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A canary date palm towers over the front lawn of a home in Bellevue. The date palm can withstand temperatures to about 16-18 degrees Fahrenheit.

— Lyle Graves | Nashville Ledger

Tropics-loving Nashvillians suffering painful cases of beach-envy will be sorry to learn it’s too late to plant palm trees in the yard this year.

“The planting season for palm trees here is from April until the end of September,” says Jonathan Howlett, 31, Music City’s Johnny Appleseed, of sorts, of the palm tree.

Most avid weekend landscapers probably thought there never was a right time to plant those towering, coastal gems in and around Music City.

It’s not only possible, largely thanks to Howlett, it’s become less unusual to see green fronds swaying in the Tennessee wind as the gentle bite of early autumn forces other trees to begin shedding foliage.

All it takes is a little faith, which is precisely what led this former Virginia Tech Hokie outfielder to launch Nashville Palms – the palm-planting, frond-tending arm of his 4-year-old Covenant Landscaping – in mid-summer.

“I owe everything to God,” says the young man whose faith finds him tending to the soil in Middle Tennessee rather than following his youthful aspirations and skills on major league baseball’s well-cropped, emerald-hued diamonds.

“I had the speed. I had the arm. I had the power. I had the tools and stuff,” he says, reflecting back on his Hokie days.

He also has no regrets that thanks to his own religious convictions and the prayers of his mom, palm-planting rather than the proverbial “cup of coffee” in the bigs became his destiny.

“My mom was praying for me. She thought baseball wasn’t for me,” even when he was winning accolades on the fields of dreams.

This man of deep faith says his mom’s prayers worked and helped, eventually, to point him to the field he’s in now. Fields, plural, really: Middle Tennessee plantations, posh pastures and pool-side patios, where he’s spreading the gospel of palm trees by inserting them into landscaping plans, one frond at a time.

By popular reckoning, a guy would have to possess more than faith to plant tropical trees in Music City USA, where ice storms and even a bit of snow and temperatures in the teens are expected every year, often crippling the city for a week beneath a quarter-inch of snow.

Palms purchased at the warehouse home stores for use on summer decks and patios are discarded after the first burn of frost.

Howlett, though, not only has the passion for palms, he has schooled himself in the types that can grow here, year-after-year, adding touches of tropics to the hardwood-covered landscapes of his Brentwood and Williamson County clientele.

“I just like the beach,” says Howlett, who grew up in the Virginia Beach area, by way of explaining his interest in these trees whose fronds have symbolized victory and even immortality back to ancient times and in religions preceding his own.

For Howlett, each tree that stands firm – or, more likely, sways – in gentle Nashville winds, represents victory and perhaps at least a dash of immortality by carrying touches of summer and tropical hope through long, cold, lonely winters of discontent and death.

“I started in the landscape business four years ago in Nashville, Covenant Landscaping. I started doing some research on palm trees at about the same time.”

What inspired him in his research is what he’d seen back home.

“There’s a guy in Virginia Beach who has been (planting palms) for 14 years. They have the same weather conditions there, except they are on the coast.”

He does admit that coastal planting conditions are better, for the sandy, easily drained soil near the seas must be duplicated here – replacing the generally dense clay and rock beneath Middle Tennessee’s topsoil with a concoction mimicking those coastal soil properties – if a palm is expected to survive.

During his research, he was further encouraged by finding landscapers successfully nurturing palms all the way across the country and as far north as Vancouver, B.C.

“We’ve got a lot of people who are doing it in the Northern Hemisphere now,” he says.

While pondering this puzzling palm proliferation, Howlett decided it was time to branch out from the more mundane, or at least expected, landscaping ideas.

Jonathan Howlett of Nashville Palms describes how to care for a pindo palm, one of several able to survive Tennessee winters and temperatures as low as 5 degrees Fahrenheit.

— Lyle Graves | Nashville Ledger

“I love palm trees. I thought it was a good idea. I thought: ‘Man, if they can live there (in Canada and Virginia), they can live here. I know if people knew about it, people would like to get them.’

“It gives a different appeal to the landscape. I love them all year long. They stay green all year long. They don’t get brown, like all the other trees, except the evergreens. I thought it would be neat to bring them to Nashville.”

It was another step in his journey of faith, so this year he began proselytizing how a palm or palms would add to the yards of his Covenant Landscaping clientele.

“We’re a full-service landscaping company,” he says of his business located near Lennox Village out toward Nolensville, near the neighborhood where he lives. “We do everything except spray. We leave that to the companies with the big trucks and equipment.”

He and his two-man crew “mainly work in Brentwood and Franklin. We take care of trees, plant, design and installation, lawn maintenance, edging, trimming. We do full-scale landscaping.”

He’d gone into landscaping four years ago, when he realized how unhappy he was in the world of real estate property management and sales, for which he had trained when not roaming the outfields for the Hokies.

Like so many transplants, his guitar and his interest in songwriting helped draw him here. The role of a songwriting troubadour – he writes worship and secular (but “not vulgar”) songs he hopes help heal the soul – is something he’d eventually like to add to his resume.

But he also knows that carhops, waitresses, valet-car jockeys and landscapers before him all have proven that musical success in Nashville, as the great late-20th Century British poet Ringo Starr sang, “don’t come easy.”

Real estate salesman Howlett may not have been in the right profession when he came to Nashville, but he knew quickly he was in the right place.

Not only did his guitar help him feel at home, but the first time he visited church here “a guy I played baseball with in college was there. And a girl I had class in college with was there. … I knew God placed me here, I knew once I encountered them, God had me right where I was supposed to be.”

He rather quickly realized his future was in soil, not sales.

His landscaping business was up and running and successful when he began to see signs that indicated it was time to take the leap of faith that would be necessary if he was going to convince people that palms fit snugly among the area’s hardwoods and hackberries, the magnolias – steel or otherwise – and the maples.

“I’d been wanting to start the palm tree thing. Been researching it, learning about palm trees, talking to people in Florida and Virginia.

“I went to Paris, France, this past winter on a mission trip and they have palm trees there. I’d go online and I’d see a bunch,” Howlett says.

“I kept on seeing palm trees everywhere I went. Didn’t matter if I was in the grocery store, seeing a sign, seeing a card. I would see palm trees. I knew I was supposed to start it. Sometimes you keep on getting hints about what you should do. You’ve got to eventually step out and face it. And that’s what I did in mid-summer.”

The first step was to get people to even imagine that palm trees could thrive here. By way of advertising, he and his crew planted a palm in the front yard of one of his favorite clients, whose yard faces Old Hickory Boulevard, precisely where Brentwood looks across the street at Forrest Hills.

It’s a highly traveled, low-speed, traffic-choked stretch of highway and the palm is almost impossible to miss. Beneath it is a sign advertising “Nashville Palms.”

“I’ve been doing landscaping for them for four years. They are super-good people and told me I could plant one there. That was kind of a blessing, my first big leap of visibility for Nashville Palms.”

He does not think this leap was accidental: “I’m a Christian. I give God all the glory for all he’s done.”

That simple bit of advertising has been successful.

“It’s been going good. I’ve gotten a ton of phone calls, left and right. A lot of people have been kind of shocked seeing a palm tree in Nashville. A lot of people are very interested. I haven’t sold a ton, but I’ve sold many.”

He expects that this year’s foray into the palm-planting profession – and the subsequent winterizing he recommends for most of the trees — will lead to more success next year, when “God will bless us and it will be really good. You’ve just got to trust God and make sure it works and follow through.”

Of course, he hopes his faith in fronds will help fulfill his own dreams as well as those of some of his beach-loving customers.

“When I think of the palm tree, I think of when Jesus was on earth, when they were waving palms. It’s an awesome tree.”

So instead of waiting until that next trip to Orange Beach or the Florida panhandle for the psychological lift bestowed by that first glimpse of a palm, Howlett recommends Nashvillians insert bits of the beach in their own front yards, where fronds will flourish through gray winters and into bright summers to come.

As Tug McGraw, a great poet of summer’s hope, once said: “Ya gotta believe.”

CALENDAR

FAIRS, FESTIVALS MORE

Main Street Live: Main Street, Bradenton

Main Street Live will be 5-10 p.m. Oct. 17 featuring live music by Kim Betts and Gamble Creek Band, and arts and crafts. The event is free an open to the public. Food and beverages are available for purchase. Proceeds will benefit the revitalization of downtown’s merchants and culture. Information: 941-201-6228.

“Live from downtown, it’s Friday Night”: Towles Court, Sarasota

“Live from downtown, it’s Friday Night” will be 6-9 p.m. Oct. 18 and every third Friday of the month featuring live performances by Sarasota’s premier entertainers and performing arts organizations and enjoy shopping at a unique mix of boutiques, galleries, and salons. Businesses will be open with extended hours. Admission is free. Information: 941-366-7040 or www.DSAsarasota.com.

Anna Maria Island “Bayfest 2013”: along Pine Avenue, Anna Maria Island

The Anna Maria Island Chamber of Commerce will host the 2013 “Bayfest,” 5-10 p.m. Oct. 18 and 10 a.m.-10 p.m. Oct. 19, a free family event featuring more than 100 vendors, including food and beverage vendors, a classic car show, and live music by various local artists and bands including, Dean Johansen, Steve Arvey, KoKo Ray, Gulf Drive, Can’t Turn Left, Renegade, Mike Sales and the Restless Natives, Scott’s Garage, Shotgun Justice, and Mike Sales and Chris Grumley as MCs. Information: 941-778-1541.

Empty Bowls: various locations in Manatee County

Empty Bowls, a fundraiser for the Food Bank of Manatee will be 11 a.m.-1 p.m. Oct. 18 at Renaissance on 9th, 1816 Ninth St. W., Bradenton and Oct. 19 on Main Street, Lakewood Ranch. Enjoy a variety of delicious soups from local restaurants, fresh bread and dessert and take home a unique, handcrafted bowl made by local potters. Tickets: $20. Information: 9410749-0100 or www.foodbankofmanatee.org.

Annual Fall Home Show: Florida State Fairgrounds, 4800 U.S. 301 N., Tampa

The 25th annual Fall Home Show will be 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Oct. 18, 11 a.m.-7 p.m. Oct. 19 and 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Oct. 20. Homeowners will get a jump on holiday prep with expert insight, ideas and inspiration for living well. The event features innovative products and solutions to help with projects at home including landscaping, kitchen or bathroom remodeling, interior design, green building, appliances and bedding, sink hole mitigation or storage solution, and local experts will be on hand with displays, exhibits, demonstrations and seminars. Local animal rescue groups will offer pets for adoption. Admission: $8 adults, $7 seniors ages 55 and older, admission is free for children 11 and younger when accompanied by an adult. Information: 800-345-3247 or www.bighomeshow.com.

Classic Car Nights: Clancy’s Irish Sports Pub and Grill, 6218 Cortez Road, Bradenton

Classic car enthusiasts, car owners and the public are welcome at “Classic Car Night” 6 p.m. Sept. 21 and every third Saturday of the month featuring a variety of classic cars, including hot rods, muscle cars, modified bikes, rat rods and fire trucks. Admission: free. Separate car parking for participants. Food and beverages are available for purchase. Information: 941-794-2489.

Seventh annual Hungarian Festival: Sarasota County Fairgrounds, 3000 Ringling Blvd., Sarasota

The seventh annual Hungarian Festival will be noon-10 p.m. Oct. 19 and noon-8 p.m. Oct. 20 featuring Hungarian dishes, dessert and wines, dancing, a Goulash cooking competition, live music by various Hungarian bands and entertainers, a DJ, arts and crafts and for children face painting, a puppet show, wood games and more. Tickets: $10, free admission to children ages 11 and younger. Information: 941-955-1515 or www.gffusa.org.

Mainly Art and Farmers Market: along Old Main Street and Fourth Avenue West, Bradenton

Mainly Art, an art and music filled, family friendly event will return to the Bradenton Farmers Market 9 a.m.-2 p.m. Oct. 19, featuring local artists, artisans and craftspeople displaying and selling their creations, including paintings, jewelry, baskets, glassware, photography, painted furniture, woodworks, glass and plant hangings, children’s clothing and much more. The event also features live music and “Art Of” demonstrations. Information: www.bradentonfarmersmarket.com.

Riverwalk “Pickin’ Picnic”: Bradenton Riverwalk Pavillion

Bring your chair and blankets and enjoy Realize Bradenton’s second “Pickin’ Picnic” 4-10 p.m. Oct. 19 featuring Suncoast Food Trucks and live music by the following five local emerging musicians: Faceless Bandits 4-5 p.m., Geri X 5:15-6:15 p.m., Waking Giants 6:30-7:30 p.m., Muphin Chuckrs 7:45-8:45 p.m. and Have Gun, Will Travel 9-10 p.m. The Riverwalk concession stand will be handled by 2nd Street Bistro. Beverages will be available for purchase. The event is free and open to the public. Information: www.downtownmattersblog.com.

Anna Maria Island Privateers Seventh Annual “Shiprek” Poker Run”: various locations

The Anna Maria Island Privateers Seventh annual “Shiprek” Poker Run will be Oct. 19 with registration at 9:30 a.m. at Bogey’s Sports Pub, 7230 52nd Place E., Bradenton. Featured stops are at Woody’s River Roo, Peggy’s Corral, Grizzly’s Den, Mexicali Border Cafe, Drift-In at Bradenton Beach, Aces Live, Bearded Clam and ends back at Bogey’s Sports Pub. There will be raffles and games at each stop and live music by Mike “Cowhead” and his Pit Bull Toddler Band. Registration: $15 and $5 for extra hands. Convertibles are welcome. Information: Larry Ackerman at laauto@aol.com.

Island Gallery West Second annual Open Air Art Market: 5368 Gulf Dr., Holmes Beach

Island Gallery West will host its second annual Open Air Art Market 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Oct. 19 featuring art treasures for sale from gallery artists. Information: 941-778-6648.

Sarasota Art and Craft Festival: along Lemon Avenue Main Street, Sarasota

The 19th annual downtown Sarasota Art and Craft Festival will be 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Oct. 19-20, a juried festival featuring original and affordable crafts, unique gift items, as well as a Green Market offering plants, exotic orchids, gourmet spices, dips and freshly popped kettle corn. The artists and crafters will line the streets with professional display booths featuring a vast array of craft media including folk art, pottery, personalized gifts, handmade clothing, basket weaving, beaded utensils, cork assemblage, fabric design, fiber quilts, fused wax and glass, hair accessories, handbags, handmade cards, leather, mosaic, wood, painted wood, plaster craft, stained glass and more. A portion of the proceeds will benefit the Downtown Sarasota Alliance. Information: 561-746-6615 or www.artfestival.com.

Hunsader Farms Pumpkin Festival: Hunsader Farms, 5500 Country Road 675, Bradenton

The Hunsader Farms Pumpkin Festival will be 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Oct. 19-20 and 26-27 featuring more than 100 craft booths, live music shows, pumpkins, charity pumpkin games, a pioneer trades village, hayrides, pony rides, chain saw sculptor, a 7-acre corn maze, scarecrow displays, homemade ice cream, farm roasted sweet corn, rock climbing wall, power jumping, petting zoo, barnyard playground, face painting, children’s train ride, juggler, fresh produce and a frog jumping championship. Admission to the corn maze is $2. The Buddy Walk is 11 a.m. Oct. 19, and special trick or treat for children in costume is 3-5 p.m. Oct. 27. Admission: $8 adults, children ages 12 and younger are admitted free. Parking: $5. Information: 941-331-1212 or www.hunsaderfarms.com.

Spooky Empire’s Ultimate Horror Weekend: Doubletree Hotel at Universal Studios, 5780 Major Blvd., Orlando

Meet and mingle with your favorite horror movie and TV stars, buy any collectible you can imagine from your choice of over 200 vendors and artists, see new and up and coming films as well as your old favorites, take part in one of the largest Zombie Walks, get tattooed by some of the best artists from around the world, and of course party until your heart’s content, during this non-stop weekend of horrors. The show open 5 p.m. Oct. 25 and 11 a.m. Oct. 26-27. Exhibitors rooms are open 5-11 p.m. Oct. 25, 11 a.m.-8 p.m. Oct. 26, 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Oct. 27. Celebrity autograph rooms are open 5-10 p.m. Oct. 25, 11 a.m.-7 p.m. Oct. 26 and 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Oct. 27. There will be multiple media celebrity guests, including authors, musicians and entertainers including Peter Criss from Kiss, Gunnar Hansen, George Romero, Doug Bradley, Dee Snider from Twisted Sister, Patricia Quinn, Kane Hodder, Ricou Browning, Julie Adams, Lisa Marie, Sean Whalen, Brandon Adams, Yan Birch and Danielle Harris. Tickets: $30 in advance, $40 and the door, weekend tickets are $50 in advance, $60 at the door, VIP tickets: $199. Information: 800-327-2110 or www.spookyempire.com.

COMING SOON

Sidewalk Astronomy: 8141 Main Street, Lakewood Ranch

The local group of Deep Sky Observers, a Manatee/Sarasota group of astronomy enthusiasts, will offer the public a chance to view spectacular celestial sights through their high-powered telescopes 7-10 p.m. , weather permitting. Participants will be treated to up close views of the moon and other celestial objects as they become visible throughout the evening. The event is free and open to the public. Information: 941-342-9632.

“Live from downtown, it’s Friday Night”: Palm Avenue Main and First streets, Sarasota

“Live from downtown, it’s Friday Night” will be 6-9 p.m. Nov. 1 and every first Friday of the month featuring live performances by Sarasota’s premier entertainers and performing arts organizations and enjoy shopping at a unique mix of boutiques, galleries and salons. Businesses will be open with extended hours. Admission is free. Information: 941-366-7040 or www.DSAsarasota.com.

Music on Main: Main Street, Lakewood Ranch

Main Street at Lakewood Ranch will host a Music on Main concert 6-9 p.m. Nov. 1. Bring chairs and blankets. No coolers allowed. Dogs on short leashes are permitted. Admission is free. Information: 941-907-9243 or visit www.lakewoodranch.com/mainstreet.

First Fridays Car Bike Show: Slick’s Garage, 923 Fifth St. W., Palmetto

Slick’s Garage hosts a First Fridays Car Bike Show and community party 5-11 p.m. the first Friday of each month. The event features live music, food and drink vendors, children’s entertainment, charity auctions and more. Information: 941-776-7298.

First Fridays Artwalk: Village of the Arts, 12th St. W. and Ninth Ave., Bradenton

The Village of the Arts will have First Friday Artwalks 6-9:30 p.m. Nov. 1 and 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Nov. 2. Tie One On is the them as the Village celebrates the start of the season. Get those old ties out of the back of your closet and “Tie One On” to your favorite fence in the Village or choose one of ours from tie tables throughout the Village provided by the Manatee Memorial Auxiliary Thrift Shop in Bradenton. Ties on fences will be on display until the following weekend when all ties will be donated back to the Thrift Shop. Enjoy strolling the Village of the Arts, home to more than 20 art galleries, studios, shops and cafes. Information: 941-747-8056 or visit www.villageofthearts.com.

“Live from downtown, it’s Friday Night”: Burns Square, Sarasota

“Live from downtown, it’s Friday Night” will be 6-9 p.m. Nov. 8 and every second Friday of the month featuring live performances by Sarasota’s premier entertainers and performing arts organizations and enjoy shopping at a unique mix of boutiques, galleries and salons. Businesses will be open with extended hours. Admission is free. Information: 941-366-7040 or www.DSAsarasota.com.

Sail Pavilion “Brews and Bites”: 333 S. Franklin St., Tampa

Sail Pavilion will be hosting a monthly Brews and Bites Food Truck Rally 6-10 p.m. Nov. 8 and every second Friday of the month. There will be live entertainment by local musicians, a mojito bar, summer specialty cocktails, craft beers and multiple food trucks offering something for every tastebud. Information: 813-373-1193.

BINGO

American Legion Post 24: 2000 75th St. W., Bradenton

Bingo, 6-8 p.m. Tuesdays. Public welcome. Information: 941-794-3489.

Bradenton Tropical Palms: 2310 14th St. W., Bradenton

Bingo will be 6:30 p.m. Thursdays. New progressive game. Doors open at 5:30 p.m. Information: 941-580-5044.

Casa Loma Mobile Home Park Clubhouse: 105 52nd Ave. E., Bradenton

Bingo, 6 p.m. Wednesdays. Doors open at 4:30 p.m. Licensed food vendor available. Information: 941-761-7788.

Tidevue Estates Mobile Home Park Clubhouse: 4214 11th St. Ct. E. (off US 301 N.), Ellenton

Bingo, doors open 5 p.m., games start at 6:10 p.m. Fridays Nov.-April 2014. Information: 941-722-2557.

DANCES

Bradenton Woman’s Club: 1705 Manatee Ave. W., Bradenton

Dance to live music 8-11 p.m. Fridays. Cost is $8. Lessons from 7 to 8 p.m. Open to the public. Singles are welcome. BYOB, sodas available. Smoke-free facility. Proceeds will benefit renovation of the clubhouse, built in 1921. Information: 941-773-0177 or www.bradentonwomansclub.com.

Bella Danza Dance and Ballroom: 5702 Manatee Ave. W., Bradenton

Friday beginner group lessons 6 p.m. Cost: $10. Friday advanced group lessons 7 p.m. Cost: $10. Friday social dance with complimentary beverage and snacks, 8-9:30 p.m. Cost: $10. Afternoon ballroom dances are 2 p.m. Tuesdays. Cost: $10. Dance Fusion for adults 7 p.m., for children 6 p.m. Thursdays; Cost: $10 adults, $5 children. Dance Information: Dwayne Biggs at 941-465-1031.

Adult Singles Dance Club: YMCA, 1075 Euclid Ave., Sarasota

Dance with live bands plus a DJ, 7:30-10:30 p.m. Saturdays; $8 members; $10 nonmembers. Complimentary snacks. Information: 941-756-8303 or 941-807-2226.

Sara Dance Center: 5000 Fruitville Road, Sarasota

Ballroom dancing lessons 7-8 p.m. and general dancing 8-10 p.m. Mondays. No partners necessary. Admission: $8 members, $10 nonmembers. Call for complete schedule 941-685-7026.

West Coast Woman’s Club of Manatee County: H2U, 6670 Cortez Road, Bradenton

Let’s Dance! a monthly social dance will be held 7-10 p.m. Nov. 9 and every second Saturday of each month. Dance lessons are 6:15-7 p.m. at no additional charge. Music will be provided by Ellsworth and Company. Light snacks will be provided. Water and sodas are available for purchase. BYOB. Cost: $8. Information: Kelly Helm at 941-447-8238.

FARMERS MARKETS

Bradenton Farmers Market: Old Main St., Bradenton

The Bradenton Farmers Market will be 9 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturdays, featuring more than 30 vendors offering locally grown fruits, vegetables, plants, organic products, prepared foods, and the work of local artists and craftspeople. For more information about the Bradenton Farmers Market, visit www.bradentonfarmersmarket.com. The market expands to welcome Mainly Art, a gathering of local artists and craftspeople displaying and selling their handmade goods, every third Saturday of the month. Information: 941-840-0017 or visit www.bradentonfarmersmarket.com.

Ellenton Farmers Market: 5309 29th St. E., Ellenton

The Ellenton Farmers Market is 9 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturdays and specializes in “green” natural, organic and environmentally friendly products that makes for a healthier lifestyle and a better environment. Information: 941-725-0205.

Phillippi Farmhouse Market: 5500 S. Tamiami Trail, Sarasota

The Phillippi Farmhouse Market will be 9 a.m.-2 p.m. Wednesdays featuring fruits and vegetables from local groves and farms including herbs, plants, cut flowers, prepared foods, seafood, ice cream, kettle corn, barbecue and multiple organic products. Local arts and craftsmen will be selling soaps and essential oils, organic treat for pets, fabric fantasies, books and much more. The midweek market runs through April. Information: 941-366-1323 or visit www.farmhousemarket.org.Bradenton Farmers Market: Main Street, Bradenton

San Marco Plaza Market: San Marco Plaza at 8209 Natures Way, Lakewood Ranch

Shop for local produce 9 a.m.-2 p.m. Fridays featuring cut flowers, fresh seafood, coffees, pottery, herbs and more. The market features live entertainment performed by local musicians. Information: 941-799-4213.

Sarasota farmers market: Lemon Avenue at the intersection of Main Street, Sarasota

The Downtown Sarasota Farmers Market is hosting Veterans Appreciation Day 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Oct. 19 as part of the Legacy of Valor campaign honoring the service and sacrifice of veterans and their families. The event will feature a large tent with various non-profits that have missions geared toward helping veterans, local military organizations and live music by a 17-piece Jazz band. Information: 941-225-9256. Fresh produce, plants, coffee, crafts, food and more are available 7 a.m.-1 p.m. Saturdays. Information: 941-951-2656.

FLEA MARKETS

Enterprise Flea Market: 2408 U.S. 301, Palmetto

Indoor flea market featuring new and used items, furniture, household items, collectibles, antiques, pet cages, home medical equipment, a large selection of DVD/VHS and more. Merchandise added daily. Hours: 9 a.m.-5 p.m. daily. Information: 941-723-9424.

Red Barn Flea Market and Plaza: 1707 First St. E., Bradenton

Features more than 600 booths, farm-fresh produce, plants, antiques, new and used merchandise, jewelry and two food courts. Parking and admission are free. Hours (entire market) 8 a.m.-4 p.m. Friday-Sunday. Plaza area retail stores open 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Tuesday-Sunday. Information: 941-747-3794.

SOCIAL CLUBS

American Legion Kirby Stewart Post 24: 2000 75th St. W., Bradenton

Lunch is served 11-2 p.m. Monday-Friday. Spaghetti dinner and salad bar 5-7 p.m. and Queen of Hearts 8 p.m., Mondays. Hamburgers 5-7 p.m., Bingo 6-9 p.m., Live music by Art Siefert 6:30-8:30 p.m. Tuesdays. Chicken wings 5-8 p.m., karaoke with Franky Allen 7-10 p.m. Wednesdays. Quesadillas 5-8 p.m., TBD Band 7-10 p.m. Thursdays. Fried or baked fish 5-7 p.m., dancing and live music 7-10 p.m. Fridays. Foxhole Lounge: hot dogs 11 a.m.7 p.m. Saturdays. Breakfast 8-11:30 a.m., dancing and live music by Bob Dewart Band with Eddie Tobin on piano 2-5 p.m. Sundays; Cost: $5 members, $5 nonmembers. The public is welcome. Information: 941-794-3489 or www.americanlegionpost24.com.

American Legion Post 312: 1610 67th Ave. E., Oneco

Bingo 6:30 p.m. Thursdays; dinner 5-7 p.m. and music 7-11 p.m. Fridays; hamburgers and hot dogs 1-5 p.m., music 3-7 p.m. Saturdays; and breakfast 8 a.m.-11 a.m. and bingo 12:30-3:30 p.m. Sundays. Information: 941-758-6616.

American Legion Post 325: 3420 U.S. 301, Ellenton

Feather Your Nest 1 p.m., hamburgers 2-4 p.m. Sundays. Queen of Hearts, 7 p.m. Mondays. Hot dogs on Wednesdays. Information: 941-981-3819.

AmVets Post 301: 2443 U.S. 301 N., Ellenton

Tacos, 5-7 p.m. Tuesdays. Cheeseburger night, 5-7 p.m. Thursday. Karaoke on Friday nights. Music 5-8 p.m. Sundays. Back arcade open daily. Information: 941-722-0393.

Disabled American Veterans Chapter 18: 111 63rd Ave. E., Bradenton

Enjoy music 7:30-10:30 p.m. Fridays. Karaoke first Saturday of every month. Bar Bingo 4-7 p.m. Tuesdays and 1-4 p.m. Saturdays. Information: 941-755-5425.

Fraternal Order of Eagles Chapter 3171: 5831 15th St. E., Bradenton

Breakfast 8:30-11 a.m. and euchre at 1:30 p.m. Sundays; euchre at 7:30 p.m. Mondays; spaghetti dinner 5-7 p.m. Wednesdays; and bingo 11 a.m.-2 p.m. every first and third Saturday of the month. Information: 941-756-2113.

Marine Corps League Detachment 588: 5225 26th St. W., Bradenton

All past and present military personnel and their guests are welcome to the Bunker Bar for fellowship, camaraderie, entertainment, and refreshments. Bar hours: 2-8 p.m. Tuesdays-Sundays. Karaoke every second and fourth Saturday of the month. Information: 941-301-4598.

North Manatee American Legion Post 309: 2419 Bayshore Road, Palmetto

Bingo, 4 p.m. Thursdays. Soft-tip darts 8 p.m. Thursdays. Feather your nest 1-3 p.m. Saturdays. Information: 941-722-8689.

VFW Post 2488: 810 Sixth St. W., Palmetto

Lunch, 11 a.m.-2 p.m. Monday-Fridays. Karaoke with Bob Dunn, 6-9 p.m. Wednesdays and Fridays. Fish fry, 5:30-7:30 p.m. Fridays. Information: 941-722-9588.

VFW Post 9226: 3511 12th St. E., Ellenton

Euchre, 6:30 p.m. Thursdays. Fish Fry, 4:30-6:30 p.m. Fridays. Ladies Auxiliary Polish Fest and dinner 4:30-6:30 p.m. Oct. 19featuring perogies, stuffed cabbage and more. Bar poker 4:30 p.m. Sundays. Ladies Auxiliary Feather Your Nest 4:30-6:30 p.m.; $2 crockpot meal Mondays. Information: 941-729-8535.

VFW Palma Sola Post 10141: 5105 Manatee Ave. W., Bradenton

Ladies Auxiliary Cancer Awareness Event with food and music by Holly Rae 7-10 p.m. Oct. 19. Sunday breakfast, 9 a.m.-noon. TC and The Troublemakers, 4:30 p.m. every third Sunday. Monday night dinner, 5-7 p.m. Bingo 6:30 p.m. Thursdays. Fish Fry, 5-7 p.m. Fridays. New menu, bar food served 11-7 p.m. daily. The public is welcome to all dinners and events. Information: 941-794-6394.

Trip Elementary School Assistant Principal Virin Vedder walks around about 900 bricks dedicated earlier this school year to students and staff who opened the school in 2008. The students who were in kindergarten that year are now fifth-graders, the first class to spend all six years at the school. (Staff Photo: Keith Farner)

Trip Elementary School Assistant Principal Virin Vedder walks around about 900 bricks dedicated earlier this school year to students and staff who opened the school in 2008. The students who were in kindergarten that year are now fifth-graders, the first class to spend all six years at the school. (Staff Photo: Keith Farner)

The meaning of the brick dedication was to be a tribute for the vision and intention of the school when it opened in 2008 with about 750 students and 80 staff members. (Staff Photo: Keith Farner)

The bricks were purchased by some members of the charter class’ families, and donated through business partner sponsorships, parents and other local school fundraising efforts. School officials plan to add permanent benches and landscaping around the area. (Staff Photo: Keith Farner)

GRAYSON — Six years after she led the opening of Trip Elementary, Marci Sledge has plenty of memories from the first school where she was a principal.

Now there’s a physical representation to trigger those thoughts.

Earlier this school year, Trip Elementary administrators and teachers dedicated a display of about 900 bricks outside the front door of the school as a way to honor the charter class, teachers and staff that opened the building in 2008.

“When I visit, I will read the names on those bricks and remember the funny stories, the hard work, the good people that made Trip what it is today,” said Sledge, who left Trip in May to become the principal at Pinckneyville Middle.

The idea for the bricks came from Assistant Principal Virin Vedder who brainstormed it with a landscape designer as a way to depict staff “metaphorically surrounding students working together on this very important mission, which is education.”

Vedder glanced up at the circle design on the facade above the front door to the school, and the idea was born.

The school is in its sixth year of operation, and Vedder said the vast majority of the 80 staff members who helped open the school remain. About 750 students were there when the school opened, and the kindergarteners in 2008 are now fifth-graders.

“Any time you open a new school it’s hard work,” Vedder said. “It reflects the dedication and devotion to that charter year staff and students who made this building become what it is now, and what we are continuing to enhance every year, but you have to have a start. I think it’s a great way for us to give a tribute for those people who did put in that hard work and effort in what has become a great Trip. This is a metaphor for the beginning of our Trip.”

The opening of a school is difficult for everyone, Sledge said, because new routines and traditions have to be established. Students often move from a previous school without friends, and teachers and staff also have new colleagues and a new way of operating.

Sledge said her years at Trip are a proud chapter in her life, and she said the people involved were instrumental in creating a culture that’s important to preserve.

“What I’m proud of is the wonderful people associated with it,” she said. “I’m proud of the students who rose to our expectations year after year; the parents who believed in our school and supported us; and the wonderful teachers and support staff who are genuinely great people who do what it takes every day to do the right thing for kids.”

Sledge said some of the initial ideas were to have something that could be durable and not fade over time, but also something that charter students and staff could visit.

In the five years since the charter pathway project was announced, the school received donations from Parent Teacher Association, Student Council and local businesses. Parents also purchased bricks in the beginning. Vedder said the businesses who constructed the project also donated resources. And the long-term goal is to cement permanent benches and more extensive landscaping around it.

Late last school year, the project received enough money to become a reality, just in time for the charter class to enter fifth grade and be honored and recognized.

“This is our tribute to them,” Vedder said. “This represents that vision and intention.”

Recently, I had the good fortune to participate in a panel discussion at the monthly meeting of the U.S. Green Building Council — Nevada Chapter. Appropriately, its meetings are in a beautiful green building built with straw bales, one of several LEED-Platinum structures at the Springs Preserve.

The topic was green homes and my talk encompassed a combination of strategies and techniques that yield the most satisfying results. I mentioned insulation, orientation and thermal mass as the foundations of passive solar design. Daylighting and efficiency were covered, along with renewable energy and even electric cars. There was mention of creating microclimates, edible landscaping and using strategic shade trees to help maintain comfort and keep energy bills down.

The main message was that everyone can make a difference and that improving our homes also can help with big issues such as climate change.

Afterward, I spoke with fellow chapter member and landscape architect Anna Peltier about a project she’s been working on at her home. She is an active member of the organization, serving as the chairwoman of the education committee and often volunteering to help at chapter events. Peltier is the owner of Aria Landscape Architecture (www.arialandscape.com) and when it comes to applying green concepts to her craft, she walks her talk.

At home she is implementing several green strategies including an edible landscape. The backyard features what she refers to as “traditional edibles.” There are dwarf fruit trees producing apples, oranges and pomegranates. A pergola supports interwoven vines of Cabernet grapes, shading a cozy outdoor dining area.

I could almost smell lemon-grass, lavender, sage and rosemary as Peltier described what she grows. The list also includes marjoram, onion and garlic chives, oregano, thyme, lemon thyme and several varieties of mint.

Her traditional garden produces random seasonal veggies. She plants three annual growing seasons: spring, fall and winter. Winter crops are protected by a temporary greenhouse made from landscape piping and clear plastic.

To offset the higher water use of her edibles, Peltier’s front yard features native and near-native species from the Mojave and Sonoran deserts, all bearing edible delights. Honey mesquite, Indian fig prickly pear, purple prickly pear plus teddy bear and staghorn cholla produce pods, flowers, pads or fruit that have been staples of the area for millennia. Peltier’s knowledge of desert plants and the food they provide is impressive.

Her edible desert plantings also include ocotillo, wolfberry, Indian rice grass, Mormon tea, banana yucca, Mojave yucca and barrel cactus. One non-native exception is a black Turkish fig tree to help shade the house.

Peltier pays attention to others with innovative ideas and practical solutions. One such person is Brad Lancaster, author of “Rainwater Harvesting for Drylands and Beyond,” who led a seminar on the topic in Las Vegas this summer. Peltier was there. Now her home’s roof is being outfitted with gutters to channel occasional but sometimes intense rainfall into cisterns. The water can then be used more effectively, when and precisely where it is needed.

The yard also has been graded into a series of mulch-filled basins, acting as sponges to store excess rainwater while reducing evaporation. Three basins drain sequentially into the next and small berms help keep rainwater from flowing into the street. These simple but incredibly effective methods reduce the need to irrigate with potable water.

Peltier says her goal is the satisfaction of having an efficient yard that also provides supplemental food. She acknowledges that native species can never feed the city, but using native plants makes sense, no matter where you happen to live. It creates a sense of place, a connection with the environment that is often sorely lacking in modern culture.

The more we appreciate the beauty of our rich, local biodiversity and integrate it into our lives, the more sustainable our community will become. Aria Landscape Architecture is singing a song that is music to my ears and it’s all about green living. Bravo!

Steve Rypka is a green living consultant and president of GreenDream Enterprises, a company committed to helping people live lighter on the planet. For more information and links to additional resources relating to this column, or to reach Rypka, visit www.greendream.biz.

ST. LOUIS • A St. Louis alderman is seeking committee hearings to investigate how two St. Louis parks officials were able to scheme and steal nearly half a million dollars in city funds over eight years without detection.

The officials — Thomas “Dan” Stritzel, the chief park ranger, and Joseph Vacca, the deputy parks commissioner — pleaded guilty last month in federal court of a scheme that involved the complicity of at least two companies doing business with the city. The companies overcharged the city for services and passed the money back to a sham company controlled by Vacca and Stritzel, avoiding detection by city audits.

City officials representing Mayor Francis Slay said there was nothing they could do to prevent the thefts because they involved the department’s senior officials and the complicity of bona fide vendors. But they said on Tuesday they are working to put into place additional safeguards.

Now, Ward 21 Alderman Antonio French has called for an aldermanic committee, the Parks and Environmental Matters Committee, to hold hearings to investigate the “circumstances and failures that led to Stritzel and Vacca’s indictment.”

“The very least we could do is ask the people in authority to come in and explain,” French said.

French raised questions over which companies were involved and whether they are still doing business with the city.

Ward 17 Alderman Joe Roddy, who chairs the committee, said he will bring the request up at a meeting next week.

“It’s probably good for us all to know what at least happened out there and how to fix it,” Roddy said. “Generally, I tend to be pretty accommodating when the legislative body wants to ask questions.”

Stritzel and Vacca admitted to approaching a city vendor in early 2005, claiming the Parks Division needed equipment “that was not provided for or allocated” in the budget. The vendor, identified as “G.S.S.,” issued inflated monthly invoices to the city and passed the excess money to a company that Vacca and Stritzel controlled with the help of a longtime Stritzel friend.

Also, from 2007 to 2011, Stritzel and Vacca submitted more than $150,000 in false invoices for the supply and repair of hand-held radios from another company created by Stritzel’s friend.

In August 2010, Vacca approached yet another vendor, identified as “B.F.N.,” and said the division needed unbudgeted radio equipment. The indictment says that vendor submitted eight invoices, which included sham charges and undelivered materials, that were inflated by $29,670. “B.F.N.” passed along the excess money to the company controlled by Vacca and Stritzel.

The friend hasn’t been charged and was listed in redacted court documents by his initials. No one from companies “G.S.S.” and “B.F.N.” was charged with wrongdoing, and the company names were listed only by their initials. In all, some $464,722 was stolen, according to the charges.

Vacca has retired from his job. Stritzel has been fired. They will be sentenced in federal court on Dec. 12.

U.S. Attorney Richard Callahan said on Tuesday that the fraud would have been hard to detect.

“If you have multiple high-level officials in a scheme it probably won’t be detected by the normal checks and balances,” Callahan said.

Callahan said he didn’t expect any further charges. “There was no complicity in a criminal enterprise by anyone else,” Callahan said. He said the businesses involved “were duped” by the indicted parks officials into thinking that “they were just helping them overcome bureaucratic obstacles.”

Maggie Crane, the spokeswoman for Slay, referred questions on Tuesday to Eddie Roth, the city’s director of operations. So did St. Louis Parks Director Gary D. Bess, who appeared before an aldermanic committee earlier this year and said, “There is more to come, possibly.”

Bess said in a text message on Tuesday that he was in a hearing and couldn’t talk.

Roth said the city ended its contract after the indictments with one of the companies, a security firm, and is reviewing its contract with another, a landscaping company.

“We’re still trying to determine their level of complicity,” Roth said. “We’ve heard some things that they were not as complicit.”

Roth said the parks department has reduced the number of employees who can sign off on expenditures to just the director and the commissioner.

“We’ve also been in conversations with (city Comptroller Darlene Green’s) office to understand what added checks might be possible,” Roth said.

He added: “The city has been burned by this. There is not a lot that you can do when it is top people doing the conspiring.”

Roth said he welcomes an aldermanic inquiry. ”We’ll see if they have any better ideas than what we’ve been able to gather already from the comptroller,” Roth said.

He added: “If it is just going to degenerate into a political show trial, then it will just be a waste of time and trivialize the city’s victimization in this case.”

October 15, 2013 (CHICAGO) (WLS) —
Millennium Park is a must-see for visitors to Chicago that generates more than $2 billion a year in tourism revenue.

But before it was completed nine years ago, the park was an idea that then-Mayor Richard Daley had. He talked about his vision with people in town for Chicago Ideas Week.

Daley recalled the intricate planning it took to transform what was a 24-acre eyesore near Michigan and Randolph into a world-class destination.

“Landscaping was the key, very important,” he said.

Taking the tour were some of the people in town for Chicago Ideas Week, interested in learning how Daley’s vision for Millennium Park became reality.

“I’ve been to concerts here, so it’s fantastic to take a tour and learn the behind-the-scenes history of it,” said Gregory Tall.

“As we walk through the park with him, you see his attention to detail manifest itself everywhere in this place,” said Brad Keywell, Chicago Ideas Week.

Development of Millennium Park started in 1998 when Edward Uhlir was brought on board as the project design director. It took more than five years and nearly $500 million to complete. But Uhlir says the park is now a source of inspiration.

“It’s an attraction for people from all over the world who are in government designing their own parks and private-sector people, too, something to Millennium Park to see if there’s a way to do the same thing in their cities,” said Uhlir.

Daley says the goal of bringing a beautiful public space to the heart of the city has been achieved. And he’s looking ahead to more development.

“It gave us a new identity of a public space, which is really unique. Then with Maggie Daley Park, you put them together, it’s going to be sensational,” Daley said.

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Copyright 2013 PR Newswire. All Rights Reserved
2013-10-15

ATLANTA, Oct. 15, 2013 /PRNewswire/ — Atlanta Home Improvement magazine, the premier authority in Atlanta on home remodeling, interior design and landscaping, has launched its newly re-designed site, AtlantaHomeImprovment.com, to enhance the user experience for both local businesses and homeowners. With a streamlined design, improved search functionality and rich multi-media content, the new AtlantaHomeImprovement.com makes it easier for consumers to find home remodeling and landscaping ideas, resources and professionals.

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20131015/NY97252LOGO)

“We are excited to launch the next-generation Atlanta Home Improvement site to connect engaged homeowners and shoppers with our clients, faster and more easily,” said Jennifer Prins, publisher of Atlanta Home Improvement magazine. “More than ever, we’re empowering local home remodeling, design and landscape professionals to strengthen their online brand presence in the marketplace to attract shoppers, drive increased business, and generate more ways to interact with qualified consumers.”

“When a consumer comes to the new AtlantaHomeImprovment.com for home renovation ideas, they will find even more relevant content for inspiration and easy connections to the resources and professionals who can make their dream home happen,” adds Prins. For advertisers, the new site offers a stronger web presence, more lead capture methods, enhanced traffic from organic and referral search, and increased opportunities to reach prospective customers.

Key site features include:

• Premium Partner Listing, a 400-word story highlighting a local business’s work. Limited to 24 total profiles with prime placement on the home page and all subsequent landing pages in rotations of six, each Premium Partner listing features unlimited photos, a company description or story, logo, contact information, website link, “Ask A Question/Get A Quote” functionality, social media connections to Facebook and Twitter accounts, and video upload capability.
• Find A Resource, an online go-to source for visitors searching for products, services and professionals in remodeling, design and landscaping. Featured prominently on the home page and subsequent landing pages, searchable by category or alphabetical listings, each trusted resource features a custom page that includes 20 photos, a 250-word description, logo, contact information, website link, and “Ask A Question/Get A Quote” functionality.
• Run-of-Site Digital Display Ads offering exclusivity as one of only 16 Leaderboard advertisers and 16 Rectangular advertisers rotating through 4 positions on the site, every landing page, every blog page, every day for one year.
• Videos custom-produced by Atlanta Home Improvement that are prominently hosted on the site and YouTube for one year. Also included with this feature are social media announcements, a two-week promotion on the home page, and an archived version of the video at www.AtlantaHomeImprovement.com.   

For 12 years, Atlanta Home Improvement has been the premier source in Atlanta for inspiration and education about remodeling, landscaping, and interior design, as well as the latest home products, events and expert advice from industry professionals. Through its monthly full-color glossy magazine, website, blog and social media channels, Atlanta Home Improvement connects a monthly audience of over 220,000 homeowners who are actively searching for home remodeling and landscaping services to advertisers representing the region’s most respected businesses.

About Atlanta Home Improvement magazine
Atlanta Home Improvement magazine is a part of Network Communications, Inc., a leading local media company providing lead generation, advertising and Internet marketing services to the luxury and multi-family segments of the housing industry. The Company’s leading brands are Apartment Finder, DigitalSherpa, Unique Homes, New England Home and Mountain Living. The Company’s strategy focuses on providing high-quality and measurable marketing solutions to local clients by leveraging its proprietary prospect-focused distribution, social media and online franchises, and content management infrastructure.

SOURCE Network Communications, Inc.

This article is provided and sponsored by:
ClearPoint Credit Counseling Solutions
____________________________________

When your household budget isn’t balancing, the first thing to do is cut expenses. But, if cost cutting doesn’t prove sufficient, it’s time to think about extra income ideas. Making more money will certainly provide a “pick-me-up” for your budget. Lucky for you, we have some simple extra income ideas that our credit counselors give to clients every day. Take a look at these suggestions.

• Have a yard sale. Clear the house of unwanted items — furniture, toys, clothing, electronics, sports equipment, video games, housewares, and the like. Sell the items at a garage sale or in a classified ad or online auction.
• Downsize your fleet. Cars are expensive to own and operate. Is public transportation or car-pooling an option? Sell your second car or trade down to an older model to free up some cash.
• Part-time or seasonal work. Many retailers need extra help during the holidays. Or, maybe you live near a tourist attraction (beach town, ski resort) that hires seasonal laborers.
• Advertise your special talents. Consider your talents and hobbies. Do you like children or working with the elderly? Many people need help with childcare or elderly parents. Are you fond of animals? Start a pet-sitting or dog-walking service. Do you like to make handcrafts or create artwork? If your talent is baking, sell your cakes, pies or other treats. Amateur photographers can advertise their services to would-be brides and grooms, new parents, and others celebrating a special occasion.
• House cleaning/maintenance. Do you think you’d be good at cleaning houses or local businesses? If you’re a pro at home maintenance tasks (putting up storm windows, clearing gutters, painting, washing decks, etc.), earn money providing these services to other homeowners.
• Yard work. Not everyone enjoys leaf-raking, lawn-mowing, gardening, landscaping and other yard work. With the right equipment and skills, you could provide these services to others for a fee. Offer snow-shoveling or snow-blowing services if you live in a cold climate.
• Are cars your thing? Plenty of people don’t like to wash and wax their own cars, change the oil or do other routine maintenance. If you’re handy with cars, advertise your personalized service and charge less than the local service station.
• Rent a room or driveway. Do you have a room in the basement or over the garage that sits empty? Rent out the room to a carefully screened tenant. Driveways located near a public transportation stop or entertainment venue are valuable commodities.
• Offer tutoring services. If you’re a teacher or otherwise qualified in particular subject areas, make extra money tutoring students. Join up with a tutoring service or offer your services independently.

Each of these extra income ideas will bring you more money and free up more room in your budget (if you devote time and effort to promoting your skills and availability). Advertise in print and online classified ads; post a notice on bulletin boards at work, church, community centers and local retailers; distribute flyers around local neighborhoods; and, spread the word to friends, relatives and colleagues.

For more ideas to generate more income and manage your money better, visit ClearPoint Credit Counseling Solutions.

City officials opened Monday a roundabout touted as one of the first people-friendly ideas of the Ignite High Point initiative.

The oval-shaped mass of concrete and what will become lawn grass at the intersection of W. Parkway Avenue, N. Lindsay Street, N. Elm Street and Hillcrest Drive replaces a traffic signal and is designed to make the area more pedestrian friendly by slowing down vehicles. For weeks, drivers endured detours and blocked streets. With the streets open, city officials are looking for an efficient flow of traffic.
“There are more things to come,” said Richard Wood, City Project board chairman. “We are looking at how to uplift the library plaza to make it more green.”
A roundabout has long been planned for the intersection, but the design for it was revised by the  Duany Plater-Zyberk team of urban planners and architects who visited the city in May.
The Miami-based firm suggested changing the roundabout design from a circle to an oval-shaped structure that would be a better fit with the new urbanism principles the DPZ team likes.
The team is developing a master plan on how to revitalize three general areas: Uptowne, the furniture market district and the High Point University area.
“We are working on the pit (an urban gathering spot for special events in a former parking lot on W. High Avenue) and are just about ready to take plans to City Council. There are so many things happening because of this study,” Wood said.
“It is a great design and great looking. We’ll decide about landscaping later.”
The traffic project is one phase of several upgrades either planned or underway along Lindsay Street from N. Main Street to English Road.
“Initially, we were against it,” said Terry Kuneff, the city’s project engineer. “But as we began to understand the purpose of the changes as a step towards making High Point a workable city, we decided it not only looks good but it has the calmed the traffic and will allow people to enjoy the green space.  We’re pleased with the outcome.”
A portion of the street has been widened from Sunset Drive to Quaker Lane and overhead power lines have been put underground between N. Main Street and Ray Avenue.
“People have worked very hard to re-establish the core and the heart of the city with the project,” said Britt Moore, mayor pro tem.
Other neighborhood upgrades include new light poles.  Sewer lines will be installed between Quaker Lane and English Road, and sidewalks and new curb and gutter will be built along the route.

New Roundabout
Shape:  About 200 feet long and 85 feet wide with sidewalks connecting both ends and both sides.

Cost: The entire Lindsay Street project cost is $5.1 million, about $4 million of which is covered by bond money approved by city voters in 2004. The redesigned roundabout cost the city an additional $85,000.