Dallas Author Anna Clark Releases Green, American Style: Becoming Earth-Friendly and Reaping the Benefits

GREEN LIVING CAN SAVE YOUR FAMILY $7,000 PER YEAR

New Book Offers 85 Ways to Save Money, Get Healthy and Protect Your Future

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – Launching on April 1, Green, American Style: Becoming Earth-Friendly and Reaping the Benefits (978-0-8010-1334-8, $14.99, April 2010) by Anna M. Clark is the first book to address the hidden reasons why Americans aren’t going green - while offering common-sense advice to appeal to people of every political persuasion.

Whether you call yourself conservative or liberal, a soccer mom or CEO, a teacher or a student, most can agree that our paychecks are pinched and we want to do right by our children. In Green, American Style, Clark offers 85 practical ways to draw the benefits of living a ‘green’ lifestyle. Many of these ideas cost no money and are behavioral changes that can help us save money, protect our families, bolstering our communities, and model leadership for our children.

“It’s about gaining more money, time, opportunity, health and well-being,” says Clark. She makes a special appeal to women, as they are responsible for 80% of the buying decisions in their households.“We need to preserve the health and future of our kids. People have no idea that what they don’t know can hurt them. The principles and ideas in my book can help parents protect their children from the toxins in our food, air and water.” But make no mistake, this is also about fun. “I’ve included chapters on green games, green home remodeling, green grocery shopping – even sustainable wines and eco-chic clothes. I want people to enjoy themselves while making a difference!” The author provides some free suggestions from her book life in a series of videos on her website.

Green, American Style contains fresh content from personal interviews with green luminaries ranging from clean-energy billionaire T. Boone Pickens to healthy-living author and philanthropist Deirdre Imus. This book’s uniquely American perspective speaks into readers’ own paradigms, taking into account the largely conservative values of much of this country, its democratic and capitalistic history, its emphasis on family and its resistance to reining in. It is more than a list of ways to reduce, reuse, and recycle. It’s a movement that accounts for the diverse perspectives of business, faith, and lifestyle, recognizing the economic, physical, and spiritual benefits of sustainable living.

Anna M. Clark is president of EarthPeople and an author on topics of sustainability and leadership. Clark and her family live in Dallas in one of Texas’ first residences to earn a Platinum LEED-certified rating from the U.S. Green Building Council.

Baker Books has a vision for building up the body of Christ at every level with books that are relevant, intelligent and engaging. The focus of Baker Books is the church and discerning lay Christians who want to stimulate their thinking. For more information, please visit www.bakerbooks.com.

Billy Bob’s Texas

Billy Bob’s Texas
01/01/2010 thru 03/13/2010

Billy Bob’s Texas 2520 Rodeo
817 624-7117

Jan 1 - Johnny Cooper
Jan 2 - Jack Ingram
Jan 8 - Willie Nelson
Jan 9 - Hayes Carll
Jan 15 - Brandon Jenkins
Jan 16 - Aaron Watson,(This concert will raise needed funds for Fort Worth’s Directions Home project, aiding the homeless initiative)
Jan 22 -Colt Ford, (Will host a coat drive at his concert offering a discount admission with a new or gently used coat to lend a hand to the Fort Worth community)
Jan 23 - Loretta Lynn- 10pm
Jan 29 -Reckless Kelly
Jan 30 - 38 Special
February 5-Eleven Hundred Springs
February 6- Pat Green
February 12- Miranda Lambert & NBA All Star Party
February 13- Delbert McClinton
February 19- Brandon Rhyder
February 20- Randy Houser
February 26- Josh Abbott Band
February 27- Mark Chesnutt
March 6- Randy Travis
March 13- Gretchen Wilson

http://www.billybobstexas.com

Apply for a temporary job with the U.S. Census

Conducting the census is a huge undertaking. Hundreds of thousands of census takers are needed nationwide to help locate households and conduct brief personal interviews with residents.

The U.S. Census Bureau is recruiting temporary, part-time census takers for the 2010 Census. These short-term jobs offer good pay, flexible hours, paid training and reimbursement for authorized work-related expenses such as mileage incurred while conducting census work.

Census jobs are excellent for people who want to work part-time, those who are between jobs, or just about anyone who wants to earn extra money while performing an important service for their community.

All census takers must be able to speak English, but people who have bilingual skills are needed in Fort Worth. Most positions require a valid driver’s license and use of a vehicle.

Apply today by calling 866-861-2010 or visiting the Census jobs site. A Spanish website is also available.

Fort Worth Budget 2010

Public Notice
Notice is hereby given that the Fort Worth City Council began the FY 2010 Budget process on Tuesday, Aug. 11, 2009, with the receipt of the proposed budget.  Public Hearings on the proposed budget will be held in the Council Chamber, Fort Worth City Hall, 1000 Throckmorton, Fort Worth, Texas, 76102, on the following dates and times:

10 a.m. Aug. 18
10 a.m. Aug. 25
7 p.m. Sept. 1
7 p.m. Sept. 8
This budget will raise more total property taxes than last year’s budget by $8,414,102 or 2.4 percent, and of that amount $13,229,562.00 is tax revenue to be raised from new property added to the tax roll this year.

Fort Worth taxpayers may attend these public meetings and may participate in the public hearings.  The proposed budget is available for inspection by any taxpayer at the City’s branch libraries, regional libraries, the City Secretary’s Office or via the link at the top of this Web page.

Fort Worth Nature Center and Refuge Hardwicke Interpretive Center Grand Re-Opening

The Fort Worth Nature Center will celebrate the completion of improvement projects with a grand re-opening of the visitor center 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. Saturday, July 4.

The Nature Center and Refuge has seen a few major changes and improvements over the past several months.  While the 3,621-acre refuge remained open, the Hardwicke Interpretive Center which is the main visitor center, was closed to the public.

During the four-month shutdown many new improvements were made:

    * A new porous surfaced parking lot with rain collecting bio-swales was constructed. The new design allows for additional parking spaces for the public.
    * Outdated sidewalks were replaced with new modern surfaces.  Steps were replaced with slopes, allowing wheel-chair access around the entire visitors’ center.
    * The Limestone Ledge Trail was resurfaced with crushed limestone, a surface that accommodates hikers with limited mobility.
    * New informational kiosks and signage at the Nature Center assist visitors to learn about the trails, habitats and new improvements found at the refuge.

A short program and tour of the new improvements will be offered at 10 a.m., 11 a.m., 1 p.m. and 2 p.m. 

A live animal ambassador station will be set up between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. providing an opportunity for guests to interact with some of the animals.

At 2 p.m. Steve Woodard from The Wild Bird Center will give a presentation in the Hardwick Interpretive Center auditorium on how to attract wildlife to your backyard.  He will be discussing the latest techniques and equipment used today.

To learn more, visit the Nature Center Web site.

Storm Drains Are Not for Grass Clippings and Leaves

Storm Drains Are Not for Grass Clippings and Leaves
They may be small, but they add up.

Grass clippings and leaves blown into the street during yard maintenance don’t just disappear, they end up in the nearest creek.

When it rains, anything in the street washes into storm drains that lead to area creeks and rivers.

Why should you be concerned? Organic matter such as grass and leaves can cause odors in neighborhood creeks and drainage problems that lead to flooding.

So what’s the best place for yard trimmings?
• Blow grass clippings back onto the lawn, where they become a natural fertilizer.
• Rake or blow leaves into a compost pile, where they can decompose without odor.

If lawn maintenance workers use leaf blowers on your yard, ask them not to blow grass clippings and leaves into the street or down storm drain inlets — those rectangular holes cut into street curbs.

The storm water system is designed to drain rain and only rain, keeping large amounts of water from flooding homes and property during storms.

To learn more, call 817-392-8100.

Mayfest

Mayfest
05/01/2009 thru 05/03/2009
Trinity Park
817-332-1055
Family festival featuring food, arts, crafts and live performances held on the banks of the Trinity River.
http://www.fortworthgov.org

Casa Manana Presents “A Year With Frog & Toad”

Casa Manana Presents “A Year With Frog & Toad”
05/01/2009 thru 05/17/2009
Casa Manana Theater
817 332-2272
The Tony Award-nominated adaptation of the beloved Arnold Lobel classic stories where cheery Frog and grumphy Toad leap off the page to the stage just in time for blossoming, bird-chirping spring.
http://www.casamanana.org

Fort Worth Opera Presents “Cinderella”

Fort Worth Opera Presents “Cinderella”
04/26/2009 thru 05/09/2009
Bass Performance Hall
1-877-396-7372
First performed in Rome in 1817, Rossini’s Cinderella is based on the well-known fairy tale. It came right on the heels of his triumphant The Barber of Seville. Written in the short span of three weeks (with help from a collaborator), it contains some of the finest writing for solo voice and ensembles. April 26m, May 1 & 9
http://fwopera.org

Fort Worth Opera Presents “Carmen”

Fort Worth Opera Presents ” Carmen”
04/25/2009 thru 05/08/2009
Bass Performance Hall
1-877-396-7372
Carmen is a sensual woman whose hobby is collecting the hearts of men. She turns her charms on an upstanding soldier, Don José, who gives up his family, career and reputation for Carmen’s amorous charms. When Carmen becomes bored with Don José’s affections, his obsession shows its flip-side – jealousy – to tragic consequences. Apr 25, May 3m, May 8
http://fwopera.org

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