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Commentary
Earth Day Every Day
Kenneth R. "Ken" Plum
The original Earth Day celebration in 1969 reminded us that we need to take good care of Mother Earth to keep her healthy. The level of concern about environmental issues at the time was not great among the citizenry, and the level of awareness was limited. Now, forty years later the news media abounds with articles about climate change; store shelves are filled with green products; and Al Gore won an Academy Award for An Inconvenient Truth, his movie about global warming.
Numerous websites provide directions and advice on living a green life. Even my weekly electronic newsletter, Virginia E-News, has a regular feature of "Climate Change Citizen Action" with suggestions for responsible environmental stewardship (subscribe at www.kenplum.com). Hybrid cars that consume less gasoline and create less pollution are readily available. Electricity for the home and office can be purchased from renewable sources. Join me this Saturday, April 25, 10:00 a.m. until 2:00 p.m., at Wolf Trap to recycle your old electronic devices courtesy of the Northern Virginia Technology Council, PC Recycler Inc., Wolf Trap Foundation, and the Boy Scouts.
Even with all the activities going on and with all the individual and corporate actions being taken, it is clear that much more vigorous global changes must be made if the adverse impacts of climate change are to be averted. Under President Obama's administration our country will become a willing and cooperative partner in international efforts to reduce the release of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. At home the Congress needs to come to a resolution of the kind of cap and trade laws to adopt about greenhouse gases. Such a law and resulting regulations will have winners and losers. Without a resolution of the issue, we will all be losers. The failure of the General Assembly to pass meaningful legislation this session after the Governor's Climate Change Commission on which I served came up with very meaningful recommendations was disappointing.
Individually, we need to be concerned about the health of Mother Earth. Buy phosphate-free fertilizer this spring, and do not use more than the recommended quantity. Change your light bulbs to CFLs. Choose renewable energy. Reduce your own carbon footprint. And very importantly, lobby elected officials to think of every day as earth day and enact legislation friendly to the future of our planet. |
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| "Virginia Report"
Reston Comcast Channel 28
Tonight - Wednesday, April 22 at 10:30 p.m. - Elizabeth Curtis, Potomac Arts Academy of George Mason University and Katie Le, Saturday School for the Arts - "Partnering for Arts with Hunters Woods Elementary School"
Tuesday, April 28 at 7:30 p.m. and Wednesday, April 29 at 10:30 p.m. - Senator Janet Howell and Delegate Ken Plum will provide a "2009 General Assembly Wrap-Up" discussion.
Online
Watch this week's show and other "Virginia Report" programs at:
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 Public Meeting Tuesday, May 19
7:30 p.m.
at Reston Community Center at Hunters Woods
Join Senator Janet Howell and me at our Public Meeting on Tuesday, May 19, 7:30 to 9:00 p.m. at the Reston Community Center at Hunters Woods, 2310 Colts Neck Road, Reston. Hear about the highs and lows of the 2009 General Assembly session. Find out about new laws that affect our community. Bring your questions. Pre-registration is not required; all are welcome. |
| Climate Change Citizen Action
There will be a special computer recycling event at Wolf Trap this Saturday, April 25, 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. where you can dispose of old electronics in an environmental responsible way. This event is sponsored by PC Recycler, Inc., Wolf Trap Foundation, Boy Scouts of America, and Northern Virginia Technology Council. Bring your old electronics to Wolf Trap's Center for Education, 1645 Trap Road, Vienna. A trained PC Recycler employee will remove the hard disk drive from your computer, laptop, or server while you watch, and the hard drive will then be dropped into their large industrial shredder and ground down to little pieces. The process takes only a few minutes. You will leave with the peace of mind that your information is gone forever.
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Announcements
Every year GRACE's nationally acclaimed Northern Virginia Fine Arts Festival comes to the Reston Town Center. This spring the Festival is on May 16 and 17. The success of the Festival depends upon volunteers. It is easy to volunteer. Just click www.restonarts.org/Festival/VolunteerForm2.htm and complete the form. The Verizon Foundation invites citizens to post volunteer opportunities to Verizon Volunteer Connections. Volunteer Connections is a new initiative that provides Verizon employees with access to hundreds of volunteer opportunities through an online searchable database. Nonprofit organizations looking to recruit Verizon employee volunteers can visit www.verizonfoundation.org/volunteerweek on an ongoing basis to submit opportunities for Verizon employees to get involved as volunteers.
The Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments (COG) is pleased to announce the official launch of its regional American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) Information Center. COG has established this online center, www.mwcog.org/publications/recovery, to provide its members with a central place to obtain the information necessary to maximize the benefit of the federal stimulus dollars. This link can also be found prominently on the COG main web page, www.mwcog.org.
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Calendar of Events
Telework!VA invites you to an exclusive Green Carpet Event on Earth Day, TODAY, 7:30 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. at Gannett Headquarters, 7950 Jones Branch Drive, McLean. Learn how your business can "make green" by "going green" with telework. RSVP to 866.469.1010 or register online at teleworkva.org/earthday.
The Martin Luther King, Jr. Cultural Foundation's 11th Annual Scholarship Luncheon and Silent Auction will be held on Saturday, April 25, at 12:00 noon at the Waterford at Fair Oaks. Since its inception, the Foundation has awarded scholarships to Fairfax County Schools graduating seniors. Last year ten $2,000 scholarships were awarded to outstanding college-bound students. Visit www.mlkculturalfoundation.org or email officers@mlkculturalfoundation.org for luncheon tickets.
On Saturday, April 25, the Fairfax County Department of Community and Recreation Services' Community Centers Division will host the First Annual Technology Summit at James Lee Community Center, 2855 Annandale Road, Falls Church, from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Admission is free.
The Arthritis Foundation, Metropolitan Washington Chapter, will hold its annual Fairfax County Arthritis Walk on Saturday, April 25, at Robinson Secondary School in Fairfax. Participaants walk in support of fellow workers, loved ones, and friends who have arthritis-related diseases while honorees with arthritis lead the way wearing special blue hats. The proceeds allow the Metro DC Chapter to fund research, foster arthritis awareness, assist families affected by arthritis, and search for a cure. Visit http://letsmovetogetherfairfax.kintera.org for information or to make a donation.
Fairfax County's Annual Earth Day-Arbor Day Celebration will be held on Saturday, April 25, 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. at Northern Virginia Community College's Annandale Campus, 8333 Little River Turnpike. There is no cost for admission, entertainment, games, and activities. Free parking is available in the student parking lots. For more information go to www.cleanfairfaxcouncil.org or call 703.324.5471, TTY 711.
This year's annual benefit concert by the Reston Community Orchestra, "Family Fun at the Pops," will be held on Saturday, April 25, 5:30 p.m., at the South Lakes Montessori School, corner of South Lakes Drive & Ridge Heights Road. Beverly Cosham, Reston's own chanteuse extraordinaire, will be featured in a cabaret setting. The orchestra will also perform popular light classics and music from the Silver Screen and Broadway. More information, email mmckee101@yahoo.com or call 703.476.9181.
Join with Walk MS on Sunday, April 26 and enjoy a leisurely stroll through a wooded, fully accessible trail around Lake Anne and alongside some of Reston's most charming homes. Walk MS starts at 1930 Isaac Newton Square in front of the Reston Association Building with check-in and staggered starts beginning at 8:00 a.m. through 10:00 a.m. The route will close at 2:00 p.m. More information about Walk MS and the work of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society is available at www.MSandYou.org.
The Virginia Guardianship & Elder Rights Conference will be held April 27-28 in Richmond. The Conference will focus on activities of special interest to individuals with disabilities and their family members, caregivers, service providers, advocates, and decision-makers. Limited scholarships are available for individuals with disabilities to attend. For more information visit www.vgavirginia.org/conferences.asp.
Northern Virginia Family Services presents the CARE Awards Kick-Off on Wednesday, April 29, 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. hosted by Jackson Lewis LLP, 10701 Parkridge Boulevard, Suite 300, Reston. The CARE Awards encourage companies to institute family-friendly programs by exposing them to ideas and thoughtful discussions with business leaders who have already embraced such policies. For more information contact Irene LaBranche at 703.219.2109.
Attend the 2009 Best of Reston on Thursday, April 30, at the Hyatt Regency Reston Town Center. Best of Reston, presented by Reston Interfaith and the Greater Reston Chamber of Commerce, is an event honoring individuals, organizations, and businesses that have put forth tremendous effort in their commitment to community service and improving the lives of others. To learn more about the event, sponsorship, and ticket purchase, contact Amy.McDowell@restoninterfaith.org 571.323.9582.
In order to advance the delivery of workforce services to citizens across the Commonwealth, the Governor's Economic Crisis Strike Froce is holding a series of regional meetings. You are invited to the Prince William County Area Regional Meeting on Friday, May 1, 10:00 to 11:30 a.m., at the Northern Virginia Community College Theater, 15200 Neabsco Mills Road, Woodbridge, VA.
Reston Association is holding its Annual Spring yard Sale on Saturday, May 2, 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., at the Isaac Newton Square Parking Lot.
Habitat for Humanity ReStore is working with the Metro DC Chapter of American Society of Interior Designers (ASID) to host The Second Annual BIG Sale on Saturday, May 2, 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. at ReStore, 7770-A Richmond Highway (behind Gold's Gym). Members of ASID are donating unique, high quality materials including furniture, window treatments, fabric, wall hangings, architectural details, cabinets, countertops, lighting fixtures, and much more. This is a sale you will not want to miss.
Join The Positive Aging Coalition on Saturday, May 2, 10:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at the Herndon Senior Center, 873 Grace Street, Herndon, for a free discussion on ways to age positively. Small groups will share their strategies for encore careers, civic engagement and volunteering, healthy aging, and social involvement. This event is free, but registration is required by contacting Candy@candyspits.com or 703.534.1128.
On May 2 at 4:00 p.m. Expressive Therapeutic Movement (ETM) is joining with Centreville Dance Theatre (CDT) to celebrate the power of dance to transcend language and bring joy to all individuals at the first annual "Hearts 'N Motion" Annual Performance and Silent Auction. Since 1997, ETM has developed creative pathways through movement, dialogue and drawing to awaken and foster the building of healthy body+mind connections, and support creative expression for individuals with developmental delays such as Down Syndrome and autism. CDT, a young people's dance company, has been offering the opportunity for dancers from ages 8 to 18 to perform since 1992. For more information about Hearts 'N Motion visit www.HeartsNMotion.org.
Attend a conference, "Accelerating Social Entrepreneurship: How Technology is Knocking Down Doors and Fueling Social Innovation" on Monday, May 4, George Washington University, Cafritz Conference Center, 800 21st Street, NW, in Washington, DC. For registration and information, visit www.aseconference.org.
Mark your calendar now to join Herndon-Reston FISH for a sparkling evening of dining, dancing, and fun in celebration of 40 years of community service at the annual FISH Fling on Saturday, May 9, in the ballroom of the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Herndon. Visit www.HerndonRestonFISH.org or call Marcia DiTrapani, president, at 703.758.0346 for more information.
Enjoy a performance of one of the greatest choral masterworks ever written as the Reston Chorale performs Ein Deutsches Requiem by Johannes Brahms on Saturday, May 9, 8:00 a.m. at the Reston Community Center, Hunters Woods. The Chorale will also perform a newly commissioned work, This Music, by local composer Scott Solak, in honor of Frederick Wygal, Artistic Director of the Reston Chorale who is retiring. The concert will be followed by a reception to celebrate Mr. Wygal's service to the Chorale and to our community. Call the RCC Box Office at 703.476.1111 to purchase tickets.
The next Fairfax County Interfaith Community Dialogue -- "Our Faith and Ethics: Grappling with the Economic Crisis" -- is scheduled for Wednesday, May 13, at John Calvin Presbyterian Church, 6531 Columbia Pike, Annandale. Doors open at 6:00 p.m.; the dialogue is from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. Due to limited seating, registration is required by May 11 at www.fairfaxcounty.gov/dsm.cil.
Join hundreds of bicycle commuters to celebrate Bike to Work Day on Friday, May 15, 6:30 to 9:00 a.m. at the Reston Town Center pavilion. Each year since 2002, cyclists have gathered at the Town Center for a free breakfast, raffles of bike-related prizes, and bicycling information handouts. Pre-registered riders also get a free t-shirt. To register visit www.waba.org/events/btwd/ and select the Reston pit stop.
Register for the second annual DC Metro "We've Got Your Back" 4 mile race/2 mile fun walk and Spinal Health Fair on Saturday, May 16, 9:00 a.m. to noon, rain or shine. Start and finish at The Virginia Spine Institute, 1831 Wiehle Avenue, Reston. James Thrash and Reed Doughty of the Washington Redskins, as well as Olympian Giddeon Massie, will serve as honorary chairs for this year's event. The Spinal Research Foundation's annual race/walk will benefit research and education to improve spinal health care for all Americans. Visit www.SpineRF.org for registration, fees, and information.
The Reston Community Orchestra presents "All About Youth" on Saturday, June 6, 4:00 p.m., at Hunters Woods Village Center. Featured are Dr. Michael McKee, Narrator; Jamey Turner, Glass Harmonica; and a youth soloist. Selections include Peter and the Wolf by Prokofiev, Haydn's Symphony No. 94 (the "Surprise"), and Overturn & Waltz from Hansel and Gretel by Humperdinck. The concert will also feature an "instrument petting zoo" and other educational elements that will be sure to delight children and youth.
Help with the Reston Lake Cleanup on Saturday, June 13, 9:00 a.m. to noon. The annual lake cleanup provides a chance for residents who care about Reston's lakes to volunteer to pick up litter and other non-natural debris. Join fellow boaters and lake enthusiasts. A sponsor and site leader for each of the lakes is needed. Please contact Ha Brock, RA Volunteer Coordinator, at 703.435.7986 or email habrock@reston.org for information about volunteering or sponsoring.
Celebrate Reston's heritage and its 45th Birthday at the Reston Festival on Saturday and Sunday, July 11 and 12, at the Reston Town Center. To volunteer the days of the event, join the planning committee, be a sponsor, entertainer, food vendor or crafter call the Festival Information Line at 703.435.7989 or check out www.restonfestival.com.
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| Delegate Ken Plum's Virginia E-News.
Authorized by Kenneth R. Plum. Paid for by Friends of Delegate Ken Plum. |
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