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When it comes to landscaping, a common mistake gardeners make is not looking at the big picture, says Jean Westcott, landscape designer and owner of The Artful Gardener on Mt. Hope Avenue in Rochester.

Gardeners often like to buy accessories such as a gazing globe or a new pot, but it’s important for a gardener to see the whole picture when adding ornaments to the garden, she says.

Westcott will be speaking about “Ornaments in the Garden — A Designer’s Perspective” at the Rochester Civic Garden Center’s 23rd annual spring symposium March 1 at the Memorial Art Gallery. Westcott will be joined by garden author and designer Julie Moir Messervy, who will talk about her book Landscape Ideas that Work (Taunton Press $21.95). Moir Messervy is well-known for her work on the Toronto Music Garden.

Westcott worked as a landscape designer in Philadelphia and New Jersey for many years before moving to Rochester eight years ago after her husband, Mark, got a new job.

The couple moved to the Highland Park neighborhood, and Westcott fell in love with history of the neighborhood as well as the landscape and architecture of the area.

She and her husband often would walk by a little floral shop at 727 Mt. Hope Ave. and admire the whimsical building.

As luck would have it, the building became available for sale in 2008. Westcott took a leap of faith and bought it, transforming the building that was in need of TLC into a garden retail shop.

“After 20 years of designing gardens, I still wanted to do that, but I also wanted to do something different,” Westcott says.

She tapped her savings and spent a year with contractors fixing the building, adding a staircase to create an office studio and brightening the retail space. Since it was 2009 and the economy was struggling, Westcott was able to hire contractors affordably.

“In a better economy, I couldn’t have done it,” she says.

The Artful Gardener opened on May 8, 2010, with a focus on hard-to-find garden accessories, as well as gifts.

“I knew I wanted to sell things that couldn’t be found in garden centers,” Westcott says.

CLEVELAND, Ohio — Searching for a way to stop polluting overflows of their antiquated storm and sewer systems, growing numbers of U.S. cities are looking to green solutions that they hope will save millions, if not billions of dollars, while also helping to beautify blighted inner-city neighborhoods.

Last month, Akron Mayor Don Plusquellic announced that his city would join that movement, withdrawing its $1.4 billion long-term sewer cleanup plan – which involved boring deep tunnels beneath the existing sewer to catch the putrid soup of raw sewage and rainwater before it is expelled into nearby waterways.

“It’s not an amount our ratepayers can stomach or afford,” said Phil Montgomery, Akron’s deputy director of public service. “And we’re looking to do something about it.”

To that end, the city will explore the cost-savings potential of so-called “green infrastructure,” above-ground features that mimic nature by using grass, trees and soil to help rainwater soak slowly into the ground or evaporate before it has a chance to flood the system.

In contrast, the Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District is as committed as ever to its $3 billion plan to solve its overflow conundrum with mostly tunnels while giving minimal attention to a greener approach that city planners and redevelopment advocates say could transform some of Cleveland’s 20,000 vacant parcels into lush landscapes. The district has set aside $80 million — 2.6 percent of the entire budget — for green technology.

This rendering shows a sewer district ‘green’ infrastructure project in Cleveland’s Slavic Village neighborhood.Courtesy of the Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District

Sewer district Executive Director Julius Ciacca and his team believe that green projects have their place in an overflow prevention strategy. But cheaper or not, the technology is still unproven in large-scale applications, they say. And when aiming to meet a series of strict federally mandated benchmarks, potentially paying more for a reliable outcome is better than gambling on green.

“It needs to be a balancing act,” said Kellie Rotunno, the sewer district’s director of engineering and construction. “When you’re dealing with combined sewer overflow, (tunnels) are a crucial piece, because you can get a large volume out in a short period of time. …. It may be arguably more expensive than green infrastructure, but we can get it implemented in a much shorter period of time, addressing the environmental impact, which we think is really the issue that needs to be talked about.”

Sewer District: It’s not easy going ‘green.’

Sewer district officials contend that no number of green approaches – water retention basins, or other above-ground, water-absorbing landscaping – would ever solve the region’s problem on their own. Their reasoning: It takes a great volume of rainwater flowing through a retention pond to equal one gallon of sewer overflow underground.

And in a region aiming to purge four billion gallons of water and sewage overflow from its system, that’s a heavy lift for green technology.

Philadelphia, widely viewed as a green infrastructure pioneer, is the sewer district’s favorite example of a city that has set what the district calls unrealistic goals for its green methods of managing sewer overflow. That city’s water department, which is under a consent order with the state of Pennsylvania rather than the federal government, aims to install between 8,000 and 12,000 acres of green projects in the next two decades to bring its combined sewer overflow level down to 8 billion gallons a year.

That’s still higher than Northeast Ohio’s current level, Ciaccia notes.

As of this writing, and after two years of work, Philadelphia has about 100 acres of piecemeal projects throughout the city. And Ciaccia contends that the city faces a long, unpredictable road ahead. (Return to cleveland.com next week for more on the pros and cons of Philadelphia’s green projects.)

To pass muster with the U.S. EPA, the Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District needs to be able to control its project sites permanently and guarantee that land will never be reclaimed for development. Mayors, struggling with the reality of population loss, can be reluctant to cede once-developed land to be transformed permanently into green space, sewer district officials say.

Determining who will pay to maintain the plant life and clear debris from those sites is another headache – one the sewer district hopes to avoid.

The district also argues against the general assumption that green storm water management features are welcome in every neighborhood.

Some green projects look rather unassuming, taking the form of trees along the roadside, planted above a culvert that diverts rainwater from the combined sewer to the root system. But others appear as grassy basins — uneven ground, unsuitable for recreation when dry and waterlogged after a heavy rain. And in a city as poor as Cleveland, those basins run the risk of becoming neglected, trash-strewn eyesores. Getting residents to embrace the concept is tougher than it may seem, the district says.

Add to all of those concerns the process of negotiating terms of a consent decree with the federal government under the threat of lawsuit — an experience that sewer district officials describe as stressful, protracted and demoralizing.

In 2006, federal regulators called for the district to eliminate 97 percent of its combined sewer overflow by 2036. Failing to hit certain benchmarks showing a permanent reduction in the amount of sewage pouring into the environment would trigger massive fines.

Throughout most of the district’s negotiation, the regulatory climate heavily favored tunnels and improvements to water treatment facilities over green options, Ciaccia says.

But late in the negotiations, the federal government raised the bar for the sewer district – demanding that the sewer overflow be reduced by one more percentage point. Trying to give ratepayers a reprieve, the district pushed for permission to incorporate green infrastructure in the plan to capture those final gallons of overflow. They argued it would cost half as much as expanding the diameter of a tunnel.

They won the battle. The 10 green projects that resulted will cost $80 million and collectively prevent 46 million gallons of sewage from emptying into the lake. (See our sidebar highlighting NEORSD’s proposed green projects.)

In a recent interview, U.S. EPA officials said that the sewer district’s consent decree was the first in the country to require a green component.

Before then, green infrastructure largely was considered a tool to reduce the impact of storm water pollution in regions with systems that separate rainwater and sewage. Retention ponds and other green features capture storm water before it picks up pollutants on city streets and surfaces and is discharged to the environment.

In areas served by combined rainwater and sewage systems, green features can handle the first inch of rainfall effectively, the officials said. Beyond that, however, the overflow defaults to the sewer system below, where deep tunnels and reservoirs can catch huge volumes of water and sewage after the heaviest rains.

Only in the last several years have cities begun blending green and gray solutions to achieve cost-savings and other benefits to the community, said EPA Region 5 Administrator Susan Hedman. And toward that end, the Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District is well-positioned with flexible terms in its consent decree that allow the district to swap tunnels for above ground green features, wherever it makes sense.

“The way this consent decree was structured – to allow the district, at any time, to switch to green infrastructure alternatives that are more cost-effective – is an indication that no opportunities have been lost here,” Hedman said, adding that she believes the district’s consent decree was on the “leading edge” of green infrastructure. “As Cleveland reclaims more vacant land in neighborhoods where storm water management is needed most, the opportunities can be captured while implementing this plan over the next 25 years.”

Cost comparison can be tricky

But Ciaccia and his team of engineers have conveyed to the sewer district board, as well as to advocates and reporters, that going any further with green infrastructure – replacing entire stretches of tunnel with a series of above-ground features — would be more expensive than just sticking with so-called gray technology.

They point to numbers that show the sewer district’s green projects cost $1.79 per gallon of sewage overflow reduction, compared to a thrifty 75 cents per gallon for traditional, underground infrastructure.

But the sewer district’s comparison is misleading.

The proposed green projects are being used only to eliminate the most expensive portion of the overflow — that final percentage point the federal government pushed for — after the $3 billion in giant tunnels, pipes and other traditional features already are built.

Expanding the diameter of those tunnels to capture that extra percentage point of sewer sludge would cost $2.79 per gallon.

What the district’s analysis fails to estimate is how much the district would have paid per gallon had it considered using green technology from the beginning. That figure would provide a fair comparison to the 75 cents per gallon the district will spend on gray infrastructure.

District officials say they have not done that calculation.

Yet, at a January sewer board meeting, during which members asked Ciaccia about the cost of tunnels vs. green projects, the director maintained that tunnels were most cost-effective.

“In our case, and it’s going to be different in every city, it’s looking more expensive to do green,” Ciaccia said.

During that same meeting, Rotunno characterized the publicity generated by Philadelphia’s green storm water management project as “propaganda.”

Consent decree do-over?

The sewer district’s deal with the federal government allows it to swap out underground projects for green ones, as long as the district still hits its regulatory benchmarks.

But the district has never studied incorporating green into its plan from the ground-up – and district officials say they don’t intend to. That would require fundamentally changing projects that already are planned.

Rotunno acknowledged in a recent interview that the inertia of the consent decree negotiations left the district hamstrung, restricted in how and where it could use green infrastructure to achieve its goals. If she were negotiating it today, she said, she would seek even more flexibility to invest in green projects wherever the city or developers were turning dirt.

But, she added that she doesn’t want to upend the green projects already planned and start over.

“Right now, the train’s on the tracks and we’ve got green projects that are cost-effective compared to the requirement in the consent decree,” Rotunno said. “I don’t know that we would want to pull the rug out from under the projects. I think those projects are moving forward.”

Since the district forged its consent decree, members of the National League of Cities and the U.S. Mayors Conference have called upon the U.S EPA to allow more flexibility in how regions handle their sewage overflow problems.

The EPA responded with a series of memoranda, encouraging its regional offices to promote green alternatives when they make sense and to help cities develop so-called “integrated plans,” which take a comprehensive approach to solving water quality issues.

In a recent interview, Ciaccia said the district has notified the U.S. EPA that it wishes to reopen its consent decree – not to find ways to reduce the number of tunnels, but rather, to develop an integrated plan.

A revision or a supplement to the consent decree could grant the district permission to address other contributors to water pollution first – such as agricultural run-off – if a study reveals that those problems are more dire for the health of Lake Erie than the combined sewer overflow issue.

But Ciaccia acknowledged that while the federal government might be inclined to give the district more time to achieve all of its goals under an integrated plan, sewage overflow would have to be addressed eventually, if not first.

And in the end, that approach might cost you and your neighbors even more.

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Your feedback, questions and story ideas will shape our future coverage of Northeast Ohio’s controversial tunnel project and the green vs. gray infrastructure debate. What aspects of this story deserve more attention? We invite your thoughts. Email us at latassi@cleveland.com.

Series continues next week at cleveland.com/drain.

Running a business from home keeps overheads low and allows better control of the finances. Unless it is a business that tends lawns, plans weddings, or sells special gifts, and is prone to seasonal peaks and troughs and unpredictable income. The challenge for the owners of these seasonally-affected home businesses is keeping their cashflow in check and their bank account in the black.

Katherine Hudson set up her outdoor marquee business The Arabian Tent Company from her home in East Sussex in 2004. With peak season running from April to September, she has a lengthy off-peak season, so balancing the finances is a challenge.

“It is a case of budgeting and ensuring that the wash of cashflow is not spent during the summer, but saved for the winter months. Squirrel activities, essentially,” she says.

In an effort to counter the seasonal impact, she has launched a second business, specialising in theming indoor venues and furniture hire, and has introduced a deposit system to further streamline her fluctuating cashflow.

She explains: “Events pay a 25% deposit to book, if they are booking a year in advance. On 1 January of the year of the event, they pay a further 25%, so that we have an influx of cash at the start of January, and that really helps.

“The indoor theming business is definitely growing, but is not quite where I want it to be, which is equivalent to the tent business in July. However, with some careful venue partnering this year, we may well have a much busier Christmas period next year.”

Harrison hasn’t ruled out a third business startup to fill in the seasonal revenue gaps – with chimney sweeping among the ideas mooted.

She says: “I haven’t pursued it as yet. I’m holding out hope that the indoor event business will grow enough not to need this. It would give our crew and vehicles something to do. However, even if it was lucrative, I wouldn’t be as passionate about sweeping chimneys as I am about making beautiful events for people to enjoy.”

Anyone planning to start a horticultural business should be well aware of and prepared for the seasonal nature of the work. But the British weather is so unpredictable and frequently unseasonal that it can blow their business plans and financial forecasts completely off course.

That is exactly what happened to Hew Stevenson, owner of landscaping business Shoots and Leaves, based in west London. During a typical summer season, he would expect to handle around eight client appointments per day, falling to around five per week during the winter months – a seasonal pattern he could plan for.

However, bad weather had affected the business during peak season, causing it to fall to worrying levels. So last year, he came up with the idea of selling Christmas trees.

He says: “You have to prepare for the seasonality, and if clients are flexible, try and book them in for the leaner off-peak months. However, the weather had affected the landscaping side of the business quite badly, slowing it right down, so the idea to rescue it was simple. Every home and business had a Christmas tree. Through my local BNI breakfast business networking club colleagues, who told all their friends and families, I suddenly had hundreds of enquiries and pre-orders.”

Of his total £850,000 turnover last year, almost £300,000 came from tree sales in December alone.

“The Christmas trees have helped us deal with the seasonality issues, and in spite of the slowdown in the landscaping business, allowed us to maintain our normal staffing levels. They are more than a sideline. I would say the trees are now an essential part of our business,” adds Stevenson.

Juggling finances and budgets and managing cashflow are not the only challenges facing the owners of seasonal businesses. They also have to plan their marketing and advertising strategies around the seasonal fluctuations in trade, which can mean spending money at a time when there is little coming in.

The Hotel Nanny, a provider of high-end nanny services to exclusive hotels, is run by founder and former teacher Angela Roach from her home in the Cotswolds. Peak times for the business are similar to those of the wedding season, predominantly over the summer months, with a smaller peak at Christmas.

There are also opportunities in the weekend break market, as many couples go away for a short spell for wedding anniversaries and birthdays. This year, the company plans to offer a post-baby package to couples who recently had a baby. Success will depend on advance marketing and promotional campaigns.

Roach says: “Revenue is down during off-peak season, so we have to reign in our spend in certain areas, but you also have to keep your nerve. It can be daunting dipping into the savings when business is quiet but the only way to grow your business is to let the world know that you exist.

“Facebook advertising is a great way of reminding people about our service and attracting new customers. It’s cost effective and allows us to promote our news easily, whether we’re announcing a new hotel that’s come on board, good reviews, press coverage or events that we are sponsoring.”

The Hotel Nanny team largely comprises consultants – a flexible model that also works well in terms of effectively managing and deploying resources throughout the year.

Roach adds: “You have to have a sound business plan, to grow and expand, whatever the current climate. You have to be bold. It’s not just about marketing. We have to deliver the very best in everything we do. It’s this philosophy that makes the fluctuations more manageable and helps us focus on keeping the business steady, while constantly being on the lookout for opportunities that can lessen the lows.”

Sign up to become a member of the Guardian Small Business Network here for more advice, insight and best practice direct to your inbox.

The New Smyrna Beach Citizens for Smart Growth want to see the road and neighborhood given that moniker — an ode to the area’s history. They also want some zoning classifications along the causeway eliminated, more of an emphasis on residential growth, the speed limit reduced and low-speed vehicles allowed. Also among the group’s 18-point wish list for the boulevard that links the city’s two distinct commercial districts is enhanced landscaping — one that the city is now equipped to achieve to the tune of $1 million.

The city received word from the Florida Department of Transportation recently that it would receive a $500,000 grant from the agency to beautify a stretch of the North Causeway from Riverside Drive to the George E. Musson Bridge. City officials had already set aside $400,000 in Community Redevelopment Agency money for the project and added another $100,000 to the pot through a budget transfer to match the FDOT grant.

While City Manager Pam Brangaccio said the beautification plan still is “very basic” in concept, it’s likely to include the planting of new shade trees, the addition of “wave pattern” crosswalks, a new sidewalk on the north side of the roadway, pedestrian shelters, new lighting and landscaped islands in the median.

“I think this beautification plan is a tremendous asset and a key element of the overall end product that we’re all trying to achieve,” Danaher said.

The $500,000 grant from FDOT, which could be available to the city in the next fiscal year beginning July 1, was approved on the condition that city officials use “bold landscaping” where possible, “using many large trees, and few if any shrubs to produce the highest visual impact” according to an email sent Feb. 5 from Dennisse Zornan, FDOT production project manager, to Assistant City Manager Khalid Resheidat.

“It has to be for large, large trees — impact landscaping,” Brangaccio said.

While city officials had to send a conceptual drawing to FDOT to apply for the grant, Brangaccio said a design contract still has to be awarded for the project. Construction would begin Feb. 2015.

“We don’t even know yet where the utility conflicts are, where the right-of-way lines are, all of that would happen during the design process,” she said.

The beautification project could parallel a spate of new development along the North Causeway, including the New Smyrna Marina, which in addition to a marina, includes a restaurant and a fishing supply store and plans for 21 single-family homes. The first phase of a potential 200-unit condominium development at 99 N. Causeway called Isola Bella is also in the planning pipeline.

“Everything’s starting to come together,” Danaher said.

Danaher said he and other representatives from Citizens for Smart Growth want to sit down with city officials to see what steps need to be taken for their ideas about the North Causeway to become a reality.

“We think it’s going to be a tremendous improvement,” Danaher said of the beautification project. “And I would say working in conjunction with the rest of the ideas in our plan, we think as the whole thing starts to come together, it will really make a difference.”

Send your North Central public event notices (including recreational sports) for free to Edmond Ortiz at eortiz@express-news.net; by fax at 250-3350; or by mail to him in c/o North Central News, P.O. Box 2171, San Antonio, TX 78297-2171. Submissions must be received by noon Thursday prior to the next desired Wednesday publication date. Items run on a space-available basis.

ONGOING

Education

Source of Light (SoL) Center at University Presbyterian Church, 300 Bushnell, is offering a variety of community courses, covering topics such as race, yogaia peace yoga, interfaith issues, social justice, writing, ecology and environmentalism. “Plotting Your Personal Story: Discovering Your Myth” is offered 7-9 p.m. Saturday, and 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Sunday ($85). Contact: www.upcsa.org/sol_center or 732-9927.

Apply by Thursday for Gardening Volunteers of South Texas’ Watersaver Landscape Design School, set for 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Saturday at Barshop Jewish Community Center, 12500 N.W. Military Highway. Four presentations will focus on the basics of low-water landscaping, contemporary design ideas, plants that thrive in San Antonio, and drip irrigation installation and management. Also, one-on-one idea consultations with experienced gardeners will be offered. Costs: $25-$40 (fee includes three full-color plant and landscape guides and the CD version of “Drip-Line Gardening”). Contact: 251-8101, or www.GardeningVolunteers.org.

San Antonio Feral Cat Coalition holds a public, free workshop 2-4 p.m. March 1 at San Antonio Humane Society, 4804 Fredericksburg Road, on how to properly trap, neuter and release feral cats. Visit: www.sanantonioferalcats.org.

“Breaking the Silence: Drug Trends Among Teenagers,” a discussion for Alamo Heights Independent School District parents and guardians, will be held 5:30-7 p.m. March 3 at Alamo Heights Junior School, 7607 N. New Braunfels Ave. Mayra T. de Hoyos, coordinator of school support services for Education Service Center, Region 20, will be the guest speaker. Admission is free. RSVP to: Michelli Ramon, mramon@ahisd.net or 824-2483.

The next round of the North East ISD’s community engagement process, “Transforming the Future,” continues with a 6 p.m. public forum Tuesday, March 4, at MacArthur High School, 2923 MacArthur View. For the past several months, community members, students, parents, teachers, and campus and district administrators, have been working on Transforming the Future strategic plan. The plan will be shared through these public events. Visit: www.neisd.net/transforming-the-future.

Inspire Fine Art Center, 200 Queen Anne Court, hosts free “Passport to Inspiration”/ Family Art Day 10 a.m.-1 p.m. second Saturdays. Participants pick a stamp, stamp their “passport,” create art projects and have a snack. When the child has four stamps in their passport, he/she receives a free T-shirt and when a child has seven stamps, he/she receives 50 percent off the registration fee for an art class. Contact: 829-5592 or www.inspirefineart.org.

Alamo KidSports is a sport development company teaching soccer, baseball and basketball to children 18 months to 6 years in a non-competitive, fun environment. Alamo KidSports offers weekly 50-minute classes at Spectrum Athletic Club at Alamo Heights. Visit: www.alamototsports.com.

The Playhouse, 800 W. Ashby Place, hosts live theatrical workshops and classes. Contact: 733-7258 or www.ThePlayhouseSA.org.

Land of Virtuosity youth performing arts academy, Scottish Rite Auditorium, 305 Avenue E, offers a variety of classes and special seasonal camps related to all aspects of live theater, film and dance. Contact: 844-4298 or www.landofvirtuosity.org.

Learn chanting “hu,” an ancient name for God, during a free class discussion at 6 p.m. Fridays at the Eckankar Spiritual Center of San Antonio, 1603 W. Lullwood. Regardless of your beliefs or religion, you are invited sing hu with the Texas Satsang Society. Contact: www.Eckankar-Texas.org or 737-6863.

Pinot’s Palette-Alamo Heights, 7959 Broadway, Suite 402, hosts painting classes and special events. Contact: 832-8004 or www.pinotspalette.com/AlamoHeights.

Viva! Bookstore at Viva Galleria, 8407 Broadway, hosts classes, workshops and special events, ranging from exercise and meditation to writing and art. Contact: 826-1143 or www.vivabooks.com.

Unlimited Thought Life Enrichment Center, 5525 Blanco Road, hosts Hatha yoga classes 7-8:30 p.m. Thursdays. Cost: $12 per drop-in, $40 for one month. This is open to all ages and levels. Call: 525-0693.

The Josephine Theater, 339 W. Josephine St., is hosting Inish Free School of Irish Dancing classes. Visit: www.inishfreetx.com/Inishfree_Texas/Home.html. Call: 842-6407.

Art Works, 1840 Nacogdoches Road, hosts art classes for ages 2-18, as well as occasional Arts Night Out (parents’ night out). Contact: 826-2787 or www.artworkstx.com.

Entertainment/dining

Piranha Killer Sushi, 260 E. Basse Road, Suite 101, hosts a sake-tasting event each first and third Tuesday night. Cost: $25 (includes five different sakes paired with a small tasting as well as dessert). Today, Piranha offers active and retired military personnel a 15 percent discount on all food items, and all military receive a complimentary beverage.

Barriba Cantina, 111 Crockett St., open 11 a.m.-2 p.m. daily, offers Mexican street food available until closing time. There’s live music 9 p.m. daily, and during the day Fridays through Sundays. Admission is free. Visit: www.barribacantina.com.

Clubs/special interest/business

Join the Alamo Metro Chorus’ Sweet Adelines, the world’s largest women’s singing group, for voice lessons and high-energy performance techniques at 6:30 p.m. Thursdays at Beitel Memorial Lutheran Church, 2515 Austin Highway. Contact: 514-0976 or www.alamometrochorus.org.

Alamo Heights United Methodist Church, 825 E. Basse Road, hosts Thursday Lunch Bunch at 11:45 a.m.-12:45 p.m. Thursdays. People age 50 and older are invited to eat lunch in or takeout. Cost: $5. Call: 805-3215 for reservations.

BNI=Stone Oak Business Network meets 11:30 a.m. Thursdays at The Club at Sonterra, 901 Sonterra Blvd. Contact: http://www.bnidfw.com/tx-san-antonio-bni-stone-oak-business-network-(so).

Alamo Heights Chamber of Commerce has a luncheon 11:30 a.m. first Wednesdays at Paesano’s, 555 E. Basse Road. Mixers are held third Thursdays at various member locations. Visit: http://alamoheightschamber.org.

San Antonio Area Retired Teachers Association hold its monthly meeting 1 p.m. today at the San Antonio Garden Center, 3310 N. New Braunfels Ave.

Greater San Antonio Camera Club meets at 7:30 p.m. each first and third Thursdays at the Lions Field Adult Center, 2809 Broadway. The first gathering is an educational meeting, the third Thursday is a competition with members presenting alternating digital and print photographs for peer judging and commentary. Admission is free and all skill levels of photographers are welcome. Visit: www.gsacc.org or Facebook.com/home.php?#!/pages/Greater-San-Antonio-Camera-Club/121865424504012.

Northeast Bexar County Democrats meet at noon first Saturdays at Grady’s BBQ, 6510 San Pedro Ave. Lunch will be available. Admission is free and open to the public. Visit: www.nebcd.org. NEBCD will have a dinner fundraiser 6-10 p.m. this Saturday at Joint Base San Antonio-Fort Sam Houston Community Center, Building 1395, Chaffee Road. Rosie Castro, long-time community activist and mother of San Antonio Mayor Julian Castro and U.S. Rep. Joaquin Castro, will be the featured speaker. There also will be auctions, a chance to meet with local candidates and elected officials, and more. Contact: Gloria Dew, 538-5320

Leah Goot Group of the San Antonio Chapter of Hadassah holds its annual “blue box” meeting at 3 p.m. Sunday at Adante Senior Living, 2739 Cembalo Blvd. Members are encouraged to bring their Jewish National Fund collection boxes in order to purchase trees in Israel. Also, master gardener Sylvie Rogers will discuss container gardening. Light refreshments will be served. Anyone may attend. Contact: Marge Present, 492-5133, or Debbie Linck, 391-3594.

Alamo Sierra Club meets at 6:30 p.m. third Tuesdays at the Witte Museum, 3801 Broadway. Admission is free and open to the public. Socializing and snacks begin at 6 p.m. Contact: 828-1233 or gaywright46@yahoo.com.

San Antonio Chapter, Sons of The American Revolution, holds its monthly meeting and luncheon at 11:30 a.m. third Wednesdays at The Petroleum Club, 8620 N. New Braunfels Ave. Cost: $23. There will be a guest speaker. Guests and prospective members are welcome. RSVP by the preceding Monday to treasurer Bob Clark, reservations@sarsat.org or 402-0871.

San Antonio Calligraphers Guild meets 7 p.m. first Thursdays at Christ Episcopal Church, 510 Belknap Place (except for the summer). Visitors are welcome and may attend two meetings without paying memberships dues. Visit: www.sanantoniocalligraphy.com.

San Antonio Audubon Society holds its monthly meeting at 7 p.m. first Thursdays at The First Tee, 915 E. Mulberry Ave. Contact: 308-6788 or www.saaudubon.org.

San Antonio Audubon Society presents its second Saturday beginners’ bird walk, starting at 7:30 a.m. Meet trip leader Georgina Schwartz at the Judson Nature Trails in Alamo Heights, 246 Viesca. Non-members are welcome and binoculars with instructions can be provided. Contact Schwartz for details: 342-2073 or www.saaudubon.org.

National Association of Women Business Owners-San Antonio Chapter (NAWBO-SA) holds its 15th annual Entrepreneurial Spirit Awards Gala 6:30 p.m. March 19 at Oak Hills Country Club, 5403 Fredericksburg Road. This includes dinner, live and silent auctions, and live music. Tickets: $85 per person. Contact: 408-1220 or www.nawbosa.org.

Alamo Chapter of MOAA (Military Officers Association of America) has a Solitaires’ Sunday brunch once a month at the Randolph Officers’ Club. This monthly gathering of single officers (active and retired) or widow(er)s of officers is an opportunity to socialize and just have fun. No registration is necessary; pay as you go. Must be a member of the Alamo-MOAA chapter or be willing to join at the meeting. Visit: www.alamomoaa.org.

Los Bexareños Genealogical and Historical Society holds its monthly meeting at 9:30 a.m. first Saturdays with a social coffee at Central Library, 600 Soledad, first floor auditorium. Contact: Louis Benavides, 735-8717.

Newcomers of San Antonio is a non-for-profit social organization founded in 1981. Membership is open to anyone residing in the greater San Antonio area for two years or less. The group sponsors social events (monthly luncheons each first Thursday, and monthly morning coffees each third Thursday), interest groups (games, book club, evening groups and local day trips), and opportunities for community involvement. Visit: NewcomersofSanAntonio.org.

Rotary Clubs: Alamo Heights, noon Tuesdays at The Petroleum Club, 8620 N. New Braunfels Ave. (www.ahrotary.org).

Lions Clubs: Alamo Heights, 7 p.m. first and third Wednesdays at the Magic Time Machine, 902 N.E. Loop 410. Visit: http://texaslions2a2.org/clubs.html.

Optimist Clubs: Alamo Heights, 7:30 p.m. Tuesdays at The Barn Door; Towne and Country, 7:30 p.m. Thursdays at Grady’s BBQ on San Pedro Avenue. Visit: www.stxd.org.

Toastmasters Clubs (learn how to get ahead by improving your communication and leadership skills): Alamo Heights, 7 p.m. Wednesdays at University of the Incarnate Word – administrative building Room 265 (www.alamo.freetoasthost.org).

San Antonio Astronomical Association meets at 6:30 p.m. each second Friday at Christ Lutheran Church, 6720 Broadway. Visit: www.sananantonioastronomy.org.

Games/crafts/sports

Olmos Park residents are free to take part in Cycle at the Circle 9-11 a.m. first Saturdays around Alameda Circle. Nearby streets are closed to through traffic during those two hours while bicyclists enjoy the scenery and other activities.

San Antonio Aggie Moms Club holds its second annual Texas Freedom Scholarship Gala 6:30-11:30 p.m. March 1 at the Fort Sam Houston Golf Club to benefit the scholarship fund for Bexar County students attending Texas AM University in College Station or Galveston. This includes dinner, live music, and a silent auction. Tickets: $60 per person. Sponsorships available. Contact: Christi Forestier 391-0634 or ch4estier@yahoo.com; or Katy Gawlik 573-7653 or katgaw@aol.com; or sanantoniomoms.aggienetwork.com.

St Anthony de Padua’s annual ACTS golf tournament benefit is to be held April 6 at The Republic Golf Club, 4226 S.E. Military Drive. The event will include “Dress Like Johnny” contest in honor of the death of longtime golf committee member, Johnny Frausto. Contact: Bob Cardenas, 972-342-5886, or George Sanchez 273-5501.

San Antonio Gaelic Athletic Club’s football practices are open to men and women ages 18 and up, from all backgrounds, at 6 p.m. Wednesdays and 9 a.m. Saturdays at the Olmos Basin Park rugby pitch. SAGAC last year competed in national competition, where it won the Junior D Gaelic Football Shield. Visit: www.sanantoniogac.org or see the club at Facebook.

Geeks Who Drink presents trivia games at 8 p.m. Tuesdays at Lion and Rose Pub, 5148 Broadway. Prizes and free pints are up for grabs. Visit: www.geekswhodrink.com.

Retail/dining

Pearl Brewery, 200 E. Grayson St., holds First Thursdays 5-8 p.m., featuring special deals from Pearl shops along with pop-up sidewalk sales, music and refreshments. Admission is free and open to the public.

Volunteers/charity

Alpha Home’s “Doorways of Hope” benefit luncheon takes place 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. March 7 at the Omni San Antonio Hotel, 9821 Colonnade Blvd. Legendary former Spur George “The Iceman” Gervin will talk about his almost 20-years of recovery from cocaine. Additionally, community leaders Gayle and Sam Youngblood will be honored at the event for their volunteer involvement and support of Alpha Home’s mission to provide spiritually based substance abuse prevention and treatment programs. Tickets: $150 apiece. Contact: 735-3822 or www.alphahome.org.

Boiler House Texas Grill and Wine Garden, Pearl Brewery, donates 20 percent of net proceeds from dinners each third Monday night to the San Antonio River Foundation. Visit: www.boilerhousesa.com.

Child Advocates San Antonio (CASA), 406 San Pedro Ave., is a nonprofit that recruits and trains volunteers who are appointed by courts to advocate for the “best interest” of abused and neglected children. Volunteers visit with the children and gather information to help a court make informed decisions and ensure that children are placed in safe, permanent homes. CASA offers free volunteer training throughout the year; daytime, evening and weekend training available. Contact: Belinda Cox, bcox@casa-satx.org or 225-7070; or www.casa-satx.org.

Animal welfare

San Antonio Pets Alive! seeks volunteers to work with shelter dogs and cats, as well as qualified individuals willing to foster animals awaiting permanent homes. SAPA also seeks donated items to help support animals in its care. SAPA works with San Antonio Animal Care Services. SAPA offers 50 percent off adoption fees of participating fosters noon-4 p.m. second Saturdays at Paul Jolly Center for Adoptions, 210 Tuleta. Visit: www.sanantoniopetsalive.org.

San Antonio Animal Care Services, 4710 Texas 151, is accepting donations of dog and cat food 11 a.m.-7 p.m. weekdays, 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturdays and noon-4 p.m. Sundays, for its pet pantry program. Pet owners in need can obtain pet food with proof of government assistance, a current driver’s license or picture ID and proof of their pet’s sterilization status and current rabies vaccination. Contact: www.saacs.net or 207-4738.

Spay-Neuter-Inject-Project San Antonio seeks donations of resources to help benefit volunteers and adoptable animals. Needed items include paper towels, bleach, trash bags, laundry detergent, collars, leashes, metal crates, cat carriers, copy paper, and gift cards to Office Max or Office Depot. Visit: www.snipsa.org.

Pet Supplies Plus, 1248 Austin Highway, hosts: pet nail clippings for tips 4-7 p.m. third Tuesdays; adoption opportunities with Austin Boxer Rescue 10 a.m.-1 p.m. third Saturdays; adoptions with Alamo Heights Animal Care Services 10 a.m.-1 p.m. fourth Saturdays.

Tejas Rescued Pet Adoptions seeks donations of dry cat and dog food, dog leashes and collars. Monetary donations also are accepted. Visit www.tejasrescues.org to donate via PayPal. Donations can also be mailed to TRPA, P.O. Box 790372, San Antonio, Texas 78279. Call 416-3947 or email TRPA@wt.net for a donation pick-up at your chosen site.

Wildlife Rescue and Rehabilitation has domestic cats available for adoption 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Sundays at Sherman Animal Care Complex, 137 Earl St. near Olmos Park. Contact: www.wildlife-rescue.org or 830-336-2725.

Non-profit Guide Dogs of Texas seeks area dog lovers to volunteer as puppy raisers and brood holders. Contact: Susana Dias, 366-4081 or susana@guidedogsoftexas.org.

Farmers’ markets

San Antonio Farmers Market Association —7:30 a.m.-1 p.m. Tuesdays and Saturdays at Olmos Basin Park, 100 Jackson-Keller Road. Visit: www.sanantoniofarmersmarket.org.

Pearl Brewery Farmers Market Association — 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Saturdays at 220 E. Grayson St. Visit: www.atpearl.com.

Quarry Farmers and Ranchers Market — 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Sundays at Alamo Quarry Market, 255 E. Basse Road. This includes live music, food trucks and the occasional cooking demonstration. Contact: www.quarryfarmersmarket.com or 722-5077.

Galleries/museums

REM Gallery, 219 E. Park Ave., hosts “Concrete Poetry and Other Poems in Gray” by Kent Rush, and Victoria Suescum’s new works through Saturday. Call: 224-1227.

Witte Museum, 3801 Broadway, hosts these exhibits: “The World Through Magic Lanterns” through June; “Maximilian and Carlota: Last Empire of Mexico” through March 30; “Alien Worlds and Androids” Saturday-May 27. Contact: www.wittemuseum.org or 357-1910.

Cathedral House Gallery, Bishop Jones Center, 111 Torcido Drive, hosts “Illumination,” an exhibit that celebrates the season of Epiphany with works by several artists through February. Call: 824-5387.

Centro Cultural Aztlan, 1800 Fredericksburg Road, hosts “Tierra y Libertad: Segundo de Febrero,” an exhibit commemorating the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, which ended the Mexico/U.S. war. Contact: 432-1896 or www.centrocultralaztlan.com.

McNay Art Museum, 6000 N. New Braunfels Ave., hosts these exhibits: “Constructing the Stage: Artists from the Theatre Collection” through June 1; “Robert Indiana: Beyond LOVE” through May 25; “Robert Indiana: The Mother Of Us All” through May 25; “Robert Indiana’s Hartley Elegies” through May 25; “The Full Monty: Male Nudes from the Collection” through May 25. Contact: 805-1768 or www.mcnayart.org.

San Antonio Museum of Art, 200 W. Jones Ave., hosts these exhibits: “Fray Antonio Margil de Jesús: “Patron Saint of Texas” through March 23; “Eldzier Cortor: Master Printmaker” through March 2; “Thomas Sully: Painted Performance” through May 11. Contact: 978-8100 or www.samuseum.org.

Lyn Belisle Studio, 1824 Nacogdoches Road, hosts art exhibits and special workshops. Contact: www.lynbelisle.com or Lyn Belisle, 860-9468.

PSG Fine Art, 7726 Broadway, hosts “Go West!” an exhibit of works by eight local artists. Call: 824-8990.

San Antonio Botanical Garden, 555 Funston Place, hosts: its annual Art in the Garden, featuring sculptures by members of the Texas Sculpture Group, the Mid-South Alliance and the Chicago Sculpture International, through March 1. Family Flashlight Night is 6-8:30 p.m. this Friday. Contact: 829-5100 or www.sabot.org.

U.S. Army Medical Department Museum Foundation at Joint Base San Antonio-Fort Sam Houston hosts “Men Without Guns,” an exhibit of more than 30 works from the Abbott Laboratories’ 1945 collection of paintings of U.S. Army medicine, through March 8 and is free to the public. Visit: www.ameddmuseumfoundation.org.

SPECIAL EVENTS

TODAY, WEDNESDAY, FEB. 19

Graduating high school senior women and a parent are invited to a Panhellenic Association of San Antonio sorority recruitment information forum 6:30-8 p.m. at Alamo Heights United Methodist Church/Christian Life Center, 825 E. Basse Road. San Antonio Panhellenic member sororities will each have a display table with alumnae and a collegian available to answer general and specific questions. A Panhellenic presentation will also have information with correct recruitment processes and procedures. Visit: www.sapanhellenic.org.

Interventional Cardiologist Dr. Keith Nguyen leads a free, public program, “Innovations in Cardiovascular Disease,” at noon at Group Room, TriPoint YMCA, 3233 N. St. Mary’s St. Register at: 575-0355. Visit: www.SAHealth.com/HeartandSoul.

The dark comedy “Crimes of the Heart” is performed by Trinity (University) Theater 7 p.m. today and Thursday, 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and 2:30 p.m. Sunday at the Taylor Theater building on campus. Tickets: $6-$10. Call: 999-8515.

THURSDAY, FEB. 20

The drama “When You Comin’ Back, Red Ryder” is performed by San Antonio College theater students 7:30 p.m. Thursday-Saturday, and 2:30 p.m. Sunday at McCreless Theater on campus, 1300 San Pedro Ave. Set in a small roadside diner in New Mexico in the late 1960s, the drama is about a few locals and some tourists who intersect one Sunday morning as a sadistic Vietnam veteran holds them all hostage waiting to get his van repaired. Visit: www.alamo.edu/sac/theatre.

College students are invited to learn about communications careers during a “Meet the Pros” event 6-8 p.m. in the Nursing and Allied Health Complex, Room 218, at San Antonio College, 1300 San Pedro Ave. San Antonio Chapter of the Association for Women in Communications (AWC) and the SAC Media Communications Department are helping future communicators learn about what they will do in their chosen careers during this networking event. Cost: $5. Register at: AWCMeetThePros@gmail.com. Visit: www.awcsa.com.

Performances of “Dial M for Murder” are offered 8 p.m. Thursdays-Saturdays through March 1 at Harlequin Dinner Theater, 2652 Harney Road, Joint Base San Antonio-Fort Sam Houston. Dinner is served at 6:15 p.m. Admission: $16.50-$35. Call: 222-9694.

FRIDAY, FEB. 21

Performances of “Dead Man’s Cell Phone” is presented by University of the Incarnate Word theater arts students 8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays through March 1 at Coates Theatre on campus, 4301 Broadway. Tickets: $8-$10. Call: 829-3800.

Final performances of “Portmanteaux” are presented 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday at the Overtime Theater, 1203 Camden. Tickets: $10-$14. Contact: 557-7562 or www.theovertimetheater.org.

Final performances of Arthur Miller’s “Death of a Salesman” are presented by Classic Theatre 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and 3 p.m. Sundays at the Woodlawn Theatre, 1920 Fredericksburg Road. Contact: 589-8450 or www.classictheatre.org.

Performances of Stephen Sondheim’s fractured fairy tale “Into the Woods” are presented 7:30 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays, and 3 p.m. Sundays through March 16 at the Woodlawn Theater, 1920 Fredericksburg Road. On March 9, only a 7:30 p.m. show. Contact: www.woodlawntheatre.org or 267-8388.

Opening reception for the seventh annual On and Off Fredericksburg Road Studio Tour takes place 6-9 p.m. Friday at Bihl Haus Arts, 2803 Fredericksburg. The reception features hors d’oeuvres, wine, live music and the opportunity to mingle with artists, event sponsors and community leaders. Then take advantage of free tours of artisans’ home studios, cooperatives and pop-up storefronts in the Deco District 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Saturday, and noon-5 p.m. Sunday. Other special events are scheduled in the area during the weekend, leading up to a closing reception 6-8 p.m. Sunday at Woodlawn Theatre, 1920 Fredericksburg. For more, visit: www.onandofffred.org.

SATURDAY, FEB. 22

The 90th annual Junior League of San Antonio Rummage Around event 9 a.m.-9 p.m. will draw thousands of shoppers to eight different Goodwill stores throughout San Antonio in a treasure-hunt for new and gently used, high-quality items including clothing, accessories and housewares. Area Goodwill stores include 727 N.W. Loop 410, 1533 Austin Highway, and 3401 Fredericksburg Road. Proceeds benefit JLSA and Goodwill programs. Additionally, the Fredericksburg Road location will host free and low-cost services such as job searches, health care information and financial literacy assistance 10 a.m.-2 p.m.

RAM gas station, 6510 N. New Braunfels Ave., hosts a barbecue supper sale 11 a.m.-2 p.m. to benefit a local girls’ youth soccer team bound for a trip to the United Kingdom.

The Children’s Shelter benefits from the second annual 5K Love Run and Walk at 8 a.m. at Woodlawn Lake Park 1103 Cincinnati Ave. The Scholastic Bus will be on hand for children to read books. Fees: $25-$35. Contact: http://tinyurl.com/qg9u76e or 212-2512.

Petco, 13909 Nacogdoches Road, hosts a pet adoption event 11 a.m.-5 p.m.

SUNDAY, FEB. 23

San Antonio Animal Care Services offers pet adoptions noon-4 p.m. at Pet Supplies Plus, 1248 Austin Highway.

PetSmart, 12960 Park Centra;, hosts a pet adoption event 11 a.m.-5 p.m.

TUESDAY, FEB. 25

San Antonio Academy boys’ choir performs at 5 p.m. at Christ Episcopal Church, 510 Belknap Place. A reception follows. Admission is free to the public.

WEDNESDAY, FEB. 26

World Affairs Council of San Antonio announces that former San Antonio Mayor and ex-Secretary of Housing and Urban Affairs Henry G. Cisneros will receive its International Citizen Award at a dinner 6 p.m. at Marriott Rivercenter, 101 Bowie. Former President Bill Clinton will be the evening’s keynote speaker. Contact: 308-9494 or Eleanor@wacofsa.org.

SATURDAY, MARCH 1

“A Taste of St. Anthony’s,” a benefit for St. Anthony Catholic High School, begins at 6 p.m. at Whitley Theological Center, 285 Oblate Drive. The event includes a catered dinner, Joe Posada among featured live entertainers, a silent auction, and drawings. Admission: $50. Visit: www.sachs.org.

Third annual Fête du Cuvée Fine Wine Auction, benefiting Junior League of San Antonio, is to be held at The Bright Shawl, 723 Brooklyn Ave. Contact: www.jlsa.org or 225-1861.

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CRYSTAL LAKE –McHenry County College will present “Native Landscaping for the Home Gardener” from 10:30 a.m. to noon March 20 in the Luecht Conference Center at the college.

Hosted by the MCC Sustainability Center and the Lou Marchi Total Recycling Institute, the seminar will feature Ed Collins and Laurie Ryan from the McHenry County Conservation District.

Collins, director of land preservation and natural resources for MCCD, will share stories, ideas and his vision of native landscaping in the county.

Ryan, plant ecologist for MCCD, will discuss the benefits – both short- and long-term – of using native plants. She will show examples of a variety of landscapes that residents can plant this spring.

“We are lucky to have these two conservation experts speak at the college,” said Kim Hankins, director of the MCC Sustainability Center. “Ed Collins has an unmatched view of the natural history of McHenry County and Laurie Ryan has fantastic ideas.”

All seminar attendees will receive free native plant seeds.

The event is sponsored by the Wildflower Preservation and Propagation Committee. The event is free and open to the public. For information, contact the MCC Sustainability Center at 815-479-7765.

It’s nice to see historic preservation in Butte’s Headlines. Kudos to all of the committee members and to the foresight of the Butte-Silver Historic Preservation Office in recognizing the need to take a comprehensive look at our internationally significant historic resources. The goals of the plan reflect a thoughtful planning process and an effort to reach consensus on how we might address the challenges that face us as we try to preserve our community’s cultural legacy.

I also urge the committee, however, to look past the restrictions that come with being a National Historic Landmark District and to emphasize the opportunities that this designation affords. Its sheer size may be daunting, but we must strive to maintain this treasure as we work to bring about a bright future for Butte. Limiting our efforts to a small percentage of the District amounts to throwing in the towel. Rather, given our limited resources, let’s look at how we might help property owners maintain their buildings and neighborhoods through public-private partnerships. While the assorted collection of grant programs and tax incentives may be beyond the reach of most of the property owners in the District, there are other ways we can make a difference.

Approaching the problem one neighborhood at a time may well work. For example, public investment in Emma Park is currently providing the impetus for property owners in the neighborhood to improve their homes and apartment buildings. Public works projects in the area have also fostered relationships between the Butte-Silver Bow Government and the Emma Park Neighborhood Council. Small special improvement districts (SIDs) can provide a way for property owners to band together to improve lighting, sidewalks and landscaping in their neighborhoods. Once these improvements are underway, neighbors are more willing to spruce up their own homes and businesses. Other neighborhoods are currently working to create councils that hope to engage property owners and local government officials in addressing aging infrastructure as well as deteriorating structures.

In historic districts across the country, rehabilitation guides have been prepared that provide guidance to building owners and contractors on how to repair and/or adaptively reuse existing structures while maintaining their character. Many of these guides offer lower cost alternatives to what are perceived as costly requirements associated with the rehabilitation of historic buildings.

During recent meetings held to plan for the new urban renewal district in Uptown Butte, many folks spoke to the need to tie our historic buildings more directly to economic development efforts. Let’s not preserve only for preservation sake, but because it makes good sense to use existing resources in our efforts to stabilize and grow our economy.

Janet Cornish, 954 Caledonia Street, Butte

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