The Students of General Assembly Academy Environmental Science Class received a Certificate of Achievement from the Sonnenschein Green Initiative for September 2009. The school 
received this certificate for their involvement in community work, and their participation in the NEED (National Energy Education Development) project.
Mike Dumont, of Vision Perry and the Commodore Hotel and Café in Linden received Sonnenschein Green Initiative’s first Regional Green Business Award. After receiving the award, Mr. Dumont spoke on adaptive reuse. Dumont renovated the Commodore Hotel and Café in Linden, which was originally built in 1939. He has also renovated the old bank building with loft space and an Arts center. The Dumonts are sensitive to energy conservation, using tank less water heaters for the hotel and café; with an on demand or “heat as you use” application. The Dumonts also use biodegradable supplies and 
green ware; always striving to do the right thing. He also presented a very interesting film about the Youth Summer Job Program in Perry County, including the youth involvement and collaborations of numerous art projects throughout the Town of Linden.
The evenings keynote speaker was Kelly Carroll, with the Tennessee Technology Center of Hohenwald, Tennessee. Ms. Carroll discussed the Green Jobs Technical Training Program; including aspects of community development and jobs stemming from the technical training programs, scheduled to begin in early 2010. Please call your Tennessee Technology Center at 931-796-5351 and your Career Center at 931-796-3747 for more information on these programs.
Connie Sharp, member of the Chamber of Commerce and Board of Directors, spoke of community development. In detail, she spoke of a different community through community involvement. Ms. Sharp stated, “People are drawn to a caring community.”
Debbie Landers, President-Elect of the Lewis County Chamber of Commerce, discussed the Transition of Hohenwald; including community development possibilities and community participation.
Sonnenschein also welcomed several guest speakers, including Andrew Langford and Liora Adler of GAIA Southeast. Also attending, were approximately 15 GAIA students, who were in Lewis County completing orientation for the beginning of their school semester. Everyone in attendance was very involved in a World Café discussion on strategies for community development.
The Green Evening for October has been cancelled. The reason behind this cancellation is that we are planning a special event for the month of November. This special event will be a local harvest cook off on November 17, 2009. More information regarding this event will soon follow; please keep a look out for it. Everyone is invited to attend and/or participate. This is a community outreach event.
If you have any questions regarding this matter, please contact us by phone at
(931) 796 1808 or by e-mail at gail@holisticecology.org or Jodie@holisticecology.org
The Center for Holistic Ecology 
