[Press Release] : Earth Day 2007 - 'Road To Sustainability'

[pr-l at news.gocolumbiamo.com]

You have received this message because you subscribe to the City of
Columbia’s Web Mail service. To view linked material click on provided
links or copy and paste them into your browser's address menu.
______________________________________________________

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 
Contact: Mark Haim (573) 875-0539, Johann Holt (573) 673-9074, Jan
Weaver (573) 882-7116, Rachel Zarfas (573) 874-6271

Earth Day 2007 'Road to Sustainability': New Area Features

COLUMBIA, MO (April 10, 2007) -- Earth Day 2007 Festival "Road to
Sustainability" will feature new areas for festival-goers to explore and
enjoy, including Eco Avenue, West Village and Music & Theater.

Eco Avenue 
Eco Avenue and the Sustainable Home will be located on Elm Street, just
west of the intersection with 8th Street, and open from noon - 6:30
p.m.

A new concept in environmental awareness is coming to the Columbia
Earth Day celebration: Eco Avenue. Eco Avenue will include exciting,
interactive booths offering practical tips to living more sustainably.

“People know they must do more to protect our planet,” says Johann
Holt, Eco Avenue coordinator, “and now on Eco Avenue they can find out
exactly how to do so with easy tips to change their lives and live more
sustainably.” 

In addition to groups and businesses giving practical sustainable
living tips, a “sustainable living home” display will break down
each part of our lives into easy to manage sections. A living room
display will focus on better energy choices, a kitchen display will
focus on better food and waste choices, a yard display will focus on
better gardening and stormwater runoff choices and a garage display will
focus on better transportation choices. 

“We’re just really hoping to reach as many people as possible,”
says Barbara Buffalo, organizer of the living room display and graduate
student in the University of Missouri Environmental Engineering Program.
“If everyone in Columbia could change an incandescent bulb to a
compact fluorescent, it would be a beautiful thing in reducing carbon
dioxide emissions and decreasing energy costs.” 

To assist with sustainability education on Eco Avenue, please contact
Johann Holt, (573) 673-9074 or johannholt at yahoo.com. To assist with the
Sustainable Home, please contact Barbara Buffalo, (573) 289-2781 or
bal3db at mizzou.edu.

West Village
West village will host a variety of activities geared toward family
interaction and fun. There will be two to four activities in the village
all afternoon. A Living History exhibit will be open all afternoon at
the corner of 6th and Elm Streets. Paublo Baum will be happy to show you
around the exhibit and give you information and great stories. We will
have an open drum circle later in the afternoon with lots of instruments
to share and try. The village will host children's choirs from Benton
and Cedar Ridge Elementary schools, as well as a kids’ drum corps.
Also, there will be lots of fun to be had with Scott the accordion man,
African Dance, Maypole dancing, amazing kung fu and Brazilian martial
arts demonstrations. 

Kids of all ages will be able to join in the fun. We will kick off the
action at noon with Pauble Baum's stories at 6th and Elm streets, and
BoCoMo Drumheads at 7th and Elm Streets. You won’t want to miss all
the action in the West Village! Located on the west side of MU’s Peace
Park, the West Village activities will run from noon - 5 p.m. To assist
with West Village Activities, please contact Christy Hutton, (573)
823-0858 or restorativeyoga at centurytel.net.

Music and Theater
The festival will ring in many new sounds and sensations to the
entertainment lineup. One can begin by foot or bike following the
Columbia, Missouri Citywide Drumline and Rhythm Band, our fearless young
parade leaders. CMCDR will begin at the corner of Walnut and 9th
streets, marching south on 9th Street into the heart of Earth Day
festivities. They will then kickoff the performances at the 7th Street
stage.

Hip-hoppers will grace the 7th Street stage for the first time! Don’t
miss the contemporary flair of mid-MO rappers Jimmy Spits and Rhyme
University as well as Kansas City's Negro Scoe. The 7th Stage will also
bring back by popular demand "Fashion Forward", the eco-fashion show
that showcases clothing and accessories utilizing reclaimed materials. 

Also new this year, eight different MU Jazz Combos will perform a
variety of jazz styles, including bebop, vocal jazz, hard bop, fusion
and New Orleans on the 8th Street stage.

New to the Peace Park stage will be the debut of a KOPN Radio Theater
Company, performing "Jack and Jill Tales -- Discovering the Road to
Sustainability". Peter Byger, producer, will present four complete
vignettes to be performed throughout the day. Each fun-filled scene will
include an educational sustainability lesson. 

The musicians on Peace Park stage were not only selected because of
their talent, but also because of their staunch support of various,
reputable environmental organizations and/or their environmental
messages in their lyrics. Just a sampling of what you can look forward
to hearing: 

Country rock band Celandine's music will feature some original works
touching on topics such as urban sprawl, over-development and loss of
farmland in Missouri. Fulton's Dr. Chordate will perform several
‘songs about science’, which are tied together through humor and
observations about the proper treatment of natural resources. Primitive
Soul's ‘mature’ status has a lyrical focus that balances the
idealism and optimism of their misspent youth. Thunderclap Douglas and
the 8-track Groove is a young jazzy funk band who play music which
inspires people to kick up their heels and engage in healing through the
natural act of dancing. Lyrics may include conservation and other eco
themes like non-consumerism. And finally Clatter, a powerhouse rock duo
from Boonville who has always endeavored to lead environmentally
responsible lifestyles as a band, will headline. Among their set will be
one of their most recent song additions, "House of Trouble", which
addresses the issue of climate change. 

And special "heads up" this year: Stay tuned in between music
performances for some very special faux "commercials" on sustainability,
conservation and earth-friendly ideas.

There will be a special after-party at MOJO's with doors opening at
7:30 p.m. Performers from all Earth Day stages have been invited to come
jam together. The Music & Theater have entertainment scheduled from noon
- 7 p.m. To assist the Music and Theater please contact Julie Baka,
(573) 874-1139 or juliebakakopn at yahoo.com.

Other Festival Areas
And as always, the festival will include the Kid’s Area, Volunteer
Way and Street Fair. Mark your calendar…Columbia Earth Day 2007 Festival
- Sunday, April 22, 2007 - MU’s Peace Park located downtown along Elm
Street between 6th and 9th streets - noon to 7 p.m. We hope you can
come
and find your road to sustainability!

Earth Day is sponsored by:
Columbia Friends Meeting, Columbia Parks & Recreation, Columbia Public
Works, Downtown Columbia Associations, Friends of Rockbridge Memorial
State Park, Green Party of Central Missouri, KOPN, Missouri River
Communities Network, MU Environmental Studies, Ozark Avalon, Peace Nook,
Peaceworks’ Center for Sustainable Living, Show-Me Clean Streams,
Sustain Mizzou, Voluntary Action Center.

- 30 -
______________________________________________________

Archived press releases can be viewed online at: 
http://www.gocolumbiamo.com/Public_Comm/Public_Information/Press_Releases/

______________________________________________________

If you would like to stop receiving messages, modify list options, or
subscribe to other lists visit the Web Mail section of our Web site and
follow the instructions provided. 

http://www.gocolumbiamo.com/Web_Mail/index.php 


** Virus scanned by City of Columbia MO Spam/Virus Firewall **