Sunshine Thoughts...

Posted by daver in Go Green on March 28, 2011 | No Comments

I know the temperature is still a bit cool but the sunshine we’ve enjoyed over the last couple of days is a reminder that Spring, and another season of the Haymaker’s Farmer Market, is just around the corner.

(It’s also a reminder that the Ohio Mountain Bike Association Race Circuit is set to begin in a couple of weeks but that’s a story for another day).

This year’s Haymaker Farmer’s Market will officially kick off the season on May 28th, and the volunteer organization has announced a change in management for 2011. It turns out that after 18 years on duty, Fritz Seefeldt and his wife will pass the baton this year to a new team leader. Most of the faces at the Market will remain the same but the day to day planning, marketing and problem solving that Fritz and company handled so well will now be handed off to a new pair of hands.

Passing the torch on this must be hard, sort of like watching your child graduate from school, but Fritz said that the time was right, the market was enjoying some of it’s best years, their numbers of vendors and sales have continued to go up — so Fritz is going out on top. The Kent community is deeply indebted to Fritz and his family for all their personal investment of time, energy, and I’m sure plenty of blood, sweat and tears — that combined to create the Haymaker Farmer’s Market.

I’m told that the Market posted a job announcement and they are excited about the quality of candidates that are interested in continuing the traditions built by Fritz and his village of supporters.

You can read the official notice straight from the Farmer’s horse’s mouth below:

FARMERS’ MARKET CHANGES MANAGEMENT

After 18 years at the Haymaker Farmers’ Market, founder Fritz Seefeldt has decided to step down as the volunteer manager. “I am committed to the long term success of the market and look forward to continuing to serve in an advisory role and on the market board of directors. The market has been an integral part of our lives for so many years and I see this transition as something healthy for the market and for the Kent community.” said Seefeldt, who has brought the market to its current success after co-founding it with his wife Jo Anne and architect Rick Hawksley. The market on the corner of Summit St. and Franklin Ave. is one of the longest-running farmers’ markets in NE Ohio.

Customers and vendors alike have enjoyed Seefeldt’s easy-going approach, which made the market a Saturday morning mainstay of healthy shopping and entertainment. The board of directors of the Haymaker Farmers’ Market, an incorporated non-profit organization, will be searching for a replacement to take over the reigns for the 2011 market season, which starts May 28.

“We’ve got big shoes to fill,” said board member Cary James. “The comfortable ambiance of the market has been developed by a lot of hard work on Fritz’ part.” Other members of the board agree that some attributes will be easy to find in applicants, like having a car, or the ability to lift 40-lb umbrella stands. Other things can be learned, such as agricultural and health regulations, and writing grant applications. “But we’ll also need to find someone with good organizational skills, an interest in the market and Kent, and the ability to enforce our rules to keep market harmony,” continued James. “We’d hate to lose the great atmosphere.”

More information is available on the Haymaker Farmers’ Market website, http://haymakermarket.com/ or the HFM’s facebook page.

Kent City Water Scores Big Again...

Posted by daver in Go Green on March 27, 2011 | No Comments

We don’t work hard to produce great drinking water to win awards — we do it for all the people that rely on us when they turn on their taps each day and reach for a glass – but truthfully it’s kind of nice to receive national recognition for how good our water tastes.

Kent is actually a former gold winner (1995) and we keep fighting our way back up on the podium. This year Kent’s water came in as the 5th best tasting tap water in the world.

I don’t know if we’ll get national media attention for 5th place but when we won the top prize, the Jay Leno show followed up with a few skits celebrating Kent’s awards as only Jay Leno can do. It’s all in good fun, including the 1990s hair styles, see for yourself: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u-BbmERd6gc

Here’s a couple of the 1995 news articles to enjoy as well:

Winning Water

Taste of Fame

Last, but certainly not least, is the press release issued by the competition committee for what they call the Academy Awards of Water for 2011.

ACADEMY AWARDS OF WATER NAMES WINNERS

BERKELEY SPRINGS, WV —– For the first time since 2004, the top five tap water winners at the annual Berkeley Springs International Water Tasting were towns and cities in the United States. Daytona Beach, FL was indisputably rated the best tasting water in the world, a title they also won in 2005. A pair of California waters – Desert Hot Springs and Santa Ana – won second and third respectively. Desert Hot Springs has won two golds in the past. Oxford, MI and Kent, Ohio round out the list.

Rain water was the big surprise entry and two rain waters won first and fifth in the purified water category. Texan Independence Water from League City, TX won best purified for their harvested rain water; their sister water, Virginia Natural, won fifth. Bonnie from Pittsburgh was delighted at the win. “It’s the best water I’ve ever tasted,” she said. “It is clean and has none of that after taste that most waters have.” Another Texas water, Rain Fresh won second; it is not harvested rainwater in spite of the name. Mothers Finest of North Carolina was third and Berkeley Springs Purified was fourth.

Bottled water came literally from all over the globe to compete including Argentina, Japan, Tasmania and Switzerland. Selected as best bottled water in the world was perennial entrant but first time winner, Muskoka Springs, Jarratt, ON, Canada. Second place was Pristine Springs from nearby Clear Springs, MD while third was captured by first-time entrant, Highbridge Springs, Wilmore, KY. Almost Heaven, Manassas,VA bottling Berkeley Springs water placed fourth and former gold medalist, English Mountain Springs Water, Dandridge, TN was fifth. A total of 42 bottled waters were tasted.

A special award was presented this year to the Berkeley Springs International Water Tasting by the American Water Works Association. Event officials Jeanne Mozier and Jill Klein Rone were recognized for their enduring efforts to preserve and protect drinking water through the water tasting over the past two decades.

More than 150 people watched at the Country Inn in Berkeley Springs on Saturday night as a dozen media judges spent hours tasting 99 waters from 23 states and ten foreign countries. There were 35 municipal waters from 13 states and Canada. ”We have six former gold medalists entered this year,” said Klein Rone.

Winning sparkling waters included two Bosnian waters in first and third place, both from Tesanj. The best sparkling water in the world this year is Esparanza with Mountain Valley Springs Water from Hot Springs, AR in second place. Third is TesanjskiDijament, fourth is Antipodes from New Zealand and fifth is Arctica of Marchand, MB, Canada. “Often the sparklings are all international,” said Klein Rone. “It’s good to see an American water in the line up.” Klein Rone was also pleased at the Bosnian wins. “They’ve been coming to the tasting for years,” she said. Thirteen sparkling waters entered.

Michael Cervin, author and senior editor of BottledWaterWeb.com served as acting watermaster, standing in for perennial watermaster Arthur von Wiesenberger who was unable to attend for only the third time in 21 years. ”This is the longest running and largest water tasting in the world,” he said. “The granddaddy of them all.” Klein Rone was delighted at the crowd and the array of water officials who came from as far away as South Korea and British Columbia to attend the event.

The crowd was interested in the peoples’ choice packaging competition where it was their votes that chose which of the 14 entrants was the most alluring. Rainwater scored again when Tasmanian Rain, Tasmania won first. Antipodes of New Zealand with a pleasing rounded shape glass bottle was second. Canadian Gold of Marchand, MB was third and the glamorous gold bottle of Bling H2O from Los Angeles was fourth. Hawaiian Springs rounded out the list in fifth place. Designer John Wilson coached the crowd on various attributes of good packaging. The votes reflected his belief that the winning sleek, tall glass bottle shows a public view of water as a modern product.

Conclusion of the daylong water tasting is the famed “water rush” where the audience is invited to take home hundreds of bottles of water sent as part of the judging. ”I spent about six hours arranging all the waters in a display,” said Mozier. ”The crowd spent less than ten minutes making it all disappear. It’s like a Tibetan sand mandala,” she laughed. Most popular among “rushers” this year was the Tasmanian Rain in an elegant tinted glass bottle plus a pair of colorful Hawaiian waters. The champions of the rush were a couple who travel from New York City every year especially for the water tasting.

The dozen media judges selected by Klein Rone from print, radio and the Web were instructed by Cervin to look, sniff and taste each water under guidelines like those in a wine tasting. The waters were rated for each attribute including appearance (it should be clear – or slightly opaque for glacial waters), aroma (there should be none), taste (it should taste clean), mouth feel (it should feel light), aftertaste (it should leave you thirsty for more). Waters were tasted in four separate flights over two days.

The 22nd annual Berkeley Springs International Water Tasting is scheduled for Saturday, February 25, 2012. For more information on Berkeley Springs or its water tasting, call 1-800-447-8797 or check online at www.berkeleysprings.com.

Best Municipal Water 2011
Best in the World – Daytona Beach, FL ( gold in 2005)
Silver –Desert Springs, CA
Bronze – Santa Ana, CA
4th – Oxford, MI
5th – Kent, OH

Best Bottled Water 2011
Gold – Muskoka Springs, Jarratt, Ontario, Canada
Silver – Pristine Springs, Clear Springs, MD
Bronze – Highbridge Springs, Wilmore, KY
4th – Almost Heaven, Manassas,VA bottling Berkeley Springs water
5th – English Mountain Springs Water, Dandridge, TN

Best Sparkling — 2011
Gold – Esparanza, Tesanj, Bosnia
Silver – Mountain Valley Springs Water, Hot Springs, AR
Bronze – TesanjskiDijament, Tesanj, Bosnia
4th – Antipodes, Whakatane, New Zealand
5th – Arctica, Marchand, MB, Canada

Best Packaging — 2011
Gold – Tasmanian Rain, Tasmania
Silver – Antipodes, Whakatane, New Zealand
Bronze – Canadian Gold, Marchand, MB, Canada
4th – Bling H20, Los Angeles, CA
5th – Hawaiian Springs Young Natural Artisan Water, Kea’au, Hawaii

Best Purified Drinking Water – 2011
Gold – Texan Independence Water -
Silver– Rain Fresh Oxygen Rich Purified Water -
Bronze — Mothers Finest –
4th — Berkeley Springs Purified Water
5th – Virginia Natural Water

Keeping Kent’s Canopy Green...

Posted by daver in Go Green on March 22, 2011 | No Comments

Back in January, I had blogged about the havoc that the Emerald Ash Borers were inflicting on the Ash trees all over Ohio, including Kent, and I pointed out that unfortunately we have a large number of the Ash Trees in a couple of neighborhoods, like Forest Lakes, that will likely be severely affected.

Recognizing that problem, the City staff (Bridget Susel and Gerald Shanley) have been working hard to find ways to mitigate those anticipated tree losses, including applying for grant funds to replace those trees.

We got word this week that our grant was approved, Waahoo! It turns that out of 45 Ohio community applicants, Kent was one of 29 selected by ODNR for funding this year. Of the 29, only 7 communities received the highest award of $37,500, and Kent was one of the top seven.

Cash is so tight these days I’m never sure we’re going to be able to do half the stuff we want to do, but thanks to the hard work and persistence in grant writing of our staff, we might actually get there.

Here’s the news clipping on the announcement out of Columbus:

COLUMBUS, OH— Twenty-nine communities impacted by the emerald ash borer (EAB), now or in the future, received federal funding assistance through the Ash Removal and Canopy Restoration Grant program, according to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR), Division of Forestry.

Grants, which require a 50 percent local match, will help EAB-affected communities remove hazardous ash trees, as well as help assist in the restoration of lost canopy cover. The funds are provided by the USDA Forest Service to aid in the recovery of urban forests.

Since the emerald ash borer was first discovered in northwest Ohio in 2003, millions of ash trees have been killed by this devastating invasive insect, which can claim the life of an otherwise healthy, mature tree in as little as three to five years. Due to the insect’s spread, many Ohio communities are now confronted with the costly expense of dead ash tree removal and replacement.

“These funds will help communities proactively implement their EAB management plans,” said Robert Boyles, chief of the Ohio Division of Forestry.

Healthy, safe and functional trees improve our cities and towns by enhancing clean air and water, increasing property values, reducing erosion and stormwater runoff, providing wildlife habitat, moderating temperatures and offering year-round enjoyment. For more information about the benefits of trees, urban tree care and Emerald Ash Borer initiatives, visit www.ohiodnr.com/forestry.

The Ohio Department of Natural Resources ensures a balance between wise use and protection of our natural resources for the benefit of all. Visit the ODNR Web site at ohiodnr.com.

Kent Green on the Screen...

Posted by daver in Go Green on March 18, 2011 | No Comments

Since I rambled a bit yesterday extolling the virtues of proudly wearing your Kent green on your sleeve, I was reminded that some of that Kent green has been put on display in two new videos.

Here’s the links to the videos that give a great sense of Kent’s environmental commitment passing from one generation to the next. Pop the popcorn and enjoy.

City of Kent Green Living

Kent Roosevelt Students Environmental Video

There’s Green and There’s Kent Green...

Posted by daver in Go Green on March 17, 2011 | No Comments

Spring temperatures and St. Patty’s Day has put a little green in the air and that got me thinking about Kent’s unique shade of green. In Kent, green is more than a trendy label, it’s a lifestyle.

Green living isn’t just Kent’s annual Who’s Your Mama Earth Day Celebration – it’s waking up in the morning and turning on the low-flow shower head, taking out the recyclables, biking to work, riding the local bus to a Kent State game and turning off our energy star light bulbs before bed.

That’s the Kent promise.

A promise to honor the legacy of the Cuyahoga River that runs through downtown Kent with walking trails, interpretive elements, parkland, and recreational opportunities including kayaking, canoeing, tubing, and fishing.
A promise to surpass the City’s sustainability goals
A promise to make our carbon footprint smaller each year through new solar, geothermal and energy conservation projects
A promise to protect and restore the local ecosystem through land conservancy and well-head protection
A promise to uphold our Green Building Ordinances and prevent the encroachment of development into environmentally sensitive areas

It takes commitment, perseverance and insistence that natural resources come first; without compromise. It takes rolling up your sleeves and wading along the river’s edge to keep the Cuyahoga River clean.

Did You Know…

As early as 1970, green-minded activists gathered in Kent and formed the Kent Environmental Council (KEC), not because it was fashionable but because it was the right thing to do. Forty years later, the KEC still meets weekly and serves as a voice for issues of conservancy, preservation and restoration of Kent’s natural resources.

Sometimes standing for something means knowing when to say no. When a multi-million dollar mall project was proposed in the 1990’s, Kent passed the deal up because it was located too close to some of Kent’s most precious environmental assets: The prehistoric Kent Bog. Turning down the mall cost the City millions in revenues but it reflects Kent’s belief that natural resources are priceless.

Kent’s green roots stretch back over a century and run deep in the local corporate community. John Davey, founder of the Davey Tree Company started the first tree care company in Kent that today has grown into the largest tree care and green service company in the world. It’s no coincidence that Kent is known as the “Original Tree City,” and Davey Tree calls Kent home – or that Kent’s unofficial mascot is a quirky black squirrel.

Smithers Oasis, the world’s largest post harvest floral product company, has research and manufacturing facilities in Kent. Mix in Kent’s local natural foods coop, an organic goat cheese plant, a farmer’s market, and a network of area organic farmers that serve area restaurants and hues of green can be spotted all across the Kent landscape.

Kent State University biologists, specialists, and researchers provide an unparalleled level of local expertise as they share their expertise on the City’s environmental and sustainability commissions, keeping Kent at the forefront of environmental knowledge and best practices. In 2010 Kent State became one of only 2 universities in that nation certified to teach and train service emergency personnel in biohazard management.

With a national walk score rating of “very good” it’s no surprise that Kent is in the top 2% of cities in Ohio for walking and biking to work and top 10% in public transit use. With the expansion of Kent State University’s bike share program off campus into downtown Kent in 2011, the numbers of bicyclists are expected to continue to climb.

Kent’s sustainability goals were established in 1995, long before sustainability was trendy. Those groundbreaking goals became a part of a larger community Bicentennial Plan that received a national award for exceptional community engagement in planning in 2005.

In 2010 Kent raised the bar on environmental stewardship, surpassed our sustainability goals, and adopted green building as standard practice. The Kent Dam project received national and international acclaim for being at the forefront of river restoration and our aggressive trail building has made the rejuvenated river a staple of outdoor recreation opportunities in Kent.

Natural Points of Pride: From Kent’s 19 parks, miles of hike and bike trails, a new $20 million transit-bike center downtown, walkable neighborhoods, and an award-winning river restoration project, Kent’s green thumbprints can be found all over town.

In 2007, Kent was one of the founding 600 cities to sign the Mayors’ Climate Protection Agreement as part of a nationwide pledge to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 7 percent below 1990 levels by 2012. This agreement is the only climate protection agreement of its kind in the United States.

In 1987, Kent was one of only 38 cities in the nation selected from over 500 applicants by the US Department of the Interior to receive the “Take Pride In America” award for outstanding protection and beautification of parklands in Kent.

Governor’s Budget Proposal...

Posted by daver in City Dollars and Sense on March 16, 2011 | No Comments

With the Governor of Ohio releasing his proposed budget this week, there’s been a lot of studying, interpreting and calculating what it all means to Kent.

It’s really too early to tell yet but we’re definitely trying to focus on understanding what’s happening to the local government funds and also higher education funding since both of those areas have the most direct impacts on the City’s bottom line.

The Governor’s proposal calls for planned cuts to the local government funds, somewhere in the neighborhood of 20% to 25% in 2012 with a similar cut proposed for 2013. Kent recieves more state local government funds than any other City in Portage County so this is going to be a pretty hard hit to absorb.

Kent gets about $1.24 million in local government funds so a 20% to 25% cut would result in a loss of $248,000 to $310,000 from our budget. After the millions in cuts that we’ve already made over the last 5 years (personnel cuts and efficiency improvements) another quarter of a million dollars is going to be hard to find. But we’ll find ways to make it work.

The Governor suggests that local governments can offset these hits by reducing their costs which he believes will be easier once he eliminates collective bargaining and prevailing wage requirements. It’s still early in the process yet so it’s hard to predict what the final budget bill will look like but at this point we’re anticipating taking a hit, the question will be how big a hit.

Fire EMS Grant Success...

Posted by daver in Safe City on March 14, 2011 | No Comments

I’ve fallen and I’m trying to get back up — with the blog posts that is.

In that spirit, I’m thrilled to report that Kent received some excellent news from Congressman Ryan’s Office and Senator Brown’s Office a couple of weeks back — we’re receiving a grant award in the amount of $186,789 to upgrade our Emergency Medical Services capabilities.

The last call we got from the Congressman and the Senator’s Office was the $20 million announcement for the new PARTA Transit Center and while the dollar amount of this recent grant award seems small in comparison, when it comes to saving lives this equipment is priceless.

EMS equipment is the kind of thing you hope you never have to use but when you need it, you want the best available, and you want it there quickly — and thanks to the grant award that’s exactly what we’ll be able to do.

The grant allows the City to supplement the life saving tools we keep in our tool kit. With the grant funds we will purchase 4 new heart monitors, 12 Automated External Defribillators (AEDs) and 5 automatic CPR machines. The AEDs will be placed in all of the department response vehicle other than the Med Units so that if another unit arrives first, as they often do, they will be able to use the AED to potentially save a person’s life.

Grants don’t just happen, they’re the result of a lot of hard work and thoughtful planning — and great support from our elected officials. Once again Congressman Ryan and Senator Brown delivered the goods. But the local staff that put the package together deserve some major props as well so here’s a big shout out to the following fire department members and an honorary non-member for their work on this grant application;

Lt. Dave Moore

Lt. Craig Peeps

and especially Bridget Susel from the City’s Community Development Department.

Bridget helped write the grant applicatio narrative which according to Chief Jim Williams was probably what pushed our application over the top and secured the grant award for Kent.

Chief Williams points out that this grant allows us to purchase all of this equipment at one time. Otherwise we would have most likely have had to purchase one monitor per year and maybe the AED’s over several years. I cannot express the importance of this award enough especially in light of the City’s current financial status. So if you see any of these individual’s please be sure to thank them for a job well done.

Here’s some of the original notifications and a copy of the actual application which gives you a great perspective on how important this equipment is in the daily work of saving lives in Kent.