IAT Newsletter

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LETTER FROM THE PRESIDENT
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Brrrr! Happy New Year and welcome to winter 2011. Although not as snowy as last year (so far!), we’ve been getting a storm a week in the northeast. Now all those hours working out make sense – I’ve become a champion snow shoveller!

Thanks to everyone who contributed to this issue of the IAT newsletter. As you can see, there are some fabulous humanitarian efforts going on in Africa in which members just like you are participating. My hat’s off to Heather Wilkey and Paul Kilelu, for their wonderful work and for keeping us informed. Thank you to Carole Romanowski for her usual witty prose and poetry – keep ‘em coming! And to all of you – stay warm, stay cool (if you’re Down Under) and stay tuned – 2011 looks like it’s going to be a great ride!

My heart to yours,
Ann

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QUOTE OF THE MONTH
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"To live in the hearts of those you have left behind, is to never die!'" – Thomas Campbell (thanks to Marty S)

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CALENDAR OF EVENTS
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February 5 - 12, 2011 - Aspen, Colorado - Tom Crum's "The Magic of Skiing" - Aiki Works http://www.magicofskiing.com

February 5, 2011 - Cape Coral, FL - Former Member of The New Christy Minstrels, Tom Becker stars in “Back Home Again- A Tribute to John Denver”, www.johndenvertribute.webs.com

February 15 – 23, 2011 – Nairobi, Kenya – Jazz for Peace Concert for the benefit of the Empaash Oloirienito Conservancy Trust – http://www.jazzforpeace.org/im.htm. See more information below in the Letters column

February 20, 2011, March 10, 2011, March 13, 2011, March 20, 2011 – Apache Junction, AZ - Brad Fitch will be presenting a tribute to John Denver at the Arizona Opry Theater. 480-982-7991 or visit www.azopry.com

March 12, 2011 Doylestown PA 7:30 PM Charlie Zahm in concert with fiddler Tad Marks. The first set is a tribute to John Denver and the second set is a mix of American and Celtic folk music. Salem United Church of Christ 186 East Court St. Doylestown, PA www.charliezahm.com Info: pahough@aol.com

March 12, 2011, Knoxville, TN -- Jim Curry is performing his Tribute to the Music of John Denver Concert with the Knoxville Symphony Orchestra on March 12. Details can be found at www.knoxvillesymphony.com .

April 8, 2011 – Carmel, CA – Jim and Anne Curry in concert at the Sunset Center. Contact Judy Therrien at 831-373-7780 for more information.

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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Dear Friends,

Jazz for Peace is returning to Africa to perform in concert to raise awareness for one of the most important environmental concerns of our lifetime - the great migration of the Masai Mara (CBS 60 Minutes - http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=5362301n ).

In keeping with your commitment to support the most significant and important cultural events, it is with great respect that we ask you to join us in support of this cause and the opportunity to "change the world through jazz" (http://www.jazzforpeace.org/im.htm).

On Saturday February 19, 2011 6:00 PM. Jazz for Peace featuring Singer / Pianist / Composer Rick DellaRatta, considered by many to be one of the finest Jazz Artists performing today, will perform a special Benefit Concert for The Empaash Oloorientito Conservancy Trust in Nairobi, Kenya.

This concert will also raise awareness and address the problems facing the Masai Mara, home to the largest migration of animals in the world.

EOC believes that the region's rich natural resource and cultural wealth can be used to expand cultural and eco-based tourism, and provide a significant economic and social development in the local communities. For more information please visit http://www.empaash-o-c.byethost24.com

(thanks to our friend Paul Kilelu for sending this! – AS)
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Humpback Takes a Whale of a Trip!
(by Carole Romanowski - whispjesse@aol.com)

I was impressed with the following Journal News daily newspaper article about the record trip of a humpback whale a few months ago. It seems it remains a mystery why a female humpback whale swam thousands of miles from the reefs of Brazil to the African island of Madagascar, which researchers believe is the longest single trip ever undertaken by a mammal - humans excluded.

While humpbacks normally migrate along a north-to-south axis to feed and mate, this one - affectionately called AHWC No. 1363 - made the unusual decision to check out a new continent thousands of miles to the east.

Marine ecologist Peter Stevick says "it may be that this is an extreme example of exploration or it could be that the animal got very lost!."

Stevick laid out the details of the whale's trip on Wednesday in the Royal Society's Biology Letters, calculating that at a minimum, the whale must have traveled about 6,200 miles to get from Brazil to Madagascar, off the coast of east Africa.

"No other mammal has been seen to move between two places that are further apart," said Stevick, who works at the Maine- based College of the Atlantic.

Humpbacks take the same trip from cold waters where they hunt plankton, fish and krill to warm waters where they mingle and mate "year after year after year", he said. The location of their feeding and breeding spots sometimes varies, but their transoceanic commute doesn't usually change much.

Swapping a breeding ground in Brazil for one in Madagascar was previously unheard of.
"That's almost 90 degrees of longitude- so a quarter of the way around the globe! What a remarkable exception!"

Humpback whales are powerful swimmers, and the 40-ton species typically clock up 5,000 miles in their trips from the frosty waters of the North Atlantic and the Antarctic to more temperate areas around the equator. They're known for their eerie songs - composed of moans and cries - which travel huge distances underwater and whose precise function remains a mystery.

They're also cherished by whale-watchers for their spectacular out-of-the-water jumps, called breaching.

Their numbers have recovered since they were almost hunted to extinction in the mid-20th century.

This article finally explained to me John Denver's 2 references about the whale in his song "I Want to Live." I now understand what "...the breaching of a whale" is and still ponder "...the song the humpback hears 5 hundred miles away...telling tales of ancient history of passages and home!"
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From Heather Wilkey (heatherw016@aol.com)

Hi IAT,

I want to share some of the progress that Innocent has made in Chibolya Village, Zambia.

When I asked the group to add their names to support this project a while back, there was good reason. The effort each person took made a significant difference. It wasn’t about collecting donations, but proving to nonprofits there was a real need and that people cared.

Since that time, over 120 children were sponsored by Zambia Orphans of AIDS for two consecutive years. These children were given uniforms, shoes, books, and school supplies to support their educational needs

The National Alliance for Youth Sports in the USA sent a container of sports equipment to help initiate new programs. An organization in the U.K. provided a grant to build latrines and have a running supply of clean water. The conditions were very bad and the residents in the Community had to walk several miles to get water each day.

Best of all, in April, 2011, another partnering organization will be building a sustainable, environmentally friendly school for these children. It will be a place to call their own.
There are still challenges ahead, but it has been well worth it. For all those who took the time to log in (I know it was a bit confusing), I hope you realize your help for this cause was imperative to achieve their success. And I know there is more to come.

Innocent is also doing well. He has a two year old little girl and a new job in addition to running his organization. He is working for a large wildlife tour operator, and he was thrilled to receive a holiday bonus in December.

Sincerely,
Heather

"Do You See Yourself Reflected in the Seasons?"

(by Carole Romanowski - whispjesse@aol.com)

He watched her every Winter cover the Earth
            with her snow blanket
As we pulled up the quilt upon our bed.
He'd see her pull it down when the crocuses
            announced Spring
And so our heavy Winter coats we shed.

He'd see her every Summer green the lawn
            and bring the sunshine.
Longer days! Enjoy her outdoors more than
            ever!
She shed cold! We finished school! Go on vaca-
            tion! Time to play!
As Summertime makes us as light as a feather!

He'd glance at her as she shook leaves from trees
            in the Fall season.
Colorful and plenty on the ground.
He noticed we'd shed colorful summer clothes in tandem
Every September when Fall would come around.

She is Queen of the Seasons... She is Mother Nature.
He is John, Mother Nature's Son.
He taught us through song how like Mother Nature
            are we
When seasons end...or have just begun!

(copyright by Carole Romanowski)

Sunshine John

(by Carole Romanowski - whispjesse@aol.com)

When an anemic sun slips behind gray
     storm clouds
And the walls seem to be closing in.
I listen to John sing "Sunshine on
     my shoulders..."
And in moments, my face is wearing a grin!

For John is joy, he's comfort,....and he's
     always there
To brighten spirits ...and a cloudy day.
He's a friend, a brother, the nice
     neighbor next door
For he's so close...just a CD away!

I remember the day John became
     an angel
The tearful newscaster said as best
     he could
The reason John was loved and always
     will be
Was stated simply, " He just makes you
     feel good!"

(copyright by Carole Romanowski)

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BITS ‘N BOBS
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Bag It!

Here are some creative ways to reuse those plastic bags in case your house is overrun with them:

Trash liners: using the bags as trash liners will save you money. You can stash a few in all the bathrooms in your house so you’ll never run out when you have to change the bag.

Mailing fillers: use the extra bags as padding when you send packages. It’ll come in handy for any holiday mailing!

Soiled stuff: keep a couple of bags in your diaper bag for the inevitable spills and other accidents that are bound to happen when you’re out with your little tyke.

Donate: give your extra bags to a used book store or a food pantry. They will no doubt find a good use for them.

Hopefully we’re all choosing reusable bags instead.

(thanks to Kathy Lill)

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ENVIRONMENTAL NEWS
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An Urgent Call To Action: Spill Commission Releases Final Report

Report warns oil disaster “may well recur” absent extensive reform of drilling practices and regulation

01-11-2011 // Miles Grant

The National Commission on the BP Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill and Offshore Drilling has released its final report, calling for a national commitment to restoring America’s Gulf Coast. The report also warns an oil disaster “may well recur” absent extensive reform of drilling practices and regulation.

The panel’s key recommendations for lawmakers:

•Strengthen drilling safety measures, including full funding of Department of Interior oversight programs
•Dedicate 80 percent of civil & criminal Clean Water Act penalties to Gulf Coast ecological restoration
•Lift the $75 million liability cap on the maximum amount of cash oil companies would be required to pay for economic losses
“After past catastrophes that have devastated America’s natural resources, Congress has moved swiftly to prevent similar disasters,” said Larry Schweiger, president and CEO of the National Wildlife Federation. “This Congress owes it to the people of the Gulf to act decisively to implement the commission’s recommendations.”

What went wrong
Commission members paint a bleak picture of drilling safety & oversight. The report highlights managerial negligence at many levels surrounding the disaster, but also made clear that "aberrational decisions" were not to blame. Instead, the report describes a culture that values profit over safety. Former Sen. Bob Graham (D-Fla.), one of the commission's two co-chairs, calls regulators “consistently outmatched."

The Deepwater Horizon blowout off the Gulf Coast on April 20, 2010 killed 11 workers. In the months that followed, 200 million gallons of oil gushed into the Gulf of Mexico and more than 8,000 birds, endangered sea turtles & marine mammals were found dead in the disaster zone.

Economic & ecological catastrophe
A study by Oxford Economics estimated that the oil disaster could affect tourism for three years at a cost of $22.7 billion in lost revenues. According to “A Study of the Economic Impact of the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill,” completed by Greater New Orleans, Inc., in Louisiana alone, between 2011 and 2013, gross losses to the economy from lost fishing revenues may be between $285 million and $428 million, resulting in the loss of between 2,700 and 4,000 full time equivalent jobs and lost employee earnings of between $68 million and $103 million.

“The commission’s final report makes clear that we can’t restore the Gulf’s economy without restoring its ecosystems,” said Schweiger. “From the fisheries that support thousands of jobs in commercial and sport fishing to the marshes and barrier islands that soften the blow of hurricanes, the Gulf Coast can’t be made whole without a major national commitment.”
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Help The National Wildlife Federation celebrate 75 years of conservation: http://nwf.org/~/link.aspx?_id=DC35EA58982F46338F5CBE4ABC75CD53&_z=z

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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 April 19, 2011. 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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IAT NEWSLETTER

Winter 2011