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ParkWorks hosts one of its biggest events of the year on Mall B in downtown Cleveland. Join the crowds in watching "Blades of Glory" and play bocce, croquet, badminton and cornhole. There will also be stiltwalkers, performers, and most importantly, free drinks, popcorn and candy.

Ride a bike or take the RTA (show your RTA ticket) to the event to be entered into a drawing for free Cavs and Indians tickets, among other prizes. Winners will be announced before the start of the movie at 9:15.

During the Second World War, conservation at home was more than a virtue, it was a crucial act that every American man, woman and child was asked to make in their daily lives. Saving every last scrap of metal, paper, even grease from frying pans for the good of the troops abroad was embedded in every move you made.

A brilliant series of posters sold the American public on quickly mobilizing around actions like “Plant a Victory Garden”, “Is your trip necessary?” or, emblazoned above an image of a war-weary soldier, “Have you really tried to save gas by getting into a car club?”

The fight against manmade global warming demands a similar mobilization campaign. On July 4th, 40 busses hit the streets of Cleveland with banners designed by Michael Bierut. They are asking people to enlist as a Green Patriot by using mass transit, advocating for green jobs, and changing their daily habits–right now–to improve our chances for survival. The Cleveland posters are a pilot for a nationwide Green Patriot campaign.

This Thursday at 10:30 a.m., join a local group of Green Patriots mustering at Public Square to ride RTA buses and spread the message while building support. You can also go online, sign a petition to fight global warming and create green jobs, figure out ways to tweak your actions to be more green, and view the WWII-era posters that inspired Green Patriots.

Peter McDermott figures, heightened interest where our food comes from is a sign that a central “spot” to connect and share ideas on how to grow a sustainable, local food system is needed. Like the subject of his interest (foodies, urban gardeners, locavores, etc.), he decided against waiting, and just rolled up his sleeves.

McDermott is a Network Weaver at
Entrepreneurs for Sustainability (E4S), and recently launched localfoodcleveland.org, a social network that’s free to join, but on the look-out for valuable ideas.

He used a free program called Ning to build the local food site. The main feature is a forum where any registered user can post a topic, such as McDermott’s on Farmers of the future - immigrants, hipsters, retirees, and the green-collar workforce?

Location(s)

Introductory meeting for a new Northeast Ohio Citizens League. For more information, contact Michael Gesing at (216) 695-3191 or mike@neohio.org.

National Night Out Against Crime
Tuesday, August 5th from 5:30pm-8:30pm
At Steelyard Commons in Cleveland

The City of Cleveland Community Relations Committee and Cleveland
Police Districts 1, 2 and 3 invite you to join the community for free
food and drinks, live music and entertainment, clowns, balloons, a
rock wall, free child fingerpriniting, and information from over 50
community organizations!  Also, sit inside a police cruiser, a fire
truck, and an ambulance!

Additional proud sponsors include: Target, Cleveland's Steelyard Commons, First Interstate Properties, Ltd., Securitas Security Services, Coca-Cola, and Tremont West Development Corporation. 

Location(s)

Global warming, peak-oil, water shortages, pollution, deforestation, desertification — the list of environmental challenges we face can be overwhelming. Thankfully, we have the technology, knowledge, and resources to overcome these problems, but we must act quickly to turn things around!

Join Mercy For Animals for an eco-friendly vegan dinner and a solutions-oriented presentation on what you can do to create a sustainable world.

For more information about this event, send an e-mail to info@mercyforanimals.org.

Location(s)

HOW MANY DAYS CAN YOU AVOID COMMUTING ALONE, DURING THE WEEKS OF July 20th – August 2nd?

Carpool - Find a partner, even for just 1 day a week, using our free service at www.OhioRideshare.org.

Bike To Work and To Do Errands - View or print a FREE county bike route map at www.noaca.org/bikemaps.html

Ride the Bus - Visit “Commuter Challenge” at www.noaca.org for all the regional transit links Walk - No additional equipment needed!

Telecommute (Work from Home) - First time? This is a good week to try it!

Compressed Work-Week - Work four 10-hour days and take a day off!

Please share your commute story at www.noaca.org and we will calculate the emissions you saved as a region!

Commuter Challenge 2008 is brought to you by the Northeast Ohio Areawide Coordinating Agency’s Air Quality Programs, Rideshare Program, and Bicycle Planning. NOACA is a regional transportation and environmental planning agency. For more info call (216) 241-2414 ext. 252 or 373.

Location(s)

Sponsored by Olmsted Unitarian Universalist Congregation. Face painting, earth games, activities and crafts! Come and learn how to make paper! Eat hot dogs cooked from Solar Power. Learn to make a Rain Barrel to collect rain water. Pony rides available for a small fee. Learn how OUUC, a historic church built in 1847, is going green.

Location(s)

The ongoing foreclosure crisis, shifting demographics that include more single-parent households, an aging population and the associated cross-generational living, and growing interest in alternative housing options all combine to make cohousing an increasingly compelling housing choice. Cohousing has been developed successfully in many states in recent years but not yet in Ohio.

Mr. Charles Durrett, author of Cohousing: A Contemporary Approach to Housing Ourselves, and a pioneer in the field of cohousing development, will be the lead speaker at the forum. He has been involved in over fifty cohousing development projects.

Other panelists include:

• Robert N. Brown, Director of the Cleveland City Planning Commission
• Lillian Kuri, Director of Special Projects, The Cleveland Foundation
• William A. Gould, Founder of ArtSpace Cleveland
• Jay Gardner, Affordable Housing Director, Fairfax Renaissance Development Corporation
• Keith Burgess, Senior VP of Community Development Lending, Charter One Bank

To RSVP, please contact Kim Scott at 664-3803, kscott@city.cleveland.oh.us

Planning is underway for Great Lakes Bioneers--Cleveland 2008, October 17-19, Maxine Levin College of Urban Affairs, Cleveland State University. We are emphasizing Water and the Great Lakes in our conference this year and we will be considering how to weave this throughout the conference. Sitting on the shores of one of the largest reserves of fresh water in the world, we may not always think about water as much as residents of Southern California or arid parts of Africa, but water surrounds us and connects us, inside and outside, all the time. Topics could include elements such as: quality, cost, pollution, beauty, quantity, navigability, waves, placidity, healthy hydration, climate change, economic value, alternative energy, environmental importance, electrical conductivity, potability, recreational potential, spirituality - and the list goes on and on... If you are interested in presenting or have some ideas for a workshop or tour, please submit respond to the Request for Proposals: