The odor of rotting food and dead plants can be smelled from a hilltop outside of San Marcos. However, for students at Texas State’s sustainable composting project, the stench is a byproduct of their work.

Bobcat Blend creates compost, a soil product often comprised of food waste and dead plant matter, said Jen Sembera, graduate student researcher and Bobcat Blend employee. The mixture is placed into a long pile called a windrow and, after an extended period of time, the blend decomposes into a fine, uniform soil used for landscaping and agricultural purposes, Sembera said.

The operation, which is entirely student-run and faculty managed, focuses on researching alternative, renewable resources and educating people in agricultural sustainability and waste management, according to a presentation given by Sembera on the program.

“It’s creating something from nothing,” Sembera said. “With this project, we are able to take something useless and repurpose it into a viable resource again.”

In 2011, Bobcat Blend processed 57 tons of food waste at their composting site a few miles southeast of San Marcos. Just one year later, the program was able to process 80.4 tons of food waste, all with the help of seven employees, the presentation said. Sembera said before the program’s inception in 2009, the on-campus dining halls were throwing out about 300 thousand pounds of food waste every year.

Members of the agriculture department saw an opportunity for research, and went to the Environmental Protection Agency seeking a grant. Sembera said the department was able to set up a composting site with the money and pay employees to scour dining halls every night to collect uneaten food waste.

Sembera said Bobcat Blend has begun selling the compost to local community gardens and is working with a graduate business class to develop a business model.

“We are more of a small business now,” Sembera said. “Until the business picks up, we are always searching for more funding.”

Sembera said the plants that make up the second component of the compost mixture are collected from a variety of locations such as rivers and oceans. Sembera’s research focuses primarily on the use of the taro plant, also known as elephant ears, an invasive plant species found in the San Marcos River.

“Usually when the plant is removed, it is thrown into a landfill and never used again,” Sembera said. “With Bobcat Blend, we are able to divert it from the landfills and use it for composting.”

According to a TCEQ release, the research conducted with Bobcat Blend has already proved the efficiency of the water hyacinth, another invasive species found in Texas, to be used as a component in composting. Further efforts to look into the viability of using other plant sources such as seaweed for their compost, an option which Sembera said has never been academically studied.

Bobcat Blend’s research efforts have acted as a vehicle into public education in topics of waste management and agricultural sustainability, Sembera said. The program has partnered with grade schools to inform students about pre- and post-consumer waste.

In May, Bobcat Blend was awarded the Texas Environmental Excellence Award in education from the Texas Commission for Environmental Quality, one of ten awards given each year.

TCEQ spokeswoman Lisa Wheeler said the strides Bobcat Blend has gone through to contribute to environmental staying power has earned them the award.

“This is a one-of-a-kind program that is powered by the will of students and faculty alone,” Wheeler said. “The recipient was a no-brainer.”

Geography senior Erich Scholl has been with Bobcat Blend for nearly two years. Scholl said he started out as a food waste collector but now works at the composting site, getting dirty and shoveling food waste and plants into piles.
“I like being outside,” Scholl said. “But I’m also learning a lot in my field of study and getting to network with people, which may lead to a job.”

Sembera said the innovative ideas and research at Bobcat Blend come in a time of environmental revolution where conservation efforts are increasingly becoming a normalcy.

“Composting is the future,” Sembera said. “It’s not so much a movement anymore, it’s a lifestyle.”

Groups of fifteen people can now exercise together outside in the fresh air with the new fitness equipment recently installed at Lake Ridge Park in Port Elgin.

There are eight pieces of outdoor fitness equipment that have been carefully selected by the Parks and Trails Committee members to encourage adults to get physically active, with two pieces that are accessible and encourage upper body strength and mobility.

“The Town is proud to provide outdoor fitness equipment to our residents and visitors,” said Kristan Shrider, facilities and parks supervisor for the Town. “This adult equipment works with the user’s resistance – this means there are no weights to set or maintain, making the equipment low maintenance and user-friendly.”

“We’re looking forward to collaborating on the landscaping phase of this park,” said Tracy Lambert, president of SauGreen and Trees for Saugeen. “We want to create spaces for contemplation, conversation and activity, and want to hear from the community particularly with their ideas on how to make it work for mature adults.”

The Town staff, Parks and Trails Committee and Trees For Saugeen are creating a landscaping plan with Everest Nurseries’ landscape architect towards a multi year implementation schedule, which will be presented to the community this fall.

The adult fitness equipment project was kept within the budget of the Saugeen Shores’ Council for $35,000 for the first phase.

Bruce Power, through Trees for Saugeen and the Town have generously committed $1,000 each, as well as the Community Foundation of Grey Bruce and Everest Nurseries through the Eva Leflar Memorial Tree Planting Program. This will allow larger trees for more immediate shade, windbreak and privacy.

Through further private funding, even more trees, gardens, and spaces can be created to meet the needs of adults who will enjoy this Port Elgin park. This public/private partnership will put this newly developed Lake Ridge Park on the map and create a destination we can all enjoy.

Where do you even begin …? Baird Helgeson of the Strib says: “A hard-charging former state Republican Party chairman whose constant refrain to DFLers and even GOP lawmakers was “live within your means” has declared personal bankruptcy, the latest twist in one of the most dramatic political downfalls in recent state history. At the height of his power, Tony Sutton demanded that Republican legislators oppose all tax increases and keep state spending strictly in line with revenue. Few realized it at the time, but the GOP’s finances under Sutton’s management were a shambles, and the same scenario was playing out in his personal life. Sutton and his wife, Bridget Sutton, … say they owe $2.1 million, including $70,000 of credit card debt, $20,000 in federal student loans, unpaid state and federal taxes, and hundreds of thousands of dollars in unsecured personal loans to cover business expenses. At the time they filed, the Suttons had no life or health insurance.”

What are the two main questions still lingering in the murder of Cold Spring police officer, Tom Decker? David Unze of the St. Cloud Times writes: “Stearns County Sheriff John Sanner last week discussed the investigation into the shooting death of Cold Spring-Richmond Police Officer Tom Decker. … He stressed that investigators still want help answering two key questions: Did the person who killed Decker act alone, and what was the motive behind the killing? …
Q: Do you have any witnesses that put [Eric Thomes, who hung himself] at the bar that night?
A: I can’t talk about that. The specifics of the case I have to avoid because it’s still an open and active case and we’re still trying to preserve the potential prosecution down the road. That remains a constant theme in these types of cases.”

There’s good news in rural manufacturing. At the Strib, Neal St. Anthony writes: “Minnesota manufacturing jobs declined by 22 percent — from 395,519 jobs in 2000 to 305,585 jobs at the end of last year, according to the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development. And while Minnesota has recovered the jobs lost since the Great Recession in 2008-09, manufacturing jobs remain significantly below their pre-recession levels. That said, rural Minnesota — and particularly nine west-central counties — boast a fast-growing cluster of about 30 manufacturers of at least 100 employees that are benefiting from a well-trained workforce, competitive wages and an efficient transportation network. ‘In west-central Minnesota, we are back to pre-recession manufacturing employment,’ said Brad Finstad, executive director of the Center for Rural Policy and Development.”

In the opinion of the Strib … “Today’s special session of the ­Minnesota Legislature isn’t expected to live up to its name. There won’t be much that’s special about it. Convening the recessed Legislature for one day to send taxpayers’ dollars to stricken communities has become Minnesota’s standard response to natural disasters. This session would benefit from a longer agenda. Lawmakers would do well to take up the repeal of at least two problematic new applications of the sales tax, to farm machinery repairs and third-party warehouse services. Both of those sales taxes carry a high risk of pushing business activity out of Minnesota to other states.”

For the AP, Patrick Condon says: “Special sessions aren’t that expensive. Monday’s cost for taxpayers is pegged at about $33,000 in mileage reimbursements and per diem payments to lawmakers. But [DFL: Rep. Gene] Pelowski pointed out that they frequently provoke political games by lawmakers looking to spotlight pet issues. ‘We’ve got people talking about the minimum wage, we’ve got people talking about repealing taxes,’ Pelowski said. ‘Special sessions should be narrowly focused and they should be infrequent, but we know that a lot of lawmakers can’t help themselves.’ ”

While any number above zero is bad, Minnesota’s rate of seniors suffering from hunger is among the lowest in the country. For MPR, Julie Siple says: “A new report says Minnesota has the second-lowest rate of senior hunger in the nation. The report found that 8.6 percent of Minnesota seniors faced the threat of hunger in 2011, compared to the national average of 15 percent. Minnesota seniors have several characteristics that reduce the chances they’ll be unable to afford enough food, said James Ziliak, economics professor at the University of Kentucky and co-author of the study. ‘On average, seniors in Minnesota tend to have higher incomes. They’re more likely to be married. They’re more likely to be white. They’re more likely to have higher education,’ Ziliak said. ‘These factors all add up to reducing the risk of food insecurity among older Americans in the state of Minnesota.’ “

Today is the day the winner of the $1 million idea for St. Paul will be announced. Also at MPR, Rupa Chenoy reports: “Of nearly a thousand ideas submitted, Minnesotans voted on three finalist proposals selected by a group of judges. One proposal is to build studios for young artists on the Mississippi River as part of a Center for Creative Arts. Another proposes a food hub and event center in a vacant building in the Bruce Vento Nature Sanctuary. The third finalist suggests recycling abandoned railroad cars and placing them on public right-of-ways as spaces for artists. Two of the ideas come from employees of the city of St. Paul. The third finalist is a small business owner.” I thought the idea of turning the whole place into a domed e-pulltab casino had some merit.

Similarly … Janet Moore of the Strib writes: “To remedy the [Nicollet] mall’s physical ills and craft a broad strategy for the boulevard — from Grant Street to Washington Av. — the city sponsored an architectural design competition, and preliminary results are in. Twenty-one design teams submitted proposals, and three emerged as finalists whose proposals will be presented to the public at 5 p.m. Sept. 17 at the Guthrie Theater. The Minneapolis City Council ultimately will make the choice, triggering a dialogue between the winning team and the public. … the ideas and images generated in the contest will help champion [Mayor Rybak’s] cause at the Capitol. The renderings do provide an interesting, if preliminary, peek at ideas for the 12-block strip. All appear to embrace more trees and landscaping, as well as additional pockets of pedestrian seating.”

Remember the billboards with Don Shelby and Pat Miles that said something coy, like “Don and Pat … together tonight”? The latest variation is “Don and Tom … together whenever you want them.” At the Strib, Neal Justin  reports: “[S]tarting Monday, he’ll expand his on-air workload to more than seven hours a day, including an unusual arrangement with 105 FM/The Ticket, an all-sports station that’s calling on some heavy hitters to get attention in a crowded field. ‘I’ve got a lot to say’, said Barnard, who in addition to his primary job hosting KQRS’ ‘Morning Show’, will stretch his weekday podcast from one hour to three with former WCCO anchor Don Shelby as his sidekick. The final hour of that program will be simulcast from 6 to 7 p.m. on the Ticket, which launched its sports format in April. Barnard said he won’t get additional money for his contribution to 105 FM, but the gig will give him a chance to promote his podcast, as well as the KQ show, to a younger audience. ‘It’s good exposure for the station and it’s good exposure for me.’ ” Both those cheeky kids need some exposure …

SURPRISE, Ariz. — The Arizona Department of Transportation will decide by year’s end between one of two remaining options for addressing congestion at Bell Road and Grand Avenue, one of the Valley’s most heavily traveled intersections.

After consideration of nearly two dozen design variations, ADOT is down to studying two proposals that would take Bell Road over Grand Avenue and the adjacent Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railroad freight line.

One design would allow drivers to make turns on the platform, the other that would prohibit direct turns, instead guiding vehicles through a network of existing intersections to make the transition between the two major thoroughfares.

“Is it (the latter idea) better than Option A (the plan permitting direct turns)?” asked Community and Economic Development Director Jeff Mihelich as he detailed the proposals before the City Council at its Sept. 4 workshop. “Not in staff’s opinion, not even close.”

Business impact

One of the primary reasons Surprise officials prefer Option A, known as the “median urban design,” is that it minimizes loss of business property, compared with previous ideas and Option B, known as “grade separation only.”

“One of the best reasons for this alternative (the median-urban design) is they’re staying within the existing right-of-way. The business loss would be significant under those (earlier) designs,” Mr. Mihelich noted.

A third option still under consideration – Option C, or “no build” — still under consideration would leave the intersection as is, a choice Surprise officials clearly believe is impractical.

The project is being funded through dedicated county tax revenues previously allocated under a public question approved nearly a decade ago. The price tag ranges from $66.2 million for the median urban design to $48.4 million for the grade separation only design.

Mayor Sharon Wolcott and the other five council members present last week agreed their preference is for median urban design, the layout providing for direct turns. District 2 Councilman Richard Alton was absent.

“It’s kind of a no-brainer at this point,” offered District 3 Councilman John Williams following the meeting. “If nothing else, it has minimal impact on the imprint of all those businesses in that area.”

“It’s time to find a solution that’s in the best interest of our community as a whole,” said Ms. Wolcott, noting 26 different variations of a solution to the intersection’s heavy traffic have been offered at one time or another. “This is a major, major gateway for the city of Surprise, so it needs to be done right.”

The City Council was expected to approve a resolution at its Sept. 11 business meeting, formalizing its support for the median urban design option.

Surprise officials’ endorsement of a design is but the latest step in a process begun several years ago and does not commit ADOT to a particular plan.

“The city’s stance will be given the same consideration as any other comments from stakeholder agencies or constituents, including business owners,” stated ADOT spokesman Doug Nintzel in an e-mail. “We’ve appreciated any input as the team works to finish the study. We don’t want to prejudge its outcome.”

Dist. 5 Councilman Leo Mankiewicz believes the city’s position will play a role in the final outcome.

“Surprise has had a lot of weight all along in terms of whittling down all the various alternatives they gave us to begin with. There was a whole bunch,” he said.

ADOT timetable

ADOT is in the midst of two evaluations that will determine its final choice for the Bell Road-Grand Avenue intersection. The agency is expected to release a final design concept report in December as well as findings of an assessment of the project’s impact on the environment.

“The alternatives study looks at the impacts that the intersection options would have on the surrounding community, including homes and businesses, as well as traffic, while also addressing requirements under the National Environmental Policy Act,” stated Mr. Nintzel.

The study also will evaluate economic impact on the surrounding area, something of which area business owners are wary.

Merchants have expressed concerns over both the long-term impact of a two-tiered interchange replacing the grade-level crossing as well as the short-term effects of construction closures on business. The issue concerns Surprise council members and officials as well.

Mr. Mankiewicz, whose district includes the stores and shops south of Bell Road and west of Grand Avenue, suggested city transportation officials could consider adjusting signalization to help ease flow around the construction zone.

“We have an intelligent light system. Let’s use it,” Mr. Mankiewicz said after the meeting.

While construction detours have been discussed, no final designs have been set, stated Mr. Nintzel.

“Since we have not yet selected a preferred option for the intersection improvements, we haven’t reached the stage of designing construction detours. Preliminary detours would be planned during the design phase and actually finalized when we get to the point of selecting a construction contractor,” he continued.

Both Surprise officials and ADOT representatives have strived to keep local merchants abreast of progress on the Bell Road-Grand Avenue intersection issue. That includes discussing ways to help businesses draw customers during the project. City officials will work on maximizing signage for businesses, Mr. Mihelich told the council.

“When it comes to signage for businesses during construction, it is absolutely critical. We have to do everything we can to provide enhanced signage opportunities during construction,” he said.

The layouts

Under the median urban design interchange concept backed by Surprise officials, Grand Avenue traffic would exit and enter Bell Road via ramps along the median of Grand Avenue, then proceed to turn either left or right at the top of the platform when permitted by traffic signals. Dual left turn lanes from Grand Avenue onto Bell Road would give the system the desired capacity for handling turning traffic, Mr. Mihelich said.

Drivers on Bell Road would enter Grand Avenue via turn lanes on the platform. For example, motorists heading east along Bell Road wishing to turn onto southbound or Phoenix-bound Grand Avenue would use a right-hand exit lane off Bell Road that would take them onto a ramp sloping downward and into an eventual merge with the left-hand lane of southbound Grand Avenue. A westbound Bell Road motorist wishing to make the same turn would do so from a left turn lane at the top of the platform regulated by a traffic signal, directing them onto the ramp leading down and eventually into the left lane of Grand Avenue.

Grand Avenue traffic would cross under Bell Road in both directions without ever stopping.

Use of the median for exiting and entering traffic is not a new concept. The layout is used along Interstate 10 in downtown Phoenix at Third Avenue and Fifth Avenue. However, council members suggested signage warning drivers well in advance of having to exit Grand Avenue from the left rather than right lanes will be important.

“As long as the signage is there and we do it the right way, I think we’ll be fine,” said Mr. Williams.

While the median urban design combines many turning options at one spot, that is a key reason it is supported by Surprise officials. The grade separation only design would spread access between Bell Road and Grand Avenue over a network of existing intersections, requiring widening at Bell and Litchfield roads, Bell and Dysart roads and Grand Avenue and Dysart Road. The Grand Avenue-Litchfield Road crossing would be reconfigured.

“Instead of impacting only one intersection, you’re talking about impacts at Dysart and Grand, and Dysart and Bell, and Litchfield and Grand, and Litchfield and Bell,” he said.

Other issues

A concern raised by council members with a two-tiered interchange — either the median urban design or grade separation only concepts — is aesthetics and preventing the walls supporting the overpass and ramps from becoming targets of graffiti artists.

“Obviously, that’s a showpiece in town, and you’ve got to keep it nice and clean,” Mr. Mankiewicz said.

Mr. Mihelich said a number of landscape and design strategies can be incorporated into the project to not only deter graffiti but enhance the interchange’s appearance. He cited enhancements along Loop 202 in the East Valley that go beyond murals and paintings to land forms, colors and animal depictions.

“It’s an opportunity for us to do some community design. You can do things with railings or light standards. Landscaping is a significant opportunity here,” he told the council.

Another potential element would be flags or banners announcing drivers are entering a key part of Surprise.

Money is already earmarked in the project, which is being funded through revenues from Proposition 400. Approved by voters throughout Maricopa County in November 2004, the measure extended a half-cent sales tax to fund major transportation projects throughout the county.

“This does not mean the city of Surprise has to use taxpayer money to pay for the improvements. This is state money that already has been collected and already has been budgeted,” Mr. Mihelich said.

Building a new interchange at Bell Road and Grand Avenue carries potential economic advantages, the Community and Economic Development director noted.

“If we’re doing a site visit, bringing people in to look at specific sites, and we have to wait for signals at Grand and Bell, it’s not going to leave a good impression on someone who’s interested in making a multi-million dollar investment in the city of Surprise,” he said.

News editor Jeff Grant can be reached at jgratn@newszap.com or 623-445-2805.

Posted: Monday, September 9, 2013 4:30 am

Teens plan landscaping project for Lampasas library

Brenda Young/Herald staff writer

The Killeen Daily Herald

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LAMPASAS — A group of local teens has organized a team to contribute to the Lampasas Public Library renovation project and will soon begin fundraising efforts to complete landscaping on the building’s east side.

The Teen Advisory Group consists of six core members from seventh to 12th grades. The teens participated in brainstorming sessions on the project. Library director Shanda Subia said their original ideas centered around a Disney theme based on movies and books.

“Individually, they came up with the ideas they wanted to use and presented them to the City Council last week,” Subia said. “They used trifold presentation boards showing an aerial view of their inspirations for different aspects of the project. They also had pictures of the plants, flowers, trees and their designs for each section, or wing, drawn to scale.”

The teens worked with landscape architect Marianna Felsman of Austin. Subia said they learned a lot during the design phase.

“They have definitely had professional instruction and learned a lot about landscape design,” she said. “The kids are learning a lot about xeriscaping, landscaping and using math equations for the designs.”

The council unanimously approved the plans last month. The plans consist of six themed areas named after famous characters or books, including The Lion King, Alice in Wonderland, Bambi, Narnia, Kung Fu Panda and Winnie the Pooh.

“This was done in a whimsical way, not a cartoonish way,” Subia said. “I think it will appeal to library patrons of all ages.”

The Teen Advisory Group also has a commitment from local Boy Scout and Girl Scout troops to provide extra muscle during the physical labor part of the project.

The group also would like to tap into the skills and talents of local artists to make it a collaborative community effort.

Although the teens won’t begin turning dirt until February, the council’s approval paved the way for them to focus on seeking donations and organizing fundraising events.

“I think it’s going to be an ongoing project, even after these young people finish school,” said Lampasas Library Foundation president, Ruth Martin. “It’s really been refreshing to have the Teen Advisory Group involved in the library renovations. It’s giving them lots of experience — not just in gardening, but it’s a real educational project and is giving them an idea of all the steps necessary in planning a project of this size.”

More about City Council

• ARTICLE: Lampasas officials debate fire department funding
• ARTICLE: Developments a boon to Heights; traffic a concern
• ARTICLE: San Antonio adopts gay rights measure
• ARTICLE: Hancock Park Golf Course improvements in full swing

More about Teen Advisory Group

• ARTICLE: Lampasas considers construction of civic center

More about Lampasas Library

• ARTICLE: Authors featured at Lampasas library
• ARTICLE: Lampasas fire station project to finish soon

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RAISE YOUR VOICE: Share your own opinion online at dallasnews.com/sendletters. Sign up for Sounding Off or submit a guest column (and include your full name and contact information) by visiting dallasnews.com/voices.

A new state law prohibits HOAs from outlawing xeriscaping and other conservation techniques, but they are allowed to set reasonable regulations on such methods. How do you feel about the bill? Is this a positive step for homeowners?

 

Irma Myers Donihoo, Plano: Yes, this is a positive step forward. I hope that new subdivisions will choose to xeriscape with native plants and grasses from now on and realize we will most likely never be out of drought conditions.

 

Jeff Buttimer, Plano: A positive development. Hard to believe that it’s a new law. It should have happened a long time ago. Why is our state legislature always so behind the times? Outlawing texting or phone conversations while driving is another obvious example where other states are way ahead of Texas in being more progressive about common sense issues. I’m curious to see how HOAs and cities are responding to requests for solar or wind energy.

 

Rick Schaap, Plano: Anything that reduces the power and authority of the HOAs is a good thing. The fact that people can also benefit from rainwater collection and drought-tolerant landscaping is just icing on the cake.

 

William Hill, Plano: It’s nice to see that someone in higher authority is finally coming down on HOAs. Some of them have tried to act like mini governments and force their rules on the homeowners. Some are OK, but others they think their ideas are the only way. They need to let the average homeowner use ways to save water, compost and make their homes look nice and not like a forest like some people want.

 

Sheila Swenholt, Plano: This is a wonderful step in the right direction. Texas can’t keep ignoring the lingering drought and the increasing population. The water supply needs to be saved for people and livestock, not lawns.

 

Sandy Elkins, Plano: Don’t like HOAs? Don’t move into an area that has one.

 

Olan Knight, Murphy: Though the overview sounds good, I’d need to actually read the text of the bill in order to make an informed decision regarding its merit. For example, while rain barrels are in theory a good idea, I certainly don’t want them visible from the street in my neighborhood, and I most surely do not want someone composting against my fence. The details matter and can make the difference between a good law and a bad one.

 

John Williamson, Plano: I think any law that limits the power of HOAs is a positive step in the right direction. It’s bad enough that the government has the right to tax your property as long as you live so that you never really own your own home. To have HOAs sticking their noses into every area of a homeowner’s life is simply a second tier of non-elected government taking away rights for which they have no legitimate justification. If I ever win a lottery and can afford a house, the first question for the real estate agent will be where are there no HOAs?

 

Arnell L. Engstrom, Plano: I must be less than with it because I did not know what “xeriscaping” meant. It is a portmanteau word derived from “xeros” (Greek for dry) and “landscaping.” Certainly, all reasonable means of conserving water should be encouraged, especially in this area where the amount of rainfall is sporadic from season-to-season and year-to-year. Let the elected officials of our state, cities and towns — rather than the arbitrary HOAs — make the pertinent decisions about what is and what is not allowed concerning watering practices.

 

Vicki McManus, Plano: Yes, I think it is a good law. From all I have read in the paper, many HOAs have too much power over the homeowners. Actually, there should be more to the law so an HOA cannot take someone’s home away to pay their dues. They also seem to nitpick about things. We live in a good neighborhood without an HOA and 95 percent of us take care of everything without any help.

 

Garry Beckham, Plano: Yes, this bill is a welcomed change. Allowing homeowners to do common “cents” landscaping and other water-reducing efforts is a must. Right now, we worry about only being able to water the yard with the irrigation system once a week. If Collin County doesn’t get control of the housing expansion that is ongoing and the North Texas Municipal Water District doesn’t find alternate water resources, we will all welcome the desert-like front yards that xeriscaping defines. To have a sip to wet our lips will be very difficult when the water faucet only drips.

 

Lisa A. Fox, Plano: I drive over Lake Lavon weekly and am dismayed and frightened by the sight of that body of water, and this region’s water supply drying up. The state continues to recruit businesses and residents to relocate here with, it appears, little regard for how we will support this increased population with our limited water supply. The climate and soil of Texas is not conducive to recreating the lush green lawns and gardens of the eastern and Midwestern states. It is time that we accept the fact that living with draught conditions is the new normal for this region and adapt our lifestyles accordingly. The use of xeriscaping, composting and water conservation should be promoted, not hindered, by homeowners associations.

 

Joel Roemen, Sachse: Legislation to limit the authority of HOAs is long overdue. For the past 15 years, far too many petty tyrants have used their authority to terrorize homeowners. My opinion is this bill does not limit HOAs authority enough, and yes, this bill is a positive step for homeowners.

 

Pat Patterson, Plano: HOAs can’t ban it? How about a law requiring low water usage for landscaping and lawns? As long as the Dallas-Fort Worth population keeps growing and we have droughts three out of every four years, we’re going to be looking at Phoenix-style cacti gardens in a decade or two without more drastic action.

 

Mark Horner, Sachse: Anything that clips the wings of HOAs is a positive step forward. I understand their purpose and somewhat agree with it, but when a conflict develops due to personality differences, they need to be reined in.

 

Ted Gold, Plano: HOAs can be a wonderful asset for a community or an overzealous monster. I think my HOA is a reasonable asset. A word of advice to potential homebuyers: Read the covenants, conditions and restrictions of the HOA before you buy, not after you move in. You may be glad or you may be sad.

 

Carla Parvis, Plano: I support this new law. Texas has a water shortage and HOAs should not be allowed to restrict homeowners from planting native Texas plants that can survive our hot summers and help save a precious resource. You can’t drink a lush green lawn.

 

Fred Frawley, Plano: It sounds as if the new state law is similar to the change in the federal telecommunications law in the mid 1990s that prohibited HOAs and local governments from banning the use of small satellite dishes for TV reception. However, the placement of such equipment was still subject to location restrictions. It seems like this is another reasonable measure, given increasing awareness of resource conservation.

 

Sally Peterson, Frisco: Have you looked at some of the yards in the trails? Some are shameful, so xeriscaping sounds like a reasonable request.

Supporters of the Ignite High Point Initiative have put their imaginations to work lately.
They have been working to implement the revitalization ideas of Miami-based urban architect Andres Duany and his team of planners, engineers and other professionals.
Representatives of The City Project on Thursday showed the City Council several architectural renderings for possible uses of “the pit” — a vacant parking lot on W. High Avenue across from the High Point Depot that has drawn interest as a possible public gathering space.
The drawings — by High Point architect Peter Freeman — depicted an all-purpose site that could accommodate public events, artists and craftsmen.
“The idea is to create an incubation space for young people so we can entice them to come to the area when they decide where they’re going to live after university, and have an exciting place with night life and an arts district,” said City Project board Chairman Richard Wood. “We’re trying to put the infrastructure in place to make it a safe space. Pottery, art work, craft beer — there are all sorts of things folks may want to show and sell.”
The site would need a lot of work to make it suitable for just about any use. Currently, there are no plans to do anything with it. It’s one of several ideas The City Project is working on in advance of the Duany team’s master plan, which will lay out recommendations for revitalizing Uptowne, the High Point University area and the furniture market district.
“The idea is to really do this at a high level and engage students from the design schools and universities to come in and do competitions,” Wood said of the proposals for the pit.
He said the organization also is planning to solicit proposals from firms that could study the concept of “dieting” a portion of N. Main Street to one lane of traffic in each direction between Montlieu and Farriss avenues.
“It’s going to be a long study. We don’t know how quickly that will happen. The funds are available to bury the power lines and extend the sidewalks a little bit,” he said.
The city has not committed to doing anything with the road dieting idea, but some leaders expressed support for the general concept.
“If you’re going to generate that traffic we’d like to see in Uptowne or even downtown, for that matter, I suggest we look at the road dieting before you try to bring in all these businesses and then say, ‘We’re going to tear up the road,’” said Mayor Bernita Sims. “My suggestion would be, let’s really look at that road-dieting piece and how that would happen.”
Wood said another priority is to develop a master plan for landscaping the area in front of the High Point Neal F. Austin Public Library into a public gathering place.
Wood said the High Point Regional Association of Realtors has contributed $15,000 to commission a study of the concept and that the city may be asked to allocate $4,000.

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Texas homeowners wanting to add some drought-resistant landscaping to their property will now face less resistance from their homeowners associations.

Senate Bill 198, which covers the “protection of drought-resistant landscaping and water-conserving natural turf,” is now in effect. It restricts an HOA from enforcing rules that “would prohibit or restrict a homeowner” from using native plants or other landscaping requiring less water.

However, HOAs may still require a homeowner to obtain pre-approval for aesthetic reasons.

In Plano, Judy Hawthorne and her husband do not live in an HOA neighborhood and have slowly begun incorporating drought-resistant plants into their rose garden.

“We started growing roses in 1989, but we have tried to cut back on that,” she said. “We’ll fill this bed with more drought tolerant plants.”

As some of their plants die off due to age or the drought, the Hawthornes are turning to plants that require more sun and less water. That includes fountain grass, a native plant they only water once per week.

The changes in their watering schedule have reduced their water bill by enough that they have noticed a difference in their usage between August 2012 and this year. Hawthorne calls it “a start.”

While the new law can require a homeowner to seek authorization, it also states the HOA’s approval may not be “unreasonably denied or withheld.”

The law also applies to water-saving devices such as rain-barrel harvesting systems.

On Saturday, October 5^th, visit six private gardens in Oro Valley and Tucson, open to the public to benefit the Garden Conservancy. Admission to each garden is $5, the Open Day is rain or shine, and no reservations are required. Call 1-888-842-2442, or visit www.opendaysprogram.orgfor more information. Each garden is open 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., and visitors may begin the tour at any of the following locations:

• The Sublime Desert Connection, 10200 North Cliff Dweller Place, Oro Valley – designed to support native pollinators with brilliantly colored sages and other blooms,
  accented by agave and cacti, a shady riparian stream bed, and views of the Pusch Ridge.
• Desert in Color, 4501 North Arroyo Vacio, Tucson – a contemporary desert style garden with amazing views and unique water features, including a fire pit, raised patio, colorful seating and pony walls, custom screening trellises, and an extensive planting palette of cacti.
• A Desert Gem, 5452 Thunder Sky Way, Tucson – features flowing flagstone patios and walkways that link outdoor living areas, low water-use plants to attract hummingbirds and butterflies, a gurgling spring, and numerous handmade pots.
• The Peter’s Garden, 2645 East 7^th Street, Tucson – participating in the National Phenology Network which tracks the life cycles of natural plants, and using arid landscaping, innovative shade areas, a water feature, artistic trellising, and traditional vines and other plantings.
• Zona Gardens Studio, 5331 South Civano Boulevard, Tucson – landscape designer Scott Calhoun’s modern graphical garden, which boasts more than 150 plant species within an 1,611-square-foot space, floating shade screens, fifty-five-gallon drums repurposed as pots, and punctuated with dwarf agave and yucca species.
• The Jackson’s Dreamscape, Tucson – an arid native garden with a water-salvaging system, specialty cacti and succulents, and winner of the 2011 Desert Museum Xeriscape Contest (directions to this Tucson garden will be provided at other locations).

These Open Days gardens are featured in the 2013 Open Days Directory; a soft-cover book that includes detailed driving directions and vivid descriptions written by
their owners. The directory includes garden listings in eighteen states and costs $21.95 including shipping. Visit www.opendaysprogram.org or call the Garden Conservancy toll-free at 1-888-842-2442 to order with a Visa, MasterCard or American Express, or send a check or money order to: the Garden Conservancy, P.O. Box 219, Cold Spring, NY 10516. Discount admission tickets are available as well through advanced mail order.

The 2013 Open Days program isgenerously sponsored by Fine Gardening magazine as its National Media Sponsor. Fine Gardening magazine brings you breathtaking design ideas, helpful techniques, and the know-how to get great results in your own garden.

The Garden Conservancy introduced the Open Days program in 1995 as a means of introducing the public to gardening, providing easy access to outstanding examples of design and horticultural practice, and proving that exceptional American gardens are still being created. The Open Days program is America’s only national private garden-visiting program, and is made possible by the work of hundreds of volunteers nationwide. Visit the Garden Conservancy and its Open Days program online at www.gardenconservancy.org.

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When visitors come to the museum for their second or third time, the question that usually pops up is: What’s next? Of course there is always the nagging problem of finances and if small independent museums like ours aren’t careful, that’s all they will ever work on. Fortunately our board of directors keeps evolving and with that comes fresh ideas and lots of new challenges for me. We have an excellent core group that is concerned about the future — next year, maybe even the next five to 10 years.

I must admit that when I started this project over 18 years ago, I never dreamed that we would have come this far. Just this week, we had a large group of visitors from Germany that had come to spend time with the people of their sister city, St. Marys. We had a large group of sisters who toured the museum as part of their annual family get together. The organizer was from Dayton and she chose to spend a few days in Delphos. She had sisters from Arizona, Colorado and California.

Can you imagine someone planning a family vacation to visit Delphos, especially if they don’t have any relatives in the area? You would be surprised at how many people have stopped in while traveling the Lincoln Highway as part of the 100th anniversary of the highway’s completion.

OK, so you are still waiting for an answer to “What’s next?” The answer is quite simple. It is time we, as a town, get organized. Many years ago, I wrote an article about all the attractions in Delphos, the hidden gems that would bring people to our hometown. I heard you chuckle. Attractions you say? Where shall we start? How about with the two museums? Do you realize in order to see everything there, you would need an entire day? Need a place to stay? The Microtel is right here — clean, well appointed and at a reasonable cost. For each tour we have run from MPH tours, there have been people who have come to spend the previous night at the Microtel. They always say it is a relaxing way to start a vacation.

What else do we have? Restaurants that will satisfy so many different tastes: Mexican, Chinese, Italian, Greek, steak houses, delis, coffee houses, specialty chicken, all the major fast food chains and local pubs, saloons and watering holes.

Have any of you been to all the parks in Delphos lately? Stadium Park, the town pool, Garfield Park, the Hanser Pavilion, the shelterhouses and how about the Westrich Little League fields? Have you seen all the new equipment and landscaping that was installed by our local Kiwanis Club? How about the running track at the high school and the enhancements made by the Stadium Club? We have treasures in our midst like the Zane Grey birthplace, the Ostendorf Hotel, the Dienstberger House and let’s not forget about the magnificent church buildings and Oscar Velasquez’s outdoor murals. Just take the intersection of the Lincoln Highway and State Route 66 where you will find the Veterans’ Memorial Park, a Lincoln Hwy control station sign and the full-size murals on the Best One Tire and Delphos Herald buildings.

Have you checked out the library and its new annex? I was just there the other day and even with all the cutbacks, there are free services you don’t normally find in communities our size.

You have an interest in art? It’s all around us from Mike Bendele’s magnificent metal doors on St. John’s Church to the restorations of the late 19th/early 20th-century architecture of numerous buildings on Main Street.

Have you seen the awesome three-dimensional murals done by the Delphos Area Art Guild that are in the Postal Museum? Just stop and look at the Central Block Building, the former Remlinger Drug and the Shenk Lang buildings, the offices of JoAn Smith, Ace Hardware, the former Phelan Hotel and how about the Museum of Postal History?

Anyone interested in antiques, coins and collectibles? Check out the Trading Post, the two antique malls or the boutiques and specialty stores of clothing, furniture, consignments and restaurant supplies.

You’d never guess how many places you can find pizza, baked goods or ice cream in Delphos. We are fortunate to have social clubs and banquet halls fit for a party of any size and they are fully-equipped, clean and reasonably-priced. We have a recreation center open 12 months a year. Our cemeteries are visited by genealogists and they are the final resting places for people like “Dummy Kim” and canal boat Captain Crenshaw. Canal enthusiasts have walked the banks of the waterway and climbed on the locks that were part of that history. Everything I have mentioned is just inside the city limits of Delphos.

So what’s next? We need to gather all the principal people involved with these attractions along with the ones I may have overlooked and we need to develop a travel and tourism organization right in the heart of Delphos. Every homeowner, every business person, everyone who can see what I am talking about needs to come forward to lend a hand, some time and maybe even a few dollars to put Delphos’s star on the map and bring people from all over the world to see how great life can be in America’s Friendliest City.

What do you say? Will you join me? If you are interested, drop me a note, put a note on our website (www.postalhistorymuseum.org) or give us a call at 419-204-5315 and leave a message. If we all did just a little, what do you think could happen?

Last but certainly not least, we have several seats still available for our trip to Monticello and Williamsburg slated to depart on Sept. 28.