Important KFTC Announcements

Just received the following from Kentuckians for the Commonwealth and am passing it on.

Dear Madison County KFTC Member,

Below are Madison County KFTC updates and upcoming events. We hope to see you there!

1.) FINAL WEEK BEFORE VOTER REGISTRATION DEADLINE: HELP REGISTER AND EDUCATE VOTERS -- The chapter will be door-knocking and tabling in Berea and Richmond this final week before the closely approaching voter registration deadline (October 6th). Last Saturday KFTC members registered 33 folks at the Berea Walmart and had great conversations with many more folks about the importance of voting and KFTC's issues. There is still time to help out and get more folks registered before the October 6th deadline:*

Tabling: This Friday evening (October 3rd) from 4 to 8 p.m. and Saturday from 9 a.m. till 6 p.m. we will be tabling all day (most likely at the Berea Walmart , Berea Sav a Lot, and possibly Richmond Kroger - but stay tuned for specific location). If you can volunteer for a two-hour shift of time, please let us know (and when you are available).*

Door-Knocking: On Saturday, October 4th we will be door-knocking in Berea - We will meet at 10 a.m. at the KFTC office (green house behind the MACED building on Chestnut St. in Berea) for a short training and determine our walking paths. Door-knocking is an important way to engage with folks who we might not otherwise be able to reach through other methods. Many KFTC volunteers have said that the best conversations about the importance of voting happen on someone's front door step.

If you can volunteer to take a shift registering voters or help cover a street in a neighborhood, please RSVP to Carissa at Carissa@kftc.org or 986-1277 Ext. 224. The more volunteers, the more ground we can cover - which means more registered voters!

2.) BEREA SOLAR TOUR THIS SATURDAY: The Berea Solar Tour is this Saturday, October 4 from 10am-2pm. 10 solar homes and buildings will be open for viewing. This is your opportunity to view and ask questions about solar hot water and solar electric systems; net metering; passive solar design; and home energy conservation.

Also, there will be two solar workshops: "Logistics of Home Solar Installation." 9am-10am in the Second floor classroom, Child Development Laboratory, 125 Jefferson Street and "Ask an Expert: Questions and answers on home solar energy." 2pm-3pm at 302 Center Street.

In addition, there will be a van to outlying solar homes. It departs Memorial Park parking lot (125 Jefferson St.) at 10:15 am and returns by 12:30. Limited to 10 seats. To reserve a seat, call 985-1689 or info@sustainableberea.org

.3.) LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS HOLDS BEREA CITY COUNCIL CANDIDATE FORUM: Tuesday, October 14th from 7 to 9:15 p.m. at the Berea City Hall Chambers on Chestnut St. Stay tuned for more information.

4.) LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS/ENERGY AND EMPOWERMENT EVENT: The League of Women Voters/Energy and Empowerment gathering, featuring Amy Malick from International Council for Local Environmental Initiatives (ICLEI) will be on October 15th at the Berea public library from 6 - 8:30. Amy will speak on what local governments can do to address climate change. The event will also include tasty food. Hope you can join us!

5.) MADISON COUNTY FRIENDRAISER: FRIDAY, OCTOBER 24th - Mark your calendars now for the Madison County Fall Friend-raiser in Berea. The fun will kick-off with a tasty potluck at 6 p.m. followed by entertainment and a short program at Union Church. We hope you can join us for this fun event - and bring a few friends with you! It should be a lot of fun!

6.) KFTC STATEWIDE ANNUAL MEETING - Register online today for KFTC's statewide annual meeting October 10th - 12th at the Kentucky Leadership Center in Faubush. There will be great workshops, thoughtful discussion, and lots of wonderful fellowship.

You also won't want to miss the keynote speaker, Dr. Phil Thompson, a nationally recognized urban planner and political scientist. Phil is a professor in the Urban Planning Department at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). Phil will discuss ideas about how community organizations can develop locally-owned renewable energy systems that create jobs and potentially generate resources for low-income and people of color communities.

Phil worked as Deputy General Manager of the New York Housing Authority, and as Director of the Mayor's Office of Housing Coordination. Phil is a frequent advisor to trade unions in their efforts to work with immigrant and community groups across the United States. Phil's most recent academic work includes a 2004 review of public health interventions in poor black communities and a recent book called Double Trouble: Black Mayors, Black Communities and the Struggle for Deep Democracy published by Oxford University Press.

For more information or any questions, please don't hesitate to contact me at 859-986-1277 Ext. 224 orCarissa@kftc.org.

Sincerely,Carissa Lenfert
Madison County Chapter Organizer
Kentuckians for the Commonwealth

Good News from Christian Flights International (CFI)

Late this afternoon Scott Mandl of CFI sent in the following:

First I wanted to let you know we have had a great response to our Hurricane Relief initiative. We have sent $4,000 for emergency food down this week and already have over $7,000 more pledged that will be sent down next week. The second amount also includes money for seeds to help families replenish their family gardens wiped out by the storms. As more comes in, we will continue to send it down to provide critically needed help. If you know of a church or individual that wants to help, let them know about us.

I should note that 100% of the Hurricane Relief donations will go just to that -- not to any other CFI programs.

Second, I would like to ask your help in an unusual way. Next week is our CFI Board meeting. During this time, our nine board members assemble for a couple of days to meet, pray, review and plan the ministry of CFI. We do this twice each year. These folks not only are regular donors, they give generously of their time and expertise to help this ministry in a vital way. To attend our meetings, they drive, at their own cost, from as far away as Florida and North Carolina. Most are Team Leaders who have taken numerous teams to Haiti, while paying their own way in the process, and accepting a lot of work and responsibility. They are leaders, and they are selfless servants.

CFI would like to show our appreciation to this group by taking them to the UK-WKU game Saturday, Sept. 27. We currently have 4 tickets but need 8 more for this game (or even entry into a box -- whatever works!). If you have tickets you aren't using or have connections to anyone who could help us get these folks in to the game, it would be much appreciated.

Just drop me an email and I'll get back to you as quickly as possible.

Thanks & God Bless,

Scott

Help Provide Food for Haiti's Hungry

This just in from Scott Mandel at Christian Flights International:

Dear CFI Leaders,

We try to be careful in asking for finances as we know many of you are already giving what you can and as God leads. But the recent storms have provided a critical need and a special opportunity.

As such, we will be sending some special wires to Ranquitte to provide some critically-needed relief.

Below is a request written by CFI Team Leader and Buildings and Grounds Director Eddie Arnold. You can help with a check (address below) or by clicking on the donate link on our website and noting this is for Hurricane Relief.

We have provided some Hurricane Info on the home page link above, as well as a link to a video and news article.

Of course, we will continue to help with those long-term needs through our school, clinic, ag-reforestation, wells and homes projects, but wanted to give you a chance to help the immediate need.

Your prayers and response are much appreciated!

Dear CFI Board
Members and Friends,

I am writing you today to ask for your prayers and/or financial support for the village of Ranquitte, Haiti. The devastation caused by three hurricanes has left the village flooded, homes damaged or destroyed, and gardens washed away. As you know, these gardens supply the main source of food to these families.

Life is often hard in the mountain village of Ranquitte, but the toll that these repetitive storms have taken on the land and the people has caused damage that will not easily be repaired.

Ranquitte Mayor George Derval said that these “winter storms” have taken over the land and that his people are hungry. He would like to provide beans and rice to the people immediately.

The people of Ranquitte need our help. Susan and I approached our church and asked for help through prayers and funds. God provided. We ask that you do the same thing in your communities.

Time is of the essence. We plan to send an initial money wire the first of this week, and then a second wire when additional funds are provided. If you would like to help, please send checks made out to: Christian Flights International, and marked for “hurricane relief.” The full mailing address is below. If you have questions or would like additional information, you can reach me at https://owa.eku.edu/owa/redir.aspx?C=ab23078ca5e249d39a4755ed4361c0c6&URL=mailto%3aeddiearnold%40hotmail.com
or by calling (859) 936-9520.

Sincerely,

Eddie Arnold

Send checks to:

Christian Flights International
Susan Arnold, Treasurer
580 Roy Arnold Blvd.
Danville, KY 40422

From the Daily Grist: 16 September 2008

Pipeline to Nowhere?

Alaska natural-gas pipeline is far from a done deal
In her speech at the Republican National Convention, Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin touted her role in moving forward a plan for a natural-gas pipeline from Alaska's North Slope to the Lower 48. The GOP veep candidate declared, "That pipeline, when the last section is laid and its valves are opened, will lead America one step farther away from dependence on dangerous foreign powers that do not have our interests at heart." She failed to mention, however, that the project is far from a done deal. It so far exists only on paper, and federal approvals are years out. In addition, Palin is in a bit of a catch-22: She gained a reputation for standing up to Big Oil when she stridently criticized the former governor's pipeline plan as a handout to ExxonMobil, BP, and ConocoPhillips -- but she must gain the cooperation of those companies, which have development rights to much of the North Slope, in order to make the pipeline operational. Meanwhile, BP and Conoco have announced plans to move forward with their own separate pipeline. Realistically, only one pipeline will be built; whatever form that will take, there will assuredly be much political and regulatory wrangling to come.

Sources: The New York Times, The Dallas Morning News, U.S. News and World Report, Reuters, The Washington Post.

See also, in Grist:

• Palin asks Schwarzenegger to veto bill that would reduce port pollution

• Palin's record of secrecy and cronyism affects environment among other issues

• Palin has offered mixed message on climate change

• Palin has a mixed record on supporting renewables in home state