Dear VCCoolers,

Another newsletter packed with local events and news about climate change ACTION!

From the VCCool Main Office
www.vccool.org

Healthy Kids & Communities Forum - including Important County Transit Dialog

Saturday, July 9th
8:30am to 2:00pm
Ventura College Cafeteria
4667 Telegraph Road, Ventura
Free - Lunch provided - childcare available

A coalition of organizations is holding a forum to discuss and hopefully come to new agreements about a number of issues concerning healthy kids. The three topics include transportation, parks, and school lunches. The morning will include break-out sessions with three excellent speakers:

• Darren Kettle - VCTC - Crafting a Comprehensive Transit Plan
• Sandy Curwood – Healthy School Project - Local produce in school lunches
• Seth Strongin - City Project – Importance of urban parks

Please Attend! We need strong local support! After lunch, we will reconvene to discuss issues with local leaders and to encourage real local progress. In the transit topic, we will be requesting the Comprehensive Transit Plan includes:

• County-wide funding for "Complete Streets" planning (a key step for bicycle safety)
• Funding for a baseline of key bus lines
• Making free bus transfers permanent
  

Ventura Film Festival to Benefit VCCool

Saturday, July 9th
Film and Q&A
8:00 pm
Majestic Ventura Theater

More information and tickets
For special VCCool ticket pricing or contact Kendra Gonzales

This year, the Ventura Film Festival has picked VCCool as the non-profit to share the proceeds of their Opening Night film - West Side Story. VCCool will use these funds to support our efforts on the Westside of Ventura: the Westside Code and Plan efforts, and our new Westside Bicycle Tool-share Coop.

Have a wonderful time supporting the Ventura Film Festival and VCCool. 2011 Ventura Film Festival Opening Night, Red Carpet Event. West Side Story 50th Anniversary Celebration and Q& A with Academy Award winner and star of West Side Story, George Chakiris

VCCool Awarded Important Environmental and Social Justice Grants

VCCool started out as an amazing project by a handful of friends and volunteers. Volunteer efforts remain our driving force, but as we take and more and bigger projects, staff funding becomes the critical, determining factor. Donations from you, our members, are key. Local foundations and companies are also realizing the importance of our work.

Because taking care of our environment typically includes solutions that are healthy, affordable, and inclusive- VCCool's efforts frequently provide a strong social-justice element. We would like to extend a huge statement of gratitude to these three visionary organizations that have recently invested in VCCool.

McCune Foundation - Has awarded VCCool a grant to support this year's Ventura Bicycle Union efforts in organizing and training bicyclists to make their streets safe for cycling.

Patagonia - Has awarded VCCool a grant to support our up-coming Bicycle Tool-share Coop. They also recently sponsored a fantastic bike-to-work day where for each mile biked by employees (over 2,000), one dollar was donated to VCCool! (Stay tuned for fun, upcoming bicycle collaborations.)

Kaiser Permanente - Has just awarded VCCool a 2011 Community Benefit Grant to help support our upcoming Bicycle Tool-Share Coop! They will also be helping us video our work with this effort.

Thank you to these organizations! Your investments in our work will help us to launch larger and more profound efforts to curb climate change in our community.

Important Note: Almost all of these funds are ear-marked for specific projects. Your membership donations are critical for our many other projects. Please consider making an on-line donation to support VCCool, your voice in the community.

Totally Local Ventura - Dinner Series

Thursday, July 7th
6:30pm
Ventura City Hall
501 Poli St, Ventura
$90 per person

The goal is to draw attention not only to our local Agriculture
community, but to our outstanding local chefs and local businesses

“Dinner At the City,” an elegant repast in the unusual context of Ventura’s City Hall will be hosted by renowned chef Rachel Main of Main Course. After a tour of historic City Hall, guests will enjoy the sumptuous meal - served al fresco in
communal, family style. Visit Totally Local VC for tickets and more information.


Two Films in Ventura - Plus Interesting Discussion

Saturday, July 23
4:00pm Farmagedon
7:00pm A New We - (Eco villages)
Ventura Library - Topping Room
651 E. Main St., Ventura
$12 for both, $7 for one (suggested donation)

Flyer and Information

Our New Website! (We're so Thrilled)

Tada!! Check out our new website (same web address). We hope you like it! A heart-felt round of applause to Drew Story - wonder-webber, and fabulous VCCool volunteer.

The Kids Rock!

Not only that - they're suing the government(s) for not taking global warming seriously!

"We are taking our governments to court to insist that they act as faithful trustees and put these Climate Recovery Plans in place. iMatter is partnering with a coalition of awesome attorneys from around the country and the world, organized by Our Children's Trust, to bring our case to the court."

Read more about an effort started by Kids-vs-Global Warming, right here in Ventura County.

iMatter march Newsletter (66mgbts)

VCCool's Upcoming Projects and Current Efforts

Some of VCCool's current efforts include helping to craft the Code and Plan for Ventura's Westside - with an eye toward biking, walking, public transit, and small-footprint homes, helping get bicycles into the county comprehensive transit plan, and writing a grant for funding to make Anacapa accessible by bicycle. Yeah - we know! We bit off the big one there. If you are interested in being involved please e-mail us. Stay tuned for VCCool's new monthly meetings to help members plug-in to VCCool projects.

If you received this message from a friend, and you'd like to be on Ventura's Global Warming email list, send a note to the action@vccool.org with instructions to add you to the global warming e-mail list.

To remove yourself from our list, Usimply send a note to action@vccool.org with a request to remove you from the global warming list..