Richmond Peace Education Center benefitSaturday, July 24John McCutcheon in Concert, with Susan GreenbaumVCU Singleton Center for the Performing Arts, 922 Park Ave.Get Your Tickets Today: $20 adults/$10 students/$50 familyemail tickets@rpec.org or call 232-1002Tickets also available at the door!

http://www.richmondbizsense.com/2010/07/23/guest-opinion-ride-with-me-through-biketopia/

Energetic and committed advocates help bring these facilities into existence, funded by enlightened local governments and major corporations who maintain headquarters there. In those cities, almost everyone knows that opportunities for safe cycling of all types raise property values and quality of life for everyone, not just the cyclists.

VOTE GREEN and it will happen

A coalition of local activist groups plans to hold a parade in Richmond thisSaturday, May 1, to commemorate May Day. On March 16, 2010, Fellow WorkerKenneth Yates, one of the event organizers, submitted a parade permitapplication to Sgt. Selander of the RPD Special Events Division. Accordingto the relevant city ordinance (Chapter 102, Article X of the City Code,pertaining to Assemblies, Demonstrations, and Parades), the police shouldhave responded within five days. Instead, nearly a month went. On April 14,Sgt. Selander informed Mr. Yates that, in order to receive a parade permit,his group would have to pay for two off-duty police officers. According toAttorney Rebecca K. Glenberg of the Virginia ACLU, who has been in touchwith both Mr. Yates and Sgt. Selander on this matter, the city code does notinclude any authority for the police to impose such a requirement.*PLEASE NOTE: * whether things work out or not, the rally and parade willstill happen.  It will just have to happen on the sidewalks and not thestreets. We do have a permit for both the rally and the sidewalks.Sign the letter here:http://www.change.org/petitions/view/free_speech_for_richmonds_may_dayDear Mayor Dwight C. Jones and Police Chief Bryan T. Norwood:I am writing to protest the fact that the Richmond Police Department isattempting to deny a parade permit to organizers of a Richmond May DayParade planned for this coming Saturday, first by failing to respond to theorganizers‚ permit application within the time limit imposed by city law,and second by demanding that the organizers first agree to hire two off-dutypolice officers, a requirement not included in the relevant city ordinance.I urge the City of Richmond to do the right thing, respect the FirstAmendment right to peacefully assemble and immediately grant the paradepermit.Sincerely,Cc:The New York Times, Washington Post, Associated Press, Richmond Free Press,Richmond Voice The Virginia Defender, Richmond Times-Dispatch, Style Weekly,WRIR, Richmond-area Clear Channel radio stations, WTVR Channel 6, WRICChannel 8, NBC Channel 12, May Day 2010 Richmond Organizing Committee

From City of Richmond government:

Richmond, VA – As the 40^th Anniversary of Earth Day approaches, Mayor Dwight C. Jones brought into focus the city of Richmond’s plans for sustainability during a press conference earlier today. Results of the city’s first greenhouse gas emissions inventory were presented in conjunction with the announcement of the city’s partnership with Earth Aid. “I want the residents of Richmond to enjoy an improved quality of life, a healthy environment and enhanced economic development and job creation opportunities,” said Mayor Jones. “Now that we have the results of our first greenhouse gas emissions inventory, we can move forward with establishing a Sustainability Plan for the city of Richmond.” The greenhouse gas emissions inventory is an assessment of energy use from various sources, like electricity in homes or fuel in cars, and their associated greenhouse gas emissions. The city conducted both a community-wide inventory and a government operations inventory for the city of Richmond. The full report can be found at www.richmondgov.com/sustainability. Findings show that the largest source of community emissions comes from energy consumption in the commercial and industrial sectors. Emissions from fuel combustion in vehicles traveling on local roads and state highways were the second largest source of emissions, and energy consumption in the residential sector, the third largest. In the city government operations inventory, emissions from city buildings and facilities were the largest source of government emissions, with emissions from city employees commuting to work being the second largest source of emissions. “Now that we have a baseline of our emissions, the next step is to develop strategies to reduce those emissions,” said Mayor Jones. “We will mobilize and engage the community to help us develop a comprehensive Sustainability Plan in 2011, and I am calling our overall effort the Green Richmond Initiative.” The Green Richmond Initiative will involve several components, including: -          Creation of Green Incentive Zones to draw green and clean technology businesses to Richmond-          Gap financing to enable developers to build energy efficient homes and commercial structures-          A community gardens project where vacant and underutilized city parcels can be turned into productive gardens-          Exploring sustainable transportation options and developing a strategic multi-modal transportation plan-          A Rewards program through Earth Aid wherein households can track their actual energy and water usage at home and redeem Rewards points for savings “We welcome our partnership with Earth Aid; it’s a great example of the kind of innovative solutions we’re bringing to Richmond to support our sustainability efforts,” said Mayor Jones.  “We are excited that Richmond is one of the first cities to partner with Earth Aid to engage our citizens and the entire community in this cutting-edge program,  and I hope residents will eagerly sign up to participate.” Earth Aid (www.earthaid.net/Richmond) helps households track their actual energy and water consumption on the internet and learn how to be more energy efficient. Households earn rewards points each month for saving energy and water and then they can redeem these points for discounts and offers at a variety of local Richmond businesses—20 as of today and growing.  Residents can sign up for the program at www.earthaid.net/Richmond. Earth Aid will help: 

• • Residents save money on their utility bills;
  • Put dollars into our local economy through our local merchants; and
  • Lower our community’s carbon footprint.

 “I am proud to join with Mayor Jones and other community and business leaders from across Richmond to help area residents save money on their utility bills, support local business, and create a more sustainable Richmond,” said Ben Bixby, Co-Founder & CEO of Earth Aid. “It’s a great way for residents to go green and save green during this Earth Week and beyond.” Local businesses that have already signed up to offer rewards through the Earth Aid program include: Restore RVA                                         Savor                                                    Bikram Yoga Richmond For the Love of Pete                               Segway Tours of Richmond                     Venture RichmondSouthern Sparkle                                   My Closet – Your Treasures                    The Yarn LoungeUrban Grid Solar                                    Café Gutenberg                                      Hilton of RichmondMetro Sound and Music                          Science Museum of Virginia                    Papa’s PizzaGreen Duck                                           Lift Coffee                                              Mis En PlaceLa Diff                                                   Republic Restaurant and Bar 

# # #

The Richmond Peace Education Center’s annual essay contest encourages Virginia’s youth to think more deeply about the meaning and importance of peace while strengthening their writing skills. This year’s theme, Living in a World of Diversity, prompts students to consider how Americans can look beyond our divisions to build unity and respect — as individuals, communities and a country.  

An official entry form, along with the full writing prompt and contest rules is available at the Peace Center’s web site, www.rpec.org.

 

The contest is open to all public, private and home-schooled students in Virginia from Kindergarten through 12^th grade.  Entries are divided into four age groups, with eight cash prizes in each division. The top two essays in each school level are also invited to read their essays on WRIR.

 

Entries will be judged on content, composition, style and grammar, with emphasis on a thoughtful and creative approach to the theme. Two copies of all essays are due by April 19, 2010, at the Richmond Peace Education Center office: 400 W. 32^nd St. Richmond, VA 23225.

 

 

For more information, contact Paul Fleisher at rpec@rpec.org or (804) 232-1002.  

If you’d like to see Virginia STOP putting people in jail for 
marijuana, then you need to send an email or two, and you need to do 
it TUESDAY!
Delegate Harvey Morgan, a Republican pharmaciust from Gloucester, 
has introduced HB1134 and HB1136. HB1134 will decriminalize 
possession, and reform penalties for other marijuana 
offenses. HB1136 will improve Virginia’s medical-marijuana law,
The decrim bill, HB1134, will be heard about 1pm on Wednesday the 
27th by the Criminal Laws subcommittee of the House Coiurts of 
Justice Committee. After these nine people vote on it, it will be 
heard again by the full Courts committee, which generally follows the 
recommendations of the subcommittee. Boiled down, this means that 
five people on the subcommittee can effectively KILL the bill, and 
they’ll be voting on Wednesday afternoon.
If you’d like to see the bill pass, you need to go to 
<http://leg1.state.va.us/cgi-bin/legp504.exe?101+sub+H08001>, and 
send a short email to each person listed under “Membership” (Click on 
each name to see data and a mailto link). The email needs to arrive 
before noon on. Wednesday!
The message doesn’t need to be long, or elegant . . . it just needs 
to GET THERE. As a subjectline, I suggest “Support HB1134″. For 
details on the bill, go to 
<http://leg1.state.va.us/cgi-bin/legp504.exe?ses=101&typ=bil&val=hb1134>.

Virginia coalition to hold ‘Jan. 9 March on the State Capitol for Jobs,Peace & Justice’On Saturday, Jan. 9, the Virginia People’s Assembly, a statewide coalitionof labor, community and peace organizations, will sponsor a march on theState Capitol to oppose more budget cuts and layoffs of state workers.The demands of the march include: “Jobs, Peace, Justice! Don’t balance thebudget on the backs of Virginia’s workers! Make the big corporations paytheir fair share of Virginia’s tax burden!”The announcement of the march follows outgoing Gov. Tim Kaine’s proposalfor the 2010-2012 state budget, which includes $2.3 billion in new cuts,including the loss of 2,543 state jobs, 664 through direct layoffs, aswell as slashing aid to cities and counties. The new cuts would be inaddition to the more than $7 billion already cut from the present two-yearbudget in response to declining revenue caused by the ongoing nationalrecession.Bob McDonnell, who takes office as Virginia’s new governor on Jan. 16, hasalready rejected revenue increases proposed by Kaine, so the actualthreatened cuts and layoffs will likely be even more severe.“Gov. Tim Kaine and incoming Gov. Bob McDonnell are both talking aboutmore layoffs of state workers, more cuts in social programs, higheruniversity tuition and less aid to the cities and counties,” said LillieBranch-Kennedy, a prisoner rights advocate and founding member of the VPA.“But nobody is talking about the fact that Virginia has one of the lowestcorporate income tax rates in the country. We say raise the tax rate forthe biggest corporations and you won’t have to balance the budget on thebacks of working people and the poor!”On Jan. 9, the VPA and its allies and supporters will rally at 3 p.m. atKanawha Plaza, at 8th and Canal streets next to the Federal ReserveBuilding in downtown Richmond. At 4 p.m., participants will march throughthe city’s Financial District, past the offices of the banks andcorporations the VPA charges are not paying their fair share of thestate’s tax burden. The march will end at sundown outside Capitol Square.City permits have been obtained for both the rally and march.The march and rally will be preceded by a meeting for VPA affiliates andallies, to be held from 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. at St. Stephen’s BaptistChurch, 505 N. 33rd St. in the city’s East End.The Virgina People’s Assembly was formed in the fall of 2008 to sponsor amarch and rally on the opening day of the 2009 General Assembly session.Organizers of the march and rally scheduled for Jan. 9, 2010, include theRichmond organizations Richmond Jobs with Justice; Defenders for Freedom,Justice & Equality, Resource Information Help for the Disadvantaged;Prisoners & Families for Equal Rights & Justice; and United ParentsAgainst Lead National, Inc.; the Coalition for Justice (Blacksburg) thePeople United (Charlottesville); Plowshare Peace Center (Roanoke);Mexicanos Sin Fronteras / Mexicans Without Borders (Prince WilliamCounty); OffBase GI Coffeehouse (Norfolk) and many individual activists.A complete list of endorsers follows this announcement.For more information, call (804) 644-5834 or e-mailvapeoplesassembly@gmail.com. Also, visit the VPA Web site atwww.vapeoplesassembly.org.The following organizations and individuals have endorsed theJan. 9 March on the State Capitol for Jobs, Peace & JusticeAfter Downing Street; David Swanson, Co-Founder - CharlottesvillePhyllis T. Albritton - BlacksburgBreanne Armbrust, Director, Richmond Jobs with JusticeMichael S. Berg, Peace & Social Justice Activist - NorfolkJ. Daniel Bickett, Activist - RichmondLillie “Ms. K” Branch-Kennedy, Director, Resource Information Help for theDisadvantaged (RIHD)Margaret Breslau, Chair, Coalition for Justice -BlacksburgRev. Indee Hopewell Brown, Concerned Virginian -MidlothianRain Burroughs, Code Pink - RichmondDefenders for Freedom, Justice & EqualityAna Edwards, Chair, Sacred Ground Historical Reclamation Project - RichmondSa’ad El-Amin, Human Rights Activist - RichmondLillie A. Estes, Community Strategist - RichmondFlying Brick Library – RichmondRev. J.E. Gash, Exec. Minister, The Active Hand Ministry - Richmond PastorBenjamin W. Harris Jr., Concerned Community Activist – Richmond Rev.Marilyn Heckstall, Activist - RichmondPearl & Lawrence Hopewell, Concerned Virginians - RichmondRev. Rodney Hunter - RichmondRev. George Jordan, Founder, A.F.R.I.C.A. - RichmondKing Salim Khalfani, Executive Director, Va. State Conference NAACP LittleFlower Catholic Worker Farm - LouisaMay Day 2010 - RichmondMexicanos Sin Fronteras - Prince William CountyDonnell Newton, Community Activist – NorfolkTom Palumbo, Interim Project Manager, OffBase Coffeehouse & ActivistCenter - NorfolkThe People UnitedRev. Nichole Phillips, Concerned Virginian - MidlothianTench Phillips, President, Art Repertory Films, Inc - NorfolkCharity Pierce, President, Afrikana (VCU)Plowshare Peace Center - RoanokePrisoners & Families for Equal Rights & JusticeProsser-Truth Division #456, UNIA-ACLRePHRAME - RichmondRichmond Anarchist Black CrossRichmond Peace Education CenterRichmond Reproductive Freedom ProjectRichmond Social Justice CollectiveAdria Scharf, Peace Activist - RichmondJennifer Schockemoehl, Labor Organizer - RichmondSelf-Improvement and Education Center - NorfolkQueen Zakia Shabazz, Director, United Parents Against Lead National, Inc.Brian Taylor, Democratic Congressional Candidate, 7th DistrictUE Local 160, Va. Public Service Workers UnionVA CARAT (Virginia Community Action & Response Against Toxins)Virginia Solidarity AssociationJoan Wages - Floyd CountyPhil Wilayto, Editor, The Virginia DefenderThe Wingnut - RichmondCathy Woodson, Activist – RichmondOutside VirginiaThe Virginia People’s Assembly is attracting attention from beyond Virginia.As of Dec. 21, the Jan. 9 march has been endorsed by:Pam Africa, Co-Chair, The International Concerned Family & Friends ofMumia Abu Jamal - PhiladelphiaRamona Africa, Minister of Communication for The MOVE Organization -PhiladelphiaA.N.S.W.E.R.CoalitionBlack Workers for JusticeNoam Chomsky, Professor, MIT - Lexington, Mass.Donna S. Dewitt, President, S.C. AFL-CIO - Columbia, S.C.Fellowship of Reconciliation - USASara Flounders, Co-Director, International Action CenterYoshie Furuhashi, Editor, MRZineTeresa Gutierrez, Co-Coordinator, May 1st Coalition for Worker & ImmigrantRightsMike Konopacki, Huck/Konopacki Labor Cartoons - Madison, Wis.National Assembly to End the Iraq & Afghanistan Wars & Occupations  RostamPourzal, Former President, Campaign Against Sanctions & MilitaryIntervention in Iran (CASMII) - Washington, D.C.

Folks,

Our Richmond Greens December meeting did not happen. I would like to plan for the new year. We have some new members and some new possibilities.

Please, lets all mark our calendar for January 12, 2010 (second Tuesday of the month), 7pm as the date and time for this meeting. 

Please, RSVP to me, at scottburger@mac.com

Location is TBA, depending on who and how many respond. 

Here’s a salute and appreciation for the volunteer efforts of Silver Persinger.Now, go read what he says by clicking here.

District activist Peter Craig put the brakes on highway constructionMonday, December 28, 2009; A14We applaud the Dec. 20 obituary [”Peter Craig, lawyer in D.C. highway battles, dies at 81″] and Dec. 23 editorial [”The roads not undertaken”] on the life and work of anti-highway activist attorney Peter Craig, who died Nov. 26. Mr. Craig, Sammy Abbot, Reginald Booker and many other citizens prevented the devastation of many more highways being built in the District, and the building of yet another bridge across the Potomac River on Three Sisters Island. Ultimately, their work and that of others led to the creation of the Metrorail and Metrobus system and high-occupancy-vehicle lanes on Interstate 66 and other highways that we now all take for granted.Arlington activists worked closely in the 1960s and ’70s with D.C. activists — particularly Sammy Abbot, but also Mr. Craig — to prevent the building of Interstate 66 through Arlington until it was scaled down and modified.If Mr. Craig were alive today, he would doubtless cheer Arlington environmentalists’ efforts to keep an environmentally sound I-66 through Arlington and to prevent its needless and wasteful expansion from its current four lanes into neighborhoods and parklands.B. Audrey Clement and John Reeder,ArlingtonThe writers filed a lawsuit in October in U.S. District Court in Alexandria against the Virginia and U.S. departments of transportation in an effort to halt the widening of I-66 in Arlington.