This was a long but rewarding day in Beijing for the 70 participants in the Alliance’s business mission to China.

 The highlight was the Great Wall. Our guide explained no one can expect to be “heroes” before climbing the Wall. So, of course, to different extents, we all took the opportunitiy to conquer one of the world’s wonders.

 They also visited the beautiful Temple of Heaven and a jade factory. We also passed several sites from the 2008 Summer Olympics, including the Cube, where Michael Phelps won his record-breaking gold medals.

The Alliance Business Mission arrived today in Beijing at 7:30 p.m., and after organizing the group onto three busses, the first stop was dinner. Several Cantonese dishes were arranged on a carousel in the table’s center.

 It was a delicious start to a long visit. Our day starts early tomorrow.

What common cause can bring an attorney, an author, and an athlete to speak at a community center in Rand, West Virginia? The opportunity to take a Stand Against Racism.

Chris Ross, Assistant Public Defender in Kanawha County, Jim Strawn, co-author of the Sad Mad Glad Books, and Levi Phillips, former WVU basketball player and past statewide director WV Amateur Athletic Union will be speaking at the Stand Against Racism event, being held at the Rand Community Center.

Local businesswoman, Robin Holstein and community volunteer Joycelyn Kyte, have joined together with the YWCA Charleston, to coordinate a community Stand Against Racism event, Friday April 30, from 6:00 – 8:00 p.m.

The Stand Against Racism is a movement initiated by the YWCA in 2008 in order to raise awareness that racism still exists in our communities and that it cannot be ignored or tolerated. In 2009, the Stand reached over 320 organizations, which became Participating Sites. Over 30,000 people participated.

According to the YWCA’s Stand Against Racism web site (www.StandAgainstRacism.org) in eleven communities there are over thirty-six events in West Virginia. Large companies or organizations hold many of the events, but not this one. “Robin’s Desktop, LLC is comprised of me, Robin. A few hours a week, my daughter-in-law, Leah, helps out. My headquarters is my home.” Still, Holstein felt she could host an event. She contacted the Community of Rand Association about renting space in the Community Center. She then set out to secure speakers and sponsors.

The event is April 30 at the Community Center, 5701 Church Street in Rand. It will run from 6:00 until 8:00 p.m. Students from area schools have been invited to read selected quotations, followed by the special speakers. There is no charge and the public is invited.

For more information on this event, contact Robin Holstein at (304) 546-4668 or email at robin@robinsdesktop.com. For information on other YWCA Stand events in West Virginia, contact Nell Fleming at (304) 340-3594.

If you have passed by the greenspace lately, you would have seen the project shaping up.

Trash receptacles have been installed throughout the site.

In the past day, the site has been cleared of equipment and supplies no longer needed all in preparation for the sod to arrive next week.

Bikes racks are installed along the eastern edge of the greenspace.

Parts of the inner sidewalk has been formed and poured and the stone capping continues to be installed around the reflecting pool.

Stay tuned as we count down the days until the greenspace is ready for you to enjoy!

 About 70 people left New York City forBeijing today as part of the Charleston Area Alliance’s business mission to China. The 13-hour flight puts us 12 hours ahead of West Virginia’s time zone.

During the nine-day visit, we’ll be meeting with Chinese business leaders and learning the ins and outs of the country’s economy, as well as visiting some of the country’s most well-known sites.

Check back here for daily updates.

The Alliance is taking a group of 70 on a business mission to China tomorrow. Check the blog daily for updates about the journey, and follow us on Twitter at www.twitter.com/CAAlliance.

The construction and interpretation of the tree of life and the relationships and diversity of species on the planet will be the focus of an upcoming program featuring biologist Dr. Rob DeSalle, curator of entomology at the American Museum of Natural History in New York.

The event, which is the second in a series of public seminars to be hosted by the Marshall Institute for Interdisciplinary Research (MIIR), will be held Thursday, April 22, at the newly constructed Marshall University Foundation Hall, home of the Erickson Alumni Center, at 519 John Marshall Dr. in Huntington. A reception will be held from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. The program will begin at 6:30 p.m.

DeSalle has been the curator of entomology at the museum since 1999; he studies population growth and conservation in a wide array of life forms. His seminar will detail the relationships of the 1.7 million named species on the planet and how the tree of life helps us understand our future in the diversity of life.

“Rob DeSalle is one of the most innovative and exciting scientists working today. His research brings together diverse fields of the animal kingdom in a way that reminds me of the recent BBC documentary ‘The Blue Planet,’ ” said Dr. Eric Kmiec, director of MIIR and the institute’s lead research scientist. “He is also able to communicate beautifully and simultaneously with everyone regardless of their scientific background. This characteristic is most evident in his efforts to teach young people about the museum’s educational programs.” DeSalle creates magazines for children, books of essays and the content for the museum’s supplemental children’s Web site, OLogy, which allows children to learn about science through interactive projects on topics ranging from archaeology to Einstein. He also creates online science courses to help teachers meet the national science education standards.

These Seminars on Science teach scientific inquiry and knowledge through the most current research in relevant fields such as genetics and genomics. “He is an excellent example of an educator who utilizes his own first-rate, technologically relevant research on a problem that has wide-ranging implications to teach the general public,” said Kmiec.

Desalle is an adjunct professor at Columbia University, distinguished professor in residence at New York University, adjunct professor at City University of New York and professor at the museum’s Richard Gilder Graduate School. He received his B.A. in Biology from the University of Chicago and his Ph.D. in Biological Sciences from Washington University.

Sponsors of the event include Huddleston Bolen, LLP, the Marshall University Foundation, Erickson Alumni Center and the Marshall Institute for Interdisciplinary Research. The program is free and open to the public. Reservations are requested.

The Downtown ArtWalk 2010 season continues from 5 to 8 p.m. Thursday evening, as nine businesses open their doors to showcase the best of Charleston!

Participating businesses include:

Art Emporium
Stray Dog Antiques
Gallery Eleven
Annex Gallery Taylor Books      
Good News Mountaineer Garage
Chet Lowther Studio
The Purple Moon
Romano & Associates Law Gallery
Visions Day Spa

Take a stroll downtown and enjoy the great weather.

For more details, visit www.charlestonartwalk.com. Click on the map below to download your own copy.