The Valley Advocate: Northampton Redoubt

Neville Brothers Bring it Home

Thu, 02 Sep 2010 12:00:00 AM EDT

From Kristin Neville:

Hello Friends,

I recently submitted a proposal to the Pepsi Refresh grant program for a music recording project to benefit New Orleans and the Gulf Coast, involving the Neville Brothers and other New Orleans/Gulf Coast musicians. Our project, called Bring it Home, will strive to Raise Voices, Hope, and Funds in order to help communities in need. The project will be in the running for a grant starting tomorrow September 1, and will be on the Pepsi Refresh site for voting.

The ideas with the most votes will receive grants, so we need your help and votes! You can vote up to 2 times a day: once online, and once via cell, but we would greatly appreciate even one vote a day, whichever is easiest.

I need your help, and would really appreciate your votes!

Please Visit, Sign Up, and Vote Bring it Home:

facebook.com/l/b825f81A6ZwTUTnEV5jWeQNgjkw;www.refresheverything.com/bringithome

http://www.facebook.com/l/b825f8-XSCpKG5Ed-D9XKyYlGtg;twitter.com/BringItHomeNOLA

Thanks,

Kristin

Overview

The Neville Brothers seek to bring the world's focus to the beauty and tragedy of the place they call home using their musicality and celebrity. After Katrina, the Gulf Oil Spill was yet another immeasureable blow to this region usually known for some of the greatest music and food in the world. People's livelihoods, culture, and environment are threatened, as well as the legacy of New Orleans and the Gulf Coast. By capturing stories of these communities in a musical collaboration, the Brothers will carry these voices to the world in an album featuring many of the Gulf Coast/New Orleans' top musicians. Help us raise their voices to raise spirits and hope while inspiring positive change. Funds raised from the album will go towards building a more hopeful future-both economically and environmentally-for those who call the Gulf Coast home.

How $250 thousand will be used:

$119,000 Recording (studio, engineers & assistants, backup and guest musicians) $23,000 Producer $3,500 Mastering $8,250 Artwork (artwork, design layout, packaging) $32,000 Promotion: publicist, marketing fund, misc. expenses $15,000 Printing 10,000 CDs $31,750 Project managers $3,750 Setting up online distribution $3,750 Website design $10,000 Radio promo.

Budget Notes: The Neville Brothers have agreed to donate a block of time to this project, however other base band members, additional musicians and any overtime will be paid and is incorporated into the budget.

From the Friends of Upper Roberts Meadow Reservoir

Wed, 18 Aug 2010 12:00:00 AM EDT

Dear Friend:

Below is a copy of the Resolution that will be before the City Council on Thursday August 19 at 7 pm. Please post on your website/blog and ask Northampton residents to call their City Councilor and the Councilors-at-Large to ask for them to support this Resolution that works to save the Upper Roberts Meadow Reservoir and Dam, looks to install micro-hydro on this dam, protect wildlife, and save this historic site.

We have learned much in the months that we have been working to save this site; including the viability of micro-hydro, that the concern that a worst-case scenario of a dam break would flood all of Leeds is not accurate, that the dam is indeed a historic site, and much more. We also ask anyone interested in learning more to visit our website and www.saveourdam.org. Anyone interested in posting a Save the Dam Sign is invited to email us via our website.

Also, if you missed The Dam Art Show, check it out during the Easthampton Art Walk on Sept. 11th. We will have work on display- plus historic photos courtesy of Forbes Library - at the Pioneer Valley Ballet gallery at Eastworks.

Thank you!

The Friends of the Upper Roberts Meadow Reservoir

A Resolution of the City Council on the Preservation of the Upper Roberts Meadow Dam

Whereas, One of the Guiding Principles of the Sustainable Northampton Comprehensive Plan is to, “encourage conservation and use of alternative and renewable energy sources throughout the community,” and

Whereas, The Upper Roberts Meadows Dam has been identified as a potential hydro-power facility that could produce 114 – 130 megawatt hours annually, enough to power 25 to 30 homes, from a generator that will produce 26 kilowatts on average per hour, and

Whereas, The new Alternative Energy Portfolio Standard reflects the Green Communities Act goal of meeting 20% of Massachusetts’ electricity consumption from new renewable and alternative energy generation by 2020, and

Whereas, the Sustainable Northampton Comprehensive Plan targets 25% of its municipal energy to be supplied by renewable sources by 2017, and

Whereas, Goal 3 of the Energy, Environment and Climate Protection section of the Sustainable Northampton Comprehensive Plan is, “Protect valuable and sensitive ecological resources… including to Protect rare and endangered plants and animals and important wildlife corridors,” and

Whereas, the Upper Roberts Meadow Dam has formed such an ecological resource by providing a habitat noted by the Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Wildlife’s Natural Heritage & Endangered Species Program as a “Core Habitat” that is home to Species of Special Concern including Four-toed Salamander, Jefferson Salamander, Spotted Turtle, Spring Salamander, Wood Turtle, Elderberry Long-Horned Beetle and Spatterdock Darner, and

Whereas, Goal 1 of the Heritage Resources section of the Sustainable Northampton Comprehensive Plan is, “Protect and preserve the City’s heritage resources,” including objectives to “educate and inform decision makers about heritage resources,” and “protect heritage resources from degradation or destruction by public or private actions or inactions,” and

Whereas, The Upper Roberts Meadow Dam is such a city heritage resource in that the dam is an historic granite block gravity-arched structure which was built to create a drinking water reservoir, and the Roberts Meadow district was purged of homes, farms, and businesses, similar to the Quabbin, to protect the quality of the drinking water and to create a watershed, and

Whereas, The Upper Roberts Meadow dam is being considered by the Massachusetts Historic Commission for placement on the state Registry of Historic Places, and its consulting engineer, Clemens Herschel, became an engineer of international renown still honored today for inventing the Venturi meter that measures water flow, and

Whereas the micro-hydro dam could generate up to $20,000 annual revenue via net metering that could be used for future dam maintenance and repairs, and

Whereas, the remaining balance of the revenue raised by the micro-hydro dam could be added to the City’s general fund, thereby meeting Goal 1 of the Municipal Governance and Financial Stability section of the Sustainable Northampton Comprehensive Plan, which calls for the City to “Diversify revenue streams to support municipal operations.”

NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED

The City Council advises the Board of Public Works to seek a change in the current “high hazard” classification of the dam;

And furthermore, if there is a clear understanding that the project will be revenue neutral and does not burden the City with additional costs, the City Council endorses the preservation and restoration of the Upper Roberts Meadow Dam and Reservoir;

And also advises the Board of Public Works to consider that the dam and reservoir are, collectively, more valuable to the City economically, ecologically, historically and aesthetically intact than if they were removed, and if so determined, the Board of Public Works will cease its’ planning for the demolition of the dam and the draining of the reservoir.

Angela Plassman -- angela@angelaplassmann.com
Paul Spector -- gwanorth@aol.com
Marianne LaBarge -- mlabargeward6@aol.com
Gene Tacy -- genetacy@comcast.net
Dave Murphy -- david.murphy8@comcast.ne
Pamela Schwartz - pschwartz77@gmail.com
Maureen Carney - mtcarney@comcast.net
David Narkewitz - dnarkewicz@comcast.net ( At Large)
Jesse Adams - jesse.michaeladams@gmail.com ( At Large)

Hamp households divert 2.9 tons in 7 weeks

Thu, 12 Aug 2010 12:00:00 AM EDT

Responding to my email query, Karen Bouquillon of the Northampton Department of Public Works reports 225 of Northampton's more than eleven thousand households have diverted about 2.9 tons (5,789 pounds) of food waste in the first seven weeks of the DPW's pilot composting program. That averages out to about 827 pounds per week and projects to almost exactly 21.5 tons (43,004 pounds) per year, all things held constant. That's a total of about 26 pounds per participating household, which averages out to about 3.7 pounds diverted per week.

The city has shipped (yes, burning fossil fuels along the way I presume) the waste to Farmer's Friend Composting Facility in Belchertown, a growing community east of Northampton. I could not find information online about this facility with a basic search. Nor did I ask how much this costs the city, but I will, or someone else can.

According to Bouquillon, volunteer Rose Weiss has been working on an analysis of surveys from program participants and the results are pending.

Residents can sign up for the program by stopping in at the DPW Landfill Desk office. Hours are Monday-Friday 8:30 AM - 4:30 PM. A 2010-2011 vehicle permit is required to participate. Call 413-587-1570 for more information.

Bouquillon plans to provide more data next week.

Plassmann and Tacy cleared of Northampton Media's allegations

Thu, 05 Aug 2010 12:00:00 AM EDT

D.A.'s letter below posted on Plassmann's website. Northampton Media recently filed an Open Meeting Law complaint against Plassmann and Tacy with the local District Attorney's office:

Sheena Iyengar on the art of choosing

Tue, 27 Jul 2010 12:00:00 AM EDT

Art in Pulaski Park July 22-25

Fri, 23 Jul 2010 12:00:00 AM EDT

Valley Art Share Interim Coordinator Phyllis Labanowski

Northampton Food Security Project in Pulaski Park July 22-25

Thu, 22 Jul 2010 12:00:00 AM EDT

Lisa Depiano's recent post from the Grow Food Northampton listserv:

Check out our Natural Building demo and seed ball making! On hand will be a copy of the Feed Northampton Project: In a town whose prestige was built by artists, during the Northampton Sidewalk Sale's ritual four days of ardent shopping in July, artists will be taking back some of the cultural space that they themselves created. In other words: Pulaski Park is ours (!), to habitate, to perform in, to make/sell work in, to make noise in -- to connect the dots of Northampton's economic development with the exodus of artists, non-profits, and other demographics from the city, or just to get a big fruity piece of the capitalist pie.

Feed Northampton: First Steps Toward a Local Food System is a food security plan prepared by graduate students at the Conway School of Landscape Design for a transition town community group in Northampton, Massachusetts. The project addresses the potential for food production within Northampton, and analyzes the patterns of open space and development in the city center and how different patterns may be conducive to different kinds of production. The student team determined an approximation of the broader foodshed from which Northampton residents draw their food (and an overview of the general kinds of foods being used) as well as the kinds of social and ecological systems that might be created (or already exist) to effectively support food production in the city.

This is a link to the free download of the project: http://www.lulu.com/product/paperback/feed-northampton-first-steps-toward-a-local-food-system/11715880?showPreview

And here is a link to my blog with more info about this weekend:

http://permacultureworkshop.blogspot.com/

Best,

Lisa

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Montview Neighborhood Farm
www.montviewfarm.org

Pedal People
www.pedalpeople.com

Valley Time Trade
http://commonwealthcenter.org/timebank.htm

Farmers Market Survey

Thu, 15 Jul 2010 12:00:00 AM EDT

PRESS RELEASE: The Farmers Market Subcommittee of the Northampton Agricultural Commission has created an online survey for customers and for the general public to gather information on how Northampton Farmers Markets can better serve the community. The 15 question survey seeks to learn how often people shop at the markets, why people shop at the Farmers Markets, other locations people shop for locally grown food and plants, which existing features customers enjoy at the markets and which new features might be desirable.

"This survey will help us learn from our customers, generate new customers, and support the long term health of the markets", said Maureen Dempsey of Intervale Farm in Westhampton, a regular vendor at the Saturday and Wednesday markets.

The Farmers Market Subcommittee is charged with evaluating existing markets in the City and to make recommendations on how the growth and sustainability of the markets can be promoted. The Committee will also recommend a policy for use of City property by Farmers Markets. Merchants and Farmers Market vendors will be surveyed later this year. The Committee consists of farmers, market managers, residents, businesses and city government representatives.

Everyone is encouraged to complete the survey.

The survey will be available online from July 15, 2010 to August 15, 2010 at: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/farmersmarkets

For those who don't have access to a computer, a paper copy of the survey can be obtained at the Tuesday, Wednesday, and Saturday Markets or at the Northampton Community and Economic Development Office in City Hall (587-1286).

For More Information about this Press Release Contact:

Teri Anderson, Community & Economic Development Director

587-1253

tanderson@northamptonma.gov

Pathway to Zero Waste

Thu, 08 Jul 2010 12:00:00 AM EDT

The following was posted on the Paradise City Forum listserv by Wendy Foxmyn:

MassDEP has published the Draft Massachusetts 2010-2020 Solid Waste Master Plan: A Pathway to Zero Waste. The Plan maintains the current moratorium on new capacity for incinerating municipal solid waste, while it calls for an increase in recycling and re-use of waste materials and promotion of recycling businesses and green jobs.

MassDEP will accept comments on the Draft Plan through close of business on September 15, 2010. Five public hearings have been scheduled: three will be held in July and two will be held in September.

Written comments may be mailed or emailed to:

John Fischer
Chief, Waste Planning Branch
Planning and Evaluation Division
MassDEP Bureau of Waste Prevention
One Winter Street
Boston, MA 02108
John.Fischer@state.ma.us

The Draft Plan and information about the public hearings are available on MassDEP's web site: http://www.mass.gov/dep/recycle/priorities/dswmpu01.htm#swmp.

We look forward to hearing your comments and ideas.

Sincerely,

Sarah Weinstein
Deputy Assistant Commissioner
MassDEP Bureau of Waste Prevention

Legalizing marijuana use

Sun, 04 Jul 2010 12:00:00 AM EDT

Due to the controversy unfolding in Northampton regarding a proposed local marijuana fine ordinance I thought I'd look around the web for some other sources of information on the issue.

Planetizen has an interesting article by Josh Stephens: Placemaking for Pot Smoking.

Ballot Pedia has the complete text of this year's Proposition 19 in California. The Regulate, Control, and Tax Cannabis Act of 2010 will be before California voters November 2.

According to another page on Ballot Pedia, California Proposition 19, if successful, will:

Allows adults 21 years and older to possess, cultivate, or transport cannabis for personal use

Permits local governments to regulate and tax commercial production and sale of cannabis to adults 21 years and older

Prohibits people from possessing cannabis on school grounds, using it in public, smoking it when minors are present, or providing it to anyone under 21

Maintains current prohibitions against driving while impaired

Has no impact on current medical cannabis laws, taxes, or quantities. Does not increase taxes or reduce quantities for medical cannabis patients.

Does not prohibit employers from drug testing

Arguments for and against are included along with many links.