August 15, 2007

COMMENTARY

        My e-mail and snail mail boxes are filled with more invitations to interesting programs and events than I can possibly attend. I do make an effort to go to as many programs as possible because they provide important in-service for me. I have an opportunity to meet very knowledgeable people and to be exposed to the latest research and thinking on current issues.
        One of the exciting announcements I received recently was from the James River Green Building Council in Richmond inviting me to a "Renature by Design: Overcoming Nature Deficit Disorder in Our Communities" program.
        The announcement described the current conditions in our communities: "As parents, educators, health care specialists, managers, and designers, the care and nurturing of our young fulfills our ultimate responsibility as humans. However, in less than a generation, children have migrated from fields, forests and playgrounds to indoor environments that do little to stimulate creativity and cognitive development. In essence, playhouses have been supplanted by PlayStations, and today's children are more connected to the World Wide Web than they are the web of life, leading to various attention-disorders, obesity and depression, as research increasingly shows."
        Of course, many factors contribute to the challenges we see in young people today. As one who grew up in a rural environment and who spent most of my time outside, I do feel that many children are getting shortchanged in their development by not having more time to play in nature in the great outdoors.
        The program is based on the book Last Child in the Woods by Richard Louv who gave the term "nature deficit disorder" to these ailments and calls for the "re-naturing" of children. The program will be held at Lewis Ginter Botanical Gardens just outside Richmond on October 12, 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. There is a fee of $65. For more information go to www.jrgbc.org. Tickets will go on sale September 5.
        I plan to attend the event. I am very interested in learning how Louv feels that "increased awareness of nature's power to improve physical and emotional health should also guide the way classrooms are conceived, houses built, and neighborhoods shaped." I hope also that one day soon I will open my e-mails or my mailbox and find such a program scheduled in Northern Virginia.

Delegate Ken Plum's Weekly "Virginia Report"
on Reston Comcast Channel 28

Tonight – Wednesday, August 15 at 10:30 p.m. – Delegate Ken Plum's "State of the Commonwealth 2007" Report

Tuesday, August 21 at 7:30 p.m. and Wednesday, August 22 at 10:30 p.m. – Mike Rolband and Jennifer Brophy-Price of Wetland Studies and Solutions, Inc. – "Ensuring an Environmentally and Economically Healthy Virginia"

Re-Election Campaign

Ken is a candidate for re-election to the House of Delegates on November 6, 2007. To ask Ken a question about the issues, e-mail kenplum@aol.com. To contribute electronically to his campaign, go to www.kenplum.com. 

Announcements

Join Reston's Walker Nature Education Center's electronic mailing list for upcoming events, wildlife sightings, nature news, eco-tips, and more. You'll receive Branching Out electronically and help save trees. Email Earl the Squirrel, the Nature Center's mascot, to subscribe: earlthesquirrel@reston.org.

The State Corporation Commission (SCC) is seeking comments on proposed changes to the SCC's Rules of Practice and Procedure that will expand the ability to electronically file case-related documents with the Commission. The proposed rule changes would allow electronic filing of documents of up to 100 pages for the convenience of all case participants. It is estimated that approximately 95 percent of all documents filed in Commission cases are less than 100 pages. The target cate for the expanded e-filing procedure is January 1, 2008. Anyone wishing to comment on the proposed rule changes is required to do so by September 25, 2007. All correspondence msut refer to case number CLK-2007-00005 and be sent to the Document Control Center, P.O. Box 2118, Richmond, VA 23218. The order and proposed rules can be viewed via the Docket Search feature on the SCC website at www.scc.virginia.gov/caseinfo.htm.

Calendar of Events

Bring the kids out to see all the vehicles that Reston Association uses, including a dump truck, trash truck, back hoe, bobcat, mowing tractor and more on Friday, August 17, 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. or 11:00 a.m. to noon at the Reston Association's Central Services Facility, 12250 Sunset Hills Road (next to the YMCA). No reservations are required, and this opportunity is free. Call 703.435.6530 for more information.

The 12th Annual Works Sunday sponsored by the churches and synagogues in Reston is August 19. There will be 15 action projects and 5 donation projects to help those in need. Visit www.workssunday.org to find a way you can be of service.

Intelligent Transportation Society (ITS) of Virginia and the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute, along with ITS America, will be having a Vehicle Infrastructure Integration Technology Showcase and a VTTI/Smart Roads Open House from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Thursday, August 23, 2007. If you would like to attend, RSVP by August 3 to ITS Virginia by calling 434.977.3716 or email amy.shaw@easterassociates.com.

On August 25, renowned Civil War Artist John Paul Strain will be releasing and signing his new print about Col. John S. Mosby's "Rose Hill Raid" that occurred in Fairfax County in 1863. John Paul Strain will be appearing and signing his prints at the Franconia Museum from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. The Franconia Museum is located in the Franconia Government Center, 6121 Franconia Road. To reserve a print contact Gregg Dudding at 703.971.4860 or wdudding@cox.net. Reservations for prints must be made prior to August 22, 2007.

SIDS Mid-Atlantic, The CJ Foundation for SIDS, and Wawa Food Corporation will sponsor the 11th annual Walk to Fight SIDS at Locust State Park in Triangle, Virginia, and at Buddy Attick Park in Greenbelt, Maryland on Sunday, September 9, 8:45 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. The mission of SIDS Mid-Atlantic is to support family members and others who have been affected by the sudden, unexpected death of an infant and to provide education and outreach to help prevent SIDS. For more information about this event and about SIDS, visit www.sidsma.org.

Attend the Sully Quilt Show and Sale, "Stitches of Friendship - Quilts from the Quaker Community," on Sunday, September 9, 10:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The Show and Sale will be held at the Sully Historic Site, 3601 Sully Road, Chantilly. Visit www.fairfaxcounty.gov/parks/sully or call 703.437.1794 for more information.

The 2007 International Children's Festival will be held on Saturday and Sunday, September 22 and 23, 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. at Wolf Trap National Park for the Performing Arts. There will be entertainment on four stages featuring over 20 performing groups form near and far including interactive art experiences. This event is fun for the kid in all of us!

VDOT will host a special outreach event on Friay, August 24, 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at the Hilton, 6550 Loisdale Road, Springfield, to assist Disadvantaged Business Enterprises (DBEs) and Small, Women-owned and Minority-owned (SWAM) businesses in learning about opportunities for subcontracting as major transportation projects unfold in Northern Virginia. Register online at www.wilsonbridge.com/cr-outreach.htm or call 703.329.3433. Call VDOT at 703.383.2345 for more information about the event.

The Aaron Burr Association (www.aaronburrassociation.org) will meet in Richmond on October 5 and 6 for the 200th Anniversary of Burr's trial. On Friday night, October 5, members of the association will return to the "scene of the crime," the Old House Chamber in the Virginia State Capitol, to witness a dramatization of the 1807 trial that pitted the most brilliant legal minds of their day against each other and against President Thomas Jefferson. On October 6 they will convene at Sam Miller's Warehouse Restaurant for lunch and a lecture by historian Charles Hobson, noted for his work as the editor of the papers of John Marshall. Contact association president Stuart Johnson at 301.641.0494 for more information about events and cost.

This year's Commonwealth of Virginia Energy & Sustainability (COVES) Conference will be held on October 16-18 at Virginia Military Institute in Lexington, VA. Visit www.covesva.org for registration and conference details.

Authorized and Paid for by Kenneth R. Plum

Delegate Kenneth R. Plum | 2073 Cobblestone Lane | Reston | VA | 20191