For Immediate Release

March 31, 2008

TO: Editors/Reporters/Photographers

FROM: Noreen Benjaminsen, Program Coordinator

818-548-2125 Phone

818-240-7239 Fax

RE: Story/Photo Opportunity

WHAT: 15 th Annual "I Love My Neighborhood" Poster Contest

Awards Ceremony

WHERE: Glendale Civic Auditorium, 1401 North Verdugo Road

WHEN: Wednesday, April 2, 2008 - 5:00 - 7:00 P.M.

( Glendale, CA) --- The Committee for a Clean & Beautiful Glendale ( CCBG) is proud to announce the 54 finalists of the 2008 "I Love My Neighborhood" Poster Contest! Two finalists from each participating elementary school in Glendale will be recognized at an awards ceremony in their honor on Wednesday, April 2 nd at the Glendale Civic Auditorium upper level from 5:00-7:00 p.m. where the Grand Prize winning poster will be unveiled for the first time. Selected from nearly 10,000 entries, the winning artwork depicting the 2008 theme of "I Am the Pollution Solution!" will be featured in a citywide, multimedia, anti-litter, graffiti and pollution prevention campaign.

Finalists of the 2008 "I Love My Neighborhood" Poster Contest

"I Am the Pollution Solution!"

SchoolFinalist Name

Armenian Sisters Academy Teni Amadian

Armenian Sisters Academy Natalie Der-Avanessian

Atanian Art Center Jorge Israelian

Atanian Art Center Shant Der-Barseghyan

Balboa Elementary Shay Sackett

Balboa Elementary Jessica Chung

Cerritos Elementary Virginia Martinez

Chamlian Armenian School Nare Agakhanyan

Chamlian Armenian School Melanie Voskanian

Columbus Elementary Karen Maalouf

Columbus Elementary Diego San Augustin

Dunsmore Elementary Carly Szabados

Dunsmore Elementary Emily Beglarian

Edison Elementary Paula Udiong

Edsion Elementary Leslie Reynoso

First Lutheran School Sophia Lee

First Lutheran School Boris Kitapszyan

Fremont Elementary Jamie Munsey

Fremont Elementary Sophia Ramirez-Brown

Glendale Adventist Academy Aidan Schwartz

Glenoaks Elementary Joanna Paz

Glenoaks Elementary Samantha Matara

Holy Family Elementary Madeleine Santos

Holy Family Elementary Joey Lenz

Horace Mann Elementary Alyssa Panganiban

John Marshall Elementary Claire Bernardo

John Marshall Elementary Joy Kim

John Muir Elementary Elizabeth Abramyan

John Muir Elementary Arpy Ayvazyan

La Crescenta Elementary Viola Shin

La Crescenta Elementary Emily Kang

Lincoln Elementary Karina Masatani

Lincoln Elementary Crystal Lee

Mark Keppel Elementary Arthur Tonoyan

Monte Vista Elementary Keighley Cizek

Montrose Christian Montessori School Hadassah Lee

Montrose Christian Montessori School Sun Jun Lee

Mountain Avenue Elementary Helene Verheyen

Mountain Avenue Elementary Lillian Cho

Mountain Avenue Elementary Kiersten Yoon

New Horizons Youth Center Alyssa O'Dell

New Horizons Youth Center Yanik Walters

R.D. White Elementary Sara Rahimi

R.D. White Elementary Justin Llamas

Thomas Jefferson Elementary Gillian Ocuaman

Thomas Jefferson Elementary Naeiri Didarlou

Robbin's Nest Kindergarten Layla Abrahamian

Eleanor J. Toll Middle School Christina Bouchard

Valley View Elementary Hannah Lee

Valley View Elementary Raphael Shin

Verdugo Woodlands Elementary Rachel Kim

Verdugo Woodlands Elementary Oliver Jenkins

Zion Lutheran School Jordan Clary

Zion Lutheran School Kaitlyn San Diego

Other award recipients include the City of Glendale Parks, Recreation & Community Services Department who will be recognized as CCBG's "2008 Outstanding Community Partner." Three public schools, Mountain Avenue, John C. Fremont and R.D. White will receive the Robert Newcomb "2008 Outstanding Participation Award," and one private school, Chamlian Armenian School will also be recognized with this award for their outstanding level of participation.

City officials, dignitaries, Glendale Unified School District officials and Board Members will be in attendance and will assist the Committee in honoring this select group of students and individuals.

The "I Love My Neighborhood" Poster Contest is sponsored by Lexus of Glendale, Glendale Water & Power, the Glendale Public Works Department, the Department of Parks, Recreation & Community Services, DPS Banners, and J&L Press. For more information on the 2008 "I Love My Neighborhood" Poster Contest Awards Ceremony, contact Noreen Benjaminsen, Program Coordinator, at (818) 548-2125.

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