful urban coastline, but its infrastructure needs a lot of work. By helping the city build capacity to play host to the world’s premier maritime event, this law is going to put wind in the sails of waterfront revitalization and bring tourism and jobs to San Francisco.”

In addition to providing financing for the America’s Cup “village” and spectator seating, plans for the new infrastructure financing district include construction of a cruise ship terminal at Pier 27. The terminal will host cruise ships that will supply additional lodging for attendees, and thereafter provide continuing infrastructural benefits to the Bay Area’s tourism industry.

“With some of the most beautiful coastline in the United States, and world class cities like San Francisco, California is the natural home to the America’s Cup, and our state will be proud to host this event,” said Speaker John A. Pérez. “I thank Assemblymember Tom Ammiano for his efforts in crafting this legislation, and Governor Brown for signing another bill into law that will help create more jobs in California.”

“The signing of AB 664 is a major milestone in our effort to bring the excitement of the 34th America’s Cup events to San Francisco, creating more than 8,000 jobs and over $1 billion in economic impact to the San Francisco Bay Area region,” said San Francisco Mayor Edwin M. Lee. “I would like to thank Governor Jerry Brown, Lieutenant Governor Gavin Newsom, Assemblymember Tom Ammiano, and the State Legislature for partnering with San Francisco to deliver this exciting world class sporting event to California. This will require the collective efforts of more than just one city, and we are thankful to our partners at both the state and federal levels for their important work in job creation and critical infrastructure investment in San Francisco and California.”

“The signing of this significant piece of legislation reaffirms California’s commitment to America’s Cup and provides an opportunity to maximize the potential $1.2 billion economic boost to the region,” said Lt. Governor Gavin Newsom. “Not only do we celebrate the economic benefits it will bring to the Bay Area and the State of California, but also the thousands of jobs it will create for Californians ready to work.”

The Infrastructure Financing Districts Act of 1990 allows local governments to divert property tax increment revenues from the Education Revenue Augmentation Fund to build roads and other infrastructure improvements in specified areas. However, the process of forming an infrastructure financing district is lengthy and cumbersome, requiring an extended bureaucratic review process and three separate votes of the people. Without AB 664 – authored by Assemblymember Tom Ammiano (D-San Francisco) – which streamlines this process by establishing the America’s Cup District through legislative action, the city would not be able to fund the needed improvements in time for the race.

Created in 1851, America’s Cup is the oldest international sporting trophy still in active existence. Last year, San Francisco’s own Golden Gate Yacht Club won America’s Cup in Valencia, Spain, and so will have the honor of hosting the upcoming race. This year, preparations began for a competition in San Francisco in September, 2013, in which the Royal Swedish Yacht Club will challenge the current title holders.

The Other Door is at 10437 Burbank Blvd. in North Hollywood.

“I’m looking to create a unique party each week with artists and bands of all genres,” states Metal, the event promoter and host on LA Talk Radio. “In addition to having industry audiences at these events, we will also be featuring some surprise celebrity guests,” notes Metal. “Everyone I know in the business is getting an invite to this show,” she adds.

Sheena Metal Productions will be inviting a virtual who’s who of Hollywood, including:
* A&R Representatives
* Booking Agents
* Club and Festival Promoters
* Entertainment Attorneys
* Film Casting Representatives, Directors and Producers
* Music Journalists and Columnists
* Artist Managers
* Music Licensing Representatives
* Music Magazine Editors and Writers
* Music Producers and Publishers
* Radio Hosts, Producers, Programmers, & Station Managers/Owners
* Television Casting Representatives, Directors and Producers.

Host of four programs on LA Talk Radio, Metal is also inviting all of her radio listeners. “A total of nearly 175,000 people will receive the e-mail to this night at The Other Door and I expect these shows to fill to capacity. Plus, the artist or band who brings the largest draw of the night will receive a radio interview on LA Talk Radio on my syndicated Music Highway show.”

About Sheena Metal:
Sheena Metal helmed five successful shows in her seven years on KLSX 97.1 FM Talk, then known as “the Howard Stern affiliate station.” She has been written up in the Los Angeles Times Sunday Calendar, LA Weekly, The Daily News, Music Connection and dozens of other periodicals. Metal has appeared as a comedic commentator on “National Inquirer TV,” and was the annual host of the All Access Music Awards. She hosts four shows at LA Talk Radio: the daily afternoon “The Sheena Metal Experience” and three weekly shows, “Haunted Playground,” “Music Highway,” and “Two Chicks Talkin’ Politics” with co-host Susan Olsen (from “The Brady Bunch”).

More information online: latalkradio.com/Sheena.php .

Media contact:
John Scott G
jsg@gmanmarketing.com
Phone: 818-223-8486.