Here’s a nice profile of “community hero” Tom Shadden, founder of the Long Beach Aquatic Capital of America Foundation, in the December issue of Long Beach Magazine. We are keeping the group’s Facebook page current with local content and Foundation updates at http://www.facebook.com/aquaticapital.

Thanksgiving is a great time to consider ways that we can make a difference. I was invited to speak to my daughter’s Girl Scout Junior troop yesterday to help them earn one of their badges, one requirement of which is to interview leaders in the community. Because I expect these girls will become active in the community as they move on to middle and high school, I shared with them three tips for becoming engaged — Interests, Passions,...

I’ve been working with the Long Beach Aquatic Capital of America Foundation as a pro-bono project, helping promote their cause to raise funds to support “water proofing” the local youth (making kids water-safe around pools, etc.). This past week, the organization announced its third Aquatic Athlete of the Year winner at its first-ever awards dinner: winner release posted here on Pitch Engine. The dinner was hosted by the Long Beach law...

  Great commentary from Damien Newtown on Streetsblog Los Angeles » Confessions of a Sidewalk Rider and Commentary on L.B.’s “Walk It or Lock It”. The campaign itself is pretty impressive.  Instead of relying on free media and fancy television ads, Long Beach is reaching out to the media, local businesses, the LBPD and other cyclists to spread the word.  All the city has to pay for is the publicity, planning, and printing...

Our Bike Long Beach PR outreach campaign has been focusing on safety, and yesterday we announced a “Walk It or Lock It” intitiative — a name I helped coin — to remind bike riders to keep off the sidewalks in our districts. Some of the nice coverage includes: Long Beach Press Telegram: http://www.presstelegram.com/news/ci_18784977 - The city has launched a “Walk It Or Lock It” campaign to inform bicyclists...

I posted a quick “what I’ve been doing lately” update on the news page: http://www.rantonette.com/news/ The short version: Together with The Wolcott Company, R. Antonette Communications is implementing a road safety awareness initiative for Bike Long Beach (Long Beach, Calif.); and in partnership with Be In The News and The Wolcott Company, is piloting a tourism marketing initiative for the City of Claremont, Calif. I’ve...

LONG BEACH, Calif. (April 2011) – R. Antonette Communications has won shared public relations business from two Southern California municipalities. Together with The Wolcott Company, R. Antonette Communications is implementing a road safety awareness initiative for Bike Long Beach (Long Beach, Calif.); and in partnership with Be In The News and The Wolcott Company, is piloting a tourism marketing initiative for the City of Claremont,...

“Something has happened in Long Beach,” Charles Gandy told the Newport Beach Bicycle Safety Committee at its meeting Monday afternoon. “We’ve got energy and momentum. Long Beach is doing the most interesting thing of all — embracing the lifestyle.” via CORONA DEL MAR TODAY » Cycle Safety Committee Hears About Long Beach...

I’ve been working on the Bike Long Beach campaign the past few months. The city opened the first Bike Boulevard in Southern California along Vista Street last month, and construction is scheduled to begin today on separated bikeways in downtown. The announcement release (that I authored with the Bike Long Beach team) is pasted here: City of Long Beach, CA – News Details. Nice reporting by the Press-Telegram, LBPost.com, Gazettes and...

Action: Parks and Rec Commission votes to ban smoking in Long Beach parks – Press-Telegram My take: I think we did the right thing yesterday in pushing this issue forward. I know as a parent this is the right move to be making for our kids, and although I struggle with it from a “hey, what about my rights?” standpoint, it’s important that if Recreation = Health, then we should be taking these kinds of steps. It will be...