Written by Courtesy of Earth Day Network
Thursday, 21 April 2011 15:06
Earth Day 2011 is themed after the Billion Acts of Green Campaign. To date, we have collected over 100 million Acts of Green and Earth Day events in 152 countries.
How You Can Get Involved: There are hundreds of ways for you to get involved in Earth Day this year. Visit our Earth Day 2011 page for a full breakdown of programming. Want to get started right now? We recommend that you organize an Earth Day Event in your community or attend an event near you, and pledge an Act of Green. You can event check out an environmentally themed movie, like Mia and the Migoo.
Earth Day 2011 Highlights
• Large Earth Day events in 17 of the largest U.S. cities, including St. Louis, San Francisco, Dallas, and New York anticipate thousands of people often over multiple days. Volunteer service is sweeping the across the world, with cities such as Columbus, OH expecting over 4,000 people to plant community gardens, clean up riverbanks and remove invasive vegetation from parks.
• Over 150 cities and towns in India are holding Earth Day events, with an enthusiasm rivaling the very first Earth Day in 1970. Earth Day India 2011 partners include the million-member trade union Self-Employed Women's Association (SEWA) and the Center for Environment Education's Paryavaran Mitra Project. SEWA, founded in 1972 by noted Gandhian and civil rights leader Dr. Ela Bhatt, is coordinating Earth Day events in 10 districts of western India, while the Center is creating “Environment Friends” (Paryavaran Mitras) in 100 schools nationwide. The Center is also working with one of India's largest public sector companies, the Steel Authority of India.
• Local and state leaders worldwide, realizing the need to foster local green economies, are holding Earth Day Network's Global Day of Conversation meetings with their constituents. In the U.S., 240 cities are participating while 22 events are confirmed internationally, in China, Macau, Iraq, Mexico, UK, Albania, Italy, Uganda and South Africa. They include Denver Mayor Guillermo (Bill) V. Vidal recognizing 11 restaurants and auto shops for working for 15 months with Denver’s Department of Environmental Health to make Earth-friendly changes in their businesses. In California, Riverside Transit Agency (RTA) will give away free bus passes to selected customers who ride on Earth Day, April 22, or anytime next week.
• The U.S. State Department adopted A Billion Acts of Green® as its own Earth Day theme, calling on 256 U.S. Embassies and Consulates in 177 countries to log the most Acts of Green. The U.S. Ambassador to Finland, for example, will conduct country-wide “Skype” call with students across his country encouraging them to take individual action to reduce their carbon footprint, highlighting the Embassy’s green initiatives and soliciting feedback.
• In the U.S., over 160 universities have joined Earth Day University, registering 250 events. Their events include Husson University in Bangor, Maine donating produce from its organic garden to Shaw House, a local homeless shelter. Other schools such as Duke University are devoting the entire month of April to Earth Day.
• Earth Day Network’s Canopy Project continues to make huge inroads against deforestation, as official partners such as Trees for the Future, Roots & Shoots in China, the Iraq Ministry of Agriculture and the African Rainforest Conservancy are planting over 45 million trees across Africa, Latin America, and Asia.
• Young Iraqi land mine survivors Hocar Hamdamin Hassan and his 11-year-old brother are greening their Nesetman Primary School by planting trees. Hocar said he wants to show the world that everybody should help save the planet, no matter the obstacles.
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Screening at Courthouse
Written by Dedrick Allan
Thursday, 21 April 2011 06:07
Weapons Screening is slated to start on Monday at the Mason County Courthouse. The implementation of this program comes after years of discussion among Mason County's criminal justice officials and Mason County Commissioners. The additional security measures include metal detectors
and an X-Ray machine installed in the courthouse's main lobby with access restricted to the Fourth Street entrance. The new procedures will include a weapons screening station to keep people from bringing weapons and other restricted items into the building.
Two officers, administered by the Mason County Sheriff's Office, will conduct the screening using the state of the art equipment, similar to what is used in airports.
The new screening procedures will create some small delays in entering the court house especially at peak times. Visitors are advised to allow extra time for the screening process. They can help themselves considerably by leaving weapons and other questionable items at home or secured in their vehicle.
Firearms and other weapons are prohibited from the court house by law. Other items which may be lawful to possess but nevertheless pose an unacceptable security risk for the court house are also prohibited. Some examples of other prohibited items include
(1) sharp instruments such as knives, box cutters, utility knives, knitting needles
(2) clubs, martial arts weapons, sling shots
(3) tools such as hammers, screwdrivers, chains
(4) chemicals such as mace, pepper spray, tear gas, flammable liquids and
(5) miscellaneous items such as skateboards, baseball bats, etc. Additional information on restricted and prohibited articles will be posted on the Mason County Sheriff's Office website.
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