Saturday Shorts: 02.20.16 An Eclectic Collection of Things

In a week in which we were all bombarded with news political, I discovered a few other things I’d like to share:

Instant Gratification Posing Challenges  

My friend Polly sent me this link from the New York Times on how much packing waste is being generated by online shopping, particularly when a product is put in a box and then in another box for shipping. In the article Amazon admits being “aware of the problem,” and states that it is working to reduce the amount of cardboard they use in packaging. To give you an idea of the scope of the problem, San Francisco’s main recycling processor, Recology, collects 100 tons of cardboard everyday. The article ends with a solution from a spokesman for Recology, “Slow down consumption. Slow down.” The photo showing one day’s deposits at Recology is truly terrifying.

“Made in America” Making a Come-Back 

Sometimes, however, there is a case to be made for online shopping. Sometimes what you just can’t find in a nearby store is easily found online. In my case I was shopping for a birthday gift and was hoping to support some of the Carolina sockmakers who are struggling to keep family businesses alive. I discovered USA Love List, a crowdsourced compilation of companies offering goods Made in America. The site is also an online magazine. By clicking through the links in this article on Made in USA Socks I found just what I was looking for and, with free shipping, I bet the socks don’t arrive in a box.

Bald Eagles Nesting in New Haven

On Thursday Anna Bisaro reported in the New Haven Register that a pair of bald eagles were spotted in West River Memorial Park. A spokesperson for the state’s Department of Energy and Environmental Protection confirmed that the two adult eagles appear to be building a nest and they anticipate the pair will be breeding in the park. The DEEP official went on to say that eagles return to the same nest and add to it each year; a nest can grow to a weight of hundreds of pounds.

Cooked Streaming on Netflix

Michael Pollan’s 4-part documentary series, Cooked, is now streaming on Netflix. The series is is based on the author's 2013 book with the same name. Each episode focuses on one of the four natural elements and its relationship to both ancient and modern cooking methods. Netflix promotes the series thusly, “As he tries his hand at baking, brewing, and braising, acclaimed food writer Michael Pollan explores how cooking transforms food and shapes our world.”

New Haven Green Drinks Going Strong

On Wednesday, Shannon Laun, of CT Fund for the Environment spoke to those gathered at Trinity Bar about the need to push forward with CT’s stalled Shared Solar Pilot Program.  [She promises some tools for advocacy; I will share as they become available.] The March edition of New Haven Green Drinks will be a benefit for the 2016 8th annual Rock to Rock Ride and will be held at Chipotle, 910 Chapel Street, New Haven.

World’s Happiest Man’s Secret Revealed

Matthieu Ricard, a Tibetan Buddhist monk said to be the “world’s happiest man” shared some of his secrets to happiness with Business Insider.  Ricard states that you can start by “thinking happy thoughts for 10 to 15 minutes a day…concentrate on not letting you mind get distracted and keep focused on the positive emotions…if you do that training every day, even just two weeks later you can feel positive mental results.” For more, check out Ricard’s 2004 TED Talk, The Habits of Happiness. 

That’s it for now. Happy Saturday. Hope you are enjoying (or have enjoyed) the day.

Counting Down to Earth Day 2013: 4.13.13

This is the fourth day of my Counting Down to Earth Day 2013 challenge. Yes, I realize that it's late in the day, but it’s still April 13!

As I continue with the theme of growing things, my fourth tip is a little more specific.

Today’s Tip: PLANT A TREE

Trees are valuable for many reasons.

The Arbor Foundation, founded in 1972, the centennial of the first observance of Arbor Day, is a nonprofit dedicated to the planting of trees. The Foundation has compiled statistics from all kinds of sources about why trees are good for the planet, wildlife, and real estate values!

Here are just a few:

• “The net cooling effect of a young, healthy tree is equivalent to ten room-size air conditioners operating 20 hours a day.” —U.S. Department of Agriculture

• “Healthy, mature trees add an average of 10 percent to a property’s value.” —USDA Forest Service

• “The planting of trees means improved water quality, resulting in less runoff and erosion. This allows more recharging of the ground water supply. Wooded areas help prevent the transport of sediment and chemicals into streams.” —USDA Forest Service

• “In laboratory research, visual exposure to settings with trees has produced significant recovery from stress within five minutes, as indicated by changes in blood pressure and muscle tension.” —Dr. Roger S. Ulrich Texas A&M University

• “There are about 60– to 200-million spaces along our city streets where trees could be planted. This translates to the potential to absorb 33 million more tons of CO² every year, and saving $4 billion in energy costs.” —National Wildlife Federation

New Haven, Connecticut, where I live, appreciates the importance of trees. The City has undertaken an ambitious program — TreeHaven | 10 K — with the goal of planting 10,000 trees in 5 years. The trees are being planted by Urban Resources Institute (URI), the group I am supporting in next Saturday’s Rock to Rock Ride. 

If you  live in New Haven, you can request a tree, to be planted by URI, at no cost to you. But first you must sign a pledge that you will care for your new tree. Newly planted trees require 25 gallons of water per week during the growing seasons (from bud-break to leaf-drop) for the first three years.

If you decide to plant a tree, please think carefully before you buy one. Think of your site. How much sun do you have? What is your zone? What is your soil like? How much space do you have? Talk to an arborist or a reputable nursery before making your final decision.

To start you off, here is a slideshow of trees you should NEVER plant. 

Come back tomorrow for a new tip as we count down to Earth Day on April 22.

Love Your Mother (Earth). Pass it on. Together we can make a difference. Yes, we can!

On My Radar 5.5.12

Recent News. Happenings. Discoveries…Here are some of the items on my radar.

GOOD NEWS from NEW HAVEN:

The Green is on the mend. And thanks to a number of generous donations, the price tag for the City of New Haven is much lower than was expected. You can see photos of the air spading and composting here.

Rock to Rock met its $100, 000 fundraising goal (double the amount of last year’s)! The total raised was well over $90,000 on April 21, the morning of the ride. On May 2, event organizer Joel Tolman emailed this news: “This morning, IKEA New Haven chipped in with the amount we needed to reach our $100,000 goal.” Over 750 riders participated in the various rides (and had lots of fun). The money raised supports the efforts of 21 environmental groups. The money is still coming in. As of today, the total is $100,154! 

Chris Randall captured two loraxes passing West Rock.

Neighborhood Housing Service’s Home Improvement and Energy Conservation Lab was awarded Platinum LEED status. Read more about it and check out the before and after photos here. This is a big deal. The lab joins three other LEED Platinum buildings in New Haven – Kroon Hall (Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies), Yale Sculpture Building and Gallery, and 360 State Street (a 500 unit apartment building).

Higher One celebrated the opening of its new headquarters in Science Park. 

MakeHaven, a gathering place and workshop for makers, creators, tinkerers and dreamers, has opened on 266 State Street. The May 16 workshop on “Light Your Bike” (with electroluminescent wire) is filled. But you can purchase a ticket ($60) for a second workshop, date TBA.

There’s a new source of news in town – The Daily Nutmeg, an online publication delivered free to subscribers via email.

United Community Nursery School is celebrating its 50th anniversary. Happy Birthday UCNS! Thanks for providing a great start to school (and life) for hundreds of New Haven kids over the past 5 decades.

GOOD EATS

Sustainable fish is often on the IKEA New Haven restaurant menu. The fish? Saithe from Norway. More about this in a future post.

The number of owner/members in the Elm City Market continues to grow. When the store opened its doors on November 2, membership was at 750. There were 1505 members when the store’s site was last updated.

SlowFood Shoreline made a well-attended (as in sold out) foraging expedition to Wolfe Park in Monroe on April 28. I was sorry I had to miss it.

CitySeed Farmers Markets at Wooster Square (Sat.) and Edgewood Park (Sun.) resume their summer schedules this week.

UPCOMING EVENTS:

TONIGHT, MAY 5th

11:34 pm ET

Supermoon 

The perigee (closest to earth) full moon on May 5, 2012 will be as much as 14 percent bigger and 30 percent brighter than other full moons of 2012. Don’t miss this spectacular free event!

May 12th

9:00 am - noon

Yale Day of Service 

My friend Tim and I will be planting trees in Wooster Square.

May 16th

6:00 pm - 8:00 pm

New Haven Green Drinks 

Marydale DeBor will speak on Plow to Plate

at Sitar Indian Restaurant

45 Grove Street, New Haven

ontheroadtogreenness NEWS: 

I passed my Master Gardener written test and am now out and about doing my community service hours and fielding questions in the New Haven County Master Gardening office. Need some free advice? Call us at 203.407.3168.

I have added a new gadget to the blog – Google Translate. You can now read my blog in nearly every language, including Esperanto, instantly. Give it a try.   

I survived a cyberattack from South Korea which resulted in an advertisement for Windows in my comments section on a number of posts. I think I caught them all, and  since I will now be approving all comments before they are posted, it should never happen again.

My page views continue to rise. Thanks for all the tweets, +1s and forwards. Please “visit” again soon. Together we can make a difference.

On My Radar 3.4.12

Recent News. Happenings. Discoveries…Here are some of the items on my radar.

NEWS from ALL OVER:

Judge Rules “For” Monsanto, “Against” CT NOFA (and 80+ other plaintiffs). On the very day that I blogged about why I’d joined CT NOFA, Judge Naomi Buchwald dismissed the case of Organic Seed Growers et al. vs Monsanto. Dan Ravicher, lead attorney for the plaintiffs, stated, “While I have great respect for Judge Buchwald, her decision to deny farmers the right to seek legal protection from one of the world's foremost patent bullies is gravely disappointing." The plaintiffs plan to appeal. Check out CT NOFA’s blog for an excellent summary of the proceedings and more comments from Ravicher and some of the plaintiffs. If you are interested, you can read the judge’s ruling here.

Winter Tornadoes. A wide band of early season tornadoes wreaked havoc in the Midwest on February 29, killing 6 in Harrisburg, Illinois, and causing extensive damage in tourist mecca Branson, Missouri. A story in the Aledo Times Record  reported the Harrisburg tornado as an EF-4 (a measurement used to measure its windspeed by the level of its destruction), with winds up to 170 miles per hour. The article stated, “Before Harrisburg, the only other EF-4 tornado to strike Illinois in February was on February 25, 1956 when one passed south of St. Louis and into St. Clair County Illinois, causing 6 deaths in those two states … Southern Illinois is home to the worst tornado disaster in U.S. history. On March 18, 1925, the infamous Tri-State Tornado caused 695 deaths as it moved through southeast Missouri, southern Illinois, and southern Indiana.” A second devastating outbreak on March 2 brought destruction to a dozen states from Alabama to Indiana. The Weather Channel reported the preliminary count for tornado sightings as 74.  The Weather Channel posted an interactive map of all the reports.  On Sunday CNN listed the death toll as 37. You can see a photo gallery here. 

Sunflowers in Fukushima. It’s coming up to one year since a tsunami struck Japan and triggered a nuclear disaster at Fukushima. In April, 2011, Buddhist monks and scientists planted sunflowers as phytoremediators for the radioactive element cesium, restoring beauty to the area and bringing hope to citizens. Unfortunately, however, it seems the sunflowers did little to reduce the cesium levels. 

Late last month, a VERY large lobster (40” and 27 lbs), was caught near Cushing, Maine and brought to the Maine State Aquarium. He was photographed, given a name (Rocky) and released. Large as Rocky is, he is 17 pounds shy of the Nova Scotia lobster listed in the Guinness Book of World Records.

Bottled Water Banned at the Grand Canyon. The National Park Service has approved a a plan which will eliminate the sale of bottled water by park concessionaires. It will take effect in just a few days. Ten filling stations, where visitors can refill their own water bottles, have been set up inside the park. Officials had estimated that water bottles accounted for 20% of the park’s waste and 30% of its recyclables. Similar bans are in place at two other national parks — Zion and Hawaii Volcanoes. Last March, New Haven’s Board of Aldermen prohibited the use of any public funds to purchase bottled water for the City of New Haven. 

NEWS from NEW HAVEN:

Claire Criscuolo has a new cookbook, Welcome to Claire’s, illustrated with color photos. She has been on a mini book signing tour in the area. Stop by Claire’s to purchase a copy if you are nearby. Otherwise, check it out online. [Check back soon for a review.]

There’s a relatively new 66,000 pound resident on lower Orange Street — a fuel cell, the City’s 3rd. The cell, being rented from United Technologies,  occupies the little-used Millenium Plaza behind City Hall, between the Federal Building and the Hall of Records. The cell is not much to look at, but it is expected to free the City from a contract for power from the adjacent Connecticut Financial Center which expires in 2013. It is estimated that by switching to the cell, in one decade the City will reap a net savings between $500,000 and $1 million in heating and cooling costs. The cell will become operational as soon as possible, with some of the energy coming from the Financial Center until the contract runs out.

The storm sewer separation work continues on Trumbull Street. It is noisy. It is inconveniencing drivers and annoying residents. But it is truly a wonder to behold the pipe jacking being used to minimize the impact on the well established trees which line the street. Here is the latest update. 

The number of owner/members in the Elm City Market continues to grow. When the store opened its doors on November 2, membership was at 750. There were 1431 members when the store’s site was last updated.

DISCOVERIES:

Deer have been ravaging backyards in New Haven’s East Shore, as well as those on the west side of town where they’ve been residing for years. At Master Gardening I learned that stringing pieces of Irish Spring around the periphery of your property is an effective deterrent. Downside? Mice are said to be attracted by the scent. You will have to choose your pest.

UPCOMING EVENTS:

March 7th

6:30 pm - 9:00 pm

Pint Night

Co-sponsored by Trailblazer and Box 63 

in the Broadway District of New Haven

In support of CitySeed. 

More details. 

March 10th

4:00 - 6:00 pm

CT Slow Food Shoreline's Slow Food Swap

Woodland Coffee

The second of what is planned to be a monthly event.

For more info, check here. I hope to trade this time around.

CALLING ALL RIDERS

March 23rd

5:00 pm - 8:00 pm 

Mitchell’s Ride

It’s been almost a year since the passing of popular Devil’s Gear mechanic and musician Mitchell Dubey. Devil’s Gear owner Matt Feiner and Mitch’s many other friends are holding a ride in his honor,  leaving from the shop and ending with a party back at the shop, which will “celebrate Mitch’s love of good things to eat and music.” And they really want you all to be there.

April 21st

Rock to Rock 

Kicks off from Common Ground High School after a hearty breakfast

Hundreds of riders raise money for local environmental groups while exploring New Haven by bicycle (an 8-Mile ride). Hard-core riders have the option of signing on for a 20 or 60 mile route. Last year over 500 riders raised more than $50,000. I had a blast on the short route last year and am looking forward to this year’s ride. I’m thinking of going for the 20 mile route. If you want to ride with me or pledge for my team, let me know.

BLOG NEWS:

I finally put a closing date on my petition asking Stop & Shop to stop sourcing their organic green beans from China. I did gather 290 signatures and raised some awareness of the problem among my readers. And, the next time I want to start a petition, I’ll  know exactly how to do it.

My page views continue to rise. Thanks for all the tweets, +1s and forwards. Together we can make a difference.

Please “visit” again soon. And, for those who live in New Haven, I hope to see you out and about as the days get longer. There’s a lot to do in The Have.

Early May 2011 News Roundup & Blog Updates 5.6.11

With all that’s been going on these past few days, there are a number of stories that came and went without too much notice. I’d like to take this opportunity to recycle a few.

NEWS from ALL OVER:

According to Reuters, Japanese engineers are still struggling to gain control of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant. Two of the six reactors are now considered stable. Check out these Q+As for the latest on the progress. 

For a detailed summary and analysis of the April 25-28 tornado outbreak in the South, check out Dr. Jeff Masters’s blog.  If you scroll down the page, you will find a video of the Birmingham-Tuscaloosa tornado, which killed at least 66 and injured over 1000.

The threat of flooding along the Mississippi was so severe that the Army Corps of Engineers blew up the levee at Birds Point, Missouri (designed to be destroyed in the event of a record flood), intentionally flooding 133,000 acres of rich farmland. According to Jeff Masters, the levee was demolished once before, during the historic 1937 flood.

Yale Environment 360 reported that scientists at MIT have unveiled transparent solar cells that someday soon may turn skyscrapers into solar collectors. With perfection of this invention, the entire surface area of a building’s windows could be used to generate electricity, without interfering with the view to the outside. You can read more at the MIT site. 

Slow Food USA sent out an alert about Mark Bittman’s Op-Ed of 4.27 commenting on proposed legislation in several states that would make it illegal to photograph farms. According to Bittman, in Florida it would become a first degree felony to photograph any farm without the owner’s written permission. Slow Food is gathering signatures for a petition  and also requests that over the next few days everyone goes out armed with cameras and join their “farmarazzi.” Here is the link to the Slow Food Facebook page where farm photos are starting to appear. 

Santa Clara County joined the growing list of California communities banning the distribution of plastic shopping bags.  Customers without bags will have to pay 15¢ each for paper ones beginning January 1.

NEWS from NEW HAVEN:

Stop & Shop opened on Whalley Avenue and seems to be doing a brisk business. I’ve already been there a couple of times.

The Elm City Market solicited written good wishes for placing on the store’s dirt floor prior to its being covered with concrete.

I felt like Forrest Gump last weekend:

The Yale Institute of Sacred Music staged an elaborate Flash Mob at Union Station  on April 29. I was there but you’ll have to look really closely to spot me at 4 seconds in.

I rode in the third annual Rock to Rock bike ride on April 30, a benefit for 14 environmental groups in the community. It seemed everyone I knew came out of the  woodwork for a wonderful event on this sunny Saturday. This year more than 500 riders raised over $50,000. Those of us on the short ride were treated to a police escort and the thrill of zooming through the City on streets closed to traffic. The “Pot Heads” from the New Haven Land Trust were the winners of both the team spirit  award and the top team fundraising award. The group’s executive director Chris Randall won the highest individual fundraising award. The success of the event is a real boon for the City’s environmental organizations. As just one example, funding for the New Haven Land Trust’s community garden program in the proposed City budget is facing a $17,500 cut— from $25,000 to $7,500.

I was one of over 500 participants in Connecticut Food Bank’s annual WALK Against Hunger in New Haven on May 1. The WALK will take place in Bridgeport on May 15 and in Waterbury on May 22.

On Wednesday I discovered that at the tables down at Mory’s one can now enjoy a mean Vegetarian Green Tomato BLT. 

Brown paper still covers the window of the storefront on Broadway where it is rumored that an Apple store will open. Apple still has not made an official announcement, but on the Apple site, applications are being accepted for retail jobs in New Haven. Why does this matter? Broadway is a lot closer than Farmington or Danbury, which means smaller carbon footprints for local Apple addicts.

BLOG NEWS

I still need Mississippi. Someone must know someone there.

SPECIAL EVENTS:

May 7 (tomorrow)

Opening of the 8th season of the Wooster Square Farmers Market

Lettuce toss at 9 am. CitySeed  says special guests include Senator Martin Looney, Mayor John DeStefano, and Director of the New Haven Office of Sustainability Christine Eppstein Tang, who will bring along a few free compost bins.

May 1- May 8

Compost Awareness Week

Earth 911 has lots of information to up your awareness and get you started on making your own black gold. [more in my February 24, 2010 post] 

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.

Freebie Friday Returns!

In the spirit of my winter Freebie Friday posts I offer up this link to a A Google A Day,  a daily trivia game some of you may have seen in the New York Times. You are meant to google to get the answer, but to avoid spoilers, be sure to do it here. You can read more about the puzzle here.  Test out your search skills! Put your brain to work!

TGIF. Have a great weekend. And please come back soon.

Very Late March 2011 News Roundup & Blog Updates

NEWS from NEW HAVEN:

Temperatures have been cool, and a cold wind has been blowing off the water, but the sun has been shining brightly and the skies have been blue for days now — finally! Everyone’s thoughts are turning to Spring and being outdoors.

The March Critical Mass bike ride took place last Friday, and the Smart Cycling Handbook (see more below) was introduced yesterday. But what should have been joyful events for New Haven’s bicycling enthusiasts were tainted by grief.

The cycling community and everyone whose life Mitchell Dubey touched are still reeling from his death last Thursday night. The popular Devil’s Gear Bike Shop service manager, punk rock musician, and straight edge vegan  was shot in the chest while sitting on a couch in his New Haven home, in the presence of his housemates. It appears that the home had been targeted for a robbery. According to the most recent reports, a ringing cellphone may have startled the armed killer. No suspect has been apprehended.

Friday’s Critical Mass ride was dedicated to Mitch, and the somber ride took a route which passed his home in Newhallville. On Sunday evening hundreds of friends from near and far gathered on the plaza outside the Devil’s Gear to grieve and to remember Mitch in the presence of his family.

A memorial concert featuring bands with which Mitch was associated will be held at Toad’s at 6 pm on Sunday, April 3 in an all-ages, alcohol free show. $10 minimum donation. Proceeds will benefit the Dubey family.

Smart Cycling Handbook: A Handbook for New Haven Cyclists has been available on the web as a pdf for some time. Yesterday it was introduced in printed form at an event at the Devil’s Gear Bike Shop. The handbook was developed the City’s Street Smarts campaign, in partnership with bicycling advocates, law enforcement officials, and local leaders. Dana Barnes (Yale SPH ’11) began this project while serving as a summer intern in the New Haven Department of Transportation, Traffic & Parking. The handbook is designed to promote cycling in New Haven while promoting safety and traffic education. The comprehensive 48-page guide addresses topics including: reasons to bike, hand signals, ordinances, proper fit for equipment, trails and parks, and how to get involved in the bike community. It’s all in there. You can access the complete guide here. According to literature distributed at the event by the advocacy group Elm City Cycling, out of every city on the East Coast, New Haven boasts the second-highest percentage of residents who walk or bike to work, but has the highest number of motorist/bicycle accidents of any city in Connecticut.

NEWS from ALL OVER:

Back in December [blog post of 12/27/10] I spoke of college classmate Dr. May R. Berenbaum, editor of the cookbook Honey, I’m Homemade, whose proceeds benefit the University of Illinois Pollinatarium — the first freestanding science outreach center in the nation devoted to flowering plants and their pollinators. May was just awarded the prestigious John & Alice Tyler Prize. According to information available at the Tyler Prize site: “Berenbaum has studied the ‘arms race’ that exists between plants and the insects that feed on them, particularly with regard to the chemical and genetic changes that plants make to keep insects from eating them and that insects make to overcome plant defenses.  Berenbaum's study of this perpetual conflict has uncovered the genetic underpinnings for the theory of coevolution, and in making these discoveries, she has transformed chemical ecology itself.” Past Tyler Prize recipients include American biologist and Pulitzer Prize-winning author Edward O. Wilson, primatologist and animal conservationist Jane Goodall, and conservation biologist Paul Ehrlich. Honey, I’m Homemade is just one of six books, 40 book chapters, over 200 letters and papers published in scientific journals, and more than 100 articles and editorials for non-scientific publications which May has written. Her list of honors is impressive, but perhaps the most telling is that May's name has appeared on the “List of Excellent Teachers” for at least 29 semesters since she began teaching at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in 1980. Congratulations, May! 

My playlist: 38 artists have donated tracks to the benefit album Songs for Japan available on iTunes for $9.99. All proceeds go to the Japanese Red Cross. FYI, not every song on this album is destined to remain on my personal list, but I’ve labeled several with 5 stars.

UPCOMING EVENTS:

Sunday, April 3

6:00 PM: Benefit for Mitchell Dubey, Toad’s Place, New Haven. $10 minimum donation.

Friday, April 22

Earth Day

Saturday, April 30

Rock to Rock Earth Day Ride [more in my 3.23.post].

Saturday, April 30

National Prescription Drug Take Back Day. Visit this site for a location near you.

That’s it for today. Please remember to return for Freebie Friday. I’ll have something awesome for everyone who cooks or considers cooking.

Late March 2011 News Roundup & Blog Updates

NEWS from ALL OVER:

The International Pancake Races [see my blog post on 3.7.11] were held on March 8. Liberal, Kansas beat Olney England. Liberal now leads Olney 36 to 25. 

The hearing for the proposed storm water authority in New Haven on March 17 was contentious. The authority would be financed by a fee levied on all property owners, tax-exempt or not, and would be based on the amount of impermeable surface on their property. A well-organized and vocal group of clergy turned out in great numbers to protest the levying of any fee against those “doing God’s work.” The New Haven Independent covered the lengthy meeting in great detail. The proposal was tabled for a second time. 

A huge full moon filled the front window of the bus I boarded in Lexington, Massachusetts on Saturday evening, March 19, just after sunset. Dubbed a “Supermoon,” it was the largest and brightest moon in nearly 20 years. The NASA site explains the phenomenon far better than I ever could. You can see some stunning views of this moon rising over US cities here.

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo has been questioning the safety of the Indian Point Nuclear Reactor since he was the state’s attorney general. In light of the recent disaster at Japan’s Fukushima Nuclear Reactor, he brokered a meeting with officials from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) on March 22 and exacted an agreement that the NRC would make Indian Point “top priority,” that it would share data on seismic risk, and that state personnel would be included in the commission’s on-site inspection of the facility. Indian Point is up for relicensing in 2013. Indian Point is less than 50 miles from New York City (a 72 mile drive from New Haven, closer as the crow flies) and is situated near a fault line.

It’s Spring in New Haven, but you’d never know it. Snow fell on Monday. A little more fell this morning and a bigger storm will arrive tonight. Still, it is highly unlikely that this year we will exceed the winter snow total set in 1995-1996. We will have to settle for second place.

NEW (OR NEARLY NEW) VENTURES in NEW HAVEN:

Elm City Market received a big boost when Webster Bank committed $4 million to finance the opening of the co-op. Elm City Market has 450 members and is now expected to open this summer. It will employ more than 100 people and expects to source more than 50% of its products within 400 miles of the market.

Downtown grocery shopping will return when Stop & Shop opens at the site of the former Shaw’s in the Dwight neighborhood on April 15.

The venue for the March 16 New Haven Green Drinks [see my blog post on 1.10.10] was Elm City Handmade, “a maker’s showcase in the heart of the ninth square.” Artist Lisa Spetrini was a wonderful host and gave an enthusiastic run-down on the venture, the space, and all that happens there. Elm City Homemade features products from a number of “makers” ranging from terrariums to hula hoops, including bags by GG2G [see my blog post on 7.7.10], as well as vintage clothing, and other surprises. A participant in Project Storefronts under the auspices of the New Haven Department of Cultural Affairs, Elm City Handmade is open from 1-9 PM Tuesday through Saturday, and on Sunday from 1-5 PM. NBC-30 featured Project Storefronts during the winter holidays. 

Adjacent to Elm City Handmade in the former home of United Way is The Grove, a coworking space, billed as “a new kind of social space.”  Its members are “value-driven, collaborative people building innovative solutions for a radically better world.” You can meet them here: you, too, can become a member. The Grove is a Groundworks initiative, directed by Ken Janke and Slate Ballard. Their story is here.

Helping Hands Community Thriftstore and Furniture Bank is looking to fill its warehouse. Helping Hands opened in February. Located at 1593 State Street, New Haven in the former home of the Costume Bazaar, its hours are 9:30 AM-5:30 PM Mon-Sat. Its mission is two-fold. The Furniture Bank is open to needy clients of partnering social service non-profit organizations. For the partnering organizations, donating is a fundraising activity: each organization receives 18% of the sale price of any goods donated in their name. What a great motivation for doing a little spring cleaning! The list of what Helping Hands does and does not accept is available here. 

On a recent visit to Nica’s Market I purchased a loaf of fit bread which came in a neon green bag. It made terrific toast. Fit is baked by New Haven’s newest artisan bakery, Whole German Bread. Check out this story in the New Haven Independent to read more about the bread, its bakers, and how the business came to be. 

NEW HAVEN BICYCLE HAPPENINGS:

March’s Critical Mass [see my blog post on 5.4.10] ride will depart from the flagpole on the New Haven Green at 5:30(ish) this coming Friday, March 25. The idea behind these monthly rides? As Aretha would say, “A little R-E-S-P-E-C-T” for cyclists. Bundle up.

On Tuesday, March 29, the new Smart Cycling Handbook will be introduced in an event on Pitkin Plaza, the front yard of the Devil’s Gear Bike Shop. At 10:30 AM New Haven Mayor John DeStefano will speak on behalf of the city and in support of the handbook.  This handy guide contains everything you need to know for safe biking in the City from routes to rules to repair tips.

Saturday, April 30, is the date of the Rock to Rock Earth Day Ride in New Haven.  This event is a day-long celebration of Earth Day. Hundreds of riders traverse the city from West Rock to East Rock in a relatively flat and easy 8.5 mile route, stopping along the way to rest, eat tasty food, help plant some trees, and explore. There is a 22+ mile route for the more hard-core riders. The registration fees and pledges collected support local environmental organizations. Start training now! You can register here.

UPCOMING EVENTS:

Saturday, March 26

8:00 PM: Bach Collegium Japan, JS Bach: Mass in B Minor. Special Performance to Benefit Yale’s Relief Efforts for the Japan Earthquake. Woolsey Hall at Yale. Presented by the Yale Institute of Sacred Music. $15 ($8 students).

Saturday, March 26 

8:30-9:30 PM: Earth Hour

Friday, April 22

Earth Day

Saturday, April 30

National Prescription Drug Take Back Day. Visit this site for a location near you.

BLOG NEWS:

My blog’s page views crossed the 10,000 mark on March 20! And, just so you know, my own personal page views are not counted. Thanks everyone.

Be sure to come back for this week’s Freebie Friday.