New CEC Dialogues series takes dynamic look at local, global issues

This month CEC will kick off an exiting new series, CEC Dialogues, a unique format that goes beyond the traditional lecture to bring together two experts with significantly different perspectives to engage in an unscripted discussion of important issues within their field. The first event focuses on food, an issue of central importance to the world. Jacko Garrett is a rice farmer who founded Share the Harvest Foundation, a southeast Texas collective of rice farmers’ who dedicate a portion of their annual harvest to local and international hunger relief programs. Bob Randall, PhD is the executive director of Urban Harvest, a local gardening co-op, where he works to build communities from the ground up by promoting sustainable urban-land and horticultural practices in growing food and reducing hunger. The event will take place Tuesday, April 20, 7:30-9 pm, at Rice University, Sewall Hall, room 301. For more information call (713) 524-4232 or email events@cechouston.org.

Environmental justice grants available for local communities

The Environmental Protection Agency’s office of environmental justice is seeking grant applications for projects that examine issues related to a community's exposure to multiple environmental harms and risks. The funding is under a program that provides financial assistance to community-based organizations working on or planning to work on projects that address local environmental and public health concerns. To be eligible for the grants, an organization must be made up primarily of members of the affected community. Affected communities are defined as those that are influenced or altered by the environmental problem. Applications must be postmarked by midnight, Friday, April 30. For more information, visit the EPA’s environmental justice web site at
www.epa.gov/compliance/environmentaljustice/grants/ej_smgrants.html
or call (202) 564-0152 or email lewis.sheila@epa.gov.

Park People celebrates improvements to East End park

A community-wide effort to increase green space in the East End includes a project to upgrade and preserve Tony Marron Park, backed by the Park People and other groups. The initiative officially kicked off during a groundbreaking ceremony at the site in February. According to the Park People’s Glenda Barrett, the $1.8 million development has been in the works since 2001. Upgrades to the property will include two adult soccer fields, three children's soccer fields, a picnic pavilion with adobe-style architectural enhancements, and picnic tables. Other amenities to be added include a water-fountain plaza where children may play, walking and bicycle trails, groves of trees, and an open green space. The park is named after an immigrant who worked to improve the East End community for nearly 30 years after settling in Houston in 1926.

BPA hosts symposium on water quality and flooding

“Backyard, Bayou, and Beyond: A Watershed Management Symposium” will feature Houston mayor Bill White, wetlands expert John Jacob, Houston Audubon Society's Winnie Burkett, and the Bayou Preservation Association's Kevin Shanley, among other experts on water quality, flooding, and wildlife. The event will take place Wednesday, April 7, 8 am to 5 pm, at the University of St. Thomas, Jerabeck Activity Center, 3800 Montrose. Learn what to do to improve local water quality and reduce flooding. Those attending will receive advice on how to use water more responsibly in their homes, neighborhoods, and commercial districts. The symposium is sponsored by the Bayou Preservation Association. For more information, contact BPA at (713) 529-6443 or visit
http://www.urban-nature.org/watershedsymposium.htm.

Blueprint Houston event focuses on city’s future

Blueprint Houston, a coalition of community groups, business leaders and individuals is seeking input on planning for the city’s future. “Scenarios for Houston’s Future: A Community Discussion” will give the public an oppurtunity to help shape the direction of civic engagement as it relates to growth and development. Discussion will follow a presentation of the Scenarios Project sponsored by the Center for Houston’s Future. This project was funded by the Houston Endowment as a part of a grant that also funded Blueprint Houston. The event will take place Thursday, April 22, 7 pm, at the Harris County Department of Education, 6300 Irvington. Attendance is limited to 100 participants. RSVP is required to hsweetnam@blueprinthouston.org or Callie Bluemer at (713) 522-0590.