Walkin', Walkin', Walkin'

“Nobody walks in LA” was a popular hit by Missing Persons a few years back. But we bet people will walk in Centennial.

A new survey by America Walks found that people walk more when they live in neighborhoods they perceive are walkable. Even infrequent walkers said they would be much more likely to walk if the environments around them were more attractive for walking.

We didn’t need this survey to tell us but it’s good to have confirmation that our planning for Centennial is spot on. First and foremost, we wanted Centennial to be a walkable community. That’s why we figured out how pedestrians would walk and mapped out these paths carefully – always with safety in mind. Our seven villages are anchored by village centers with shops, offices, restaurants and entertainment, all within easy walking distances from the homes in each village. Each home is within a half-mile of a park or village green, a deliberate choice intended to encourage walking or biking rather than driving. Added all together, we will have 150 miles of trails, paths, and walkways within Centennial.

For serious hikers, Centennial will offer miles of public trails throughout its 18,500 acres of open space. In addition, Tejon Ranch next door will preserve up to 240,000 acres, much of which will be open to the public for the first time.

Everyone will be walkin’, walkin’, walkin’ in Centennial.

Celebrating a Lost Friend

Have you ever met anyone who called the same place home for 60 years? If you knew Ruth Ralphs then, yes, you have. Ruth, who said she had never considered leaving, was easily one of the longest-time residents of Gorman, a tiny town in the northwest corner of Los Angeles County.

Back in the 1950s, about the time Ruth arrived in Gorman, Highway 99 ran right through the heart of town. Since there weren't many stopping points between L.A. and Bakersfield back then, Gorman bustled with activity. A cafe, run by the Ralphs family, had to keep a graveyard shift with six servers to keep up with the business, as passengers spilled from the Greyhound bus and weary motorists stopped to refresh themselves. The small town also boasted a gas station, repair garage, market, post office, hair salon and bar.

Ruth was a central figure in Gorman life. She served for years as a board member of the Gorman School District and the local water district. She ran a variety of businesses in the community and was often invited to participate in L.A. County functions at the personal request of Supervisor Michael Antonovich. An ardent USC football fan, Ruth also loved the arts and was especially honored to befriend Christo and participate in his renowned 1991 umbrella installation that dotted the rolling hills of Gorman and Tejon Ranch.

Ruth passed away in December, just shy of her 91^st birthday. We miss her clever wit, engaging stories and zest for life, and we remain grateful for her friendship and her involvement in Friends of Centennial. Ruth was a long-time supporter of Centennial who looked forward to the resources a planned community would bring to the region.

Ruth always relished the view from her home, where she said she could keep an eye on all of Gorman. Despite her passing, we have the feeling Ruth is continuing that vigil, just the way she likes it.

Growing a Community

Have you ever seen a community garden? Community gardens are popping up in neighborhoods around the country. Centennial is not alone in recognizing the value of community gardens to not only help residents grow healthier food but to educate their children about the importance of nutrition, and to build the feeling of “community” among neighbors.

According to the American Community Garden Association there are many benefits to Community Gardens:

· Improves the quality of life for people in the garden

· Provides a catalyst for neighborhood and community development

· Stimulates Social Interaction

· Encourages Self-Reliance

· Beautifies Neighborhoods

· Produces Nutritious Food

· Reduces Family Food Budgets

· Conserves Resources

· Creates opportunity for recreation, exercise, therapy, and education

· Reduces Crime

· Preserves Green Space

· Creates income opportunities and economic development

· Reduces city heat from streets and parking lots

· Provides opportunities for intergenerational and cross-cultural connections

Community gardens are just one element that will be built into Centennial. We look forward to growing a community that can enjoy open space for farmers’ markets, community events, celebrations and harvest festivals, as well as educational programs about the importance of sustainability and healthy living.

Meat Loaf Wins $20,000 For The Painted Turtle On Celebrity Apprentice. Watch This Sunday.

Watch The Painted Turtle get their donation this Sunday, March 20 9/8c on NBC

The Painted Turtle

Imagine a cabin village nestled in a scenic valley created specifically to bring the joys of a traditional summer camp to children aged 7-16, who never would have dreamed that they could be exposed to such a life-changing experience.

Recognizing the significant benefits “The Painted Turtle Camp” brings to these children and their families—who all attend the camp free of charge—Centennial Founders sponsored its first fundraiser for the organization in 2007.

Centennial has been a long time supporter of The Painted Turtle and we are excited to be a sponsor of an upcoming event in late July. Centennial previously sponsored “Hot August Nights” at Tournament Players Club in Valencia and “Denim & Diamonds Casino Royale” was held at the Chimbole Cultural Center in Palmdale. Together the events raised more than $200,000.

The Painted Turtle Camp, which is part of the international Hole in the Wall Camps family founded by Paul Newman, includes a state-of-the-art medical facility, a gym and game room, arts and crafts center, a heated pool with wheelchair access, equestrian center, riding trails, a ropes adventure course and more. To learn more about The Painted Turtle visit www.thepaintedturtle.org.

The Painted Turtle is also raising funds as an official charity of the LA Marathon and 5K! Run, walk, or wheel to help change the lives of our campers. For more information, please contact marathon@thepaintedturtle.org.

Safe and Sound

Life is unpredictable and accidents are bound to happen, which means emergency services are a vital part of every community. At Centennial, the well being of our residents and neighbors’ is a top priority. We are allocating significant dollars and resources to improve response time and to ensure high quality emergency services.

We’ve met with a number of residents in the Mountain Communities and the West Antelope Valley and they’ve told us that they are dissatisfied with the lack of essential services and inadequate response times in their communities. We are determined to ease their concerns by incorporating emergency services at the on-set of Centennial, before the first resident moves in.

So whether you have a life-threatening situation or your cat is stuck in a tree, you can be sure an emergency response team will be there for you in a timely manner.

LA County Follows Centennial's Lead Banning Light Pollution

According to the LA Times today, LA County is going to restrict light pollution in rural areas so residents can see the skies at night. http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-light-pollution-20110104,0,7286068.story

Centennial has already banned light pollution with our "dark skies" program. http://centennialscout.blogspot.com/2010/09/starry-nights.html