The Plumas County Public Works Department plans to undertake $38.5 million worth of road and bridge projects through 2019.

Public Works Director Bob Perreault presented a list of projects during the Board of Supervisors’ meeting Feb. 4.

In addition to the county projects, state and federal projects are also planned totaling $36.7 million.

Perreault is optimistic about putting three to five projects out to bid later this year.

Three projects are planned in 2014: guardrail upgrades for A15 ($500,000); replacement of Snake Lake Road bridge over Spanish Creek ($2.3 million); and replacement of County Road 322A bridge over Bailey Creek ($2.4 million).

The estimates include total project costs. For example, the Bailey Creek bridge total breaks down as follows: design, $650,000; right of way, $10,000; and construction, $1.7 million.

Of the $38.5 million in county projects, Perreault said, “Just under $30 million in construction could help the local economy.”

Perreault unveiled 12 projects for 2015, including more bridge work and pavement rehabilitation. The projects are spread throughout the county.

 

Green waste disposal

Since Sierra Pacific Industries stopped accepting green waste in Quincy because of construction on a new large-log sawmill, county officials have searched for an alternative.

The mill accepted a staggering amount of green waste from commercial landscaping companies as well as the general public, and without that availability officials worry that it may result in increased dumping or burning.

The problem is most critical in Quincy, because residents in other areas have alternatives.

Perreault is writing a request for proposals that is more flexible than normal, soliciting specific proposals as well as generalized ideas pertaining to the future of the county’s green waste program.

Supervisors Lori Simpson and Jon Kennedy will serve on a committee to review the submittals.

If youre contemplating a design or remodeling project, but the weather has hampered your efforts to leave the house, get a head start with some help from houzz.com or their mobile apps.

The site is not just for inspiration, but about taking the next step and finding professionals that can help with your projects now and in the future, says Liza Hausman, VP of community for Houzz, the largest residential remodeling and design community online.

Your free account enables you to store photos and to create an idea book that is accessible anytime, anywhere. With everything from general contractors and builders to designers and architects, Houzz has something for everyone.

It is a huge collaboration tool for existing clients because professionals can create an idea book for them to see what they like in a picture and what they dont like, says Hausman.

A design professional can take an idea book to a job site or a showroom to get exactly what their client wants.

In addition, Houzz allows homeowners to get a feel for someones work, read reviews and get advice directly from a professional.

Its fascinating how many people are discovering professionals they want to work with, says Hausman. Theyre hiring U.S. professionals from out-of-state and even overseas.

You can get very specific with your search, whether youre trying to find a design professional within a 50-mile radius or view a particular kitchen, such as a U-shaped, L-shaped or galley style.

Surveys are among the many other perks, like the one from 2013 that showed the most popular renovation projects were bathrooms and kitchens followed by landscaping.

Also interesting is that more homeowners are choosing to leave the tub out of the master bath remodel equation.

Houzz can guide you through tough design decisions.

Paint color is a perennial question, Hausman says.

The product section lets you see whats popular.

People are looking to discover new products and get away from the usual suspects, she adds.

When you post your design dilemmas, responses come from the pros and from homeowners whove been through a similar situation.

So many people are overwhelmed at the start of the process. People on Houzz give them the support they need to really move forward, Hausman says.

People help each other and they have a sense of humor. They have fun and they enjoy talking about homes. It really is a friendly community, she adds.

The polls can be humorous, too, like one that showed more think the toilet paper roll should go over than under.

New tools are always in the works, like Real Cost Finder that shows you real cost data for your projects.

Houzz first came about when the husband-and-wife founders, who still run the company today, were frustrated with their own renovation project.

Today, the site has more than 300,000 remodeling and design professionals on its platform, along with more than 2.5 million high-quality images of professionally designed homes, making it a great motivator to take any space to a whole new level.

For information, go to houzz.com.

COCHRANTON —
The Cochranton Area Public Library Board of Trustees is moving forward with the bidding process regarding the new library’s future construction and plans to meet with and possibly interview the four contractors who submitted bids.

The trustees met with David Walter, senior vice president for New York-based architectural firm Clark Patterson Lee, during a special meeting Wednesday night to discuss Phase 1 options and gain insight as to what potential cost-saving changes can be negotiated within an approximate 180-day period in which the bids will remain valid for selection.

“There’s two ways to make that happen,” Walter suggested. “Come up with a list of changes for each of the four contractors to review or pick one and negotiate prior to signing a contract.”

Any cosmetic, non-structural aspects of the project are negotiable with the bidders at this point with the trustees reserving the right to any final say, he added, as long as they don’t affect the health and safety of future occupants.

The board agreed to organize a small committee within the coming weeks to write up questions for each of the contractors in preparation for potential individual meetings.

“We can give them suggestions for changes up front and they can prepare answers,” said Brenda Wait, trustee.

Even if a decision is made, groundbreaking isn’t likely to occur until spring, perhaps late April or early May, according to Mark Roche, project adviser to the trustees.

The project may take approximately nine months to finish, he estimated.

In the meantime, Clark Patterson Lee agents can look over project designs and submit any ideas for potential savings and even send a representative to assist with the interviews, Walter said.

Approximate main bids received include $570,233.35 from Roche Builders, $526,858 from Hill Construction, $591,086 from Norbert B. Miller Construction and $514,000 from Bernarding’s Builders, all based in Cochranton.

Ideally, the board of trustees would like to see project costs trimmed back to their previously budgeted figures of about $480,000, based on existing funds and amounts the board believes can be raised prior to payment arrangements through library functions or patronage, according to Roche.

“There are issues in (the project manual) I think we can work out,” he said, mentioning some of the current designs may be considered over-engineered when lined up with available funds. “I’m thinking we can engineer it down to $480,000 or close.”

The bottom line, trustees agreed, is that the final budget is the final budget.

“You can’t get blood from a stone,” said Joan Kardos, treasurer, placing some responsibility for higher costs on the architectural designs, some of which have been altered, including the roof shape, potential attic space and pillar structures. “Without those changes, we’d be close to $800,000.”

Architectural concerns raised by trustees included smaller porch space, which may require compensation through landscaping, and possibly larger sidewalk space for activities or general usability.

The four bids included alternate costs for additional features, including a lift mechanism for cleaning and bulb replacement of a large foyer light and exterior pole-mounted light sighting and wiring installation.

These costs, as well as alternate costs for performance and payment bonds regarding material and labor may be dropped, according to trustees, who confirmed the willingness of each contractor to look at potential cost savings and work toward the project’s affordability.

“These things always come in over budget,” Roche said, “but there’s always a way to bring the cost down.”

Phase 1 bids do not include cabinetry, shelving or any Phase 2 work, which includes demolition of the current building, parking lot paving and landscaping, Kramer said.

While official library parking will not be available until after the current building’s demolition, adjacent lot parking and some on-street parking will be available in the meantime, Kardos said.

ANOTHER day, another snowstorm here in the United States of Antarctica. But in a growing number of neighbourhoods, everyone from safer-city activists to transportation engineers is watching how vehicles negotiate all that snow, and wondering if what they see might result in streets that are less dangerous for everyone.

For years, city planners have used curb extensions at junctions to slow vehicles as they make turns and give pedestrians a shorter span of road to cross—as well as somewhere safer to stand while they wait to do so. Known as “neckdowns”, these curb extensions also increase visibility, again improving safety. But working out where best to build neckdowns usually involves costly, time-consuming traffic-calming studies and computer modelling that cash-strapped local authorities can ill afford.

Cheaper, perhaps, to let it snow.

“Snow,” says Clarence Eckerson Jr., founder of Streetfilms, a New York non-profit that makes short films about urban transportation, “is nature’s tracing paper.” After a snowstorm, a number of patterns are traced across the gradually clearing surfaces. Rather than using up the entire breadth of the road, vehicles tend to take the slowest, most safely navigated route around the corners of a slippery intersection. When snow-ploughs clear roads, they leave large piles at roadsides and junctions, which vehicles must drive around. Finally, pedestrians also tread their own optimal paths through the snow. The result is the type of snowy neckdown, or “sneckdown”, shown in the photo.

Aaron Naparstek, a visiting scholar at MIT’s department of urban studies and planning, coined the term “sneckdown” this January when he was looking for a Twitter hashtag for the phenomenon. Since then, hundreds of photos of #sneckdowns have been posted. “Urban public space is an incredibly valuable and limited commodity, so why do we give up so much of it to its most inefficient user—the single-person vehicle?” he asks.

A growing number of urban thinkers and planners believe that sneckdowns offer a natural guide to where permanent neckdowns and traffic islands could be built. Earlier this week, for instance, the Office of Transportation Planning in Raleigh, North Carolina, tweeted “Since we know the snow is coming, send us your pictures of wasted space at intersections in Raleigh.”

Gary Toth, a long-term engineer for the New Jersey Department of Transportation who now works for New York’s Project for Public Spaces, says people have lost patience with the glacially slow pace of traditional street design and improvement. Sneckdowns, he notes, “let you watch real-time human behaviour rather than using computer models to predict it—models that often get it wrong.” He believes that “lighter, quicker, cheaper” is the way forward in urban street planning. Sometimes that means using temporary neckdowns, barrels or painted bike lanes to see what works. Sometimes it means waiting for snow.

Like all new ideas, this one has its forebears. As far back as the 1980s, road planners in Australia were covering intersections with flour, waiting a few hours, then climbing the nearest high building and photographing the paths vehicles had taken. The results were used to improve junction layouts. And at San Jose State University in California, among others, some footpaths were laid only after planners studied shortcuts taken by students rushing to class—the optimal routes known as “desire paths”.

Sneckdowns offer only a rough guide to how urban streets can be made safer admits Mr Eckerston. Before building permanent neckdowns or traffic islands, he notes, you have to consider numerous factors, such as the ability of emergency and sanitation vehicles to negotiate newly narrowed junctions. If parking spaces are lost, the impact on nearby businesses has to be considered too.

Mr Naparstek notes that some areas of snowy streets left untouched by vehicles are so large, they could be used as entirely new public plazas, with landscaping, chairs and tables—something that has already been done in parts of New York city. He has a hashtag for that, too: #plowza. 

As green initiatives increase in popularity, the city of Austin maintains a complex relationship with urban agriculture. Many urban farm advocates viewed the controversial update to the urban farm code – which failed to include a proposed provision allowing for the processing of animals in single-family zoning – as a step back from sustainability. Then there are the new plans for Austin’s first indoor farmers’ market – planned for 1100 East Fifth Street and facilitated by a potential $333,829 city loan to development group 11E5 LLC – which have left at least some local farmers wondering if the city cares more for developers than producers. However, as farmers navigate the changing landscape, community organizers and grassroots activists are rallying around a new wave of guerrilla gardening – a food forest – in hopes of cultivating community growth and empowerment while increasing access to healthy food.

Modeled after the Beacon Food Forest in Seattle, the proposed East Feast Festival Beach Food Forest pilot project is slated for the south side of the Festival Beach Com­mun­ity Garden, just east of I-35 at Waller Avenue and Clermont Street on the north shore of Lady Bird Lake. Roughly 2.15 acres of land would be reimagined into an edible landscape, complete with fruit trees, a butterfly garden, kids’ play structures, and a stormwater wetland filtration system, in addition to other features. Though hardly a new concept – there’s a 2,000-year-old food forest in the Moroccan desert – a food forest will certainly be new to Austin, providing an additional layer of sustainable food production.

The idea took shape in the fall of 2012 as a result of community conversations initiated by the Parks and Recreation Depart­ment as part of the 90-acre Holly Shores/Edward Rendon Sr. Park at Festival Beach Master Plan. Holly neighborhood resident Elizabeth Walsh, concerned that the needs of the neighborhood were not being addressed, attended public meetings and began having conversations with her neighbors about the plans for the area. Residents indicated a strong interest in passive, edible landscaping.

A Palatable Landscape

For Walsh, one of the greatest joys of the food forest project has been seeing the way it inspires such a diverse range of people, from neighborhood seniors to environmental justice advocates looking for ways to expand food access. The East Feast Coalition came to fruition in November 2012 when 20 people representing different parts of an emerging sustainable food system in East Austin gathered in Walsh’s backyard. These groups included the Festival Beach Community Garden, the East Side Compost Pedallers, Urban Patchwork, HOPE Farmers Market, and Sustainable Food Center, among other groups and individual community members. Once established, the coalition began working with PARD to include edible landscaping in the master plan. As a result, “Community access to healthy foods through sustainable community agriculture” appears as one of the top nine priorities in the proposed final plan; specifically, the recommendation calls for sustainable edible landscaping near the Festival Beach Community Garden.

In preparation for the food forest, the city’s Community Transformation Mini-Grant through the Sus­tain­able Urban Agriculture Community Gardens Program supported a series of public outreach and engagement sessions last summer. The first three were Bus-Stop Garden Parties where organizers and attendees gathered to build wicking bed gardens and bus benches for the 21/22 bus line near Metz Elementary. The sessions culminated in an Aug. 11, 2013, design workshop attended by more than 50 community members at the nearby Rebekah Baines Johnson Center, an independent living facility run by nonprofit Austin Geriatric Center; the food forest will join the Festival Beach Com­munity Garden in complementing and supporting the RBJ food pantry. Landscape architect Mitchell Wright, along with perma­cul­ture designer Chris Sanchez created the final plan for the forest; the entire collection of ideas from the meeting were arranged within the plan. Wright is working pro bono on the project. “It was a beautiful challenge for me to assemble the master plan with so many wonderful, spirited ideas,” he says. “I was just the fortunate one that got the opportunity to draw it up.” Next steps for the site include soil testing and completion of the permitting process. East Feast is aiming for an April dig-in date.

Though often perceived as a more feral form of a community garden, a food forest is actually highly organized, made up of tiers or families of plants with a symbiotic relationship, naturally contributing to a healthier, more productive ecosystem. These tiers, referred to as guilds, are integral to the overall health of the food forest as each component (soil, microbes, insects, birds, etc.) is essential. If done correctly, a food forest should be self-sustaining without the use of fungicides, pesticides, or herbicides.

Though the specifics are not nailed down, the idea is that people will have open access to what is grown on the site. Aided by educational signage to help people know what is available to eat and when, the concept is, more or less, “take what you will eat today.” The community-supported forest is expected to be dense enough and to flourish sufficiently to provide food products on a regular basis. According to Walsh, “Permaculture is more than gardening; it’s a philosophy, a style of living that is in harmony with the natural environment, a recipe book, and a medicine chest. Permaculture strives to re-create and/or augment natural patterns and systems that are already in place and predate us. It offers alternative economics of natural and social systems instead of imposing unnatural controls on our landscape that rely on artificial and often wasteful practices to sustain.”

Reconnecting With Food

The food forest is certainly ambitious, but with an almost 50-person waitlist for the Festival Beach Community Garden, the idea has thus far received widespread community support. Unlike the city’s recent updates to the urban farm code, which polarized a community, most people seem to agree that innovative agriculture in public spaces is a good thing. One of the most outspoken groups against the proposed urban farm code, PODER, or People Organized in Defense of Earth and her Resources, endorses the food forest effort. In a letter of support, PODER board chair Janie Rangel writes, “Since the Holly Shores public process began, many neighborhood residents have been working with a growing movement to develop the food forest concept. Our public land can support much more public produce. Edible landscaping can help people reconnect with the source of their food.”

If all goes well, the pilot forest will eventually expand, using underutilized spaces for edible landscaping and other beautification projects. “As we learn from our pilot project, we anticipate that there will be many opportunities to expand the food forest, or food forest patches, throughout the rich soil and wonderful parkland north and south of Lady Bird Lake,” Wright says. “We have heard an overwhelming consensus among neighbors and stakeholders that we hope to preserve the natural beauty and tranquility of this treasured parkland.”

The master plan was initially on the agenda for a Jan. 30 vote, but City Council postponed action until Feb. 27 to allow time for more community outreach. Though the forest is just one component of the larger plan, the Council meeting will include an opportunity for public comment, and East Feasters are asking those who support the food forest to tell Council why it is essential to the area. Says Walsh, “There are many reasons to grow food in the city: food security, food justice, building healthy communities, recreation, building skills, saving seed, providing wildlife habitat … As the cost of living and populations rise, making the most use of available land to produce more food locally will become increasingly important.”

Fundraising is also a priority, and East Feasters are currently scouting crowd-sourced fundraising campaigns and business partnerships. Eric Goff, co-founder of East Side Compost Pedallers, has already pledged his support to the project. “The food forest is a visionary educational opportunity that aligns beautifully with our mission to increase soil fertility and access to healthy food in Austin. As a show of support, the Compost Pedallers will be donating as much compost as we can to help get the project started,” he says.

While a food forest won’t take the place of better jobs for decent pay, like plant guilds whose cooperative work helps build a productive microecosystem, East Feast is certainly a step in the right direction. Says Wright, “Remember that this project is not just about food but about building relationships in the community; these go hand in hand – brothers and sisters finding common ground in fresh food abundance.”

Consultation to be held to ‘help shape the future of local communities’

11:31am Wednesday 12th February 2014 in News

RESIDENTS in South Lakeland are being offered the opportunity to help shape ‘the future of local communities’.

South Lakeland District Council plans to hold several public consultation events before suggestions from local people will be used to help prepare ‘development briefs’ for areas across the district.

“This is a way that residents of South Lakeland can get involved and have their say on the development of these significant sites,” said SLDC’s Councillor Jonathan Brook.

“We welcome suggestions on important issues such as accessibility, landscaping, design and site layout.

“Such local knowledge and information will help to shape the look and feel of these important sites.”

The Development Briefs, which are being prepared following the recent adoption of the Local Plan and its Land Allocations document, will be taken into account when councillors are considering planning applications.

The briefs will also inform developers and other interested groups of the constraints and opportunities presented by each site.

At consultation, between February 17 and March 31, ideas will be welcomed regarding issues such as landscaping, open space, access and design principles.

The public participation events, focussing on specific areas, will be held as follows:

* February 25 – Cross-a-Moor, at Swarthmoor – to be discussed on February 25 at the football club on Park Road, Swarthmoor

* February 27 – Kendal Parks – to be discussed at The Heron Pub, Heron Hill, Kendal

* March 3 – the south and east of Milnthorpe – to be discussed at the Methodist Church Hall, Milnthorpe

* March 6 – the south of Underbarrow Road – to be discussed at the Town Hall Chamber at Kendal Town Hall

* March 10 – Scroggs Wood – to be considered at the Georgian Room at Kendal Town Hall

* March 12 – north of Kendal – to be discussed at Lunesdale Hall, Bective Road, Kirkby Lonsdale

* March 17 – Croftlands – to be considered at the Coronation Hall, Ulverston

* March 20 – Stainbank Green – to be discussed at the Assembly Room, Kendal Town Hall

Residents can drop in and officers will be on hand to discuss issues and options between 11am and 7pm on each of the days.

For more information visit www.southlakeland.gov.uk/development-briefs

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Macedonia — Plans are moving forward to spruce up Longwood Manor and make it available for public use by 2015 pending a resolution confirming a conditional use zoning certificate that Council left at first reading during its Jan. 21 Council meeting.

“One of the things that was determined within the legislation that was first passed giving them an extension was that they needed to identify the purpose,” Mayor Don Kuchta said. “This legislation identifies that purpose.”

Council approved an ordinance in February 2012 giving the Longwood Manor Historical Society 12 months to form a plan to restore the building after the city’s building commissioner condemned the house in 2007 for numerous building violation codes. A year later, Council gave the society an extended permit of 18 months “for the purposes of making a restoration assessment and thereafter the creation of architectural plans and thereafter restoration of the building.”

The 90-year-old house and the 300 acres of property surrounding it belonged to Macedonia’s first mayor, Col. William Frew Long. Before he died, Long donated the house and the rest of his land to the city, the YMCA and two area churches.

The conditional use permit was approved by the city’s Planning Commission at its Dec. 23 meeting but it still needs to be approved by Council. Councilwoman Rita Darrow, who also serves as Council’s representative to the Planning Commission, confirmed that City Planner Brian Frantz said even though Longwood Manor is zoned R1 residential, it falls within the plan for a permit under “community facilities” as a conditional use under the society’s intentions to use the home.

“It is the intent of LMHS to have Longwood Manor placed on the National Register of Historic Places and to preserve the home in its historic condition for tours and non-profit activities including receptions, graduations, private parties and meetings, holiday celebrations, veteran’s observances, music recitals, arts and crafts displays, education classes and senior activities,” the plan states. “The intention is to open the first and second floors for public assembly with a maximum occupancy of 49 persons. All activities will confirm with the City of Macedonia statutes.”

Dan Havilchek, the society’s vice president, said they have many ideas for the use of the house, including adding a section dedicated to memorabilia from the wars.

“We want to have a small area where these people can donate or loan their things to us,” he said, adding that he think it would be fitting because Col. Long was a veteran of WWI and WWII.

John Cassmer, the society’s president, said he is currently working with an architect to submit plans to wire the first and second floors of the building, which would not only allow lighting but also heat to the Manor House.

“We’ve done a lot of the repair work,” said John Cassmer, the society’s president, adding that they have replaced the roof, filled in holes in the landscaping, repaired damage caused by a leaking roof and replaced a flatroof on the balcony of the building. “We’re going to finish the repairs and ask for a lease to lease the Manor House from the city.”

If everything goes according to plan, Cassmer said he plans on making the Manor House available to the public by 2015.

Email: rhagenbaugh@recordpub.com

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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. “Native and Special Trees of South Central Texas with Paul W. Cox” is presented 9 a.m.-noon Friday and Feb. 28 ($45). “Yoga as Prayer” is offered 5:30 p.m. Tuesday and Feb. 25 ($25). Register by Friday for a community sing of American gospel and spiritual music that SoL will host, featuring the Tanzanian Angel Choir from Africa, and members of Antioch Baptist and University Presbyterian churches 3-5 p.m. Feb. 23 ($20). “Plotting Your Personal Story: Discovering Your Myth” is offered 7-9 p.m. Feb. 21, and 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Feb. 22 ($85). Contact: www.upcsa.org/sol_center or 732-9927.

Gardening Volunteers of South Texas presents a free, public program noon-3 p.m. Monday at the San Antonio Garden Center, 3310 N. New Braunfels Ave. Matt Turner talks native plants and signs copies of his book, “Remarkable Plants of Texas.” Also, David Rodriguez, horticulturist with the Texas AgriLife Extension Service, discusses spring vegetable gardening. Contact: 251-8101 or www.GardeningVolunteers.org.

San Antonio Rose Society will hold a “hands-on” pruning clinic 8 a.m.-noon Tuesday and Feb. 19 at the San Antonio Botanical Garden, 555 Funston. Bring your pruning shears, gardening gloves and wear a hat. Contact: 824-9981 or info@sanantoniogardencenter.org

San Antonio Garden Center, 3310 N. New Braunfels Ave. hosts a spring floral design school with sessions scheduled for noon-3 p.m. Tuesdays, Feb. 18-March 4. Tuition $70. This includes flowers and greenery to complete a take-home project each week. Contact: 824-9981 or info@sanantoniogardencenter.org.

Apply by Feb. 20 for Gardening Volunteers of South Texas’ Watersaver Landscape Design School, set for 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Feb. 22 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.

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 Herb Society meets 6:30-8:30 p.m. Thursday at the San Antonio Garden Center, 3310 N. New Braunfels Ave. Judit Green of Texas Parks and Wildlife will discuss Texas wildlife conservation issues. Admission is free to the public. Visit: www.sanantonioherbs.org.

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 Area Retired Teachers Association hold its monthly meeting 1 p.m. Feb. 19 at the San Antonio Garden Center, 3310 N. New Braunfels Ave.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

RSVP by Tuesday for the San Antonio Musical Club’s annual style show and scholarship luncheon, “Fabulous February Fling,” set for 10:30 a.m. Feb. 21 at the Oak Hills Country Club, 5403 Fredericksbug Road. This includes a silent auction. Cost: $55. Your check is your reservation. Proceeds benefit the Tayloe Memorial Scholarship Fund, helping music majors at the University of Texas at San Antonio. Contact: Helen Henderson, 481-3414.

Legendary Spur George, “The Iceman” Gervin will be the keynote speaker at Alpha Home’s “Doorways of Hope” benefit luncheon 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. March 7 at the Omni San Antonio Hotel, 9821 Colonnade Blvd. Gervin will talk about his cocaine addiction and his almost 20-years of recovery. Additionally, Gayle and Sam Youngblood, community leaders, 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 individual. 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 holds “My Furry Valentine Weekend” with discounted adoptiong fees Friday through Sunday, and a “speed dating” event for pet seekers 2-4 p.m. Saturday at Paul Jolly Center for Pet Adoptions on 210 Tuleta Dr. 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. (Pet adoptions offered this Saturday.) 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

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” Feb. 22-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.

REM Gallery, 219 E. Park Ave., hosts “Concrete Poetry and Other Poems in Gray” by Kent Rush, and Victoria Suescum’s new works through Feb. 22. Call: 224-1227.

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. McNay is celebrating its 60th anniversary with special events this weekend: Art Music Food Drinks 6-9 p.m. Thursday (with champagne toast); performance of “Love Sweet Love” 6:30 p.m. Friday, including champagne, hors d’oeuvres, dessert and dancing ($10-$15); a 5K run at 10 a.m. Sunday ($25-$35); Free Family Day 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Sunday. 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. SAMA hosts “Art pARTy” with the Valentine’s theme “Cupid and Psyche” 6-8 p.m. Friday. SAMA hosts the third annual Be My Valentine 5K Run/Walk at 9:30 a.m. Saturday ($40). SAMA hosts “Night at the Museum: A Young Friends Event,” 9 p.m.-midnight Saturday, including drinks, music and food trucks (21-over, free with RSVP). 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. 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

THURSDAY, FEB. 13

San Antonio College theater students present the play “When You Comin’ Back, Red Ryder” 7:30 p.m. Thursdays-Saturdays through Feb. 22, and 2:30 p.m. Sunday and Feb. 23, 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.

San Antonio native Daniel Helminiak discusses and signs copies of his book, “The Transcended Christian,” at 6:30 p.m. at Viva Bookstore, 8407 Broadway.

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. 14

Art on the Hill, held 6-10 p.m. every second Friday by the Tobin Hill Art Alliance, gives Tobin Hill neighborhood residents and visitors a chance to explore diverse homes, businesses and galleries between San Antonio College, Trinity University, U.S. 281 and downtown. Open studios, artist’s receptions, refreshments and music will be offered at this free event. Visit: www.tobinarts.com.

Josephine Theater, 339 W. Josephine St., hosts Dulce Lopez and Baruch Vonrossum in “Le Canta Al Amor,” an evening of romantic music from all times, sung in English and Spanish, at 8:30 p.m. Contact: 413-1698 or 734-4646 or www.horwathproductions.com.

San Antonio Symphony presents “A Broadway Valentine,” a concert with three Broadway vocalists singing classic tunes about love, at 8 p.m. at Trinity University’s Laurie Auditorium. Tickets: $15-$69. Contact: www.sasymphony.org or 554-1010

Trinity (University) Theater performs the dark comedy “Crimes of the Heart” 8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays, 7 p.m. Wednesdays and Thursdays, and 2:30 p.m. Sundays, Feb. 14-22 at the Taylor Theater building on campus. Tickets: $6-$10. Call: 999-8515.

Overtime Theater, 1203 Camden, hosts performances of “Portmanteaux” 8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays through Feb. 22. Tickets: $10-$14. Contact: 557-7562 or www.theovertimetheater.org.

Classic Theatre at the Woodlawn Theatre, 1920 Fredericksburg Road, hosts performances of Arthur Miller’s “Death of a Salesman” 8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays and 3 p.m. Sundays, Friday-Feb. 23. Contact: 589-8450 or www.classictheatre.org.

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

San Antonio Environmental Challenges: Opportunities in Resilience, a conference organized by ImagineSanAntonio and Solar San Antonio, takes place Friday and Feb. 21 at Rackspace Hosting, 1 Fanatical Place in Windcrest. This conference will feature presentations by local and national experts who will cover ways to help develop environmental resiliency and adaptability in a community’s infrastructure. Cost: $30-65 (includes breakfast and lunch both days); student discounts available. Visit: www.greensatx.org.

SATURDAY, FEB. 15

Luv My Pet offers low-cost pet vaccination opportunities 1:30-2:30 p.m. at Petco, 1211 Austin Highway. Visit: www.luvmypet.com.

San Antonio Pets Alive! benefits from “Looming for Pets” noon-3 p.m. at Paul Jolly Center for Adoptions, 210 Tuleta. In this picnic, children can come and make loomed jewelry and donate funds raised to SAPA. Visit: www.sanantoniopetsalive.org.

Retired local journalist and Alamo Heights resident Joe Carroll Rust will discuss and sign copies of his fourth book, “Making San Antonio: The Story of San Antonio Manufacturing,” 4-6 p.m. at The Twig Book Shop at Pearl, 306 Pearl Parkway. The book marks the centennial of the San Antonio Manufacturers Association.

SUNDAY, FEB. 16

Vanguard Veterinary Associates offers low-cost vaccinations for dogs and cats 9-11 a.m. at H-E-B, 1955 Nacogdoches Road. VVA also offers heartworm screenings and preventatives, flea and tapeworm medications, and feline leukemia and AIDS tests. Visit: www.vanguardvet.com.

MONDAY, FEB. 17

Youth Orchestras of San Antonio Philharmonic performs with guest artist Christopher O’Riley, host of public radio’s “From the Top,” 7:30-9:30 p.m. at Trinity University’s Laurie Auditorium. The event includes SAY Sí at the Symphony “Pictures at an Exhibition,” featuring video and media art created by SAY Sí artists. Tickets: $5-$19. Contact: 737-0097 or www.yosa.org.

Trinity University’s Laurie Auditorium hosts a 7:30 p.m. concert with Yosaif Krohn, who writes his own lyrics, and plays the saxophone, piano and guitar. Tickets: $19.

TUESDAY, FEB. 18

Tuesday Musical Club presents pianist Benjamin Grosvenor at 2 p.m. at Laurel Heights United Methodist Church, 227 W. Woodlawn. Tickets: $25; students free with ID. Contact: 382-2147 or www.satmc.org.

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.

FEB. 20

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.

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.

The monthly stormwater management fee for the average homeowner in Roanoke City doesn’t appear to be onerous – maybe about five dollars according to city engineer Phil Schirmer – but they are coming as of July 1, phased in over the next few years. That’s because state and federal stormwater requirements are now compelling localities in the Commonwealth to control how much contaminated runoff (bacteria, fertilizer, etc.) goes in to the watershed – and to clean it up.

Roanoke City has adopted a plan and recently published an “Idea book” showing residents and business owners how collecting rainwater in a barrel (for irrigation), creating rain gardens or additional landscaping can earn credits that can reduce their monthly stormwater management fee. That’s really the point anyway said Schirmer; if citizens can reduce the stormwater management workload also that’s fine with the city also.

“If we can encourage homeowners to do the right thing it’s good for Roanoke – and our rivers and streams,” said Schirmer. Those that make changes can fill out an application online; the city will come out to verify that the changes have been made before the credit is doled out.

The stormwater idea book is chockfull of illustrations and photos, showing city taxpayers how they can reduce that impact fee by a maximum of 50 percent. “There’s really quite a number of good resources that are available out there on the internet,” said Schirmer on how the Idea book (available on the city’s website) came together. “We put in some of our ideas as well.”

Basically the city has used satellite images to measure the square footage of impervious surfaces – rooftops, driveways, parking lots, and sidewalks – in determining a fee formula. The more impervious square footage detected (basically anything not green noted Schirmer) the higher the monthly fee. The county could follow suit with a similar format.

Roanoke County’s citizen-led Stormwater Advisory Committee has just completed a series of public meetings where the draft recommendations it will present to the Board of Supervisors soon were reviewed by county residents. Tarek Moneir, Deputy Director of Development Services for the county, has been a point man on the stormwater project. “We have 21 members,” said Moneir – one for each of five magisterial districts, plus representatives from homeowner’s associations and the business community.

Roanoke County already spends about 1.7 million dollars annually on issues related to stormwater programs. The new mandates could add another million to that total. It may adopt a utility fee format similar to the city, hike property taxes or find the money elsewhere in the budget to maintain and upgrade retention ponds, for sediment control, culverts etc.

“They’re focusing on different levels of service that the county can provide,” said Moneir of the stormwater committee. The Department of Environmental Quality will set a level of contamination it deems appropriate for the Roanoke Valley – “total maximum daily load,” Moneir calls it.

There are also changes coming for developers as of July 1; county engineer Dave Henderson said they are working with local developers on the changes, which could make it more expensive, at least initially, to build homes and commercial properties. He also said the stormwater advisory committee is recommending “more than the basic [requirements] to try and cut down on some of the backlog of problems that we currently have.” Stream restorations that may include regarding earthen banks could happen down the road. “We have a lot of learning to do,” Henderson noted at one of the recent community meetings.

At the latest round of public meetings (others were held last year) residents could look at priorities the committees recommended for various levels of stormwater management. The higher the level the more funds the county could spend. Supervisors will make the final determination. “How can we fund the service we would like to see in the county?” is the big question, said Moneir. The committee will meet to discuss the feedback received at this last round of public information sessions before it sends something to the Board of Supervisors.

“Any time you disturb land…there’s some impact [on] the waterways and how the water is transported – we’re talking about the impact on our waterways when it rains,” said Moneir in summarizing the new mandates looming on the horizon. “Who is going to pay for it?”

– Gene Marrano

“Whether it’s to pay off bills, plan a vacation or help with those home improvements, It get us in the mode of forward thinking,” she said.

7. Start a project

A fun project to look into is getting out the photo albums and going through old pictures. It can spark a trip down memory lane and get the mind off of the weather.

It’s a good time to organize photos, put photos in albums or transfer photos to new albums.

8. Embrace the snow

Carper said another thing to remember is we live in a place where we have winters.

“We need to embrace that idea,” she said. “If the temperature gets to be around 20 degrees, there is not a thing wrong with going out and taking a walk in the snow.”

There’s also a lot of snow-related sports to try out — skiing, ice skating, snow shoeing, snowboarding or sledding.

Take a camera or a pair of binoculars, and see what’s out there.

“We have to remind ourselves the winter is temporary. Try thinking about the positives. We live in a farming area and have to appreciate all the snow that will create more moisture for our farmers and their crops,” she said.

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