Green is the New Fresh Fall Color

Salad a Day program aims to improve health and wellness

(PHOENIX, Ariz., November 15, 2011) – Had enough of summer? Fall springs eternal as most of us look forward to experiencing the fresh outdoors and opening windows that have long been shuttered to protect us from the blistering heat that seems to last for an eternal summer season.

Duncan Family Farms is right with you and wants to share your enthusiasm about the arrival of a crisper, cooler season by sharing with you their fall bounty of fresh greens. Beyond the asphalt network of roads, office buildings, convenient stores and fast food outlets is the Duncan Family Farm in Goodyear that is harvesting fresh crops of cool, crisp greens from their rich fertile soil.

Duncan Family Farms is making it easy for you to get their fresh leafy greens and fantastic vegetables this season through their new program: “Salad-A-Day ~ the Duncan-Way.”

Responding to requests from the public, Duncan is bringing the farm to your fork by offering this health and wellness

PHOENIX, Arizona (September 20, 2011) – Daniel Stevens climbed to the No. 2 spot in at the 2011 ISA International Tree Climbing Championships that were held in Sydney, Australia July 23 – 24. Stevens placed second in the world in the belayed speed climb with a time of 25:90 seconds and finished as the sixth-best climber overall in the World at the international championships, which drew 62 of the world's best climbers from 19 countries. All 62 competitors advanced from regional competitions in their own countries to qualify for the international climbs.

Stevens placed second in belayed speed climb, placing behind Mark Chisolm, from New Jersey, with a time of 24:82. Chisolm won the ITCC 2010 championships. Placing sixth overall in the world, Stevens' competitors who placed first through fifth included No. 1 Scott Forrest of New Zealand, No. 2 Jared Abrojena form the U.S., No. 3 Joe Harris from Australia, No. 4 Johan Gustavsson from Sweden, No. 5 Jonathon Turnball from the UK.

Join Duncan Family Farms in the Third Annual Friends of the Poor® Walk on Saturday, September 24, 2011 at The Hammers Complex on 99th Avenue and McDowell at 5:00 p.m. The three-mile Walk is a unique fund raising effort organized nationally and locally by Councils and Conferences of the Society of St. Vincent De Paul. It allows community members from all walks of life across the country to participate in a simultaneous, nationwide event to raise national awareness of the challenges faced by the nation’s poor and to raise significant funds for use in direct service to the poor. Funds raised locally will be used locally.

Duncan Family Farm's goal is to raise $10,000 as participants in the Annual Friends of the Poor® Walk. Arnott and Kathleen Duncan have a strong commitment to food access and participation in this national effort is one more way to support their goals.

(PHOENIX, Ariz., August 30, 2011) – SOS-Association Management Solutions has recently been awarded the first accreditation in Arizona by the AMC Institute, the global trade association representing the Association Management industry.

Among 500-plus Association Management Companies (AMC) worldwide, fewer than 70 have achieved AMC Institute Accreditation, demonstrating the commitment and the ability to deliver the highest level of professional management services to association and not-for-profit clients. These AMCs are the recognized choice of association and not-for-profit organizations.

“We congratulate SOS-Association Management Solutions for achieving AMC Institute Accreditation,” stated AMC Institute Board President Richard Cristol. “The accreditation evaluation is the most demanding and comprehensive in our industry. Clients of accredited AMCs should feel assured that this exclusive group operates with the highest level of professionalism and responsibility and consistently meets or exceeds all industry requirements.”

Arizona Community Tree Council Launches Effort to Replant Native Trees

PHOENIX, Arizona (June 27, 2011) – As the Wallow Fire, the largest fire in Arizona history, continues to burn, the Arizona Community Tree Council (ACTC) is initiating efforts to replant trees on residential, commercial and community lands damaged by the fire. The Arizona Community Tree Council estimates more than a half-million seedlings will be planted.

"As with the Rodeo-Chediski's “Trees for the Rim” program, the Arizona Community Tree Council (ACTC) Trees for Arizona program will coordinate the replanting efforts and is creating a special fund to manage the contributions," said ACTC President Harold Hummer. "ACTC will work with volunteer organizations and will be replanting trees and forest shrubs beginning October 2011."

Trees for Arizona is a community response program of the Arizona Community Tree Council dedicated to securing financial resources for replanting trees on residential, commercial and community lands damaged by fires around the state of Arizona including the Wallow Fire.

Community Center Farm in Phoenix to Train and Serve Homeless Population

Phoenix, Ariz. (May 24, 2011) - With literally tons of fertile donated soil, Arizona Organizing Project (AZOP) will launch an innovative partnership of local businesses to create an urban community farm on Thursday, May 26, 2011 located at 1010 West Adams in Phoenix as part of  AZOP’s Launch Week. The farm project will provide Phoenix’s downtown homeless population with easy access to locally-grown healthy food.

AZOP, committed to fostering healthy and sustainable communities organized and led by people emerging from homelessness, has partnered with Terry Ricketts and Jesse Sanchez of APS, Greg Peterson of the Urban Farm, Jim Beuerlein of GRO-WELL, Darren Chapman of Tigermountain Foundation, Phoenix Clean and Beautiful and plentiful outreach by AZOP’s peer groups and interns to initiate the 1010 Community Farm, a job retraining program focused on farming and yard design, edible landscape development and maintenance. “We’re going to transform the Capitol Mall and Woodland Neighborhoods into green plentiful urban farms, gardens and shaded homes,” says Scott Jacobson AZOP’s director of development.

Peer Groups Lifting Each Other Out of Homelessness Through Social Enterprises

Phoenix, Ariz., (May 23, 2011) - With an estimated 8,000 homeless individuals in Maricopa County, according to a 2009 report, a resource center is now open to offer peer-to-peer model programs and social enterprises. The center’s goal is to advance as many people as possible into full recovery and help them move into work and enterprises that can generate income so they can take control of their lives and have a home that they can sustain.

The Arizona Organizing Project (AZOP) will launch the official opening of its 1010 Community Center located at 1010 West Adams in Phoenix on Monday, May 23 at 9:00 a.m., which has been made possible through a community collaboration with St. Luke's Health Initiatives, the Arizona Community Foundation and The Conrad N. Hilton Foundation-Generations in Giving Program and plentiful outreach by AZOP’s peer groups, interns and community volunteers.

Tree Planting to Benefit Phoenix Communities

PHOENIX, Arizona (April 20, 2011) – Corporate executives and students will join brains and brawn to plant five trees at the Phoenix Collegiate Academy on Monday, April 25 to celebrate Earth Day and Arbor Day.

The tree planting initiative is a collaborative effort between the Arizona Community Tree Council (ACTC), Ernst & Young and Phoenix Collegiate Academy. ACTC's campaign to “plant trees, grow communities and put down roots” to make Arizona greener and cooler attracted Ernst & Young as a new corporate sponsor. To give back to the community and neutralize the environmental impact, Ernst & Young is planting five trees at the Phoenix Collegiate Academy.

“We are so pleased to welcome Ernst & Young as our newest corporate sponsor,” said ACTC President Harold Hummer. “Ernst & Young's participation in the tree

Board members pleased by recent azcentral.com honor

PHOENIX. The Arizona Latin@ Arts and Cultural Center (ALAC) recently elected attorney Francisco X. Gutiérrez as Chairman of the ALAC Board of Directors at the nonprofit's annual election meeting in March. Mr. Gutiérrez has served as ALAC General Counsel since the organization's founding in 2007.

In addition, the 2011 ALAC Board elections resulted in all of the nominees being elected. The new Board members

are: Claudio Dicochea, Nuvia Enriquez, James E. Garcia, Casandra Hernandez, Ruben Hernandez, José Leyba, and Al Preciado.

All the Board members are pleased that ALAC received azcentral.com's "2011 Critic's Pick: Best First Fridays Stop" for its downtown Phoenix cultural center. Azcentral.com is a division of Gannett's Arizona Republic.

The official results of the 2011 ALAC Board Election are: Three-year Terms: José Benavides; April Bojorquez; Carmen de Novais Guerrero; Ruben Hernandez; Jose

April is National Autism Awareness Month

Lisa Masters, author of, The Funny Side of Autism is hosting a fundraiser in conjunction with Inkwell Productions and Athena Restaurant

APRIL 10, 2011
3:00 – 6:00 PM
ATHENA RESTAURANT
7000 E. Mayo #26, Scottsdale & 101

$40 Single / $70 Couple

Includes: Buffet with dessert * Live entertainment * Goody bag w/ a copy of The Funny Side of Autism * Meet the author & have your book signed * kids 12 & under eat free

Proceeds will be donated to The Autism Society of America

The Funny Side of Autism is a book about the funny things children with autism do and say. It is a compilation of short stories related to my own experiences raising two boys with autism, and         stories generously shared by people from around the country who have been in some way affected by autism. The Funny Side of Autism is the first book of its kind to focus on the positive side of an otherwise dark diagnosis.  ~ Lisa Masters

Thank you
Inkwell Productions
www.inkwellproductions.com
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Inkwell-productions/82985249535?v=wall&ref=ts
480-315-3781

Information for Glendale Green Festival Exhibitors

The city of Glendale Conservation and Sustainable Living Program staff thank you for your involvement and support of the 4th annual Glendale Green Festival! The event last year attracted 1,200 attendees! Listed below are event logistics for Exhibitors that will be located near the Library’s front entrance.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD MAP & INFO

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD FLIER

DATE: Saturday, March 26th, 2011

FESTIVAL TIME: 12 pm to 4 pm

SET-UP: A 6-foot table and two chairs will be provided. There will be signs on the tables identifying the various organizations and businesses, so look for your group’s name. If you have a shade structure, you are encouraged to bring along some spare sand bags to secure your shade structure in case it is a windy day. Since this is a green-themed event, disposable tablecloths will not be provided. You can set-up your booth from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. Please have your booth set-up no later than 11:30 a.m. Volunteers will be on hand to help you transport items to your booth.

Celebrating the health and well-being of children has been a Japanese custom for centuries.  The tradition of Boys’ Day and Girls’ Day have been combined at Phoenix’s Ro Ho En garden to take full advantage of the warm weather of spring.

Kids of all ages can also enjoy face painting, traditional games, refreshing shaved ices, and Japanese treats from Kirin Wok restaurant. Samurai Comics will host a booth alongside the ever-popular Anime drawing tables. The Shiba Inu dog club will have several furry friends on site. The Valley of the Sun Koi Club will host their statewide koi competition in conjunction with the festival and students from Horizon High School will teach the secrets of Kendama, the Japanese ball and cup toy requiring great hand-eye reflexes.

Postcards to Japan, a project coordinated through On Semiconductor and their Japanese facilities, will offer local kids the chance to write to Japanese children in the affected areas of Japan’s earthquake and tsunami, offering their own words of encouragement and hope. Students from Central High School will teach how to fold an origami crane. The paper cranes will be sent to the Bezos Family Foundation earning $2 each toward Japan relief efforts.

WHEN:          Saturday,  April 2                        10:00 am  -  3:00 pm

WHERE:       Japanese Friendship Garden of Phoenix, located in Margaret T. Hance Park

1125 North 3rd Avenue    Phoenix, AZ 85003

(Third Avenue, ½ block north of W. Portland Street)

INFO AT:      www.japanesefriendshipgarden.org

Tel:  602-256-3204

Young Climbs to the Top to Advance to Regionals

PHOENIX, Arizona (February 8, 2011) – Climbing to the top at the Annual Arizona Tree Climbing Competition was Andrew Young of Mesa, Ariz. and owner of “The Tree Amigos.”

Young won the Master’s Climb to secure his place as Arizona's best climber. His win secured his spot at the Western Chapter Tree Climbing Competition in San Diego, Calif.

Dan Stevens of Living Tree Service and three-time ACTC Tree Climbing Champion, placed second in the Master’s Climb and Johnnie Morales of Tree Doctors, Inc. placed third.

"It was a great day to be out there," said Conni Ingallina, executive director of the ACTC. "There were well over 100 spectators who came out to watch the day-long event." All who competed in the annual competition are professional tree climbers who prune trees, care for trees and save lives. ACTC's Tree Climbing Championships bring out the state’s best and highly-skilled climbers. "The day-long event helps educate the public and instills a respect for tree climbers and focuses on techniques and equipment to improve the work environment for all tree care professionals," added ACTC President Louisa Ballard.

Young, a professional tree climber of 10 years, has been competing in tree climbing competitions for about five years. This was his first year to win the state competition. Young owns and operate a tree service company called "The Tree Amigos," which specializes in high quality pruning and tree care. When he's not working, he likes to boulder (a form of rock climbing), camp and spend time with his family. Young is married to his wife Heather and they have two children.

Community leaders from across the Phoenix Valley are deeply saddened by today's senseless act of violence against U.S. Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords, members of her staff and innocent bystanders, who were shot during a public event in Tucson, Arizona.

Preliminary information alleges that Congresswoman Giffords is out of surgery, that some 12 people were shot and that a young person was killed. Our thoughts and prayers go out to the victims and their families of today's shooting.

A press conference with a diverse group of community leaders will be held at 5:00 p.m. tonight at the Arizona State Capitol with a 6:00 p.m. prayer candlelight vigil to follow.

Contact Annie Loyd at 602-999-2424, Lydia Guzman at 602-451-4462, or Sharon Zapata at 602-703-5243 for more information.

Wealth and Prosperity in Alignment with your Higher Self

WHEN:

Sunday, February 6, 2011 from 1 - 3:30 p.m.

WHERE:

Creative Living Fellowship
6530 North 7th Street. Phoenix, AZ 85014
602-906-4080
http://creativelivingfellowship.com

COST:

Suggested Love Offering: $25 but no one will be turned away.

At this workshop, you will learn: