Bay Community Garden Opens Memorial Weekend

Greetings Community Gardeners!

Preparations for the Bay Community Garden are well underway and garden plot assignments will be made as the community garden volunteers begin to stake-out the individual 4’ x 8’ plots this week. Square Foot Gardening will be the preferred method of planting with many great benefits including: efficient use of time with less work required, and increased harvest and water savings. The Bay Growing Guide is online and can be viewed on the city’s homepage at cityofbayvillage.com. The first 5-pages of the Guide give an explanation of this method in more detail. The Growing Guide also gives many examples of vegetables, spacing and planting within a square foot area.

Currently the garden area has been tilled—twice! The city has also dropped-off leaf humus at the site available for use by all to further assist in the conditioning of the soil beds. Remember, only organic fertilizers and compost may be used in the community garden – NO chemical fertilizers. The water department has been working to install a water meter at the site but we cannot guarantee that water will be available for the first week or so. A couple rain barrels will be placed in the garden for water collection; however, some may want to bring their own water until a spigot is installed at the site. The deer fencing has been ordered and will be up within the next 2 weeks. Also, each gardener is responsible for bringing their own tools which would include a shovel or spade, a hand trowel and fork, an unsharpened pencil, a layout of what will be planted and of course seeds/plants. And, a large bucket is helpful for transporting the humus to your garden plot.

Many varieties of summer vegetables seeds, seedlings and organic fertilizers are available locally at Cahoon Nursery, Canterbury Gardens and Landmark. Our local True Value carries a full-line of garden tools and organic fertilizers.

The garden will be open for soil preparation and/or planting this Memorial Day weekend. If you provided an email address when registering, you will receive an email informing you of your garden plot number no later than Saturday, May 29. Community garden volunteers will be giving a demonstration on Saturday morning, May 29^th at 10:30 a.m. on soil preparation and square foot planting. The grand opening will happen later this summer but for now… let’s start planting!

Thanks for making this a reality in Bay Village. We look forward to meeting you this summer at the Community Garden!

The Bay Village Green Team – Community Garden Committee

May 11 Meeting Minutes

The Community Garden is ready to launch—probably by the end of May if not sooner. Fifteen plots have been “purchased” including three churches. There was a second public meeting held yesterday at the LENSC—approximately 40 people attended, there was a great deal of interest and more applications for plots are expected. The Service center will do the first tilling this week, and the water meter will be installed. Maureen Nakonek from the Mayor’s office has volunteered to serve a secretary/treasurer—big thanks! There are many volunteer opportunities for people that want to get involved with the Community Garden, with a particular need for a volunteer(s) to set up and coordinate composting with local businesses.

The City has received approval from the SWD for a $927 grant to purchase indoor/outdoor recycle bins. The grant was written by the Green Team on behalf of the City. With the grant funds, the Service Center will be purchasing 24 indoor/outdoor bins that are identical to the ones in the Huntington Reservation Metro Park. The City plans to use the recycle bins throughout the parks in strategic locations, and they can be used for recycling at events such as Bay Days. The other grant for indoor bins submitted by the Mayor did not get approved, so this is great news!
Events Update:

· The Green Team sponsored a table at the Bike to School Safety Fair (April 29 6-9 PM at BMS).

· There was a Habitat for Humanity collection on April 15-17 organized by Jerry Jarc. Another collection will be scheduled in Fall.

· A book discussion on “Bottlemania” is being organized by Pam Defino from the Bay Library. The Green Team will be participating in the discussion, planned for Tuesday, July 13. The books are ready for pick up at the Library.

· The Green Team will have a booth at Bay Days—Saturday, July 3^rd --from 10 AM-6 PM (tentative hours). We plan to include a Compost Bin from the SWD to promote an upcoming Seminar on composting to be held in July. Warren Remein has volunteered to organize the compost seminar with the SWD. We are also looking for give-aways. Some ideas include t-shirts for kids to color with a Green message, pool passes, bike maps, and bike reflectors. We are looking for volunteers to set up and work the booth.

· Garlic Mustard Pulls were held on April 26 (Cahoon sled hill) and May 1 (Wischmeyer Creek @ Wolf and Glen Park)—150 pounds of Garlic Mustard was collected!

· The Mayor will be attending the June 8^th Green Team meeting

· We publish in the "Green Scene” section of the Mayor’s Quarterly Newsletter

The next message is being created, and is due to Maureen around May 31^st

· The Green Team received a grant for $3100 from SWD for brochure & labels—this was announced at an earlier meeting. We will be meeting with Dan Galli & Dwight Clark to coordinate on the messaging for the brochure.

· There was some discussion on whether there would be any value to becoming a tax exempt organization—it is required when the grant applications are submitted. No decision was made—the benefits and requirements would need further research.

Join us for our next meeting Tuesday, June 8th @ City Hall--2nd floor conference room. Make a difference, get involved!

Project Earth Club & Bay Kids Rock!!!

Big turnout of Bay High kids today for the 3rd annual Bay Village Waterway Clean Up. Adviser for Project Earth Club Eryn Whistler did a GREAT job coordinating this event. Not only was there plenty of trash, plastics, cans and stuff picked up but a dining room table and chairs were the winner for the strangest find. The four areas of clean up included Porter Creek & Lake Erie Shore, Bay Boat Club, Cahoon Creek South to North and Columbia Park. Gloves and trash bags were provided by the BV Service Department. A map with instructions and trash pick up locations were provided to all. Some groups that finished early came back and helped pull over 300 lbs. of garlic mustard plants. Even a reporter and photographer from the Westlake / Bay Village Observer stopped by for a story. After 3 hours of trash collecting and invasive plant pulling, a lunch of Subway subs, chips and H2O was provided by The Bay Village Foundation.
Big thumbs-up and good job Bay kids!!!

Recycling in Public Spaces around Town

The City of Bay Village Service Center, in conjunction with the Bay Village Green Team, are pleased to announce that we have been awarded a grant from the Solid Waste District to purchase 24 indoor/outdoor recycle bins. The bins will be used to recycle bottles and cans, and will be placed strategically throughout the city in high traffic areas, such as the city parks, soccer fields, and walk ways.

Also... the Bay Village Waterways Clean Up is taking place this Saturday, May 15, from 11:am – 2:pm for trash pick up along Cahoon Creek, Columbia Park, Bay Boat Club, and other portions of the Lake Erie waterfront. Sponsored by the City of Bay Village and Bay High School’s Project Earth Club, this annual event will meet at the Gazebo by Cahoon Park and they ask that you arrive before 11am. Directions and supplies will be given promptly at 11 with groups departing to their clean up areas by 11:10. Contact Eryn Whistler at ewhist@leeca.org for more information. Be sure to dress for the weather!

Minutes from April Meeting

Library Summer Program

The BV Library is planning a community book discussion around the book “Bottlemania” by Elizabeth Royte—the book explains how water went on sale, why we bought it, and the impact that it has had on the US and the economy. The meeting is Tuesday, July 13^th, 7 PM, at the library. The Green Team meeting scheduled for Tuesday July 13^th at 6:30 PM will be moved to the Library to participate in this event.

There is also an opportunity to host a related community event on Saturday at the Library. Volunteers are needed that would be interested in planning and organizing the community event with Pam. A final decision on whether there will be a related community event will be made at the May GT meeting.

Environment Update

The Green Team (Ginger O’Brien and Cornelia Ryan) is sponsoring two Garlic Mustard Pulls. Volunteers are needed. Please dress appropriately (i.e., well covered) as you will be in a wooded environment. Meet at the noted location about 10 minutes in advance of the scheduled start time if you’re interested in participating. This is a great activity for the entire family!

Cahoon Sled Hill: Monday, April 26 at 6:30 PM

Glen Park: Saturday, May 1 at 10 AM. The focus will be the Glen Park portion of Wischmeyer Creek.

Bay High School's Project Earth is hosting their 3^rd Annual Spring Waterways Clean Up will take place on Saturday, May 15, 2010, 11:am – 2:pm. Volunteers are needed! Lunch will be provided by the Village Foundation. Bags, gloves, and disposal will be provided by the City of Bay Village. The event will take place rain or shine; meet at the Bay youth cabin. Spread the word and bring a friend!

Upcoming work shops:

Rain Barrel Workshop (Joe Reitz, Presenter)

Saturday, April 24 from 9-11 AM at the Lake Erie Nature and Science Center.

Call 440-871-2900 to register by phone (Fee: $80)

Rain Barrel Workshop (Amy Roskilly, Presenter)

Wednesday, May 5 from 6-7:30 PM at the Bay High School

Call 216-524-6580, ext 22 to register by phone (Fee $60)

Community Garden

The community garden has received approval to move forward with tilling. Many thanks to the city service center for providing tremendous support by tilling the land not once, but twice, and putting up the deer fence for us. A public meeting with Community Garden representatives Bob Shields and Bev Walborn will be held at LENSC on Monday, April 19, 7:30 PM and May 10th (same place & time). The garden is scheduled to open in mid-May. In lieu of a “Grand Opening” there are plans to participate in the Harvest Celebration to be held for the Bi-Centennial Celebration October 10.

If anyone wishes to donate to the Community Garden, a check written to the City of Bay Village with "Community Garden" in memo portion (for proper account deposit), can be sent to Maureen Nakonek at City Hall.

Waste Management Update

The City continues to be interested in Automated Trash Pickup. Dwight Clark indicated prior to the meeting that there are plans to begin the evaluation in May. The GT will partner with the city on messaging for the SWD Grant & the Mayor’s Quarterly Newsletter—we want to create recycling messaging that is complementary to the city’s plans around the automated trash pick up, and to continue to encourage use of existing recycling venues.

A grant for $1000 for outdoor recycle bins is being put together. The Mayor also applied for a grant for indoor recycle bins to be used in city buildings—grant approval is expected by the end of April.

Transportation Update

The Green Team will be participating in the Bike to School Safety Fair (April 29 6-9 PM at BMS) We will have a table with a variety of handouts promoting biking, alternative transportation, greening your commute & other “green” topics such as recycling, composting, etc. Christine Demeter, Laura Crabb, and Brenda O’Reilly will be organizing the event. Lori Sprosty is gathering handouts for the table.

Communication Update

Activities:

· The GT is lending assistance at the April 15-17th collection organized by Jerry Jarc with Habitat for Humanity at the BVPD.

· Shades of Green—BAYarts has decided that the event will not be held in 2010

Communication Updates:

^· We contribute to the “Green Scene” in Mayor’s Quarterly Newsletter. The next message is due to Maureen around May 31^s

· We have received a grant from SWD for $3100 has been received for a brochure to be mailed to all Bay residents & labels for outdoor recycle & waste containers. We will work with Dwight Clark and Dan Galli on messaging for the brochure.

· The selection of the company to create the new City website is moving along—23 Proposals were received and are being evaluated.

Make a difference, get involved! Join us at our next meeting, Tuesday, May 13th, 6:30 at City Hall.

What Will You Grow?

Bay Village will be opening a Community Garden in May. The garden will be at the corner of Forestview & Wolf Roads, and will afford residents the opportunity to learn and practice sustainable, organic gardening methods in a pre-tilled garden plot highly suitable for growing local vegetables. This is a very exciting initiative that came about through a partnership with the City, the School Board, and the Bay Village Green Team.

We invite you to come to learn more about the Community Garden and how you can get involved. Our first public meeting is Monday, April 19th at 7:30 PM Lake Erie Nature & Science Center, 28728 Wolf Road by the Huntington Reservation. A second meeting is planned for May 10th.

Northeast Ohio Watershed Restoration Tours 2010

One hour tours of natural and innovative projects designed to address flooding, erosion and water quality problems in Northeast Ohio. All tours start at 6:30 pm unless otherwise noted.

Thursday, April 15 - CSU Rooftop Garden, Cleveland
Monday, April 19 - West Creek Restoration, Brooklyn Heights--this tour begins at 5:30 pm
Wednesday, May 12 - Big Creek--Chevy Branch Restoration, Cleveland
Monday, May 17 - Euclid Creek--Wildwood Lakefront State Park Boiswale, Cleveland
Monday, May 24 - Tinkers Creek--Bear Creek Branch Restoration
Date TBD - Permeable Concrete System, Cleveland Central Catholic High School, Cleveland
To see the full schedule go the this website: http://neowatershed.org/events.htm

Donate & Recycle in April

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Spread the word... there are some great opportunities to recycle or donate used items in the month of April. Donations go to a worthy cause and divert valuable materials from going to the landfill, giving items a second life. Please support these local events!

Paper Shredding

-->Location: Across from the Lake Erie Nature & Science Center, 28728 Wolf Road, in Huntington Reservation Wolf Pavilion parking lot.

April 10 (Saturday) from 9:00 am-noon
Accepted: Paper is shredded and recycled, so this is a GREAT way to dispose of your confidential paper. Suggested donation is $5.

-->Habitat for Humanity Pick up Location: Bay Police Station, 28000 Wolf Road;

April 15-17 (Thursday-Saturday) from 9:00 am-6:00 pm.
Accepted: New and usable construction/renovation materials, tools (power/hand), sinks, cabinets, vanities, plumbing and electrical fixtures, windows, doors, appliances, furniture are all welcome. No clothing, mattresses and/or items that need repair. Items should be complete, clean, usable and in good working order.

-->Computer Round Up Location: Bay Village Service Department, 31300 Naigle Road
April 19 – 24 (Monday-Saturday) from 7:30 am - 3:00 pm (closed 11:30 am – 12:00 pm) / Saturday 8:00 am - 1:00 pm
Accepted: CPUs, Monitors, Keyboards, Software, and Cell Phones. Not Accepted: Televisions, VCRs, DVDs, Stereo Equipment

Household Hazardous Waste

Location: Bay Village Service Department, 31300 Naigle Road. April 26-May 1 (Monday-Saturday) from 7:30 am - 3:00 pm (closed 11:30 am till noon each day) Saturday 8:am-1:pm. Accepted: Oil based paint, paint thinners, motor oil, gasoline, antifreeze, household cleaners and rechargeable batteries. Items MUST be in their original containers.

Not accepted: No Latex paint, (this may be dried out and placed out with your regular refuse) or items that contain Mercury. (Check out cuyahogaswd.org for proper disposal of mercury items)

Make a difference, get involved and spread the word!

March Meeting Notes - Volunteers Needed!

Community Garden Update: The community garden has received City and School Board approval to move forward. The next step is the communication plan, finalizing opening day and funding. Funding is needed for deer fencing and a few other necessities. If anyone wishes to donate to the Community Garden, a check written to the City of Bay Village with "Community Garden" in the memo portion, can be sent to Maureen Nakonek at City Hall. The team is also going to start to solicit donations from Merchants and other interested parties, as the grants are proving difficult to obtain. Two public meetings to BV residents on the community garden are scheduled for Monday evenings, April 19th and May 10th at the Lake Erie Nature & Science Center (LENSC) beginning at 7:30.

Environmental Update: The Green Team is planning to sponsor a Garlic Mustard Pull to be scheduled for late April, early May. Upcoming work shops:

• Rain Garden Seminar - Wednesday, March 24 from 6-7:30 PM at the LENSC. Call 440-871-2900 to register by phone (Fee: $5)
• Rain Barrel Workshop - Saturday, April 24 from 9-11 AM at the LENSC. Call the number above to register by phone (Fee: $80)
• Rain Barrel Workshop - Wednesday, May 5 from 6-7:30 PM at Bay High School. Call 216-534-6580, ext 22 to register by phone (Fee: $60)

Wast Management Update: The 2009 recycling report is now available. Overall the recycling increased from 2008 to 2009 due primarily to the very successful leave pick up program. Recycling of other items, such as newspaper and cans & plastic are down 5-15%, but there are several factors. First, overall consumption is down (fewer newspapers being sold). Also, there are increasingly other revues to recycle these products, diverting recycling to other places that are not included in the report. This analysis is supported by the fact that the total waste was relatively flat (increased less than 1%.) Our goal in 2010 is to see the waste decreased by 10%.

Lori Sprosty and Brenda O’Reilly met with Maureen Nakonek and Dan Galli from the City. The group is partnering to increase recycling in city buildings. The majority of the waste stream is easy to recycle—paper, and bottles & cans. Although a lot of paper is being recycled, more paper bins are needed. After the meeting, Dan Galli provided additional paper recycle bins in all city buildings (effective 3/10/10) . The Mayor has applied for a grant that would provide for 12-20 recycle bins for bottle and cans, if approved.

The city is looking at Automated Trash Pickup. Dwight Clark indicated prior to the meeting the more information will be available over the course of the next few months.

There is a shredding day planned at the Lake Erie Nature and Science Center—Saturday, April 10, 9 AM-Noon. Suggested donation is $5. Paper is shredded, then recycled, so this is a GREAT way to dispose of your confidential papers.

Transportation Update: The Green Team has been invited to participate in the Bike to School Safety Fair (April 29 6-9 PM at BMS) Ted Volvos agreed to contact the group to see what type of participation would be appropriate—perhaps a GT booth with transportation materials? More to come on this next month. There was also discussion of the desire to request bike racks throughout the City & re-sign the existing bike paths that are in the city. No definitive action on this, but there is interest in looking at these initiatives in the future. We would need a sub team to volunteer to take the lead on these.

Communications Update: Habitat for Humanity has asked the BVGT for volunteers to help with a collection to be held at the Bay Police Station on April 15-17^th. 9:am-6:pm. New and usable construction/renovation materials, tools (power/hand), sinks, cabinets, vanities, plumbing and electrical fixtures, windows, doors, appliances, furniture are all welcome. Items should be complete, usable and in working order. Lori Sprosty will be sending out a volunteer schedule for sign-up. If you’ve ever wondered how you can get involved with Habitat for Humanity, here’s your chance even if just for an hour. Call city hall for more information to get involved if you are not on the BVGT email list. Thank you!

Make a difference, get involved!
Join us at our next meeting Tuesday, April 11th at 6:30 PM-city hall.