Sunday nights in the 1960's for me meant The Wonderful World of Disney and even on a black and white television set, it was possible to be transported into the worlds of magic, fantasy and the stuff dreams are made on. Wedged in between cartoons of Mickey and The Donald, dramas about dogs (Old Yeller) or cowboy wannabes (Spin and Marty) and nature stories, a tale from Americana would occasionally air … yarns about Paul Bunyan and Babe, his Blue ox, the Headless Horseman, and Casey, of the bat fame, whose colossal strike out was the whiff heard 'round the world. And my personal favorite, a cartoon version of the true story of John Chapman, better known as Johnny Appleseed, whose itinerant meanderings resulted in orchards of apples being planted across the United States.
According to the Disney version, which was surprisingly close to the truth, Chapman was "an apple farmer who sees others going west, wistfully wishing he was not tied down by his orchard, until an angel appears, singing an apple song, setting Johnny on a mission. When he treats a skunk kindly, all animals everywhere thereafter trust him." (Source: Johnny Appleseed, 1948)
Chapman aka Appleseed had a few other things going for him to ensure future enshrinement: he dressed in shabby clothes, wore no shoes, even in winter, and while not exactly a horse whisperer, was known to cure lame horses. Imagine, a person whose sole mission in life was to improve the environment! Definitely the stuff of folk legend and exactly the kind of story that could (and did) make an impression on a young mind.
So what does the tall tale of Johnny Appleseed have to do with Arlington Reads? Plenty! Taking our cue from County Board Chair Paul Ferguson, we have launched Arlington READS Green in support of the current priority initiative of Arlington County government leaders—Fresh AIRE or Arlington Initiative to Reduce Emissions. Most events for Arlington READS Green will take place this month when National Library Week (April 15-21) and Earth Day (Arpil 22) fortuitously coincide. Through recommended reading, website tips, recycled art shows, film screenings, nature walks, and seed giveaways, Arlington READS Green will raise awareness of the threat of global warming and other critical environmental challenges.
Taking care of our planet is everyone's business. And who knows, maybe through one of our Arlington READS Green programs, we will inspire a young member of our community to make that extra effort and do something legends are built on?
Diane Kresh, Director of Libraries
The Saturday, October 27, Washington Post Real Estate section had an excellent article that includes 10 tips to consider when remodeling. It highlights the US Department of Housing and Urban Development's PATH program (Partnership for Advancing Technology in Housing). The article touches on many of the items that have been discussed on this blog, such as efficient lighting and right-sizing heating and cooling systems. 
If you are considering remodeling (or even if not--you just want to know more about how your home uses energy efficiently or inefficiently), I'd like to remind you of my post from a few months back recommending the book No-Regrets Remodeling, an excellent resource to use prior to undertaking any remodeling project.
