At the last "Green Rheem"* movie night, on March 11th, Moraga Mayor Ken Chew came to address the crowd of some 100 people who were about to view the movie "Chemical Reaction." The documentary movie tells the story of Dr. June Irwin, a dermatologist, who noticed a connection between her patients' health conditions and their exposure to chemical pesticides that included herbicides. The film follows her journey to town meetings where she expressed her concerns. Dr. Irwin's persuasive arguments and data to back her findings eventually led the town of Hudson to enact a by-law that banned the use of all chemical pesticides and herbicides. The showing was a perfect setting for Mayor Chew to remind the crowd that the Town of Moraga was a pioneer in implementing an integrated pest management program on its public land. He continued by encouraging residents to come to public meetings to voice their concerns. "I'd like to see you come to meetings and express your ideas," he said, "this is your town, we are your Council and we will listen." One of the ideas that Chew put forward was the formation of an Environmental Task Force that would draw from the talents of residents volunteering their time.
*Green Rheem is a monthly film showing at the Rheem Theater in Moraga organized by a collection of Lamorinda community organizations including: Generation Green, Sustainable Moraga, Sustainable Lafayette, and Parents for a Safer Environment.

Copyright Lamorinda Weekly, Moraga CA