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In their annual rankings released this week, the U.S. Green Building Council announced that Virginia has improved to the top state for LEED-certified buildings. Virginia ranked behind Colorado and Illinois last year, but improved to the top spot for 2012, with 170 projects certified, and 29,709,574 square feet of LEED space certified.
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A free swap meet to barter used goods with fellow community members. This first official swap is for ladies only. Attendees are encouraged to bring up to two armloads of clothing, accessories, books, and small art/decor/household items to swap. Tables and racks will be available for item display. Attendees are also encouraged to bring snacks and drinks to share, along with a reusable mess kit and clean up bag for personal food use.
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Why is it that some of Virginia’s urban politicians show so little respect for the citizens of our rural counties? I refer to State Sens. Dick Saslaw (D) of Springfield and John Watkins (R) of Midlothian, who have co-sponsored a bill (SB 1341) before the General Assembly that would override local authority over the siting of commercial wind energy projects. They follow in the footsteps of State Senator Frank Wagner (R) of Virginia Beach, who for years has worked on behalf of corporate wind and against the interests of rural communities.
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Are you interested in improving the health and productivity of your forest land but don’t know where to start? The Virginia Department of Forestry (VDOF) and the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) can offer expert advice and financial assistance to help you better manage your property.
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Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell’s letter (Jan. 24) defending his transportation reform plan strikes me as more of an exercise in semantics than an innovative way to pay for the roads the state badly needs. Calling for a hike in the sales tax while eliminating the gas tax is certainly a novel idea. However, I have not read of any of the other 49 states thinking along such lines. There are good reasons. A tax paid on the consumption of gasoline comes as close as possible to an ideal tax.
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Terri George, Admissions Director for Envoy of Staunton, presented a program on Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) which is different than just having the “winter blues” which can come and go. SAD is a type of depression in the fall and winter (it can actually happen in the spring and summer as well), displaying different symptoms. The symptoms for the winter variety of SAD can be mild to severe as the season progresses and include depression, hopelessness, anxiety, loss of energy, heaviness in the arms and legs, social withdrawal, excessive sleeping, craving high carb foods, weight gain, and difficulty concentrating.
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Canadian troubadours The Abrams Brothers will perform at First Presbyterian Church in Waynesboro on Thursday, Feb. 14, in support of their auspicious new album ‘Northern Redemption’ (United For Opportunity).
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Believe it or not, our pets may be exposed to more harsh chemicals through the course of their day than we are. Researchers at the non-profit Environmental Working Group (EWG) found that pet dogs and cats were contaminated with 48 of 70 industrial chemicals tested, including 43 chemicals at levels higher than those typically found in people.
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Kenton Derstine, director of field education at Eastern Mennonite Seminary, is not just mentoring future pastors, he is also mentoring those interested in the field of beekeeping.
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The definition of “energy independence” is evolving. Up to recently, it has meant the U.S. producing enough of our own oil so that we were not dependent on other nations for our energy needs. But now we’re in a world of oil interdependence. Oil markets know no national allegiance. Globalization and profit motive are altering a once patriotic concept into this: Producing enough oil and gas so that we export more to our trading partners than we import. While this new energy independence framework may help some companies’ profits, it stands to hurt many Americans’ pocketbooks, water supply, and overall health.
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