Welcome to the first Manasc Isaac newsletter in blog format! Andrew has been working hard to develop this and other components of the new website. Unlike the wiki, which allows users to edit each other's entries to create a shared knowledge base over time, the blog is the posting space for dated newsy items. All future newsletters will be published here and when the new website is launched the blog will be the News page. Some articles (such as an award announcement) will be visible to all those who visit the blog, while others (such as internal announcements) will only be visible to those who are logged in.

Please take the time to explore the blog and its features. You'll notice at the bottom of the page there is room for comments. Let us know what you think about the newsletter, the format and the blog either by leaving a comment or sending an email to Sarah Crummy or Andrew Masri.

Manasc Isaac Earth Day Celebration

At the last staff meeting we announced plans for the April 21 Earth Day Celebration/ Client Appreciation Party. Volunteers are needed to  make this event a success.

Please see Joanne to sign up as a volunteer. We need:

Food shopping and preparation
8-10 Required

Setup
8-10 Required

Greeters - tasks include greeting guests, taking coats and ensuring everyone has a nametag.
2 Required

Bartenders
2 Required

Outdoor Clean-Up For Earth Day Event and for 2009 Capital City Clean-Up Campaign
8-10 Required

Heart and Stroke Foundation Big Bike Ride

Manasc Isaac will be pedalling on the Heart and Stroke Foundation Big Bike again this year. This event is a very fun way to raise money for the Foundation - and also a chance to win some prizes.
We need 29 people to ride the bike.

Each participant must raise a minimum of $50 in pledges. Tax receipts will be issued for pledges of $10 or more. If we raise $3000 dollars in pledges our team will be entered to win 29 bikes for the 29 riders.

Please see Joanne for a pledge envelope.

May 1  |  12:00 PM  |  Starts and ends in Churchill Square
www.bigbike.ca

Master Composter/Recycler Program

Once a year, the City of Edmonton Waste Management Branch hosts the Master Composter-Recycler Program. This course offers in-class instruction and field trips to various City facilities. After finishing the course, graduates complete 35 hours of volunteer activity promoting the four R's: reduce, reuse, recycle and recover. Graduates become important resources in their communities as they broaden awareness about the importance of composting and recycling.

Application Deadline March 13  |  Course Dates: April 14 - May 2nd, 2009 Tuesday and Thursday evenings, Saturdays all day for three consecutive weeks.
To apply contact Karen Lewis-Caron at: 780.496.5991 or karen.lewis-caron@edmonton.ca

Downtown Dining Week

Downtown Dining Week celebrates Edmonton’s dynamic food scene and creates an increased buzz and excitement due in large part to the many new and revitalized restaurants downtown.

Celebrate downtown's assortment of eclectic dining as the Downtown Business Association hosts the 6th Annual Downtown Dining Week March 6 - 15. Participating restaurants have fixed price menus that allow patrons to sample their menu at a reasonable price.

March 6-15, 2009  |  various locations
www.edmontondowntown.com

Car Sharing Co-operative of Edmonton: Free Workshop

Canadian Cooperative Association & The Car-Sharing Co-op of Edmonton
Guest-Presenters: Tanya Paz from the Vancouver's Cooperative Auto Network will speak about car sharing and Mark Goldblatt from the Canadian Cooperative Association will discuss the co-operative alternative.

Car sharing is analogous to time-sharing a vacation property, where a group of owners jointly owns and manages an asset for their common benefit. Utilizing the tools/structure of a cooperative, a fleet of vehicles can be managed to provide access to car-based mobility, reduce the economic burden of private vehicle ownership, and help reduce greenhouse gas emissions overall.

March 12  |  7:30 PM  |  Room 9-315 Robbins Health Learning Centre, 109 St. & 104 Ave.
For more information, please contact:
Myles Kitagawa @ 780.907.1231
Mark Goldblatt @ 1.866.266.7677 x 205

City of Edmonton Good Neighbour Awards

These awards are designed to encourage recognition of positive actions toward neighbours and to appreciate those people who make our neighbourhoods a better place to live, fostering a spirit of community.

Materials and nomination forms are available at any branch of the Edmonton Public Library, or here.

The deadline for nominations is March 31st.
www.edmonton.ca/safedmonton

NFB Sunday Cinema: The Strangest Dream

The Strangest Dream tells the story of Joseph Rotblat, the history of nuclear weapons and the efforts of the Pugwash Conferences on Science and World Affairs – which he co-founded – to halt nuclear proliferation. Nuclear physicist Joseph Rotblat was branded a traitor and spy after walking away from the Manhattan Project, builders of the first atomic bomb. But, with Bertrand Russell, he went on to help create the modern peace movement, and eventually to win the Nobel Peace Prize.

Sunday, March 15  |  2:00 PM  |  Metro Cinema (in the Citadel Theatre, 9828 - 101A Ave)
www.metrocinema.org/film_view/2084/