Local Peace Corps Advocates Urge Support for Agency

50^th Anniversary Gathering Spotlights Critical Corps Needs

Kevin and Kay Dixon, RPCVs Colombia, were among the twenty-some Returned Peace Corps Volunteers (RPCVs) from Washington State who traveled to the Nation’s Capital with a message: Support legislation to honor and strengthen the Peace Corps mission of promoting peace and friendship around the world.

They were among more than 800 who participated in a September 22^nd Capitol Hill advocacy day, organized by the National Peace Corps Association. September 22^nd marked fifty years to the day of the final congressional passage and signing of the Peace Corps Act in 1961. More than 5000 participated in Peace Corps 50^th celebrations in Washington, DC between September 21 to 25.

The Dixons met with Congresswoman Cathy McMorris Rodgers, Fifth District of Washington, to request her support for Peace Corps initiatives going forward.

Advocates urged continued strong support for funding the Peace Corps, noting the positive role Peace Corps volunteers play in United States outreach to the world and emphasizing the forgotten dividend and many domestic benefits RPCVs provide to their communities here at home. Earlier this year, Peace Corps received a $26 million cut to its $400 million budget. Advocates are seeking to forestall further cuts. Some 8655 Peace Corps volunteers are currently in the field – an increase of nearly 1000 from a year ago and the highest number in 40 years.  Since 1961, more than 200,000 citizens have served as Peace Corps volunteers in nearly 140 countries.

Advocates urged bi-partisan support and cooperation to ensure passage of the Kate Puzey Peace Corps Volunteer Protection Act, designed to strengthen the agency’s training and response to volunteers serving overseas that are subjected to physical and sexual assault. Since this issue received much attention earlier this year, Congress, the Peace Corps and victims advocacy groups have taken significant steps forward to address the concern.

Congress is also considering legislation to authorize the creation of a commemorative work near the National Mall to mark the historic significance of the founding of the Peace Corps in 1961, and the ideals represented by its founding. This project would be entirely funded by private donations. Peace Corps advocates say passage of this legislation would serve as a capstone to this year’s 50^th anniversary celebration.

Pow Wow 2011 Directions and Message from Jane

Dear All:
I am looking forward to seeing you at the Wellpinit Pow Wow this Saturday, Sept. 3rd. (Directions are below.)  If you are planning to attend, it would be great if you could RSVP to this email address or to my cell phone (509) 863 7370.  Texting is a super form of communication for this. Why RSVP? So I'll know to look for you and be a better hostess, of course! 

The group will be meeting up at the entrance to the Pow Wow grounds around 11:30 AM.  For those of you that feel more comfortable entering with a group, I will be leaving my house at 11:15 AM - you are more than welcome to meet up at my house first.

There is a variety of food available at the pow wow - from Indian Tacos to Pow Wow burgers to, well, I am sure there is something healthy there.

I will be heading back up to my house in the early afternoon, for those of you who wanted to visit/see my new place.

DIRECTIONS:
There are a number of different ways to reach Wellpinit from the Spokane area. I drove the first two, and marked the mileage myself, as the MapQuest directions are a little off.  The third set I based off MapQuest, so if those numbers are off, I apologize.

[I now live at 49801 Little Falls Rd,  and you will drive by my new home on your way to the Pow Wow.  I am leaving my house at 11:15 am. If you want to stop by, please do – but please go slowly down the ¼ mile driveway out of respect for my neighbor.  BTW: the directions to my house on MapQuest/GPS are incorrect and you will end up at the dam, below my house.  Just one of those things.  I will be setting out the INPCA sign at the end of the driveway – there is already a Windermere Realty sign there.]

From I-90:
Take exit 277, to RT 2 West.
Follow RT 2 for 18.8 miles to Reardan
Turn north onto State Road 231. (It is a right turn just before the US Bank.)
Follow 231 for 11.4 miles, turning LEFT onto Little Falls Road. (There is NO SIGN for ‘Wellpinit’ going this way.)
Follow Little Falls Road to the end (9.4 miles). There will be a stop sign.
Turn RIGHT at the stop sign.
The Pow Wow Grounds will be on your right in about a mile. Turn right onto the Sherwood Loop (there may or may not be a road sign.)  Take a LEFT into the day-parking parking lot, and then walk across the road to the Pow Wow.


From Francis (this is the pretty way)
Francis turns into 291.
Turn left (West) onto Seven Mile road.  Follow Seven Mile for 8.2 miles.
Turn right onto Dover. Follow Dover for 4.9 miles.
Turn right onto Long Lake Rd. Follow Long Lake Road for 8.7 miles -  there will be a stop sign at the end of it.  At this point, you are at the intersection of State Road 231, Long Lake Road, and Little Falls Road. Just go straight across this intersection, onto Little Falls Road.
Follow Little Falls Road to the end (9.4 miles). There will be a stop sign.
Turn RIGHT at the stop sign.
The Pow Wow Grounds will be on your right in about a mile.
Turn right onto the Sherwood Loop (there may or may not be a road sign.)
Take a LEFT into the day-parking parking lot, and then walk across the road to the Pow Wow.

From 395
Turn West (Left if you are coming from Spokane area, Right, if you are coming from Colville area) onto WA-292, (Garden Spot Rd?) in the Loon Lake area.
Follow this for 5.8 miles, into Springdale.
In Springdale, turn South (left) onto State Road 231.
Follow 231 to Ford (11.7 miles) – there will be a sign for Wellpinit.  Take a right onto the Ford-Wellpinit Rd.
Follow the Ford-Wellpinit Rd for 9 – 10 miles.
The Pow Wow grounds will be on the left… and you may have driven by the Sherwood loop entrance.