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Number 6 Volume 16 June 1988

Riders'Choice

YouthWin

TransitAwards

MechanicCycles

Coast toCoast

CleanTeamVideoWins

Honors

Division 5Community

Day

Metro Rail Construction Manager, Sam Louie,shows a rendering of the subway rail cars thatare to be built for the Los Angeles Metro Rail.

Aerial view of the construction site at 5th andHill Streets.

Contract for FirstRail Cars Awardedby Greg Davy, News Bureau Representative

Metro RailProgress Report

The company that builtsubway rail cars forsystems in Washington,D.C., and Cleveland wasawarded a $54 millioncontract April 28 by theRTD Board of Directorsfor 30 new rail cars.

Breda CostruzioniFerroviarie of Pistoia,Italy, will manufacturethe stainless steel MetroRail passenger cars foruse on the first 4.4 miles(MOS-1).

"Breda has a distin-guished record with othertransit agencies, so we'refortunate to have themworking for us," saidRTD Board President,Jan Hall. "The cars theybuild will look similar toone we showed the publicat our groundbreakingceremony in 1986."

The rail cars will bebuilt to the followingRTD specifications:

• Length: 75 feet• Height: 12 feet, 1 inch• Width: 10 feet, 2 inches• Passenger area height:6 feet, 8 inches 7 feet, 2.5inches

Side door openings:• Height-6 feet, 3 inches• Width-50 inches

Passenger capacityper car: 169 (59 seated,109 standing) and onesecured wheelchairspace.

3113n111M

The cars... will

look similar to the

one we showed

to the public...

The contract alsoincludes an option for themanufacture of up to 42additional cars.

At a press conferenceheld April 29 at the CMF,representatives from theMetro Rail Projectannounced that as of theend of March the projecthad 13 active construc-tion projects operativewith 450 personneldeployed. To date theproject has obligated theRTD by $668 million incontracts and expended$404 million.

"a high-rise office

building laying

on its side..."

Metro Rail Director ofProgram Control, JeffChristiansen, along withDirector of ConstructionManagement Sam Louieand others made the

report in what they saidwill be the first of a seriesof periodic press briefingsto keep the public ap-prised of constructionprogress.

The start date forrevenue service remainsat January 4, 1993.Those construction sitesthat are placed on thecritical path (the se-quence of events whichtakes the longest amountof time to complete)include the tunnel fromUnion Station to 5th andHill Station and theconstruction of the CivicCenter Station andUnion Station shells. Thestation shells are con-structed underground.Christensen describedthem as " a high-riseoffice building laying onits side."

The water treatmentplant that has beenconstructed to neutralize

continued on page 3...

JUNE 1988 HEADWAY 2

The waten treatment plant for Union Stationgroundwater.

Under the street decking on Hill Street at theCivic Center Station excavation site.

...continued from page 2

the sulfurous groundwa-ter discovered there isscheduled to beginoperation on July 1.

The benefitassessment concept

was devised ...toraise 10 percent of

the construction cost...

MiszngoTo date $18 million

has been raised fromBenefit Assessmentsources. The benefit

assessment concept wasdevised as a method toraise 10 percent of theconstruction costs or$130 million locally. Thisis done by assessing allproperty owners (exceptresidential, certaincategories of non-profitorganizations, and publicentities) a cost based ontheir total per squarefootage. The assessmentis borne by those whobenefit directly by theirproximity to the MetroRail stations. Collectionof the assessments wasdeferred by the RTDBoard until 1993 whehrevenue service begins.

A view inside the Wilshire/Alvarado tunnelwhich is now a little over a mile long.

Through issuing bondsthe RTD should make itscommitment of $130million by the end date ofyear 2008.

Metro Rail Director of Program Control JeffChristiansen addresses reporters at the April 29press briefing.

inInma

To date $18 million

has been raised...

JUNE 1988 HEADWAY 3

The public confer Riders' Choice awards on 12Operators. Front row, from left to right: Division8 Operator Joseph McKenna, Division 18Operator William Lindsey, Division 3 OperatorRaymond Hawkins, Grand Prize Winner SharronThompson, Division 12 Operator Elton Hoffman,Division 9 Operator Robert Trejo, RTD BoardVice-President Carmen Estrada, and GeneralManager Alan Pegg. Second row, from left toright: Transportation Superintendent Ed Vande-venter, Kodak representative Don Tobias, Divi-sion 5 Operator Charles Graves, Division 6Operator Rick Cadelli, Division 15 OperatorJerry Babbitt, Division 16 Operator John Kemp,and Division 7 Operator Mallory Coleman.

Thompson Voted Riders'ChoiceSharron Thompson, anine-year veteran busoperator, was selected asthe grand prize winnerfor the second quarter ofthe District's Riders'Choice program in which234 drivers receivedvotes.

TransportationSuperintendent EdVandeventer announcedthe names of a dozenwinners from the twelveoperating divisions at theApril 28 RTD Board ofDirectors' Meeting.

The Riders'Choiceprogram is designed toinvolve bus riders in an

effort to recognize theirfavorite RTD bus opera-tors.

Thompson, a Covinaresident assigned toDivision 10, received the

"It's important to

honor our bus

operators... before

the real boss,

our riders..."

highest number of votesand qualified for thegrand prize, fourDisneyland passes goodfor a year. She is married

Division 10 Operator Sharron Thompson takesthe grand prize from the Riders' Choice program.From left to right: RTD Board Vice-PresidentCarmen Estrada, Thompson, and General Man-ager Alan Pegg.

and has two children."It's important to

honor our bus operatorsfor their performancebefore the real boss, ourriders," said GeneralManager Alan Pegg.

Nearly 1,300 ballotswere cast for 234 opera-tors. Ballots were placedaboard buses and in RTDCustomer ServicesCenters.

Each of the 12winners received a Kodak35 mm camera. Theirnames were engraved onplaques to be on perma-nent display at Divisionoffices. Operator RickCadelli, the grand prizewinner in January, wasthe winner for Division 6in Venice.

The other ten win-ners were Flora FieldsScott, Division 1; Ray-mond Hawkins, Division3; Charles Graves,Division 5; Mallory E.

Coleman, Division 7;Joseph McKenna, Divi-sion 8; Robert Trejo,Division 9; EltonHoffman, Division 12;Jerry Babbitt, Division15; John Kemp, Division16; and William Lindsey,a repeat winner fromDivision 18.

At the end of eachquarter, an outside panelof judges is convened tomake a final determina-

Nearly 1,300

ballots

were cast

tion of winners based onvotes received by opera-tors in good standing andcomments written onballots. Disneyland andKodak donated the prizesand were honored at theceremony for their par-ticipation and support.

.TUNE 1988 HEADWAY 4

Bailey Named Operator of the Month

Division 12 OperatorJack Bailey was selectedthe Operator of theMonth for March. Baileyreceived a certificate ofmerit from the RTDBoard of Directors attheir biweekly meetingheld April 28.

Bailey has been anoperator with the Districtfor more than 28 years.He has received the

Operator of theMonth—Division 12Operator Jack Bailey.

maximum amount ofmerits awarded to anOperator with an out-standing performanceand safety record, as wellas numerous letters ofcommendation from hisdivision manager and thepublic.

"Jack Bailey is amodel employee," saidGeneral Manager AlanPegg. "He sets a standard

of excellence for all ouroperators to follow."

Bailey drives Line456 which operatesbetween Long Beach anddowntown Los Angelesvia the Long BeachFreeway. He makes hishome in Lakewood andhis hobbies includecoaching Pop WarnerLittle League teams andmotorcycle riding.

ESP Ideas Net Jackpot About the Cover

Three employees receivedimpressive monetaryawards for outstandingsuggestions at the April14 Board of Directors'Meeting.

The employeessubmitted cost-savingideas to the EmployeeSuggestion Program andwere rewarded with cashincentive bonuses.

Digital SystemsTechnician Robert Doddfrom the Facilities Main-tenance Department sug-gested that the Districtrepair their ownDECmate computers andword processors anddiscontinue expensivemaintenance contractswith outside vendors.Dodd maintained thatthe equipment has a highdegree of reliability andrequires few service callsafter the warranty hasexpired. With this con-cept of self-maintenance,computer users in theDistrict do receivequicker service, thus

experience less downtimewith their computers.Formerly, an in-housetechnician was called todiagnose the problembefore an outside vendorwas called. Dodd provedthat the District's techni-cians are capable of re-solving the problem onthe spot in most cases.The seif-maintenanceprocedure will save theDistrict $11,072 in thefirst year and an esti-mated $19,219 for everyyear thereafter. Doddreceived $1,000 for hissuggestion.

CMF Mechanic ALeader Son Joon Yinoticed that an unexpect-edly high number ofradiator brackets werebroken which left noupper support for theradiators. This permittedtoo much vibration andcaused radiator failures.He designed a bracketwith rubber cushions


The third-grade dass ofthe Holy Family Schoolin South Pasadena wasinvited for a completetour of Division 10 andthe CMF on April 21.

One of the third-graders, Shawn Chavira,had asked his father,Superintendent ofMaintenance, TonyChavira, to act as theirtour guide. The children

were given a guided tourof the division including avisit to the fuel islandand a run through thebus wash and then werebrought to the CMF onan RTD bus. "They werereally amazed by therobotics at the CMF,"said Chavira, "but theywere simply fascinatedby the burnt buses on thelot."

Superintendent of Maintenance, Tony Chavira,answers questions of the third-graders from theHoly Family Catholic School on a field trip to theCMF and Division 10.

JUNE 1988 H E AD W AY 5

Three employees earn monetary awards from theEmployee Suggestion Program for their cost-saving ideas. Front row, from left to right: Digi-tal Systems Technician Robert Dodd, PropertyMaintainer A Leader Eugene Phillips, MechanicA Leader Son Joon Yi, Equipment MaintenanceSupervisor Carlos Fernandez, and Employee Sug-gestion Program Administrator Hope Powell.Back row, from left to right: General ManagerAlan Pegg, Facilities Maintenance SupervisorJohn Manning, Assistant Director of PersonnelAlvin Rice, and Equipment Maintenance Instruc-tor Chuck King.

...Jackpot...continued from page 5

made of parts that are allstock items. The newbracket is attached to theengine rather than to thebody of the coach tominimize radiatorvibrations. It is estimatedthat this idea will savethe District over $39,500a year. This new proce-dure which was officiallyimplemented at the endof last year saves theDistrict from many costlyrepairs of radiators. Yireceived $1,000 for hiscost-saving idea.

Property MaintainerA Leader Eugene Phillipsfrom Vernon Yards andits resident inventor, re-ceived $625 for his idea

to re-design the bus-washer pumps at thedivisions. Phillips sug-gested that the pumps berefabricated to include atorque plate and J Boltsto protect the casingsfrom cracking. In recentyears, the pump casessplit and six pumpsrequired replacement ina single year. Pumps costthe District $1,000 each.Phillips solved theproblem with only $1,250in parts and labor. Hissuggestion saves theDistrict $6,250.

Assistant Director ofPersonnel Alvin Ricepresented each employeewith a certificate and acheck before introducingthem to the Board.

Marketing NewsWhen Tara Windsorreceived her order at theEl Pollo Loco in Holly-wood, she got a lot morethan tortillas and salsawith her chicken. Shealso received two freeRTD bus tokens, theresult of an RTD Market-ing Department programdesigned to increaseridership and bring newusers to the system bydistributing one millionfree ride tokens over aperiod of 6 months. InNovember of 1987, theMarketing Departmentwas given the mission ofplanning a ridershipbuilding program due toa decrease in weekdayboardings and a corre-sponding decline infarebox revenues. Toinitiate the program,Director of MarketingAnthony Fortuno con-tacted Pete Sodini,president and chiefexecutive officer of BoysMarkets. Boys Marketshave been selling RTDbus passes since 1977.

The supermarket chainagreed to collaborate on apromotion with RTDfrom January 21 throughJanuary 25. Plans weremade to provide a widerange of marketing,advertising, and commu-nity relations materialsand programs to support

"...The distribution

of tokens helped

to increase sales

in our targeted

restaurants..."

the Ridership Campaign.Promotions Manager,Alice Tolbert Wiggins,worked with ProductionCoordinator, SharonSherman Littman, tocreate posters, counter


El Pollo Loco customer, Tara Windsor, gets herchicken with extras, two RTD tokens.

JUNE 1988 HEADWAY 6

LOCALOVERNMENT

V-tOMMUNITYAFFAIRS

Youth, Community HeroesSaluted at Youth in TransitAwards Reception

Over 700 entries were received by the Local Gov-ernment & Community Affairs Department fromyouth all over the county.

Senior High winners in the Poster tontest werefrom left to right: Pablo Crespo from NorthHollywood High School, Sidney Hall II fromInglewood High School, and Baltazar Montesfrom Belmont High School. They appear withLocal Government & Community Affairs DirectorLou Collier.

Students walked awayricher in pocket andenriched in purpose May1, when they capturedhonors at the SeventhAnnual Youth in Transit(YIT) Awards Reception.The District recognizedwinners of the OperationTeamwork Poster, Essay& Poetry Contest andrecipients of the YITMerit Awards and theThomas G. NeusomMemorial Awards at agala fete at the Univer-sity Hilton Hotel.

Contest winnerswrote essays, poems,"raps" and paintedposters to address thetheme, "We Like Clean."They were challenged toshow ways that allsegments of the commu-nity can work together tokeep the bus systemclean. More than 700entries were receivedfrom local junior andsenior high schools andfrom the children ofDistrict employees. Thecompetition was tough,as there were severalentries with high scoresfor content and artisticexpression. The lucky 14winners arrived at the

reception, not knowinghow they placed in therankings. Tension rose asthe award presentationswere announced byGeneral Manager Alan F.Pegg.

First-, second-, andthird-place poster win-ners in the junior highdivision were: JohnMorga (Sepulveda JuniorHigh), Norma Lomeli(Carver), and KatherineKim (Berendo). SeniorHigh winners were:Sidney Hall II (Ingle-wood), Pablo Crespo(North Hollywood), andBaltazar Montes(Belmont). Junior highessay winners were: AnaJudith Guzman (SunValley), Chadrick Findley(Drew), and Binh TueTrinh (Berendo). Seniorhigh winners were:Maisha Mitchell (Westch-ester), David Williamson(Fairfax), and EstherNeill (North Hollywood).

The two poetrywinners were: KeithYoung (Drew JuniorHigh), and Tonya Kent(Crenshaw High).

Poster and essaywinners received trophiesfrom the District and

certificates of depositfrom Family Savings &Loan Association in thefollowing denominations:$500 (first place), $250(second), $125 (third).Poetry winners received$250 savings accounts. Inaddition, top winnersreceived certificates ofcommendation fromMayor Tom Bradley.

RTD Board Director

Marvin Holen presentedthe Thomas G. NeusomMemorial Awards tothree individuals whomade outstanding contri-butions toward a bettertransit system andcommunity.

This year's recipientswere:

* Sgt. Robert Jacksonof the LAPD Gang

continued an page 8...

JUNE 1988 HEAb W A Y 7

Senior High Essay winners included, from left toright: David Williamson from Fairfax HighSchool, Maisha Mitchell from Westehester HighSchool, Lou Collier, and Esther Neill from NorthHollywood High School.

Junior High winners in the Poster contest werefrom left to right: Norma Lomeli of Carver Jun-ior High School, John Morga from SepulvedaJunior High School, and Katherine Kim fromBerendo Junior High School with Lou Collier.

Local Government and Communit A airs


Activity Unit for "Crimi-nal Justice Administra-tion." He also served askeynote speaker for thereception.

* Kenneth Wheeler ofCommunity Youth GangServices for "CommunityLeadership." Newsweekmagazine named him anAmerican hero last year.

* Joseph Krakoff of

Marshall High School for"Youth/Student Leader-ship." Krakoff organizedthe successful "Wipe OutWeekend," an anti-graffiti campaignoperated through the LosAngeles Unified SchoolDistrict. In addition tothese honors, several"friends" of the Districtwere honored for theirsupport of the RTDCLEAN TEAM antivan-

dalism campaign. Theywere presented MeritAwards by the campaigncoordinator, ClarenceBrown.

Recipients includedEdward Smith of FamilySavings & Loan, WilliamChesen and RonaldPagano of Chesen VideoConcepts, Travis Kiel ofCrenshaw High School,songwriter Doug Cotler,CLEAN TEAM spokes-men Aaron Lohr and EdTurley, Jazzy Dee,

Herman Hodge of Fre-mont High School, PaulaCarmouche of NimitzJunior High, artistFernando Ramirez, andDistrict employees LupeValdez, Jon Newland,Genetha Eddins, andCynthia Edwards. DonTaylor and Lillye Jacksonof Lillian Street Elemen-tary School were alsorecognized for their workin the Adopt-a-Schoolprogram, in which RTDparticipates.


Junior High Essay winners included, from left toright: Chadrick Findley from Drew Junior HighSchool, Ana Judith Guzman from Sun ValleyJunior High School, and Binh Tue Trinh fromBerendo Junior High School with Lou Collier.

JUNE 1988 HEADWAY 8

The poetry contest winners were Keith Youngfrom Drew Junior High School and Tonya Kentfrom Crenshaw High School with Lou Collier.


LAPD Sgt. Robert Jackson of the Gang ActivityUnit was presented the Thomas G. NeusomMemorial Award for Criminal Justice Admini-stration. Along with Sgt. Jackson appear pre-senters (from left to right): Transit Police Asst.Chief Jerald Morin, Sgt. Jackson, RTD BoardDirector Marvin Holen, and Brenda Atkins,former law partner of Thomas G. Neusom.

community property.In accepting the

resolution from the Cityof Los Angeles, GeneralManager Alan Peggnoted, "Through ourCLEAN TEAM publicawareness campaign and


Kenneth Wheeler of Community Youth GangServices was given the Thomas G. Neusom Awardfor Community Leadership. Wheeler was pre-sented his award by, from left to right, RTDDirector Marvin Holen, Wheeler, Steve Valdivia,Executive Director of Community Youth GangServices, Brenda Atkins, and Genetha Eddins.

The youth ensemble Hollywood Hotshots.

Joseph Krakoff of Marshall High School receivedthe Thomas G. Neusom Award for Youth/StudentLeadership. He was presented his award by, fromleft to right, RTD Board Director Marvin Holen,Krakoff, Brenda Atkins, and Jane Bouffard.

Entertainment at the Youth in Transit AwardsReception was provided by actor Aaron Lohr andthe Hollywood Hotshots. Here Aaron Lohr pres-ents his dance routine with Ingrid Dupree.

...continued from page 9A representative for

Mayor Bradley made aspecial presentation tothe District, honoring itfor its leadership in thecountywide movement tostem the tide of vandal-ism on transit and

JUNE 1988 HEADWAY


CLEAN TEAM Video Wins Film Festival Honors

It's not an Oscar, but it isone of the most distin-guished honors in thefilm industry. Such honorwas accorded the Districton April 30, when the"We Like Clean" rockvideo was cited for one of10 Juror Awards given bythe Houston Interna-tional Film Festival.

Earlier the Districtwas notified that the 4-minute antivandalismvideo had won either thegold, silver, or bronzeaward for best production

William Chesen, Pro-ducer of the RTD's "WeLike Clean" rock video,shows the prestigiousJuror Award the filmwas given at the Hous-ton International FilmFestival.

...Awards Reception


our aggressive busmaintenance program,we have taken asignificant first step ineffectively addressingthis pervasive socialproblem of vandalism.We relish the challenge,and are indeed proud tobe in the forefront of sucha dynamic movementthat will improve the

in the Public Servicecategory. Much toeveryone's surprise, theRTD musical, video entrywas chosen as one of thetop 10 entries from aworldwide field of 2,500festival entries.

William Chesen,whose Chesen VideoConcepts produced "WeLike Clean," accepted thehonor for the District at abanquet in Houston. "Atfirst I was livid," herecalls. "We were assuredone of the top threeplaces in the PublicService category, and ourname was not called atall. Then they moved onto their most prestigioushonors, the JurorAwards. As they calledout the first threeawards, we were stilltrying to sort out theconfusion over the PublicService category."

"The third awardwinner had a lot to smileabout; he had just pickedup an Academy Awardlast month," Chesencontinued. "The fourthname called was We LikeClean.' We could hardly

quality of life for allcitizens."

The YIT Awards re-ception is coordinatedeach year by the LocalGovernment & Commu-nity Affairs Department.This year's event wasunderwritten by FamilySavings & Loan Associa-tion, which representsthe first corporate spon-sorship of the event.

believe our ears. It wastoo good to be true. Wedidn't believe it. Just toplace in this interna-tional competition was anhonor, and to place in thePublic Service categorywould have also been agreat accomplishment.But to be honored in thehighest category forproduction excellence is adream come true. We'reproud of everyone forthis, and we gladly sharethe honors with theDistrict."

Chesen shared thegood news the next dayat the Youth in TransitAwards Reception. Manyof the local students whoappear in the video werepresent and saw the pro-duction for the first time.They felt proud to be partof the award-winningproduction team andcast.

The RTD CLEAN TEAMis taking its show on theroad to a campus nearyou!

On April 8, the LocalGovernment & Commu-nity Affairs (LGCA)Department presented itsCLEAN TEAM Dayprogram at CrenshawHigh School, bringingalong a cast of businessleaders, gang specialistsand elected officials, toencourage students totake pride in their transitsystem and other commu-nity property.

Like other communi-ties ranging from Comp-

"It just goes to showwhat can be donethrough a spirit ofteamwork," commentedDirector of Local Govern-ment & CommunityAffairs Lou Collier. "Thevideo production was acollaborative effortinvolving the community,the District, and `friends'in the industry, includingChesen Video (whoproduced Like Clean'at cost), and AcademyAward- winning song-writer, Doug Cotler."

The Houston Interna-tional Film Festival isone of the world's largestfilm competitions. Thefestival's 10 JurorAwards are given forproduction excellence andquality content. Eachaward is equal in rankingand value.

ton to upscale Westwood,Crenshaw is plagued bygraffiti and gang warfare.

The auditorium waspacked with excited stu-dents, who were well fa-miliar with the prob-lem—graffiti—but lessaware of its social andeconomic impacts. ButState Senator DianeWatson' "spray painted" acolorful picture in termsthey could relate to. In afirm and (at moments)passionate manner, shesummed: "Graffiti ischildish. Only 2 year oldswrite on walls. You kids


On the Road with the CLEAN TEAM

JUNE 1988 HEADWAY 10


...continued from. page 10

are old enough to beresponsible for your ownactions and to takeresponsibility for yourcommunity."

"Buses are part ofyour community. Many ofyou depend on them toget you to school. So whydestroy them? Onlynincompoops do that."

"Graffiti scarespeople. It makes peoplethink that gangs arearound. This feelingchases businesses awayfrom our community. Sothat means our commu-nity won't have theconveniences of shoppingand recreation as othershave. You need to thinkabout that the next timeyou're tempted to spray awall or a bus."

Watson related thatthe state legislature was"getting tough" and is inthe process of developinglegislation that willseverely crack down onvandals as well as gangs.To thunderous applauseand hooting, the senatorsaid, "These thugs thinkthey're tough. Just waittill they see us strikeback. It's a shame thatyou can't go to your closetanymore and pick outany colored clothes andfeel safe walking downthe street. Believe me, achange is on the horizon.We're getting tough!"

Supporting thesenator's remarks wereappeals to renewedcommitment and aca-demic excellence byEdward Smith of FamilySavings & Loan Associa-tion, Warren Valdrey ofYoung Black Scholars,

Crenshaw administratorsJewell Boutee and TravisKiel, and Ed Turley ofCommunity Youth GangServices.

The hour-long assem-bly was sprinkled withsuperb entertainment. Toset the tone, Jazzy Deeperformed a slick CLEANTEAM "rap." Featured inthe April issue of Head-way, Jazzy cleans graffitioff' RTD buses by day,and does gigs at night.Students chanted androcked to his catchyrhymes that urged peopleto "keep our buses andthe Metro Rail clean!"

The tempo picke'd upeven more when actorAaron Lohr (of."Bustin'Loose" fame) moonwalked and gyratedacross the stage in aCLEAN TEAM routinewith two members of theCrenshaw Dance Troupe.

And, of course, thehighlight of the enter-tainment was the pre-miere of the "We LikeClean" music video.Students watched in-tently as the video actorszapped vandals intoCLEAN TEAM-mates.

After the assembly,several students thankedthe RTD staff and saidthe video helped them seehow even "innocent"habits—such as stickinggum under bus seats, andleaving the newspaper onthe bus—are actuallyacts of vandalism. "Wealways thought vandal-ism was ripping seats orwriting on the windows,"one confided. At lunchtime, the students visitedthe CLEAN TEAMexhibit near the cafete-ria, and got to talk to

LGCA staff and actorLohr about the CLEANTEAM. Many of themread the special issue ofRide On!, which describesthe RTD anti-vandalismcampaign and featureslocal students cleaningbuses and the commu-nity.

They later posed forphotos with Jazzy Deeand Aaron Lohr in frontof two RTD buses—one

...Marketing


cards, token envelopes,and exterior ads andinterior car cards toannounce the free ridesin the participatingbusinesses and on theRTD buses. Almost250,000 tokens weredistributed. Tokens weredisbursed at the 36 Boyslocations, with 59 percentreturned through thefareboxes. Mr. Sodinicalled this the highestredemption rate BoysMarkets have everachieved in any promo-tion they have conducted.Advertising ManagerConnie Ward coordinatedradio advertising on 9English and Spanishradio stations to supple-ment the promotionalmaterials. The 60-secondcommercials stress thetost benefits of riding theRTD and provide infor-mation on locationswhere free ride tokensare available. A newRider's Kit is available topotential riders wantingmore information on theRTD, and the radio spotsgive a telephone numberto use in requesting the

vandalized, and the otherclean, of course.

LGCA drove off andbegan preparing for itsnext two appearances:Lincoln High School inEast Los Angeles andGage Junior High inHuntington Park. Thepresentations will con-tinue through June andduring the summer attargeted year-roundschools.

kits. Beginning April 11,a newspaper insert with"punch-out" cardboardtokens went into 15newspapers, includingthe Downtown News(Home Edition), LaOpinion, El Diario, theSentinel, plus 11 South-ern California PublishingCompany newspapers.Additional radio advertis-ing invited the public tolook for the inserts andredeem them for thesample ride. At the sametime talks were proceed-ing with Boys Markets,arrangements were beingfinalized with El PolloLoco. Marketing andCommunications Repre-sentative Ed Langer hasworked with the fran-chise frequently for thepast year and a half oncoupon promotions, andthe effectiveness of theseprograms resulted in aswift decision to partici-pate by El Pollo Loco.Distribution throughtheir 34 outlets continuedfrom March 14 to March27. Aggressive actioninitiated by News BureauManager Jim Smart toget information out to the



...Marketing


media is a major elementin the campaign's suc-cess. Articles publishedin the Los Angeles Timesbolstered public aware-ness of the program.Contacts have been madewith more than 150media outlets throughoutthe RTD's service area.In addition, SeniorCommunications Repre-sentative John Hydescheduled major mediaevents in conjunctionwith the Boys Marketsand El Pollo Loco promo-tions. At press time,plans are under way tofeature a Hollywoodcelebrity as master ofceremonies and spokes-person for a MetropolitanTheatre program kick-offdesigned for maximummedia exposure. TheMarketing Departmentwas able to launch thecampaign so quickly be-cause it has consistentlymaintained firmlyestablished relationswith a large number ofprivate sector firms. Thisskill at working withprivate corporations hasallowed the RTD toaccomplish results otherpublic transportationagencies have beenunable to match. Reve-nue generation is anespecially significant out-come of the MarketingDepartment's long-termcommitment to cultivat-ing effective workingrelationships with theprivate sector. In thecurrent fiscal year, theRTD Marketing Depart-ment has earned $76,204from these efforts.Private sector sponsor-

ship and prize donationsaccount for an additional$40,000. A team ap-proach on the part of allunits within the Market-ing Department, Promo-tions, Advertising, andNews Bureau, has madethe RTD one of the mostinnovative agencies inthe nation. The RidershipProgram was selected tobe included in 101 IdeasThat Work, the culmina-tion of an annual searchconducted by the Ameri-can Public Transit Asso-ciation to identify crea-tive and effective transitconcepts. A well-honednegotiation style andaccess to high-level man-agement within privatecompanies are keyelements in the success ofthe MarketingDepartment's efforts.Another key to privatesector participation isprograms which benefitthe company, as well asthe RTD. CommentsLaura Barry, El PolloLoco marketing adminis-trator, "El Pollo Loco isvery pleased with theresults of the RTDpromotion. The distribu-tion of tokens helped toincrease sales in ourtargeted restaurantswhile offering significantexposure to RTD'sridership program." Thenext phase of the tokendistribution will useMetropolitan Theatres.The chain has 20 moviehouses throughout theLos Angeles area. LeticiaCoria, Marketing Depart-ment Special Assistant,made an initial contactwith Metropolitan andconvinced them of theprogram's potentialbenefit to them. Market-

ing Department DirectorTony Fortuno reached anagreement with SalFasulo, vice-president/general manager, in lateApril. Coupons wereavailable to theatrepatrons May 23 throughJune 5. Based on tokenredemptions, fareboxrevenues and ridershiplevels on lines andsystemwide, the programappears to be increasingservice usage. Marketingand Communications

Just by picking up aSenior Pass Book Savingsbooklet, thousands ofolder RTD bus patronscan benefit from dis-counts on valuable goodsand services.

More than 40 mer-chants are participating,listing their businessesand discounts in thebooklet that the RTDbegan distributing earlierthis year aboard Districtbuses and throughCustomer Service Cen-ters.

Savings range from$75 off a visit to thedentist to 15 percent offdinner at an impressiveselection of restaurants.Senior Pass Book Savingsbooklets were distributedin April and all discountsare good through July 31.

"Now, simply ridingthe bus offers greatervalue than ever," saidRTD Board President

Representative ScottSmith supervised thepreparation and admini-stration of a marketingresearch questionnairealready used at selectedEl Pollo Loco locations.The survey, also to beconducted at the Metro-politan Theatres, isexamining first-timeridership encouraged bythe free tokens andopinions of the RTDformed by these newriders.

Jan Hall. "Seniors, whoenjoy substantial farediscounts, can takeadvantage of attractivesavings from the bookletand stretch their dollarseven further."

Discounts varyamong participatingmerchants, which includehealth care facilities,restaurants, motels,markets, and the theater.

The discount savingspass book enhances thesavings the seniorsalready enjoy as RTD busriders. The bus fare forsenior citizens is 40cents, more than 50percent off the regular85-cent fare. Seniormonthly bus passesrange from $4 to $7,depending on thepurchaser's city ofresidency, less than one-fourth the price of theregular pass, priced at$32.

RTD Offers SeniorsDiscounts

by John Hyde, News Bureau Representative


The Transfiguration Gospel Choir lift up theirvoices to inspire the visitors to Division 5.

Transportation Division Manager A. J. Taylorpresents the manager's award to Robert Wilson,who was also the division's winner of the Riders'Choice for the third quarter.

Division 5 Opens Its Doors to the CommunityThe general public wasinvited to attend theCommunity Day held atDivision 5 in SouthCentral Los Angeles onApril 16.

The event, beginningat 10 a.m. until 4 p.m.,encouraged neighborsand members of thepublic to visit and becomeacquainted with District

employees, their work,and the facility itself.This was the third in aseries of such eventsbeing planned for all 12divisions by the Commu-nications and MarketingDepartment.

Entertainment forthe event was providedby the talented residentsof the South Centralcommunity. They in-cluded, the Locke HighSchool Jazz Band, theTransfiguration GospelChoir fromTransfiguration CatholicChurch and the NewGeneration Choir from

St. Brigid's CatholicChurch. Between the liveentertainment, radiostation KACE broadcastmusic from the division.

Informationalhandouts, exhibits,refreshments, tours ofthe facility, and souve-nirs were provided to theguests.

"This is our way of

Steve Hearn IV hashis heart set onoperating an RTDMaintenance towtruck when he growsup.

getting the public tobecome better acquaintedwith the people whoprovide public transit inLos Angeles," saidGeneral Manager AlanPegg.

Attractions includedold buses provided by theWest Coast Motor CoachMuseum, new buses, a"Clean Team" (anti-graffiti campaign) exhibitand video, Transit Policeofficers with an equippedpolice car to explain

crime deterrence pro-grams, a Metro Railexhibit, and a demonstra-tion of the computerizedmaintenance system(VMS) showing how theDistrict's high-techcomputer networkcoordinates bus routesand mechanical func-tions. The Transit Dis-trict Employees FederalCredit Union also spon-sored an informationaltable along with donating


Welcome to Division 5 from Maintenance Divi-sion Manager Luchus Smith and TransportationDivision Manager A. J. Taylor.


All sponsors and donors to the Division 5 Com-munity Day were presented with certificates ofappreciation. Here Credit Union Manager HylaHoward receives her certificate from GeneralManager Alan Pegg and Division Manager A. J.Taylor.

Equipment Maintenance Supervisor Oliver Smalldemonstrates the functions of the VMS system toCommunity Day guests.

...Division 5...continued from page 13

their popcorn-makingwagon to the festivities.

Representatives frommost every Districtdepartment were on handto answer questions,including DivisionManagers A. J. Taylorand Luchus Smith,General Manager Alan

Pegg and his family,Assistant General Man-ager Al Perdon and hisfamily, and Riders'Choice winner OperatorRobert Wilson. Donationswere provided for theevent by the SanwaBank, the Transit Dis-trict Employees FederalCredit Union, KACERadio, Muster's Hofbrau,Burger King, and S. E.Rykoff.

Division 5 OperatorIra Hood attends Com-munity Day with hisdaughter Tiffany.

Division 5 OperatorLouise Hall demon-strates an accessiblelift for a visitor.

General Manager AlanPegg takes his son,Alexander, 4, on a tourof Division 5.

RTD TakesPart in AprilExpoby Rick Jager, NewsBureau Representative

For the fifth consecutiveyear, RTD participated inthe annual "Time of YourLife Expo" which fea-tured over 400 exhibitstailored to enhancing thequality and enjoyment oflife for active matureadults.

mienon

...largest exposition

for persons 50 years

of age and over...

The "Time of YourLife Expo," billed as thelargest exposition andentertainment event forpersons 50 years of ageand over, was held at theLos Angeles ConventionCenter April 23-25.

RTD set up a three-dimensional display ofthe Metro Rail Project,plus a photo exhibitdetailing the constructionprogress of the first 4.4-mile segment.

RTD representativeswere on hand to answerquestions regardingMetro Rail, Districtservices, and programs.Also, souvenirs andinformation brochureswere made available tothe public.

In addition, "Time ofYour Life Expo" bro-chures describing theevents and exhibits ofthis year's expositionwere featured on boardRTD Buses and at allRTD Customer Centers.

JUNE 1988 HEADWA Y 14

MENDATIONS

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RTD Retirees were recognized at the April 14Board of Directors' Meeting and were presentedwith plaques by RTD Board Vice-PresidentCarmen Estrada. Front row, from left to right:Subrogation Claims Assistant Barbara Swaine,Division 9 Operator Roy L. Denmark, Jr., Divi-sion 9 Operator Alfonso J. Gonzalez, TrafficLoader/Extra Schedule Checker William H.Bentley, and Division 8 Operator Alma D. Dain.Back row, from left to right: Director of RiskManagement Barbara Akk, Assistant GeneralManager for Operation Robert Korach, UTUGeneral Chairman Earl Clark, General ManagerAlan Pegg, and Vice-President Carmen Estrada.

Mechanic A Gary Wardwas selected the CMFShops Employee of theMonth for February.Ward works in theWeld Shop and hasbeen with the Districtfor 15 years. He acts asrelief leader and isdeployed as a follow-upan Jobs and material.His supervisors ratehim as one of the mostcooperative employeesin the shop. He is veryhelpful and possessessuperb interpersonalskills. His productivityrecord is high and thequality of his work isunsurpassed. Wardalso maintains anexcellent attendancerecord.

Accounts PayableClerk Willa Mae Jameswas selected the Ac-counting and FiscalDepartment's Em-ployee of the Quarterfor the third quarter of1988. Ms. James, whohas been with the Dis-trict for 9 years, main-tained a perfect atten-dance record withinthe quarter. Her super-visors heaped praisesupon her performanceas the Acting Supervis-ing Accounts PayableClerk during whichthe unit's productionincreased. They ratedher work as outstand-ing in both quality andquantity.



Certificates of Merit were presented to the MarchEmployees of the Month at the April 28 Board ofDirectors' Meeting by RTD Director GordanaSwanson. The employees were, from left to right,front row: Telephone Information Operator DavidUllrich, Mechanic A Leader Marvin Watts, Divi-sion 12 Operator Jack Bailey, and DirectorSwanson. Back row, from left to right: Division 15Mainterzance Manager Tedd Brewin, GeneralManager Alan Pegg, Director of Customer Rela-tions Robert Williams, and Division 12 Transpor-tation Manager Eugene Hamilton.


Data TechnicianTheresa Chiu wasnamed the PersonnelDepartment's Em-ployee of the Quarterfor the Spring 1988quarter. Ms. Chiu wasawarded the honorbecause of her "above-and-beyond" work Per-formance in creating acomplex personal com-puter program thatsaves the departmenttime. The programassists in tracking allapplicants for everyDistrict vacancy aswell as automaticallygenerating lists of can-didates and letters no-tifying them of theirstatus at the variousstages of the selectionprocess. Ms. Chiu'sextra efforts helpedimplement the pro-gram on time in orderto meet the depart-ment's goals. Ms. Chiuhas been with theDistrict since 1983.

Payroll Clerk Ken Irvin was selected the Payrolland Prepaid Revenue Accounting Section'sEmployee of the Quarter for the Spring quarterof 1988. Irvin has been with the District for 18years. In that time he has accumulated an out-standing attendance record. His supervisorscomment that he performs all his duties timelyand in a professional manner, and that he isalways willing to take on additional responsibili-ties and help others. Irvin appears in the middlereceiving a bonus check from Contoller-Treas-urer Mike Butler (far left) and Howard Crawford(far right).


Powerful Allure of Credit Unionsby Debbie Flores Pollock, Credit Union Marketing Director

Operating as non-profitorganizations, creditunions have the ability tooffer members betteryields on their savings.Greater unrestrictivenessin determining who canbecome members hasimmensely increased

1n11111n

"Credit unions

are the safest

of all the

financial

institutional options

that are

out there."

111n11111111111n1111

credit union membershipnumbers. Credit uniongrowth has advanced sorapidly, that banks andthrifts are beginning torecognize the competitionand take them seriously.

Credit unions arenow taking their place inthe major leagues. Since1980, 10 million membershave been added to theline-up and assets havemore than doubled. As ofJune 30, the reports showa strength of $179 billionfor the newcomer creditunion team. This growth

is nearly triple that ofother federally insuredfinancial institutions.

"People are goingwhere they haveconfidence," says CharlesFilson, president ofCallahan & Associates."By any measure thatyou want to look at theindustry, credit unionsare the safest of all thefinancial institutionaloptions that are outthere."

"Credit unionsrepresent an opportunityfor people to own andcontrol their own sav-ings," says Filson. "I feelthat I have the right as acredit union member tocall the manager if I amnot happy about some-thing, and I don't know ifyou feel you have thesame right when youwalk into a bank or asavings and loan."

This type of "partownership" creates apsychological edge infavor of the credit union.If you add this edge tothe fact that creditunions generally offerhigher savings rates andcheaper loans, it is nosurprise that they aregrowing by leaps andbounds. This superiorityin price comparison haslong been recognized bythe banks, who haveattempted protests ofunfair competition.

Many credit unionsare now able to offermany products and

services such as auto-mated teller machines,mortgage loans, etc. thatuntil a few years agowere monopolized bybanks. The BankersCommittee and theAmerican BankersAssociation have tried topush Congress intoimposing a tax on creditunion earnings. Theirlatest attempt failed inJuly when Congressdeclined to impose taxeson credit unions.

11M111111111111111n11111

Since 1980,

10 million

members

have been added

moimnI

"Congress wantedconsumers to have analternative financialinstitution that didn'tloan for-profit. They

knew that would meanhigher dividends," saysMary Reardon of theCredit Union NationalAssociation. She agreesthat credit unioris mayhave a competitive edgeover banks, but pointsout, "The advantagereally goes to the mem-ber, because the creditunions are not making aprofit. That benefit issomething Congressintended."

4v te tio

HappyFather's

Dayto all the

RTD DADS!vvvv

No More Missouts with Wake-Up

7 days a week, 24 hours a day.No need to worry about forgetting to

set alarms.Owned and operated by bus operators.

Only $15 a month andyou can stop worrying about missouts.

Call Wake-Up at 818/352-4910


The awards for theOperator RecognitionProgram for the month ofMarch were announcedin the latter part of April.

The presentationsinclude the Manager'sAward and SweepstakesAward for both full-time

"In Pursuit

of Excellence"

and part-time operators.The program has as itspurpose to recognize andreward the many busoperators who consis-tently perform in anoutstanding manner.

The theme of theprogram is "In Pursuit ofExcellence." Thoseoperators excelling intheir pursuit are listedbelow.

Manager's AwardFull-Time Operators3201 Virginia Adams3203 Charles Walker3205 Robert Walker

Wilson3206 Herbert S. Block3207 Steven R.

Churchill3209 Vernon H. Ebert3210 Bruce

Montgomery3212 Clarence

Andrews3215 Arthur B. Lloyd3216 Will Harrison3218 Aaron Cain

Sweepstakes AwardFull-Time Operators3201 John Dawson

Julio MartinezBrenda BurksVictor ArriolaAlfredo PachecoHenry MenciasRobert DuarteEdwin HitchmanJose GonzalezCleophus HicksWilfredo Escobar

3203 David FitisemanuFrederickDarlingtonWillie RandleManuelHernandezJames La CuranLila EstradaDonald AndersonRudy CruzJunius BrownThomas BrownJesus Salas

3205 Raul GranadosAlvin HammCurtis JohnsonNeon JohnsonZubert JonesDora McAfeeSanford MorrisLouis MossCarlos RodriguezJoanna TuckerPeter Williams

3206 Willis CafferyHector GutierrezMichael ElmoreRoy HemsleyLucious ShepherdAntonio RoxasThomas Pritchett

3207 Gien ReyPhillip Winston

r-NT R

OPPEATORS

Juan UeharaSidney JohnsonSimmie SandersDemetrius JonesLarry CraneDavid ResendezRobert SolomonMeredith SidneyYucle Eubanks

Paul CaronnaWilliam CraigHeriberto BrandHenriettaCaldwellJames MouldinRobert CroweAnthonyAmatuzzo

3208 Abraham Antoon LindicFanfassian 3216 Edgar BakerRobert Meredith George DouglasLeslie Vance George ZumkleyCharles Yurko Herman DouglasAlbert Thacker Annie LivingstonRichard Padilla Lionel ManuelLaureen Young B. L. WilliamsSudershanam 3218 Raymond JonesNunna Shirley MangramMariano Robles Frank AguilarDavid Zubiate John GuzmanRaymond Al PentardJaramillo Alva Harris

3209 Carlos Garcia Jerrel HunterSherman Green Ronald WilhiteJesus Galang Robert WilsonFloyd Gentry Deborah TurnerLloyd Jennings Bobby WilliamsEimer LewisLeonard Loa Sweepstakes AwardStanley Oawster Part-Time OperatorsCarla Tennell 3201 Carl WilliamsonHubert Usher David DunnEarnest Williams 3203 Sharon Best

3210 Antonio Noriz Gloria OlivarezErnest Paredes 3205 Jose PortilloGloria Duke Rosemary FordDonnie Wallace 3206 Ronald FigueroaCarl Sanders Mamie PriceBertram JordanTaylor, Jr. 3207 Benjamin ZisnerAlex Winfield Terrance McBrideGabriel Munoz 3208 Ernest MunozSteven Valenzuela Scott GrapRobert Donaldson 3209 Cecelia NunezAurelio Robles Salvador Pongos

3212 Donald Dube 3210 Steven KuehnlRichard Selsky Miguel Salcedo Jr.Don Osborne 3212 Terri AitkenWilliam Gerhold Gheorghe DamianJoseph Poche 3215 Mario ChavezPeter Cardias Norita CeaserRichard Coleman 3216 Eimer Lewis

3215 Joseph Barnett Rose ToddHenry See 3218 Wendy ErhardtPatrick Byrne Christina Johnson


OMMENDATIONS

Thanks for a JobWell Done!

Division 1Colmenares, Miguel A.Haines, James C.Wall, Jeff E.Division 3Brown, Rick V.Estrada, Lila A.Sandoval, Francisco N.Division 5Delawyer, Kevin L.Fanibuyan, Renee D.Iranpur, Rohinton B.Pipkin, WilliamRosby, Larry D.Division 6Collins, MaryDivision 7Anders, GarrickBrown, Delbert L.Byrd, WilliamDukes, KevinFray, ElethiaMartinez, JesseDivision 8Davenport, Ronald M.Dickey, James A.Mallgard, JohnSassano, AlfredDivision 9Hunt, Mervin N.Legans, John E.Rizkallah, YoussefWatson, Robert E.Division 10Bonini, Hugo P.Comacho, JoseCrudup, Sandra A.Jones, MelvinRichardson, ArronWilliams, Guy H.Division 12Martinez, Michael

Wade, Marsha K.Division 15Amoroso, SebastienHagan, ClarenceHarris, PaulRamos, Jose M.Division 18Guzman, John H.Department 4800.Goers, Gerri

General ManagerSCRTD425 S. Main St. LosAngeles, CA

I would like to makea positive statementabout the RTD wheel-chair accessible system.

I finally got to try it! Ihad given up hope ofriding these buses afterseveral unsuccessfulattempts, when driverswould not stop for me atall, or said, "I am behindschedule, I can't take thetime to load a wheel-chair."

I especially want tocommend the two driverson Route 424, JamesDickey and Hugh Bonini,on whose buses I rode.They provided me withextremely courteous andbelpful service.

Now that I know thatsome drivers will stop forwheelchair passengers, Iwill be using the acces-sible system again.

Sincerely,Paula Singer

RTD Customer Relations425 S. Main St. LosAngeles, CA 90013ATTN: Mr. Tom Horne

Sir:I would like to

recommend your operatorJoseph Rizkallah as acandidate for the RTD'soutstanding operatorhonor.

Although his attitudeis modest and unassum-ing, he is highly intelli-gent. He aids his patronsin four languages: Eng-lish, French, Spanish,and Egyptian.

This gentleman isalso a musician. He is acomposer, writing bothlyrics and music. Notonly does he write songs,but he sings them aswell.

This operator doesnot just say "Have a niceday," but his actionsmake it a nicer day forhis customers.

On one trip in down-town Los Angeles, a ladyhad on so much jewelry,

His actions make

it a nicer dayliwzmimm

he was afraid that shewould be mugged. Toprevent this from hap-pening, he held herjewelry for her while shewent shopping. Thisaction illustrates hisgenuine concern for eachand every one of hispassengers.

The bus this mandrives is eased up to andaway from bus stops sosmoothly, it seems to befloating on air instead ofrolling on pavement.

Yours truly,Artie E. Combs

Mr. Tom HorneManagerCustomer RelationsRTD425 S. Main St. LosAngeles, CA 90013

Dear Mr. Horn:Around 4:30 p.m. I

was riding on bus No. 1from Broadway and 5thSt. to Hollywood. Justabout reaching VermontAve. we had some troubleon the bus. A man whowas probably intoxicatedused loud and extremelyvulgar words toward alady on the bus. He hadno reason whatsoeverand all the passengerswere shocked about hisbehavior.

The bus driver actedimmediately and veryintelligently. He stoppeda police patrol car, let theofficers on the bus andthey removed the scan-dalous passenger fromthe bus in short minutes.

I wish to commendthe bus driver [Delbert L.Brown] for his quiet andrapid handling of thiscase. I wish that all theRTD bus drivers couldact the very same way asour driver-, Mr. Brownacted.

Sincerely,MagdaReizes-LapedusRegionalSales ManagerVenezuelanInternationalAirways

Dear Mr. Horne,It was necessary I go

to Lynwood on March 29,and I was fortunateenough to board bus8890, Line 252. I sayfortunate because of the



CHEDULEANGES

...continued from page 19driver of that bus [RickV. Brown]. He wasoutstanding and to becommended. He wascourteous, with a friendlysmile, and pleasantgreeting for all hispassengers. He answeredany and all questionsmany needed to ask him.

So many peopleriding buses are understress of one kind oranother. I was going tothe doctor for an emer-

He was courteous,

with a friendly

smile and pleasant

greeting for

all his

passengers

gency, many are old andit is difficult for them toleave their homes alone,and yet they have no one.Working people haveproblems on their mindsand mothers have theirsmall children. But I'msure every passenger onhis bus was put at easewith this driver's calmand kindly manner.

His driving wasfaultless, he was all, andmore, a bus driver shouldbe to be perfect.

I'm sure everyone feltbetter when they left hisbus. The world can usemore people like thiskind of gentleman.

Sincerely,Gladys M. Farrall

Agosto, Harry M., fromOperator Trainee toOperator.Aguilar, Jennie L.,from Part-time OperatorTrainee to Part-timeOperator.Aguilar, Victor M.,from Operator Trainee toOperator.Allen, Marlene G., fromActing Senior Workers'Compensation Specialistto Senior Workers'Compensation Specialist.Bennett, William R.,from Acting OperationsControl and ServicesSuperintendent toOperations Control andServices Superintendent.Borcea, Florin, fromOperator Trainee toOperator.Bowden, Carmel A.,from Utility A to Me-chanic C.Braithwaite, LauryneE., from Service Atten-dant to Roving Janitor.Braun, Arthur R., fromPart-time OperatorTrainee to Part-timeOperator.Bravo, William C., fromOperator Trainee toOperator.Brown-Curry, Frances,from Part-time OperatorTrainee to Part-timeOperator.Bush, Arlene F., fromOperator Trainee toOperator.Carias, Carlos S., fromOperator Trainee toOperator.Carlisle, Eric T., from

Operator Trainee toOperator.Cendejas, Oscar R.,from Mechanic C toMechanic B.Cheng, Raphael H.,from Utilities Engineer toActing Project Engineer.Colgate, Danny J., fromUtility A to Power YardSweeper.Combs, Robert W., fromOperator Trainee toOperator.Cheaves Jr., Teddie E.,from Service Attendantto Mechanic C.Coen, Pat L., fromUtility A to Mechanic C.Creveling, Douglas T.,from Mechanic C toMechanic B.Deboe, Donald D., fromOperator Trainee toOperator.De Souza, Phyllis L.,from Part-time OperatorTrainee to Part-timeOperator.Dixon, Roberta J., fromPart-time OperatorTrainee to Part-timeOperatorDominguez, RichardM., from Part-timeOperator Trainee to Part-time Operator.Edwards, Anthony L,from Mechanic B toMechanic A.Eutsey, Ronald D.,from Transit PoliceSergeant to ActingTransit PoliceLieutenant.Fresnedo, Rosa M.,from Part-time OperatorTrainee to Part-timeOperator.

Gates, Barton E., fromOperator Trainee toOperator.Genova, Jaime L., fromMechanic C to MechanicB.Gillette, Lora L., fromTypist Clerk to GeneralClerk II.Gonzalez, Albert, fromPart-time OperatorTrainee to Part-timeOperator.Gordon, Harriett E.,from Operator Trainee toOperator.Hahn, Diane L., fromGeneral Clerk to Secre-tary.Hale, Angela D., fromPart-time OperatorTrainee to Part-timeOperator.Harris Christopher,from Service Attendantto Mechanic C.Harvey, Clemard L.,from Part-time OperatorTrainee to Part-timeOperator.Hernandez, Helen B.,from Service AttendantLeader to Mechanic C.Hidalgo, Francisco P.,from Part-time OperatorTrainee to Part-timeOperator.Hooks, Deborah A.,from Part-time OperatorTrainee to Part-timeOperator.Howison, Maria E.,from General Clerk toSecretary.Huerta, Ronnie L.,from Part-time Operatorto Operator.Humphries, Leroy,from Stock Clerk toTruck Driver Clerk.Inocencio III, Paul D.,from Operator Trainee toOperator.Jackson, Catherine E.,from Part-time OperatorTrainee to Part-time



...continued from page 20 Material Control Clerk. Leader. Simpson, Louisa A.,Operator. Martinez, Venedicta Phillips, Michael P., from Senior Configur-Jimenez, Jorge, from G., from Operator from Stock Clerk to ation Control Analyst toPart-time Operator to Trainee to Operator. Truck Driver Clerk. Acting ConfigurationOperator Trainee. Matosian, Jackline, Pongos, Salvador T., Control Manager.Jojola, Theresa A.,from Operator Trainee to

from Acting AuditingService Administrator to

from Operator Trainee toOperator.

Singh, Harbaksh, fromOperator Trainee to

Operator. Assistant Inspector Portillo, Jose D., from Operator.Jolly, Joseph J., from General—Management Part-time Operator Soto, Raquel, from Part-Part-time Operator Reviews. Trainee to Part-time time Operator Trainee toTrainee to Part-time McJunkin, Linda K., Operator. Part-time Operator.Operator. from Service Attendant Procopio, Leila S., from Tabares, Robert R.,Jones, Burnetta U.,from Traffic Loader to

to Mechanic C.McKnight, Carl E.,

Acting LegislativeAnalyst to Legislative

from Operator Trainee toOperator.

Extra Schedule Checker. from Printer II to Acting Analyst. Talbot, Patricia, fromKang, Jaspal S., from Printing Supervisor. Purcell, John F., from Operator Trainee toPart-time Operator McMillan, Philip T., Schedule Checker Super- Operator.Trainee to Part-time from Property Main- visor to Acting Schedule Thomas, Brenda C.,Operator. tainer A to Property Checker Manager. from Part-time OperatorKang, Maria E., from Maintainer A Leader. Ramirez, Jose R., from Trainee to Part-timePart-time Operator Mendoza, Xhavier; Part-time Operator Operator.Trainee to Part-time from Service Attendant Trainee to Part-time Ulmer, David A., fromOperator. to Mechanic C. Operator. Property Maintainer B toKhan, Larry, from Montoya, Theodore N., Ramos, Jr., Miguel, Property Maintainer A.Mechanic B to Mechanic from Materials Manage- from Mechanic B to Valdez, Celia R., fromA. ment System Supply Mechanic A. Typist Clerk to GeneralKhan-Alvarez, Amina,from Secretary to Acting

Analyst to Acting SeniorMaterials Supervisor.

Robles, Jesse M., fromService Attendant to

Clerk II.Villalobos, Barbara C.,

Senior Secretary. Morgan, Robert D., Mechanic C. from Part-time OperatorLee, Marilyn J., from from Property Main- Rodriguez, Thomas S., Trainee to Part-timePart-time Operator tainer B to Property from Messenger Clerk/ Operator.Trainee to Part-time Maintainer A. Relief Mail Carrier to Walker, Cedric J., fromOperator. Morin Sr., Jerald, from Mail Carrier. Stock Clerk to Store-Ledesma, Nora E., from Transit Police Lieutenant Ruiz, Richard H., from keeper.Operator Trainee to to Acting Assistant Mechanic B to Mechanic Watts, Ronald, fromOperator. Transit Police Chief. A. Operator Trainee toLimon, Irma T., from Morris, Carrie V., from Samaa, Nebeel N., from Operator.Part-time Operator to Secretary to Senior Operator Trainee to Wells, Harold W., fromOperator Trainee. Secretary. Operator. Truck Driver Clerk toLittle, Patricia A., from Oriol Sr., Christian, Sanchez, Maria B., Storekeeper.Service Attendant to from Stock Clerk to from Information Clerk Wells, Rodger K., fromMechanic C. Truck Driver Clerk. to Supervisor of Tele- Part-time OperatorLlewellyn, Richard G.,from Secretary to Senior

Ortiz, Ramiro, fromStock Clerk to Store-

phone Information.Santellanes, Jorge R.,

Trainee to Part-timeOperator.

Secretary. keeper. from Part-time Operator Williams, Marian E.,Lumbattis, Garrett T.,from Stock Clerk to

Pachuca, Gerardo A.,from Operator Trainee to

Trainee to Part-timeOperator.

from Utility A to Me-chanic C.

Storekeeper. Operator. Sausjord, David I., Wilson, A. H., fromMackey, Henrietta L.,from Part-time Operator

Padilla, Rodolfo A.,from Part-time Operator

from Planner to SeniorPlanner.

Schedule Checker toActing Schedule Checker

Trainee to Part-time Trainee to Part-time Shahin, Elias H., from Supervisor.Operator. Operator. Part-time Operator Wilson, Rosann H.,Martin, Kerry H., from Palmero, Juan E., from Trainee to Part-time from Typist Clerk toOperator Trainee to Janitor to Mopper Waxer. Operator. Division Stenographer.Operator. Pelley, George F., from Sheer, Dan D., from Wu, Jerry, from Opera-Martinez, Matthew J.,from Stock Clerk to

Property Maintainer A toProperty Maintainer A

Operator Trainee toOperator.

tor Trainee to Operator.


Transit Police Graduatedfrom Rio Hondo

Members of Class 87, Rio Hondo Police Academy.From left to right: Instructor Mario Casas; Tran-sit Police Officers Lyndon Cullen, Elliot Zibli,Scott Pawlicki, Arthur Eyanson, JamesStonehouse, and Transit Police Chief JamesBurgess.

eFTINGARS

Bassham, Norman C.,began with the Districton June 3, 1957, retiredas an Operator on March31, 1988.Bentley, William, beganwith the District onNovember 5, 1960,retired as Traffic Loader/Estra Schedule Checker.Deck, Gibson Lee,began with the Districton February 22, 1960,retired as an Operator onApril 2, 1988.Denmark, Roy, beganwith the District on April21. 1953, retired as anOperator on April 23,1988.Gonzalez, Alfonso,began with the Districton April 13, 1963, retired

IN MEMORIAM

Aguirre, Joe, beganwith the District on June13, 1946 as an Operator,passed away on March18, 1988.Banks, Preston, beganwith the District onDecember 14, 1973 as anOperator, passed away onApril 9, 1988.Cosby, Robert C., beganwith the District on May23, 1983 as a Mechanic,passed away March 28,1988.Edwards, Marcus J.,began with the Districton May 23, 1919 as a Me-chanic, passed awayMarch 13, 1988.

as an Operator on April23, 1988.Jenkins, Alva P., beganwith the District onMarch 25, 1974, retiredas an Operator on March31, 1988.Skaggs, Norva, beganwith the District onNovember 17, 1962,retired as an Operator onApril 17, 1988.Vasquez, Jose, beganwith the District on April17, 1968, retired as anOperator on March 28,1988.Wells, Cerell, beganwith the District onMarch 13, 1965, retiredas an Operator on April26, 1988.

Irwin, William W.,began with the Districton April 2, 1952 as anoperator, passed awayMarch 9, 1988.Jackson, Anthony R.,began with the Districton May 21, 1979 as anOperator, passed awayMarch 26, 1988.Jackson, James, beganwith the District onNovember 8, 1951 as aUtility A Leadman,passed away on April 11,1988.Marroquin, Jose A.,began with the Districton May 5, 1975 as aMechanic, passed awayon March 24, 1988.

Five members of graduat-ing dass 87 from the RioHondo Police Academyhad the opportunity tohear their new boss,Transit Police ChiefJames Burgess give thecommencement addressat their graduation onApril 22.

Transit Police ChiefJames Burgess ad-dresses the graduatingdass of police officersat Rio Hondo PoliceAcademy on April 22.

The new recruits tothe RTD Transit PoliceDepartment completedtheir 16-week trainingalong with the othermembers of their dass.

Burgess congratu-lated the dass for suc-cessfully completing thetraining which nowenables them to enterinto one of "the mostrewarding, challenging,and exciting careersavailable to young menand women today."

The police chiefadvised the rookies on afew methods to make asuccessful career in lawenforcement, whichincluded continuing onwith their higher educa-tion and re-reading thepolice canons of ethicsoften. In parting, Burgesstold the recruits a story afield training officer toldhim was the most impor-tant message he had for



Brown Completes Studies

LGCA Special Projects Coordinator ClarenceBrown is congratulated by CLEAN TEAM spökes-man Aaron, Lohr, star of the TV Show "Bustin'Loose."

Division 3304 Mechanic A Larry Mead is one of300 cyclists to tour 3,425 miles on the TransAmer-ica Bicycle-Trek for the American Lung Associa-tion. In the Photo, Mead points to the start of thetour, a fund- raising effort for the lung associa-tion, which begins in Seattle on June 6 andfinishes in Atlantic City, New Jersey on July 22.

Mechanic to CycleCoast to Coast

Senior CommunityAffairs RepresentativeClarence Brown wasconferred the degree ofMaster of Arts in Com-munications Manage-

311111111111111111113111111111111

...specializing

in communication

marketing

ment at the 105th com-mencement at the Uni-versity of SouthernCalifornia on May 6.

Brown entered as afull-time graduate

11•11•1111111111n1111111n1


new recruits. "The badgeonly covers a small partof your ehest, it does notcover a portion of youranatomy that is veryvulnerable."

student at the AnnenbergSchool of Communica-tions at USC two yearsago, specializing incommunications market-ing, organizationalcommunications, andcommunication cam-paigns. His final compre-hensive research projectanalyzed the currentcrisis in the televisionnews industry as itrelates to economics,content quality, andregulatory policy.

He completed theprogram with honors,earning a 3.9 grade pointaverage. Brown has beenwith the District since1981. He supervises theLocal Government &Community AffairsDepartment's SpecialProjects Unit, whichproduces District publica-tions, audio-visualpresentations, exhibits/displays, the Speaker'sBureau, and theDistrict's communityaffairs programs.

This summer Division 4Mechanic A Larry Meadwill be riding his bicycle3,425 miles across thecountry to raise funds forthe American LungAssociation for the LosAngeles/Orange Countyarea.

"I'm not crazy, but Iam committed!" saysMead, who along withover 300 other cyclistsfrom all over the UnitedStates (each supportingtheir local lung associa-tion) will be riding June 6to July 22, 1988 fromSeattle to Atlantic City,New Jersey all in thename of cleaner air andbetter health.

"It's a major chal-lenge, one I can't doalone. I'm already train-ing, getting prepared toride an average of 80

miles a day," says Mead.The cyclists will cross 13states and 3 mountainranges during their 47-day odyssey. Each riderhas agreed to raise aminimum of $5,000 forhis or her home state.The national goal is toraise over $2 million forthe American LungAssociation affiliates thecyclists represent. "Mypersonal goal is to raise$10,000 for the AmericanLung Association of theLos Angeles/OrangeCounty area."

Mead, 61, with theDistrict for 15 years, iscalling on all his co-workers and friends atthe RTD to support hiseffort. "You can help meto meet my goal bypledging to join in this



:;11If2EPHCut Your Sit-Ups in Half!by Elia Hager, R.N.

Half a sit-up? Actually,half a sit-up is betterthan the old-fashioned-straight-leg-jerking-yourself-into-a-sitting-position-then-reaching-for-your-toes sit-up.Physical therapists,orthopedic specialists,exercise and trainingcoaches all seem to agreethat the traditional sit-upis out and they also saythat old form of exercisewas/is murder for yourback.

I'm going to startwith some general do's ofexercise then intro-duce you to the abomi-nable abdominals knownas the crunches.

1. Do all exercisessmoothly at regularcounts, contract yourmuscles slowly without

The

traditional

sit-up

is out

11111n11111MIsudden stops and starts.

2. Bend your knees inall standing exerciseswith your buttocksmuscles tucked and whendoing sit-ups, keep yourknees bent.

3. Warm up slowly

before doing any exercise.Do general stretchingexercises in the standingand sitting position.

4. After exercising besure to allot time for cooldown. You may want todo your warm-up exer-cises in reverse as a cooldown.Now for the Crunches:

1. Lie down on yourback, bend your knees,feet flat on the floor.

311111111n11111n1111

Do not hold your

breath on any

movement nor

with any exercise...

it will raise

your

blood pressure.

INIZIMIn111M

2. Cross your armsacross your chest, slowlyroll your shouldersforward, rest your chinlightly on your chest.

3. Tense your stom-ach and buttocks muscleskeeping your back flat onthe floor.

4. Roll your shoulders5-8 inches from the floor

exhaling on the way up.Keep your back flat onthe floor, taking a breathas you roll your shoul-ders back. Do not holdyour breath during thisor any exercise. Keepyour stomach and but-tocks tense. Then repeatthe sit-up in sets of 10.

5. If your head be-comes heavy for yourneck, lightly supportyour head with yourhand. Do not applypressure to the head orneck.

6. Do all movementssmoothly and continu-ously with no jerky stopsand starts.Variations to theCrunch:1. Scissor Crunch

a. Roll shouldersforward

b. Lightly supportyour neck—both handsbehind neck

c. Back flat on thefloor

d. Bring knees uplevel to hips

e. Try to touch rightelbows to left knee thenleft elbow to right kneeusing a crossing scissorsmotion smoothly

f. Remember do nothold your breath on anymovement nor with anyexercise. Holding yourbreath will raise your

blood pressure unneces-sarily.2. Second Variation-Love Handle Crunch

a. Knees bent, feetflat on the floor

b. Keep back flat,with stomach and but-tocks muscles tensed

c. Roll shoulders upholding your armsstraight and together.Both arms pointing toyour left ankle, then yourright.

d. Hold each positionfor a count of twenty,bouncing to each count,reaching for right ankle,roll back then roll for-ward pointing to the leftankle. Remember don'thold your breath. As youbuild your enduranceincrease the sets ofexercise and the timesyou repeat each (increas-ing sets and repetitions).

milmsiminsw...Cycle...continued from page 23

fight against lung dis-ease. Every donation isimportant and appreci-ated and tax deductible!"A pledge of $.01 a mile($34) or $1 a day ($47)will not only help those inSouthern California whofight respiratory Prob-lems every day, but willalso ensure that eachdonor will receive apersonal thank you fromthe American LungAssociation.

Anyone interested indonating should callLarry Mead at Division3304 on extension 6304.Mead requests that allchecks be made payableto the American LungAssociation.


serves the RTD in theLabor Section of theTransportion Depart-ment. She has been withthe District for 25 . years.

The couple makestheir home in MorenoValley.

°

* 4,4ffei'e- —

lee.A1 »"Vr\Vaiiir

Coble Weds

Senior Staff AssistantPatricia A. Coblemarried Larry J. Wil-liams on February 13 atMarch Air Force Base.

Approximately 200friends and family wereon hand to celebrate, andsome RTD employeeswere members of thewedding party. Theyincluded Vicki Varga asbridesmaid and HelenBolen assisting with theguest book. The couplespent their honeymoon inLas Vegas.

The bride's husbandis a mechanic at MarchAir Force, while Pat

The West Coast MotorCoach Museum willcelebrate their fourthannual Open House andBanquet in June.

IIIMMOOMMI

The banquet

will include

some well-known

authorities

BIZZOInall

The event will alsocommemorate the West-ern Transit Society'stwenty-fifth anniversary.The banquet will include

some well-known au-thorities from the mo-torcoach industry asguest speakers. Thesociety will also presentan interesting slide andmovie program as part ofthe entertainment. Thebanquet will be held atthe Peppermill Restau-rant in Pasadena on June11 at 6 p.m.

The museum's openhouse will commenceJune 12 at 10 a.m. in LaPuente at 18145 EastValley Blvd. Severaldemonstration rides willbe given, and the latestprojects and coachesacquired will be dis-played. For more infor-mation call StephenSchwarzwald at 818/783-3454.

by Roger Slagle,Acting Director ofFederal, State, andCounty Liaison

As someone who hasspent more than 15 yearsassociated with CapitolHill, the last seven onbehalf of the District, Ihave developed anaffection for our nation'scapital. Triumphing overmiserably hot and humidsummer weather, Wash-ington has become avibrant mix of museums,

monuments, and diversecultures. This articlenecessarily focuses on asmall cross-section of thisinviting city's sights.

Most are groupedalong the broad, grassyexpanse known as theMall. The Capitol dometowers over the easternend, while the Washing-ton Monument andLincoln Memorial anchorthe Mall on the west. Thevarious buildings of theSmithsonian Institutionline both sides of the Mallbetween the Capitol andthe Washington Monu-ment, along with the two

buildings of the nationalGallery of Art. Inciden-tally, a relaxing way tovisit all of these fascinat-ing places is by subway.

The WashingtonMetrorail system elimi-nates the need for arental car and provides afast, smooth ride as well.The system can take onepractically anywhere-from the Arboretum tothe Smithsonian, fromthe Capitol to the Zoo.When riding on Metrorailin Washington, remem-

ber that this beautifulsystem opened with ahandful of stations justlike the Los Angelessystem will.

Visitors to the Capi-tol (in case you're con-fused "Capitol" refers tothe building and "Capi-tal" refers to the city) willsee the galleries of theUnited States Senate andHouse of Representa-tives. Visitors shouldrequest gallery passesfrom Senators AlanCranston or Pete Wilson,or from their Representa-tive in the House of Rep-


Bus Museum Hosts OpenHouse and Dinner

Washington, D.C.A Capital City


...Washington, D.C....continued from page 25

resentatives. A passentitles one to a spectacu-lar balcony view ofCongressional proceed-ings. Originally designedby William Thornton in1793, the Capitol recentlyunderwent restoration toits western front, theonly portion of the origi-nal facade still visible.

The National Galleryof Art, Phillips Gallery,Hirshhorn Museum andSculpture Garden,National Museum ofAfrican Art (the newest),Renwick Gallery and theNational Portrait Galleryspan many centuries andstyles of artistic efforts.Famous works for alltastes include Renoir's"The Boating Party,"Henry Moore sculptures,Norman Rockwell'sportrait of RichardNixon, and thousands ofothers.

The Air and SpaceMuseum provides afascinating history ofmanned flight. Includedare the flying craft of theWright Brothers, WorldWar I aces, and CharlesLindbergh, as well as thespaceships used by theMercury, Gemini, andApollo astronauts. Ahuge, panoramic screenin the auditorium showsspectacularly filmedmovies of the history offlight.

The Natural HistoryMuseum includes dio-ramas explaining thebiological, ecological, andanthropological history oflife on Earth. Specialexhibits include a life-size woolly Mammothand the preserved skele-ton of a blue whale

suspended from theceiling.

The American His-tory Museum containsexhibits detailing thesociological history of thiscountry. Popular sightsinclude the original,battle-scarred "Star-Spangled Banner,"antique automobiles anda collection of inauguralgowns worn by WhiteHouse first ladies.

A tour of the WhiteHouse should thrillanyone with an interestin America's history.

...streets and

sidewalks swell to

capacity...assuming

an "intoxicated

collegiate

atmosphere."

Every President exceptGeorge Washington livedin this mansion. Thescale of the house and itsbeautiful antique fur-nishings convey dignity,without the intimidationof excessive formality.

Washington alsooffers many entertain-ment centers. Geor-getown combines theserenity of nineteenthcentury neighborhoodswith the city's greatestconcentration of restau-rants, quality shops, andnightclubs. On weekendsGeorgetown streets andsidewalks swell tocapacity, with the eve-nings assuming an"intoxicated collegiate"atmosphere. DupontCircle contains manyinformal cafes, cinemas,and art galleries, as well

as the focus of the city'sgay population. AdamsMorgan contains manyCuban, Salvadoran, andEthiopian restaurants, aswell as an artists' colonycentered around theTorpedo Factory. This

Clearly, Washington

reflects the diversity of

the country

building actually housedthe manufacturing oftorpedoes during theSecond World War, buthas since been convertedto studio space for artists.

Clearly, Washingtonreflects the diversity ofthis country just as acapital should!Regretably for the Dis-trict, Roger Slagle left LosAngeles and the RTD totake a position in hisbeloved Washington, D.C.on May 13. We miss youRoger!

1111n1n1111111111n11

Free Showfor Bus Fans

A free color slide show ofbuses for bus fans isshown every secondSunday of the month at 7p.m. at 272 Alpine Streetin Pasadena. All visitorsare asked to enterthrough the rear en-trance and proceed to thesecond floor. Visitors areencouraged to bring theirown bus slides for projec-tion on a 12-foot screen orjust come and enjoy. Allthe presentations are freecourtesy of the WesternTransit Society.

RestaurantReviewby Susan Harvey,Division 15 AssistantManager

If you are looking for agood steak and• prime ribrestaurant in the Pasad-ena area, try Alexander'sBrass Rib. They havesome of the best primerib around. There is anice 10-ounce size and forthe "hungry" people inyour party, a boneless 16-ounce size. The meat istasty and tender, just theway it is supposed to be.The steaks are goodquality and a nice size.They also serve someexcellent barbecue ribsand chicken.

All the dinners comewith a choice of soup orsalad bar. The salad baris worth getting. It is setwith plenty of fresh fruitand vegetables and allthe little extras that setsome salad bars abovethe rest.

For an appetizer trytheir french-fried zuc-chini which comes with aspicy mustard dip, anddon't miss their garliccheese bread. Dinnersalso come with a basketof homemade bread, thedark bread is somethingspecial.

If there is still room,the desserts are great.The Chocolate "Black-Out" cake is not to bepassed up by chocolatelovers.

Alexander's Brass ribis located at 3768 EastColorado Boulevard inPasadena. The phonenumber is 818/793-2271.


Axel Heller discussing the Mojave Road withMarty Dickes of the National Geographie Society.

Over the past year Ispent several weekendsworking with the group"Friends of the MojaveRoad," developing inter-pretative historicalguides for 4-wheel drivevehicles.

The Mojave Desert isa fascinating and beauti-ful place to visit through-out the year and it isright in our own Back-yard. The most populartimes for visiting theMojave Desert are inmid-September throughmid-November, and mid-March through mid-May.In the spring the weatheris warm during the dayand cool in the evenings;and the flowers are inbloom. In the summer,the higher elevations arecooler. Fall is similar tospring without theflowers. During thewinter it can be quitecold, there may be snowon the ground.

The "Mojave RoadGuide," by DennisCasebier, is an exampleof the group's work. TheMojave Road, also knownas the Old GovernmentRoad, was a major east/west trail that connectedthe Colorado River atNeedles, California, toLos Angeles, California.It now exists fromNeedles to approximately20 miles north ofBarstow, for a total of139 miles. The road wasoriginally an Indian trail,however, in the mid tolate 1800's it became amajor thoroughfarebecause of all the settlers

who poured into Califor-nia via this trail. Thetrail also became part ofa major trade routebetween Los Angeles,California, to Santa Fe,New Mexico, and to SaltLake City, Utah; similarto today's intersection in

Barstow of I-15 and 1-40.The group is cur-

rently working on aseries of guide booksentitled the "East MojaveHeritage Trail," that willbe published in fourvolumes (the secondvolume will be publishedin October 1988). TheHeritage Trail is a longloop of approximately 600miles which begins andends in Needles, Califor-nia. The trail usesexisting roads thatmeander throughout thedesert connecting miningtowns that existed in thepast. Today, however,only the foundations areleft. Travel is also alongthe abandoned railroadberms.

During the week of

December 26, 1987, toJanuary 1, 1988, the"Friends of the MojaveRoad" were interviewedby Marty Dickes, of theNational GeographieSociety, as a preliminaryfor an upcoming specialon the East Mojave

Desert. The interviewswere conducted while thegroup was travelingalong the trails in their 4-wheel drive vehicles.

On March 27, Ms.Dickes once again re-turned to the EastMojave Desert with thefilm crew from theNational GeographieSociety. Filming wasconducted at variousscenic spots using thegroup's vehicles asmodern day coveredwagons. (Today travelthrough the desert ismade possible by 4-wheeldrive vehicles equippedwith CB radios. Thegroup's vehicles varyfrom Jeep CJ's andBlazers to pick-up trucks.Each vehicle was pur-

chased for off-road useand is customized to theowner's particular tasteand use).

Discussions wererecorded over the CBradio on various topics.One of the questionsasked was why they keepcoming out to the desert.Their answer was,simply, to learn about thehistory of the area; theun successful attempts atfarming; the ongoingmining (turquoise,copper, iron, gold, andsilver) and of the hard-ships endured by thepeople who first traveledthroughout the MojaveDesert.

The caravan with theNational GeographieSociety ended at theMojave Road mailbox.This mailbox is con-structed of metal and isplaced about halfwayalong the trail. Thepurpose of the mailbox isto provide a storage placefor a log book. Visitorswho travel through thedesert have an opportu-nity of signing the logbook, and writing com-ments about their experi-ences. Also, the Bureau ofLand Managementmakes use of this infor-mation for their land usereports.

The National Geo-graphie Society programwill be shown in the fallof 1988 as part of the Na-tional Geographic's "Ex-plorer" series. The showwill also be shown inGreat Britain.

Axel Heller is aDigital Technician in theFacilities MaintenanceDepartment.

Working on a Guide to the Mojaveby Axel Heller


Published monthly for the employees andretirees of the Southern California Rapid TransitDistrict.

Editorial input and suggestions are welcome.Deadline for receipt of editorial copy is the firstday of each month. Send black-and-white photo-graphs only. Requests for photographic coverageof District events must be preceded by 72 hoursnotice.

Mailing address: Headway, 2nd Floor, 425South Main Street, Los Angeles, CA 90013.

Mary E. Reyna, EditorStaff Writers:

Susan DeSantis, Elia Hager,Kathi S. Harper, Carolyn Kinkead,

Hope Powell, and Luanna Urie.

Typesetting, design, and production:Nancy Niebrugge Public Relations

Printed by: RTD Printing DepartmentAl Moore, Manager

Southern CaliforniaRapid Transit District425 So. Main St., 2nd FloorLos Angeles, CA 90013

BULK RATEU.S. POSTAGE

PAIDLos Angeles, Ca.Permit No. 32705

The Clean Team

th n rd hnlibraryarchives.metro.net/DPGTL/employeenews/Headway...thn trtll nd l th hr hn. h l rvd t fr RTD b tn, th rlt f n RTD rt n Dprtnt prr dnd t nr rdrhp nd brn n r t th t b dtrbtn

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