I have to say that even I can’t believe that this is my 151st post! I am hoping it is not my last, but so far so good. It’s been turning 6:00 pm around the world and there have been no signs of cataclysmic earthquakes or zombies. If it’s not yet 6:00 pm May 21, 2011 in your time zone, you still have time to prepare for the Zombie Apocalypse courtesy of the CDC, just in case.
WATER WATER EVERYWHERE: For the latest on the Mississippi River flooding, check out Jeff Masters’s blog, and visit the Huffington Post for live updates. The surge of fresh water down the Atchafalaya River and through the bayous of Louisiana has hit Cajun country, built upon silt, particularly hard. According to a spokesman for the Army Corps of Engineers, the volume of water being pushed toward the Gulf of Mexico is the largest ever recorded on the Mississippi.
To our South, Colombia experienced the worst flooding in its history.
OTHER NEWS from ALL OVER:
Japan has said “no” to new nuclear plants. On May 10, Prime MInister Naoto Kan announced that Japan had abandoned plans to build more nuclear reactors.
The European Union has begun paying fishermen to collect trash.
Time Magazine reported that the time may have come for an idea promoted by eco-entrepreneur Georges Mougin since the mid-1970s — towing icebergs to the world’s thirstiest regions. A new computer simulation shows that it just may be possible. Mougin’s next step is to secure funding for a pilot test.
San Francisco’s Board of Supervisors voted to ban the delivery of unsolicited commercial phonebooks (Yellow Pages). If the policy is voted into law as expected, the Yellow Pages can only be delivered to customers who request them in-person or give prior approval by phone or email beginning on May 1, 2012. According to an article in the Los Angeles Times, the nearly 1.6 million business directories dropped on doorsteps here annually would stack up at about 8 1/2 times the height of Mt. Everest, according to statistics provided by the city. The books generate 7 million pounds of paper waste and clog recycling equipment, necessitating costly repairs.
3,500 Yalies the world over rolled up their sleeves and got to work last Saturday for the 3rd annual Global Day of Service. Yalies in New Haven volunteered for the 4th year in a row at 14 sites including Middletown Avenue Park. [more on this in a future post]
Connecticut received an additional $30 million towards development of a high-speed rail line between New Haven and Springfield, Massachusetts. This is a portion of the $2.4 billion for a Tampa-to Orlando rail line refused by Florida Governor Rick Scott. Thanks, Florida. Connecticut is now one step closer to the dream of daily passenger service between the two cities at speeds up to 110 miles an hour.
NEWS from NEW HAVEN:
The Yale Farm now has chickens! A May 17 tweet announced: At long last: the Yale Farm has chickens! Come by and meet the ladies at our workday this Friday from 1:00-5:00 pm.
The Elm City Market issued a press release saying it is on track to open at the end of the summer. The market has over 500 members and hopes to have 1,000 by opening day. The market plans to hire 100 employees in the next 90 days and is soliciting applications (due May 31) from its membership for two open positions on the board of directors.
Over 500 riders raised more than $50,000 in the Rock to Rock Earth Day Ride on April 30, a benefit for 14 environmental groups in the community. Organizers have set the date of April 21, 2012 for next year’s ride and have set a new fundraising goal of $100,000.
Senator Richard Blumenthal stopped by the New Haven Land Trust’s Ivy Street Garden on May 20 to see the volunteers in action.
Today New Haven’s Department of Public Works should be delivering my new brown 48-gallon Toter. This will become my trash container. My large blue Toter will become the container for recycling on the May 31st collection day. I hope this isn’t too complicated for my neighborhood… I’ll keep you posted.
Square Donuts in the 9th Square. Finally, in the “It’s green because I say so.” category I want to pass on this tip for great homemade donuts on Orange Street. The Independent has known about these for months now. I only recently sampled them. My choice was the glazed whole wheat. Tony Poleshek, Jr. of the Orangeside Luncheonette truly makes a donut as a donut is meant to be. Check out this delicious local food, just around the corner from the Elm City Market, near the Devil’s Gear Bike Shop.
SPECIAL EVENTS:
Now until May 31
Vote to bring fruit trees to New Haven.
Friends of Edgewood Park have been nominated to receive a free fruit orchard. Help the Friends get to the next level of the competition. Vote for them once daily at the Edy’s Fruit Bars site.
June 5
Opening of the Edgewood Park Farmers Market
Enjoy your weekend. Come back again soon. I’m pretty sure I’ll be back talking about food on Monday.
If we survive the Zombie Invasion, maybe you should post some brains recipes.. ;-)
ReplyDelete(In the interests of full disclosure, I tried them once years ago in Italy & could die content never seeing another plate of them again)