SIOUX FALLS, SD –

If you’re looking to redo your kitchen or bathroom, you’ll find plenty of ideas at during this weekend’s Showcase of Remodeled Homes.  Eight homes throughout Sioux Falls are featured in the parade.  You can check them out from noon to 5 pm today and Sunday.  It costs $5 to see all of the homes.  Tickets can be purchased at any of the homes.  Kids 2 and under are free.

Cartoonists from several states are meeting in Sioux Falls for their chapter meeting that includes a celebration of the 40th anniversary of the comic strip Hagar the Horrible.  You can meet cartoonists during a book signing at Zandbroz Variety Bookstore in downtown Sioux Falls from 1-2:30 pm.  The creator of the Watson comic strip Jim Horwitz is the guest speaker at a free program at the downtown public library from 3-5 pm.

The McGovern Crop Walk is a fundraising effort to fight hunger locally and globally.  The walk begins at 10 am at the Sherman Center at Dakota Wesleyan University in Mitchell. 

Cinema Falls presents the Red Carpet Premiere of the science fiction drama Dust of War.  The movie plays at 7 pm at the West Mall 7 Theatres at the Western Mall in Sioux Falls.  You can meet the director during an after party at the Minnehaha Country Club.

The Festival of Bands features more than 40 bands from four states marching and competition in Sioux Falls.  The morning parade starts at 8:30 am on Main Avenue.  Preliminary field events begin at 10:30 am at Howard Wood Field.  The finals will be at 6 pm.  Wristband sales for admission to the field competition benefit all four Sioux Falls high school bands.

The Harlem Ambassadors take on the South Dakota Highway Patrol in a fundraising basketball game.  Tipoff is at 7 pm at the University of Sioux Falls.  All proceeds from ticket sales benefit the South Dakota Highway Patrol Association.

All aboard the Pumpkin Train at Prairie Village, west of Madison, SD.  Kids can ride the train to the pumpkin patch and pick their own pumpkin from 11 am to 4 pm.  The cost is $5, parents ride for free.  Money raised will go toward restoring Prairie Village’s chapel rail car.

The Great Pumpkin Weigh-Off is part of a weekend of fun at Country Apple Orchard’s Harvest Festival.  Today’s hours are 10 am to 5 pm.  Sunday’s hours are noon to five.  The festival also includes pumpkin picking, pony rides, a kids petting farm, and homemade orchard chili.  Country Apple Orchard is located 4 and a half miles south of Sioux Falls on Minnesota Avenue.

Oakridge Nursery Landscaping is hosting a Pumpkin Pickin’ Party from 9 am to 5 pm.  Enjoy apple cider and kettle corn while you color your freshly-picked pumpkin. The partying takes place at 2217 S. Splitrock Boulevard in Brandon.

 

Posted: Thursday, October 3, 2013 4:15 pm

Marion alley gets makeover

Linda Burchette

TriCities.com

What a difference people in Marion can see now that the former dark and dingy alleyway beside the Lincoln Theatre has been transformed into a beautiful pedestrian walkway connecting the town parking garage with the town parking lot.

The alleyway that used to accommodate five or six parked cars and a very narrow traffic lane now has steps and landscaping to offer pedestrians easy access from the parking garage to downtown and serves as an Iron Street extension walkway.

Completion of the project was celebrated Tuesday with a ribbon cutting , live music from Shane Davis on the Iron Street loading dock stage, and viewing of the artwork gracing the back wall of the theatre.

Local architect and long-time Lincoln Theatre supporter Bill Huber shared his vision for beautifying the north wall of the Lincoln Theatre building as a way to attract attention to the theater and encourage foot traffic along the new Iron Street extension walkway.

This project began with improvements on Broad Street, funding from TEA-21 (federal Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century) and a 20 percent match from the Town of Marion. Huber said at the celebration that the project began over a year ago and was delayed for a time due to a shortage of funding. The design incorporates the loading dock for the theatre into an outdoor stage for music and gatherings. Huber said he envisions outdoor events such as concerts and even movies.

Ken Heath, Marion’s director of community and economic development, said the project also helped with a drainage problem in the alley and offers a nice view into Iron Street Mall as well as a more enjoyable place for visitors.

Huber also talked about the mural on the back wall of the theatre facing the parking garage. He said the wall and roadway were unattractive, with neglect, garbage cans and graffiti, creating an eyesore for people coming out of the parking garage headed for town.

“Once we built the parking garage people looked at a pretty sorry looking wall,” he said. “So I thought about street art.”

The mural incorporates the Mayan revival theme from inside the Lincoln Theatre by bringing some of the glyph designs to the outer walls. Painting was done by volunteers and funded with assistance from the Marion Downtown Revitalization Association’s facade grant program.

Lincoln Theatre director Kristin Untiedt-Barnett is pleased with the results of this project and the ease it’s created for theatre access.

“We’re excited to have the space, and we’ve already used the loading dock,” she said at the event. “Folks like using this rather than having to come out into the old alley. And it’s a nice area to hang out in good weather.”

Emory Henry College banners will be hung on the lamp posts to help promote the college’s new health sciences school in town. And folks can come by the theatre to help name the various scenes of the mural.

Heath said the next part of the project will involve hanging a sign denoting Iron Street Mall across the street from the newly renovated alleyway, and then the streetscape project will move up to West Main Street to continue beautification from town hall to the Blue Ridge Job Corps center. He encourages anyone interested to contact him at town hall with ideas.

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Thursday, October 3, 2013 4:15 pm.

TAMPA — A pair of entrepreneurs with University of South Florida ties had hoped to make a splash at a prestigious Smithsonian Institution conference this weekend in Washington, D.C.

Unfortunately, the federal government hasn’t been keen on big ideas and creativity lately.

Merry Lynn Morris, a USF theater and dance academic advisor and inventor of the Rolling Dance/Mobility Chair, and Alexei Novitzky, a USF grad and inventor of the BriefSkate skateboard case, were informed this week that the conference they had been invited to — “Innovation: Brainstorms, Big Ideas, and the Creative Future” — would be going the way of the non-essential federal worker.

They were to be two of 13 presenters at the Smithsonian’s Arts and Industries building Sunday on the National Mall, but the conference is a victim of the government shutdown.

Don’t wring your hands for the duo, who are taking the setback quite well.

“I don’t get disappointed,” said Novitzky. “I’ll continue to do everything I need to do, and if it happens, it happens, and if it doesn’t, it doesn’t.”

Morris also shrugged off the cancellation.

“I was hoping that this would be a good networking opportunity, because I would be meeting others in different fields who are doing interesting and innovative things,” she said. “I was hoping to make some connections, get some more publicity.”

It’s to be expected that the pair are handling things so stoically. They’ve both been involved in the roller-coaster ride of bringing an invention to market — more than eight years in Morris’ case — and they have faith in their products.

v v

Morris, a lifelong dancer who became a caregiver to her disabled father after a car accident, had been brainstorming for years about melding her passion for movement with improvements to the standard wheelchair. In 2005, she approached the engineering department at USF and sold them on the idea of helping her create a chair that would be more appropriate for a dancer.

And, she thought: Why stop at the stage?

“It’s never been my vision to limit it to dance,” Morris said. “My motivation for this device has come from my two worlds — my daily living experience as a caregiver with my mom, and my dance life.”

After years of engineering, testing, failing and succeeding, the result is the Rolling Dance/Mobility Chair, an omni-directional, smartphone-controlled power wheelchair.

The USF researchers tweaked the technology originally introduced in the Segway personal transporter, and are experimenting with different motor drives, gyroscopes and accelerometers.

The result is a chair that moves smoothly, without the hand propulsion or jerky joystick manipulation of a standard chair. Users control movement through their bodies, leaning back and forth and side to side, or through the tilt controls on a smartphone.

Dancers both young and old have raved about the equipment.

Vertec Inc., a Pensacola manufacturer, is licensed to help develop the chair. Morris hopes to have three prototypes completed within a year. They’ll be tested and used outside the laboratory for feedback.

v v

Novitzky, an avid skateboarder, got frustrated skating around the USF campus as a student a few years ago.

Between his loaded backpack and beloved skateboard, he decided was carrying too much stuff. So he developed a foldable skateboard that would fit into his backpack.

“Those boards did not ride very well,” Novitzky said. “I then decided to put my books in my board. Those boards rode extremely well.”

His solution became the Skatecase, a skateboard that opens to hold a few of the tools a student or recreational skater might carry around — a book or two, tablet, sunglasses, phone, keys, wallet.

Patent specialists at USF steered him to the Startupbus, a project that sends busloads of entrepreneurs across the country to work on ideas as they converge on the annual South by Southwest festival in Austin, Texas. He met new partners, built prototypes, and placed SkateCases in boutique skate shops.

The concept is now the BriefSkate, and he’s having discussions with a major manufacturer over a potential super-order of 100,000 boards.

Novitzky earned a master’s degree in mechanical engineering from USF in 2010, but isn’t the type for a desk job. He has been teaching martial arts, running a landscaping business, doing handywork, anything to keep him going towards his dream.

“Life’s not about making money,” he said. “It’s about pursuing what you want to do as an individual.”

v v

USF has significant infrastructure in place to assist faculty and students in research and innovation. Its Technology Transfer Office for Patents and Licensing was established in 1990 to help commercialize university intellectual property.

“I think USF is a little bit unique in that it truly is an entrepreneurial university and has an environment that is open to people who are very innovative,” said Valerie McDevitt, the university’s assistant vice president for patents and licensing. “It’s not a place that says, ‘No, you can’t do this,’ it’s a place that looks to support faculty and students with these creative ideas that are a little bit off the norm.”

McDevitt has worked with both Morris and Novitzky. “I wasn’t surprised that they would be the ones that would be selected” for the Smithsonian event, she said.

USF is tops in the state in generating patents. Five professors and the head of the Moffitt Cancer Center were recently named charter fellows in the National Academy of Inventors.

Morris and Novitzky both have patents pending. The university and the two inventors would share in any royalties the BriefSkate or Rolling Dance/Mobility Chair would generate.

Until then, the two are carrying on with the typical duties of entrepreneurs: schmoozing, fund-raising, publicizing and fine-tuning their products. The Washington experience would have helped — time was built into the conference schedule for “mingling” — but Morris isn’t dwelling on it.

“It’s still an honor to have been asked,” she said. “I was surprised and thrilled to get that invitation. I think they were looking for some evidence of innovation such as this with a human interest side and a social justice side.”

jstockfisch@tampatrib.com

(813) 259-7834

After living in apartments with white walls for most of my adult life, I was excited to become a homeowner when my husband and I got married. Paint options! Landscaping! Curtains! My house was a blank canvas, just waiting for me to decorate it. Well, the decorating buzz wore off quickly after I found out how expensive everything was. I thought, naively, that asking my mother-in-law to sew some curtains for me would be a cheap alternative…until I priced the fabric.

And that trend continued. Landscaping plants? Yee-ow! New flooring? My wallet felt pinched again. Despite the sticker shock, we have accomplished a lot in the six years since we’ve moved to our current home.

The first check I always need is a reality check

I love reading DIY blogs and magazines, though their ideas of inexpensive kitchen remodels are usually different than mine. But I have to be careful: When I flood my brain with picture after picture of fantastic home makeovers, my house with lots of character seems in need of a major face lift.

For instance, when we moved in six years ago, the kitchen was my least favorite room in the house. Dark, peeling cabinets, atrocious drawer pulls that caught every bit of flour that drifted off the counter, chartreuse counter tops, lots of very shallow drawers, and more unpleasantness welcomed me every morning. Such a room practically begged for some TLC, and I had ideas of how everything, even the layout of the appliances, could be improved. But I didn’t want to do anything at all, until we had saved enough money to do things exactly the way I wanted to do them.

We planned to do most of the work ourselves which would have saved a bundle. But with the average kitchen remodels nearing $20,000 (and I think that’s kind of conservative), it would have been expensive.

Anyway, somewhere between adopting our children and quitting my full-time job, we decided that a full kitchen remodel was not a responsible use of our money. Instead, I allowed my husband to do what he had wanted to all along: paint the cabinets and walls and replace the drawer pulls and handles.

For less than $400, we went from dark to for-$400-this-is-a-major-improvement. It’s not really impressive, but we saved a lot of money. Even though we still deal with shallow drawers and no range hood, I don’t even think of making other improvements. I am also happy we don’t have tens of thousands of dollars wrapped up in a kitchen. I think I will cook here happily for another decade or two, beating eggs on my formica chartreuse counter top. (If you spent money on a kitchen remodel, don’t read this as a condemnation. We just did what was best for us.)

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Twenty-five members and three guests from Bogan Shire came along to Anna Corby’s garden for the September 2013 Garden Club meeting. 

Dawn warmly welcomed everyone especially the Bogan Shire Council staff – Manager Development and Environmental Services Timothy Riley, Noxious Weeds officer Brian Bonello and Acting Parks and Gardens Supervisor Mark Jenkins.

Mr Riley informed the group of the relocation site for the play equipment in Davidson Park. 

Council requested it be moved to a position beside Nyngan Dental Surgery. Discussion was held with consensus that a fence would be advisable and possibly green in colour. A suggestion was also made to incorporate a small bicycle track in the play area.

Bogan Shire Council is seeking advice from the Nyngan Garden Club members for further Davidson Park beautification works. The paths need work to improve aesthetics including having just one type of path material and pathways that flow better.

A big thank you was extended to the Nyngan Garden Club for their assistance with the Nyngan Pool landscaping project. 

Ninety-eight plants (red robin photinias) were planted to form a hedge along the eastern fence line, creating a privacy barrier. 

The pool filtration plant room remodelling will now occur in 2014 during the off-season. Further landscaping will be undertaken in the pool surrounds following the planned construction if a grant recently applied for is successful.

Designs are finished for the Affordable Accommodation for the Aged Project and designs will be on display within the next couple of weeks. Site works are expected to start soon.

The Garden Club’s advice will be sought for landscaping of the old ambulance station and area between there and the library. 

In Pangee Street, the land where the houses were demolished has been leased by Bogan Shire Council. Plans are to clean up the site by removing weeds etc. and seeding the area with a grass species. This area will be maintained by council.

Underground tanks need to be removed from the old BP Service Station site. Council has made an application for the site and adjacent land with the idea to landscape the area. 

A request was put forward for more shade in the car park area near the helicopter.

Brian Bonello spoke about the need to ensure the town (and Shire) is free of noxious weeds. Green cestrum is one of the targeted plants. 

Information sheets were made available for members to alert them to the plant. If anyone sees any plants or weeds they think may be a problem please contact Brian at Bogan Shire Council.

Mark Jenkins spoke about the roses newly planted in Phillip Dutton Rose Garden at Davidson Park. They are growing well. Any ideas for new plants in other garden beds in the park are welcome. 

Suggestions were put forward that the garden beds at the Mid-State Shearing Shed need tidying up and the old wool dump could be made a feature of to preserve its history and add another tourist attraction to the Nymagee Street area. 

As it is on Railway Land council has to seek permission to undertake any works in this area.

The planter boxes near the helicopter are in need of tidying up and new plants but vandals tend to rip out the plants and watering systems. Any ideas or suggestions please forward to Mark.

There is an Open Garden day at Dandaloo (Kooyong) on Sunday October 13 from 10am to 4pm. Reg Kidd will be a guest speaker. 

A fashion parade, stalls and lunch is available. Contact Susie Nicholls on 6888 3165 for further information.

The Town Hall has been booked for the Flower Show on October 26 and the 2013 Flower Show Program is now available. 

Donna will place some on the front counter at the Shire. Entries will be accepted between 9am and 10.30am. The show will be open to the public from 12pm with gold coin admission. Lunch will be from 12pm to 2pm at a cost of $16 including sweets.

A suggestion was put to the meeting that the starting time for the meetings during the hotter months be changed to mornings instead of lunch time. Members agreed and the October meeting will now begin at 9.30am. From 2014 meetings in September, October, November, January and February will be at this new time unless otherwise advised.

The lucky raffle winners today were Molly Thompson and after a redraw for the second prize, Betsy Donohoe’s prize of a beautiful bunch of roses from Mary McDermott’s garden was going to be taken up to the hospital.

Calendars produced by the Garden Clubs of Australia are now available for purchase. Nyngan Garden Club will make a bulk purchase and make the calendars available to members.

The next meeting will be held at Lyn Hodge’s garden on 28 October at 9.30am. Please bring your hat, morning tea, and a chair. 

o Dates to Remember

Oct 19-21 – Bus Trip to Griffith

Oct 26 – Garden Club Flower Show

Oct 28- Meeting 39 Canonbar St

Nov 25 – Christmas Party at 48 Hoskins Street 

Dec 7- Christmas Carnival and Markets

Looking forward to warm sunshine, many hours of gardening and beautifying our town. 

The Happy Gardener

NB: Can anyone top this statistic – Rose Queen Mary McDermott has 428 roses in her garden (and that’s not counting all the cuttings she has that have struck)?

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• PLANNING: (from left) Tessa Benveniste is shown the proposed architecture plan by group members Ao Wu, Zi Yi Zhas, Emily Li, Hannis Hafizah Zdrus and Sachie Chen at the PASS Master Planning Showcase.

Port Augusta Secondary School has been the focus of Adelaide University students’ course projects for the past month.

Thirty-two University of Adelaide students travelled to Port Augusta last Thursday as part of their fourth year Master of Architecture and Master of Landscape Architecture curriculum. 

Students created PASS redevelopment concepts with the aim of addressing various issues within the schools’ design. 

PASS staff and students had the opportunity to view these projects at a community consultation last Thursday. 

Lecturer at the School of Architecture and Built Environment at University of Adelaide, Dr Susan Shannon, was proud of her students’ designs. 

Four weeks ago, students spent two days in Port Augusta consulting with PASS staff, students and the wider community in an effort to find what it would take for PASS to become further engaged with the community and students. 

University students were also required to transform the school into a 21st century learning environment. 

Designs were cost effective and various ideas included putting a partial transparency roof over the school to provide more shade in warmer months yet still providing sunlight, as well as redeveloping the areas visible from Victoria Highway. 

The idea of inviting Adelaide University students to redevelop the school stemmed from the presence of an Adelaide University site in Port Augusta. 

PASS Principal Paul Billows is positive about the connection students are making with the university. 

“The architectural brief is broader than just landscaping, it’s about community, function and culture, so the students have really been trying to get a sense of Port Augusta and the school and building that into some of the designs, its very clever,” Mr Billows said. 

The current architectural designs will be refined further after students receive feedback from the school and community.

 

Kurt Goering (left) and Dan Williams are the two candidates seeking the two-year at-large position on the Monroe City Council

By Polly Keary, Editor

With one month left to campaign, candidates are in full election mode, visiting forums, knocking on doors and sending mailers out by the thousand.

Running for one of three contested seats on the Monroe City Council are Kurt Goering and Dan Williams, who are running for the two-year, at-large position.

Kurt Goering, 44, has served almost six years on the council already. Because there is an eight-year term limit on council members, he can only serve two more. That is why, instead of running to keep the seat he already holds, he filed to seek the at-large position currently held by Kevin Hanford, who is now running for a four-year seat.

Goering has lived in Monroe with his family since 1998, holds a bachelor’s degree in geography and social science and did graduate work in geographic system and urban planning at the University of Washington. Professionally, he has worked for 22 years in the private sector, in cartography, business management, software and system design at ATT and Microsoft.

His opponent, Dan Williams, is new to city politics. He has a bachelor’s degree from Penn State in finance, and is an Army veteran. He recently retired as a commercial airline pilot.

 

Kurt Goering

1. How would you describe the job of the city council in Monroe, and what is the job of the city council person within that larger role?

I believe the overall role of the city council is to represent the city residents in the city’s business, enact legislation for the mayor and city staff to enforce, provide a city budget that is balanced both on paper and in reality, cast vision for the future and look out for the city’s best interests.

I believe it is the responsibility of each individual council member to understand how our city government works, to always be approachable, to listen and act on citizen concerns, be well-prepared for the business at hand and always have a vision for the future of the city in mind.

2. In what ways is Monroe doing well, and in what ways could the city improve?

The city’s success from focusing on economic development is a bright spot in an otherwise poor economy. The positive results from hiring an Economic Development Manager are undeniable and quite literally “in the bank.” Thanks to an unwavering focus on making Monroe an attractive place to do business, we now have new businesses, new employment opportunities, funded reserves and are millions of dollars less in debt, all without raising property taxes. Additionally, the customer service culture at City Hall is vastly improved.

Now that the city is on firm financial standing, an improved focus is needed on finding funding for the city’s list of transportation improvements.

3. What is the single most critical issue that you wish to tackle on the council?

I believe providing for the city’s future through economic sustainability is the most critical issue the city faces. When our city’s economy is healthy and thriving, everyone benefits. As Monroe becomes more business friendly, a financial gain for the city is realized, and the burden of government is lessened on the residents. The city has spent the last four years getting out of the financial mess from the previous administration and did it without raising taxes. Enacting policies that ensure Monroe is an attractive place for businesses to locate, for housing to be built and for families to live creates economic stability and sustainability.

4. How can Monroe go about attracting the kinds of businesses that citizens want (bowling alley, alternative grocery store like Trader Joe’s, etc.) and that could encourage other businesses and people to move here?

Solving this problem is why the council created the role of the Economic Development Manager. We’ve seen success so far attracting new development and businesses that also create jobs, such as Natural Factors in the Fryelands Industrial Park. Making sure the city has as much available commercially-developable land as possible is key to making potential investors take notice. The council’s role is to create policies that help Monroe promote itself, be marketable and attractive. I’ve personally reached out to Trader Joe’s a number of times. Some businesses will simply choose to locate elsewhere.

5. Are our mitigation fees too high or too low? Does development pay its share of costs, or do our fees keep developers out?

From an overall standpoint, each mitigation fee the city charges needs to be evaluated (school, traffic, etc.). I don’t believe that we should be afraid to raise or lower fees, whichever fee it may be, to make Monroe as attractive as possible for new businesses and housing. The city needs to be agile and be able to adjust to changing markets to stay viable and attractive. We’re competing with many other cities for new businesses, housing and capital investment. Ultimately the market will determine whether the city’s fees are too high or not. We should not be afraid to respond to changing markets.

6. What are ways the city can help facilitate a healthy business district in the downtown?

I believe that the Federal EB-5 program is a very viable vehicle through which to attract capital investment dollars and related jobs for downtown Monroe. This program is designed to stimulate economic activity and job growth. The city has looked into this program previously as part of a potential public-private partnership for re-development and enhancement of First Air Field. I believe that Monroe could make a case for marketing itself as a potential EB-5 Regional Center, attracting investment, with the added bonus of implementing the Downtown Master Plan.

7. As the economy improves, and with Walmart coming in, it is likely that the city will start to get a little more revenue in coming months. A lot of cutbacks were made through the recession; where should Monroe direct new revenue first?

With Monroe finally back-on-track financially, the city must remain economically viable. The failed policies of the past must not be repeated. After the city’s current services and reserves are funded, I believe the wisest course of action is to pay off the remaining debt from North Kelsey, to fully fund the Police Department and fund the city’s list of traffic improvements. I have met a number of residents who have been a victim of a recent crime. They appreciate our Police Department and want to ensure they have the tools they need to protect our community. We also need better East-West road connections through town. Taking care of these items can positively affect the city’s bottom line.

8. What would you like Monroe citizens to know about you?

I am truly honored to serve as a city council member. My family is proud to call Monroe home since 1998. We love this town! From worship to shopping to community service – we do it all here. We’re advocates for local activities, businesses and special-needs children. What matters in this election is a record of proven leadership, common-sense decision-making and a dedication to fiscal responsibility, which is what I offer as a council member. Monroe needs approachable leaders with vision, who are willing to make tough decisions to improve our quality of life. I am that leader. I would be honored to serve Monroe in this way again.

 

Dan Williams

1. How would you describe the job of the city council in Monroe, and what is the job of the city council person within that larger role?

The number one job of the city council is to uphold the ordinances of the city of Monroe using the powers of the council which are set out in RCW34A.11.020, and listed on the city website. Also, the council needs to be receptive to the ideas and opinions of our citizens. Each council member should make sure that the citizens have a chance to be heard, and that their concerns are given consideration.

2. In what ways is Monroe doing well, and in what ways could the city improve?

Monroe has so much potential that is not being realized by the current council. We can improve so much by listening to our citizens.

3. What is the single most critical issue that you wish to tackle on the council?

The most critical issue in this city is alienating of our citizens. As council members we need to bridge the gap, and create an atmosphere that makes each citizen feel part of our government.

4. How can Monroe go about attracting the kinds of businesses that citizens want (bowling alley, alternative grocery store like Trader Joe’s, etc.) and that could encourage other businesses and people to move here?

Monroe has had a visioning process where citizens and the government set out guidelines for the type of business and development which were clearly set. These guidelines should be enhanced and then followed. Businesses like to know they can depend on ordinances to be upheld so they have a clear vision of the type of community they are investing in.

5. Are our mitigation fees too high or too low? Does development pay its share of costs, or do our fees keep developers out?

Our mitigation fees must be constantly monitored to ensure that development pays its fair share so that costs do not fall upon the taxpayers of Monroe.

6. What are ways the city can help facilitate a healthy business district in the downtown?

The city can facilitate a healthy business district in our downtown by working with property owners and businesses to enhance the area, and make it a vibrant destination. The current council has allowed Walmart to come into the city, which has the potential to damage some of our existing businesses. Council should consider dedicating some tax dollars generated by Walmart to enhance our downtown area with landscaping and parking. This will allow us to add back to the community by giving our small business owners a better chance to compete.

7. As the economy improves, and with Walmart coming in, it is likely that the city will start to get a little more revenue in coming months. A lot of cutbacks were made through the recession; where should Monroe direct new revenue first?

All of our city departments including the police and fire departments must be reviewed to be sure they have the budgets and the personnel they need to provide our citizens with service.

8. What would you like Monroe citizens to know about you?

I would like the citizens of Monroe to know that I have their best interests at heart. I have no connection to special interest groups, and am not a “polished” politician. I have frequently attended our city council meetings, and know we can do better. I hope people will contact me; I promise that if I am elected they will have a voice on city council.

 

 
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Earth Day 2013

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Energy Action Month focuses on Airmen’s role in sustaining an assured energy advantage

Posted 10/1/2013   Updated 10/1/2013
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by Air Education and Training Command Public Affairs

10/1/2013 – JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO-RANDOLPH, Texas  — October, Energy Action Month, provides an opportunity for Airmen to learn more about the impact of energy to the Air Force’s mission as part of a national campaign led by the Department of Energy.

The theme for 2013, “I am Air Force Energy,” puts the Airman at the center of the campaign. The goal is to inspire the total force to be more efficient so they can give the Air Force an assured energy advantage in air, space, and cyberspace.

Beginning this month, the Air Force will highlight specific steps Airmen can take in their jobs to be more energy aware. More efficient flight descent procedures, new ways of loading cargo and vehicle idle time reduction are just a few of the ways Airmen can help the Air Force achieve its energy goals and maximize its energy advantage to support the mission.

Base EAM Champions have planned activities during the month to highlight energy awareness. These efforts will share best practices and celebrate the innovative ideas and accomplishments of Airmen at all levels across the country and around the world who have reduced energy and water use and saved money.

“In fiscal 2012, the Air Force saved more than $1.5 billion through smarter buildings, new technologies, and more efficient flight operations,” said Acting Secretary of the Air Force Eric Fanning. “The smart use of energy means flying our aircraft farther, transporting more cargo, and accomplishing our mission in a more efficient and effective way.”

Despite the savings, the Air Force spent $9.2 billion on energy in fiscal 2012.

“Every gallon of fuel and watt of electricity we save allows us to have more resources to meet other Air Force priorities,” said Kathleen Ferguson, Acting Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Installations, Environment, and Logistics.

Hundreds of Airmen have gone above and beyond to help increase our energy security.

Energy Manager David Morin led an energy program at Laughlin Air Force Base, Texas, that collected and analyzed energy use data to increase energy efficiency and implemented xeriscopic landscaping wherever possible. Through these efforts, Morin helped reduce base energy consumption by 27 percent, water by 24 percent and overall utility bills in fiscal 2012 by $1.9 million.

Kelly Jaramillo, U.S. Air Forces Europe Energy Manager, oversaw an energy program that included 46 projects that are estimated to save more than $5.5 million a year. She also implemented an energy awareness campaign that engaged the residents in Military Family Housing and helped them reduce energy consumption 25 percent and natural gas 17 percent.

The Seymour Johnson AFB Support Center earned a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Gold rating by consolidating five functional organizations into a single facility which cut energy consumption 60 percent and costs 50 percent. The building utilizes a high-efficiency variable refrigerant flow HVAC system, centrally maintained temperature set points, and low-flow plumbing. These features helped the base reduce potable water use 50 percent, and save 2,862 MMBTUs and $55,000.

The 22nd Operations Group Fuel Efficiency Office at McConnell AFB, Kan., designed and implemented measures to reduce and eliminate inefficiency in the fuel management of the KC-135. These measures included reducing KC-135 landing fuel, changing the KC-135 standard landing configuration, incorporating fuel efficiency software to inform flight speed, routing, and altitude, pioneering a new training configuration which reduced aircraft basic weight, air maximizing simulator usage, and training 400 aircrew on the importance of fuel management. These efforts saved the Air Force $4.3 million, even though sorties increased 42 percent.

All of these success stories highlight how Airmen have taken organic ideas and used them to affect the entire Air Force. During this month all Airmen are encouraged to really focus on energy conservation and how they can do their part to give the Air Force an assured energy advantage.