I spent 15 years in Glendale and 4 years in Simi Valley, and I wish Free Republic had been in existence in those days. I know just how spread out the City of Southern California really is, so I know just how big a row to hoe any Chapter Executive has.
I've flagged some of the people involved with the Free Republic Network, so I'm sure the essay will be widely circulated. I've put a lot of good info into it, and you might want to re-start the chapter using some of those ideas.
Ping.