The Atkinson Diet - A local response to Global Warming

The Nation's Premier Energy Education Event
Since 1990, the Energy Fair has shown fairgoers how to change the world while having fun. Each summer the Fair transforms rural central Wisconsin into the global hot spot for renewable energy education. The Energy Fair is the world's largest renewable energy, energy efficiency, and sustainable living educational event of its kind.

The Energy Fair features hundreds of workshops and exhibits all emphasizing clean energy & sustainable living and is fun for the whole family.

Save money and energy by taking the bus coordinated by the Energy Fair - reservations necessary. Heart of the City is also coordinating bus transporation from Fort to the Energy Fair bus in Madison. Sign up for that by contacting Amy Lutzke at 920-563-7790 or alutzke@fortlibrary.org. Bus would leave Fort at 6:15 Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.

A limited number of fair scholarships to pay for admission into the fair are available from Heart of the City. To apply for the scholarship contact Beth Gehred at 920-568-0181 or e-mail heartoffort@gmail.com.

Jefferson County is in crisis due to the record flooding. Fort and Jefferson residents should be reducing water usage to an absolute minimum because the sewer systems are at or beyond capacity. Please pass this information on to all who may be contributing to the problem. Post notices at your places of work and ask businesses to post notice.

Volunteers are needed to fill sandbags at the old Thomas Industries parking lot on North Main. Volunteering is being coordinated through the Chamber of Commerce 563-3120. The City of Fort Atkinson website www.fortatkinsonwi.net and the Jefferson County website www.co.jefferson.wi.us have flood information.

FORT FARMERS MARKET Saturdays 8-12 in the parking lot across from the Post Office on E. Milwaukee Ave., a half block from Main Street. Buy fresh, buy local. Meet your friends and neighbors, listen to some music, enjoy the community, share information.

Jefferson County Clean Sweep- Household, Farm and Business Hazardous Waste Collection- Many products you use in your home and yard contain hazardous materials. Improper disposal of these products can cause fires, injuries to people and animals and groundwater contamination. This guide will help you identify hazardous products in your home. Keep your home safe by properly disposing of hazardous products. This allows you to get rid of old prescriptions safely too.

$10 per vehicle- team up with friends and neighbors- Call ahead for registration 920-674-7430

Monday, July 14, 2008, 7:00 Heart of the City Meeting at the Cafe Carpe. Election of officers is on the agenda.

Jefferson County Bicycle Club meets (usually) the second Wednesday of each month at the Fort Police Station, 101 S. Water St. W. Fort Atkinson.

Conservation Lobby Day, January 30th, 2008- is over but you can still contact your legislators on these issues.
Every year, the League of Conservation voters sets up a day to ask state legislators to address the top Conservation Priorities the group has decided upon. Conservation Lobby Day is your day to tell your state Assembly Representative and your state Senator why you care about clean energy, the Great Lakes, and sporting opportunities. Your participation will determine what we win in 2008! Last year, over 430 citizens representing nearly 100 groups from across Wisconsin descended on the state Capitol to share their conservation values with their Legislators. In the last two Conservation Lobby Days, we have succeeded in winning on two Conservation Priorities: in 2006, the Clean Energy Bill was adopted, and in 2007, the Stewardship Fund was reauthorized.

This year, the 3 Conservation Priorities that are still in play in the 2007-08 Legislature are:

Keep the Great Lakes Waters in the Great Lakes by passing the Strong Great Lakes Compact for a Strong Wisconsin, which addresses pressures on water supplies and desires for diversions.

If you have any remaining questions, please don't hesitate to contact Jennifer Giegerich at (608) 661-0845 or jennifer@conservationvoters.org. If you can't make the Lobby Day event, please contact your legislators by phone, e-mail, or letter to let them know that you wish them to take action on these issues.

FORT ATKINSON MASTER PLAN: Check out the progress at the City website and at consultants Vandewalle's website. The draft plan will be reviewed by the Planning Commission at its meeting Tuesday June 24 at 4:00 in the Council Chambers. From there it will come before the City Council for passage.

Help to create a discussion about this master plan or any other local issues by voicing your opinions at www.fortspeaks.blogspot.com.

EAT LOCAL CHALLENGE September 14-23 2007 www.cias.wisc.edu/eatlocal There will be another challenge in 2008. We are awaiting an update.

Heart of the City and the Atkinson Diet have been invited to join the challenge. Please consider doing so.

First Lady Doyle has announced the Wisconsin “Eat Local” Challenge. Along with a statewide coalition of farmers and grassroots organizations, the First Lady has announced a challenge to increase sales of local food. The Wisconsin “Eat Local” challenge encourages consumers to spend 10 percent of their food budget on local food for ten days, Sept. 14 – 23 2007.

The purpose of the challenge is to raise consumer awareness of the advantages of local food, including quality, freshness and variety. The goal is to create an annual event that will grow. Information gained from the challenge will help local food growers and sellers better serve consumers. For a directory of local food distributors, go to SavorWisconsin.com and search by region, product or business; you can also link to the Eat Local challenge site to learn more about the local food initiative. www.cias.wisc.edu/eatlocal

**THANKS TO EVERYONE WHO MADE JEFFERSON COUNTY'S 1st COMMUNITY GARDEN, HEARTY GARDENS, A GREAT SUCCESS. Contact Heart of the City www.heartofthecity.us for details about 2008 gardens. You can now reserve a plot for the 2008 season. Download the Hearty Gardens brochure and application at the Heart of the City website, or call the Jefferson County Parks Department at 920-674-7260 to see if any plots are still available.