IAT
NEWSLETTER
February 2006
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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/
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LETTER FROM THE PRESIDENT
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Dear Friends,
Oh my – it appears that I'm encountering something of a mid-life crisis! But unlike men of a similar age who go out and buy Porsches, my latest "thing" is German industrial metal. I frequent a message board for one band in particular that is mostly trafficked by 15 year-olds, so that tells me I'm well in the throes of a second adolescence!
Why tell John Denver fans this? (And no, no one should worry that I've begun to pitch for another team, so to speak – I've always enjoyed other musical genres.) One of the songs has to do with the globalization of American pop culture – the video of the song depicts the band singing in astronaut suits and flashes of African tribal people eating Big Macs and sipping Coca Cola. Yet, instead of being insulted by the implications, I'm horrified to think that this is the face of America that we present to the world. Admittedly, this is a rather soft target that non-Americans have been hitting for years (a la snubbing EuroDisney, etc.), since there are some cultures who go crazy for what we have. However, it's disturbing to think that all we're seen as giving to the universe is fast food and theme parks.
Proportionately, the richest 20% the population on the planet consumes more than two-thirds of the resources, and produces over 75% of the pollution. I'm certainly not disputing anyone's right to free enterprise. However, far better would be using our wealth and power to lead the charge to clean up the environment, not hawking soft drinks to Outer Mongolia. And that's why, if you're at all like me, and given to outrage at our blissful overconsumption, that you'll give some thought when it comes to how you spend your money – or how you don't spend it, and make good choices. Hopefully you'll share *your* conscious choices with the rest of us.
My heart to yours,
Ann
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QUOTE OF THE MONTH
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A vision without a task is a dream.
A task without a vision is drudgery.
But a vision with a task
can change the world.
-- attributed to Black Elk (Oglala Sioux)
(thanks to Kelly Robison for this month's quote)
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FUNDRAISER
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Nothing to report this month
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CALENDAR OF EVENTS
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March 4, 2006 - UK - Red Hot Country Show starring Wayne Denton who does a JD Tribute act. Princess Theatre; The Green, Hunstanton, Norfolk 01485 532252 http://www.princesstheatrehunstanton.co.uk
March 11, 2006 – NJ -- Christopher Westfall (and others) Benefit/Dinner for Survivors and Friends, an organization to support cancer research. Doors open 5:30, tickets $20. For more information, http://www.freewebs.com/survivorandfriends/relay4lifedinnerconcert.htm
March 18, 2006 - Flanders, NJ / Chris Westfall in concert at the Sacred Bean Coffeehouse at 7:00pm / 8 Park Place $5 / http://www.sacredbeancoffeehouse.org
March 24, 2006 - Monterey, California - Steve Gillette and Cindy Mangsen will share songs and invite you to sing along at a house concert at 13 Antler Place, Monterey, CA 7:30pm / Judy 831-373-7780 jht@spamarrest.com http://www.compassrosemusic.com
April 22, 2006 - Bucks County, PA - Chris Westfall at the Churchville Nature Center Proceeds will benefit the non-profit CNC, which is part of the Bucks County Parks & Recreation Department / 501 Churchville Lane / Churchville, PA * www.churchvillenaturecenter.org 7:00pm $10 pattianncr@verizon.net
April 22, 2006 - St. Paul, MN / River cleanup in Battle Creek Regional Park 8:45am (Bagels, donuts, juice & water will be provided with lunch afterwards at 11:30am). Curtis.Griffy@Guidant.com
April 28-30, 2006 - PA Friends of John Denver – Annual Spring Retreat - Bitter Goose Lodge $55 - Deposit of $20 required. Make checks or money orders payable to Susan Spohn / 628 Hemlock Street / Pittsburgh, PA 15202 Info: < spohn@infionline.net >
April 29, 2006 - UK - Friends of John Denver Spring Denver Day 10:00am - 5:30pm Village Hall, Walton on the Hill, Stafford, Staffordshire ST17 OLD lookingforspacerg@yahoo.com / Send a SASE to Rose Gwilt /29 Oldcroft Road / Waltonon the Hill / Stafford ST17 OLS Tickets: L6 each
May 6, 2006 - San Diego, CA - Phil Christie - San Diego Folk Heritage Concert / Solo Acoustic Show Venue: TBA http://www.philchristie.com
May 20, 2006 - U.K. - Country Roads Walk - A walk is being planned in Northamptonshire. 10:00am Red Kite Centre, RSPB Barn, Top Lodge in the Rockingham Forest. It is a 4 mile walk. http://lookingforspace.bravehost.com/index.html rockymountain.high@ntlworld.com or 01485 570911
May 20, 2006 - Covina, CA - Mack Bailey & Chris Nole at the Fret House / 309 N. Citrus Avenue in Covina 8:00pm (626) 339-7020 Tickets $15
May 21, 2006 - Altadena, CA - Mack Bailey & Chris Nole at the Coffee Gallery Backstage 2029 N. Lake 7:00pm (626) 398-7917 Tickets $20
June 17, 2006 - Baltimore, MD * 2nd Bi-Annual "Nightingala" "A Musical Tribute to John Denver" Concert for John Hopkins School of Nursing. / Peabody Conservatory of Music / 1 Mount Vernon Place / Peabody Concert Hall 8:00pm / 6:00 - VIP "Great Chefs" Reception in the Peabody Library * http://www.musicunites.com/Schedule.htm
July 1, 2006 - UK - Country Roads Walk - 6 mile walk in Haworth Yorkshire. 10:00am Meet at the car park at the Haworth Church and the Bronte Parsonage Museum. http://lookingforspace.bravehost.com/index.html , rockymountain.high@ntlworld.com or 01485 570911
July 2-9, 2006 Cruise Alaska with Jim Curry / "Alaska & Me Cruise" - Jim Curry will perform John Denver's Alaska songs and hits in concert with a full band. 800-826-6732 http://www.cruisemust.com / sales@cruisemust.com http://www.jimcurrysmusic.com 7 day cruise $50 deposit needed by January.
July 15-22, 2006 Princess Cruise to Alaska with Christopher Westfall http://www.newbeginningtour.com It will feature a lot of sing-a-longs, including many favorites sung by John Denver. 732-282-3108 http://www.chriswestfall.com
Weekends - Every Friday & Saturday - Branson, MO * "John Denver Lives" - Dinner 5:00pm & performance 5:30pm-6:30pm $24.95 Hillbilly Inn & Dinner Theatre / Hillbilly Inn Motel / 1166 West Highway 76 / Branson, MO 65616 info@hillbillyinn.com * 1-800-535-0739 www.johndenverlives.com * rodphil549@aol.com
(thanks to Emily Parris and the Rocky Mountain High newsletter for many of these dates; thanks too, to Karen Tupek for keeping us up to date with Mack Bailey’s schedule, Judy Therrien for information on Chris Westfall’s engagements, and Deb Sanderson for news of events in California)
REMINDER::: The John Denver Memorial Peace Cloth is available for all JD-related events. Please email peaceclothinfo@yahoogroups.com for more information, or see our website at www.johndenverpeacecloth.com
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LETTERS & POETRY
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From Carole Romanowski (whispjesse@aol.com)
JD Lighthouse Dedication Walkway Brick
Avery Point Lighthouse (website: www.averypointlight.com) located in Groton, Connecticut, has been under renovation the past few years to restore the run-down structure to its original form as a beacon of light in America's history.
The Avery Point Lighthouse Society, a chapter of the American Lighthouse Foundation, initiated an 800-ft. dedication walkway comprised of specially engraved bricks, sold during the Avery Pt. Lighthouse Society's brick program that ended in May 2005. Many hundreds of individuals who have visited the walkway (like me!) have requested an opportunity to purchase additional bricks. Due to the overwhelming interest, the Society is now ready to reopen the program and add to this beautiful and historic walkway. Money raised through sales of the bricks will be used to complete the lighthouse restoration, help with maintenance and provide funding for other lighthouse projects.
My daughter Jennifer, who has a keen interest in lighthouses, purchased a dedication brick and printed her 2 grandfathers' names on it as a memorial to them. This gave me the idea to print one for John Denver. If you would also care to leave a personalized printed message on a brick as a lasting tribute to John, e-mail the lighthouse at CAPT ELAD@aol.com to receive a form to print out your message. The cost is $75 per brick and is tax deductible. Also,you will receive a certificate of participation for each brick purchased.
What a fitting tribute to John who, like all lighthouses, is a "beacon of hope and of light" showing us "the way!"
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From Sandy Fuller (sfuller@alparts.com)
http://www.whalesrevenge.com is trying to get a million people to sign a petition to stop whaling. If you could tell as many people as you can about our website, that would be a great help. Thanks for your support and remember to sign the petition.
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One of our founders, Theresa (Tree) Shea sent this in about the volunteer Solid Waste Advisory Committee that she worked on in her home town:
Council OKs refund of trash fees surplus
By David Riley / Daily News Staff
Friday, February 3, 2006 -
FRANKLIN -- The Town Council made good Wednesday on plans to refund most of a surplus in trash pickup fees to customers, whose charges will drop from $54 to about $10 in bills that will arrive between April and June.
New fees approved Wednesday will redistribute all but $100,000 of the $471,000 surplus to fee-payers.
"I think it’s wonderful and I’m glad we did it," Councilor Michael LeBlanc said yesterday. He had strongly favored returning the surplus to customers when the council first discussed the matter last November.
The remaining $100,000 will be set aside for emergencies or unforeseen capital needs in the trash program.
The decision followed some debate last year about whether the town could legally give back the surplus gradually or had to return it all at once. The Finance Committee also had backed returning the surplus all at once.
"Common sense is it’s there, give it back," LeBlanc said.
This is the first time the council has returned a trash surplus since an overhaul last year of the garbage pickup program at the recommendation of the volunteer Solid Waste Advisory Committee.
A separate enterprise account was set up for the trash program, and the costs of municipal and school waste were cut from the curbside pickup fee for residents.
"If you can’t give residents a break in their taxes, you might as well give them a break in their fees."
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CONSCIOUS CHOICES – TIPS AND TRICKS FOR SAVING $, TIME AND THE ENVIRONMENT
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Hi IAT!
About 20 years ago when I was on the board of a student environmental organization in college, at each meeting we would have one thing that we would all try to do to have a lighter impact on the enviornment. The director suggested at one meeting that we all try to not use paper towels! I thought she was crazy! But once I tried it, I found it was really quite easy. I use sponges to clean up messes on the counters, a hand towel for drying hands when cooking, and old towels and cloths for cleaning the house. We still have paper towels in our kitchen but it takes us literally a year to go through the roll. Think of how many paper towels have been diverted from the landfill from the past 20 years and how many trees were saved! One person or one family can really make a difference.
Lynn Buhlig (lynnbuhlig@yahoo.com)
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Wrap it Up!
Do you and your family bring bagged lunches to work or school? Do you use aluminum foil to wrap your sandwiches and keep them fresh? If so, why not try reusing one piece all week? This' what I do -- simply wipe or wash it off and you're ready to go for the next day. Takes two minutes of thought and time and think of all the foil you'll keep out of landfills, not to mention the money you'll save.
Here's all sorts of things you can do with recycled tin foil:
http://www.make-stuff.com/recycling/tinfoil.html
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From Carole Romanowski (whispjesse@aol.com)
With John Denver's message of using conscious choice to preserve our environment, save our planet and Mother Earth, I have a few suggestions that will save money, the environment, and safeguard animals.
For environmental preservation, don't use insecticide spray on diseased trees - instead cut off the diseased branches - the tree will grow and regreen in a year or two! If you prefer to spray, find one that only uses a soap product. I've used this on my hemlocks in the front yard with success!
Dispose of used motor oil, old tires, old smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors, and used batteries through proper local agencies - do not throw them in the garbage- to reduce toxic chemicals in landfills.
Have ants invaded your house or basement? Pour salt around the foundation of the house to deter their entry! It's environmentally safe.( Plus, if you're into the supernatural, it keeps away bad spirits!) (AS – you can also try cinnamon – they hate it and will avoid it – and it smells nice!)
Salt is also good - instead of chemicals - for pouring into holes drilled into tree stumps to help them decompose quicker. Also a good idea to save money on renting a stump grinder or when there isn't enough room to use one! I know this from personal experience!
Use biodegradable products like special plastic bags that disintegrate quicker in landfills.
Keep your car tuned up so as to lessen emissions into the atmosphere.
Saving money can be accomplished by saving the plastic salad containers - tops and bottoms- from fast food restaurants for storage of leftovers. I even use them after having company for dinner to fill with leftovers for them to take home!
Save water by doing larger loads of laundry instead of frequent small ones. If possible, use a non-phosphate detergent so as to avoid further pollution of the water table.
Save old towels, tablecloths, drapes and sheets as drop cloths to cover furniture when painting or as drop cloths on the floor or rugs. You can also cut up old towels to use as dust rags. I usually stockpile these items in my garage 'til I need them! Recycling in this way saves money and reduces garbage in landfills over time.
For creature safety, if deer frequent your property, to keep them out of your yard and safely off the street where they can get hurt, put Irish Spring soap near bushes and brush - it is a natural repellent (the deer won't eat them!) and will force the deer back to their natural habitat. Also, planting marigolds in produce gardens - growing tomatoes,etc. - keeps weeds, critters and some insects away so as to not damage growing vegetables. I've learned this from personal experience.
Use gutter guards in gutters to prevent birds nesting there so babies won't fall out - I've had this happen to me where the fledglings were "fried" on my driveway in the summer! Also put house plants up high so inside pets - cats and dogs,etc. - won't "snack" on them and get sick, especially if the plants are poisonous.
Metal grates over chimneys prevent raccoons, squirrels, birds, etc., from getting trapped in the chimney. But should a raccoon get trapped there, I hear blasting loud music will immediately make the raccoon exit as quickly as possible - they detest that noise!
These are just a few suggestions I'm familiar with, and hope they help!
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WEBSITES OF INTEREST
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None this month
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FOR SALE
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Peace Cloth Items!
Don't forget to check out www.johndenverpeacecloth.com (Peace Cloth Store) for exclusive John Denver items. All proceeds benefit The John Denver Memorial Peace Cloth. We now have a shopping cart to make your purchases easier!
Also -- if you shop online, please visit our virtual mall: www.johndenverpeacecloth.onecause.com -- every sale at a store in the mall returns a donation to the Cloth. The Peace Cloth now has eScrip -- please see our website for more information.
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If you're looking for something special for a special someone, come check out what Wildlife Creations (http://www.geocities.com/wldlifecreation) has to offer!! We have many items relating to John Denver and other items that would make fantastic gifts for people you know and love! Or gift someone who is hard to buy for, something that they will talk about for years! From keychains, snowglobes, t-shirts, potpourri jars and more!!! We're sure you'll find something! And remember, whenever you purchase from Wildlife Creations, you're not only giving a gift to someone you know, but to the Windstar Foundation and also the National Wildlife Federation, in John's memory, for wolf education as all proceeds are given to them. Wildlife Creations is now offering a feature product.
Checkout the website for this month's offering! For more information, you can email us at
wldlifecreation@wildmail.com.
In this healing time...
Thank you for helping to make the world
a better place in which to live,
Diana and Susan
Wildlife Creations
http://www.geocities.com/wldlifecreation
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From Sherry Cook <backhomagain@yahoo.com>
*UPDATE*
Hello friends!
I will still donate a portion of my Mary Kaye proceeds to Windstar, so please contact me directly through my e-mail from now on (backhomagain@yahoo.com).
Peace and joy,
Sherry :)
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ENVIRONMENTAL NEWS
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Here's a link to the Winter issue of Defender's Magazine, a publication of Defender's of Wildlife:
http://www.defenders.org/defendersmag/issues/winter06/winter06.html
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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 March 19, 2006. 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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