IAT
NEWSLETTER
Spring 2008
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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,
This season’s newsletter is jampacked with all sorts of wonderful contributions from you! We had concert and events announcements, poetry, letters, websites, etc. Let’s keep up the great work.
Thanks to all who sent something for this issue, and thanks, in general, to all of you, for being a part of It’s About Time.
Happy Spring!
My heart to yours,
Ann
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A LETTER FROM MARY
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Hi Everyone!
I hope all of you had a nice Winter and are looking forward to Spring as I am. I would like to share some thoughts with all of you as we enter 2008 celebrating John’s life and legacy going into the 11th year.
We have all seen the celebrations in Aspen grow and grow over these 10 years into a wonderful week filled with music and friendships … both old and new.
Lately though, with all of the evident discord, I think John’s philosophy of you AND me has gotten a bit skewed … a bit lost as it were. As most of you know, John could accomplish more with a simple song than with all the words in the world … he was a true communicator. And that is the key here … communication. There have been instances in the last year or so of misunderstandings and miscommunications that have caused ill feelings and the sad part is those involved seem not to be willing to talk things out to resolve those issues.
I know we all feel the same passions and commitments that John felt and we all know his passions and commitments were evident in everything he did … whether from the concert stage or from the stage at the Choices For The Future symposiums. Even when his voice rang out with extreme passion perhaps toward a specific person or group, he did so with respect and civility always remembering to emphasize that we are not so different one from the other … we’re all on the same page. We all aspire to a sustainable future not only for us but for our children and their children.
So let’s all remember that we are gifts … to each other, to our friends, to our families and to our co-workers and how we express those gifts will reflect on us as well as on John.
See you all in Aspen-Mary
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QUOTE OF THE MONTH
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"Treat the Earth well:
It was not given to you
by your parents,
It was loaned to you
by your children.
We do not inherit the
Earth from our ancestors,
We borrow it from our
children."
(Usually attributed to Chief Seattle, but true author is unknown)
Sent by Carole Romanowski
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CALENDAR OF EVENTS
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MAY
May 3, 2008 - Bristol, PA - Third Annual Earth Day Concert - Christopher Westfall - Silver Lake Nature Center / 1306 Bath Road / Bristol, PA 19007 7:30pm $10 donation pacutter@co.bucks.pa.us (215) 785-1177 http://www.silverlakenaturecenter.org
May 3, 2008 - Dousman, WI - Adopt-A-Highway Cleanup - Feel good about being with the outdoors again / The Wisconsin Friends of John Denver are looking for Garbage Getters & Trash Trackers to help with our spring clean-up / 11am - 1pm / Meet in the gravel parking lot of the Kettle Moraine Golf Club / 4299 US Hwy 67 / Trash bags & safety vests provided / Stick around afterwards for food, fellowship & fun / Contact: Carolyn Churchill the_family_churchill@msn.com or by cell at 847-421-4609
JUNE
June 6-8, 2008 - Horicon, WI - Camping Trip / The Wisconsin Friends of John Denver are looking for more friends to sing with us around the campfire / Ledge Park Campground / N7403 Park Road / Cost $12 per tent, per night / We have room for several more tents on sites K, L, M on Friday & Saturday night / Contact: Suzy Winzenried winz_miester@yahoo.com
June 21, 2008 -- Hamilton, Ohio – The Friends With You Band at the Fitton Center for the Performing Arts. 7:30pm, and doors open at 7pm. Tickets are $15.00 for adults and $10.00 for children under ten years old. Email ticket requests to Sharon Cormican at alaskanchild@msn.com and then send check, made out to Sharon Cormican with memo line reading FWY OHIO, and SASE to Sharon A. Cormican, P.O. Box 22, Warsaw, KY 41095
JULY
July 26, 2008 - Hesston, Pa - "Headin' to The Mountains" - An evening with Christopher Westfall 7:00pm - Seven Points Amphitheater / Raystown Lake * donations appreciated Info: Suzanne srose312@embarqmail.com http://raystown.nab.usace.army.mil
http://chriswestfall.com
July 28, 2008 – McKinney, TX -- A Tribute to John Denver, 8 p.m. McKinney Performing Arts Center, 111 N. Tennessee Street. John Adams with special guest, Steve Weisberg, Tickets are $20 for balcony sides, $25 for balcony center and main floor and $50 for VIP tickets that include an after-concert party and a John Denver display in the gallery.
AUGUST
August 2, 2008 - Dousman, WI - Adopt-A-Highway Cleanup - Feel good about being with the outdoors again / The Wisconsin Friends of John Denver are looking for Garbage Getters & Trash Trackers to help with our summer clean-up / 11am - 1pm / Meet in the gravel parking lot of the Kettle Moraine Golf Club / 4299 US Hwy 67 / Trash bags & safety vests provided / Stick around afterwards for food, fellowship & fun / Contact: Carolyn Churchill at the_family_churchill@msn.com or by cell at 847-421-4609
August 9, 2008 - Hesston, PA - The Friends With You Band - "A Tribute to the Music of John Denver" - Seven Points Ampitheater / Raystown Lake 7:00pm - donations appreciated Chris Collins, Mark Cormican, Kevin Delmolino and Paul Swanton. Info: Suzanne srose312@embarqmail.com or Patty pjspiker@verizon.net http://friendswithyouband.com , http://raystown.nab.usace.army.mil
August 15-16, 2008 - South Lake Tahoe, CA - "Dancing With The Mountains: A Musical Tribute to John Denver" – Tahoe Valley Campground / 1175 Melba Drive / South Lake Tahoe. The "Friends With You" band will be featured. Info: Laurie - Laurie@LaurieKern.com http://groups.msn.com/TheSpiritofJohn
August 16, 2008 - Alto, NM - A Musical Tribute to John Denver with Mack Bailey, Bill Danoff, Alan Deremo, Pete Huttlinger, Gary Mule Deer, Chris Nole, John Sommers & Mollie Weaver 8:00pm Spencer Theater for the Performing Arts / Airport Highway 220 / Alto NM 88312 / (888) 818-7872 www.spencertheater.com
August 18, 2008 - Estes Park, CO - John Denver Tribute Concert at the Stanley Rodeo Arena in Estes Park. 7:30pm Brad & Kathy Fitch * info@tropicowboy.com http://www.tropicowboy.com/whatsnew.htm
SEPTEMBER
September 2, 2008 - Fort Collins, CO - John Denver Tribute Concert / Senior Center 7:00pm * info@tropicowboy.com http://www.tropicowboy.com
OCTOBER
October 8, 2008 – Aspen, CO – “Wake Up Your Possibilities”
October 10, 11, 2008 - Aspen, CO - 11th Annual Musical Tribute to John Denver / Wheeler Opera House / 320 E. Hyman Ave. 7:00pm http://www.expectamiraclenow.org
October 10, 2008 - Aspen, CO - Steve Gillette and his wife, Cindy, will be presenting a concert at the Aspen Community Church / Aspen & Bleeker Streets / Tickets: $15
Send a check to: J. Therrien, 12 Dunecrest Ave., Monterey, CA 93940 * info: jht2008@pacbell.net
October 11, 2008 - Aspen, CO - Second Annual Pine Creek Cookhouse event 11:00am - 3:30pm < windwalker@samsco.org >
October 25, 2008 - Dousman, WI - Adopt-A-Highway Cleanup - Feel good about being with the outdoors again / The Wisconsin Friends of John Denver are looking for Garbage Getters & Trash Trackers to help with our fall clean-up / 11am - 1pm / Meet in the gravel parking lot of the Kettle Moraine Golf Club / 4299 US Hwy 67 / Trash bags & safety vests provided / Stick around afterwards for food, fellowship & fun / Contact: Carolyn Churchill at the_family_churchill@msn.com or by cell at 847-421-4609
Branson, MO - Monday through Saturday 10:00am "A Tribute to John Denver & Country Music Legends" James Garrett sings John Denver's best-loved hits.
IMAX Little Opry Theatre / 3562 Shepherd of the Hills Expressway / Branson, MO 65616 (800) 419-4832
(thanks to Emily Parris and the Rocky Mountain High newsletter for these dates; thanks too, to Karen Tupek for keeping us up to date with Mack Bailey’s schedule, PattiAnn Cutter and others for information on Chris Westfall’s engagements, and Deb Sanderson for news of events in California)
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LETTERS & POEMS
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From Carolyn Wilkey (carolynwilkey@aol.com)
Can you please pass this on to your circle of friends?
Please vote for Innocent Kalinda’s project at www.givemeaning.com/project/schoolproject.
The Zambian village in Chibolya has been affected by severe flooding in the last few months which has led to an outbreak of malaria and dysentery. The village is still living with its effects today. Even with these conditions, schooling has always been a main priority for their children, and the community feels it is a path to better job opportunities and escaping poverty. Education gives these children some hope to hold onto, especially during these difficult times. The children are in need of school supplies. So I ask anyone who can help, please just vote. There is nothing more to do.
A votes verifies this is a worthwhile cause. The foundation can only approve the project if we reach 100 votes by May 13th. At that time, the project will be open for foundations and donors to contribute for supplies. You can find detailed information at the above web address. There is also a short story about Innocent. Please realize that your vote can make a difference for an entire community.
Thank you all for your support.
Carolyn
(It’s quick and painless and costs you nothing – c’mon everybody and vote. I did – AS)
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From Judy Therrien (jht2008@pacbell.net)
If you have nothing much to do on Memorial Day weekend, and a few nickels in your pocket, come to MONTEREY and PG!
The John Denver plaque will be installed on a boulder in Pacific Grove. It is now in the process of being fixed as some corrections needed to be made. Anyone who is interested in coming to the Plaque Installation weekend (again, Memorial Day weekend) please leave a message for Judy in Monterey, 831-373-7780 so I can let you where we’ll all be, what we will be doing and how to get free tix for the aquarium.
We might have some fine musicians; waiting to hear definitely…. 3 sing-alongs; 2 at the beach, and one in a house-concert setting. Meals together, optional. If interested, or for more info, please let me know so I can send you a schedule of happenings.
Judy.
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Earth Day and Beyond
(by Carole Romanowski - whispjesse@aol.com)
This Spring of 2007, in keeping with John Denver's message of environmental activism, I recently spent time in my backyard making it environmentally correct! I purchased from Home Depot bags of small white and beige pebbles to place in weeded areas around trees and bushes to prevent weeds' growth instead of using the back breaking job of pulling them up by hand or using weed killer. I've used this new method for years. It's more environmentally friendly on the earth and the pebbles/rocks still allow drainage from rain and hose water for plants.
I also have a small section in a corner of my yard with planted bushes where nothing gets rid of the runners on the lawn in front of it. Even when I dig or pull them up by the roots, they still propagate like wild! So passing up the poison that would definitely end this problem, I upgraded the area - my husband and I purchased about 20 gray patio bricks and arranged them in a small rectangular pattern over plastic laid on top of the runners - problem solved! Now sun and rain cannot make those runners grow! It's attractive - looks like a small pavilion! - and also is friendly to the earth.Plus the yard is safe without the poison in this area for the occasional uninvited yard guests - stray cats and an occasional rabbit!
In addition, I recently weathered a northeaster storm - the worst in decades here - the weekend before Earth Day, that caused a large sink hole on the side of my house. It would have been so easy to just pour cement down the hole to fill it,hose it to harden, then cover it, but since it's not environmentally wise, my husband and I took, with permission, rocks from a nearby quarry - made a few trips and hauled them in the car's trunk - and filled the hole to preserve the status quo of nature.
Busy Spring, happy Earth!
In closing, for a while I've been a member of nature conservancies online - in areas such as Yellowstone and the Grand Canyon, to name a few - and donated to the preservation of their grandeur. John Denver - Mother Nature's Son - sang a message and left a legacy that has governed so much of what I did and still do before we lost him - and after. It is wise to keep Mother Earth environmentally friendly for us to enjoy now and for future generations.
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From Sue McKibbin (sumack@nwlink.com)
http://www.steamboatpilot.com/news/2008/mar/05/kids_give_program_tops_4k_charitydriven_birthday_p/
I just had to share this with other people that share a vision of saving the environment and the animals that live in it. The Lisa Gamber mentioned in the article is my niece, my brother's daughter. "You do what you can do, and I will do what I can do"..........and the idea gets passed down to the young ones.....
Sue
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“Mother Nature's Son" |
If you should ever feel downhearted
And your dreams turn into dust
And friends would soon forsake you
Know nature's all that you can trust.
For Summer always bronzes shoulders
Fall still paints landscapes red, gold
And Spring surely ushers in rebirth
While ivory snow's Winter's gift of cold.
So test the inner strength within you
Seek self-discovery, ponder on
"...yourself reflected in the seasons"
"...understand (your) need to carry on."
Trust in nature's continuity
It's a lesson for everyone
For no one knew this more than John
Since he was Mother Nature's Son.
|
| The Gift of Wonder |
How great it is to know wonder
So pure and innocent and free.
To delight in joyous miracles
Like the greening of a tree.
To be open to the Universe
Transcending distance, place and time.
Heralding the earth and all it's creatures
Committed to lyrics placed in rhyme.
This is John's signature to mankind
In human form and spirit free
Presaging love, laughter and wisdom
Bestowing all to you and me. |
(both poems copyright by Carole Romanowski - whispjesse@aol.com) |
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CONSCIOUS CHOICES – TIPS AND TRICKS FOR SAVING $, TIME AND THE ENVIRONMENT
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Did you know that chargers such as those for your iPod or cellphone are always drawing electricity, even when they’re not in use? Pull out their plugs unless you’re charging your electronic equipment to save money and energy.
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WEBSITES OF INTEREST
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From Sandy Clark (tybrenn@comcast.net) – In time for Earth Day!
Declutter for a good cause
The clothing, accessories, utensils and gadgets that are cluttering your life might be exactly what someone else needs. So instead of tossing then, give them away.
Soles4Souls: Distributes your old shoes to those in need in more than 40 countries around the world. GiveShoes.org
Nike Reuse-A-Shoe: Turns old sneakers into basketball courts, tennis courts and other play surfaces. letmeplay.com/reuseashoe
Excess Access: Matches donations of household items with non-profits that need them. ExcessAccess.org
Dress for Success: Helps disadvantaged women around the world who are interviewing for jobs by giving them professional, gently worn outfits, shoes and accessories. DressforSuccess.org
***
From Theresa Shea (TREE1A@aol.com)
http://www.breadblog.org/2007/09/john-denver-and.html
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From Miriam (M1952@aol.com)
Some interesting things here with respect to “cradle to grave” production and consumption patterns
http://www.storyofstuff.com/
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Earth Day Websites:
World Wildlife Fund: http://www.worldwildlife.org/earthday2008/
Nature Conservancy: http://www.nature.org/earthday/?kw=google&gclid=CLW1ps_u6ZICFQUilgodiXm_4w
Earth Day Network: http://ww2.earthday.net/
Earth Day US Govt. Portal: http://www.earthday.gov/
USEPA Earth Day: http://www.epa.gov/earthday/history.htm
International Earth Day: http://www.earthsite.org/
EnviroLink Resource Guide: http://earthday.envirolink.org/
The Wilderness Society: http://earthday.wilderness.org/
Things to do with kids on Earth Day:
http://www.enchantedlearning.com/crafts/earthday/
These are just a start. If you find other sites with interesting projects or information, or if you do something special to celebrate Earth Day, please let us know! -- AS
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FOR SALE
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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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ENVIRONMENTAL NEWS
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From ABC News
How Earth Day Became ... So Every Day
At 38, Activist Event Has Become an Occasion for Noting Widespread Practices
By GREGORY M. LAMB
April 20, 2008
At 38 years old, Earth Day seems to be entering a midlife identity crisis.
By one estimate, some 1 billion people around the world will do something to observe the anniversary of the first Earth Day in 1970, a landmark in the history of the environmental movement. But attitudes and activities will vary widely. While some celebrate nature's beauty and wonder, others will protest environmental degradation and demand action.
Today environmental concerns are aired year-round: Reports from the United Nations and Al Gore's perpetual slide show warn of the dire effects of climate change.
A cable channel called Planet Green debuts June 4, the first TV network to cover the environment full time. Even James Bond gets into the act this fall. The next 007 film, "Quantum of Solace," will feature an ecovillain trying to take over the water supply of a small country.
So where does Earth Day fit in? Everywhere, apparently. "Earth Day is all things to all people. It's a symbolic representative of the desire for everything we need to do to respect how we treat the earth," says Frank Maisano, an energy-industry spokesman in Washington.
Earth Day isn't even a day anymore. While April 22 is the official date, it's grown to become an earth week, an earth month, and more.
"It's the Earth Day 'season,' " says Paul Hawken, author of a book on the environmental and social-justice movements, "Blessed Unrest: How the Largest Movement in the World Came into Being and Why No One Saw It Coming."
An Earth Day with an identity crisis features an odd mix of mourning and celebration, Mr. Hawken says, sort of like a New Orleans jazz funeral. "You cry all the way to the grave, and you dance all the way back," he says. "You mourn what's lost and is being lost, and you celebrate this extraordinary upsurge of groups and organizations and people in the world" who are working on environmental problems.
Some think the day has become as innocuous and uncontroversial as Mother's Day. Others suggest it has succumbed to commercialism. "Is Earth Day the New Christmas?" asks Advertising Age in a story this week.
"It's relaxed into a kind of therapeutic and consumer movement. We buy things to protect the environment," says Paul Sutter, an associate professor of history at the University of Georgia who tracks the environmental movement. "We recycle, but I don't think there's nearly as much of an activist strain as there used to be."
Today's Earth Day Network, a nonprofit that keeps a database of local events and provides help to thousands of activities around the world, descends from a group of young activists in 1970 who answered a plea from then-Sen. Gaylord Nelson (D) of Wisconsin and piled into borrowed space in Washington to start a phenomenon. Denis Hayes, who led the first Earth Day effort, now sits on the Earth Day Network board.
Despite the year-round attention the environment receives, Earth Day remains a vital "entry point" for people, especially schoolchildren, to begin learning about the issues, says Kathleen Rogers, president of the Earth Day Network.
Today's spotlight on environmental issues has raised interest in Earth Day but also "leads us inexorably to a year-round Earth Day," she concedes.
For the second year in a row, the Chinese government is actively supporting Earth Day. Last year, so many Chinese sought information that it "crashed our website," Ms. Rogers says.
Rallies remain a keystone Earth Day activity. This Sunday, gatherings will be held on the National Mall in Washington and in seven other cities. A petition at www.earthday.net asks Congress to ban the building of coal-fired power plants, increase reliance on renewable energy sources, and require new buildings to be more energy-efficient. "We need Congress to understand something that they don't at all, that Americans really care about this issue," Rogers says.
But much of what the network does involves local efforts. Just days ago Rogers received an e-mail from a woman in Paris, Tenn., who owns a beauty parlor and had heard about Earth Day. The woman wanted to donate 20 percent of her income for the next three months to the Earth Day Network. Rogers says she instead suggested that the woman collect donations from customers and pay to install energy-saving light bulbs in the local high school.
Cleanups remain popular Earth Day projects.
On April 20, New York's Central Park will host planting and mulching. In Concord, Mass., Musketaquid Earth Day is May 3 (Musketaquid is the native American name for the area). Small rafts made of pine logs and decorated with other natural materials will be launched onto the Concord River.
"They decompose where they land," says Morwen Two Feathers, coordinator of the Musketaquid Arts and Environment Program. "It's a symbolic way of saying [that] we send things downstream and we don't always know what happens to them."
Businesses mark the day, too. At HOK, a global architectural firm, April 22 is "Go Barefoot Day" as the 2,600 employees make a difference "one step at a time." They're being asked to use no paper that day, trade bottled water for tap water, and take special care to turn off lights and computers whenever not in use. "Like anything, change is hard. But if you change once, you're more likely to do it again," says Mary Ann Lazarus, the firm's director of sustainable design.
What's Changed Since 1970
While the environment remains the focus, much about Earth Day has changed since 1970, says Adam Rome, an associate professor of history at Penn State University who's working on a book on the subject.
"The first Earth Day was [conceived] partly out of frustration and anger that basic issues like air pollution and water pollution still had not been addressed," he says. Concern over population growth also loomed. "[There was] a sense that something needed to be done to force the leaders of the country ... to take these issues seriously," he says. Global warming was unknown to the general public, though Professor Rome notes that news coverage on April 22, 1970, included a story about a weather-service scientist who said "a lot of evidence" was accumulating to show the earth was warming.
New attention comes from areas beyond the business community. While some churches called for sermons on the topic in 1970, "by and large, institutional religion wasn't interested in environmental issues back then," Rome says. Today, caring for the earth is "a fundamental theological issue," he says.
New environmental concerns have entered the picture too, such as health-related concerns over food-supply safety, Rome says.
The era surrounding the first Earth Day, 1968-73, saw the passage of keystone environmental legislation, including the National Trails System Act and the Endangered Species Act, Professor Sutter points out. The Environmental Protection Agency was founded in 1970 as well.
This year, no major environmental bills are likely to pass Congress, Mr. Maisano says. "We're in a very different situation now," Rome says. "We've addressed a lot of the problems that concerned the people in 1970."
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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 July 19, 2008. 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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