Fri., Mar. 25, 2011, 9:30am In-person News Briefing Featuring Russian Chernobyl Expert at National Press Club. First Amendment Lounge, The National Press Club, 529 14th St. NW, Washington, DC, 20045. A leading Russian expert on the impacts of the Chernobyl disaster will provide analysis of the health and environmental consequences of the multi-reactor crisis in Japan shortly before 25th anniversary of Chernobyl. Dr. Alexey Yablokov joins U.S. nuclear experts to provide analysis of the latest reports of radioactive contamination coming out of Japan, as well as their significance in light of the upcoming 25th anniversary of Chernobyl and plans for a “nuclear renaissance” in the U.S. The 25th anniversary of the Chernobyl nuclear disaster is April 26, 2011. Dr. Yablokov is a leading Russian expert on the consequences of the nuclear disaster at Chernobyl. He is a member of the Russian Academy of Science and served as the Chair of the Russian National Security Council’s Interagency Commission for Ecology under President Boris Yeltsin. In 2009 he co-authored “Chernobyl: Consequences of the Catastrophe for People and the Environment,” a study first published in English by the New York Academy of Sciences that synthesizes the results of research studies on the effects of the Chernobyl nuclear disaster on people and the environment. The work remains the most in-depth, independent study on the subject. Dr. Yablokov is a marine biologist by training. Cindy Folkers, a specialist on radiation and health at Beyond Nuclear, will also speak. The briefing will be moderated by Erich Pica, who is president of Friends of the Earth and an expert on federal subsidies to the nuclear industry. A transcript and audio of the event will be available at www.foe.org after the event. Television crews and radio journalists are welcome. Please come early to set up equipment. Media contacts: Kelly Trout, 202-222-0722, ktrout(at)foe.org or Nick Berning, 202-222-0748, nberning(at)foe.org. The news briefing is sponsored by Beyond Nuclear (www.beyondnuclear.org) and Friends of the Earth (www.foe.org).

Sat., Mar. 26, 2011, 10am-2pm Growing Food, Growing Faith II: Creating a Vegetable Garden with Your Faith Community. Govans Presbyterian Church, 5828 York Rd., Baltimore, MD 21212. Please join the Baltimore Food & Faith Project for a tour of three congregation and religious school vegetable gardens, followed by an instructional workshop about how to create a garden with your own faith community or religious school. This event is free and includes lunch and transportation to the different gardens. For more information, or to RSVP, contact Angela Smith, angsmith(at)jhsph.edu, (410) 502-5069. Directions and flyer can be found at http://www.jhsph.edu/clf/events/. Please RSVP by Monday March 14.

Sun., Mar. 27, 2011, 2pm Haiti in Focus: Film screening of the new documentary Lift Up. Central Library, Wheeler Auditorium, 400 Cathedral St., Baltimore, MD. Filmmakers Huguens Jean and Philip Knowlton will be on hand to discuss the film with the audience.

Thu., Apr. 7, 2011, 6pm Community Media of Baltimore City monthly board meeting (CMBC is the governing body of Baltimore City public access TV, Ch. 75), CMBC office, 326 St. Paul Place, Suite 400-B, Baltimore, MD 21202. 410-528-0340. www.channel75.org

Tue., Apr. 26, 2011, 8pm Baltimore Speakers Series: Karl Rove and Howard Dean. Joseph Meyerhoff Symphony Hall, 1212 Cathedral St., Baltimore, MD, 21201. The 2010-11 Baltimore Speakers Series line-up features a plethora of political heavyweights, capped by a sparring match between Republican Karl Rove and Democrat Howard Dean. Two powerhouses of the American political system faceoff in an evening featuring individual commentary followed by a response to each other’s talk and audience Q&A. Rove is former Deputy Chief of Staff and Senior Advisor to President G.W. Bush. Former Governor of Vermont and DNC Chairman, Dean ran for the 2004 Democratic presidential nomination. Tickets must be purchased. 410-783-8000. http://www.baltimorespeakerseries.org

Thu. & Fri., May 5 & 6, 2011, 9am-6pm Eastern Region Community Media Conference 2011. Omni New Haven Hotel at Yale, 155 Temple St., New Haven, CT 06510. Three community media groups partner for a one-of-a-kind conference. The Alliance for Community Media Mid-Atlantic & Northeast Regions and The Jersey Access Group have partnered once again to present a conference that will pool the resources and expertise of all three groups to provide two days of learning and sharing. The conference is designed for staff and volunteers that are producing and disseminating community media. The theme "Power of Partners Version 2.0" will be the focus from the moment you arrive at the Omni New Haven Hotel at Yale, www.omninewhaven.com. Contact: Rich Desimone, Conference Coordinator, rjdesimone_at_verizon.net, 732-603-9750. http://events.r20.constantcontact.com/register/event?oeidk=a07e34vo7h1cd274e46