kingstonnavigator Dear Friends,
I’m sorry to report that I’ll be stepping aside from the KingstonCitizens.org blog for the time being. Of course we’ll keep the site up and running. In fact, KingstonCitizens.org founder Rebecca Martin is looking for more bloggers to report on city events. If you’re interested, contact her at: in**@**************ns.org.
Best,
Arthur Zaczkiewicz
There’s a new service from the New York Department of Transportation that just launched, which gives motorists and commuters a quick update on traffic conditions and more via a website and free phone call. People can just dial “511” for an update on traffic and transit conditions. Or, check out the website, http://www.511ny.org, for more detailed information.
The website also has information on ride shares and includes a transit trip planner. There’s also useful links to tourism, airport and biking websites.
Last week a group of hikers were led on a short trip through Ferncliff Forest in nearby Rhinebeck by environmental educators from Forsyth Nature Center that culminated with a spectacular view of the Hudson River and Kingston from atop an observation tower.
The hike was part of a series of adult hikes that starts at the nature center every other week. Check out the program calendar on FNC’s website here for more information.
The observation tower at the preserve, which is owned by the Rotary Club, was recently rebuilt. Read more about the tower in this article.
As the City of Kingston explores options to separate outdated combined sewage outflow lines, officials may want to consider including a broader storm water mitigation plan that involves installing rain barrels for homes, schools, businesses, hospitals and municipal buildings.
Why? Well, the benefits are enormous, and include reducing the volume of water that has to be treated. More importantly, capturing rain water keeps it from flowing into storm water drains along with road salts, oils and other contaminants on our city roads. And not only does this make our streams and rivers much less polluted, but capturing water reduces flooding.
This past Saturday at the Forsyth Nature Center, Steve Noble, environmental educator, gave a workshop on rain barrels and how easy it is to install one. The barrels cost about $100, and the water captured can be used to wash your car, water your garden and water your plants.
Steve said during the summer months, a rain barrel can save a homeowner about 1,300 gallons of water. If the city were to implement a rain barrel pilot program, say with 500 barrels installed, more than 650,000 gallons of water could be diverted — which saves money in water treatment costs and reduces pollutants as well as flooding.
Worth considering? And as this prior post points out, there could even be a cottage industry here in harvesting rain.
In the meantime, there are other ways that residents can help to reduce the volume of waste water in their homes. Here are some tips from Steve:
* Don’t cut your lawn grass low. Higher grass needs less water.
* Fix dripping faucets, which can waste 54 gallons per month.
* Take shorter showers.
* Turn of the faucet while shaving, washing, brushing teeth and washing dishes.
Interested in buying a rain barrel? Check out the benefits here. To purchase one, see Gaiam or check this page out.
–Arthur Zaczkiewicz
Kingston’s Joshua and Jessica Applestone, who Fleisher’s Grass-fed and Organic Meats on Wall Street, made the cut in a story about hip, rock-star butchers in today’s The New York Times. Check out the story, here.
In today’s Freeman (Nation/World, page B2) there is an interesting article from the AP on the first national ordinance for rainwater harvesting on commercial projects in Tucson, AZ. Half of the water supply necessary for landscaping for new business and corporate or commercial structures will need to be harvested beginning next year.
Kingston environmental educator Steve Noble and Mayor Sottile have been in discussions for some time (on the subject of Kingston’s storm water issues). There are other important community leaders and public officials providing helpful information on what to do, too. How about some ideas and advice from the great minds of our residents? (Bring this subject to your Yahoo! Discussion group to flesh out the subject).
With the recent debate of the city of Kingston taking a ‘green pledge’ to work towards more local, green jobs for our community – could harvesting our own rainwater help to provide a savings of resources and tax dollars while providing sustainable new jobs for Kingstonians?
What is clear is that if we don’t figure out some sort of solution for our current storm water/raw sewage problem the city is likely to be fined upwards of $37,500 a day by the DEC. “The problem of sewage getting into the Rondout Creek has long been an issue in the city, where some sewer pipes handle a combination of storm and waste water. During periods of heavy rain, the city’s sewage treatment plant cannot handle the flow, and the overflow goes into the creek. Some pipes overflow directly into the creek.” (Taken from the Daily Freeman. The article in full is attached below).
Read on….
Tuscon Rainwater Harvesting Law Drawing Interest
Kingston lawmakers balk at bond to study revamp of sewer system
– Rebecca Martin
There’s much going on in Europe centering on living life without crude oil while reducing electric use and waste generation. In Germany, Great Britain, and other countries there, solar polar and clean energy are top priorities, and sustainability is not just a buzzword, but an employed strategy.
On the food front, there was a recent conference in England that focused on planning for urban farming. Speakers discussed the challenges of transforming London into a food-producing urban city. Check out this column for the full report.
For London, the hurdles are huge. After all, it’s a big city. But I wonder if such concept would work in a small place, like Kingston. In some respects, we’ve already taken the first few steps. Rebecca Martin and the garden committee of the Kingston Land Trust promote community, city and school gardens as well as Victory Gardens for homeowners. Their vision is simple: let’s have a food garden at every home and in our schools and parks.
Of course this is a long-term project that takes time, volunteers and support from local municipalities. But the seeds are already planted and the work has begun, which is why volunteering for this effort is a worthwhile endeavor — we need your help for it to grow.
In the meantime, can you imagine Kingston growing enough food to feed all its residents? I can.
— Arthur Zaczkiewicz
Here’s an interesting read in today’s The New York Times about the trend of rooftop gardens and how some cities give tax breaks to owners for planting them. We have at least one in Kingston, at 721 Media Center. Read about it here.
What’s the benefit? As the Times articles notes, rooftop gardens cut down on storm water runoff while also improving a building’s insulation.
What’s the best thing to do after a heavy rain storm? In my humble opinion, that’s the best time to visit Awosting Falls, pictured here, in nearby New Paltz at Minnewaska State Park Preserve. The falls were raging, and misting cool air all through the woods.
Afterward, I biked around Mohonk Preserve (a permit is required) and was surprised to see blueberries. I don’t remember ever seeing ripe blueberries and blooming moutain laurel occuring at the same time. Do you? Any insights would be greatly appreciated.
How well do you know Kingston? Can you guess what and where this structure is in the City of Kingston?
Jenny Schwartz, of the county planning office, gave a terrific tour of midtown Kingston during the “Make a Difference Day” celebration on Saturday. She described how the design of the high school was inspired by the East Wing of the Louvre and that City Hall took its design from the city hall of Florence, Italy.
Schwartz walked down Henry Street, and explained how midtown grew after the uptown section and Rondout merged into one city over a century ago.
Schwartz said midtown was a vibrant place where small business owners and others lived — folks who prospered by Kingston’s growth as a key manufacturing and transportation hub.
The Friends of Historic Kingston has a great website for anyone looking for more information about the city’s history. Check it out here.
Here’s a cool thing that’s happening in Kingston on the business front: Kingston Block & Masonry Supply LLC is making recycled cement blocks. Check out the story here.
Mid Hudson Energy Smart Communities is holding a workshop at the Kingston Public Library this Saturday, June 13 at 1 p.m. to help homeowners learn about the benefits of a home energy audit, which can reduce home heating bills by up to 40 percent. “Grants for eligible families and loans are available to improve insulation levels, install efficient windows, ENERGY STAR® appliances, and heating and cooling systems,” organizers of the event said in a statement. For more information, see the library’s website here.
While you’re at the website, check out other events and programs planned for the summer, including the summer reading program.
The student waiting list at the Ulster Literacy Association here in Kingston has reached 100, according to the ULA. As a result, the center is in need of volunteers and has added workshops, set for July 28 to July 30. See the press release here for more information or call 845.331.6837 for more information.
“This workshop is to train adult volunteers to work in a one-to-one tutoring situation with adults who want to improve their reading and writing skills,” the ULA says. “To be a tutor one needs to be a high school graduate or hold a GED. The workshop will include methods and materials, cultural considerations, and discussions concerning the typical needs of persons seeking literacy assistance. We also conduct a jail writing project once a week in the County Jail as well as the Family Literacy Center here on Monday, Wednesday and Thursday evenings. We need volunteers to help with these projects as well.”
This just in from the organizers of Make a Difference Day:
The Everette Hodge Community Center and Franklin Street (from Broadway to Prospect) will be the site for the Fourth Annual Midtown Make A Difference Day on Saturday, June 13.
This healthy living and community awareness street festival is sponsored by the Ulster County Multi-Service Center at the City of Kingston Everette Hodge Center with the Rose Women’s Care Services, Ulster County Office For the Aging and Kingston CARES, Kingston Area Library and Kingston Boys & Girls Club as well as other local community-based agencies and businesses. There will be live music, a walk through the city from City Hall, exhibits, arts and crafts, a bike safety workshop, face painting, free food and more.