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Saturday, February 23, 2013

Frank Crandall, GoLocalProv Landscaping Expert

The public gardens and arboretums of Rhode Island are great inspiration for your spring landscaping plans. And they’re open in the winter!

We are very fortunate in Rhode Island to have several wonderful Botanical Gardens, Arboretums and Parks that feature seasonal and year round gardens, open space and an impressive collection of trees, shrubs and perennials for everyone to see and enjoy.

A visit to these gardens, even during the winter months, can provide you and your family with a relaxing and educational afternoon both outdoors and in the case of the Roger Williams Park Botanical Center in Providence, an indoor visit with over 12,000 square feet of covered display gardens. A trip to Ferry Road, Bristol, midway between Providence and Newport, will bring you to the 32-acre Blithewold Mansion, Gardens and Arboretum with over 300 species of woody plants in its arboretum and gardens. At the University of Rhode Island in Kingston is the 4.5-acre URI Botanical Gardens featuring sustainable landscape plants and practices. Heading south to Westerly, you can visit Wilcox Park, a 14-acre park and arboretum located on High Street next to the Westerly Public Library. Let’s learn more about some of RI’s botanical treasures!

Roger Williams Park Botanical Center, Providence

The Botanical Center at Roger Williams Park is the largest public indoor display gardens in New England. The Botanical Center includes two greenhouses, The Conservatory and The Mediterranean Room. There are over 150 plant species including 17 types of palms. The Cacti, Agave and Aloe were saved and replanted from the old greenhouse displays. The outdoor gardens include the Perennial Garden, Pine and Hosta Dell, the Winter Garden, Hillside Garden, Overlook Terrace and the Rose Maze.

Blithewold Mansion, Gardens and Arboretum, Bristol

Located 25 minutes east of Providence on the Narragansett Bay in Bristol, Blithewold was named in Yankee Magazine’s 2010 Best 5 Public Gardens in New England. The 33-acre summer estate contains a 10-acre lawn, gardens, specimen trees and historic stone structures. Walking the grounds you may be drawn to the Bosquet (enclosed woodland), enjoy the Water Garden, absorb the history of the Enclosed Garden and be amazed with the abundance of the seasonal Display Gardens. Additionally plan to visit the Rock Garden, the more formal North Garden, Rose Garden and the over 3,000 trees and shrubs planted on the grounds including one of the largest Giant Sequoias on the east coast!

The Gardens and Grounds are open year-round daily from 10 am to 5 pm. Visit their website for admission prices and tickets, www.blithewold.org or call 401-253-2707 for more information.

University of Rhode Island Botanical Gardens, Kingston

The gardens began as the Learning Landscape in 1992 with a donation of plants, materials and labor from the Rhode Island Nursery and Landscape Association. In 2003 the gardens were renamed the URI Botanical Gardens. The gardens demonstrate sustainable plants and practices including low maintenance plants and disease and insect resistant varieties. The gardens act as a training laboratory for Green Industry professionals, scientists, students and the general public. The gardens feature a Memorial White Garden, the Ericaceous Garden, the Annual Garden, the Formal Gardens, the Shade Garden and the Chester Clayton Rose Garden.

The URI Outreach Center offers yearly educational events in the gardens. The grounds are open to the public free of charge. Visit their website here or call 401-874-2900 for information about upcoming programs.

Wilcox Park, Westerly

Harriet Wilcox in 1898 purchased and donated the park land in Westerly to establish Wilcox Park. Thanks to her foresight and generosity the park features a beautiful landscape defined by an open meadow area surrounded by specimen trees, a pond, monuments and perennial gardens. Wilcox Park was originally designed in 1898 by Warren H. Manning, an associate of famed architect, Fredrick Law Olmsted featuring native plants. In the 1960’s efforts began to establish the park as an arboretum which now includes a collection of specimen trees, a dwarf conifer collection and perennial and annual beds.

The park has been a commonly used site for local events including the annual Summer Pops Concert, Shakespeare in the Park and numerous markets and festivals. The park is privately operated by the Westerly Public Library’s Board of Trustees and is open to the public without fee. Visit the library’s website www.westerlylibrary.org for more information and dates of upcoming events.

Although we are the smallest state we can boast some of the more outstanding gardens, arboretums and parks around New England and beyond. A visit to these local gardens will help show you examples of trees, shrubs, perennials and annuals that you can use in your own landscapes, provide a wonderful way to spend a day and serve as a source of inspiration for your own gardening and landscaping!

My next article will detail ways you can begin to create more eco-friendly, organic gardens and landscapes!

“A society grows great when old men plant trees whose shade they know they shall never sit in” Greek proverb

Frank Crandall is a RI resident specializing in coastal landscaping, organic land care, small business consulting, writing, speaking and photography will be submitting biweekly articles about Landscape Solutions. With over 40 years in the horticultural field Frank will write about pertinent, seasonal landscape topics including effective solutions. Comments about Frank’s articles are welcome by contacting him at: FrankCrandall3@gmail.com. Frank Crandall, Horticultural Solutions.

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McDonald’s Presents the 33rd Annual Home Show,
It’s the first sign of spring!
Indoor Sports Center/Expo on March 1-2-3.

The first sign of spring for thousands of home owners and families is the 33rd Annual Rockford Home Show where they see what’s new for the home and garden. The Home Show is the ideal place to shop for new products, services, ideas, concepts and expertise on interior and exterior design. This exciting event provides the perfect atmosphere to attend free seminars of interest to the home owners at no additional cost.

FEATURES: Why not expand your living space to the outdoors. There will be numerous outdoor exhibits to get ideas from. Featured floral exhibits, including landscape and patio ideas, will be constructed and presented by Josh Robertson from Green Acres Lawn and Landscaping plus Tim Siegner from Natural Water Gardens.

FLOWERS: Flowers will be provided by Didier Greenhouse. Hundreds of plants will makeup the floral display. Those attending the show on Sunday afternoon will be able to take home apiece of spring, as all flowers in the garden will be sold at bargain prices starting at 2:00pm.

FREE APPRAISALS: New for the show this year is the chance for all visitors to get their items appraised by the professionals from Hacks Auction and Antiques on Sunday from 12-3:30pm. Visitors can bring in items such as antiques, collectibles, coins, toys or just about anything!

FAMILY FUN: Bring the kids for fun hands on activities in the Kid’s Corner.

SHOW: ROCKFORD HOME SHOW

DATES: MARCH 1-2-3, 2013

LOCATION: INDOOR SPORTS CENTER/EXPO “ISC”
8800 E. RIVERSIDE BLVD.
LOVES PARK, IL 61111

HOURS: Friday, March 1 – 4:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.
Saturday, March 2 – 10:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m.
Sunday, March 3 – 11:00a.m. – 5:00 p.m.

JAMESTOWN – The Cornell Cooperative Extension of Chautauqua County Master Gardener Program, Jamestown Community College’s Center for Continuing Education the Chautauqua Watershed Conservancy are hosting a Native Landscapes and Gardens Day on March 1 from 8 a.m. until 3 p.m.

The day is based on a simple idea: the use of native plants should remain an integral part of sustainable landscapes. It will include four native gardening workshops with keynote speaker, Sally Cunningham, presenting “Ecological Landscaping.” Her talk will address why and how gardeners, homeowners, professional landscapers and country property owners can make a difference in our plant selections and how we design and tend our gardens, yards, suburbs and cities.

In addition to her presentation there will be three other native gardening workshops given by local experts, Jon and Priscilla Titus Professor of Biology at Fredonia State and Ecologist, respectively; Mark Baldwin, Director of Education at Roger Tory Peterson Institute; and Betsy Burgeson, Master Gardener Program Coordinator.

Article Photos

Sally Cunningham

Topics will include an Introduction to Native Plants, Beneficial Insects and the YardMap Program. The event offers alternative ideas, knowledge and perspective presented by experts and professionals from our region and beyond. It is for landscape architects, designers, educators, Master Gardeners, government employees, homeowners, gardeners, naturalists and anyone else eager to learn more about this growing movement.

The cost for the event is $40 and includes a catered lunch. To register, call JCC Center for Continuing Education 338-1005. Space is limited. Registration is required and will close on Feb. 27.

For more information on the Native Landscapes Gardens Day or the Master Gardener Program, contact Betsy Burgeson, 664-9502 ext. 204 or emh92@cornell.edu

The mission of the Master Gardener Program is to educate and serve the community, utilizing university and research-based horticultural information. This program is administered through Cornell Cooperative Extension of Chautauqua County.

TAHLEQUAH —
Landscape designs for homes are now including elements usually found in farmer’s fields.

More than shrubbery and flowers are accenting sidewalks and decorating mail boxes. Edible plants are beginning to add an exotic or whimsical element to lawn beautification and function.

For those with limited yard space, adding vegetables to the flower patch, hanging baskets or trellis can be colorful and what’s for dinner.

Garden stores and catalogs sell baskets already planted with strawberries or tomatoes, or a mix of plants. It’s as easy as picking what appeals and learning how tall a plant grows, how much sun or shade it can tolerate and how much water it needs to create a landscape both pretty and practical.

With snow still in the forecast, garden enthusiasts are considering this season’s landscaping ideas, browsing catalogs and magazines for food and flower combinations.

“Edible landscaping is the practical integration of food plants within an ornamental or decorative setting,” said Kim Toscano, host of the TV show Oklahoma Gardening and Oklahoma State University Cooperative Extension consumer horticulturist.

She encourages people to enjoy the freshness and flavor of home-grown, fully ripened fruits and vegetables. With careful planning, gardeners can have a yard that is flavorful, practical and visually pleasing with the wise use of fruits, herbs and vegetables.

“Gardeners are able to control the amount and kind of pesticides and herbicides used on plants,” she said.

Other benefits include cutting down on the grocery bill, increasing food security and variety, and the fun of being outdoors enjoying nature.

Those with greenhouses can garden all year long, wintering over large plants inside and starting seedlings in February or March for outdoor planting.

Gardening and cooking enthusiast Lisa Blancher loves spending time in her greenhouse, often reading there when not pruning, watering or debugging. Even professionals have to fight unwanted pests like aphids. En route to the greenhouse, her winter garden grows spinach, broccoli and lettuce.

“I’m all about people growing their own vegetables,” Blancher said. “Lettuce and members of the cole family – cabbage, broccoli, spinach and onions – can all be planted in the ground right now.”

The ground temperature has to be 40 degrees to plant.

“Even with a cold snap, it won’t effect the seeds, unless it maintains a temperature lower than 20 or 28 degrees for an extended period,” said Blancher.

Her greenhouse is 90 degrees, even with vents and doors open, she said. It is filled with many varieties of blooming plants including hibiscus, begonia, aloe vera, cactus and succulents. She recently planted pots of vegetable seeds.

“I brought in coleus of each color to grow through the winter,” Blancher said.

She cuts stems 1/4 inch below the leaf node of the plants she brings inside, then puts the stem in room-temperature water or dips it in root stimulator and puts in a mixture of sterile soil, peat moss and sand.

“You can put plants together if they have the same light, fertility and water needs,” Blancher said.

Blancher said she keeps her seedling pots in trays. Cucumbers, tomatoes, peppers and egg plant can root now if kept inside.

“Once they sprout, they need light 10 hours a day, from a grow light or sunny window,” she said.

Rainwater is her choice for watering, which she collects and reuses, especially for potted plants.

Mid April or the first of May she’ll begin moving or replanting most of her greenhouse plants outdoors.

“Gardening vegetables is important to me,” Blancher said. “My grandmother was an excellent cook, and my mother, but I’m a better cook than she is, my daughter is a better cook than me and my granddaughter will be a chef when she graduates soon.”

Some decorative flowers that are also edible include chrysanthemum, day lily, rose, marigold, violets, pansies, lavender and yucca, said David Hillock, OSU Cooperative Extension consumer horticulturist.

“The flowers are usually used in soups,” Hillock said.

When cooking with flowers, use those grown yourself, he suggests, since pesticides or herbicides could have been sprayed on flowers from a florist or garden center. And beginners might want to sample just a few in the beginning, in case of allergic reactions.

Fresh herbs can be grown in pots and are great for cooking, such as mint, basil, thyme or sage. Hillock said.

Lavender, an herb with beautiful and fragrant spiky purple blooms, makes an attractive hedge along a sidewalk; a butterfly bush can grow more than 10 or 12 feet and blueberry bushes can be a decorative and edible edging along a road or fence line.

“People like to plant flowers around to attract bees to pollinate vegetables,” said Roger Williams, OSU Extension educator, “Salvia are good pollinators.”

There are two schools of thoughts on marigolds, Williams said.

“Marigolds are supposed to attract spider mites; some people think they attract them and keep them away from vegetables, others think they just attract them.”

A number of people are planting blueberries in their landscapes to also get something edible, he said.

Fruit trees and pecan trees, knock-out roses, ferns, spider plants, potatoes and onions are among the plants and trees already on sale at local stores, like Atwoods. They also carry greenhouses for most budgets.

“Greenhouses are good for starting seedlings and protecting them from the elements,” said greenhouse specialist Mandy Bear. “Choosing the right location is important and the right soil. We have different soil options, like alkaline and sandy.”

Trained in horticulture, Bear can help new gardeners determine which plants are shade- or sun-loving.

Cold-crop vegetables are ready to put out, said Atwoods assistant manager Lee Sullivan.

“Cabbage, brussel sprouts, cauliflower, lettuce and some tomatoes and others are coming in this week,” Sullivan. “But I’m not the expert. We’re glad to have someone with a degree in horticulture [Mandy] to look after our plants this year.”

Water in the morning before the sun comes up and in the evening when the sun goes down to avoid scorching plants, Bear said.

“Seedlings can be planted in pots with rocks in the bottom for drainage,” Bear said. “And water them two or three times a day.”

 

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I teach classes on game design/development, and we recently had some discussions on finances.  I gave some initial impressions, but I’d like to get other people’s input on this. 

 

Many of my students are minors (Under 18 years, in the US) and many of them have their own project groups already, made up entirely of other minors.

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My request is for any suggestions about how to approach the finances, divvying up pay, treasurer, etc…  particularly around involving the parents, and presenting a plan for them.

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I suggested some basic models, the easiest being split evenly, but my suggestions on talking with parents were vague and could use examples/ideas to clarify.  I had worked with friends on smaller projects when I was younger, didn’t setup finance plans, and fortunately it worked out.  but that was mostly luck, and lack of skill at the time to produce a game that sold well.

 

Any Should do’s, Must do’s or considerations?

 

Thanks.

Edited by Dan Violet Sagmiller, Yesterday, 12:15 PM.

Click photo to enlarge

WATSONVILLE — Kurt Overmeyer stood at the curb of Main Street in front of Watsonville’s City Plaza late Wednesday morning as hundreds of cars and trucks passed by and kept on going.

That’s the problem with having a four-lane state highway cutting through a downtown shopping area, Overmeyer said.

“Caltrans’ job is to get cars from city to city or through cities, not to be friendly to pedestrians or to be set up for a retail environment — in fact, just the opposite,” Overmeyer said. “Getting through is different than getting to. We need getting to.”

That’s why Watsonville officials started looking at taking control of the 4.6 miles of Highway 152 within city limits more than a year ago. Since then, state legislators cleared the way for Caltrans to relinquish the road, though city officials must agree to take responsibility for it and have yet to sign off on the deal.

The highway, which runs on Main Street, East Beach Street and East Lake Avenue, links Highway 1 with 101 in Gilroy.

Studies are under way to determine what it would cost the city in street maintenance and what the impact would be if major changes were made, such as reducing the number of lanes to provide more parking and wider sidewalks. Answers could be a year away.

“How much is it going to cost? What are we taking on? If we get that asset back, we need to get it back in a way we can use it,” Overmeyer said. “We’re not going to pull the trigger until we know

the answer to that question.”

But the answer could be more than a year away. In the meantime, city officials want to find out what the community thinks.

Overmeyer is seeking to bring together downtown property and business owners and residents, as well as representatives from the community at large, to develop a vision for the area.

“If we want to hit the ground running, we need to start now,” Overmeyer said.

And if the city decides not to move forward with claiming the highway, the talks at least will serve to engage stakeholders to figure out how to make the downtown function better, he said.

Scott Taylor has been selling office supplies at Taylor’s Office City on the 400 block of Main Street for more than four decades. The highway does little to help the downtown, he said. Getting rid of it could have a positive effect if improvements were made.

Niche businesses, such as the soccer store across the street and the Western clothing store on the next block, do well, and a nicer downtown could attract more such shops, he said.

“The bottom line is it’s like buying a house that’s a fixer-upper,” Taylor said. “How much money do you invest before you get money out of it?”

Preliminary estimates run about $100,000 annually for street maintenance. Improvements, such as diagonal parking or landscaping, would need to be funded, as well.

Overmeyer said any change wouldn’t be “instantaneous.” The idea would be to develop a long-range plan with near-term and intermediate steps.

Councilman Daniel Dodge, who championed the idea as mayor in 2011, said taking over the highway to revamp the downtown may have seemed like “pie in the sky.” But Walgreen’s plan to build a store on lower Main near Riverside Drive shows there is a willingness to invest in the area.

Still, as long as Caltrans controls what happens on the road and sidewalks of Main Street, there’s only so much the city can do, he said.

“It’s a process to come up with some ideas about what we’d like to see, what’s economically viable and what’s not,” Dodge said. “I’m excited about the potential of what it could be.”

Follow Sentinel reporter Donna Jones on Twitter at Twitter.com/DonnaJonesSCS

AT A GLANCE

Watsonville downtown

WHAT: City wants to establish group to develop vision for downtown without Highway 152.
WHO: Business and property owners, residents, community members urged to get involved.
WHEN: Four workshops and a field trip will be in 2013.
CONTACT: Kurt Overmeyer at 768-3087

NATURE EVENTS: The Trinity River Audubon Center’s free Third Thursday will offer guided hikes and animal encounters all day. 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Thursday. An owl prowl is planned for 8 p.m. The center also is planning adventure day camps for kids during spring break, March 11-15, $225. 6500 Great Trinity Forest Way, Dallas trinityriveraudubon.org.

ROSES: Learn which roses flourish in North Texas and require minimum care at the monthly meeting of the Dallas Rose Society. 6:30 p.m. Friday. Farmers Branch Recreational Center, 14050 Heartside Place, Farmers Branch. Free.972-727-3007.

GARDEN EDUCATION: North Haven Gardens, 7700 Northaven Road, Dallas, offers the following garden events.

Terrariums and dish gardens, 10 a.m. Thursday, free

Design consultation by Roundtree Landscaping, 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Saturday. Reservations required. $60

Herbal vinegars, 10:30 a.m. Saturday, free

Veggies 101, 12:30 p.m. Saturday, free

Spring color, 1 p.m. Sunday

ORGANIC GARDENING: Learn how to create outdoor spaces with organic gardening practices. 10:15 a.m. Saturday. All Calloway’s Nursery locations. Free. calloways.com.

SPRING PLANTING: Redenta’s offers the following free classes at their Arlington location, 5111 W. Arkansas Lane, Arlington; and Dallas store, 2001 Skillman St., Dallas. redentas.com.

Spring vegetable gardening, 10:30 a.m. Saturday

Roses with Mike Shoup, owner of Brenham’s Antique Rose Emporium and author of Empress of the Garden, 10 a.m. March 2 in Arlington.

NORTH TEXAS ROSES: Covington’s Nursery plans a day of education and presentation on roses. 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday. 5518 Bush Turnpike, Rowlett. Free. 972-475-5888. covingtonnursery.com.

Landscaping with roses, 10 a.m.

Earth-Kind roses, 11 a.m.

ARBORETUM CLASSES: The Dallas Arboretum, 8525 Garland Road, Dallas, offers the following classes. Advance registration required. dallasarboretum.org.

Tons of tomatoes, 9 to 11 a.m. Saturday, $27

Common-sense design, noon to 2 p.m. Saturday, $27

Easy-care Drift landscape roses and companion plants, 1 p.m.

GARDEN SEMINARS: Nicholson-Hardie offers the following spring gardening seminars. 5060 W. Lovers Lane, Dallas. Free, but advance registration requested. 214-357-4674.

Japanese maples, dogwoods and magnolias, 9:30 am. Saturday

Azaleas in Dallas, 11 a.m. Saturday

Shade gardening: perennials and annuals, 1:30 p.m. Saturday

Shade gardening: understory trees, shrubs and vines, 3:30 p.m. Saturday

Hydrangeas in Dallas, 1 p.m. Sunday

Camellias in Dallas, 3 p.m. Sunday

TROUT LILIES: Take a guided hike through Spring Creek Forest to see the trout lily. The early-spring wildflower has a flowering period for only two to four weeks. Expect mud.

10 a.m. and 1 p.m. Saturday, rain or shine. 1770 Holford Road, Garland. The parking lot is south of Bush Turnpike and north of Arapaho Road. Free.

CHICKEN FEST: Dallas County 4-H Livestock Project Coalition is hosting a daylong event that aims to enhance youth showmanship skills and explore the world of backyard chickens. Topics include feeding, breed identification and more, and is open to all youth. 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Saturday. Texas AM AgriLife Research and Extension Center, Building C, 17360 Coit Road, Dallas. $25. Advance registration required. 214-904-3080. Email shmontgomery@ag.tamu.edu.

 

DRIP IRRIGATION: Learn the basics from the Tarrant County Master Gardener Association drip irrigation specialists. 10 a.m. Saturday. Fort Worth’s Resource Connection, Building 2300, Magnolia Room,2300 Circle Drive. $5. Advance registration required. 817-884-1296.blhammack@ag.tamu.edu.

TRINITY BIRD COUNT: Help count the birds along the Trinity River. 8 to 11 a.m. Saturday. Trinity River and Dogwood Canyon Audubon Centers, 6500 S. Loop 12, Dallas. Free. 972-889-0608 or email mjkf@tx.rr.com.

WINTER WALK: Master naturalists will lead a walk through Mockingbird Nature Park. 10 a.m. Saturday. 1361 Onward Road, Midlothian. Free. Registration requested. 972-775-7177.

WATER SUPPLY: The Indian Trail chapter of Texas Master Naturalists will meet for a discussion on Texas’ water supply. 6 p.m. Monday. Red Oak Library, 200 Lakeview Parkway, Red Oak. Free. 972-825-5175.

GARDEN COLOR: The Grapevine Garden Club will offer ideas for color schemes for landscaping and beyond. 9:30 a.m. Tuesday. Stacy Furniture Community Room, 1900 S. Main St., Grapevine. Free grapevinegardenclub .org.

NATIVES: The Trinity Forks Chapter of the Native Plant Society of Texas will cover herbs and native plant landscaping at its monthly meeting. 6:30 p.m. Feb. 28. Texas Woman’s University, New Science Building, 325 Texas St., Denton. Free. npsot.org/trinityforks.

Submit calendar information at least 14 days before the Thursday publication date to garden@dallasnews.com

Click here to view the latest lake levels, updated daily.

CORPUS CHRISTI —
Of the many words Corpus Christi Water Director Guz Gonzalez dropped Tuesday on City Council members, “proactive” may have topped the list.

Now presiding over a level 2 drought and with weather experts predicting a dry spring that may drive the city into level 3 by midsummer, Gonzalez asked the council to consider revising drought management and water conservation plans.

The city levied restrictions on water usage in early December and gave residents a couple of weeks to adjust consumption to meet the restrictions or face a $500 fine.

Then, the combined level of Lake Corpus Christi and Choke Canyon Reservoir that planners used to trigger restrictions was just above 40 percent.

As of Tuesday, Gonzalez said, the combined capacity had dropped to 38 percent. If the levels dip to 20 percent, the city will begin rationing water.

Gonzalez offered council members a new plan that would require users to curb irrigation to once per week while in drought levels 1 and 2, a stark contrast from the current plans that call for residents to limit irrigation to between 6 p.m. and 10 a.m. daily.

The city now is in a mandatory drought plan stage 2, which limits users to the 6 p.m. to 10 a.m. watering window, requires large property owners to clear watering plans with the city and for nurseries to use handheld devices, drip or sprinkler irrigation systems.

Gonzalez said residents can begin saving water now, rather than waiting for the other shoe to drop.

He said the city also is considering a year-round ban on watering between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m., regardless of reservoir levels, a measure that Mayor Nelda Martinez called a good idea.

Council members weighed in, depending on their backgrounds and expertise, on how the city might better manage water consumption.

Councilman David Loeb said businesses can tear out water-hungry landscaping in favor of drought-friendly plants. He said he knew of a commercial relandscaping project that paid for itself in less than two years.

Gonzalez said the city is working on rebate programs for customers who switch to drought-friendly landscaping and is working with property owners who need financial assistance repairing costly water leaks.

Councilman Chad Magill said the city should look at how it may switch to conservation-friendly landscaping on its own properties.

The draft restriction plan will appear before council in April, Gonzalez said.

A town hall meeting is planned Wednesday for the public to hear ideas on water conservation and an update on current water supplies.

IF YOU GO:

What: Corpus Christi water forum where officials will offer tips on outdoor water conservation and water supply.

When: 4 p.m. Wednesday

Where: City utility building, 2726 Holly Road

Imagine Eugene taking a great green leap forward. It could happen at this year’s Green Neighbors Fair.

A great green leap forward might involve new businesses with progressive social and environmental practices. It might involve faith communities, families, students, neighbors and employees all taking new initiatives for going darker green.

Such a leap could include kids learning healthy food choices, homeowners turning suburban properties into sources of food and energy, and young people being paid to do planet-friendly work while learning new skills.

All these and more are on the books in Eugene — along with its reputation for bikes, natural foods and green culture. But far more needs to be done to mitigate deepening trends relating to climate change, the economy and the environment. How can we come together, create an engaging vision and steepen the action curve for going green in the southern Willamette Valley?

Eugene has an unprecedented opportunity for steepening the curve. Here’s the story.

Research to support a climate communication strategy has been conducted over the past two years by the city of Eugene’s Sustainability Office. There is no immediate plan to move this strategy forward, but a great deal of groundwork for a public outreach campaign — which offers exciting new potential for steepening the curve — has already been accomplished.

As part of this process, a remarkable survey was made public last summer that clearly shows a significant majority of people in Eugene connect the dots between climate change, human-caused damage to the environment and our own resource-intensive lifestyles. A majority recognize an urgent need to go green and would like to know more about choices for doing so.

A community outreach campaign offers immense potential. It would have many partners and networks, public and private. For example, programs such as Neighborhood Watch, neighborhood mapping organizations and emergency preparedness groups could add promoting front-yard gardens and the outreach campaign to their programs. Planting edible landscaping on public property — schools, parks and streets — could be part of a campaign. Eugene’s neighborhood associations could help promote and coordinate greening the neighborhoods.

Block planning is a powerful but unused tool in Eugene’s land-use tool kit. It could become a core action for the campaign. In block planning, residents and property owners of a city block agree to make changes over a certain period. With a block plan, code compliance can become far more flexible and green than single property changes in terms of setbacks, parking, traffic, stormwater, landscaping and commercial use.

Block planning would create jobs for tradespeople and architects, credit unions, permaculture planners and hardware stores. Young people could be mentored in block planning skills. Landscapes could produce food. Streets could be safer for everyone. Block planning can create more green space by trading streets, driveways and garages for greener uses. Smart density means protecting nearby farmland and enhancing public transportation options.

Many familiar programs, initiatives and organizations can be models adapted for new use. Think about a green “united way” to fund ideas such as green credit unions where people could invest locally to fund planet-friendly infrastructure projects or a green “people corps” for teaching young and not-so-young people practical skills to benefit themselves and the community.

These are only a few examples of what an outreach campaign might include. Many local issues and global trends can be mitigated simultaneously — issues and trends relating to the environment, the economy, youth, jobs, safety, security, climate change, resources and global relations. A greener culture is a healthier culture.

To move this initiative forward, people need to know about it. A community event can help acquaint the public with this great opportunity, where the entire strategy and process can be explained in terms of its history, current status and what an outreach campaign might include.

Such an event would bring together an impressive array of Eugene’s green assets — public and private, business, faith, educational, nonprofits and ad hoc — that could become partners and companions for an outreach campaign. Finally, this community event could help identify what actions citizens can be take to help move this whole initiative forward.

That’s exactly what is planned for the Green Neighbors Fair, from 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Feb. 23 at the First United Methodist Church, 1376 Olive St. in Eugene. More information is available at eugenesustainability.org.

A great green leap forward will take an unprecedented level of participation. We have many allies and assets to work with. A large chunk of the groundwork is already complete. There are enormous benefits to be gained at home, and in the neighborhood, the community and the world. It’s simply a matter of the ideas we imagine and the choices we make to turn them into action.

Jan Spencer of Eugene, a neighborhood and permaculture activist, is helping organize the Green Neighbors Fair.

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LIVINGSTON MANOR — They met and they imagined.

Now the wish list compiled by more than 80 Livingston Manor residents who gathered on consecutive Thursdays last month to set a course for hamlet’s future is being put into play.

Of dozens of ideas hammered out of those “visioning” workshops, three have been designated as priority projects: a school-based community center, a river/rail-trail walk and redevelopment of upper Main Street. Rockland’s Town Board will meet this week and discuss the next step: forming a committee charged with determining how much money and other requirements are needed to complete each project.

“We’re in the first stages of kind of seeing what we can actually make happen,” Supervisor Ed Weitmann said.

Roughly 35 ideas emerged from the two workshops, which were sponsored by the Livingston Manor Chamber of Commerce and Livingston Manor Renaissance, and facilitated by Sullivan Renaissance and the county’s Planning Department.

The ideas ranged from a commercial kitchen and a comedy club to a “living herb” center and a wind turbine.

The three receiving the most votes: a river walk along the Willowemoc; a rail trail; an extension of the Main Street business district toward Shandalee, with new lighting and sidewalks; and a school-based community center for residents, seniors and students.

“We’re very excited,” said Marge Feuerstein of Sullivan Renaissance.

Renaissance energy

Already the town has approached the Boys Girls Clubs about youth activities, Weitmann said. And Livingston Manor Renaissance expects to apply to Sullivan Renaissance for planning grants, Feuerstein.

“There’s no question that we will be going forward at least with studies,” she said.

The workshops were held roughly two months after dozens of people stood on Main Street and watched a fire destroy the landmark Hoos Building and its occupants: Hot Corner Sports Collectibles, Moose Be Morning Caf, the Lazy Beagle Pub Grill and Willow and Brown.

And last September flooding along Cattail Creek damaged two homes and roadways and caused the closure of three bridges.

But organizers of January’s workshops said the energy from the surprising turnout mirrored the energy behind a renaissance that began transforming the hamlet about 10 years ago.

That one led to new sidewalks, lighting and landscaping, and a surge in new businesses.

“It’s a decade, and it was time,” Feuerstein said.

lsparks@th-record.com

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