IAT NEWSLETTER
Summer 2010
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Letter from the President | Letters & Poems | Newsletter News | |
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"IT'S ABOUT TIME WE BEGIN IT,
TO TURN THE WORLD AROUND . . . "
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ORGANIZATION INFORMATION
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Co-Founder/Former President -- Marcelle Orswell
(notmartha2@yahoo.com)
Co-Founder and Secretary -- Theresa Shea (Tree1A@aol.com)
Co-Founder/Webpage Designer -- Sandy Clark (tybrenn@comcast.net)
Co-Presidents -- Ann Schnitz (aerie01@comcast.net)
and
Mary Ledford (eagleshorses@yahoo.com)
Web Site -- -- http://home.comcast.net/~tybrenn/iat/
Facebook -- -- IAT – John Denver: http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/group.php?gid=100472756285
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LETTER FROM THE PRESIDENT
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I hope all of you are kicking back and taking it easy during this very
hot summer in the northern
hemisphere (and enjoying the break from the heat in the southern hemisphere!). In this issue of
the IAT newsletter, look for the first of what may be a continuing series from Ecoflight’s Bruce
Gordon’s Captain’s Log, where he shares news of the many interesting and exciting conservation
missions with which his organization is involved. There are also letters regarding green buildings,
tips for a “greener” backyard and a review of “A Moment in Time”. Don’t forget to consult the
calendar for great, upcoming events.
And as always, hearty thanks goes out to all those who contributed to this issue of the newsletter.
My heart to yours,
Ann
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QUOTE OF THE MONTH
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Thank God men cannot fly, and lay waste the sky as well as the earth. ~Henry David Thoreau
*
For 200 years we've been conquering Nature. Now we're beating it to death.
~Tom McMillan, quoted in Francesca Lyman, The Greenhouse Trap, 1990
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CALENDAR OF EVENTS
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August
August 7, 2010 - UK - Mack Bailey and Rachel Levy at the Rugby Club, Crediton, Devon.
http://www.fojd.org
August 27, 2010 - Mount Holly Springs, PA - Chris Collins in Concert 7:30 p.m. - 10:00 p.m
Holly Inn / Mount Holly Springs, PA.
www.hollyinn.com/
Chris shares his renditions of familiar songs, cover tunes, and his own great originals!
Info: Suzanne srose312@embarqmail.com or Patty pjspiker@verizon.net.
August 27, 2010 -- Westampton, NJ -- Join Charlie Zahm, Fiddler Tad Marks and guitarist Steve Hobson
for 2 hours of the best of John Denver! Burlington County (NJ) Amphitheater 7:00 PM ,
5 Pioneer Blvd. Westampton, NJ (609) 267-9660
Email: jhorton@bcls.lib.nj.us
Amphitheater is on the grounds of county library. Rain location inside the library.
August 28, 2010 - Hesston, PA - Friends With You Band: A Tribute to the Music of John Denver
7:00 p.m. - 10:00 p.m.
Raystown Lake Seven Points Amphitheater, Hesston, PA
http://raystown.nab.usace.army.mil/WhatsHappening/2010/august.htm
Info: Suzanne srose312@embarqmail.com or Patty pjspiker@verizon.net
September
September 4, 2010 - Estes Park, CO - Brad and Kathy Fitch and the TropiCowboy
Band will present
their Seventh Annual John Denver Tribute Concert in Estes Park, Colorado The concert
will be sponsored
by and is to benefit the Estes Park Lions Club and their programs. The concert will
feature John Denver's
most loved songs and greatest hits, performed by Brad and Kathy and their
band. It will take place in
the newly-remodelled rodeo arena at the Stanley Park Fairgrounds in Estes Park
during Labor Day weekend.
www.estesparklionsclub.org or www.cowboybrad.com
September 10, 2010 -- Oxford, PA -- Charlie Zahm presents the music of John Denver at the
Oxford Meeting House 7:30 PM ,
260 S. 3rd St Oxford, PA He will be joined by guitarist Steve Hobson.
(610) 593-7122
email: Bove1957@aol.com
September 18, 2010 - UK - A Concert For Jean and Joyce Featuring Timberwolf 7:00pm Start
(Doors Open 6:30pm)
At The Gatty Hall, Ecclesfield (Near Chapeltown) Sheffield South Yorkshire.
September 25, 2010 – Cherry Hill, NJ -- An Evening of Music with Christopher Westfall in
Cherry Hill to benefit
the Neighborhood Center, St. Andrew’s United Methodist Church. The Center
is a Christian social-service agency
that serves the residents of Camden, providing a soup kitchen, etc.
Please visit their web site: www.ncicamden.org.
to learn more about their outreach mission.
7:30 pm. Tickets $10 in advance and $12 at the door.
http://www.gbgm-umc.org/
StAndrews NJ 327 Marlton Pike West, Cherry Hill, NJ. 08002
October
October 6, 2010 - Aspen, CO - Chris Collins in Concert at the Limelight Lodge in Aspen, Colorado.
Chris will perform
originals, favorites, and his new music from Undiscovered Colorado,
a Peaceful Blue Planet Foundation Documentary.
Limelight Lodge, Aspen, CO
Wed., Oct. 6, 2010, 7:00 PM, $15 each, For tickets: HollieCWoodstock@aol.com
678-576-0269
October 7, 2010 - Aspen, Colorado - "Doin' Their Own Thing". Wheeler Opera House *
www.wheeleroperahouse.com
October 8, 2010 - Aspen, CO - "CHILL THE DRILLS", a program by the Sierra Club about drilling
in
Alaska - 10:30 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. ASPEN/PITKIN COUNTY LIBRARY, lower level conference room,
FREE for everyone to attend. The library is located "kitty-corner" from the Hotel Jerome at Mill &
Main St.
Info: Jennifer windwalker@samsco.org
October 8, 2010 – Aspen, CO -- Come be part of the debut of the new children’s book, Mardy Murie Did!,
held at ACES (Aspen Center Environmental Studies). Beautifully illustrated by award-winning artist
Jon Van Zyle and
poetically written by Jequita (J.P.) McDaniel, the book honors Mardy’s wonderful
contributions to wilderness preservation.
John Denver’s connection to Mardy, as well as Mardy’s
contributions to helping preserve the Alaska National
Wildlife Reserve (ANWR) will be included in
the presentation. The book is scheduled to be released in bookstores in the
Fall 2010, but early
copies should be available at the presentation. The presentation is free and all are welcome to
attend.
12 –1:30.
October 8-9, 2010 - Aspen, Colorado - 13th Annual Musical Tribute to John Denver - Wheeler Opera House *
www.wheeleroperahouse.com
October 9, 2010 - Aspen, CO Pine Creek Cookhouse IV -- 10:30 a.m. - 3:00 p.m., Ashcroft, CO.
Join us for another
wonderful luncheon event at the Pine Creek Cookhouse. Music provided by
the "Friends With You Band," a
great lunch, and special guests. Doors open at 10:30 am. Lunch
will be served at 12:30 pm. Tickets: $55 per person / Send
your ticket request via email and
the Registration Form will be emailed back to you. Jennifer:
windwalker@samsco.org for more information.
October 30, 2010 - UK - Friends of John Denver Autumn "Denver Day" Blaby, Leicester
(same venue as our
spring Denver Day). Steve Brook will perform some of his own compositions
as well as John Denver songs.
Friends of John Denver * fojdclub@fojd.org.uk
http://www.fojd.org.uk
November
November 6th, 2010 - Germany - John Denver Benefit concert for "Verein für das Krebskranke Kind"
(Children with Cancer) 20:00 Uhr Gerhart-Hauptmann-Realschule
Mühlbachstr.3 45891 Gelsenkirchen http://www.kerstinsiewek.de
In loving Memory Of John Denver
November 20, 2010 – Marlton, NJ – Christopher Westfall at the Wiley Church Singer/Songwriter
Concert
Series. A free will offering will be taken by the church. 7PM, 99 East Main St. Marlton, NJ 08053
December
December 31, 2010 – Haddonfield, NJ – Christopher Westfall at First Night. 6PM + Show times
will be announced. Contact : www.firstnighthaddonfield.org (Please check www.chriswestfall.com
before
leaving for this event, for any last minute changes.)
Branson, MO - Monday through Saturday 10:00am "A Tribute to John Denver & Country Music
Legends".
James Garrett sings John Denver's best-loved hits. IMAX Little Opry Theatre /
3562 Shepherd of the Hills
Expressway / Branson, MO 65616 (800) 419-4832
(thanks to Emily Parris and the Rocky Mountain High newsletter for these dates; thanks too,
to Karen Tupek for keeping
us up to date with Mack Bailey’s schedule, Judy Therrien,
PattiAnn Cutter, Pat Hough and others for information
on Chris Westfall and Charlie Zahm’s
engagements, and Deb Sanderson for news of events in California)
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LETTERS & POEMS
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From HollieCarter (HollieCWoodstock@aol.com):
Conejos, Undiscovered Colorado
June in the Rockies…many areas of the country are in heat waves with people suffering
the morning commute
through hazy, polluted skies. But in the Rocky Mountains, the air
is clear, the temperatures are cooler,
and the land is refreshed with wildflowers and
incredible sunrises of pink and lavender.
In June of 2010, Peaceful Blue Planet Foundation, a non-profit environmental education
organization, ventured
deep into the Rocky Mountains with a film crew to capture the
beauty and the magnificence that can be found
there. The film, Conejos, Undiscovered
Colorado, is about Eco-tourism, one of the fastest growing types
of tourism.
By definition, Eco-tourism, or ecologic tourism, promotes respect for the land and therefore
leads to conservation
efforts to save it. This type of tourism leaves almost no footprint or
any type of destruction. In fact,
in many cases it promotes restoration of the land. Eco-tourism
also protects the history and culture of the
area.
Conejos, Undiscovered Colorado will show the amazing San Juan Range of Southern Colorado.
The history
there is rich in Spanish culture, and the tourism possibilities are numerous. Chris
Collins, singer-songwriter
and Co-Founder of Peaceful Blue Planet Foundation, will take the
audience on a tour that includes destinations for
travelers who hike, ride, or may need a more
accessible way to see the Rockies. Chris wrote original songs
and the score for the film.
The film is scheduled to premier in the Fall of 2010 as part of the John Denver Week in Aspen,
Colorado. “We wanted to share this special documentary with our friends in Aspen,” says Hollie
Carter, Co-Founder
of Peaceful Blue Planet Foundation.
(see the calendar for more info on attending this October 6th event -- ARS)
From Carole Romanowski - whispjesse@aol.com):
“A Moment in Time" Review
My family and I thoroughly enjoyed Tony Award Winner Stewart F. Lane's professional
writing, directing and
production of the sensitive play "A Moment in Time" performed at
the Dix Hills Performing Arts
Center in Long Island, New York on Sunday, June 27th. This
play, at Five Towns College, honored the men and
women who put their lives on the line
every day for the rest of us, plus it paid tribute to John Denver, his
music and legacy as well.
The play was about a Marine (portrayed by Michael Sample ) named Henry in the play
(John's birth given name)
on duty in Afghanistan who was critically hurt during battle, and
while on the operating table, traveled back
through his mind and life to safer and happier
memories - "moments in time" which often happens
to someone close to death. What a
tearjerker when his Dad, notified of his son's imminent demise, prayed to God
to have his
son spared and himself taken instead - and so it ensued.
Some of Henry's memories, all of which involved John Denver's songs, included wanting to
return home from war - "Take Me Home Country Roads", falling in love with Annie - "Come
and Let Me Look in Your Eyes"
and "Annie's Song", and leaving to go to war - " Leaving on
a Jet Plane"... to name a few in
the musical repertoire. Paraphrasing what John Denver once
said, "Isn't it funny, how in the expression of
your deepest feelings, you can say more than
you ever imagined for someone else?"
In conclusion, this play, performed by professional actors and theater arts students from the
college, employed
striking scenery, costumes, and professional orchestration and choreography.
Small wonder it was sold out
at all three performances from Friday, June 25th through Sunday,
June 27th! What a sensitive and first rate
production without the travel to and cost of a New
York City Broadway Show, and most importantly, what a beautiful
tribute and honor to John
Denver and to our troops!
How could this play miss when the show's program printed "Music and Lyrics by John Denver"!!
From Rich Romanowski (wrangellmtns@aol.com):
The Green Workplace
Greg Clary, Earth Watch reporter for the Journal News newspaper, describes a construction
company office
building in Armonk, New York that goes a long way toward being the greenest
in Westchester County, if not
in the lower Hudson Valley (north of New York City). It has
countertops made of old windshields and
mirrors, desktops made of sunflower seed husks,
floors made from old tires and enough natural light coming
in that you might as well turn off
the solar-powered electricity.
The building is owned by Charles Brown, 56, who is the company's president, and who has
recycled metal for
more than 20 years. He recently had solar panels installed on the roof of
the 45,000 square-foot
renovated building that supply enough power to "get off the grid",
meaning that the nearly $2000.
the company used to pay the local utility company every month
is not necessary anymore and the capital
expenditure should pay for itself in about five years.
Efforts to "go green" usually
include three or four (sustainable) items, but this office building
literally has them all. The
building renovation took about three months.
With the sustainable building certification program known as "Leadership in Environmental and
Energy
Design" (LEED), you can't get the top "Platinum" rating without having almost everything -
including a program to teach others how to put up buildings that conserve natural resources
rather than
waste them.
Hiring LEED-certified project coordinators like Erika Conradt turned the company from a regular
construction management and general contracting organization into an innovator. "It gives us
an edge," Conradt said. "The design field is already in tune with it, but now a
lot of construction
firms are being LEED. There's a social responsibility and then there's the
business."
Conradt estimated that the price of a project rises by 5-10 percent for a sustainable building.
Charles
Brown estimated the additional number was closer to 20 percent. In his words "I think
everybody
realizes the importance of doing this. Our place is green all right, but it's also going
to increase
productivity."
For more information on the building, visit www.cwbrown.com
For more information on sustainable building practices visit the U.S. Green Building Council's
website
www.usgbc.org/.
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From Carole Romanowski - whispjesse@aol.com):
From Full Lawns to "Meadows"!
Some of the "greenest" lawns in the Lower Hudson Valley in NY State where I live aren't that
green
at all but are laced with meadows! My back yard is one of them!
About 10 years ago I cut circles of dirt into parts of my lawn and planted spirea, holly bushes
and
wildflowers, creating Earth-friendly "meadows!" These areas never need to be watered -
rain
does that - weeded, fertilized or mowed, thereby lowering lawn maintenance and your time.
Tip - when planting wildflower seeds in these meadows, cover initially with hay to keep the soil
and seeds moist enough to grow the flowers. In this way, the sun won't burn the seeds out by
drying out the
planting area and you won't have to water the area either after the initial hosing.
Did you know a typical gas-powered lawn mower running one hour coughs out as much smog
as 40 new cars? So an
electric mower is more eco-friendly, and the newer, quieter ones won't
wake up your neighbors on Saturday
morning when they're still sleeping and you're mowing!
All grass lawns offer very little to native birds, bees and butterflies in terms of food and shelter,
as
these "meadows" do. All grass lawns also require more chemicals and fertilizer to keep down
the
weeds for the "perfect" lawn, thereby further polluting the earth.
I also created a rock garden on my lawn with a low growing green spreader "moving" between
the
rocks to soften the garden. Very little pruning twice a summer is needed. It, too, was created
from a
cut-out of grass on my lawn.
Flowers and plants, versus an all green lawn, are so much easier on the eyes, the owners, and
on the
Earth! On the aside, you know what isn't to me? - green nail polish! Yes, it's being sold
here in
stores this Spring/Summer to wear to let everyone know you're environmentally friendly
and to raise
other's level of earth sustainability consciousness! As for me, I'll stick to my pinks
and reds and
let my yard speak for me and for itself!
From EcoFlight (ecoflightstaff@earthlink.net):
Captain's Log 1XE, Day 3 of the supposedly spring (been raining and snowing for days) month
of June
in the earth calendar year 2010.
Another cloudy and stormy day with thunderstorms moving in and out of our projected flight
path. Up
in beautiful Montana working on various issues including National Trails Day and the
Great Outdoors
campaign.
While up in these parts we were asked to do a photographic mission over Otter Creek in
southeastern
Montana. Flying over the famous Custer battlefield, we reached the Otter Creek
area. Located near the
Tongue River, a tributary of the Yellowstone River, farmland and prairies
and wild untouched country
still abound. There are plentiful numbers of trophy-quality whitetail
and mule deer, growing herds of
prairie elk and 250 species of birds in the Tongue River valley,
including 137 species of songbirds.
The Otter Creek area has historically been inhabited by
several Native American tribes, including
the Northern Cheyenne and Crow. Rock art, tipi rings
and petroglyphs have been found and some rock
landforms are considered sacred sites.
In March 2010, the state of Montana leased 572 million tons of coal for strip mining at Otter
Creek
to Arch Coal, the nation's second largest coal producer. Together with other coal leases
amassed in
the area, the proposed Otter Creek Mine could become one of the largest strip
mines in North America.
When burned, the coal would emit at least 2.4 billion tons of carbon dioxide.
The Northern Plains Resource Council asked us to help photograph the currently serene and
relatively
untouched region of Otter Creek and then fly south and photograph the Black Thunder
Coal Mine, to
juxtapose the two areas and bring to life the real threats that are facing the Otter
Creek area. The
Black Thunder Coal Mine is the second most productive mine in the U.S. It's
dragline excavator is the
biggest in the world and cranks out enough coal to load up to 25 miles
of railroad cars per day.
Videographer and native resident Dawson Dunning joined us on the flight. As a member of the
Northern
Plains Resource Council and a fifth generation ranching family, Dawson represents a
growing number of
neighbors and local residents who are opposed to a huge coal plant smack
dab in the middle of Otter
Creek, and a proposed Tongue River railroad which would have to be
built to ship coal from isolated
Otter Creek to markets in the Midwest and the Pacific Coast.
Our good friend, professional photographer and EcoFlight member from Bozeman, Tim Crawford,
was not
able to accompany us, but our own Janey Pargiter along with Dawson provided excellent
images of the
developed, (Black Thunder Coal Mine) versus the undeveloped, (serene Otter Creek)
which will be utilized
to provide more information and documentation to help the local populace
decide if this project will
become the future of the Tongue River Valley.
What the future ultimately holds is uncertain, but we felt like we accomplished our mission of
helping
to educate people on the potential impacts on a quiet and majestic landscape.
As we proceeded home, the cold front passed swiftly behind us and clear skies welcomed us
home to Colorado.
The Captain's Log is located at http://www.ecoflight.info/ and will be sent to fellow voyagers
to
fill you in on some of their exciting missions.
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"Forever John" |
(by Carole Romanowski - whispjesse@aol.com) How often is a prophet born To grace our imperfect lives? Bestowing a gamut of emotions Still when not in mortal guise? A wise and prophetic seer John's timeless words endure today. So when at sea, listen to his wisdom For lighter paths to traverse your way. Even now with our economy Lost jobs and foreclosed homes John sings "...we're all in this together..." For helping one's brother's John's epitome. A "...friend from our Heavenly Home..." John is still bequesting choice That as we travel through life's uncertain journey We choose to let "...(John) be a voice." (copyright by Carole Romanowski) |
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BITS ‘N BOBS
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Looking for interested JD friends in Toronto, Ontario, Canada or Buffalo-New York and
area that
would be interested in having Steve Weisberg do a get together session? He needs
about 10 people to make it work. Call or email Marty @ 519-318-1017 or tmslimming@hotmail.com
Peace,
Marty
The Freecycle Network is made up of 4,775 groups with more than 7 million members
across
the globe. It's a grass-roots and entirely non- profit movement of people who are giving away
and
receiving free stuff in their own cities, towns and neighborhoods.
“Freecycling” Swap Sites:
www.freecycle.org
http://neighborgoods.com
http://wecommune.com
www.lendaround.com
http://swapstyle.com
http://switchplanet.com
People on these sites can contribute or receive anything from clothes, furniture, knicknacks,
jewelry, household goods - literally anything! Since this is such an easy way to "browse"
for the
goods you may want while adding to sustainability of our planet, I say "try it out!"
(Carole Romanowski)
The World Turned Off
In what was the largest public demonstration in history, hundreds of millions of people in 126
countries turned off their lights for one hour on March 27 in support of World Wildlife Fund (WWF)’s
Earth Hour. In the U.S., 90 million people--representing every state and the nation's capital--
participated in
Earth Hour's call for action on climate change. Now, the spirit of Earth Hour will
be carried forward in
practical ways, as cities and individuals go beyond the symbolism of turning
off lights to take real
climate-saving actions in their daily lives.
For more information, go to:
http://www.earthhour.org/Homepage.aspx?intro=no
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Oil spill in the Gulf *********************************************************************
ENVIRONMENTAL NEWS
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NWF - "How the Gulf Oil Spill Could Hurt Animals"
NY Times roundup - "Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill (2010)"
Excellent article on the potential biological effects of the spill - "Cold, Dark and Teeming With Life"
"Tesla Electric Cars: Revved Up, but Far to Go"
NEWSLETTER NEWS
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If you would like to submit articles, news items, stories, poetry, or any other pertinent
information to IT'S ABOUT TIME, please e-mail any of the IAT staff. The submission deadline
for the next edition is October 19, 2010. Please be sure to include any contact information so
that members can e-mail or snail-mail for further details.
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The contents of this newsletter are entirely at the discretion of the "It's About Time" staff.
Contributions, as always, are welcomed, although inclusion is not guaranteed.
All contributed material may be subject to editing for content and length.
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". . . IT'S ABOUT TIME WE START TO LIVE
IT,
THE FAMILY OF MAN,
IT'S ABOUT TIME
AND IT'S ABOUT CHANGES . . .
AND IT'S ABOUT TIME."
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