Stream Search Census

Oct. 5, 2005

COUNT SOME CRITTERS as part of a Stream Search census of macroinvertebrates being conducted in October by the Watershed Center of Grand Traverse Bay.
Macroinvertebrates is a fancy way of saying “bugs,“ specifically, those that live in local streams. Each spring and fall, volunteers count creepy-crawlies in approximately nine streams leading into Grand Traverse Bay. The numbers help determine the health of the watershed.
This year‘s search will be held Saturday, Oct. 15. If you‘d like to get involved, call the Watershed Center at 935-1514, or check out www.gtbay.org

AMERICANS can quit losing sleep over the issue of reciting the Pledge of Allegiance in public classrooms.
Last week, the U.S. House voted 416-3 to adopt a resolution stating that, “the Pledge of Allegiance and similar expressions are not unconstitutional expressions of religious belief.“
Rep. Dave Camp reports the vote is a follow-up on a 99-0 Senate vote along much the same lines. The congressional hoo-ha is the result of a June, 2002 ruling by the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals which held that the Pledge has religious overtones that are unconstitutional to include in public school ceremonies. The phrase the court got sticky about was “under God.“

POWERED UP: The Michigan Energy Demonstration Center opened its doors to the public on Saturday. The Center will offer demonstrations and classes in energy-efficient technology, including solar, wind, bio-diesel and geothermal systems as part of Northwestern Michigan College‘s M-TEC center on Aero Park Drive in Traverse City. A highlight was the MSU football game on a TV powered by renewable energy.

HAPPY “Keep Space for Peace Week,“ Oct. 1-8. It‘s an international week of protest over the militarization of outer space.
Organizers note that the U.S. government is spending $10 billion per year on a “Star Wars“ missile defense system which is demonstrably ineffective. Weapons are also being considered for orbiting platforms in space. TCTV Channel 2 will host “Arsenal of Hypocrisy,“ a documentary on space and the military on Oct. 1 at 7:30 p.m., Oct. 9 at 3 p.m. and Oct. 13 at 9:30 p.m.