Mar Vista Picked as Award Finalist; Green Christmas for Local Schools

	Mar Vista Nominated for New LA Award Show Fast Company Magazine endorses Mar Vista as a Los Angeles Real Creativity Awards (LARC) finalist: "In a city that's perhaps best known for a certain awards show that rolls around every spring, the definition of "creativity" can often be lost in a sea of sequinned cleavage and sobby acceptance speeches. But the Urban Land Institute's brand-new L.A. awards show is a direct response to that--it's called the Los Angeles Real Creativity Awards… The Enterprise nod should go to the community of Mar Vista, possibly one of the most progressive in the city, with initiatives like Open Mar Vista, an ambitious social network and community Web site that includes information for programs like a neighborhood-wide solar roll-out."  Winners will be announced Saturday night at an event presided over by architect Frank Gehry and other L.A. luminaries.
	Fake or Fir? Living Christmas Trees to Benefit Mar Vista Schools Dreaming of a Green Christmas this year? Living Christmas offers an eco-friendly tree service that rents live trees for the holidays, which it cares for year round. You can order online, schedule delivery/pickup, and even ‘adopt’ a live tree to use again next year. The trees are eventually planted and grown into big, beautiful trees.  Living Christmas has agreed to donate 10% of rental proceeds to your favorite Mar Vista school and you will receive a 5% discount when you order with a Mar Vista donation code code (read more and get codes here). Help us get the word out to  raise funds for our local schools.
	12/5 Mar Vista Chamber of Commerce Business Outreach & Art Exhibit You are invited to the first in a series of Mar Vista business-hosted outreach events to launch the new Mar Vista Chamber of Commerce. This Saturday December 5 from 6pm to 8pm at Insight on the Westside Creative Meeting Place (12085 Venice Blvd.).  The event will feature an exhibition of the work of five local artists.  RSVP online or via email to Demetrios Mavromichalis of the Venice Grind.
	Guide to Holiday Gift-giving, Mar Vista-Style Let Mar Vista Mom Sarah Auerswald help you start (or finish) your holiday shopping locally this year. Check out some of Mar Vista's finest merchants and manufacturers in the first annual MVM Holiday Gift Guide. And don't miss the limited-time discounts which will last through Saturday, December 12th.  Also take a look at the Treehugger 2009 Green Gift Guide.
	Mar Vista Votes for Clean Electricity Mar Vista became the first neighborhood in Los Angeles to set a goal of 100% clean electricity by 2018. The Mar Vista Community Council voted unaminously last month to set the clean energy target and develop a roadmap to reduce our community's carbon emissions and exposure to the rising costs of coal-powered electricity. Congratulations to everyone who signed the petition! The vote came after 27 residents installed solar panels together as part of the GoSolar Mar Vista program -- expected to offset a combined five million pounds of greenhouse gas emission over the next 30 years (the equivalent of planting 2,700 trees or taking 600 cars off the road for a year).  Read more.
	The Learning Garden at Venice High The Learning Garden is a living classroom and a place of sanctuary. For the students of the high school it is an opportunity to be closer to nature, a place to learn about respecting the environment and taking care of plants and animals. For the teachers it is a place of solace. For the community it is a place of visual beauty. The Learning Garden is a remarkable and unique place that touches something deep in the heart and soul.  And it needs your help.  Please donate even just a small amount to demonstrate our community's support to this local institution.
	Ocean Charter School Winter Faire Come and create handmade crafts with your family, browse the Holiday Bazaar and Gnome Sweet Gnome Bake Shoppe, and Crystal Quest.  Don't miss the dhildren-only Snow Fairy Market, Snow Globe Theater and Green Faire.  Saturday, December 12th 11am to 4pm at Ocean Charter School (12606 Culver Blvd.).
	Peach Tree Pottery Holiday Sale Peach Tree Pottery hold its yearly 2-Day Art Show & Sale this Saturday, December 5th and Sunday, December 6th, from 1 pm to 5 pm (3795 Boise Avenue).  The event features the work of 14 artists: pottery, jewelry, candles, photography, woven and crocheted clothing, mixed media, drawings, monoprints.