IAT NEWSLETTER
MAY 2000
| Organization Information | News and Information |
| Letter from the President | Newsletter News |
| Letter from the Editor | Poems and Inspirational Thoughts |
| Fundraisers | Stories |
| Letters | Upcoming Events |
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"IT'S ABOUT TIME WE BEGIN IT, TO TURN THE WORLD AROUND..."
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ORGANIZATION INFORMATION:
Co-Founder/Former President - Marcelle
Co-Founder and Secretary -- Theresa (Tree1A@aol.com)
Co-Founder and Webpage Designer -- Sandy (IATMail@aol.com)
Co-Presidents -- Ann (aerie01@sprynet.com) and Mary (eagleshorses@yahoo.com)
Newsletter Editor -- Marcia (mport@netnitco.net)
Web Site -- http://members.aol.com/tybrenn/
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Hi everyone!
This month, the floor is Mary Ledford's, to introduce herself to you all and to tell you about some of the activities she's been involved with.
I hope everyone has a wonderful summer!
My heart to yours,
Ann
*****
Dear Friends ń
Ann and I are proud to announce the merger of our two organizations: ëItís About Time" and "Rhymes & Reasons". I started "Rhymes & Reasons" 10 years ago while sitting at the Earth Day concert in April of 1990 in Washington, DC. As you know, John performed during that event and it was a wonderful day. I chose the name for itís environmental message and have always been a "hands on" organization vowing now to continue Johnís important humanitarian/environmental work in his memory. I did newsletters on my own until I became an "official" club in 1993. I will have back issues available shortly. The memorial issues that I have done contain some very special photos from the Deutschendorf Family Album Ö thanks to Johnís aunt, Sammy Deutschendorf.
Over the years, I have had some wonderful experiences which I will treasure. The US and Overseas clubs were invited as guests of Windstar to attend the last three Choices symposiums (93, 94, 95) with full press credentials thus giving us opportunities to attend press conferences as well as video/photo opportunities. We also participated in several fundraising projects with Plant-it 2000. We were also fortunate to be able to attend the taping of the Wildlife Concert in February of 1995. I have met John many, many times both backstage and during various events Ö my first meeting was at the 1986 Celebrity Ski in Lake Tahoe.
Now as we celebrate Johnís life and continue his work, there are many things that have been done in the past Ö from symposiums in Aspen to benefit concerts here in the Washington, D.C. area. I am currently working on another event for Aspen 2000. Anyone interested in attending, let me know. I am also currently working on putting together a photo book of John which will chronicle his career with a major focus on his environmental/humanitarian work. I invite any of you to send me your favorite photo (no larger than 8x10) and include your name and a brief description of the photo (i.e. ń where it was taken, the date, and the circumstances surrounding it). I hope to have this book published. E-mail me for shipping details.
Again, I am very pleased to be announcing this merger and I look forward to working with all of you. As John said, "You AND me together Ö. Itís About Time."
Peace-Mary
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Hi again, folks,
Just to let you all know -- our editor, Marcia Porter, was unable to take part in putting this newsletter together due to a family medical emergency. I hope you will join with me in keeping Marcia and her family uppermost in your thoughts during this difficult time, and we hope to have her back with us for next month's edition.
We love you, Marcia!
Ann
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"IT'S ABOUT TIME WE START TO MAKE IT,
THE DREAM WE'VE ALWAYS KNOWN..."
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You must be the change you wish to see in the world.
-- Gandhi
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SUPPORT NEEDED FOR JD MEMORY GARDEN
Dear friends,
Your support is needed to purchase an Aspen tree and engraving for the John Denver
Memory Garden in Snowmass, Colorado. This project is being spearheaded by Jane McLaughlin
and Brian Mooney (and) we hope that, together, the World Family of John Denver can
complete this project in time for the October celebration. For more information follow
the link http://members.aol.com/tybrenn/memgrove.html or e-mail me directly.
Thanks, Richard (gerrich@jlc.net)
************
Just a reminder that we're still collecting ideas for the environmental
suggestion book. Go to the IAT website and fill out the online form: http://members.aol.com/tybrenn/ideaform.html.
We'll compile the cyber book and let you know when it's available for purchase. The
funds raised will be donated to The Hunger Project, naturally.
Also still available are our Cyber cookbooks! The order form is at: http://members.aol.com/tybrenn/ccorderform.html.
It has to be printed and then filled in (or the requested info copied) and snail-mailed
along with a check (made payable to
The Hunger Project). Once the order is received, the cookbook(s) will be e-mailed. The
address to send it to is:
IAT Family
c/o R. Holmes
P.O. Box 357
Wilton, NH 03086
Thank you in advance for your support, The IAT Staff
**********
The John Denver Cloth of Many Colors has undergone some changes in the last month or so. We have changed the name to The One World John Denver Memorial Peace Cloth. To date, we have close to a thousand cloths that have been sent in by friends worldwide. It is and continues to be an amazing project of love. For those of you who may not be aware of this project, we are building city block long lengths of cloth that will be wrapped around the base of the United Nations, in conjunction with the Cloth of Many Colors Peace Project, on September 19th. We have volunteers who are sewing the cloth together, volunteers who will be at the ceremony at the United Nations to help wrap the cloth. We'd like to invite everyone who is a John Denver friend to send in a 4" x 4" or larger piece of cloth. Together we can stand before the world through our support of this project and make a statement for world peace and for a great humanitarian, environmentalist and peace worker, John Denver. We have had a number of people come forward to help with getting the word out about this project, articles have been printed in newspapers, public service announcements on radio stations throughout the US. Our friends from Australia, England, Germany, and Holland have carried the story in their magazines, as well as the United States. We have truly gathered together as family to create this memorial for John and it is our hope that we will present a portion of the peace cloth, along with a scrapbook to John's family. We have been contacted by Anna Zapp, who designed and made John's concert clothing for 10 years and she has generously decided to donate to this project cloth that was left over and that she has kept, that were made to make some of John Denver's clothing. Thank you Anna, it's almost like a donation of cloth from John. We now have a tee shirt for this project available, if you're interested please contact Christine at dreamsoffreedom@yahoo.com. For more information on the One World John Denver Peace Cloth, please contact me, Debra at wilco@paclink.com or check out our website at http://john-denver.org/web/cloth.html. I want to thank everyone for their support and invite all of you to participate, all it takes is a moment of your time, a peace of cloth held in your hand with thoughts/prayers of peace. Send your cloth to me at Debra Chilton, 2817 NE 48th Street, Vancouver, WA 98663. Together we are making a difference. DEB
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This is a letter that some of you may have seen already, from Ron Deutschendorf to Conrad Reeder and to the LA Times. He asked if we would disseminate it to as many JD friends as we could, so here it comes again.
Ann
*****
Connie,
I wanted to send you a letter I wrote to the LA Times following the airing of the
TV movie, supposedly of my brothers life. As a long time friend I feel I can trust
you and Roger to send this along for me, without my e-mail address. I don't know
if they will print it or not at the moment. You and I have spoken about the lack
of truth and fact in this TV movie about my brother, and I don't want our friends
(John's fans) to be mislead in the portrayal of my brothers life.
Those who knew him through his many concerts, TV specials, and music, saw more the
truth of John than what was portrayed in the movie. For him to be portrayed as some
kind of dweeb, not the caring, intelligent, outspoken,
humanitarian, and environmentalist he was, disgust me beyond belief. I have been
reading the message board on the JD net site since the movie and this is why I am
enclosing this letter for you to pass on.
My brother was a wonderful human being, and the folks who I have been reading messages
from know this. But I don't want them to be mislead by this portrayal of his life,
or the events shown in the movie.
I am not ready to open myself up to our friends yet with my e-mail address, as many
things are still to painful for discussion. I was only able to force myself to watch
the movie for my Mom as she was so upset about it.
Maybe one day soon I will be able to communicate through this medium. I feel like
writing the real story now myself more than ever before, or doing the real movie.
Any way, if you would be so kind as to put this out there for our friends I would
appreciate it.
Thanks
ron
Attn: Lee Margulies, LA Times
In watching the CBS television movie, "Take Me Home, the John Denver Story"
which aired Sunday nite last week, I must say I am tremendously disappointed.
This was not an accurate portrayal of my brothers life, nor are the events and people
included an honest depiction.
The people responsible for this, chose to incorrectly portray John Denver's life
for reasons I cannot imagine, (personal gain?) not to relay the truth of my brothers
life! I know this is not the fault of CBS, none the less, I
would have preferred an honest portrayal of my brothers life, the good and the bad!
Our dad, though indeed hard on us, always supported John in his dream. Dad and Mom
were the ones who let John quit college, and go to LA, where they imposed on friends,
for a job and a place to stay for John while he attempted
to get his start.
Our father never gave my brother a hard time about the name change, though he had
every right to do so, and the phrase "Howdy Doody is famous" was never
spoken.
The relationship between our father and my brother was great, and though they had
difficulties when John was younger, (what children don't most of the time) those
had long since been forgotten before Johns first TV Special, not just before our
dad passed away as shown in the movie. Our father was very quick to relay how "proud"
he was of my brother and his accomplishments throughout John's career, as well as
his love for his son!
Nor did John write "Annies Song" just before he and Annie divorced, as
we are lead to believe in the movie, for the purpose of attempted reconciliation,
but many years prior to their difficulties.
Ask Jerry Weintraub about Hal Thau's involvement in John's career, versus bookkeeping!
Hal owes all that he has to my brother! For him to say in the Memorial Service he
felt like John was the brother he never had sure makes me wonder, "How is our
mom doing Hal?" As there was supposedly no will, do you think she is being taken
care of as John would have wanted?
The only good to come from this "TV Movie" is a certain exposure of my
brothers music, in prime time!
Ronald L. Deutschendorf
John Denver's only brother
*****
PS -- Ron's letter did appear in the LA Times, in an abridged form (AS).
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LIFETIME GRAMMY AWARD PETITION
As many of you may know, Charlene Finney was coordinating this effort to petition
the NARAS to award John a Grammy for Lifetime Achievement at next year's awards ceremony.
Since she passed away a few months ago,
her husband and I have taken over the project.
We would like to gather a minimum of 2,500 individual letters
-- 5,000 is our true goal. If you can help by downloading this letter, signing it,
and returning it to me, we could make this happen. If you would also
ask friends/fans you know to sign copies; and, forward the document to anyone on
your JD e-mail list, too.
Please don't sign as Mr. and Mrs. Each person needs to sign a separate letter. Of
course, if you would take time to write a personal letter, so much the better. This
is one that has been edited and re-edited and made easy to print and return. If there
are JD-related activities locally, please take copies of the letter with you and
get as many signatures as you can. If there are businesses locally that might get
signatures for you, please don't hesitate to ask. One lady in Arkansas took the letter
copies to her local music store and got staff signatures!
All letters should be sent back to me at the address below.
Please make note of my new JD e-mail address:
will_try_to_carry_on@yahoo.com
from "Wild Montana Skies", of course.
Thanks for all your help and inventiveness in making this happen. Next year you can watch the ceremony, knowing you had a part in a long overdue award for John!
Elaine Byrne, REALTOR
P.O. Box 201055
Austin, TX 78720
The petition may be downloaded from our It's About Time website -- http://members.aol.com/tybrenn/petition.html
*************
Dear Friends,
In February of 1992, on a remote beach in Baja, Mexico, events began to unfold that
would lead to the creation of LONG VIEW MEDIA. Jean-Michel Cousteau and I
were filming "surfing" gray whales for a documentary television special
called The Secret Societies of Whales and Dolphins. John Denver, a long-time supporter
of The Cousteau Society, joined us to perform a song he had written about the whales
for the film. The Secret Societies of
Whales and Dolphins went on to be nominated for a national EMMY Award and John and
I established West Star Productions, Inc. to produce educational documentary films.
While developing a series called REUNION, Mind and Nature and during the filming
of a PBS/NATURE program, John was tragically killed in a plane accident. The film,
John Denver, Let This Be A Voice, aired on PBS in December of 1998 and continues
to be rebroadcast by popular demand. To honor Johnís unwavering commitment to environmental
and humanitarian causes and to
carry on the work that we began with West Star Productions, I have founded the nonprofit
corporation, LONG VIEW MEDIA.
The mission of LONG VIEW MEDIA is to produce educational motion pictures that genuinely
inform and inspire individuals to become actively involved in the personal and social
changes necessary to create a peaceful and
environmentally sustainable future for our world.
Television is an extraordinary form of communication that reaches millions of individuals
regardless of social or geographic boundaries. But complex topics like starvation,
war, endangered species and nuclear waste are often conveyed in brief sound and picture
"bites" that may evoke emotion, but rarely inform. Much of the apathy we
see in modern society comes in reaction to this confusing barrage of fractured and
often negative information. People are starved for in-depth, intelligent answers
to the unsettling questions raised by rapidly changing technologies and a growing
human population. Our programs will explore diverse topics and always, by following
a chain of connections, link them to the individual viewer. By joining seemingly
unrelated subjects in unexpected ways, we deepen our awareness of how we are fundamentally
related to all things in the world - whether an Australian bushman, a virus, or Albert
Einstein.
LONG VIEW MEDIA is currently developing its first series for television, an in depth
look at food, a subject which effects our lives far beyond basic nourishment. This
four hour series will explore topics like the amazing
natural events which bring food to our tables, the effects of our chosen dietary
tastes on the environment, the international controversies created by bio-engineered
food, and solutions to the complex problem of world hunger.
Please work with us to promote a sustainable environment and world peace by making
a tax-deductible contribution to LONG VIEW MEDIA. Thank you for your generous support.
Sincerely,
Sandy Ostertag
President, LVM Board of Directors
Box 521 Wilson, Wyoming, 83014, USA
(from PixieDmyr@aol.com)
*************
I want share with you the excitement and joy that was mine as I watched and listened to Charlie Zahm at the Celtic Festival in Monterey California. When John Denver died it felt that a part of me died with him, and left a void with in me filled with sorrow that did not diminish with time. I had come to accept as fact that no one could ever fill that void, that no one would ever write and sing songs that would fill my eyes with tears and my heart with joy. It is with great joy that I tell you I was wrong. Charlie's performance both filled my eyes with tears of joy and filled my heart with laughter. I know that my love for John went far beyond my love of his music and that I will still catch myself wondering when John's next concert will be. Now, part of that void has been filled, for I will be looking forward to the next time I can see Charlie perform, and I have his wonderful CD's to listen to until next time. I know that nothing can capture the magic of seeing Charlie perform live, his personal magnetism and rapport with the audience that can carry you away to a different time and a different place as he sings songs of the land and songs of the sea. Words can not express the beauty or power of Charlie voice nor can they capture the magic of his songs.
Thank you Pat and Ann for bringing Charlie Zahm to California and most of all, thank you Charlie for
bringing Joy to my heart.
Dennis
(Dennis, all the credit goes to my dear friend Pat Hough and Judy Therrien and Steve Gorman in California (AS))
************
The Charlie Zahm concert in Monterey at the Wharf Theatre
on May 13th apparently went so well, everyone forgot to take notes on what he sang,
and what everyone else sang - they were too busy enjoying themselves. Now that's
what I call a concert! The show was a benefit for Friends of the Sea Otter (http://www.seaotter.org).
Folks did remember that Charlie sang "Whalebones and Crosses," "Perhaps
Love," "Wrangell Mountain Song," "City of New Orleans" and
"Today" among others (as one person wrote: "The best part of the concert
was that the songs that were sung were not the run of the mill stuff. Hardly any
"RMH" or "Country Roads." Rather, we heard "Eagles and Horses,"
"Ponies," "Darcy Farrow," "The Garden Song," "Shanghai
Breezes" and stuff like that") - and that the entire band of singers -
Charlie, Steve Gorman, George Schumer and Connie Poquette sang "Take Me Home,
Country Roads" with the audience at the end of the show.
Many thanks to Pat Hough and Judy Therrien for organizing the show, from opposite
ends of the country, and to Angelo DiGiralomo for providing the theatre space. As
John once wrote, "I Wish I Could Have Been There."
In the May 29th issue of "US News and World Report," they are asking for
opinions about heroes: "America's Heroes: Why do we need them?" This is
for a panel they're holding at 8:30am on May 31st in New York (at the "Newseum"
for those of you in NY who may be free to attend - the public is invited).
They started by stating: "A survey in 1998 by the Scripps Howard News Service
found that barely half of all Americans had a personal hero in their own lives, someone
who once lived and still commanded their respect."
It's obvious that they never spoke to any John Denver fans about who their heroes
are, and why. That oversight can be remedied: Their email address is Letters@usnews.com
from Debra - PixieDmyr@aol.com
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The Story behind "Darcy Farrow" ....
( With grateful thanks to co-writer, Steve Gillette )
Tom Campbell and I wrote the song, "Darcy Farrow" in the summer of 1965.
It came out of something that happened to my sister, whose name is Darcy. She was
just twelve years old then and had a horse which she rode on the beach and the bluffs
near Laguna Beach in California.
One day she was chasing the horse into the corral when the horse kicked her and broke
her cheekbone. She didn't have any lasting effects, but for a few days she stayed
in the hospital while there was concern that she might have a concussion.
Tom was very moved by the episode, and took a melody that I had been working on and
created the very tragic, star-crossed lovers story of the song. At first, I was horrified.
Because it was my sister, I was put off by the dark, sad story. But as we worked
together on the song, we took it more into the traditional sounding style of an old
cowboy ballad with the place names and character names and it began to feel like
something I could sing.
While we were working on the song, we sang it for Ian & Sylvia, two performers
who were great influences on many of us who came up in the folk music revival of
the sixties, and were thrilled when they said they would like to record the song.
When Ian would introduce the song from the stage, he used to say that Tom and I had
written the song as a class assignment, or sometimes he would say that we had written
the song to fool a professor.
That wasn't true, but like most rumours had a germ of truth. Tom had taken some classes
in folklore at UCLA with a famous man named D.K. Wilgis. The professor had encouraged
the students to collect songs from family members and neighbors and bring them in.
Tom brought in songs but he would embellish them by writing a new verse or two or
a new melody and thought he was pretty clever if he got away with it. Ian liked this
story and added it to his introduction to the song. To this day, many people believe
that is the origin of the song.
"Darcy Farrow" has been recorded almost two-hundred times by diverse artists
like John Denver, George Hamilton IV, Townes Van Zandt, and now by Nanci Griffith.
Gordon Lightfoot has sung it in his concerts. Linda Ronstadt, Judy Collins and many
others have sung it even if they never recorded their versions of the song. David
Wilcox sang a version of his own for me where he changed the ending so that nobody
dies. Another friend who played rhythm guitar for Elvis Presley's band says it was
one of Elvis' favourite songs.
Tom and I are thrilled that the song has taken on a life of its own. This is what
happens with true folk songs and we would like nothing better than to see the song
go on to become part of the great wealth of songs of our folk music heritage. Many
people tell us that when they drive through the area around Lake Tahoe and Carson
and Yerrington, that they feel the presence of the people in the story. It's always
very gratifying to hear that. Even though the song has sold millions of records and
found a place on many gold and platinum albums, this sense of continuity with the
folk music tradition gives us great satisfaction.
Oh, and my sister? Darcy now has two sons in college and is only slightly embarrassed
when somebody asks her if she ever heard that song with her name in it. I think she
has forgiven us.
I was also a great fan of John Denver and admired him as a person as well as a performer.
It was John who helped me to get started. He took a tape of mine to his producer
and publisher, Milt Okun in New York when he went East to join the Mitchell Trio.
Milt signed me to his publishing company, Cherry Lane Music and invited me to come
to the East Coast and perform at the Philadelphia Folk Festival in 1966. This was
a big break for me and it was right after the festival that I went up to New York
to stay for a few months during which Milt presented me to Vanguard Records and helped
me with my writing in other ways.
John recorded two of my songs, "Darcy Farrow," and another song that David MacKechnie and I wrote called, "Sweet Melinda." This is the song that the group, Chesapeake recently recorded. I would see John from time to time over the years, but with all his success he travelled in a very different world and had many demands on his time. He was always thoughtful and friendly though, and would go out of his way to drop into a club to say hello, but all the while he was doing things on a pretty grand scale. He raised and donated millions to help with causes to clean up the environment and save the oceans and usually declined the publicity and public attention for himself in favour of the cause.
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"MUSICAL TRIBUTE" TO JOHN DENVER
June 3, 2000 1:00PM till 6PM
Come and enjoy a FREE "Spring Musical Tribute" to the life of John Denver,
held at his Memorial Bench site on the Lake in beautiful Central Park NYC.
Rejoice to 5 hours of John's music in a performance by John Adams, Chris Westfall,
and other special guests.
This Musical Tribute to John Denver will take place on the bank of the beautiful
Lake in Central Park which is abundant with Wild Ducks, Snow White Swans, Cranes,
Red Tailed Hawks, Peregrin Falcons, and wild creatures that live in the park. All
the trees, bushes, and flowers will be in full bloom. John loved to stroll through
Central Park every time he was in NYC recording. He was spotted by many fans strolling
through the park with a smile on his face and whistling along. Come and experience
this Musical Tribute to him and you just may be sitting in a spot where John himself
sat and gazed at the lake.
This will truly be a great "Musical Tribute" to our John and a day to remember.
Peace,
Jo and Eve
WSmith5492@aol.com and EEEEEKL@aol.com
Please email for more info
DIRECTIONS TO JOHNS MEMORIAL BENCH:
Enter Central Park at the West 77th Street entrance. Walk straight down the path,
and cross the running path (a car lane during the week). Make a right onto the footpath,
and the very first left into Hearnshead Lane. Bear to the extreme right and take
that lane straight down to the lake. John's bench is the very first one you will
come to. Bench #40475.
OR
From the East side: walk straight across the park to the West side. You will pass
the large fountain, which is at the bottom of many steps, keep walking west along
the lake. When you get to the beginning of the lake, make a right onto the path along
the lake. John's bench will be the last one in the row of benches. Bench #40475.
You can always ask anyone in the park how to get to the west side of the lake; people
are very helpful in the park.
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HIGHWAY CLEANUP -- REDONDO BEACH
Sunday, June 4th at 1pm will be the next Windstar California/Friends
of John Denver Highway Cleanup in Redondo Beach.
We'll be cleaning the entire stretch of the PCH in Redondo Beach, from the North
End (near Agate) to the South End (Avenue G). Meet at the North End (mini-mall parking
lot) to pick up the bags, helmets, gloves and picker-upper-grabbers. If you don't
want to clean the entire stretch, you can meet at the North End, then drive to somewhere
near the middle (say, Garnet) and clean from there to Avenue G, and back.
The entire stretch of highway that we clean has sidewalks, and lots of fast food
places, so anyone who gets hungry part way through can grab a bite to eat. There's
even a Starbucks, for those who need the caffeine hit to keep going!
For more information, or for directions to Redondo Beach, contact Debra - PixieDmyr@aol.com, or 310-393-8346.
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BENCH DEDICATION -- LONG ISLAND, NY
June 11th, at 1PM,
The Long Island Greenbelt Trail Conference, Joan and Mary invite you to a bench dedication to John at the Connetquot State Park and Preserve in Oakdale, New York (Long Island), followed by a 3 mile hike in the park. There will be songs, presentations, and a celebration to honor our John. For additional information, please go to:
http://www.geocities.com/sandy2164
or write to Joan at rangerfan1012@lycosmail.com
************
BENCH DEDICATION -- HAWK MOUNTAIN SANCTUARY, KEMPTON, PA
Sunday, June 18th, from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
Come listen to singers Charlie Zahm of Philadelphia, Frank
DeLaMarre of Michigan, Carol Sullivan of New Jersey, and others in a reprise of singer/songwriter
John Denver's music and life.
In addition, meet Max Langstaff, writer, musician, actor, and producer of Denver's
1995 critically acclaimed A&E musical special, The Wildlife Concert. Mr. Langstaff
will talk about the concert, his relationship with Denver, and Denver's legacy. Also
introductory remarks, the bench dedication, and a video collage of Denver's life,
including vintage footage of the Mitchell Trio, will be presented in the first hour
with a concluding video collage of Denver performances, including some rare concert
footage.
A live raptor education program will be presented during a break in this Sunday,
June 18th, event at Hawk Mountain Sanctuary in Kempton, PA. Afood truck will be available
on the mountain and of course restaurants exist off the mountain. See web page http://members.aol.com/tybrenn/hawkmtn/hawkmtn.html or e-mail Judy at flyangel@early.com for more information.
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ADOPT-A-HIGHWAY CLEANUP
Come join the New Hampshire Friends of John Denver for our annual adopt-a-highway barbecue on June 25th. In conjunction with the National John Denver Adopt-A-Highway Cleanup, we will be cleaning our adopted section during the day followed by a late afternoon till dusk barbecue at McDowell Dam picnic shelter in Peterborough, NH. Five dollar admission charge for the barbecue with excess proceeds and/or contributions going to the Dublin Lake Restoration Project. Hot dogs and burgers (including veggie) will be supplied. Please bring your own cooler for any additional food items. Anyone with musical talent is invited to bring their instrument along and join in on the fun!
If you'd like to participate in the cleanup or need more information
contact me at gerrich@crosswinds.net. Also, I'd appreciate a RSVP if you plan on attending.
************
TRIBUTE TO JOHN DENVER -- ALMOST HEAVEN FARM, WEST VIRGINIA
Saturday, July 15
First Annual Country Roads Folk Fest, featuring Mack Bailey, Bill Danoff, Andrew McKnight, Tom Paxton, Side by Side and Sue Trainor
For more information, see: www.mofolk.com
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Hi
We have been forwarded your monthly mailer by Mr. Greg Neal of International Disc.
International Disc has closed down their operations with the John Denver imports
and MusicSelection.com Inc. has taken over the website and their client lists. International
Disc was buying from our parent company W.M.I. Distribution Inc.
We are wondering if in your next letter to the fans of John Denver you could inform
his fans that they can purchase all his hits at www.musicselection.com including
Aerie, Whose garden was this, and Take me to Tomorrow plus many more. Our specialty
is imports so if it's out there we can get it.
Thank you for your time.
Sincerely;
Ray White
President
W.M.I. Distribution Inc.
Wholesale site: www.wmimusic.com
Retail site: www.musicselection.com
*****I wrote to Ray to let him know that several of you out there have had some problems dealing with Greg Neal. I asked if WMI would attempt to make good on these transactions and this' what he had to say about it:
If someone has an outstanding order have them re-order via
www.musicselection.com and we will treat them very well. Perhaps the items they ordered are
here since we cut ID off about 3 months ago for non-payment and we are sitting on
a lot of product.
WMI has been in the import business since 1990 and we deal wholesale under www.wmimusic.com
and retail under http://www.musicselection.com
As far as reimbursing owed funds, they will not be able to
honor ID's debts (AS).
************
Paul Swanton's new CD "My Time to Fly"
Produced by Natalie Yewshenko, Michael Lozinski and Nancy Jurka
"Fans heard Paul live at Aspen October (1999). The album
is excellent. It features two of John Denver's early songs, but contains mostly originals
which are well-written and sung by Paul's hauntingly sensitive voice which will surely
reach the hearts of most listeners." (from Ken Davies at the JDMEF website)
A portion of sales will benefit The
John Denver Music Education Fund. Please order from
Paul Swanton at:
P.O. Box 1691
Plymouth, MA 02362
CD is $12.00 (2 for $20.00) plus $2.00 shipping per order. Please make checks
payable to Paul Swanton. For more info, please contact Paul at RkyMtnHi7@aol.com.
Songs from the CD:
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ENVIRONMENTAL NEWS and INFORMATION
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MORE LAND, PROTECTION SOUGHT FOR COLORADO'S GREAT SAND DUNES
From the National Wildlife Federation's Enviro Alert:
The Great Sand Dunes are home to some of Colorado's most diverse
wildlife, including more than 20 different arid plant species and many birds, mammals
and insects, such as the extremely rare tiger beetle. Nestled in the heart of southern
Colorado's beautiful San Luis Valley, North America's largest natural sand dunes
rise 700 feet above the valley floor, a virtual wonderland for hikers, campers and
photographers. Now there's a chance to ensure that this spectacular wild place remains
healthy and protected, even as pressure on the region's water resources continues
to rise.
In 1932, this uncommon geologic formation was given protection when President Hoover
declared 39,000 acres surrounding the Great Sand Dunes a national monument, placing
the area under the management of the National Park Service. Now Congress is looking
to further safeguard this national treasure. Members of Colorado's congressional
delegation, including Senators Ben Nighthorse Campbell (R) and Wayne Allard (R) and
Representative Scott McInnis (R), are joining Interior Secretary Bruce Babbit in
looking for ways to expand and protect the land base and water resources of the Great
Sand Dunes, possibly by converting the monument into a national park.
In addition to a 40,000 acre expansion of the Great Sand Dunes, the proposal includes
the purchase of the adjacent Baca Ranch, a magnificent 120,000 acre, privately held
property just to the north, which provides habitat for bighorn sheep and some of
the largest elk populations in Colorado, and which boasts a much-coveted supply of
water. This resource has for decades come under attack by developers seeking to tap
the Baca Ranch's water for diversion and sale to Colorado Front Range municipalities.
Rep. McInnis has introduced H.R. 4095, which calls for the conversion of Great Sand
Dunes National Monument to a national park and authorizes appropriations for the
purchase of the Baca Ranch. In this arid region, acquiring the Baca Ranch would serve
to protect a precious source of water, water which helps moisten and stabilize the
dunes as well as the surrounding lakes and wetlands. After purchase, the bill seeks
to establish a new National Wildlife Refuge on the ranch to protect the area's wealth
of wetlands and wildlife resources. A portion of the ranch will also be set aside
as part of the new national park, while another portion is slated for a park preserve
which would be open to fishing and hunting.
HOW TO HELP
To get involved, contact Diane Gansauer, executive director of NWF affiliate the
Colorado Wildlife Federation at (303) 987-8001 -- cwfed@aol.com
-- or Brad Bartlett of NWF's Rocky Mountain office, 2260 Baseline
Rd., Ste. 100, Boulder, CO 80302, (303) 786-8001 -- bartlett@nwf.org
LET US KNOW YOU TOOK ACTION by sending us an e-mail. Include
the
text "May 00 EA -- Great Sand Dunes: LL21L048" in the subject line
or body of your message. Mail to: enviro@nwf.org
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|
MEMORIES |
|
In the autumn of my life |
*********
|
If I had the opportunity to express to John
Denver what his life and his music meant to me, these are the words that I would
express from my heart. I believe that John would understand. I hope that some of
you can identify with them as well. |
|
|
In a world of great confusion, |
Our problems seemed to overwhelm us, |
Thank you for listening,
Paul
**********
|
LET PEACE RAIN |
|
|
Peace is our vision |
Stop and look around you |
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INSPIRATIONAL THOUGHTS
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PEACE
Do not undermine your worth by comparing yourself with others. It
is because we are different that each of us is special.
Do not set your goals by what other people deem important. Only
you know what is best for you.
Do not take for granted the things closest to your heart. Cling
to them as you would your life, for without them, life is
meaningless.
Do not let your years slip through your fingers by living in the
past, nor in the future. By living your life one day at a time,
you live all the days of your life.
Do not give up when you still have something to give. Nothing is
really over until the moment you stop trying.
Do not be afraid to encounter risks. It is by taking chances that
we learn how to be brave.
Do not shut love out of your life by saying it is impossible to
find. The quickest way to receive love is to give love; the
fastest way to lose love is to hold it too tightly.
Do not dismiss your dreams. To be without dreams is to be without
hope; to be without hope is to be without purpose.
Do not run through life so fast that you forget not only where
you have been, but also where you are going. Life is not a race,
but a journey to be savored each step of the way.
(Author Unknown; contributed by LaRue Gregory (ruly123@aol.com)
************
THE RIPPLE EFFECT
Drop a pebble in the water,
just a splash and it is gone,
but there are half-a-hundred ripples
circling on and on and on.
Spreading from the center,
flowing onward to the sea,
and there is no way of telling
where the end is going to be.
Drop a word of cheer and kindness,
just a splash and it is gone.
But there are half-a-hundred ripples
circling on and on and on,
bearing hope and joy and comfort
on each splashing, dashing wave -
'til you wouldn't believe the volume
of the one kind word you gave.
Drop a word of cheer and kindness,
in a minute you forget.
But there is gladness still a-swelling,
and there's joy a-circling yet.
For you've rolled a wave of comfort
whose sweet music can be heard,
over miles and miles of water all around the
world, by just dropping....
One Kind Word
sent by Heidi Rakes (Casey@glx.net)
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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 June edition is June 19, 2000.
***The content of this newsletter is entirely at the discretion of the It's About
Time staff. Contributions are welcome, although inclusion is not guaranteed.***
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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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