Contact: Cindy Uken
Communications Director
City of Palm Springs
760.323.8250

February 13, 2008
In less than one month, the Baristo Neighborhood Organization is more than
half-way toward reaching its goal of collecting 5,000 signatures to help lure
Trader Joe’s, a specialty grocery chain, known for its private-label foods, to
Palm Springs.

David Carden Jr., chairman of the Baristo Neighborhood Organization and the
one leading the petition drive to attract the store, said his group has collected
more than 3,500 signatures; the goal is to collect 5,000 signatures by April 1.
His timeline coincides with the trip City officials will make in May to the
International Council of Shopping Centers where they work to attract business
to the City.

"We are absolutely ecstatic," said Carden. "The response from residents all
over Palm Springs has been overwhelming from the beginning."
Carden and his group of volunteers will continue to be at VillageFest every
Thursday until they reach their goal of 5,000 signatures. If you want to help with
the cause, you can find Carden and others every Thursday from 6 p.m. to 8
p.m. at the corner of Palm Canyon Drive and Tahquitz Canyon Way.
“We want to keep up the momentum and encourage anyone interested to
contact us,” Carden said.

A similar petition drive was successful in 2000, in Long Beach, where Carden
lived at the time. He was one of 5,000 people who signed a petition to convince
Trader Joe’s to open store in Long Beach although the company had a store
just 4.5 miles away in Seal Beach.

They will be out at stores and possibly VillageFest in downtown to collect
petitions. Petitions can also be signed online at
www.palmspringsneighborhoods.com. Anyone interested may also contact
Carden at 864-2869.

Carden has challenged each of the City’s 15 officially recognized
neighborhoods to collect 250 signatures. In addition, he has asked the Mayor
and each member of the City Council to do the same.

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