As some of you may remember our fellow property owner Harvey tried on several occasions to get us, the other property owners in the area, to consider environmentally friendly improvements to Burns Square. Improvements such as Sidewalks that breath, thermal heating and cooling and better building products. While I agreed with Harvey 100% because we should recycle, I had little to offer on the subject. I, along with everyone else possibly are just ignorant and being a true environmentalism seemed so complicated, uncertain, difficult and expensive. Everyone settled on the easy options and that was to stick with what we know and not complicate anything especially with a subject no one understood.
Well, first I want to say to Harvey, I hope you accept my apology for allowing everyone to push your ideas aside too quickly. I can also say, thanks to you, I have started to become education on the importance of putting your ideas into our vision. Of course there is the movie Inconvenient Truth...and then at the CNU Conference when I heard a brilliant lecture on mankind destructive behavior on the environment...and then I had the opportunity just a few weeks ago to meet William McDonough and hear his lecture. www.mcdonough.com
Okay....I am on board!
McDonough, architect, is the co-author of the book "Cradle to Cradle" along with Michael Braungart, chemist. A MUST READ!! What I really like about their environmental approach is stated in their book, "We see a world of abundance, not limits. In the midst of a great deal of talk about reducing the human ecological footprint, we offer a different vision. What if humans designed products and systems that celebrated an abundance of human creativity, culture, and productivity? That are so intelligent and safe, our species leaves an ecological footprint to delight in, not lament?" If you have a chance to hear this man talk, then do it but until then, I highly suggest you get the book and read it. I will loan out my copy for anyone who cannot find it.
NEW LIGHTING IN BURNS SQUARE
We are illuminated!! For those that have not noticed, we in Burns Square have new decorative lighting along Orange & Pineapple from Mound to Ringling and some in between. Five years ago the city approved the Burns Square decorative lighting capital improvement. On schedule the city installed the lighting during the beginning of this year, so thank you to the city and contractors for a job well done.
I used the oportunity to decorate the sidewalks around my building with mosaics.
Please come to a Friday night walk that is the first Friday of each month, or to a movie and dinner at one of our cafe's and see how wonderful our area has become for evening strolling.
I used the oportunity to decorate the sidewalks around my building with mosaics.
Please come to a Friday night walk that is the first Friday of each month, or to a movie and dinner at one of our cafe's and see how wonderful our area has become for evening strolling.
JOHN MCKINIGHT ABCD COURSE
The City and County partnered to bring John McKnight into town and teach his course on Asset Based Community Development. I strongly suggest attending one of his courses.
I went to Chicago about a year ago and took the course with several others from Sarasota including Michael Raposa from the City of Sarasota's Neighborhood Department who organized the whole thing. There are only a few people that impact your life so drastically that you change the way you do or look at things and Mr. McKnight is one of those talented people.
He has been working with neighborhoods to help improve the role of citizens to create stronger communities and able democracies for decades. His approach is refreshing and clear cut, often using stories to get his lesson heard. The course is usually two or three days long. You can call the Partnership Office at City Hall to find out about the next course being offered locally.
I went to Chicago about a year ago and took the course with several others from Sarasota including Michael Raposa from the City of Sarasota's Neighborhood Department who organized the whole thing. There are only a few people that impact your life so drastically that you change the way you do or look at things and Mr. McKnight is one of those talented people.
He has been working with neighborhoods to help improve the role of citizens to create stronger communities and able democracies for decades. His approach is refreshing and clear cut, often using stories to get his lesson heard. The course is usually two or three days long. You can call the Partnership Office at City Hall to find out about the next course being offered locally.
SUMMER VACATIONS
For my summer vacation, I climbed the Grand Teton Mountain!! Talk about putting things into perspective. Rock Climbing is a sport that challenges you not only physically beyond comprehension but also mentally challenges you. It took a day to hike to basecamp were you get to sleep in a tent type hut with 12 other people you do not know. You wake up at 3am to start the climb up the mountain in the dark seeing so many stars that you cannot even find the big dipper that was so clear from the valley. As the sun comes up your view is one that only a few ever see. You make it to the top, something you question from the moment you leave your car, and then you are rushed down before lighting storms roll in threatening your life again. We made it back to our car at 6pm that night. That day was 15 hours of non-stop physical excursion. Cool huh?
Share what you did over the summer.....
BROCHURE for BURNS SQUARE
It has been over two years since the Burns Square brochure was designed so the Burns Square Association is revamping the brochure. They have been actively meeting, rallying memberships and applying for grants to help support the costs that will be around $4,000.00 for 10,000 brochures.
Please contact Melanie Wright with the Wright Look at 529 South Pineapple, Burns Square Association President for information.
Please contact Melanie Wright with the Wright Look at 529 South Pineapple, Burns Square Association President for information.
AFFORDABLE HOUSING
Recently the City of Sarasota held a Saturday morning symposium on affordable housing. During the introduction the audience was told that this was not a symposium to discuss what we already know which is housing prices are increasing drastically while wages are not. The audience was also told that this meeting is for people that want to "do" something and not for those that like to say what "they" should be doing because "they" were not in the room today. At the end of the symposium we were directed to fill out a form that stated exactly what we were willing to "do" to help with affordable housing in our city otherwise we would be unable to ever leave City Hall.
Listening to the different organizations and the volunteers express what they do and have to do to get affordable housing for people is truly humbling. I fully admired the work each group is doing to help the people in our community find affordable housing as well as the partnerships and help the City of Sarasota contributes to these organizations. We have a city lead by our commission that is dedicated to affordable housing and should be applauded for their efforts so far. We have groups not only helping families but also the elderly and handicapped.
Ultimately more help is needed and some speakers spoke from their heart saying you have to dig deep in your personal values to ask, "what meaningful can you contribute to help our community with affordable housing."
During the question and answer time, it seemed many people like to discuss the issue or complain about "them" not doing enough or the best statements being, "if "they" only did this". I promised on my slip at the end of the discussion to get someone 18 to register and vote, stay involved in my neighborhood association, drop off donations to the different organizations such as Goodwill, discuss with other property owners in Burns Square about adopting a house to do lawn and light work around a home for the elderly or disabled.
I asked the organizations to supply a list to the city, giving the locations of homes that need assistance, (therefore the money these organizations get can go to providing homes instead of lawn care) so the neighborhood associations could help by each adopting a home.
The list of speakers included Mike Jacobson (Habitat for Humanity & Rebuild Sarasota), Martina Guilfoil (Community Housing Trust), Laura Carter (GoodHomes), Jane Hindall (Office of Housing and Community Development), Carmen Valenti (Sarasota Housing Authority), Charley Richards (Coalition to Assist Supportive Living), Scott Eller (Coastal Renaissance), peter Routsis-Arroyo (Catholic Charities), Christine Filusch (Raymond James & Associates) and the moderator was Jaimie Ross (Affordable Housing Director in Tallahassee).
If you are interested in attending let me know, I think the city will hold another symposium in the near future.
Listening to the different organizations and the volunteers express what they do and have to do to get affordable housing for people is truly humbling. I fully admired the work each group is doing to help the people in our community find affordable housing as well as the partnerships and help the City of Sarasota contributes to these organizations. We have a city lead by our commission that is dedicated to affordable housing and should be applauded for their efforts so far. We have groups not only helping families but also the elderly and handicapped.
Ultimately more help is needed and some speakers spoke from their heart saying you have to dig deep in your personal values to ask, "what meaningful can you contribute to help our community with affordable housing."
During the question and answer time, it seemed many people like to discuss the issue or complain about "them" not doing enough or the best statements being, "if "they" only did this". I promised on my slip at the end of the discussion to get someone 18 to register and vote, stay involved in my neighborhood association, drop off donations to the different organizations such as Goodwill, discuss with other property owners in Burns Square about adopting a house to do lawn and light work around a home for the elderly or disabled.
I asked the organizations to supply a list to the city, giving the locations of homes that need assistance, (therefore the money these organizations get can go to providing homes instead of lawn care) so the neighborhood associations could help by each adopting a home.
The list of speakers included Mike Jacobson (Habitat for Humanity & Rebuild Sarasota), Martina Guilfoil (Community Housing Trust), Laura Carter (GoodHomes), Jane Hindall (Office of Housing and Community Development), Carmen Valenti (Sarasota Housing Authority), Charley Richards (Coalition to Assist Supportive Living), Scott Eller (Coastal Renaissance), peter Routsis-Arroyo (Catholic Charities), Christine Filusch (Raymond James & Associates) and the moderator was Jaimie Ross (Affordable Housing Director in Tallahassee).
If you are interested in attending let me know, I think the city will hold another symposium in the near future.
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