Interview With Beth Marschak, Richmond Earth Day Founder

Style magazine has a nice interview with Beth Marschak, one of the founders of the Richmond Earth Day celebration (and a former Oregon Hill resident).

Here’s an excerpt:

Beth Marschak, now an HIV prevention specialist, was 20 when she helped organize the city’s inaugural Earth Day at Monroe Park in 1971.

In a nod to Saturday’s yearly acknowledgement of the planet, Style spoke with Marschak about some of the progress made — and to worry about the future.

Style: Why did you want to bring Earth Day to Richmond?

Marschak: I was in a student group at Westhampton-University of Richmond called S.H.A.M.E – Studying and Halting the Assault on Man and Environment. That was back when people liked names like that.

Most of the people in our group were science majors. I was a chemistry major at that time. People had a fairly sophisticated view of the problems affecting the environment and ecology from a scientific standpoint.

And, of course, if you looked at the James River back then, it was terrible. Sewage was going directly into the river. You would not want to get into it. Now people tube down it and swim in it and fish. You could not do that then. You wouldn’t put a toe in it.

So it was really one of those things where, right here in this area, you could see some major impacts from not having policies protecting clean water, clean air.

She also recently wrote a letter to the Planning Commission, asking that they spare remaining mature trees in Monroe Park. However the Planning Commission voted in favor of removing the trees.

Councilperson Agelasto Holds 5th District Meeting Thursday

From City Council press release:

Councilman Parker C. Agelasto to hold a meeting for the Richmond Central 5th Voter District

All Richmond Central 5th Voter District residents invited and encouraged to attend

WHAT (Richmond, Virginia U.S.A.) – The Honorable Parker C. Agelasto, Councilman, Richmond City Council, Richmond Central 5th Voter District, will hold a meeting for the Richmond Central 5th Voter District. Councilman Agelasto typically holds individual meetings for the Richmond Central 5th Voter District every other month throughout the year. These meetings are free and open to the public and all Richmond Central 5th Voter District residents are invited and encouraged to attend. The planned agenda for this meeting includes:

Special Guests

· The Honorable Levar M. Stoney, Mayor
City of Richmond, Virginia

· The Honorable Betsy Carr, Virginia State Delegate
Virginia House of Delegates 69th Voter District

Agenda Items

· Richmond Public Library
Ms. Danita Green, Member, Richmond Public Library Board

· Richmond Central 5th Voter District Updates

· Questions and Comments

WHEN Thursday, April 27, 2017
6:30 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.

WHERE Richmond Department of Parks, Recreation and Community Facilities
William Byrd Park – Round House
621 Westover Road, Richmond, Virginia
(Located within William Byrd Park near the intersection of Lakeview Avenue and S. Robinson Street)

CONTACT For more information, please contact, Amy Robins, Liaison for
The Honorable Parker C. Agelasto, Councilman, Richmond City Council, Richmond Central 5th Voter District, at 804.646.5724 (tel), or amy.robins@richmondgov.com (email)

– E N D –