There are many economic and other interconnecting challenges facing not only our students, but other members of our community as well. On October 8, 2008 Ivy Tech Community College will host a community-wide event, "Finance, Fitness, and Fun Fest" – "Fcube" – focusing on financial literacy and well-being. The event will take place on the Ivy Tech Richmond campus. There will be no charge for participation.

Stay tuned for more information.

On Wednesday July 2nd, 2008, Progressive Wayne County sponsored a 100-Mile Radius Potluck in Richmond. You can view highlights from the event in this YouTube video:

If you're interested in being a part of future potlucks and similar events, stay tuned to this website and consider signing up for our e-mail newsletter.

Eating locally is as good for our ecosystems as it is for our bodies! If you'd like to practice eating locally and hang out with groovy folks, come to a 100 mile radius potluck on Wednesday, July 2 at 6pm in Clear Creek Park in Richmond (on W Main next to the municipal pool).

What is a 100 mile radius potluck? All the food you bring should have been grown/raised/created within 100 miles of your home. This doesn't mean that Twinkies from Fort Wayne are fair game, since the sugar probably came from Brazil, and the Polysorbate 20 isn't native to ANY ecosystem. So...any guesses on how many salads we'll get?  continue reading »

Recreational cyclists in Richmond now have a new online resource to organize their rides and events. Earlier this week long time rider Pat Williams launched the Richmond Cycling Google group, which members can use as an e-mail list, while also easily jointly creating web pages and sharing files and photos.

Pat had previously coordinated an e-mail list of about 50 recreational riders. Members of the group often gather for rides on Tuesday and Thursday evenings as well as weekend rides. See the new Richmond Cycling site for details.

This group complements the existing Bike Richmond group which focuses on bikes as transportation and also uses Google Groups.

The Richmond Common Council will be having a public hearing on its proposed Smoking Ordinance on Jan. 14. It will prohibit smoking in every place of employment within Richmond, and it prohibits smoking within 25 feet of an entrance. It also requires employers to adopt a no-smoking policy and to notify all employees of this policy and to post signs about it.

A public hearing will be held on January 14 at 7:00pm in the Richmond City Council Chamber to further discuss this proposal. You are entitled to attend the meeting. The Common Council is taking this opportunity to hear from you.

The ordinance will not be enacted on January 14, because it will require a second reading at a subsequent Council meeting. If enacted, the ordinance would take effect 30 days after passage.

You can read Proposed Ordinance 087-2007 on the City of Richmond website.

Get ready to compete in the 23rd Annual Earlham Triathlon on Sat. April 28! The first heat begins promptly at 7:30 a.m. Individual and team registrations are welcome. You or your team will swim one mile, bike 19.2 miles and run 6.2 miles. The Tri is open to EC students, faculty, staff, alumni and the Richmond community. Registration runs through Wed., April 25, and forms are available at the Athletics and Wellness Center Welcome Desk. Contact: Pat Thomas (thomapa@earlham.edu, 973-1494) or Andrea Crane-Coyle (coylean@earlham.edu, ext. 973-1899).

Supporting Earlham's wellness model of "Mind, Body, Spirit and Community," exhibitors from Richmond and Wayne County businesses offer services, including screenings for osteoporosis, blood pressure, glucose and cholesterol. Experts provide information in health and wellness including dietetics, dentistry, chiropractic care, alternative therapies and podiatry; as well as relaxing chair massages. Participants can register for door prizes; massages, reflexology sessions, T-shirts, climbing wall passes, and day passes to the Athletics and Wellness Center.

Trueblood Fieldhouse on Earlham's campus. Free Admission, no tickets required.

I've just completed The China Study, a compelling book on nutrition. Rather than providing detailed eating advice and recipes of a particular diet, the book draws from hundreds of scientific references to come to some simple conclusions: A whole-foods, plant-based diet is very healthy, and can help to prevent and reserve a number of diseases including cancer, heart disease diabetes and number of auto-immune disorders.

I'll offer three somewhat random points from the book as examples, which you can read below.  continue reading »

Today I stumbled across two resources which support Thomas Kemp's skepticism about CAFOs, confined animal feeding operations.

First, there is The Cow? Public Enemy Number One, which describes a UN report detailing the massive damage of cattle level on the environment. The report concludes that unless drastic changes are made, the damage done by livestock will more than double by 2050, along with expected increases in meat consumpton.

Second, a complementary view: the benefits of a diet free of meat and diary. This is the The China Study, which uses a number of scientific studies to advocate for a vegan diet. It is not without controversary, including cheerleaders and detractors.

The combination of these articles serve as important reminders: First, there are ill effects of livestock, whether they are confined or not. Second, when the demand for meat decreases, so does the need for CAFOs to exist at all. Our consumption and grocery store decisions make a difference.  continue reading »

Two years ago I was diagnosed with a herniated disc in my back. This caused my sciatic nerve to be pinched, which caused great pain in my legs when I was sitting or standing. I spent a lot of the next two weeks lying flat on my back. After standing for just a few minutes, the pain would become intense again, and I'd need to lie back down.

I'm the sort of person who resists taking medicine, and I found myself taking up to eight ibuprofen a day just to cut the pain and get through it.

Yes, having Sciatica sucked.  continue reading »