Tim Yonke: Grandparents Day green but prominent holiday

Guess what holiday is Sunday?

If you don't know, don't be embarrassed. It probably means you're too young to realize it and therefore, to enjoy it.

It's National Grandparents Day.

I know when I was growing up I never knew there was such a day. I found out why. There wasn't an official Grandparents Day until 1978.

Actually, I found a number of interesting facts about the holiday.

The idea actually became a campaign in 1970 when Marian McQuade, then a member of the West Virginia Commission on Aging, tried to establish a day to honor grandparents.

After eight years, on Aug. 3, 1978, it eventually found its way to the desk of President Jimmy Carter, who signed a federal proclamation, declaring the first Sunday after Labor Day as National Grandparents Day to honor our nation's grandparents.

The statute cites the day's purpose: "to honor grandparents, to give grandparents an opportunity to show love for their children's children, and to help children become aware of strength, information and guidance older people can offer.

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Green Drinks: River as water supply

• GREEN DRINKS

River as water supply is topic of meeting

The adequacy of the Kankakee River as a source of drinking water will be the topic of the Green Drinks meeting at 6 p.m. Aug. 27 at Tucci's Restaurant, 1560 N. Illinois Route 50, Bourbonnais.

The speaker will be Kevin Culver, Midwest environmental compliance manger for Aqua America in Illinois and Indiana for 13 years. Culver also has been a River Watch volunteer on the Kankakee River and Rock Creek for 12 years.

A networking session will start at 6 p.m. and the program at 6:30.

Green Drinks is sponsored by the Council for Community Sustainability, a public outreach group of Kankakee Community College's sustainability initiative.

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