New fim fest heads into the wild: Calling all hipsters: Solar sharing

Oct. 24, 2010

New film fest heads into the wild
A Wild and Scenic Environmental Film Festival will be screened at the State Theater in TC on Sunday, November 14, from 1 to 4:30 p.m. Headlining the festival is a humorous documentary, No Impact Man, along with five other short films.
Nationally, the Wild & Scenic Film Festival was launched by the South Yuba River Citizens League, a watershed advocacy group that formed in 2003 to fight several dam projects in California. The League eventually won “wild and scenic” status for 39 miles of the Yuba River. The film festival, which offers local presenters more than 50 films to choose from, began touring in 2004. This year the festival will be seen in more than 110 venues. It will be sponsored in TC by the Michigan Land Use Institute (MLUI).
After the films, the action moves to Left Foot Charley in the Village at Grand Traverse Commons, where MLUI hosts a free reception, from 5-6:30 p.m. The evening concludes with a CD release party and performance by Breathe Owl Breathe for Magic Central, benefiting MLUI, from 7 to 9 p.m.
No Impact Man follows a young, eco-guilty New Yorker, Colin Beavans, as he tries living for a year without affecting the environment. The film recounts the challenges he faces, including not using electricity, taxis or elevators; eating only local food; and making no waste. His biggest challenge? Getting his own family on board.
Fans of another entertaining documentary, King Corn, will enjoy Curt Ellis and Aaron Woolf’s follow-up, entitled Big River. The filmmakers track the harm caused by the fertilizers and insecticides they used to grow their now-famous acre of Iowa corn as those chemicals flow down the Mississippi River to the Gulf of Mexico.
Also on the program will be the winner of the Micromovie Competition for Young Filmmakers, organized by MLUI and SEEDS, a TC-based environmental education group. Entries are still being accepted from those 19 years or younger.
Tickets for the festival are $10 in advance and $12 at the door. They are available at www.mlui.org and Higher Grounds Trading Company, Oryana Natural Foods, and Pangea’s Pizza Pub—all in TC. Tickets for the Breathe Owl Breathe CD release party are $12 in advance and $15 at the door. They are also available at the ticket outlets listed above.

Calling all hipsters...
Interested in being the “new face“ of Buick in a local car commercial? This Friday anyone interested in helping put a youthful spin on the GM brand may have their picture taken for free in front of Red Ginger Restaurant in downtown TC from 6 to 8 p.m.
General Motors is days away from publicly trading its stock again. The one-time world‘s largest auto manufacturer is rebuilding its empire around a few brands, including Buick, which remains one of the oldest car brands in the world. Buick is targeting a new generation with its sporty LaCrosse and Regal models, along with the new compact Verano coming soon. Manufactured in Michigan, the hope is that this one-time geezer brand will be hip with the youngsters.
Renowned glamour and fashion photographer Bob Ashmun will take photos of all contestants. The public will have two weeks to vote on their top picks at www.billmarshtalent.com. Five finalists will be invited to an awards program where celebrity judges will choose the final winner.
All contestants will receive a copy of their photograph. Each of the five finalists will receive a $100 gift card to Red Ginger Restaurant and be asked to drive a new Buick LaCrosse for a day. The winner will receive a $500 gift card to Red Ginger, plus be featured in Bill Marsh Buick TV commercials over the next year.
The contest is open to any licensed driver over 18 years of age. Contestants can pre-register for photo shoot times at www.billmarshtalent.com. Those who are not pre-registered will be able to walk into the photo shoot when time slots become available. Participants are encouraged to dress in a manner that reflects the style of the cars. -- by Rick Coates

Solar sharing
A new Community Solar Program is being considered by Traverse City Light & Power (TCL&P) which would allow utility ratepayers to support one large solar photo-voltaic project.
A press release from the city-owned utility states that instead of multiple solar roof projects, customers would “virtually own a share of a large solar project and receive a proportional share of the energy generated back as a credit on their bill.“
TCL&P adds that: “Similar programs around the country include: a customer up-front payment of $1,000 to $2,000 to essentially buy part of a solar array; a monthly fee instead of the up-front payment; a kilowatt surcharge similar to TCL&P’s former Green Rate (originally used to support L&P’s wind turbine on M-72); or a carbon-offset approach which allows customers to purchase solar-credits to help defray the extra environmental energy costs of fossil fuel transportation or home energy use.“