Where do you want CWIRE to focus? We are still in search of a viable business model, and have not yet found sufficient sponsorship or cooperation within the Arroyo Verdugo region.

CWIRE's focus on the Arroyo Verdugos was for convenience only (based on a few assumptions which we eventually learned were incorrect.)

The "regional portal" website model has succeeded in attracting many millions of visitors to our website over the years, but affiliate programs and banner advertising never worked-out for us. We were always just a bit too small to work with the "major players." We never did find a salesperson or ad agency to represent us, so revenues have always been meager at best. We never reached the "break even" point.

We have considered the possibility of collaborating with a local newspaper, or with a coalition of local chambers of commerce. The Glendale Gazette (now defunct) was a promising potential-partner, but it failed to gain a foothold in this region. The Los Angeles Times, which has swallowed-up the smaller local newspapers, has shown no interest in sponsoring CWIRE, much less collaborating.

The chambers of commerce in this region have been surprisingly disinterested in the WWW, and have provided very little support to CWIRE.

If you would like to discuss any of these matters, or to help CWIRE gain a better footing in your geographic region, please contact Robert Marston.

Why did we choose the term "Arroyo Verdugo" (since it's not on any maps)?

The name "Arroyo Verdugo" is not commonly used, but we chose it because it precisely defined the area (and the rationale) for Community Wire. At the time CWIRE was expanding beyond Glendale, the term was being used by the five local cities to describe their regional/political/economic coalition (Burbank, Glendale, La Caņada Flintridge, Pasadena, and South Pasadena).

For a time, the name was also used by the region's only business magazine, Business Life, to describe its coverage area (which has since increased). We knew from the beginning that CWIRE would require an investment of a lot of time and money, so we developed it with local businesses (potential sponsors) in mind.

The name "Arroyo Verdugo" was chosen with the expectation that the five-city Arroyo Verdugo Coalition would one day create their own web-presence, and might eventually decide to take-over CWIRE or invest in it. But we've lost hope in that.

Where did the name "Arroyo Verdugo" come from?

A thin "strip" of Glendale runs north through the middle of La Crescenta. Most of La Crescenta is actually part of the City of Los Angeles, as are the neighboring towns of Sunland and Tujunga. So, they are separated politically from the Arroyo Verdugos. The areas called "Montrose" and "Verdugo City" are, I believe, entirely within the city limits of Glendale -- I know that Montrose is, anyway.

Eagle Rock, Atwater, Mount Washington, Silverlake, etc. are distinct communities, but are part of the City of Los Angeles.

The "Verdugo" name comes from the name of a Spanish landowner who was granted a tract of land by the King of Spain in the 1800's. The area covered what is now La Canada, most (or all) of Glendale, and some of Burbank.

The name "Arroyo" is borrowed from the name "Arroyo Seco," which refers to the river bed (canyon) in Pasadena. The "dry creek" which starts in the Pasadena foothills and runs due-south became the road into the puebla of Los Angeles. So the term "Arroyo" (referring to the Pasadena/South Pasadena area) was tacked-onto the name "Verdugo" (referring to Burbank/Glendale/La Caņada Flintridge) to refer to the five-city area.

P.S. Do you have more historical information on the Arroyo Verdugos? Please let us know!

URL: http://cwire.com/info/Arroyo.Verdugo..focus.asp
Viewed: 5/13/2008 9:45:51 PM
Last Modified: November 9, 2005 5:30 PM
Source: Robert Marston
URLID: 1259