March/April 2014 Newsletter

Bereans Break Ground on Community Learning Farm

A different type of education will soon take place on the site of the former Riveredge Elementary School at Berea’s north end. In collaboration with the Berea City School District and the City of Berea, volunteers are developing a community learning farm to teach residents how to grow their own organic produce. Read more…

Earthfest 2014: Celebrating the Year of Zero Waste

Join Earth Day Coalition for EarthFest 2014 at the Cuyahoga County Fairgrounds on Sunday April 13 from 10am-5pm. In partnership with Mayor Frank Jackson’s SustainableCleveland 2019 initiative, the Northeast Ohio Reagional Sewer District, Cuyahoga Arts & Culture, Cuyahoga County Solid Waste District and ZeroWasteNEO, this year’s EarthFest will celebrate the “Year of Zero Waste.” Read more…

Grow a Safe Lawn

It’s that time of the year again. You’ll be hearing from lawn care companies who want your business. Did you know … lawn care companies who claim their synthetic products are “safe” can be prosecuted for this false and misleading claim? How about growing a truly safe lawn instead. Read more…

Don’t Let All That Is Indian In You Die!

One way to start healing is to attend the Friday, April 4 Annual Demonstration and Conference to Protest Racism Against Indigenous Peoples in Sports and the Media in Cleveland. Read more…

Upcoming Events

Ohio EPA Public Hearing on Cuyahoga Dredge Disposal Proposal in Lake Erie
Thursday, March 6, 4:30-6 PM

Ohio EPA is hosting a public hearing to discuss the Army Corps’ proposal to dispose of 180,000 cubic yards of dredge sediment from the Cuyahoga River navigation channel to a new open lake disposal area. Currently this sediment is being disposed of in Confined Disposal Facilities.

As this meeting date and time coincides with a lobby day on Capitol Hill for Great Lakes activists and stakeholders, we will likely need to enlist some volunteers to step up and deliver comments in their absence! If you can attend, please contact Jessica Ferrato at sierrawater@zoho.com.

Location: Martin Luther King Jr. Branch of the Cleveland Public Library, 1962 Stokes Boulevard, Cleveland, Ohio, 44106 (https://goo.gl/maps/Tuc1g)

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Rocky River Fish Kill Investigation
Thursday, March 6, 6–7:30pm

Mike Durkalec, Cleveland Metroparks Aquatic Biologist, will unfold the events of the April 2012 fish kill and the legal and biological response to the poisoning of the East Branch of the Rocky River. A true success story to having eyes on the river!

Location: Watershed Stewardship Center at West Creek

To register for this free event, click here.

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Cleveland International Film Festival
March 19 – 30
www.clevelandfilm.org or 216-623-3456

For the past 37 years, the CIFF has been the premier film event in Ohio. Today the CIFF presents approximately 180 feature films and over 160 short subject films from at least 60 countries.  BONUS: Special deal for Sierra Club members!  Use the code SIERRA to get a $2 discount on CIFF tickets when ordering online, by phone, or at the box office.
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22nd Annual Demonstration and Conference to Protest Racism Against Indigenous Peoples in Sports and the Media, Please Support The Indigenous Peoples
Friday, April 4, Noon

Demonstration and conference presented by The Committee of 500 Years of Dignity and Resistance. The demonstration meets at the park at West 25th Street and Detroit Avenue at noon. (If you do not want to do the walk, then meet at Progressive Field at 12:30 PM.) The Conference meets at Denison Avenue United Church of Christ, 9900 Denison Avenue, Cleveland, Ohio, enter at side door, at 4 PM. For more information contact Dennis Michael Plank from the Sierra Club Northeast Ohio Group Conservation Human Rights Sub-Committee at 216-939-8229 or dennislakeerie@aol.com.

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Race, Food, & Justice Conference
Friday & Saturday, April 4-5

Environmental Health Watch, Rid-All Green Partnership, and Case Western Reserve University Social Justice Institute have come together once again for the Race, Food & Justice Conference 2014 : Analyzing the Urban Food Movement Through a Social Justice Lens! The Race, Food and Justice Conference of 2013 was developed and planned in response to the Place Matters work addressing the social determinants of health. Race and racism is a root cause of health disparities we see manifested within our communities. (Registration & more info)

The two day conference will be held at two locations in the University Circle Area:

Friday, April 4th, doors open at 5pm, event from 6pm-9pm
CWRU Allen Memorial Library Ford Auditorium, 11000 Euclid Ave, Cleveland, Ohio 44106

Refreshments will be served.

FREE street metered parking after 6. Parking garages are located on Adelbert Rd., Ford Dr. and East Blvd.

Saturday, April 5th, doors open at 9am, event from 10am-2:30pm
University Circle United Methodist Church, 1919 E. 107th, Cleveland, Ohio 44106
Continental breakfast and lunch will be provided.

FREE Street Parking on MLK BLVD and on 107th and Park Lane. FREE Parking at Judson Manor lot on 107th and at the Pentecostal Church of Christ lot on 105th/Chester.

Registration & more info…

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EarthFest 2014: Year of Zero Waste
Sunday, April 13, 10 AM – 5 PM

In partnership with Mayor Frank Jackson’s Sustainable Cleveland 2019 initiative, the Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District, Cuyahoga Arts & Culture, Cuyahoga County Solid Waste District and ZeroWasteNEO, this year’s EarthFest will celebrate the “Year of Zero Waste.” There will be over 250 exhibits in Zero Waste, Local and Sustainable Food, Green Home and Garden, Advanced and Renewable Energy, Clean Transportation (with Ride and Drive), Family Fun, Health and Fitness, Community Works and Environmental Science.

Families will enjoy all day entertainment with eco-activities, biodiesel-powered amusement park rides, all day music, urban farm animals, pony rides, petting zoos, healthy food from local food trucks, local microbrews and vintners, and much more…

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2nd Annual Black River Cleanup
Saturday, May 3 & Sunday, May 4

LoCo’Yaks, a Lorain County kayaking group which has been doing a wonderful job living the Sierra Club credo of Explore, Enjoy, and Protect, is hosting its second annual Black River Cleanup, and Northeast Ohio Sierra Club invites its members to volunteer! Last year’s event was a huge success, with hundreds of participants removing hundreds of pounds of trash both by land and by sea, and enjoying a great dinner afterwards. If anyone is interested in carpooling to this year’s cleanup on either day, contact Jessica Ferrato at sierrawater@zoho.com who will collect and coordinate ride share information.

Location: 421 Black River Lane, Lorain, OH

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Riversweep
Saturday, May 10, 9 AM- noon

Northeast Ohio Sierra Club will again partner with Ohio & Erie Canal to sponsor and bring volunteers to Riversweep. NEO group volunteers will be directed once again to the cleanup site at Mill Creek, and, depending on the number of volunteers who can commit prior to the cleanup, we may also be able to help manage sites in Tremont and West Creek. It all depends on you!

If interested, please contact Jessica Ferrato at sierrawater@zoho.com. Volunteers will receive Riversweep T-shirts to commemorate this year’s cleanup, which will be notable for taking place close to the unveiling of the new Scranton Road section of trail!

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Explore Maine’s Allagash Wilderness Waterway
September 2 – 6

Join us for a five day trip down the Allagash Wilderness Waterway in Northern Maine. We’ll start at Churchill Dam on September 2, paddling down the pristine Allagash River and along a few lakes longer than wide to the junction with the St. James River.

The early autumn season in the Maine North Woods is typically characterized by mild temperatures, blue skies and few insects. A side trip is possible to Acadia National Park. Previous canoeing or camping experience would be a plus.

For more information call one of the trip co-organizers: Dennis Michael Plank at 216-939-8229 or John Holian at 440-777-7903.

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