Dear Friends,

After 2 1/2 years on 98.3, March 29th will be my last WOW broadcast. Suffice it to say that the new owner, Cumulus Broadcasting, has other plans for the 7:00-8:00 pm time slot. I’m not sure whether the Fallon Forum will continue on another station, be available only online, or be discontinued altogether. We are literally in transition, and I will have an update for you next Monday. So, as we say in radio, “Stay tuned!”

Monday on “Speaking of Business” with Sylvia DeWitt, Sylvia discusses how to market your business on a shoestring. She’s joined by Darron Kitterman, owner of Pet Butler of Greater Des Moines. A self-described “entre-manure,” Darron says if you think your job is crappy, you’ll have a different perspective after hearing about Pet Butler. And if you’re a business owner who’d like to be a guest on “Speaking of Business,” or if you need business services related to buying and selling your company, contact Sylvia at (515) 360-1322 or through her website.

Tuesday, Tony Voss of the Hudson Community School District joins us to discuss online learning. See Tony’s recent opinion piece on the subject here.

Also Tuesday, we talk with Peter Fisher of the Iowa Policy Project about the need to reform Iowa’s tax increment financing (TIF) law, which has shifted the property tax burden from a handful of well-connected beneficiaries to rank-and-file taxpayers.

Wednesday, we talk with Jim Zogby, founder and president of the Arab American Institute. He’s touring Iowa this week to discuss the domestic and international showdown over Iran’s nuclear program and its effect on future U.S. policy toward the Middle East.

Also Wednesday, we discuss new information on climate change. Yes, not only do March’s incredibly warm temperatures present compelling evidence of climate change, but the broader trends make it even more and more clear that Planet Earth is warming and humanity had best be paying attention. (I want to thank Jim and Lynn Fox of Fox Insurance for helping to sponsor this half of our program.)

Thursday, we talk with State Rep Dan Kelley (D-Newton) about the week at the Statehouse, particularly about the status of MidAmerican Energy’s nuclear power bill. (I’d like to thank Ron Roberts of Cruise Plus Iowa for helping to sponsor this half of our program.)

Also Thursday, I hope to have Adam Bolt and Lucian Read of Dan Rather Reports with us in advance of the March 24th event at Iowa State University to discuss AgriSol’s proposed industrial farm in Tanzania.

This week’s Fallon Forum Freebie: two complimentary smoothies at The Juice Company, owned by Sylvia DeWitt and operating in the Shops at Roosevelt, 845 42nd Street in Des Moines. The Juice Company will soon offer breakfast . . . and serve ice cream too!

So, join the conversation Monday – Thursday from 7:00-8:00 pm at 98.3 FM and online. Call-in at (515) 312-0983 or toll-free at (866) 908-TALK. You can download the Fallon Forum as a podcast, too. Thanks! — Ed

EVENTS

March 20 – Cool Congregations Coffee (Cedar Falls)
Iowa Interfaith Power & Light sponsors this event at Bethlehem Lutheran Church, 4000 Hudson Rd, 7:00-8:30 pm. Bethlehem Lutheran has cuts its energy use by more than 45% by investing in energy efficiency. For more details, visit http://www.iowaipl.org.

March 20 – The Crisis in the Gulf: Iran, the US, and Israel (Des Moines)
A talk by Dr. James Zogby, President of the Arab-American Institute at 7:00 pm in Waveland Hall, Plymouth Congregational Church, 42nd and Ingersoll. Contact Kathleen McQuillen of AFSC at (515) 274-4851 (x22) or KMcquillen@afsc.org.

March 20 – Irish Jam at Open Sesame (Des Moines)
Discover the fusion of Lebanese and Celtic culture every third Tuesday of the month with belly dancing to Irish jigs and reels and Lebanese cuisine washed-down with a pint of Guinness. All musicians and patrons are welcome at 313 E. Locust St from 8:30-10:30 pm.

March 21 – Fair Housing and Human Rights Symposium (Des Moines)
From 8:00 am – 4:00 pm at Des Moines University’s Student Education Center, 3206 Grand Ave. Presenters discuss the issue from a wide range of professional backgrounds and perspectives, including human trafficking, victim assistance, the legal system, and work-place harassment. The event is free. Contact Mikel Johnson at mjjohnson@dmgov.org or (515) 237-1482.

March 22 – Drinking Liberally (Des Moines)
You don’t have to be a card-carrying liberal to enjoy political conversation and excellent libations at AJ’s, 419 E Court starting at 8:00 pm every Thursday. If the revolution is going to start anyplace, it’s over a frosty libation. Contact desmoines@drinkingliberally.org.

Through March 23 – Environmental Impact Awards Applications (Iowa)
The Greater Des Moines Partnership, Center on Sustainable Communities and Metro Waste Authority established the Environmental Impact Awards to recognize organizations and leaders who exemplify environmentally sustainable practices. Awards will be given to individuals, businesses (large and small), non-profit or community organizations, and for the built environment (residential and commercial). Applications available at http://www.desmoinesmetro.com/events. Deadline is March 23 at 3:30 pm. Winners will be recognized in an awards ceremony luncheon on May 16 at the Botanical Center.

March 24 – After AgriSol: Defining a University’s Ethics and Interests in a Corporate World (Ames)
Teach-in at Ames City Hall Council Chambers from 2:00-4:00 pm. In the wake of the Agrisol-ISU partnership, this teach-in will discuss the corporate interests of Iowa State and the fulfillment of its land-grant mission. How was this relationship established and what can the public do to help shape its future? The defunding of public education, corporate partnerships, research ethics, exportation of high input conventional agriculture, and alternative agriculture models will also be up for discussion. Contact Angie Carter at carter@iastate.edu.

March 24 – “The Devil Is Done Sinning” (Des Moines)
Part of the Modern Dickens Project, a book-signing for “The Devil Is Done Sinning” a book with authors Artis Reis, Mark Smith, and Chad Michael Cox is at Beaverdale Books, 2629 Beaver Ave from 2:00-4:00 pm. Published by Myriad Books, and written and edited by Iowans. Contact Jason Brommel at jasonbrommel@gmail.com.

March 25 – “Frozen Planet” (Iowa City)
At the Public Library at 5:00 pm in Meeting Room A, the University of Iowa Sierra Student Coalition and partners will be show the film “Frozen Planet.”

March 29 – Buying Into Empire (Cedar Falls)
At 7:00 pm in Sabin Hall on the UNI campus,Dr. Kristin Hoganson will present “Buying into Empire: U.S. Consumption at the Turn of the Twentieth Century.” The lecture will explore this year Women’s History Month theme “Women and Global Capitalism.” Contact Kristen McNutt at (319) 273-7183 or mcnuttk@uni.edu.

March 29 – Green Drinks (Ankeny)
Join casual conversation with people interested in environmental issues and sustainable energy over something to eat and/or drink. It’s from 5:30-7:30 pm at Net Zero House, 1714 SW College Ave. Contact Shari Hrdina at DesMoinesGreenDrinks@gmail.com.

March 31 – Bishop Dingman Peace Award Dinner (Ankeny)
Join Bishop Thomas Gumbleton (featured in Michael Moore’s latest documentary, Capitalism:  A Love Story) and Joshua Casteel, a US Soldier Interrogator at Abu Gharib who is now a conscientious objector and scholar. It’s at Our Ladies Immaculate Heart, 510 E. 1st St at 6:00 pm and is a fundraiser for Catholic Peace Ministry. Tickets are $35 or $280 for a table of eight. Contact Jeffrey Weiss at jjwcpm@yahoo.com or (515) 255-8114.

April 1 – Fools for Peace Palm Sunday Procession (Des Moines)
Gather at 2:30 at Capitol West Mall, E. Locust and Penn Ave/E 7th St. At 3:00, process down Grand Avenue led by children and a donkey for a 3:45 celebration of peace at St. Ambrose Cathedral, 6th & High St. Sponsored by the Des Moines Ecumenical Committee for Peace.

Through April 1 – Cover Contest for 2012 Bike Guide (Iowa)
Do you have great bicycling photos?  Enter them into the Iowa Bicycle Coalition’s 2012 Cover Contest. Organizers are looking for beautiful, funny, or nostalgic images of you, your friends and your bikes to put on our cover of this year’s Iowa Bikeways Guide. E-mail a high-quality j-peg to bikeinfo@iowabicyclecoalition.org by April 1.

April 2 – Accountability for War Crimes (Waterloo)
At 7:00 pm at Central Middle School,  Ambassador Stephen Rapp will discuss international efforts to promote global justice and to hold perpetrators of genocide and other crimes against humanity accountable for their actions. Rapp heads the US State Department’s Office of Global Criminal Justice and has served as a prosecutor in the international tribunals for war crimes committed in Rwanda and Sierra Leone.  Contact JoAnna Van Gerpen at (319) 230-3918 or jvangerpen@cfu.net.

April 12 – First Amendment Day at Iowa State (Ames)
A multiple day event in Gilman Hall 1652, sponsored by the Greeenlee School of Journalism and Communication. It’s a campus-wide celebration of the five freedoms contained in the First Amendment and includes debates, poetry, a keynote, a freedom march, free lunch on central campus as well as panel discussions. Contact Dick Doak at rdoak@iastate.edu.

April 21-22 – Eco-Fest in New Bohemia (Cedar Rapids)
The Cedar Rapids Area Climate Advocates will be tabling at Eco-Fest in the New Bohemia District near the intersection of 3rd St & 12th Ave SE.

April 22 – Earth Day in the Junction (West Des Moines)
From 10:00-3:00 in Valley Junction near the intersection of Maple and 5th St, Des Moines Area Climate Advocates, Transition Des Moines, and Iowa Interfaith Power & Light will be tabling.

April 25 – Public Lecture with Wes Jackson (Sioux City)
At Briar Cliff College. Details to be announced.

April 26 – Our New Energy and Climate Reality (Lamoni)
State Senator Rob Hogg will speak on renewable energy and climate change at 7:00 pm at Graceland University.

May 2 – Equal Justice After Hours (Des Moines)
Fund-raiser for Iowa Legal Aid and its work to provide access to justice for low-income Iowans. At 5:30 pm at the Temple for the Performing Arts, 1011 Locust Street. Program includes remarks by commentator Frank Deford and induction of the late Nick Drees into the Iowa Legal Aid Hall of Fame. Tickets are $50 per person. Contact Terri Bennett for sponsorship opportunities and tickets at (515) 243-2980 (x1611) or tbennett@iowalaw.org.

May 6 – Indianola Green Team Meeting (Indianola)
At 12:00 noon at Redeemer Lutheran Church, 1410 W. Boston Ave. Come learn about and discuss energy and climate policy, and also hear details about Iowa Interfaith Power & Light’s upcoming trip to Washington, DC.

May 12 – Asian Festival (Des Moines)
From 10:00 am – 5:00 pm on the east side of the Iowa State Capitol. Contact Swallow Yan at iowachinese@yahoo.com.