Author Archives:

McCrory promises raises for teachers – Asheville Citizen

<!–Saxotech Paragraph Count: 9
–>

While the path remains clear for state regulators to issue the first permits for fracking exploration as of March 2015, McCrory said he will press President Barack Obama’s administration to ease rules that prevent seismic testing off the Atlantic coast to measure potential natural gas and oil deposits. State environment Secretary John Skvarla said the administration also will keep working toward an “all of the above” policy to promote other energy forms.

Medicaid reform

Along with potential energy and education legislation, the governor said he expects a Medicaid reform bill to top his legislative agenda. But McCrory may have to accept less on Medicaid from lawmakers and medical providers cool to earlier ideas from Health and Human Services Secretary Dr. Aldona Wos to turn Medicaid services over to managed-care organizations.

Medicaid reform, McCrory said, “may be the toughest battle.”

His administration is also reviewing whether some agencies like the Department of Health and Human Services are too large and unwieldy. The department, which is projected to spend more than $18 billion in federal and state funds this year, covers a wide range of activities, from pre-kindergarten and Medicaid and adult care homes to public health emergencies. DHHS also has been marked by repeated shortfalls and mistakes dating before McCrory’s arrival in Raleigh.

“It’s an amazing hodgepodge of responsibilities that I think makes management extremely difficult,” McCrory said. State Budget Director Art Pope is leading the government efficiency initiative reviewing DHHS and other agencies.

While Senate leader Phil Berger, R-Rockingham, praised McCrory’s agenda for this year, Democratic leaders later Tuesday were skeptical about McCrory’s agenda — not surprising given they saw little good coming from the governor in 2013.

“Teachers, students, and working families have seen Gov. McCrory’s true priorities, and until we see a meaningful plan that supports education and grows the middle class, the governor’s words will remain hollow,” Senate Minority Leader Martin Nesbitt, D-Buncombe, said in a prepared statement.

McCrory said he wanted more dialogue with political opponents — as long as they offer solutions for fixing complex problems. “One area that we all need to improve on is dialogue and conversation, and not political sound bites against each other,” he said.

But cooperation is unlikely given it’s an election year. Last year also was marked by weekly protests by critics of the Republican agenda and more than 900 arrests at the Legislative Building. Laws written by Republicans on elections and public schools are being challenged in court.

Seed swap inspires Master Gardeners to plan similar event

Leave a reply

Participants in the third annual Slow Foods Seed Swap and Potluck event in Old Salem gather and share some of the stories behind the seed they brought…

Master Gardeners and others attending a seed swap in Old Salem were, from left, in the back row Wayne and Joy Barlow, Kathleen Greene Demurs and Ken H…

DOBSON —Local Master Gardeners are seeing if a kernel of an idea inspired by the annual Slow Food Piedmont Seed Swap and Potluck meal will inspire a similar event in Surry County.

Slow Food Piedmont, with support from Old Salem Horticulture, held its third swap for new and long-time heirloom seed growers Saturday at Old Salem. Local Master Gardeners in attendance included Sue Johnson, Kathleen Demers, Sharon Poindexter, Wayne and Joy Barlow and veteran apple grower Ken Holdaway.

Johnson said the first of the day’s two events which had a significant impact on her was the “Stories Behind the Seeds” time where participants drew chairs up into a circle and shared stories about farming as well as the varieties of plants.

“This year I came with some of my own seeds. People shared remarkable stories from their own lives,” said Johnson. “I’m not that much of a seed saver (because of storage space) but it’s always interested me. One gentleman there had seeds from 2008. They are just fascinating. We went last year and I got some Lima beans handed down from Old Salem’s gardens and when you realize their story it’s awesome.”

She said she feels Cooperative Extension is “one of the best kept secrets” in the area for educational offers to citizens. Johnson said shortly after they arrived at the swap they began considering how to organize an event just like it locally.

“I think variety is key,” Demers said. “I’m trying to learn all I can before I plant. I’ve already learned so much and I’ve been here for more than five years. I have learned so much from local farmers. Seeds from our area which do well you already know will grow here. It’s important to look at what is naturalized here. Planting these varieties will attract beneficial insects which I believe will help against invasive species.”

Demers explained she is studying native flowers to plant to supplement her landscaping and said local gardeners often have better results using local seeds and plants from local nurseries.

“Seed from catalogues comes from up North and many times it will not do well in our area,” Demers said. “Old time breeds from local families are really important to me. I want to find and use heritage and native seeds. I so hope we can do this here.”

Demers said one thing she has learned from her fellow gardeners it to save seeds from the first part of the season because they are the ones least likely to have disease and insects because the plants are stronger at the beginning of their season.

“Everyone waits till the end of the season to save seed,” said Demers. “Your first new seeds from the plant, even though it will continue to flower and produce fruit, are the best. It talks this about this in The Bible. I think there is a lot of natural science in the Bible that is wise.”

Jackson said the event surprised its organizers from the onset as a crowd of 400 overwhelmed the workshop of The Single Brothers home in Old Salem. He credited media coverage as well as social media for getting the word out on the event.

“This year was a tough year and I couldn’t tell if it was the larger area or not which made it look like there was fewer seeds,” said Jackson. “This is money to be saved on seeds and a lot of community gardens cut their costs by coming to the swap. All seeds which are not used go to the Extension service for community gardens in the area.”

He explained a large part of the effort is geared towards getting gardeners together to socialize and share their knowledge.

“I think people just love to get together and talk about gardens,” Jackson. “The stories about seeds was powerful this year. You form a personal connection. I’ve been trying to catch up with so many participants and document their story with pictures. Our gardens have the historic cutoff date of 1850.”

Jackson appears to relish his dual role of preservation, discovery and making plants and their devotees personalities popular. He says the cost of commercial seeds is only one factor as the dictates of business result in less diversity of plants offered because they do not meet an industrial model.

“There are lots of diverse varieties of vegetables among one species,” said Jackson. “Every year is different and sometimes local seeds are more adaptive.”

Persons interested in the ongoing discussion of a seed swap in Surry County or the upcoming Master Gardeners class set for Feb. 6 may contact the Cooperative Extension Service at 336-401-8025.

David Broyles may be reached at 336-325-1952 or on twitter @MtAiryNewsDave.

Plein Air Painters Meet at R.S. Walsh In The Garden

Leave a reply

The Sanibel-Captiva Art League “Plein Air” Painters group met at R.S. Walsh In The Garden, Sanibel’s Retail Garden Center and Outdoor Showroom, for a paint out morning on January 16. The group chose the location because of the fabulous flowers and garden setting, according to Terry Shattuck, event organizer.

Robert Walsh, owner of R.S. Walsh In The Garden, encourages art organizations, garden clubs, civic groups and schools to visit the garden center. “In The Garden is more than a garden center. Our tropical plant nursery features garden pathways, sample gardens for hummingbirds, butterflies and herbs, a shade house with orchids and bromeliads, and native and tropical trees, palms and plants.

Walsh has more than 30 years of landscape design and installation experience in Southwest Florida.

He has extensive knowledge of native and tropical vegetation and is available by appointment to meet with groups.

R.S. Walsh Landscaping is a family-owned and operated, full-service landscape design-build Company specializing in landscape design, installation, and maintenance. For 30 years, R.S. Walsh has been committed to superior workmanship, the highest standard of materials and the constant pursuit of excellence. R.S. Walsh In The Garden Retail Garden Center Outdoor Showroom is located at 3889 Sanibel Captiva Road, across from the Sanibel School, and is open Monday through Friday from 10:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m. and on Saturday from 9:00 a.m. until 1:00 p.m. For more information call (239) 395-5859 or visit www.rswalsh.com

Seven Local Projects Receive Clean Water Funding

Leave a reply

Seven projects that use education to protect clean water will receive grants from the Minnehaha Creek Watershed District (MCWD) in 2014.

The MCWD’s Cynthia Krieg Watershed Stewardship Grant program awards $100,000 in grants each year to local communities, schools, civic groups, non-profit groups and others for projects that help people understand the importance of protecting our water resources and learn what they can do to keep their local lakes, streams and wetlands clean.

Projects selected for funding span the entire district.

They include new, hands-on water quality curricula for students and campers in the western metro, a guide for shoreline gardening on Lake Minnetonka, wetland buffer landscaping and an educational kiosk at the planned bandstand at Steiger Lake in Victoria, informative short videos about runoff produced by Minneapolis community members and a program connecting interested organizations with opportunities to participate in clean water projects across the watershed.

You can learn more about the Cynthia Krieg Watershed Stewardship Grant program here.

Project Summaries:

“The Lake Minnetonka Guide to Shoreline Gardening” – reGEN Land Design ($25,000)

Creates a practical guide for combining native and horticultural plant species to create resilient shoreline gardens that add value to properties along Lake Minnetonka. Shoreline gardens add beauty and stabilize soils to protect water quality and deter geese, among other benefits. The guide re-frames common messages about “shoreline restoration” to appeal to gardeners, helping reach a new audience of potential water stewards.

“Camp Tanadoona’s Water Quality Initiative” – CampFire MN ($18,650)

Allows Camp Tanadoona in Excelsior to hire a Water Quality Specialist who will develop a curriculum for campers and train fellow staff and counselors to integrate it into the camp’s year-round programming. This curriculum will reach 2,500 people each year through the camp’s year-round program.

“A Bandstand” – Community Involvement Endowment ($15,500)

Installs wetland buffer landscaping around a soon-to-be-built bandstand to protect water quality of Steiger Lake in Victoria. Educational kiosks at the site will focus on wetland preservation, clean-water landscaping and how public/ private partnerships can help preserve water quality during new development endeavors.

“Linking Master Water Stewards with Congregations, Neighborhoods and City Environmental Commissions for Hands-On Projects” – Alliance for Sustainability ($14,624.55)

Connects community volunteers who are certified Master Water Stewards with congregations, neighborhoods and citizen groups to lead and participate in clean water projects throughout the District.

“Outdoor Learning Center Construction and Stewardship Project – Phase I” – Minnetonka Preschool and Early Childhood Family Education ($12,300)

Constructs an Outdoor Learning Center (OLC) for young children and their parents. The center will focus on water quality and other environmental issues. This grant will fund clean-water landscaping around the center, including the planting of native plants and removal of invasive plants.

“Community-Based Viral Videos” – Houchin Brothers Entertainment ($7,000)

Produces two short, light-hearted videos about stormwater runoff — one about the hydrologic cycle and another about how surface water becomes polluted. Community members from a handful of Minneapolis neighborhoods will help create the videos during workshops and use their networks and social media to share the outcomes to a wider audience.

“Water Quality and Non-Point Pollution around Minnetonka School District” – Scenic Heights Elementary 4/5 Navigators ($6,925.45)

Uses the scientific process to teach students in Minnetonka how to measure non-point pollution in stormwater runoff and assess local water quality. Students will synthesize and communicate their results and recommendations to community members and peers.

Taking the spade work out of vegetable growing

Leave a reply

PA Photo/Thinkstockphotos

Expert vegetable grower Charles Dowding tells Hannah Stephenson about his very welcome no-dig approach to gardening

Each autumn, there’s a collective, nationwide groan as gardeners think about the endless digging they’ll be doing over winter to improve their soil’s condition for the following year.

But Charles Dowding, renowned market gardener and expert vegetable grower, can offer them some good news.

Over the years, he has conducted many experiments comparing the effect on plant growth of digging with not digging and has found that a ‘no-dig’ approach is the way to go. It not only saves time and exertion on digging, but also on weeding, because far fewer weeds grow on undisturbed soil.

He insists that growth and quality are improved by simply covering beds with 2.5-5cm (1-2in) of compost over the surface.

“The usual recommendation is to dig or even double dig the soil for growing vegetables,” he says. “Because this is repeated so many times, most gardeners accept the task without wondering if it is really necessary. In fact, there is no need to dig at all.”

Initial clearance of weedy and grassy ground can mostly be achieved with mulches (such as cardboard and compost) and some digging out of woody plants, then you can maintain the plot by weeding regularly. Surface compost weathers to a soft mulch over winter and can be directly sown or planted into, he adds.

“Soil does not need to be mixed, stirred, scraped or tickled. Only large lumps of organic matter on top require some knocking around with a fork or rake to create an even surface, mostly in winter and spring.”

Dowding has run an experiment since 2007 to understand the effect on soil of digging and not digging, comparing growth of the same vegetables growing side by side in dug and undug beds.

“In the absence of digging, I have found that harvests are as high, sometimes higher, while some extra quality of growth on undug soil may be apparent.

“Soil in the undug beds, with compost on its surface, is well-drained, retains more moisture in dry springs and grows fewer weeds and stronger vegetables, especially at the start of the season,” he explains in his new book Veg Journal, which offers month-by-month no-dig advice.

A key point in the no-dig approach is that undug soil is firm, which is not the same as compacted; roots have freedom to travel and are well-anchored at the same time.

“Fertility is enhanced by an increase of undisturbed soil life, which mobilises nutrients and helps plant roots to access them,” he continues. “This is most noticeable in early spring, when growth on undug soil is generally faster by comparison with dug soil, whose fertility, in terms of soil life, is still recovering from the winter digging.”

In experiments he found that during spring and early summer, many vegetables on the dug beds, especially radish, onions and spinach, started growing more slowly, and that in the undug beds the leaves of spinach and lettuce were thicker and glossier, the radish roots were shinier and the onions had a deeper colour.

He says that firm soil is often wrongly labelled as ‘compacted’, yet soil which has been mechanically loosened and fluffed up is not stable, which is why you have to walk on planks after digging heavy soil to avoid compaction.

Compacted soil is squishy when wet, rock-like when dry, contains few or no worm channels, is hard to crumble in your hand and may smell sulphurous because of lack of oxygen. It usually happens in the top 15-20cm (6-8in) of the surface and if it does, he advises adding plenty of organic matter.

He concludes: “My advice is simple: disturb your soil as little as possible.”

:: Charles Dowding’s Veg Journal is published by Frances Lincoln on February 6, priced £14.99

Gardening Q & A

Leave a reply

Gardening QA

Butterfly bush will flower up to the first frost, and trimming the faded blooms throughout the summer stimulates new growth and new blooms.

Posted: Monday, January 20, 2014 9:49 am
|

Updated: 4:25 pm, Mon Jan 20, 2014.

Gardening Q A

BY RICHARD NUNNALLY

Richmond Times-Dispatch

Q: I planted a butterfly bush last spring. The plant has done well. Its shape and blooming have been perfect. Now it’s nearly 5 feet tall and I do not know how to take care of it. When and what do I feed it, and when should it be pruned, and how much?

Answer: It sounds like your butterfly bush is doing fine without additional fertilizer. Over the years, I’ve found that if plants are growing well, they will actually wind up growing too fast and we wind up having to cut them way back to maintain the size we want. As long as you’re happy with their growth, I wouldn’t add additional fertilizer. However, if they show signs of stress or poor performance, a complete fertilizer such as 5-10-10 or 5-10-5 would give them the nutrients they need to maintain vegetative growth and produce the blooms that attract butterflies.

Speaking of those blooms, they are key to determining when and how to prune your bush. As soon as the blooms begin to fade, pinch or clip them off. At the base of that old bloom will be new vegetative buds that will produce new leaves and more blooms. By continuing this process all summer, you’ll have a thick canopy and a continuous flow of fresh new blooms right up until fall.

Right now is a good time to look at the structure of the bush since it has lost its leaves for winter. You can thin out branches that are too close together, remove any really spindly branches and head back the end of each remaining branch. This will result in a sturdy frame to support the new growth that will begin once the plant breaks dormancy in the spring.

Q: Can you recommend a fast growing native shrub that keeps its green leaves in winter? Also, when is the best time to plant it?

Answer: I’m a real proponent of planting in the fall. Unfortunately, you’ve missed that window of opportunity for this year. My next favorite time for planting is late February or early March. By then we should be past the worst of winter and have good moisture in the ground. Planting that early in the spring allows plenty of time for your plants to get acclimated to their new site before having to go through a hot dry summer.

As for a good native evergreen, I really like bayberry or wax myrtle. Both make good screens, have little or no insect or disease problems and grow relatively fast. Bayberry is more of a northern species and wax myrtle is more commonly found in the South. Both grow very well in central Virginia and most good garden centers will have them.

Q: I have 10 evergreens in my backyard. This fall one of them died and the one closest to it is showing signs of dying. Any insight you can provide will be helpful.

Answer: I’m afraid your evergreens have been infested by bagworms. In the photo, you’ll see small brown bags hanging from many of the dead branches. Many of these bags contain eggs that will hatch out as tiny larvae or worms in mid to late April. Those larvae will begin to feed and immediately start building a new bag around them for protection. The bags are made from the needles of your evergreen, so they will remain green and be basically invisible until late June. At that time they will be an inch or so long and starting to turn brown. Unfortunately, by the time you see them, they are too mature for most insecticides to control.

My advice is to get rid of the dead evergreen, which will also remove any of the remaining bags that might contain eggs. As time allows this winter, hand remove any of the bags you can see on the adjacent plants. While you may not be able to remove them all, any that you can pick off will reduce the number of eggs left to hatch in the spring. The final step would be to treat them with an insecticide in late May or early June to control the new generation. Again, they will be small and hard to see, but relatively easy to control as immature larvae. Waiting too long will only result in damage to more of these plants. The folks at your favorite garden center will be able to recommend an insecticide that will control the bagworms.

It’s time to…

Sign up for some gardening classes. The horticulture staffs at Maymont and Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden will offer a variety of classes during the next few months to help get your creative juices flowing. You can also contact your local office of the Virginia Cooperative Extension for a schedule of the classes they offer.

Richard Nunnally is a freelance writer and adjunct instructor in Horticulture at J. Sargeant Reynolds Community College. Contact: tdgarden@verizon.net.

Discuss
Print

Posted in
Home-garden

on

Monday, January 20, 2014 9:49 am.

Updated: 4:25 pm.

Santa Clara Valley Water District encourages conservation, but says we’re in …

Leave a reply

While Gov. Jerry Brown declared a drought emergency on Jan. 17 and California is looking at its lowest rainfall total on record, local agencies remain hopeful that the next few months will bring needed precipitation. And, like Brown, they’re calling on residents to voluntarily reduce their water consumption.

It’s still early in the season, says Marty Grimes, program administrator for the Santa Clara Valley Water District’s communication unit.

“If we look at it statistically, there’s still a likelihood for rain and snow over the rest of January and into February and March,” he adds.

A report by the National Weather Service’s Climate Prediction Center, released the same day Brown made his declaration, paints a much drier picture, however, indicating below-normal levels of rainfall for California and several other states in February, March and April.

Locally, Grimes says water district staff is set to go before the board of directors Feb. 11 with plans for efficient water use. “We really won’t know what is going on until the end of March, and the situation will be even clearer by April, but we’re still in fair shape for 2014.”

The water district is projecting the area has 340,000 acre-feet in groundwater reserves, according to Grimes, although not all those acre-feet can be used in a single year. It also has 263,000 acre-feet stored in Kern County, although it only can draw on 45,000 acre-feet per year. He says supplies that include about 53,000 acre-feet of carryover water plus groundwater should make this year’s supplies adequate. Carryover water includes available but not yet imported water plus that in area reservoirs.

“We’re not panicking. We’re not yet in a dire situation, but if it continues dry we’re going to be dipping modestly into the groundwater. However, the board could decide in February to call for some level to conserve water,” Grimes says. He added that this could be the third dry year of a six- or seven-year drought. If that’s the case, conservation at some point will become a must.

The water district has set up some new programs that may reduce water usage and keep restrictions at bay at least for a while, including conservation ideas and rebates.

The district is offering a $100 rebate for homes that connect clothes washers to a graywater system for landscaping. Instead of rationing water for lawns, this program distributes the water used by the washing machine to irrigate. The program is offered to any homeowner in Santa Clara County who agrees to pre- and post-inspections.

Each plan requires an outline of the location of the graywater outlet, diversion valve and irrigation lines to receive the district’s approval for the plan. It must adhere to state and local regulations, and homeowners may be asked for documentation proving that all local ordinances are met.

About 18 system requirements must be met, including using washing machine water only to a large enough area that will absorb it. All graywater has to be contained on site without runoff into streets or waterways and without any surface ponding.

Each system must be designed and installed to prevent contact with humans or pets and not used to irrigate root crops or edible parts of food crops that touch the soil.

conservation and rebates

More information about the graywater system and rebates can
be found on the water district’s website at valleywater.org/pro
grams/ConservationAtHome.aspx.
That same page also lists a program allowing home and apartment residents’ free house calls to review water usage, provide low-flow shower heads and aerators and suggest water-efficient improvements that even include an annual irrigation schedule for landscaping. The program is open to anyone in Santa Clara County, except San Jose Water Company customers. To schedule an appointment, call 800.548.1882 or click on the Water-Wise House Calls site on the above page.
The water district also is offering rebates for homeowners interested in installing high efficiency toilets that save water, energy and money through June 30 or when funding is depleted. Rebates for HETs range from up to $125 for each premium model HET or up to $50 for each qualifying non-premium HET.
The qualifying premium HETs flush at 1.06 gallons or less and only need one flush. The non-qualifying HETs use 1.28 gallons of water or less per flush. Rebates are offered for sites in Santa Clara County that haven’t received a prior rebate or weren’t installed directly, through distributions, vouchers or other water district funded programs and must be approved by the district.
Residents are limited to three rebates per single-family household. Multi-family properties, businesses and agencies are limited by the number of qualifying toilets on site. Toilets must be installed and working with the completed program application and original receipts submitted to the district’s contractor within 90 days of purchase date. Installation and new construction costs aren’t covered by the rebate. All rebates of $600 or more can be considered taxable income by the IRS and the state.
The website valleywater.org/Programs/residentialHETprogram.aspx lists sites for HET retailers as well as locations for recycling old toilets.

Draper closes in on school’s final details: San Mateo to get progress report …

Leave a reply

San Mateo city officials are assessing the status of the entrepreneurial Draper University of Heroes project and working with its officials to complete agreed upon aesthetic property improvements required to finalize permits for the downtown campus centered in the former Benjamin Franklin Hotel.

The university needs to complete the pedestrian walkway adjacent to the Third Avenue entrance, finalize the pop-up retail spaces and make landscape enhancements among other things, said Rory Walsh, director of the Community Development Department. Once the university completes these outstanding improvements, it will be issued finalized permits and the project will be considered complete, Walsh said.

“A lot of it probably had to do with them getting things going for the school. But these items had just probably not become their top priority,” Walsh said.

Launching the unique business incubator amidst restoring three downtown properties has been an exhausting process; but the school is keeping up the momentum and excited to finalize its properties, said Draper’s Director of Development Ken Jillson.

“We’re locked and loaded. We’re really just dotting the I’s and crossing the T’s. … It was an enormous project and I can finally see the light at the end of the tunnel,” Jillson said.

The university is opening its doors to a fourth batch of business hungry boarding students and launching another online program today, Jillson said.

To allow the university to welcome in its first class of entrepreneurial students last year, the city issued temporary certificates of occupancy, which are typically acceptable for 90 days, according to a staff report. The permits were issued in April and August. As the year came to a close, city staff began to receive complaints about the university’s exterior so they decided to approach the council for direction. Since the matter was agendized, Draper has become responsive and cooperative, Walsh said.

“The had received temporary certificates of occupancy for a variety of their building permits, but some things were taking a little bit of time and we wanted to get some direction from [the City Council] on how to proceed. … Since we’ve agendized it, they’re working diligently,” Walsh said.

When well-known venture capitalist Tim Draper acquired the Benjamin Franklin Hotel, Collective building and a former bank building in downtown San Mateo in 2011, the city was thrilled to welcome the innovative university for young entrepreneurs into its midst, Walsh said.

“I think it’s been very positive for the community. I think it’s brought more activity to the downtown and it’s brought the young age group of folks that are going to the school. So I think it’s been absolutely positive for San Mateo,” Walsh said.

As the notable and progressive short-term boarding school chose to make San Mateo its home, the city recognized considerable community benefits and issued the temporary permits in good faith, according to the report.

Permit in hand, Draper was able to begin redeveloping the previously underutilized property to welcome a fresh batch of eager students and celebrate its grand opening in October, according to the report.

The opening went off with a bang and overall the university has done a good job preserving the Benjamin Franklin Hotel, Walsh said. But part of the holdup was its grand ideas of landscaping and installing a “living wall” turned out to not be compatible with the historic building, Jillson said. Having the opportunity tomorrow to collaborate with the city and receive guidance from the council will help the university progress through the trials, Jillson said.

The university will continue to partner with the city and work with city’s arborist to resolve any outstanding obligations. Once the gritty details have been smoothed over, Draper University of Heroes will be ready for a final walkthrough, Jillson said.

“We love San Mateo, we really do,” Jillson said. “From our standpoint, being able to build this campus and just the opportunity to build that kind of ecosphere has just been awesome.”

Tomorrow’s study session begins 5:45 p.m. at City Hall, 330 W. 20th Ave., San Mateo.

Samantha@smdailyjournal.com

(650) 344-5200 ext. 106

Traffic calming plans are revealed for village

Leave a reply

webpic

TRAFFIC calming measures are to be installed in an East Staffordshire village in a bid to create a safer environment for pedestrians.

Councillors in Barton under Needwood have revealed plans for a shared space scheme in the centre of the village which they hope will bring an end to its traffic problems.

A public consultation will be held at the village’s John Taylor High School next month, where people can have their say on plans and raise any concerns about the scheme, dubbed ‘Better Barton’, which will aim to slow down and reduce the amount of traffic in Station Road and Main Street.

Chiefs have enlisted the services of urban design firm Node, which has transformed town centres across the Midlands.

Shared space schemes have been implemented in various parts of the country and typically see a town or village centre become more pedestrianised, with kerbs and road markings often removed.

Details about what measures could be installed have yet to be revealed, but councillors said they hoped the plans would not include bollards or road humps.

Siobhan Rumsby, clerk at Barton under Needwood Parish Council, said: “We have had a lot of traffic problems in the village and have been working with Node to come up with landscaping ideas such as changes to road surfacing to make traffic more cautious as it approaches the village.

“We have seen what has happened in other towns that have done it.”

Bosses have been attempting to find a solution to its traffic woes for years, while they have also taken into consideration a 130-home development off Efflinch Lane, on which work is expected to start in the spring.

Mrs Rumsby said: “We have been looking at it for a while, with new housing developments proposed we have been looking at ways of making the traffic situation better. We want to make traffic aware that it is a very busy centre.”

The plans will be displayed at two public workshops at the John Taylor High School on February 1, at 10am and 2pm.

To book a place email Betterbarton@gmail.com or call the parish council on 01283 716059.

Roger’s Gardens recognized as revolutionary

Leave a reply

Roger’s Gardens in Corona del Mar topped the list of the 2014 Revolutionary 100 Garden Centers in America as named by Today’s Garden Center magazine.

The Ohio-based publication evaluated independent garden centers of any size for the award. The honorees were selected on the basis of leadership and innovation, not revenue, according to a news release.

In response to the question “What makes you revolutionary?” a message from Roger’s Gardens published by the magazine begins: “Probably most significantly, we are a fashion-centric and experience-oriented retailer.”

With offerings that range from floral arrangements to landscaping services, plus seasonal collectibles and home decor items, the business continues to celebrate its 50th anniversary this spring.

It sits on 6.5 acres and sees a sales range between $10 million and nearly $20 million annually, according to the magazine.

“Being a Revolutionary 100 winner acknowledges the incredible contributions of a large team of very talented and dedicated people at Roger’s Gardens,” said Gavin Herbert Jr., owner and president of Roger’s Gardens, in a prepared statement. “I am blessed to be able to work with these people and fortunate to be able to serve our amazing customers.”

—Emily Foxhall

Twitter: @emfoxhall