Author: Fred

Reminder: Don’t Miss! Through Our Lens – A Conversation with Local Filmmakers

Tuesday, October 26, 6:00pm-8:00pm

DATE: Monthly – October 22nd, November 12th, and December 8th.
TIME: 7-9pm
ADMISSION:Suggested donation of $5-$10, free for students with valid ID

The Global Lens 2010 international film series features independent films from around the world depicting stories about different cultures and people. A special curated educational screening of four of the films in the series will be held each month at the Hillyer Art Space in Washington, DC. The screening is free for students with a valid student ID and just $5 for other audience members. Refreshments will be served and a special Q&A with Reel Worldwide Underground Link (RWUL) will be held after each screening. The non-profit organization Reel Worldwide Underground Link (RWUL) was selected by the Global Film Initiative to host the Global Lens 2010 film series in Washington, DC and RWUL has hosted screenings in DC of the special series all year long. The Hillyer Art Space and International Arts and Artists will curate these brilliant films in conjunction will existing exhibitions.

The film to be screened October 22nd will be the Mexican film Becloud, a tangled neighborhood tale filled with an enthralling mix of history, memory and atonement, creating an unexpected parable of modern Mexico itself.

Films Screening from Global Lens 2010:
(All Films will Screen at 7pm)

Oct. 22, 2010
Becloud ( Vaho) from Mexico

Nov. 12, 2010
Leo’s Room from Uruguay

Dec. 8, 2010
My Tehran for Sale from Iran

About RWUL
We Motivate Create Live Love Build Network Start Focus Mentor Serve Communicate…

Reel Worldwide Underground Link RWUL (pronounced r-u-l-e) is a non-profit organization that got started in Richmond, Virginia in March 2007. RWUL has since expanded into independent doing several community film events in Virginia and Washington, DC. RWUL’s network includes filmmakers in genres of music, animation, fashion, print, and design. RWUL hopes to build a foundation that will give a voice to all filmmakers worldwide and will support positive creative film ventures that promote independent film culture and global awareness. www.rwul.com

Gallery Hours: 10am – 5pm Monday, 10am – 7pm Tuesday – Friday, 11am – 4pm Saturday.
Otherwise by appointment

International Arts & Artists (IA&A) is a non-profit organization dedicated to increasing cross-cultural understanding and exposure to the arts internationally. IA&A’s services include a Traveling Exhibition Service, the Hillyer Art Space gallery, the Design Studio, the Cultural Exchange Program, and Membership Services for artists and the arts-interested public.

Democratic Mayoral Nominee, Vince Gray, has announced a series of town hall meetings to be held city wide ahead of the general election on November 2, 2010.

Gray, along with Council Members and Area Neighborhood Commissioners from each Ward, will host the town halls to hear directly from residents about their concerns about District Government and the ways in which they would like city government to serve them best.

I encourage you attend the town hall scheduled to take place in your Ward to highlight three issues that pose a significant threat to the health of the District’s tree canopy – the fleecing of the Tree Fund, refusal to underground powerlines and the inadequate administration of the Tree Bill.

I have provided below a synopsis of each, and questions I hope you will consider asking at one the upcoming town halls or submitting to Gray’s mayoral campaign at action. You may also complete and return the campaign provided comment form. Feel free to print this email out to bring with you to the town hall and share with your friends and neighbors. The town hall schedule by Ward is at the bottom of this email.

Thank you for your tireless committment to restoring, ehancing and protecting the tree canopy of the Nation’s Capital.

With appreciation,

Mark Buscaino

Executive Director

The Urban Forest Preservation Act was established in 2002 to replace healthy trees that are removed by planting others to take their place. The intent of the Act was to replant trees removed from private property back onto private property. Unfortunately, money being paid into the Tree Fund to replace trees on private property are being used to plant street trees.

Furthermore, we have been told that since the Act was passed, 9,000 trees have been planted as replacements, but there are no public records showing where they are or if they are even alive.

• Will your administration work to ensure trees removed from private lands are replaced on private lands? What changes to the law do you envision to make this a reality?
• Will your administration share information about where replacement trees have been planted so we can ascertain the effectiveness of the law?

The 2011 budget took $530,000 from the Tree Fund and diverted it to the General Fund for non-tree planting purposes effectively reducing the amount of trees planted in the District. The Urban Forest Preservation Act, which created the Tree Fund, forbids diverting Tree Fund moneys to the General Fund.

• Will your administration commit to restoring these funds in the current FY budget?
• What safeguards will you place on future Tree Fund balances to ensure this no longer occurs?

PEPCO recently and traditionally blames trees as the main culprit for power outages, and recently they have gone on record saying they will be more aggressive in their tree clearance operations. Unfortunately more aggressive tree clearance likely means more tree failures, and there still exists no comprehensive plan for reliability system-wide.

Reports continually recommend PEPCO underground its wires. DC’s Comprehensive Plan concurs with that view, and neighborhood groups bring this issue up every year. Despite this record, and DDOT’s rebuilding streets across the city which is the perfect time to bury lines as it is cost-effective, PEPCO resists, elected officials do not take the lead, and the wires stay overhead.

• Do you feel that undergrounding utilities is an important issue for the present and future of the District of Columbia?
• If so, as Mayor, will you take clear action to have PEPCO underground utilities?