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Martin Luther King Jr. Day was declared a national day of community service in 1994 to build on the civil rights leader’s legacy.

The move was meant to inspire people to use the federal holiday, established in 1983, to volunteer to improve lives, bridge social barriers, and move closer to the “beloved community” King envisioned.

If you are looking for a way to volunteer Monday, go to mlkday.gov.

Here are events to commemorate King:

Elected officials and candidates for office will be asked to make public commitments on economic and environmental justice issues, including green jobs, housing and transportation at 2:30 today at St. Thomas Apostle Catholic Church, 5472 S. Kimbark Ave.

Elected officials are hosting volunteer projects that include helping seniors winterize their homes and painting school classrooms. Volunteers can show up from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday at 5533 N. Broadway or 4327 N. Lincoln Ave. or reply to [email protected].

Families can make crafts — including coasters, key chains and place mats — for Habitat for Humanity and other charities. The Kindness Connection will host two sessions Monday at the Winnetka Park District, 540 Hibbard Road, Winnetka. The cost is $5 a person to cover supplies. Volunteers can register at [email protected].

DuSable Museum is hosting an all-day celebration Monday, featuring theatrical and dance performances, animated films and two special symposiums to discuss the experiences of civil rights activists. The museum is open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. at 740 E. 56th Place. More information is at dusablemuseum.org. Admission is $8 for adults, $5 for children age 4 and older, $6 for members.

Northwestern University will feature a performance by Chicago jazz pianist Ramsey Lewis and his trio, as well as lectures, panel discussions, and film, music and theater events. Lewis will perform at noon at Pick-Staiger Concert Hall, 50 Arts Circle Dive, Evanston. The event is free. For a list of other events visit northwestern.edu/mlk.

King’s personal friends will share memories of the civil rights leader at 3:30 p.m. at the Belmont Village Senior Living center, 1035 Madison St. in Oak Park. Dr. Quentin Young, who was King’s personal physician, and Dr. Herbert Lerner, a Hyde Park pediatrician, will speak.

DePaul University will host a series of events, including a re-enactment of King’s 1967 “A Time to Break Silence” speech at a 7:30 a.m. prayer breakfast in the DePaul Student Center, 2250 N. Sheffield Ave., Room 120.

For more information visit: events.depaul.edu.

– Kristen Mack

Read the original article from Tribune News Services.

Authorities found a car with a body inside in a canal in Lemont this morning, an official said.

Lemont Fire Protection District crews were dispatched to an area north of the intersection of Stephen and River streets about 6:50 a.m. because of a report of a car in the water, a fire official said.

Crews were able to pull a car out of the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal about 10:30 a.m., and there was at least one body in it, the fire official said.

The Cook County medical examiner’s office said they had not been notified by about 11 a.m. Lemont police said no one was available to comment today.

Check back for details.

– Staff report

Read the original article from Tribune News Services.

Al menos eso es lo que promete RCA con Airnergy, un interesante gadgets que esta dando que hablar en el actual CES 2010 en las vegas.

Airnergy convierte cualquier señal wifi circundantes en energía que la guarda en su batería que luego sirve para recargar nuestro móvil o cualquier dispositivo como puede ser un reproductor mp3 mediante su conector mini-USB..

El gadget saldra a la venta en los Estados Unidos por U$D 40.-

Via techtv101

CHEYENNE, Wyo. – Big developers aren’t the only ones pursuing Wyoming’s renewable energy resources. Wyoming homeowners quickly claimed $2.25 million in federal stimulus funds as part of a recent state program for residential renewable energy projects …

Walmart solar power pilots could lead to wider adoption across the enterprise. Target Stores is also progressing with solar roof installations and other energy efficiency enablers. …

… “The WalMart at 4210 East Highland Ave. is one of three locations recently retrofitted with solar panels. … The system generates about 900,000 kilowatts per year, or about 30 percent of the stores total energy usage … ” …

Via San Bernardino County Sun: Wal-Mart solar panels

Walmart Solar Energy Pilot in Puerto Rico: “Under a solar power services agreement with Walmart, SunEdison will finance, own, build and operate the photovoltaic solar energy systems, which deliver long-term, low-risk returns to project financiers. Construction on the first 895kW rooftop system at Walmart Supercenter Caguas is scheduled to begin before the end of 2009. ”

Walmart’s solar roof pilots include these five locations: Sam’s Club Rexville: 795kW; Sam’s Club Ponce: 936.44kW; Walmart Super Center Ponce Baramaya: 1239.84kW; Walmart Super Center Manati: 854.44kW; Walmart Super Center Caguas: 895.44kW;

The guy has a star quality. You may think Kimbo Slice stinks as a fighter but he is a marketing machine. TapouT has clearly hitched its wagon to the street fighting legend. Hell, even Elton John knows who the guy is.

How about that sweet tattoo? There is no confirmation that it’s Elton’s.  

We know Joe Rogan hates the fist in fan photos, what would he say about tattooing fighters’ faces on your leg? 

AOL FanHouse reported that Matt Mitrione agreed to fight Kimbo in May at UFC 113. MMAJunkie followed up saying both sides agreed to the fight. Mitrione denied all of it on his Facebook page.

Facebook tip via Twitter @KevinBerard 

I have a room that I just redecorated with a Victorian theme. I have corner swags (store bought) over the doorway entrance and at the corner jamb of my closet door. These store bought swags didn’t cost a lot, but after taking a good look at them I realized that I can do the same thing myself. I don’t need another corner swag, but I do need something to hang on my wall in between the doorway and the closet, so the project that I am going to show you today is a rose covered swag for that wall.

Kathy Zengolewicz

Here is what you will need to get started:

• One 30 inch wooden swag (found in any craft store)
• 3 dozen cloth roses (I used the long stem so that I could cut them down the way I wanted them)
• 3 different sizes of green leaves
• A hot glue gun

Place your swag on a flat surface, a craft table if possible. Start out by hot gluing the largest green leaves along the bottom of the swag. You can glue the rest of the leaves however you want them. You can stagger them, largest on the bottom, then the next size up, etc.

I suggest that you glue all of the greens first and then set up your roses/flowers. You can use any flower, they don’t have to be roses.

Place the flowers on the leaves across the bottom first. Then place the remaining flowers/roses where you think they look the best. I have made different swag in different ways and they always looked great when I finished them.

You can spread the flowers out or put them in small bunches. Play around with the look a little bit before using the glue to attach them to the swag. Make sure that the flowers are secure and dry before hanging.

The swag and flowers are very light weight, so when you hang them on the wall you don’t need any heavy duty picture hangers. I use a couple of small paneling nails, hammered right into the wall, to hang mine. Paneling nails make the smallest hole in the wall in case you make a mistake.

Post from: Blisstree

Rose Covered Swag

Over at Social Workout, the workout set has kicked off a new challenge, prompting readers to share some great recipes for low sugar, vegetarian, whole grain and other types of meals. Check it out below and let us know what you think.

• Read full post: Fast, Tasty, and Feat-Friendly Fare

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