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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2009 01 14 Attached Distributed by Mike Under Regular 603 - Newspapers ArticleDate: January 14, 2009 ATTACHED DISTRIBUTED BY MIKE MINGEA TO THE BOARD REGARDING REGULAR 603 Winter Springs dunks intense win TheWi~rt~ Springs boy's basketball team beat Lake Howell 73-52 in strong a offensive game. SEE A~ Breaking ® news on your cell Get local news sentto yourcell phone. Just te>R the keyword SEMQIRON to44636. a ~ - ~~... ~~ '., t SUNNY Nigh:12° ~ Low:50° Weekend Saturday: Mostly sunny, with a high of 77. South wind about 7 mph. Chance of predpiUtion is 10 - ~- ~ ~~ ~. Ed Ruping ~ The (hronide BLASTED: FxplosionsandfiredestroyedamobilehomefireanWestStateRoad46inGenevaSaturdaymoming.Thehomeownerswerecookingbreakfastwhentheyheardtheblast. Winter Springs one of 12 `Sterling Communities' By Lance Speere THE (NRONI(LE WINTER SPRINGS - The manager of the Winter Springs Urban Beautification Services division didn't win a Grammy, but he said it feels like it, Last month, the National. Arbor Day Foundation named Winter Springs a Sterling Community for the city's con- tinued dedication to preserv- ingtrees inthe community. .The foundation began bestowing select cornmuni- ties nationwide with the des- ignation in 2000 and has named 186 total Only ]2 cities in Florida have received the honor. Steve Richart, the city's Urban Beautification Services manager since its inception in 2003, is particularly proud of the award because he said it validates the work his division ARBOR DAY FOUNDATION The Arbor Day Foundation is the world's oldest and latgesttree-pla~ng organizatan.[1] hs' million members plant millions of trees every year.New members receive l0freetrees.The toundatio~ began September 3,1911 with a raiuion"to inspire people to plaotnurture, and celebrate trees" The Arbor Day Noliday began more than 120 years ago in Nebiaska City, Nebraska,itwasfouridedbyJ.StedingMorron, Thefoundation a supported by donations,selling trees and merchandise,and by rorporatesponsois , has put into caring for trees. "The award means that it solidifies our efforts to build a strong urban forest, and it is recognition by a national organization that fights for our forests," Richart said "It is kind of like wimting a Gram- my. Your peers recognize that you have arrived." Dan Lamb, the vice presi- dent of programs for the National Arbor Day Founda- tion, said the Sterling Com- munities are "national leaders and national models" for long- termcommitment and invest- ment in green resources and infrastructures. "The community of Winter Springs and the leadership should be really proud of this award," Lamb said. "It is a commitment to the quality of life for their residents" Richart said he believes Winter Springs has the small- est Arbor division of a~ com- munity in Seminole County, despite. the fact that Winter Springs is the largest commu- nity by land mass. The divi- sion, athree-person opera- tion, has planted more than 3,000 trees in Winter Springs, and one employee is responsi- ble for the watering and care of about 2,000 of them "We had to do so much for so long with so little, we feel like we can do about anything now;' Richart said To receive the Sterling award, a community must have qualified for the Nation- al Arbor Day Foundation's Tree City USA Growth Award for 10 consecutive years, ^ Please see TREES I A5 areas of government, Gov Charlie Crist earlier proposed a $500 million cut coming into '09, but senators believe more drastic meas- ures will be needed in order to keep Florida's precarious economy in check `"There's going to be a bit of budget pain on all levels of government," said Sen. Carey Baker, chair of the General Government Apgropriatiorrs Committee. It is too early to say just what the cuts proposed from the session will amount to. Although education is tradi- tionally the sacred cow in government budgets, it will. not be held immune. "There's no ignoring this; there's no soft-pedaling this," Baker said. Already, Seminole schools are feeling the sting of an economy now projected to be $2.1 billion in the rears. Because of a nearly $30 million gap between the cur- rentyear and last year's budg- ets, Seminole teachers will likely forgo raises, a move largely derided by the teacher's union. The Department of Edu- cation, in anticipation of the special session's conclusion, ^ Please see 5(IIOOL FUNDING ~ A4 January 8-14, 2009 I SeminoleChronicle.com Manager hopes to keep tree funds From TREES I Al To be eligible for a Growth Award, the community must demonstrate improvement and growth in consecutive years in areas ranging from education to tree planting and maintenance. 'The community must also increase the amount of money dedicated each year to maintaining its community forestry program, and Richart is concerned about the chal- lenge that poses for his small division given the state of the economy. The city's Arbor budget was about $204,000 last year. Richart estimated 35 percent of the budget comes from the city's general fund, another 15 percent to 20 percent comes from grants, and the remain- der is funded by tree removal permits and impact fees paid by developers, "and that has slowed to nothing;' Richart said, noting that new devel- opment in Winter Springs has come to a near halt. 'As the economy slows, everything slows," he said, including grants and property taxes. The city also cut his division's $50,000 allocation for tree trimming last year. This year he has $35,000 for trimming. Last year, more than 3,300 communities nationwide qualified for the Tree City USA program, a record num- ber, according to Mark Derowitsch, the public rela- tions manager for the Nation- al Arbor Day Foundation, based in Nebraska Ciry, Neb. But as the nation experi- ences its worst recession in more than 25 years, Derow- itsch also hopes that commu- nities in the coming year will not cut budgets devoted to tree preservation. "Our hope is that they won't cut in this area because trees add so much value to a community," he said, noting properly placed trees can help lower heating and cool- HISTORYOF ARBOR DAY The first Arbor Day took place on April 10,1872 in Nebraska.lt was the brainchild oflulius Sterling Morton (1832-1902), a Nebraskajoumalistavd politician originally from Michigan. Throughout his long and productive career,Morton worked to improve agricultural techniques in his adopted state and throughout the United States when he served as President Grover Cleveland's Sep of Agricuhure. But his most important legacy is Arbor Day. Morton (photo, right) felt that Nebraska's landscape and economy would benefit from the wide-scale planting of trees. He set an example himself planting orchards,shade trees and wind breaks on his own farm and he urged his neighbors to follow suit. Morton's real opportunity, though, amved when he became a member of Nebraska's state board of agriculture. He proposed that a special day be set aside dedicated to tree planting and increasing awareness ofthe importance oftrees. Nebraska's first Arbor Day was an amazing success. More than one million trees were planted. A second Arbor Day took place in 1884 and the young state made it an annual legal holiday in 1885, using April 22nd to coincide with Morton's birthday. In the years following that first Arbor Day, Morton's idea spread beyond Nebraska with Kansas,Tennessee,Mivnesota and Ohio all proclaiming their own Arbor Days. Today all SO states celebrate Arbor Day although the dates may vary in keeping with the local climate. At the federal level, in 1970, President Richard Nixon proclaimed the last Friday in April as National Arbor Day. Arbor Day is also now celebrated in other countries including Australia. Variations are celebrated as `Greening Week' of lapan,'The New Year's Days of Trees' in Israel,'TheTvee-loving Week' of Korea,The Reforestation Week'of Yugoslavia,'The Students'Afforestation Day'of Iceland and'ihe National Festival of Tree Planting'in India. Julius Sterling Morton would be proud. Sometimes one good idea can make a real difference. For the homeowner, Arbor Day is an excellent opportunity to take stock ofthe trees on your property and plan for the future. Inspect your trees. Note any broken branches or evidence of disease or insect infestation.Think about how planting new trees might improve the look of your property or provide wind or heat protemon. Take a trip to your local nursery to see whaYs available and to get new ideas.Walk around your neighborhood. Are there any public areas where tree planting or tree maintenance might make a real difference to your community? Talk with your neighbors. Fnd out what their opinions are. And, oh yes, plant a tree. -WWW.ARBOR-DAYNET ing bills, which in turn reduce demands on local utility com- panies. "Tt would probably cost a city more in the long run to cut the tree program budgets: ' Richart agreed there should be no argument about the value of trees to a com- munity. Winter Springs is heavily populated with trees, and Richart can remember the damage caused in 2004 from Hurricane Charley when the city had been unable to maintain proper trimming schedules. Richart said the city had to clear numerous 40- to 50-foot oak trees that had toppled from the high winds. Winter Springs has been a part of the Arbor Day Founda- tion's Tree City USA program for 19 years. Projects that con- tributed to its Sterling Com- munity award included plant- ing several hundred canopy trees along the Cross Semi- nole Trail that extends from Jetta Point Park to State Road 419 and the canopy tree instal- lation along 1Lskawilla Road. The division also sponsors the newly implementer Memorial Tree Planting Pro gram, which allows commu nity members to honor signif icant individuals by planting trees in their memory it select parks and public area< Richart said the first trees o the program would be plant ed this March. To apply fo the program, residents cap call 407-327-5976. Community members cap also participate in education activities during the city' Arbor Day Celebratioi scheduled for April 25.