As the cost of paper, print and postage has risen, we have tried all possible means of continuing to support this publication financially, even as we met our other obligations pertaining to the promotion, education, research and preservation of Art Deco architecture and design in Los Angeles. After investigating a number of options in terms of cost and improved communication, we have made the decision to move to a strictly web-based quarterly newsletter, complemented by a companion annual publication, featuring the prior year’s events as well as in-depth articles on Art Deco and related topics, beginning in 2010.

Over the next 12 months we will be asking you to provide your preferred e-mail address, as well as update your membership information. During this transition period, we will send you a quarterly flyer showing important dates and interesting events, which is included in this mailing, covering the period through the end of 2009. Additionally, all the information will be available here on our website. We will also be sending printed invitations or postcards for very special events on an ad hoc basis.

If you do not have an e-mail address, but are interested in creating an account for yourself, there are several Internet service providers that offer free e-mail accounts. If you do not have access to a computer in your home, you can set up an e-mail account at the public access computers at your local library. If you would like to obtain instructions on how to set up a free e-mail account, please call our membership liaison at (310) 659-3326 and we will send you information on how you can begin the process.

As a thank you for your partnership in our communication systems upgrade, we will extend your membership an additional two months, at your current level of participation. You will see find your extended date noted on the "Request for Updated Information" form that you will be receiving in the mail shortly.

The Board and Officers of the ADSLA would like to thank you for your continuing support, and look forward to your participation in future events and projects in the coming years. Please feel free to contact us via e-mail at artdecola@sbcglobal.net, or at (310) 659-3326 with any questions or concerns you might have.

Sincerely,

The Board of the Art Deco Society of Los Angeles

Students from the Long Beach Unified School District in grade ten will study major historic events that helped shape the modern world, from the late eighteenth century through the present, including the cause and course of the two world wars. Students from the eleventh grade will study the major turning points in American History in the twentieth century.

The Queen Mary will provide a wonderful setting for learning major fields of study including the world history, the sciences, mathematics, engineering principals and the arts.

The program is designed to meet California graduation requirements and has been developed with the assistance and support of teachers, school districts and the departments of education. Most importantly, the program will allow teachers to host field trips to the Queen Mary and satisfy State requirements for educational content and provide the students with a perfectly unique immersion into history like no other venue can provide.

For more information, here is an interesting article in the Long Beach Gazette.

John's fellow ADSLA board members congratulate him on his new position.