By Myndi Milliken
Posted Nov. 23, 2013 @ 2:38 pm
Home Spotlight: An artistic journey
Leave a reply
Author Archives:
Editorial: A Vision for Vacaville
Do you like living in Vacaville? Lots of people do. Ask them why and they regularly raise certain points: They like the small-town feel and the big-town conveniences; the proximity to popular California destinations and the parks and recreation opportunities that make staying at home a pleasure; the feeling of safety and the sense of community. It’s a great place to raise children, they say, and a nice place to retire.
None of this is an accident. Those of us who like living here today can thank those who lived here 20 or 40 years ago. They had a vision of what they wanted this city to become and planned accordingly. Now it’s our turn.
Three years ago, the city embarked on an update of the general plan, the document that serves as the blueprint for how Vacaville will evolve in the coming decades — just as previous plans have guided growth until now. During numerous hearings and meetings, residents, business operators, developers and other interested parties have worked with city officials to craft their vision for the future.
Now it’s in writing — but it’s not set in stone. And if it doesn’t jibe with your vision, it’s time to speak up.
The draft general plan, as well as a draft Environmental Impact Report and a new document –the Energy and Conservation Action Strategy — are being circulated so that residents can see what’s being proposed and weigh in.
It’s not light reading, but it is the public’s chance to voice an opinion before that new subdivision springs up or residents find themselves stuck in rush-hour traffic at a light they used to drive through easily.
Previous general plans have focused on development, looking at where new subdivisions might be located and how many residents they might be expected to bring. That’s still an important factor in this plan, but perhaps less so since voters drew an urban limit line around Vacaville a few years ago.
Still, the draft plan would permit housing east of Leisure Town Road, which could add about 5,000 residents to the city if it were built out. That’s significant — but perhaps not for the reasons one might think.
The problem, as the draft EIR notes, is that Vacaville has already given permission for 4,900 housing units to be built here and that already exceeds the number that the Association of Bay Area Governments says the city should expect to create in the next 20 years. Exceeding ABAG limits could make Vacaville ineligible for state and federal money tied to transportation and land-use grants.
On the other hand, the city’s Energy and Conservation Action Strategy might provide a counterbalance because it proposes doing more than is actually required to meet the state’s goal of reducing greenhouse gases — the very reason that ABAG is limiting growth in the suburbs.
As Vacaville’s energy plan makes clear, “transportation” — cars, trucks, etc. — is the biggest contributor to greenhouse gases, accounting for 63 percent of emissions here. ABAG is encouraging growth in urban areas, where public transportation and jobs are plentiful, thus reducing people’s need to drive.
Vacaville’s plan suggests a number of strategies to reduce driving, four of which could account for the most drastic reduction in emissions: helping employers set up car pools, van pools and ride-sharing; encouraging employers to institute flexible work schedules and allow people to work from home; supporting the Solano Transportation Authority’s efforts in establishing ridesharing for children to school and activities; and reducing the number of parking spaces to discourage driving, while increasing bike and walking opportunities.
This raises some questions Vacaville residents might want to ask themselves: Are we willing to walk, bike and carpool more in order to accommodate more housing? Given that the population is aging, do these ideas meet the needs of seniors? And how does the goal of encouraging more businesses to locate here square with imposing new rules about parking or carpooling?
There are other aspects of the plan residents should pay attention to, such as a proposal to initiate a ballot measure in hopes of implementing a citywide Lighting and Landscaping Maintenance Assessment District “to more evenly fund maintenance of neighborhood parks.” Or the way the city proposes to mitigate rush-hour traffic jams that are likely to result when homes are added.
There’s a lot here to digest, and the city could help by holding a series of public meetings to focus on specific aspects of the plan — especially the Energy and Conservation Action Strategy, which is new to all of us.
Let’s face it, city employees have put in their time developing these documents, and they aren’t likely to raise issues that would require them to re-do their work. That’s why residents should take time to peruse the plan, the EIR and the energy strategy, all of which are available online at www.vacavillegeneralplan.org and at the libraries and City Hall. Then share your thoughts with the Planning Commission and City Council members before or during the hearings in upcoming months.
As City Council member Curtis Hunt observed last week at an open house to unveil the documents, these are “drafts,” not done deals. “Making these decisions,” he said, “is a lot harder without your input.”
It’s time to provide that input.
In Robin Sapin’s tropical garden, passion is in the palms
Malbis gardener Robin Sapin has visited various tropical locales and spent hours recalling fondly the good feelings of inviting lushness and vivid images she relished in those gardens.
Not content with happy reminiscences, however, Robin took note of the plant groupings and designed and labored to recreate a tropical palm garden to accent the newly installed pool in her backyard. She has effectively taken her vacation home with her and made it into a permanent place of peace and relaxation for herself and husband David.
“I have a real passion for landscaping,” Robin shares. “My parents taught me how to care for our yard growing up, and I have extended that early knowledge at each home we have lived in over the years. We moved a lot and I usually tore out the existing plants and designed and installed my own garden to reflect my likes.”
This Northfield, Ohio native, along with her businessman husband visited the Fairhope area several years ago, and when their kids finished high school, joined so many others and relocated into our beautiful area.
The Sapins and their four adopted dogs left the cold Ohio climate, with its limited gardening choices, and moved into their new home near Malbis two-and-a-half years ago.
“I am basically a self-taught gardener,” Robin says. “I am so grateful to now live in the South. I laid out my garden hose to form beds in the bare front yard, had 21 truckloads of soil hauled in, rented a tiller and went to work. I did the front yard first and indulged my love of the amazing colors of flowering plants that can be grown here year round.”
Her welcoming front yard is evidence of that love with camellias accenting her front door, colorful Encore azalea varieties tucked invitingly in spots and knockout roses budding in hues of pink and red. Large crepe myrtles and palm specimens command attention near the street.
“My husband travels a lot in his work,” Robin shares. “Shortly after we moved here, he left on a three-week extended trip. While he was gone, I worked in the front yard from 6 a.m. until dark every day, getting the beds ready and planting. When he pulled into the driveway after those three weeks, the front yard was done and he was quite pleased to see it.”
Her neighbors tease that maybe she got carried away —”There’s no grass left,” they tell her laughingly.
Robin says she loves enjoying flowers year round in Baldwin County. This certainly wasn’t the case in Ohio, where often, even in July, “you would have to go in and put on a jacket to do any gardening, and in fall and winter, forget growing anything.”
With the front yard completed, Robin set to work creating her tropical paradise in the backyard around the inviting focal point, her new swimming pool.
“This backyard was bare-a blank canvas,” Robin explains. “A canvas ready for decorating. I took a couple of months to plan and design the tropical oasis I envisioned.”
She placed large, mature palms in first — each weighing between 900 and 1000 pounds — with sturdy men and a fork lift. She chose cold-hardy varieties, like triple and double Pindo palms, Washingtonians, Sables and Sago palms to include the variation in texture and height that she so loves.
The result is impressive: a vista of tropical tranquility including more than 30 palms that bespeaks of the luscious paradise Robin has dreamed of.
She has included new favorites around and under the palms — Encore azaleas, double knockout roses, the autumn-hued orange and red crotons and the tropical touch of hibiscus. But it is the majestic palms that steal the show.
“I love my palms, and I love my flowering plants that give me color all year — the camellias, the roses, the azaleas and hibiscus,” Robin shares. “I was never able to enjoy such beauty in Ohio.”
In the side yard garden, Robin indulges her new successful passion of growing and sharing citrus. She grows Meyer lemons, satsumas, two orange varieties and Key limes and is already sharing the bounty with grateful neighbors.
“One of my neighbors,” she explains, “is a professional baker, and when I brought him some of my Meyer lemons, he made me a lemon meringue pie on the spot.”
And so, among a colorful, citrusy, palm-filled garden paradise, Robin Sapin joins the ranks of gardeners all over coastal Alabama who, through hard work and a love for the birds and breezes of nature, have nurtured their plants and grown closer to God in our beloved Baldwin County.
All about palms
People have been fascinated by palms for centuries-they seem to be magical hallmarks of graceful, relaxed living. Even during the times of early colonization, explorers would return home with exotic palms as gifts for their sponsoring governments or royalty.
The palms’ broad variety — from short to tall, their thin to bulging-in-the-middle trunks, their round or long, feathery leaves and shows of color in varying hues — can create a stunning effect when planned well, as is the case in Robin’s garden.
The story of disappearing fountains and gardens
Hyderabad was once home to gurgling fountains and splendid gardens. But today, most of the baghs have been usurped by landsharks while the few fountains left are lying in a state of neglect
Legend has it that Mohammed Quli Qutub Shah had imagined the then new city Bhagyanagar — which later became Hyderabad — to be a replica of the Quranic concept of the Garden of Eden, replete with boulevards, palaces, gardens and fountains. Popular historical travelogues written by the likes of Abul Kasim Ferishta, Tavernier and Thevenot unequivocally declare having not seen any city as grand as Hyderabad. And even as recently as 50 years ago, the city retained that aura of grandeur.
Princess Esra Birgin recalls being “amazed by the sight of gurgling fountains, splendid gardens that dotted the city, filled with deodis and palaces, built in a mix of Persian, European and Mughal styles,” when she first came to Hyderabad after her marriage to Prince Mukarram Jah in 1959.
The pristine gardens and fountains were instrumental in accentuating the mythical aura of the city. “Like most cities rooted in Persian architectural traditions, landscaping and water are an integral part of Hyderabad right from the Qutub Shahi era. The fountain at the base of the Charminar is perhaps the oldest public fountain,” shares city historian and heritage activist Sajjad Shahid.
A little ahead in the centre of the square was the beautiful Char-Su-Ka-Hauz, which later came to be known as Suka-Hauz and now Gulzar Hauz. The erstwhile Ameen Bagh was home to the most beautiful fountain of all. This fountain, built in the Greeko Roman style with impressive figurines, now lies defunct and is infested with stagnant rainwater at the parking area of the High Court. The state of the fountains in the Bolakpur Palace that has now been turned into the Telecommunication office in Kavadiguda and Mahaboopal Manzil in Jambagh, is no different.
“All the residences of nobility had huge gardens which boasted of impressive fountains as their centerpieces. Many of those beautiful gardens have become residential localities, which have just retained their names — Basheerbagh, Baghlingampally, Kundanbagh, Sitaram Bagh…the list can go on,” laments Anuradha Reddy.
The story of the Qutub Shahi garden located in the Naya Qila tells the tale of official apathy towards heritage of Hyderabad. “The ASI and authorities concerned colluded with realtors to reduce the garden size to 10 acres to make way for the proposed Golf Course which is being developed adjacent to the Naya Qila. A 1941 map designed by the then chief archeologist Yazdan, shows the garden spreading across 28 acres. Since filing the case, the ASI Hyderabad has gone on record stating that their assessment was flawed. The plan of the Golf Course presented to ASI Delhi clearly shows four holes of the Golf Course extending in the Qutub Shahi garden area,” states Dr Jasween Jairath, Save Our Lakes, Hyderabad.
Sajjad Shahid echoes similar sentiments. “The new protocol building that came up in Horticulture department adjacent to Jubilee Hall in Public Gardens is built on what was once a beautiful fountain and reflection pool. Parts of the lovely Afzalgunj Park — which is older than the Osmania Hospital — had to be razed to make way for a VIP entrance. Such is the insensitivity the government works with. Many such beautiful parks and fountains have disappeared in just the last three to four decades,” concludes Sajjad Shahid.
Maine Observer: Mom’s ashes resting in old Maine house
Maine Observer: Mom’s ashes resting in old Maine house
A mustard jar on a bedroom dresser might be just the right place for a small part of her – close to her son and his wife.
By Steven Price
My mother, who died in the spring of 2012, loved Maine, although she was born in California and lived most of her adult life in the Southwestern states. Her trips to Maine were few and far between, but always meaningful to her – a family marriage to attend, a rare chance to see her far-flung, eldest son.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Steven Price lives and writes in Kennebunkport.
• Readers may submit original 500-word essays about Maine life via email for this column to mainevoices@pressherald.com. Submissions must include the full name, address and daytime phone number of the author.
A small part of my mother’s ashes now reside, oddly enough, in an 8-ounce Grey Poupon Dijon mustard jar that sits atop my bedroom dresser. The jar is right next to a small rock that I picked up when we spread my father’s ashes upon the ground of one of his favorite deer hunting sites in western Montana. My parents divorced when I was 7.
Most of my mother’s ashes, at her request, were tossed into the cold ocean waters that constitute the San Francisco Bay. For her, it was a kind of homecoming, a closing of her life’s circle.
This event was attended by a tight group of family members and friends, gathered together on a sailboat floating under a steel bridge.
My wife and I, on a longer trip down the California coast, took part of her ashes and deposited them under a tree on the Cal Poly university campus in San Luis Obispo (where she was born) and off the wharf in Santa Barbara (her favorite place on Earth). I hadn’t planned on keeping any, but I did, perhaps unwilling to completely part with her.
Seeing her ashes in a jar every morning and evening, I started thinking about what, exactly, I should do with them.
While Maine wasn’t the final resting place she asked for, I thought since this was a place quite special to her she’d like to be, well, part of the scene.
We have lovely gardens and landscaping in our yard, which she always appreciated. She loved the Maine woods, especially in the fall. She loved our ocean too, with its jagged, rocky coastline. I could have logically placed her remaining ashes in any of these places. But the more I thought about her, and what she did when she visited us in Maine, I came to realize that maybe she was already where she belonged.
Above all else, she loved our home, possibly the oldest house in Kennebunkport (the deed goes back to 1690), and she loved just puttering around its dark-paneled interior, drinking coffee, reading on the patio, doing her hair and makeup.
She was a homebody by nature, and the most self-sufficient person I’ve ever known. You never had to entertain my mother, she just took care herself, always happy to be her own best company.
Odd as it is to have her last remains in a mustard jar on my dresser, maybe it’s just the right place for her – close to me, my wife, and the old Maine house she loved so much. Today her ashes are still there, beside my father’s rock, close in a way they never were in life.
— Special to the Telegram
Were you interviewed for this story? If so, please fill out our accuracy form
Keep frost tips handy this time of year
Sacramento gardeners have enjoyed an unusually warm and mild fall. But you can bet frost will be in the forecast in the weeks to come. Be ready for the big chill before it burns tender plants.
Overnight temperatures are cooling down, which should put gardeners on frost alert. Sacramento’s average annual first frost date is Nov. 14, which means that killer cold can strike at any time now through late March. Here are some reminders for coping with frosty nights:
• If temperatures below 32 degrees are forecast, water your plants lightly in the late afternoon or early evening before frost has a chance to form. Wet soil holds more heat than dry soil and this also raises the humidity level. Well-hydrated plants can cope better with frost “burn,” which results from moisture being pulled out of the foliage to protect the main trunk and roots.
• Pull back mulch away from plants so the ground can radiate any stored heat.
• If overnight frost is expected, move potted plants to protected areas indoors or onto a covered patio. Potted plants can be parked overnight in the garage, but remember — they’ll need sun the next day.
• Cover sensitive plants before sunset; that helps capture any ground heat under the covers. Cloth sheets or blankets work better than clear plastic and can increase the temperature 5 degrees. Allow a little room for air circulation under the cover; that helps keep in warmth. Remember to remove the covers by mid-morning or risk suffocating the plant.
• Use heat caps or row covers to protect tender vegetable transplants.
• Plants in raised beds or on mounds stay warmer than those planted in sunken areas, where cold air collects.
• String old-fashioned Christmas lights — the ones that get hot — on the trunks and limbs of citrus, avocado and other frost-prone trees and bushes. The big lights give out more heat than mini-lights. LEDs offer no heat for plant protection.
• Wrap the trunks of tender trees or shrubs with rags, towels, blankets or pipe insulation.
• If temperatures are expected to go below 30 degrees, harvest ripe citrus fruit to avoid potential damage.
• If a plant shows frost burn, don’t cut off the damaged foliage. It will help protect the plant from further harm. Remove the burned leaves in spring.
– Debbie Arrington
10 tips to freshen your home for holiday visitors
As the year winds down, it can seem like the calendar moves faster and faster. The truth is, there’s just a lot more to do this time of year, putting a real premium on your time. With guests coming for the holiday season, you want your home to look its best, but what if you don’t have the time or energy for a decorating overhaul?
Use these tips to pull your home into shape and have it looking great for family and guests right into the New Year:
1 Touch up paint: Whether it’s fingerprints or scuff marks, a quick inspection and cleaning of dirty woodwork and walls will make every room look better instantly.
2 Make a welcoming entrance: Add a small table, a pretty mirror or painting and some chairs to spruce up your entryway. Tuck in some seasonal flowers or foliage to complete the look.
3 Smarten up your guest room: Keep a basket with cellphone chargers in the room, add a bottle of body lotion to soothe dry winter skin, and a pair of slippers. Change bed coverings to luxuriously warm or jewel-toned to reflect the season.
4 Steam-clean carpets: When the rugs are clean, the whole house feels clean and bright and smells fresh.
5 Dust light fixtures: Using a soft brush, dust overhead lights, ceiling fans and glass and metal shades.
6 Add foliage: Trim seasonal branches and add them to vases. Put one in the foyer, on a patio, on the hearth or next to the fireplace, and in cozy corners throughout the house. Whether it’s a small bunch of tender winter berries or a large branch of fall leaves, foliage adds a welcoming touch.
7 Use the warmth of bronze and brass to add a glow to your rooms: Spray-paint simple ginger jar lamps with gold paint, or bring brass and glass outdoor lanterns indoors to warm up a fireplace mantle or dining room table. Try spiking white pillar candles with textured or polished brass tacks to add a touch of sparkle.
8 Spruce up the guest bath: With Thanksgiving near, add a small bouquet of pumpkin-colored flowers on the counter, along with a small pumpkin carved to hold a tea light candle. Add some luxurious scented soap and new plush hand towels.
9 Use burlap: Burlap can be easily and inexpensively fashioned into place mats, table runners, or used as a whole tablecloth for a rustic, natural look. Use burlap ribbon to create bows for wreaths or chairs. Try tying it into napkin rings. Tuck in a sprig of greenery and you’ve got an easy, yet elegant, place setting.
10 Emphasize the fireplace: Over the holidays, nothing is as welcoming as a roaring fire and a beautifully dressed fireplace. Add greenery, candles and seasonal touches to make your fireplace the starring attraction in the living room or den.
redlotusletter.com
Right at Home: tips for a no-fuss Thanksgiving
Preparing a Thanksgiving feast ranks high on the entertaining stress-o-meter. Expectations, traditions and a home full of guests can make even the most seasoned host lose sleep.
But don’t let the anticipatory list-making, house-fluffing and food preparing become more tiring than it needs to be. Some expert advice and helpful products can make Thanksgiving entertaining more stylish, fun and fret-free.
Kevin Sharkey, executive creative director at Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, begins with a why-didn’t-I-think-of-that idea:
“If you have performance anxiety about the day, what if you (threw the party) the night before or after? Sometimes I think the only reason to have Thanksgiving is to have sandwiches the next day. So have a great lunch or cocktail party instead,” he suggests.
Guests are just looking for a convivial atmosphere, so don’t bother with fancy appetizers. As Sharkey points out, guests won’t remember the homemade potato chips you slaved over; they’ll remember the stressed-out you.
Serve simple things on interesting plates or in silver bowls, and it all looks special. For example, West Elm has Shanna Murray’s gold-penned bisque stoneware salad plates. (www.westelm.com )
Instead of a complicated bar, come up with one fun drink to serve as a showpiece, then add a few bottles of wine and sparkling water. If you’re doing a casual Thanksgiving meal or a lunch, consider setting out an interesting variety of craft beers, as well as vegetable juices and iced tea for the non-drinkers.
Better Homes and Gardens has suggestions for make-ahead nibblers such as mini gruyere puffs that can be made a month ahead and frozen, or mini meatballs in a tangy apricot sauce that can be re-warmed in a slow cooker during cocktail hour. (www.bhg.com )
At Realsimple.com, you’ll find lots of make-ahead appetizers, salads, sides, breads and desserts for Thanksgiving.
If you do plan to host on Thanksgiving day, keep the menu simple.
“No one wants 14 different things. And don’t be ashamed to get certain things from a store, or to ask people to bring something,” Sharkey says.
Oma Ford, executive editor at Better Homes Gardens magazine, says she’s not usually a potluck fan “but it’s actually a wonderful way to approach the Thanksgiving feast. We often spend the holiday with friends who usually make the turkey and desserts and then ask all their guests to bring a side dish they couldn’t live without … . The sides are really the fun, interesting part of the meal, and with this approach none of the guests feels like they missed out on a favorite or traditional element of the feast.”
Does a friend make awesome mashed potatoes? Is a relative the pie person? Do you have a nearby market that makes yummy stuffing? Ask, order and lessen your workload.
For delectable treats you can pre-order, check out Williams-Sonoma’s desserts from various specialists, including Platine Bakery and Taurit Or. (www.williams-sonoma.com )
Serving everything buffet style takes another fussy component off the table, so to speak. Make sure there are comfortable places for everyone to perch with their plates, but put all the food and drinks in central locations.
A multiple-pot slow cooker can hold stews, soups and savory vegetables. Serve-yourself beverage dispensers allow guests to refill at will. (www.kohls.com )
Pier 1 has ceramic, wipe-off-marker menu boards and dish labels that can be used again and again. (www.pier1.com )
Have lots of napkins placed around the party; guests appreciate not having to hunt for one. If you’re using candlelight, consider flameless pillars that can be turned on and forgotten without worrying.
Pottery Barn’s Rustic Luxe stonewashed linens have a casual yet quality vibe. Faux antler candelabras, wood and stone drink coasters, and limestone, hand-punched gourd luminaries all add tone and texture to décor, without the fussiness. (www.potterybarn.com )
Ford suggests drawing up a game plan for entertaining, and tackling as much as possible ahead of time. “Set the table the day before, or the week before if you don’t use your dining room all the time. Collect serving dishes for all the food you’re making, and mark each with a slip of paper so you know where to put the green beans without having to think about it.”
Pottery Barn’s Design Studio blog offers a play-by-play for a successful Thanksgiving dinner; there are menus, décor options and a loose timetable on the website, www.potterybarn.com.
Looking ahead to the Civic and Cultural District by the Bay
Singapore
THE civic and cultural district, home to the former Supreme Court and City Hall Buildings, the Asian Civilisations Museum (ACM) and The Esplanade Theatres on the Bay, is envisioned as offering expansive spaces for pedestrians to linger under tree-lined boulevards, and opening up venues for outdoor performances.
Come 2015, various enhancements, including the conversion of existing roads into pedestrian paths and enhancements at Empress Place and Esplanade Park, can be expected.
Currently, the precinct is cut up by roads. To fulfil the vision of a walkable district, Parliament Lane and the small road at Empress Place (between ACM and Victoria Theatre) will be pedestrianised permanently. This will integrate the two spaces, creating a seamless park-like setting.
Part of Fullerton Road – in front of Victoria Theatre and, incidentally, part of the Formula 1 track – will also be realigned, allowing for a larger and more elegant lawn space in front of Victoria Theatre/Concert Hall and ACM.
In addition, Connaught Drive will be narrowed to one lane and limited to destination-bound traffic. Tourist coaches which currently park along Connaught Drive will be redirected to a new coach park at Marina Centre near the Marina Centre bus terminal. A new dedicated drop-off and pick-up point is planned.
Other landscaping efforts, such as the planting of more trees to provide shade, better way-finding signs and upgrading of street furniture are also planned at Empress Place and Esplanade Park.
In addition, the waterfront promenade along Esplanade Park will be opened up with stepped plazas and an urban beach, allowing people to get closer to the water.
Various spaces, including Raffles Landing, will soon be equipped to host outdoor events. To facilitate this, in-built infrastructure is planned, which will allow for easier setting-up of events, pop-up structures and mobile kiosks. Night lighting will also be provided to support night activities.
These plans are part of the Urban Redevelopment Authority’s (URA) PubliCity initiative, which aims to engage the community in celebrating good public spaces and to enliven public spaces through good design and programmes.
In the longer term, URA is studying the possibility of closing Anderson Bridge, Fullerton Road, St Andrew’s Road and Parliament Place to through traffic, leaving it open to destination-bound traffic, public buses and pedestrians only.
Other developments being studied include the temporary closure of Anderson Bridge, Fullerton Road, St Andrew’s Road, and Parliament Place to traffic during weekends or evenings for events.
Elsewhere on the island, other upcoming enhancement projects include an environment improvement project at Bras Basah and Bugis, which will see the carriageways on a stretch along Queen Street narrowed and the sidewalks widened. More street furniture and trees are also planned, with works expected to be completed by mid-2014.
Punggol Town Square and Bedok Town Centre will introduce new public spaces in Punggol and Bedok, respectively.
In addition to creating new public spaces and rejuvenating existing ones, PubliCity wants to encourage ownership of these spaces. To this end, the public is being invited to re-imagine four public spaces.
Specifically, ideas are being sought to enliven the open space beside Gedung Kuning in Kampong Glam, which measures about 1,200 square metres (sq m), and The Lawn @ Marina Bay, which measures about 13,000 sq m, as gathering spaces for the community.
The third space comprises two plots along the Singapore River Promenade – a 2,600 sq m site beside High Street Centre and a 1,000 sq m site at Clarke Quay/River Valley Road on which part of G-Max and GX-5 are currently situated. It is intended for the latter site to be transformed into an attractive entry point to Clarke Quay.
The 2,000 sq m Woodlands Civic Plaza, which is bounded by Causeway Point, Woodlands Civic Centre and two future developments, rounds up the list. The vision for the existing plaza space is a vibrant key node. Proposals should give ideas on how it can become a better public space for a diverse range of users who use the plaza for rest and respite and as a meeting place.
The submission period is from Nov 22 to Feb 14. Up to 10 winners will each win $1,000 in cash.
Separately, URA intends to launch the Pick a Bench, Pick a Place project in February next year. The public will be invited to vote for their favourite bench designs and where they would like to see the benches installed.
The benches, which are made using seating planks from the former National Stadium, are the product of a design competition held in September last year.
KU School of Business brings Global Entrepreneurship Week to Lawrence
Outside the Lied Center, Kansas University’s Mobile Collaboration Lab, or MoCoLab. The converted Airstream trailer became the focus of ideas to better Wyandotte County through social entrepreneurship.
Just Food CEO Jeremy Farmer can explain as well as anyone what exactly “social entrepreneurship” means. Speaking at a panel at the Lied Center Pavilion on Friday, Farmer said his Douglas County organization’s food bank helped put food on the plates of hundreds of people. But he realized Just Food’s successes meant little if the same number of people had the same problems acquiring food every year. He saw hunger was an ongoing problem in need of an innovative solution.
Rather than giving someone a fish, or even teaching them to fish, as the biblical aphorism goes, Farmer and his team “really found that we needed to revolutionize the fishing industry,” so to speak. Farmer and his team taught lower income folks to garden and cook, to turn their lives into food-gathering enterprises. “Growing your own food is like growing your own money for lower income people,” Farmer said.
Farmer spoke as part of a panel at the Lied to help Kansas University celebrate Global Entrepreneurship Week, a worldwide advocacy event meant to stir the startup spirit in participants across more than 100 countries.
The KU School of Business held the university’s version of the event, which devoted itself to the idea of social entrepreneurship, or using business and entrepreneurial strategies to do social good. Joining Farmer on the panel were John Gordon, executive director of Boys Grow, Andrew Stanley, founder of VolunteerMark, Munro Richardson, co-founder of myEDmatch and Ann Brandau-Murguia, a Wyandotte County commissioner. Silicon Prairie News CEO Regan Carrizales moderated the panel.
The day also featured a contest for KU undergraduate and graduate students to present their own model for a social startup. Four groups were tasked with fleshing out an idea that would somehow make use of the Mobile Collaboration Laboratory, or the MoCoLab, a university project to turn an Airstream trailer into a roving venue for collaboration. The contest was judged by U.S. Representative Kevin Yoder, Kansas City, Kan., Brandau-Murguia, KU architecture professor Nils Gore and Wally Meyer, director of KU Entrepreneurship Programs.
The groups presented their ideas on how to use the MoCoLab to improve the economic and social conditions for Wyandotte County and Kansas City, Kan. Ideas included turning the trailer into a mobile shop that county high school students could use for construction and landscaping projects, a recruiting office for a program that trains high school students for work in the biomanufacturing industry, and a roving business incubator for the Wyandotte area.
The winning platform, developed by KU students Emma Murano, Brandon Wood and Kent DiasAbeygunawardena, would incorporate the MoCoLab into a social startup called “ShareStream,” a “mobile platform for first impressions,” as they described it. ShareStream would help small businesses in Wyandotte reach new markets around the Kansas City area via the MoCoLab.
Lawrence Journal-World.
All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
We strive to uphold our values for every story published.