Update June - Aug 04

• 7/30/04 **ACTION** "This is one of those times when it is important to make your voice heard on a long-term environmental issue for our area.  One thing to remember about this issue is that our Great Lakes Water system is a 'closed' system.  This means that the water in the lakes circulates within the Great Lakes area, as rain and snowfall.  Removing large amounts of water could compromise this closed system, meaning a permanent change in our water levels and even our weather.  This could have a profound effect on the future of our area's environment. So, this issue is not simply a matter of sharing something we have with another area, and selling off water rights as a commodity". --Frank J. Regan.  Read on:  City Newspaper: Water watch: striving to keep the Great Lakes ours  Who owns the Great Lakes? Or perhaps more to the point, who gets to use them, and who decides that?  Last week, the Council of Great Lakes Governors (the governors and Canadian premiers of the Great Lakes area) released proposed agreements that tackle those questions. The documents --- part of an international agreement known as the Great Lakes Charter Annex --- spell out exactly how the states and provinces ringing the lakes would regulate the withdrawal of Great Lakes water.  Public hearings will be held on the proposals in September, and comments are being accepted through October 19. Once that period is over the states, and provinces will have the chance to ratify the agreements and, in the US side, send them in the form of a compact to Congress. If approved by Congress, the compact would be binding for the states. (The agreement that includes the provinces would be nonbinding, since no mechanism exists to enforce cross-border promises between states and provinces.) Giving your comments - Three public hearings will be held on the proposed legislation governing withdrawal of water from the Great Lakes: in Niagara Falls on September 14, in Rochester on September 15, and in Watertown on September 16.  The Rochester hearing will be at the Rochester Institute of Technology Hotel and Conference Center from 6:30 to 9:00 p.m.  You can also submit written comments. Send them to David Naftzger, Executive Director, Council of Great Lakes Governors, 35 East Wacker Drive, Suite 1850, Chicago, Illinois60601. Or e-mail them toAnnex2001@cglg.org . You can also submit comments online at www.cglg.org , where you can find the complete text of the proposal. The deadline for comments is October 19.  (July 28, 2004) City Newspaper
•  7/30/04 -- August 2004 Outdoor Newsletter is now out --from Hike, Bike, Cross Country Ski, Snowshoe and Birding Trail Guide Books
•  7/30/04 -- Great Lakes news update From  Congresswoman Louise Slaughter - Federal Funding on Great Lakes Water Levels - Today, the International Joint Commission is forced to make decisions about regulating water levels on Lake Ontario and the St. Lawrence Seaway based on information a half-century old. Lake levels have a major impact on life in Monroe and Orleans Counties, including lakeshore homes, recreational boating, commercial shipping, environmental interests, and more. Together with her New York colleague Rep. John McHugh, Louise has worked to secure federal funding for studies that will update and expand data related to lake levels. In July, they obtained the final $1 million necessary to complete the $20 million, five-year study. For more, visit http://www.louise.house.gov/HoR/Louise/News/PRESS+RELEASES+BY+DATE/2004+PRE 
•  7/30/04 -- A clean environment is not a political football and Superfund sites are not getting cleaned up - from Grist Magazine: Environmental news and humor - According to the U.S. EPA's own data, some 111 of the nation's 1,230  Superfund toxic-waste sites may pose ongoing risks to nearby  residents of exposure to health-threatening chemicals, and 251 may  pose ongoing risks to groundwater. Superfund program analyst Melanie
  Hoff notes that at "about 80 percent [of Superfund sites] we feel we  have exposures under control," but hastens to add that it "doesn't mean that there's exposure [at the other 20 percent], it means  there's the potential for it to occur." Sierra Club environmental quality program director Ed Hopkins, who compiled a report on the  problem that was released yesterday, says the program's difficulties  result from a shortage of funding, which in turn results from the  Bush administration's refusal to push for renewal of a corporate tax  that Congress allowed to expire in 1995. The Superfund trust fund  shortfall is now (insufficiently) meliorated by general federal  revenues -- i.e., your tax dollars.  straight to the source: ABC News, Associated Press, 28 Jul 2004 http://www.gristmagazine.com/cgi-bin/forward.pl?forward_id=2758 - straight to the source: The Washington Post, Juliet Eilperin, 28 Jul 2004 - http://www.gristmagazine.com/cgi-bin/forward.pl?forward_id=2759  
•  7/27/04 -- **EVENT** From Dan Barletta, D.D.S. - U.S. Co-Lead - Public Interest Advisory Group - Dear Friend of Lake Ontario and the St. Lawrence River:  The Public Interest Advisory Group for the International Lake Ontario-St. Lawrence River Water Level Study will be holding a public meeting near Rochester this summer.  The meeting will be on September 16 at the Greece Town hall located at 1 Vince Tofany Boulevard in Greece, NY. At 6 p.m., there will be an open house highlighting the Study's activities. Our presentation will be at 7 p.m.; it will be followed by a question and answer session that will be linked by conference call to a meeting being held simultaneously in Dorval, Quebec, Canada.  The International Lake Ontario-St. Lawrence River Study was set in motion in December of 2000 by the International Joint Commission to assess and evaluate the Commission's Order of Approval used to regulate outflows from Lake Ontario through the St. Lawrence River. The Study is evaluating the impacts of changing water levels on shoreline communities, domestic and industrial water uses, commercial navigation, hydropower production, the environment, and recreational boating and tourism. The Study will also take into account the forecasted effects of climate change. The Public Interest Advisory Group is a volunteer group appointed by the International Joint Commission to ensure effective communication between the public and the International Lake Ontario-St. Lawrence River Study Team.  The Public Interest Advisory Group will be conducting the same presentation at fifteen different locations along the shoreline of the Lake and River. It is important that people from your area become aware of the meetings.  If you would like more information about the summer public meetings or the Study, please visit www.losl.org  or contact our Public Affairs Assistant, Aaron Smith, at (716) 879-4437.  
•  7/27/04 -- **EVENT** RIDE, MUSIC, and OUTDOOR FILM SCREENING July 30 at VSW -"Why Does America Have the Worst Public Transit in the Industrialized World, and the Most Freeways?" - Why Doesn't Rochester have any Bike Lanes? - ****Friday July 30****** 5:30 -BIKE RIDE- meet @Liberty Pole (East Ave. and Main St.) ride to All Purpose Room (9 Public Market) - 7:00 -MUSIC- Neighborhood Conspiracy @ The All Purpose Room - 7:30 - RIDE- from The All Purpose Room to Visual Studies Workshop - 8:00 -MUSIC- Blood and Bone Orchestra @ Visual Studies Workshop (31 Prince St. [and University Ave.] - 9:00 -OUTDOOR FILM SCREENING- "Taken for a Ride" (see description below) and ADVOCACY for bike lanes in Rochester. "Taken for a Ride" A film by Jim Klein and Martha Olson  reveals the tragic and little known story of an auto and oil industry campaign, led by General Motors, to buy and dismantle streetcar lines. Across the nation, tracks were torn up, sometimes overnight, and diesel buses placed on city streets. The highway lobby then pushed through Congress a vast network of urban freeways that doubled the cost of the Interstates, fueled suburban development, increased auto dependence, and elicited passionate opposition. Seventeen city freeways were stopped by citizens who would become the leading edge of a new environmental movement. With investigative journalism, vintage archival footage and candid interviews, Taken for a Ride presents a revealing history of our cities in the 20th century that is also a meditation on corporate power, city form, citizen protest and the social and environmental implications of transportation.  America once enjoyed the world's finest rail transit services. The electric railway systems ... the streetcar, trolley and rapid transit lines ... were safe, clean, fast, frequent, and on time. And then, very suddenly it seemed, most of them were gone, vanished, to be replaced by smoking, lumbering motor buses and ever-widening roads and highways. "Progress!" exclaimed the officials; but as the years passed and traffic congestion worsened, rumors and legends began to circulate, disturbing tales of immense behind-the-scenes power and influence that had come into play in dooming the nation's efficient electric rail lines. And then a hard-hitting, still-talked-about "60 Minutes" television report on the topic in December, 1986 clarified and coalesced all those persistent, if unfounded, urban legends into a saga of corporate greed, political manipulation and nationwide corruption. It wasn't obsolescence that condemned the rail systems, said the report ... it was "murder by intent". Finally the tale was told. And a decade later came "Taken For A Ride", a masterful documentary on the now-revealed story. We see the subliminal propaganda devices ... rare posters, ads and film clips extolling the coming glories of internal-combustion transit. Still-surviving witnesses tell of their experiences in the changeover efforts. Cases where resistance was mounted are related. Unforgettable before/during/after imagery is everywhere. It's a see-and-see-again film, a brave effort that names names as it gives the viewers just one more example of how faceless, far-off corporate entities can change our lifestyles. Highly recommended to all, not just transit advocates and historians.
•  /27/04 --New Report from Sierra Club --   Communities At Risk: The Sierra Club Superfund Report, Summer 2004 - Toxics - Sierra Club - How the Bush Administration is Failing to Protect People's Health at Superfund Sites. New Report Details Health Threats at Superfund Sites Across Country -The Bush administration’s failure to protect Americans’ health from toxic waste pollution is documented in this new report on the Superfund toxic waste cleanup program released today by the Sierra Club. The report breaks down state-by-state the Superfund sites across the country where human exposure to toxic pollution and groundwater pollution is either not under control or where insufficient data on threats exist. --You can also download the entire report from this page.
•  7/27/04 -- **EVENT** Saturday, August 7, 2004, 8 p.m. Rochester Premiere. Visiting Artist Ron Mann presents GO FURTHER (Ron Mann, Canada 2003, 90 min.) Actor and environmental activist Woody Harrelson is at the center of this inspiring new movie that documents his Simple Organic Living Tour across America. Along the way of their pro-hemp and anti-junk food bus odyssey, Harrelson and his crew demonstrate for animal rights and lifestyle choices, visit organic farms and meet their own inspiration - Ken Kesey. Director Mann (GRASS, TWIST, COMIC BOOK CONFIDENTIAL), who has called his film an “Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test on Tofu”, will be present to introduce and answer questions following the screening.  Dryden Theatre - George Eastman House - 900 East Avenue - Rochester, NY 14607 - Admission is $6; $5 for students; $4 for George Eastman House members. Our film info line is 585.271.4090. Our website is http://www.eastmanhouse.org  
•  7/25/04 -- Election time coming! Time to vote for the Environment:  Where are you going to register to vote? Who are you going to trust to bring up up to snuff on all the candidates environmental track record in the coming election?  The League of Conservation Voters The League of Conservation Voters (LCV) is the political voice of the national environmental movement and the only organization devoted full-time to shaping a pro-environment Congress and White House. The League of Conservation Voters, Inc.- 1920 L Street, NW, Suite 800, Washington, DC, 20036 - Phone: 202-785-8683, Fax: 202-835-0491
•  7/25/04 -- Learn about community planning and get a newsletter from the Monroe County Executive Maggie Brooks: Planning and Development The Planning and Development Department provides and coordinates a broad range of programs focusing on job retention and creation, employment and training services, land use planning and resource conservation as well as housing and neighborhood preservation. The department integrates planning services with economic and community development activities through partnerships with local governments and the private sector. The Planning and Development Department consists of several divisions which include Community Development, Economic Development, Planning Division, and Workforce Development.
•  7/25/04 -- **EVENT** GET THE LEAD OUT (GLO) Block Walk - When: Tuesday, July 27th - Time: 12-2pm - Where: Kondolf Street (corner of Whitney St) - FOOD & BEVERAGES WILL BE PROVIDED - Join us to: • see how one street has been handling its concerns about lead in their homes • see educational tours of homes, a lead-based paint risk assessment, and a demonstration of lead safe work practices • see successes and limitations the community faces in addressing this problem - THE GLO INITIATIVE IS A PARTNERSHIP OF: Action for a Better Community, Inc - Orchard Street Community Health Center - University of Rochester  - JOSANA - City of Rochester - Monroe County Department of Public Health - Working in close collaboration with the Coalition to Prevent Lead Poisoning - For more information call ABC, Inc at 325.7550 ext 28
•  7/25/04 -- **EVENT** Center for Environmental Information (CEI) -  CEI's Annual Community Salute to the Environment - Tuesday October 28, 2003 - Hyatt Regency Hotel - 125 East Main Street, Rochester, NY 6:00 pm reception - 7:00 pm dinner - Guest Speaker: Dr. Richard Moss, Director of the U.S. Climate Change Science Program Office.
•  7/25/04 -- How much sport fish and game should you eat in New York State? Find out from the NYS Department of Health : Health Department Issues Latest Health Advisories for Fish
•  7/23/04 -- Should plastic bags be in our present and future?  Here's an interesting article on the quandary: Plastic left holding the bag as environmental plague -- from Seattle Post-Intelligencer
•  7/21/04 -- Interested in more environmental programming, but cannot find enough in Rochester?  Go online.  Go to Icicle Networks Where Can You Listen? at Icicle Networks...The Next Generation of Talk Radio
•  7/18/04 -- **EVENT** August 2-6, 2004 -- Science Exploration Camp - The theme is "Environmental Explorations". Students will be immersed in a week-long study of environmental science including chemical testing for pollutants, river studies, lab activities, and field trips. The camp meets at the Life Sciences Learning Center at the University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry. Meets daily from 10 a.m. - 3 p.m. Fee is $225. For information on scholarships and for a registration form, call (585)275-0268.
•  7/18/04 -- Heard about New York State's NYS OGS - Clean Fueled Vehicles Program? Here's the story: GOVERNOR: PUBLIC-PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP PROMOTES USE OF ALTERNATIVE FUEL VEHICLES STATEWIDE Eight Compressed Natural Gas Fueling Stations Now Open to Public - Governor George E. Pataki today announced a new innovative public-private partnership between the State and Clean Energy -- the largest provider of vehicular natural gas in North America -- that will create a "clean fuel corridor" in New York by opening eight compressed natural gas (CNG) fueling stations across the State to the public for the first time. The initiative will make CNG fuel more readily available and further promote the use of clean-fueled vehicles by local governments, schools, businesses and other New Yorkers.
•  7/14/04 **ACTION** For Release: IMMEDIATE Contact: Gabrielle Done - Thursday, July 15, 2004 (518) 402-8000 -DEC ACCEPTING URBAN FORESTRY GRANT APPLICATIONS - Projects Will Help Communities Revitalize Neighborhoods Through Tree Planting - New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) Commissioner Erin M. Crotty today announced that DEC is requesting proposals for grants that will support local community tree planting projects in urban neighborhoods and parks to promote energy savings, habitat creation, increased property values, and improved quality of life for New York’s urban residents. "Governor Pataki is committed to enhancing New York’s urban landscapes and these grants will give local communities the opportunity to enhance the natural resources of their neighborhoods," Commissioner Crotty said. "The grants will allow urban communities to improve the quality of city life by planting new trees and offer New Yorkers the opportunity to experience the many benefits that trees provide in an urban setting." A total of $125,000 in tree planting grants is available to municipalities, public benefit corporations, public authorities, school districts and not-for-profit organizations that have a public ownership interest in the property or are acting on behalf of a public property owner. The funds, from the United States Department of Agriculture Forest Service, will be managed and allocated by DEC. Portions of the total Forest Service grant can be requested in amounts between $3,500 and $10,000 per proposal. Grants are intended to have a lasting impact on neighborhoods, especially where there is a need for increased tree cover. Grant proposals should demonstrate how the tree planting project will improve the quality of forests in parks or open spaces; have an impact on urban air and water resources; or enhance the quality of urban life and improve associated public health. Grant applicants should indicate if their applications compliment other federal, State, and municipal projects for urban areas that are designed to revitalize urban neighborhoods and improve the quality of life for residents. Local communities should give appropriate consideration to under-served neighborhoods within their urban areas when selecting sites for tree planting projects. Grant applications may propose reforestation of urban parks and open spaces to create habitat and generate an increased urban forest canopy. DEC foresters are available to provide applicants with technical assistance. DEC staff will review the completed grant applications and choose recipients based on established rating criteria. Proposals will be evaluated on their contribution to energy savings and heat island mitigation; use of proper tree planting techniques and tree care; consistency with an urban forestry master plan; the degree of community outreach and education of urban residents about the tree planting project; and any other community environmental, social and economic benefits. In addition to environmental and forestry components, the criteria also promotes environmental justice by considering population density, relative economic status, and outreach to under-served communities. These grants further Governor Pataki’s urban forestry goals, which were outlined in his 2004 State of the State Address. Governor Pataki directed DEC and the New York State Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) to form a partnership with local communities to plant trees in neighborhoods throughout the State for environmental, social, and economic benefits. Further urban forestry grants opportunities are expected to be announced in coming months. The grant application deadline is August 16, 2004. Grant applications may be obtained by contacting Urban Forestry, Division of Lands and Forests, NYSDEC, 625 Broadway, Albany, NY 12233-4253, or by phone at (518) 402-9425.
•  7/15/04 -- Think about the consequences of the things you buy: ENN News Story - Many household products contain toxic chemicals, says environmental group Many common household products contain toxic chemicals that are not posted on package labels, an environmental group says. The National Environmental Trust tested 40 products, including hair coloring, lipstick, all-purpose cleaners, and paints. The group said 34 of those products contained glycols, organic solvents, or phthalates not shown on the labels. These chemicals can affect the nervous system, reproductive system, or cause other health problems if exposed at certain levels. The group's study did not attempt to gauge levels of exposure.
•  7/15/04 -- How are you going to keep cool and help the environment this summer? environment: The COST of keeping COOL - We turned to Bob Siegel, chairman of the conservation committee with the Sierra Club of Rochester for some helpful energy saving tips for the summer. First, Siegel recommends that consumers look for “Energy Star” stickers when shopping for air conditioners and other home appliances. Products with these stickers have passed strict energy efficiency guidelines set by the Environmental Protection Agency and U.S. Department of Energy, will conserve energy and save the consumer money. insider - Rochester remixed
•  7/15/04 -- Good to see our friends at Rochesterians Against the Misuse of Pesticides (RAMP) on the job: Democrat & Chronicle: Area advocate nudges Kellogg - No more mercury batteries in cereal-box toys — nationwide. That's a promise announced late this morning by the Kellogg Company, the world's largest cereal manufacturer.  The agreement was brokered by lawyers in state Attorney General Elliott Spitzer's Environmental Protection Bureau — and inspired, in part, by a Rochester-area consumer advocate.  Judy Braiman of Pittsford, founder of the 20-year-old Empire State Consumer Association, wrote a letter July 2 to the AG's Rochester office, complaining about Kellogg cereal boxes containing Spiderman promotional toys. Their encapsulated batteries are difficult to remove and recycle.  (July 15, 2004) Democrat and Chronicle
•  7/15/04 -- Roadless issue in our forest becomes a local protest -- Environmental Action "Timber companies and other developers want to move bulldozers and chainsaws into 58.5 million acres of our most pristine national forests. Over the past few years, the U.S. Forest Service has received over 2.2 million public comments in support of protecting national forests. But in June 2003, the White House unveiled plans to weaken the policy that bans most logging and road-building in these areas—the Roadless Area Conservation Rule. The Bush administration has already proposed exempting the nation’s largest national forest, the Alaskan Tongass rainforest. It also plans to allow governors to seek exemptions for forests in their states. " *Democrat & Chronicle: Forest advocates lodge protest here A forest in downtown Rochester? At 11 a.m. today, environmental activists gathered in front of the Kenneth B. Keating Federal Building on State Street to protest a White House proposal announced Monday to relax restrictions on roadless areas in national forests.  The Bush administration idea, first floated a year ago, would reverse a Clinton-era rule banning road-building and logging on 58 million acres of national forests. (July 15, 2004) Democrat and Chronicle
•  7/14/04 **ACTION** Please take a moment right now to submit an official comment to Forest Service Chief Dale Bosworth and let the Bush administration know that you oppose the wholesale destruction of America's last wild forests. Then – even if you've never done so before - ask your family and friends to help by forwarding this along; there is no more important time to act. To take action, click on this link or paste it into your web browser: http://wildforests.com/wildforests.asp?id=11&id4=ES
•  7/11/08 -- What is the air quality of our area? Check this site EPA - AIRNow - Air Quality Conditions--from the EPA
•  7/08/04 **ACTION** An in-depth examination of the status of the New England cottontail rabbit 6/30/2004~Service to Initiate Status Review for Native New England Rabbit: Call for Public Comment The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced today that substantial biological information exists to warrant a more in-depth examination of the status of the New England cottontail rabbit.  Today's action, known as a @90-day finding,@ responds to a petition from four conservation organizations requesting protection for the rabbit under the Endangered Species Act. The petition cites concerns about the declining number of New England cottontail rabbits, which are know by their Latin name as Sylvilagus transitionalis. The Service's 90-day finding on this petition does not mean it has decided it is appropriate to list the New England cottontail rabbit. Rather, this finding is the first step in a process that triggers a more thorough review of all the biological information available. This process, which includes a request for input from the public, should be completed within 12 months of receiving the petition. Once the review is complete, the Service will determine whether to propose listing the species.  This species= historic range has declined by approximately 75 percent since 1960. The available habitat has been reduced to small, disconnected patches of young forests. Today, the rabbit may be found in eastern New York and in several counties in Connecticut, Rhode Island, western Massachusetts, southern New Hampshire and southern coastal Maine. Although they once occurred in Vermont, New England cottontails have not been reported there since 1990.
•  7/08/04 --Energy Information: The July edition of EYE ON ENERGY, the monthly newsletter of the Critical Mass energy program, is now available online in both HTML and PDF formats:http://www.eyeonenergy.org In this issue: * NRC Hears Arguments Against Early Site Permits for New Nuclear Reactors * Eye on Yucca Mountain: Congress Wrangles Over Yucca Funding * Public Citizen Defends Its Case Against Uranium Enrichment Company Before Government Judicial Board * Public Citizen Urges Government to Revoke Contract With Reliant Energy * New Economic Analysis: Coalbed Methane Will Cost Billions of Dollars  * Victory For Electricity Consumers In South Korea! * DOE Pushes for Nuclear Hydrogen
•  7/08/04 -- **EVENT** These calendar items from Rochester Gardening This year's Monroe County Fair continues the tradition of holding a Flower & Garden show. It's fun & easy to exhibit flowers, fruits, vegetables and container plants in many categories for adults and youth, July 14-18. There also will be presentations of interest to gardeners. Go to see, to listen, to exhibit your best! You can find general information at the Fair web site:
  http://www.mcfair.com We also have extracted the garden section of the exhibitors' handbook, and it is available for download (Acrobat PDF) at:
  http://www.rochestergardening.com/local/mcfair2004garden.pdf  One of the events at the Fair will be the hosta exhibit and demonstrations by the Genesee Valley Hosta Society. Why not make an entry in their hosta cut-leaf show? Download details from http://www.rochestergardening.com/local/cutleaf04.pdf  The Hosta Society will be one of the groups selling plants at a public plant sale on Sunday July 25th, from 10-2. This annual event is on the grounds of Cornell Cooperative Extension of Monroe County, 249 Highland Avenue, Rochester. There will be iris, hosta, and other quality locally-grown perennials.  It's not too early to begin planning for this year's Gathering of Gardeners seminar, held October 2nd. This year's event features speakers Tracy DiSabato-Aust and Michael Shadrack at the Eisenhart Auditorium in Rochester. The day includes booksigning by the presenters as well as the popular "parking lot sale" of plants & accessories. Program and registration details are found at:
  http://www.gatheringofgardeners.com/ We wanted to mention two web sites which have developed into useful resources for regional gardeners.
  The Horticulture area of the web site for Monroe County's Cornell Coop Extension office now provides their most requested factsheets online for reading or downloading. This web site explains how the office provides soil testing, pest identification, and plant problem diagnosis services through their lab. Those of you who have telephoned the Master Gardeners' Helpline in the past will be interested in the online form allowing inquiries to be made through the web outside of the Helpline hours. Visit: http://cce.cornell.edu/monroe/horticulture/  The region's largest professional landscape organization has a new web site. The GardenScape Professionals Association is the group of landscape experts who have produced the GardenScape show for over a dozen years. Their web site introduces the 100+ member firms and allows search for companies by services. Helpful articles on landscape design and plant care are provided, along with a useful glossary of terms. It's well worth a visit to: http://www.gardenscapepros.com/
•  7/08/04 -- This just in from Monroe County Executive Maggie Brooks -- Planning and Development 2003 Municipal Land Use Report
•  7/08/04 -- **EVENT** Ridgewalk & Run - Sunday, October 17th - Wellsville, NY - Spectacular trail walks, or competitive runs all showcasing the stunning fall beauty along the highest ridge in western New York. Ridgewalk & Run offers walking distances of 6, 9, or 14 miles, or a casual 2 mile road walk. Bring a family member or friend to compete for prizes and awards in the 5K, 10K, (road) or 14 mile (trail) runs. This event is a great family outing, accessing remote trails on private land with a variety of educational signage. All events finish on a horse farm with festivities including refreshments, music, kids’ activities, health clinics, and wine & cheese tasting at the Jones Memorial Hospital “Finish Line Arena”. Awards ceremony 2:00PM. Entrants are then bused back to registration/parking area in Wellsville. Sponsored by Blue Cross Blue Shield of Western New York. 12th annual. Pre-registration only. Entry cap 900. Pre-event buffet Saturday evening. All proceeds benefit Allegany Co. United Way and Wellsville Area Chamber of Commerce. See www.ridgewalk.com  for on-line entry and details or call Wellsville Chamber at 585.593.5080.
•  7/08/04 **ACTION** -As early as TODAY, Congress will be voting on historic legislation that could help protect our planet from global warming. Please contact your Senators TODAY and ask them to support the McCain-Lieberman bill! Senator John McCain (R-AZ) and Joseph Lieberman’s (D-CT) bill would control 75% of U.S. greenhouse gas emissions that cause global warming. Better yet, it’s a pragmatic approach supported by industry, environmentalists, scientists, farm groups, and economists, and it wouldn’t hurt smaller businesses. We have a unique opportunity to pass a consensus-based policy that will reduce air pollution and make our planet more secure in the long run. Last year we were only eight votes shy of winning. Please tell your Senators to support this bill today! After you’ve emailed your Senators, please sign this petition sponsored by Environmental Defense that has already generated hundreds of thousands of signatures in support of combating global warming.
•  7/08/04 **ACTION** - More help for West Nile Virus: --from Trust for America's Health   NEW TFAH REPORT FINDS SHORTFALLS IN NATIONAL RESPONSE TO WEST NILE VIRUS AND INFECTIOUS DISEASES – HELP PERSUADE CONGRESS TO STRENGTHEN PUBLIC HEALTH RESPONSE CAPABILITIES  A new report from Trust for America’s Health (TFAH) examines our national response to West Nile virus and raises serious concerns about America’s approach to emerging infectious diseases. This is the first year that West Nile is likely to significantly impact the nation from coast-to-coast. Shortcomings in responding to the virus in prior years contributed to the spread and have hindered control and containment of the disease.  Top Concerns Posed by WNV Include How to Most Effectively:  Protect the most “at-risk” people such as senior citizens and people with compromised immune systems, Investigate the possible link between WNV and birth defects, Evaluate the risk/benefit of mosquito-reduction strategies, Encourage private industry and/or government to speed development of a human vaccine for WNV, and Diminish the hazard WNV poses to nationwide blood banks. TFAH Report Recommendations The following recommendations will help future WNV containment efforts and lead to better readiness for future emerging infectious diseases:  Public education campaigns on ways individuals and communities can protect themselves need to be greatly expanded.  A stronger, coordinated national emerging infectious disease response action plan focused on containing and reducing new and growing diseases needs greater emphasis. This should include allowing for greater contingency planning and rapid response capabilities, improved disease tracking, and upgrading laboratory testing technology and expertise. The TFAH West Nile virus report can be accessed at http://healthyamericans.org/reports/wnv/ The report was featured in over 15 media outlets, including ABC News Radio, Scripps Howard News Service, Stateline.org, and UPI. Scripps Howard News Service article: http://healthyamericans.org/news/index.php?NewsID=1023 Stateline.org article: http://healthyamericans.org/news/index.php?NewsID=1025 Help Strengthen Public Health!  To better defend against West Nile and the next emerging infectious disease, we need to plan for the unexpected and provide more resources for tracking, communications, and laboratories – the fundamentals needed for quick control and containment of emerging diseases. "Unpredictability is the only thing predictable about new infectious diseases” said Louis W. Sullivan, MD, Former Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and a peer reviewer of the report. “The quick emergence and spread of West Nile is a reminder that we must proactively plan for the unexpected." Yet CDC’s budget is shrinking and public health is still too low on our national priority list. Help strengthen public health and improve readiness against emerging diseases by sending an email today to your Senators and Members of Congress through TFAH’s Take Action! page: http://capwiz.com/healthyam/mail/oneclick_compose/?alertid=6093756
• 7/03/04 - July 2004 Outdoor Newsletter from Footprint press is out : BACK ISSUES are archived at http://www.footprintpress.com/Newsletters/newslett.htm  To Subscribe, send an e-mail to: rich@footprintpress.com  with the word "subscribe" in the subject window. To unsubscribe, send an e-mail to: rich@footprintpress.com  with the word "unsubscribe" in the subject window.

•   7/03/04 - Clean Air from the EPA: "U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) EPA, States Working to Protect Public Health Through Fine Particle Standard Contact: John Millett, 202-564-7842/ millett.john@epa.gov (Washington, D.C. -June 29, 2004) The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) informed states and tribes of the status of counties as the country prepare to meet the nation’s first fine particle
  (PM2.5) air quality standard. These tiny particles - approximately 1/30th the size of a human hair - have been scientifically linked to serious human health problems including premature death from heart and lung disease; aggravation of heart and lung diseases; chronic bronchitis and asthma; increased hospital admissions and doctor and emergency room visits; and absences from work and school. "Fine-particle pollution represents one of the most significant barriers to clean air facing our nation today," Administrator Mike Leavitt said. "These new particulate health standards, coupled with our efforts to reduce power plant and diesel emissions, are important steps toward meeting our nation's commitment to clean, healthy air." On June 28 and 29, EPA issued letters to states and tribes in response to their recommendations for attainment and nonattainment areas under the more protective national air quality standard for fine particles. Twenty-eight states were informed they are currently in attainment with the new standard. States with areas designated as nonattainment do not meet the new standard or contribute to pollution in a nearby area that does not meet the standards. EPA will issue final designations of counties attainment or nonattainment of the PM2.5 standard in November 2004, after states and tribes have had an opportunity to comment on the Agency’s proposals. The fine particle standards were established in 1997, but litigation
  significantly slowed their implementation. In 2001, the U.S. SupremeCourt upheld the standards and in 2002 all remaining legal challenges were cleared, allowing EPA to put these standards into effect. The implementation of these standards will prevent hundreds of thousands of occurrences of aggravated asthma and thousands of premature deaths every year. For more information on the fine particle standard, visit:
  http://www.epa.gov/pmdesignations/  The reduction of fine particle pollution is a critical element of the Bush Administration's comprehensive national clean air strategy. This strategy includes EPA's recent rule to reduce pollution from nonroad diesel engines, and the proposed rule to reduce pollution from power plants in the eastern U.S. These two rules are important components of EPA's efforts to help states and localities meet the more protective national fine-particle and 8-hour ozone air quality standards. Together these rules will help all areas of the country achieve cleaner air. For more information on these rules, visit: http://www.epa.gov/cleanair2004/
•  7/03/04 - What do you know about New Resource Review?  Find out at EPA New Source Review Congress established the New Source Review (NSR) permitting program as part of the 1977 Clean Air Act Amendments. NSR is a preconstruction permitting program that serves two important purposes. --from the Environmental Protection Agency.  
  • * Here's what the Sierra Club says about the NSR  "Bush Administration Sticks to Pro-Polluter Agenda Despite Decision to Reopen New Source Review - Statement by Nat Mund, Sierra Club Clean Air Expert - "Americans should take little comfort in the Bush administration's latest decision to reconsider rule changes that would weaken pollution laws for America's oldest and dirtiest power plants, refineries, and other factories. By its own admission, nothing in today's announcement about the New Source Review program changes the Bush administration's basic goal of allowing the nation's worst polluters to pollute significantly more than is permitted under the current Clean Air Act. "The Clean Air Act is one of the most successful public health laws on the books. Thanks to this landmark policy, the emissions of six of the most harmful and widespread air pollutants in the United States have been cut nearly in half over the past 30 years. Unfortunately, Americans continue to suffer from pollution. The Environmental Protection Agency recently estimated that 159 million Americans still live in communities with unhealthy air. At a time when America desperately needs to move forward in the battle for clean air, the Bush administration is taking the country backwards by weakening the very law that got us here. "Soot and smog from very old industrial facilities continue to be a persistent problem, and states have been clamoring for help. Unfortunately, their pleas, and those of public health and religious leaders, have fallen on deaf ears, unlike the power, coal, and oil lobbyists who were given extraordinary access to the administration's rule-making process for New Source Review. The Bush administration is only reopening the rule now to overcome resistance from the courts. "Americans deserve better. Rather than catering to the polluters and weakening a Clean Air Act that even the administration's top analysts agree has been a resounding success, the Bush administration should enforce the law and ensure that America's oldest and dirtiest power plants and factories clean up once and for all."
•  7/03/04 -  Curb Pesticide use: Breaking the lawn-care pesticide cycle - Elise Craig lives in a garden apartment in Portland, Oregon, where children roll in the grass and run barefoot across lawns in the summer light. A year ago, she realized that whenever the landlord spread lawn-care chemicals on the grass, her six-year-old son, Michael, lost bowel and bladder control for weeks afterward.
  http://www.enn.com/news/2004-07-02/s_25227.asp --from Environmental News Network - ENN.com
•  7/03/04 -- How important is thirst? : P.O.V. - Thirst | PBS - Population growth, pollution, and scarcity are turning water into "blue gold," the oil of the 21st century. Global corporations are rushing to gain control of this dwindling natural resource, producing intense conflict in the US and worldwide where people are dying in battles over control of water. As revealed in "Thirst," the world is poised on the brink of epochal changes in how water is stored, used, and valued. Will these changes provide clean water to the billions of people who need it? Or save the child who dies every eight seconds from contaminated water? Examining water conflicts on three continents, "Thirst" shows that popular opposition to the privatization of water sparks remarkable coalitions that cross partisan lines. When it comes to water, many people demand local control and fear the arrival of multinational corporations with large lobbying budgets and little local loyalty.
•  7/03/04 -- Saving gas tips from the EPA:

Simple Steps To Conserve Gas, Save Money and Reduce Auto Emissions -Contact: John Millett, 202-564-7842 / millett.john@epa.gov  

Independence Day 2004 will be the busiest travel weekend of the summer. As drivers prepare to hit the road this weekend, EPA recommends several simple steps to reduce their impact on the environment and their wallets. To get the most out of each gallon of gas and reduce tailpipe emissions, EPA encourages the following steps:

Driving Wisely – Sudden starts and stops, excessive speeds, extra weight in the trunk, unnecessary idling, long drive-through lines, and revving or warming up the engine waste fuel. Using cruise control on the highway helps maintain a constant speed and, in most cases, will save gas. Using overdrive gears slows engine speed, saves gas and reduces engine wear. Observe speed limits.

Regular Maintenance – Routine car maintenance extends a car’s life, increases its resale value, and improves gas mileage. Properly inflated and aligned tires, a tuned engine and regularly changed oil and air filters are a few simple steps that help ensure fuel efficiency.  Advanced Trip-Planning – Planning routes, avoiding peak traffic periods, combining errands, and eliminating backtracking will save gas, prevent wear and tear, and save time.

Smart Refueling – Topping off the tank creates harmful emissions and wastes money. Gasoline vapors are harmful to breathe, contribute to
ground-level ozone formation and are a source of toxic air pollutants such as benzene. Evaporation from the spillage of gas from
overfilling can occur, contributing to the air pollution problem. For more information on the environmental benefits of proper
refueling, visit: http://www.epa.gov/donttopoff/index.htm  .

For more gas mileage tips, visit: http://www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/drive.shtml  .

After the long weekend, there are more substantial steps consumers can take to protect the air we breathe and minimize trips to the fuel pump.

Consumers have more choice than ever when it comes to fuel economy and protecting the environment. EPA encourages consumers to consider fuel economy when purchasing a new vehicle. For help in selecting the cleanest, most fuel-efficient vehicle to match individual needs, visit EPA's Green Vehicle Guide at: http://www.epa.gov/greenvehicle  .

EPA also works with business to help consumers find more efficient and environmentally friendly ways to commute to the office. EPA's Best Workplaces for Commuters program encourages companies to provide incentives to employees to choose cleaner modes of transportation, including ride-sharing – and whenever possible – walking, biking, public transportation, or tele-commuting. For more information, visit:
http://www.bestworkplacesforcommuters.gov  .

• 7/03/04 -- Limit Pesticide use-- from the New York State Department of Health - State Health Commissioner Stresses Importance Of Careful Pest Control Practices

  July 1, 2004 — New York State Health Commissioner Antonia C. Novello, M.D., M.P.H., Dr.P.H., today reminded New Yorkers to take precautions to reduce their potential health risks from exposure to pesticides by using them responsibly and limiting the use of these chemicals whenever possible.

  "It is important for people to give careful consideration to the use of chemical pesticides before using them," Dr. Novello said. "It is also critical that people follow manufacturer’s directions carefully to prevent their exposure to pesticides. The improper storage, application or disposal of pesticides present potential health risks to the entire family, especially children."

  "Uninformed or improper use of pesticides can threaten both the environment and human health," said Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) Commissioner Erin M. Crotty. "When using pesticides it is vital to understand the type of pesticide that is needed for the extermination of each specific pest to avoid unnecessary or excessive use of these chemicals."

• 7/03/04 -- From The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) -

   (Washington, D.C. - July 2, 2004) As part of the Clean Beaches Plan, EPA has issued a proposed regulation to improve standards for water quality monitoring at our nation’s beaches. EPA acted to ensure that more protective health-based standards are in place in all states and territories bordering Great Lakes or ocean waters.

  “We are working as partners with the states and territories to promote scientifically strong, defensible standards for coastal and Great Lakes recreational waters,” said Acting Assistant Administrator Ben Grumbles.
  “States have made good progress over the last several months. We expect this to continue, but in the meantime, we are ensuring that the public is protected by having federal standards in place.”

  Of the 35 states and territories that have coastal or Great Lakes recreational waters, ten have already adopted EPA’s recommended criteria for all their coastal recreational waters and 17 states are in the process of adopting these criteria. Other states have adopted the criteria for portions of their waters, while a small number have yet to take action. EPA will exclude from the final federal regulation any state or territory that adopts these more protective health-based criteria. The proposal has a 30-day comment period and EPA will issue a final standard in early Fall.

  The Beaches Environmental Assessment and Coastal Health (BEACH) Act of 2000 requires coastal states and states bordering the Great Lakes to adopt EPA's most current bacteria criteria by April 10, 2004 to better protect beach goers from harmful pathogens. The Act requires EPA to propose federal standards for the state’s coastal or Great Lakes waters for states who have failed to meet the deadline. Specifically, for these states, EPA is proposing E. coli and enterococci criteria for their coastal recreational waters. These bacteria do not directly cause illness, but are good indicators of harmful pathogens in waterbodies.

  The Administration’s Clean Beaches Plan includes grant funding to all BEACH Act states and territories to ensure continued monitoring of the nation’s beaches and public notification of beach closures and advisories. These funds are designed to ensure the protection of public health and to improve information on the quality of waters at the nation’s beaches. EPA estimates that Americans take a total of 910 million trips to coastal areas each year and spend about $44 billion at those beach locations.

  Information about the beach criteria proposal, a list of states and their status as of July 1, 2004, and the Agency’s Clean Beaches Plan is available at: http://www.epa.gov/beaches/

• 7/01/04 -- Looking for reservation at one of our Monroe County parks?  Reserve online: Monroe County
• 7/01/04 -- Learn more about renewable Energy: Great Lakes Renewable Energy Association The Renewable Energy Association is a non-profit organization that educates, advocates, promotes, and publicly demonstrates renewable energy technologies. National interest in safe sustainable energy technologies is growing daily. With utility restructuring occurring all over the country, the opportunity for customer choice of greener energy consumption has never been greater. Will your choice mean greener energy? The Renewable Energy Association invites you to explore that possibility and learn about the world of renewable energy.
• 6/24/04 -- How is Rochester's online Environmental News Coverage Going?  Read the essay.  State Of Online News
• 6/24/04 -- Interested in saving Energy this summer?  I can offer you some resources on energy conservation tips for the Rochester region, but I am no expert. I do not know if anyone I know would qualify as an expert on this subject, except maybe the city of Rochester's Department of Environmental Services: http://www.rochesternydes.com/  RochesterEnvironment.com's Energy page http://66.227.37.127/RochesterEnvironment/energy.htm  has all the information and news I have accumulated over the years pertaining to energy use in Rochester. Included on this page are many resources from experts who you may contact about specific areas of energy conservation, like HEAP: http://www.otda.state.ny.us/otda/heap/default.htm - Also, the Sierra Club ( http://sierraclub.org ) offers many resources on household energy conservation tips: http://www.sierraclub.org/globalwarming/cleanenergy/conservation/family_guide.asp  This page is an excellent source, but does not zero in on Rochester's energy problems specifically. There is also this page: http://www.sierraclub.org/globalwarming/
• 6/21/04 --**ACTION** Help Save New York's Imperiled Wetlands - Among the most important environmental bills in this legislative session is A.7905a/S.4480. This bill would strengthen and expand New York States ability to protect wetlands. Wetlands are highly significant water bodies that provide flood protection, erosion abatement, anti-sprawl barriers, and wildlife habitat; and they are among nature's most effective filters and purifying agents. You can help protect our precious wetlands by sending a fax to your senator today. --from Environmental Advocates of New York
• 6/23/04 -- The nation is getting dirtier and Rochester is getting cleaner. Check out the full Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Toxic Release Inventory for 2004: EPA: Newsroom: TRI 2002 Data Release Presentation
• 6/21/04 -- Concerned about your Water Quality? Consult these resources for more information: * 1. City water quality; Hemlock Filtration Plant - 585-428-6680. * 2. City water billing/24-hour customer service - 585-428- 7095. Water system in general www.cityofrochester.gov  * 3. State and local health regulations: Monroe County Department of Health 585-274- 6057. * 4. Monroe County Water Association: www. MCWA.com  * 5. Federal regulation and general info: EPA Hotline- 1-800-426-4791 or www.epa.gov/ogwdw/ * 6. Cryptosporidium and other waterbourne diseases: center for Disease Control website: www.cdc.gov/ncidod/diseases/ * 7. Point-of-use water treatment devices: National Santitation Foundation: www.nsfconsumer.org/water/dw_treatment.asp 
• 6/21/04 --**ACTION**  To comment on Green Energy - Public comment is invited until June 23. See the proposal on the Web at www.AskPSC.com . Comments can be called in — at (800) 335-2120, press “1” for electric — or filed on the Internet at www.AskPSC.com --from Democrat & Chronicle: State's proposal for green energy welcomed here — At a public hearing Thursday, 20 area citizens commented on a state proposal that would require New York to get 25 percent of its electricity from renewable sources by 2013. Speaking at Henrietta Town Hall, 19 of the 20 were in favor of the so-called Renewable Energy Portfolio Standard, a green-energy requirement already in place with varying required percentages in 13 other states. (June 18, 2004) Democrat and Chronicle.
• 6/18/04 -- We're always looking for more environmental news for the Rochester area.  For how can you monitor the environmental health of our area if you don't have the facts.  Here's a potential new news source: insider - Rochester remixed Why not e-mail these people and encourage them to write articles on our environment.
• 6/18/04 -- **ACTION** Take Action! Resist Legislative Ploy to Push Passage of Bush Energy Policy! The Republican leadership in the U.S. House of Representatives has declared this week "Energy Week" in order to push the Senate to pass a handful of bills, including the infamous Energy Policy Act of 2003 (S. 2095). Public Citizen is declaring the Energy Bill WEAK, on account of the fact that it fails to address major problems in America's energy sector while lavishing billions of dollars in taxpayer subsidies on polluting industries.  SEND AN E-MAIL to your senators and representative, urging them to oppose this regressive energy policy, via Public Citizen's Web site: http://www.citizen.org/cmep/energyweek AND STAY INFORMED on the latest news on energy legislation in Congress at Public Citizen's energy bill action Web page: http://www.stopenergybill.org
• 6/18/04 -- **ACTION** Support the Bigger, Better, Bottle Bill!  - The Bigger, Better Bottle Bill (A.3922-B/S.1696-B) has been "bottled up" in the State Legislature. As you know, this legislation is good for our environment and our economy. It would increase recycling, prevent litter, and generate an estimated $179 million a year in unclaimed deposits to fund local environmental programs through the State Environmental Protection Fund. It will also create new jobs in the recycling business. But it has met with well-financed opposition from the beer and soft drink companies, and from the supermarket lobby. We Need Your Help NOW! We need as many people as possible to call Assembly and Senate leaders THIS WEEK and urge them to pass the Bigger, Better Bottle Bill (A.3922-B/S.1696-B). Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver:NYC: 212-312-1420 Albany: 518-455-3791 Senate Majority Leader Joseph Bruno Albany: 518-455-3191 Also, please call your own state representatives and ask them to contact Assembly and Senate leaders about this issue. To find out who represents you, call your county Board of Elections or visit www.http://map01.elections.state.ny.us/boe/main.asp For More Information about the "Bigger, Better Bottle Bill" visit http://www.nypirg.org/enviro/bottlebill/ , or call: NYC: Susan Craine, 212-349-6460. Albany: Laura Haight, 518-436-0876, ext. 258
• 6/15/04 -- **ACTION**  This from Care2 Environment Supersite - free email, ecards that help save animals, endangered species! - Is Mercury Poisoning Your Family? Petition: http://www.care2.com/go/z/15052 You should know... 1. Mercury pollution from smokestacks contaminates our drinking water and food supply. 2. Mercury exposure can cause permanent brain, kidney,  & heart damage.
  3. Children, pregnant women, new mothers & their babies  are particularly vulnerable.  Last December, the EPA released a mercury pollution regulation proposal for power plants that fails to protect mothers and children from mercury poisoning.  Instead, this proposal protects the energy industry by setting pollution regulation targets so low that coal-burning power plants will be allowed to continue polluting!  What can you do to help? The EPA is accepting your comments -- giving you a chance to officially share your opinion about this proposal. By submitting your public comment, you can help demonstrate to the EPA that the public supports a drastic reduction in mercury emissions from power plants.  SIGN NOW and let the EPA know you support reducing mercury pollution.  Help now, The deadline for comments is June 29th: http://www.care2.com/go/z/15052
• 6/15/04 -- Information on the recycling of electronics: Go to the source authority on recycling in Monroe County for this information: Monroe County Environmental Services, Electronic Recycling: What You Should Know—So Someone Doesn’t Know Too Much About You! - What you Should Know About Electronics Disposal and the Environment - Where can you Dispose of/Recycle Electronics in a Secure and Environmentally-Safe Way? - Household Hazardous Waste (HHW) Program & Printer Cartridge Recycling.
• 6/13/04 -- **GOOD/BAD IDEAS**   Given all the potential problems (terrorist attack, inability to discard nuclear waste safely, mistakes made at nuclear plants( should Rochester be proud of the fact that is has the longest-running Nuclear Plant?  WXXI: Nation's Oldest Nuke Plant Changes Hands (2004-06-11) Employees at the Ginna Nuclear Power Plant watched Friday as a new corporate logo went up on the side of the green metal building that houses the plant's nuclear reactor. Constellation Energy took ownership of the nation's longest-running nuclear plant from Rochester Gas and Electric, which first put the plant on line in Wayne County in 1969.Public NewsRoom
• 6/13/04 -- **EVENT**  Celebrate Urban Birds! Be Part of Our Workshop June 18th (from Cornell Lab of Ornithology) How can you make a difference in the lives of urban kids? Get them interested in the birds that share their surroundings! Gulls, crows, and other city-dwelling birds are fascinating to watch and play unique roles in the environment. On Friday, June 18, Urban Bird Studies at the Lab of Ornithology is presenting a workshop to help educators, youth leaders, parents, and anyone else with a recreational or educational use for activities learn how to use our bird projects and other activities to promote learning about birds, city environments, and science. It's a great opportunity to learn about how to conduct the projects and learn about other citizen-science projects at the Lab and beyond. The workshop is free. For more information and to sign up (by Monday the 14th) please go to www.birds.cornell.edu/urbanbirds . Questions can be directed to Mindy LaBranche, MSL27@cornell.edu  or to urbanbirds@cornell.edu . Please forward this message to anyone who might be interested!
• 6/13/04 -- **EVENT** One of our Best: -- THE PROGRESSIVE COMMUNITY INVITES YOU TO AN APPRECIATION PARTY for JACK BRADIGAN SPULA - Wednesday, June 23, 2004 - 5:30 P.M. — till – The event will be held at Canalside Lodge, Genesee Valley Park. These will be provided: • Iced Tea & Lemonade • Cake • Grilling supplies • Garbage bags • Sound system (there is electricity) Please bring: • A dish to pass with spoon & ingredient list • Your own table settings and coverings • Any food you wish to grill • Any other beverages you wish • Cards and monetary gifts for Jack • Verbal messages for Jack at Open Mike time • A small offering to cover expenses - Games & music -- It’s time to tell Jack how much we appreciate all he has done for our community over the years. - Spread the word—let’s make this a big event!!!
• 6/13/04 -- **ACTION** Summer water conservation --from National Wildlife Federation -During summer months, Americans use twice as much water as they do during other times of the year. Improving the water efficiency of your yard can help you save natural resources, time and money. Discover 20 ways to conserve water around your home. http://nwf.m0.net/m/s.asp?HB13988827955X3579117X389237X  --Make Every Water Drop Count.
• 6//10/04 --Maybe it's time to clean up our Air Pollution here in Rochester.  Democrat & Chronicle: Report: Area's air impure Environmentalists rank it 43rd worst in quality, links to illness. — Rochester is the 43rd-worst metropolitan area in the nation for air quality, according to a national report released by a nonprofit organization Wednesday. Clear the Air, based in Washington, D.C., released a report, “Dirty Air, Dirty Power,” linking health problems to areas near older, coal-burning power plants. Rochester was 43rd out of 352 metro areas. (June 11, 2004) Democrat and Chronicle  Check out Clear The Air - Power Plant Air Pollution Locater from Clear The Air
• 6//10/04 --**ACTION**  Help Save Energy - from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) - Efficient Cooling Systems Protect the Environment and Save Money - Contact: John Millett, 202-564-7842 / millett.john@epa.gov (Washington, D.C. – June 8, 2004) – With the launch of ENERGY STAR’s “Cool Change” campaign this summer, EPA is encouraging Americans to save energy, money, and protect the environment by increasing the efficiency of home cooling systems. To improve cooling system efficiency, homeowners may replace air filters, perform annual tune-ups, or install new ENERGY STAR-qualified central air conditioners.  The average family spends $1,400 a year on energy bills, nearly half of which goes to heating and cooling. Homeowners who choose energy-efficient heating and cooling equipment that is properly sized and installed can save as much as 20 percent on their annual energy costs. ENERGY STAR products use less energy, which means less air pollution and a cleaner environment. If 1 in 10 U.S. households used heating and cooling equipment that has earned the ENERGY STAR, the change would prevent an estimated 17 billion pounds of air pollution.  The "Cool Change" campaign offers homeowners tips to realize big savings – for their wallet and the environment. Recommendations include replacing old cooling equipment with high-efficiency ENERGY STAR-qualified equipment; checking and sealing duct systems; replacing air filters; and sealing homes to keep excess air from escaping through leaky attics, doors and windows. For a copy of EPA’s Guide to Energy-Efficient Cooling and Heating and more information about home cooling system efficiency improvements, visit: http://www.energystar.gov/hvacguide  . EPA established ENERGY STAR in 1992 as a voluntary, market-based partnership to reduce air pollution by giving consumers simple energy-efficient choices. Today, with assistance from the U.S. Department of Energy, the ENERGY STAR is featured on more than 40 types of products, from light bulbs to major appliances to new homes and buildings. More than 9,000 organizations have become ENERGY STAR partners and are committed to improving the energy efficiency of products, homes and businesses. For more information about ENERGY STAR, call 1-888-STAR-YES or visit: http://www.energystar.gov  .
• 6//10/04 --**ACTION** --from U.S. PIRG  June 8 is World Oceans Day. Since the start of industrial fishing in the middle of the twentieth century, the health of our oceans has declined at an alarming rate. Last month, over 5,500 people asked their governor to tell the U.S. Commission on Ocean Policy to protect our oceans. Now, we need to make sure that Congress also knows that we want to see our oceans' health restored. Please take a moment to ask your U.S. Representative to protect our oceans from overfishing by becoming an original cosponsor of the Fisheries Management Reform Act of 2004. Then, ask your family and friends to help by forwarding this e-mail to them. To take action, click on this link or paste it into your web browser: http://pirg.org/alerts/route.asp?id=313&id4=ES
• 6//10/04 --**ACTION** MoveOn.org: Prevent a Climate Crisis The new movie, "The Day After Tomorrow," is more science fiction than science fact. Yet the danger of a climate crisis is very real, and we've got to take action now to prevent it. Passing the McCain-Lieberman Climate Stewardship Act would be a big step in the right direction, creating national caps on the greenhouse gas emissions that cause global warming. "To prevent a climate crisis, Congress and President Bush must immediately enact the McCain-Lieberman Climate Stewardship Act."
• 6/08/04 -- **EVENT** Let's Make Lead History*** Community Lead Summit - Thursday - June 10th- 5-6:30pm - Clarion Riverside Hotel - 120 East Main St, downtown Rochester - ($5 contribution- but nobody turned away) - There will also be a full day of workshops http://www.leadsafeby2010.org/summit/Summit%20Program%20Book.pdf Politicians from across the political spectrum and community groups from all over the city and county are gathering for this historic summit. http://www.leadsafeby2010.org/commitment_form.htm
  The summit and workshops are hosted by the Coalition to Prevent Lead Poisoning (Metro Justice is a member of the Coalition) WHY IS THE ENTIRE COMMUNITY MOBILIZING TO FIGHT LEAD POISONING? Lead paint chips flake off the wall. The lead chips taste sweet to kids. Lead paint dust settles on windowsills and the floor. Kids play there and then put their hands in their mouths. Over 1,200 Monroe County kids continue to be poisoned each year. 24% of the children in Rochester have been poisoned  Once lead settles in kids' bodies it can lower their IQ, decrease their attention span, create learning disabilities and cause problems in impulse control. Studies show that kids who are poisoned by lead are six times more likely to be involved in the criminal justice system.  Rochester's North Side and 19th Ward are ground zero for lead poisoning. In some neighborhoods over 30% of the kids are poisoned. Ninety percent of the lead poisoned children are from families on public assistance. This is not only a public health issue. This is about race and class. Please join us for this summit. Put your body in the crowd. Put your shoulder to the wheel. You don't have to be there for the whole summit. Just show up when you can. -from  Jon Greenbaum, Metro Justice Organizer http://www.metrojustice.org/index.html  
• 6/07/04 --- What can be done about the Deer Problem?  Check http://wildlifedamage.unl.edu/handbook/Chapters/6ewdccurtis3.doc
• 6/07/04 -- **ACTION**  Have some public input on the water quality of the Great Lakes:   International Joint Commission - Bulletin Board IJC launches on-line bulletin board for basin discussion of the upcoming review of the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement What do you think about the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement? Does it need to be updated? Is the scope of the agreement still as sound in 2004 as it was in 1978? Do you have a vision for the future of the Lakes you want to share and shape? These are questions the governments of the U.S. and Canada will face this year as they begin to review the effectiveness of this historic agreement - the IJC is interested in your views and looking for your input. Article X of the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement directs the governments to review of the operation and effectiveness of this historic agreement following every third IJC biennial report. The 12th Biennial Report, to be released in 2004, triggers this review. As stated in its September 20, 2003 public declaration, the IJC has pledged to assist the governments and engage and facilitate public participation in the review. As part of this process, IJC has launched an Internet bulletin board to encourage basin-wide discussion of the issues early in the review process. Questions lead off each discussion area to help conversation begin, but your are encouraged to log on and respond to other’s thoughts or comment on agreement issues that are important to you.
• 6/05/04 -- "PLANT CONTAINER" RECYCLING EVENT TO HIGHLIGHT LAST FLOWER CITY DAYS AT PUBLIC MARKET   -   The final Sunday of horticultural sale days at the Rochester Public Market, 280 North Union Street, will be held this Sun., June 6, 2004 from 8am to 2pm. Besides being the one stop source for all your gardening needs, the Market will also host a plant container recycling from 12-3pm. Gardeners are invited to bring their empty containers, pots, seed starting trays, etc. The containers will be collected and will be available for others to re-use. Event organizer, Cindy Woods, says "It’s a chance to clean out clutter and let others make use of your old pots. Gardeners are invited to both pick up and drop off containers." For more information call the Market Tuesday -Saturday 7am-1pm at 428-6907.
• 6/05/04 -- It's that time of year again to Fight The Bite! : West Nile Virus  Do your  part to prevent to Fight the Bit and get updated information from the NYS Department of Health: West Nile Virus in Rochester: Dead Crow Report Form -  The Monroe County Health Department uses reports of dead crows as one tool to track the spread of West Nile Virus (WNV) in our community and to gauge the risk of this illness to humans. There are several options to report dead crows: During business hours (8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m., Mon-Fri), call (585) 274-6171 - After business hours or on the weekend (to leave a message), call (585) 234-9600 - Submit the attached online form anytime