March 12, 2007 Sunshine Week events in Seattle & Olympia

Subject: National Sunshine Week events in Seattle and Olympia on March 12, 2007.

On Monday, March 12, 2007, organizations all over the United States will be hosting national "Sunshine Week" events. The events, typically free to the public, will consist of a national "Sunshine Week" telecast, followed by a local panel. (Basic Information on the Sunshine Week Program is available at: http://openthegovernment.org/article/subarchive/94 )

In Western Washington, two events are planned - one in Olympia, one at the University of Washington in Seattle. Both are free and open to the public. Details below.

Background: Many of my readers know that yours truly is a board member of the Washington Coalition for Open Government (www.washingtoncog.org), a state-wide open government group.

WCOG is holding an event in Olympia, on March 12, to include the "Sunshine Week" national telecast (see below for the timeline, moderator, and speakers), followed by a local panel.

Simultaneously, the Law Librarians of Puget Sound (http://www.aallnet.org/chapter/llops/index.asp ), will be holding an event, with a different local panel, on the University of Washington's main campus in Seattle.

You'll find below more details on the national panel, followed by more details, location, timing, local panelist identities, etc. for each of the two events.

Information on the national panel, for the national telecast that will be common to both events (note also that basic information on the Sunshine Week Program is available at: http://openthegovernment.org/article/subarchive/94 ) :

National Webcast (10am-11:30am) will consist of two panels of speakers.

Speakers: Moderator: Ira Flatow, NPR's Science Friday

Panel 1 will focus on national issues. Speakers include:Francesca Grifo, Senior Scientist and Director of Scientific Integrity Program at the Union of Concerned Scientists, will give an overview of how "Secrecy Can Make You Sick" - how secrecy of and manipulation of science can hurt you and your community. Rick Piltz, former Senior Associate, US Climate Change Science Program, on scientific reporting related to global warming. Susan Wood, Research Professor in the Department of Environmental and Occupational Health and former FDA official. Jay Dyckman, directer of The Knowledge Project at the National Coalition Against Censorship, to discuss first amendment free speech issues and describe what you can do.

Panel 2 of National Broadcast will focus on state and local issues. Speakers include: Dottie Biggs, former Enivronmental Protection Agency (EPA) librarian from Region 8. Bill Wolfe, Director of the NJ Chapter of Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility. Mark Tapscott, Editorial Page editor of the Washington Examiner.

The following material will provide further details on the two separate events, in Olympia and at the University of Washington campus in Seattle:

Olympia event:

The panel members will be:
Rob McKenna, Washington State Attorney General
Rep. Lynn Kessler, House Majority Leader, 24th District
Bill Will, General Manager, Washington Newspaper Publishers Association
Stefan Sharkansky, SoundPolitics.com
Cindy Zehnder, President, TVW (moderator)

Event will be in House Hearing Room B in the John L. O’Brien Building on the state capitol campus in Olympia. The Sunshine Week webcast from the National Press Club will be shown on the large screens in the room from 10 to 11:30AM, and the local panel (to be taped by TVW) will be from approximately 11:30 AM to 1 PM.

Seattle, Washington, University of Washington Event ("Closed Door; Open Democracies" Sunshine Week 2007 webcast ):

The event will be held in Room 220 of the Odegaard Library on the University of Washington Seattle campus (http://www.lib.washington.edu/ougl/). This free event will be open to the public.

Following the national webcast, there will be a "local issues" panel - consisting of yours truly, Armen Yousoufian (talking about my long running case covered at this blog and my website - i.e. at www.Yousoufian.blogspot.com and www.ArmenYousoufian.com ), and Steve Miletich of the Seattle Times (focusing on the issue of access to court records). This will occur 11:45am-12:30pm.

The University of Washington event is being organized by Law Librarians of Puget Sound (http://www.aallnet.org/chapter/llops/index.asp), as the "Closed Door; Open Democracies" Sunshine Week 2007 webcast. This event is sponsored by American Library Association, American Association of Law Libraries, Special Libraries Association, League of Women Voters, National Freedom of Information Coalition and more.