[Riverweb] Clean Water Action Alert

Fri Sep 14 16:31:57 CDT 2007

Illinois Clean Water Action Alert for September 14, 2007

The Office of Lieutenant Governor Pat Quinn periodically sends out Action
Alerts to provide information on meetings, news and action items, events,
and other useful information on issues of clean water, the Illinois River
Coordinating Council, Great Lakes, and other initiatives from Lt. Gov. Pat
Quinn.

Topics covered in today's Action Alert:
1.        It's Our River Day - Tomorrow!
2.        Great Lakes Conference
3.        Suburban Greener Sites Tour
4.        Taste Illinois Wine in Quincy
5.        Clean Water Tip of the Day

It's Our River Day (IORD) - Tomorrow

The 4th annual 'It's Our River Day' celebration will take place tomorrow,
September 15 at locations all across the state.  The goal of this day is to
promote education, conservation, and recreation on our state's waterways.
Each week until September 15, we will be highlighting an event in the Clean
Water Action Email.  Up this week:

Illinois River Sweep
Over 30 Locations around the state

Sponsored by Friends of the Illinois River, Illinois River Sweep is an
annual event that cleans up the Illinois River and it\'s tributaries on the
third Saturday in September - Make plans now to join us on September 15,
2007 for our 7th Annual Illinois River Sweep.  All registered participants
will receive a free River Sweep T-shirt plus gloves and trash bags

Call (866) 584-1310 to join in

A complete list of events is located at:
http://www.standingupforillinois.org/cleanwater/events.php.

For more information on IORD, contact:

Jeremy Kruidenier
Office of Lt. Governor Pat Quinn
414 Stratton Building
Springfield, IL 62706
Phone: 217.558.1845
Fax: 217.782.9879
Email: jeremy.kruidenier at illinois.gov

Great Lakes Conference

Registration deadlines for the 2007 Annual Meeting of the Great Lakes
Commission are quickly approaching! The meeting will be held Oct. 1-2 at the
Radisson Hotel and Suites in Chicago. Additional information about the
meeting, including online registration, is now available at
www.glc.org/meeting

We encourage you to make your travel and lodging arrangements soon. Please
call the Radisson Hotel and Suites at 312-787-2900 to reserve a room.
Additional information is available at www.glc.org/meeting/lodge.html

The Commission meeting will focus on "Sustainable Living on the Lakes" and
showcase one of the region's premier cities. Panel discussions will address
climate change and adapting to its potential impacts on the Great Lakes,
growing the region\'s economy through renewable energy, and water
conservation and efficiency.

Keynote speakers will include Dr. Rosina Bierbaum, dean of the University of
Michigan\'s School of Natural Resources and the Environment; Robyn Thorson,
midwest regional director, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service; and John Austin,
senior fellow with The Brookings Institution, and co-author of the recently
released report on the benefits of restoring the Great Lakes ecosystem.
Chicago Mayor Richard Daley is also expected to address the Commission.
Field trips are planned to the Center for Green Technology and the aquatic
nuisance species dispersal barrier on the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal.

The Great Lakes Regional Collaboration will convene a public meeting at the
same location on the afternoon of Oct. 2.

Wine Tasting Event in Quincy to Showcase Illinois Wine

The Central & South Central Regions of the Illinois Grape Growers and
Vintners Association are pleased to host the second annual Great River Grape
Escape Festival in Clat Adams Park on Quincy's Riverfront.

The event will be limited to twelve Illinois wineries and their products
complimented with art, gourmet food and continuous music.  The Great River
Grape Escape will be held September 22 -23, 2007 from 12:00 PM to 9:00 PM on
Saturday and 12:00 PM to 5:00 PM on Sunday.  Admission to the event is free
and is open to the public.

"Illinois wine products are growing at a fast pace, this event allows us to
highlight the many different award winning wines produced in the state.  We
are encouraged by last year's inaugural event, as we look forward to growing
this year's Great River Grape Escape into a larger festival of Illinois
wine, offering participants much more to compliment the wine products at the
festival," said Matt Schulte, of Spirit Knob Winery and coordinator of the
event.

The Great River Grape Escape has also been a central feature in the planning
of the ten state, Mississippi River Parkway Commission's annual meeting,
which Quincy will host September 20-22. Illinois MRPC Chairman, Senator John
Sullivan, states, "The Great River Grape Escape festival allows Quincy and
the state of Illinois to feature our Riverfront and the many wine and
agricultural products that are grown along the Mississippi River and
throughout Illinois."

The Great River Grape Escape is held in conjunction with the Governor's
office announcing September as Illinois Wine Month.  For an Illinois Winery
Guide of 72 wineries or for more information on the featured events, contact
the Quincy Area Convention & Visitors Bureau at 217-223-1000 or
1-800-978-4748 or visit www.seequincy.com.

For those of you who are government employees, you may be interested in the
following invitation:

Suburban Green Sites Tour

Please join us for a tour of local green buildings, organized exclusively
for suburban government and development officials.

WHEN
Friday, September 21, 2007
11:00 AM  - 5:00 PM

WHERE
Calamos Investments Headquarters
2020 Calamos Court
Lobby
Naperville, IL 60563

Clean Water Tip of the Day

Test your drinking water periodically with a home test kit.  These can be
purchased on-line. Simply type "drinking water test kit" into a search
engine.

-----------------

We encourage you to pass this email message along to your colleagues and
friends.  For more information on Clean Water Illinois, please visit:
http://www.CleanWaterIllinois.org.

If you want to contact Lt. Governor Pat Quinn, click on the contact link
below.
http://www.standingupforillinois.org/contact/

We apologize for any cross postings

-- 
Cecily Smith
Interim Watershed Organizer
Prairie Rivers Network
809 South Fifth Street
Champaign IL 61820
217.344.2371