It’s spring! Can you believe it? After many snow and ice-logged months of waiting, the soil is nearly thawed and early plantings of peas, spinach, kale, cabbage, lettuces and the like are just around the seasonal corner. Again, 2007 was a successful growing year (literally and figuratively) and we look forward to an even better one in 2008!
Some goals for this season:
• Repair our garden beds – as I’m sure some of you have noticed, the planks holding up your raised beds are looking pretty shabby and are in need of repair. Budget allowing, we hope to rebuild the beds completely in the fall, but until that point, we’re planning on driving stakes around some beds to prop up the wood and replacing entire boards if they’re completely shot. Hopefully this should be done sometime in the next month – we will do our best not to disturb the soil within while doing so, so anything that might be growing there (perennials, garlic, etc.) isn’t disturbed.
• Create a workable, healthy, productive system for composting – for now, any weeds, kitchen scraps and compostable materials should be piled in the depression (marked by a sign) below the bins. I and/or a few volunteers will occasionally add these materials to the bins and water/turn them so that we have nice, rich compost sometime this season.
• Bring in educators/presenters – the hope is to invite master gardeners and others to teach classes and give lectures on garden-related topics (composting, perennials, organic pest control, herb gardening, seed starting, canning).
• Hold a series of workdays (once a month like last year), potlucks (maybe once every couple months) and a harvest celebration at some point in the fall (hopefully with live music).
• Keep all beds full with active gardeners and the space mowed and attractive.
Policies and Procedures
(yep, there need to be some)
1. All beds should be actively used and maintained throughout the season
Basically, this means keeping weeds down to a minimum and keeping your bed planted. Of course, it’s understood that people have other lives and take vacations and such. For some, this is a serious hobby, for others, just a meditation and a way to relax and decompress in the sun. That said, if beds are obviously not being maintained for an extended period of time, either Kate or I will check in with you. If you are going away for a while, it’s encouraged that you have someone maintain your plot while you’re away. Or if that’s not possible, let us know and one of us will gladly help out! If you’re contacted and the bed still isn’t being used, it will be turned over to another gardener – there are plenty of folks waiting for a plot and willing to use it actively.
2. Attending workdays
We’re planning on holding a workday once a month (dates to come), probably on the weekend. Unlike at the beginning of last year, these should be fairly flexible, and if you have to miss a few, no big deal. But please try to make them if you can and contribute some time – as this is a community garden and the beds are provided free of charge, it’s important that everyone plays a part in making it work. Also, bringing food/drink is encouraged – I’m going to try to get some donations from Big Sky, Whole Foods and Coffee by Design if they’re willing.
3. Please keep the pathways clear around your bed (rocks, tools, etc.), for the lawnmower’s (and person who is mowing) sake.
4. The Bayside Community Garden is an ORGANIC garden. For the health of the earth and the community, and because others will inherit your soil once you’ve moved on, please refrain from using inorganic pesticides or fertilizers (Miracle Grow, Roundup, etc.). There are plenty of alternatives (organic preparations, using mulch, maintaining your bed, etc.) and I’m happy to share some with you if you’re curious and/or have a nasty disease or pest-related problem during the season. Also, I’m going to try to post some materials about pest controls and enriching soil organically on the webgroup site.
5. Most of our tools have been loaned to us, and we really can’t afford to buy more if they are stolen, so please take care to return them to the shed when your done with them and make sure to lock up if you’re the last one out of the garden.
Other Things
• We’re working on getting mulch, manure and compost for the beds – there’s a small pile of manure next to the compost piles from last year, and you’re welcome to some if you’d like to amend your soil. While it’s well-rotted, know that it may burn seedlings, so the sooner you work it into the soil before planting, the better. If I can find a good source of cheap straw bales, I’ll pass around a signup sheet for folks who’d like to buy 1 or 2. Mulch is SO helpful for keeping weeds down and moisture in the soil. I can’t recommend it enough for the success of your crop. Same thing is also true for compost – if we can get some, working it into your bed should really help keep your plants healthy.
• Early on in the season, we’ll distribute a signup sheet for people who’d like to volunteer some time and energy at a specific task (lawn mowing, maintaining the perennial beds, fence construction, compost detail, etc.) – if you have a particular interest, definitely let me know! Keep in mind this is voluntary (not required) but very encouraged, as again, our resources are stretched and the more people who can chip in, the better the garden will be.
• Keep track of garden happenings, workday dates, and communicate/network with other gardeners via the Bayside Community Garden Webgroup (see below).
Bayside Community Garden Webgroup
The Bayside Community Garden Yahoo group website was created last season to keep gardeners informed about special events and notices. If you aren’t yet a member, let me know (John Affleck, fieldofstones@gmail.com) and I’ll send you an invite. If you are already a member (there are 10 of us at this point), here’s a little recap of how it works:
The site can be found at:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/bayside_community_garden/
You might want to save this in your favorites or as an icon on your desktop so you can access it easily. Otherwise, you’ll need to go to http://groups.yahoo.com/ and type in bayside_community_garden.
The group site is fairly straightforward and easy to use. Once you sign in to yahoo with your username and password, check out the green list of links on the left side of the page.
• The ‘Files’ link is a place to look at and post - you guessed it - files! I'm thinking this would be a good place for online contracts/agreements, newsletters, pdf articles and the like.
• 'Photos' is a place to store relevant (or not) images of the garden – you’ll find some posterity pix from the now-extinct yahoo group site as well as some more recent shots. Feel free to post your own.
• 'Links' offers a place where you can post links to other garden-related sites.
• 'Database' is an interesting one. Looks like you can do lots of stuff here. Create lists, for example, favorite vegetables, seed catalogues or lists of diseases or pests you find in the garden. Others can add to the list in an ongoing fashion. This might also be a place to list contact information for people who are willing to have theirs posted so that people can be in touch.
• The 'Polls' function looks like a question-answer forum, although I haven't played with it at all. "Members" lists all of us and our information - this is the place where you can change your user preferences.
• And lastly, the Calendar will exist as a place to list any kind of events that relate to the Bayside Community Garden, or even things that do not (for example, you might want to post a plant sale that's happening, or maybe a class on gardening taught somewhere in the area). Meetings/workdays will be listed in the calendar and a reminder email will be sent out whenever one is about to happen.
Feel free to add links, files or pictures to the site – the more the merrier! This is a tool to keep in touch with each other and share our experiences, knowledge, comments and gardening schemes.
One last thing - when messages are posted to the site, they are sent out to your email account. Some folks have found they prefer to receive messages posted to the site emailed to them in a daily digest, or to just receive essential messages. To set preferences, you simply click on "Members," (on the left-hand side of the page) find your name/email address listed, and click on the drop-down box. By selecting "Special Notices,” you will just receive key messages (about meetings and other important things), probably a few times per month. If you opt to select "Individual Emails," you'll get an email every time someone posts to the group. Although this probably won't be too often (a couple per week at most I'm guessing), it may be too much and you may want to choose "Daily Digest" instead, which will send all the posts done in one day, packaged in a single email.
Wednesday, April 16, 2008
Thursday, April 10, 2008
Bayside neighbors join for annual spring clean-up
Coffee and baked goods kick off this year's Bayside
Neighborhood Association's Spring Clean-up Saturday,
May 10 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Meet at the Community
Garden near the corner of Chestnut and Oxford streets.
Here you can pick up trash bags, gloves and rakes.
It's also a good spot to meet members of BNA's
steering committee, as well as local politicians. Once
you've enjoyed some refreshments and caught up on the
neighborhood gossip, select a section of street or a
whole block. Then stroll over and clean up whatever
the winter has left behind.
"A few hours of work helps spruce up the whole
neighborhood," says Adam Hill, chair of the
Adopt-A-Block Committee. "It also gives
Adopt-A-Blockers a headstart on keeping their adopted
streets clean."
The BNA's Adopt-A-Block initiative is a pilot program
in Portland experiencing success. More than 30
residents and business owners have adopted specific
sections of the neighborhood and commit to keeping
them clean. As a result, last year's fall clean-up day
produced much less trash than in previous years.
Following the clean-up at 1 p.m., Portland Trails will
lead a guided walk along the future route of the
Bayside Promenade. The one-mile trail will connect to
the Back Cove Trail at Tukey's Bridge and to Elm
Street. Eventually it will connect the Eastern
Promenade Trail and the Back Cove Trail to Deering
Oaks Park. The walk begins at the Community Garden.
For more information about the May 10 Spring Clean-Up
Day or Adopt-A-Block, call Adam Hill at 615-5267 or
email him at adamcnhill@yahoo.com.
Neighborhood Association's Spring Clean-up Saturday,
May 10 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Meet at the Community
Garden near the corner of Chestnut and Oxford streets.
Here you can pick up trash bags, gloves and rakes.
It's also a good spot to meet members of BNA's
steering committee, as well as local politicians. Once
you've enjoyed some refreshments and caught up on the
neighborhood gossip, select a section of street or a
whole block. Then stroll over and clean up whatever
the winter has left behind.
"A few hours of work helps spruce up the whole
neighborhood," says Adam Hill, chair of the
Adopt-A-Block Committee. "It also gives
Adopt-A-Blockers a headstart on keeping their adopted
streets clean."
The BNA's Adopt-A-Block initiative is a pilot program
in Portland experiencing success. More than 30
residents and business owners have adopted specific
sections of the neighborhood and commit to keeping
them clean. As a result, last year's fall clean-up day
produced much less trash than in previous years.
Following the clean-up at 1 p.m., Portland Trails will
lead a guided walk along the future route of the
Bayside Promenade. The one-mile trail will connect to
the Back Cove Trail at Tukey's Bridge and to Elm
Street. Eventually it will connect the Eastern
Promenade Trail and the Back Cove Trail to Deering
Oaks Park. The walk begins at the Community Garden.
For more information about the May 10 Spring Clean-Up
Day or Adopt-A-Block, call Adam Hill at 615-5267 or
email him at adamcnhill@yahoo.com.
Friday, March 28, 2008
Let Us Now Praise Compost
In March the Riverside Recycling Center kicked off its composting promotion, making compost bins and kitchen waste pails available at discounted prices. In line with Portland's sustainability goals, the City has endorsed compost as an environmentally responsible alternative to fertilizing lawns and gardens and composting as an efficient way to reduce waste management costs.
Last year, the Riverside Recycling Center received 6800 tons of yard waste and brush from Portland residents, costing the City more than $335,000 to manage. Composting yard waste and non-meat food scraps at home instead of disposing of them will reduce waste management costs and provide homeowners with a valuable soil amendment.
Sustainable lawn care practices such as yardscaping (which includes reduced mowing and aerating along with the use of compost) help the environment by growing lawns that are less dependent on chemicals, fertilizers, and watering. These practices could also significantly reduce costs to the City associated with managing yard waste.
"Our goal is to educate the public about the environmental and economic costs of managing organic waste," remarked Troy Moon, Solid Waste Program Manager for the Department of Public Works. "If we can get Portland residents to consider yardscaping practices and using compost as an alternative to chemical fertilizers for their lawns and gardens, we can remove toxins from our storm water and reduce waste management costs at the same time."
In addition to composting organics, residents are encouraged to "mow high," generating shorter grass clippings that compost better. It is estimated that the average American spends forty hours a year mowing their lawn, releasing greenhouse gases into the atmosphere and causing air pollution. In fact, a lawnmower pollutes as much in one hour as an automobile driving 350 miles.
In 2004, 3 million pounds of yard care pesticides were purchased in Maine, more than three times the amount purchased ten years ago. The use of pesticides and fertilizers pose health risk to Portland's water ways. For example, excess nitrogen, a component of most fertilizers, can cause nuisance algae growth in Casco Bay.
It is estimated that 25 percent of the average household's waste consists of yard trimmings and kitchen scraps, which can easily be composted. Home composting combined with recycling and yard waste programs can reduce household waste by up to 80%.
Reducing yard waste and pollutants entering the water system are components of Sustainable Portland, a taskforce established by then Mayor Jim Cohen and chaired by former Mayor Jill Duson and former Mayor Nathan Smith. Sustainable Portland will be releasing its report addressing environmental, economic, and community sustainability later this month.
The 2008 home compost bin and how-to guide is available at a reduced cost of $37.50 (original price $80) and can be purchased at the Riverside Recycling Center until April 11, 2008. The bin is black, has a 10-year warranty, is made of 100% recycled plastic, and is large enough for a family of five. Kitchen Waste Pails, for kitchen food scraps, are available for $8.00 each, and the wingdigger compost turner can be purchased for a discounted price of $16.50.
Contact Donna Rooney at 797-6200 or djr@portlandmaine.gov for more information or to obtain an order form.
For more information about yardscaping, please visit the Cumberland County Soil and Water Conservation District webpage at http://www.cumberlandswcd.org/ or contact Tamara Lee Pinard at 892-4700.
Last year, the Riverside Recycling Center received 6800 tons of yard waste and brush from Portland residents, costing the City more than $335,000 to manage. Composting yard waste and non-meat food scraps at home instead of disposing of them will reduce waste management costs and provide homeowners with a valuable soil amendment.
Sustainable lawn care practices such as yardscaping (which includes reduced mowing and aerating along with the use of compost) help the environment by growing lawns that are less dependent on chemicals, fertilizers, and watering. These practices could also significantly reduce costs to the City associated with managing yard waste.
"Our goal is to educate the public about the environmental and economic costs of managing organic waste," remarked Troy Moon, Solid Waste Program Manager for the Department of Public Works. "If we can get Portland residents to consider yardscaping practices and using compost as an alternative to chemical fertilizers for their lawns and gardens, we can remove toxins from our storm water and reduce waste management costs at the same time."
In addition to composting organics, residents are encouraged to "mow high," generating shorter grass clippings that compost better. It is estimated that the average American spends forty hours a year mowing their lawn, releasing greenhouse gases into the atmosphere and causing air pollution. In fact, a lawnmower pollutes as much in one hour as an automobile driving 350 miles.
In 2004, 3 million pounds of yard care pesticides were purchased in Maine, more than three times the amount purchased ten years ago. The use of pesticides and fertilizers pose health risk to Portland's water ways. For example, excess nitrogen, a component of most fertilizers, can cause nuisance algae growth in Casco Bay.
It is estimated that 25 percent of the average household's waste consists of yard trimmings and kitchen scraps, which can easily be composted. Home composting combined with recycling and yard waste programs can reduce household waste by up to 80%.
Reducing yard waste and pollutants entering the water system are components of Sustainable Portland, a taskforce established by then Mayor Jim Cohen and chaired by former Mayor Jill Duson and former Mayor Nathan Smith. Sustainable Portland will be releasing its report addressing environmental, economic, and community sustainability later this month.
The 2008 home compost bin and how-to guide is available at a reduced cost of $37.50 (original price $80) and can be purchased at the Riverside Recycling Center until April 11, 2008. The bin is black, has a 10-year warranty, is made of 100% recycled plastic, and is large enough for a family of five. Kitchen Waste Pails, for kitchen food scraps, are available for $8.00 each, and the wingdigger compost turner can be purchased for a discounted price of $16.50.
Contact Donna Rooney at 797-6200 or djr@portlandmaine.gov for more information or to obtain an order form.
For more information about yardscaping, please visit the Cumberland County Soil and Water Conservation District webpage at http://www.cumberlandswcd.org/ or contact Tamara Lee Pinard at 892-4700.
2ND Annual BAYSIDE WORLD MARKET & FAIR
Saturday, June 21, at Portland High School
You can reserve your sales or exhibit table now at www.baysideworldmarketandfair.com
Table rentals only $30.00. Space is limited, so reserve early to guarantee your space.
For more information, email baysidefair@gmail.com or call 772-7595.
Last year’s first-ever Bayside International Market & Fair, which took place in the former Portland Public Market, was an enormous success, drawing an enthusiastic crowd of nearly 3,500 attendees and a wide variety of vendors, craftspeople, ethnic foods, multicultural music and dance, children’s activities, educational and social service exhibit tables, and the sharing of moving, personal stories of the immigrant’s journey that led here to Portland, Maine. Notably, many of the subcommittee chairs who organized events for the Fair & Market are themselves members of the ethnic communities represented in Bayside and Portland.
With a slight change of name for 2008, we announce a new partnership with the planners of WORLD REFUGEE DAY, observed on June 20th each year since first established by the United Nations General Assembly in 2000. Events to recognize World Refugee Day are being planned for Friday, June 20th, in Lewiston/Auburn, to be followed by the Bayside World Market & Fair celebration in Portland on Saturday, June 21.
Highlights of the Bayside World Market & Fair:
· Date: Saturday, June 21, daytime & evening events
· Venue: Portland High School
· Multicultural music and dance performances
· Storytelling: Immigrant journey stories and/or traditional folktales
· Ethnic foods prepared by local community groups, merchants, or local restaurants
· Opportunities to buy/sell goods at flea market tables
· Ethnic arts and crafts
· Educational workshops for New Americans
· Informational displays from local organizations
· Children’s activities and childcare
· Participation of students from local schools
You can reserve your sales or exhibit table now at www.baysideworldmarketandfair.com
Table rentals only $30.00. Space is limited, so reserve early to guarantee your space.
For more information, email baysidefair@gmail.com or call 772-7595.
Last year’s first-ever Bayside International Market & Fair, which took place in the former Portland Public Market, was an enormous success, drawing an enthusiastic crowd of nearly 3,500 attendees and a wide variety of vendors, craftspeople, ethnic foods, multicultural music and dance, children’s activities, educational and social service exhibit tables, and the sharing of moving, personal stories of the immigrant’s journey that led here to Portland, Maine. Notably, many of the subcommittee chairs who organized events for the Fair & Market are themselves members of the ethnic communities represented in Bayside and Portland.
With a slight change of name for 2008, we announce a new partnership with the planners of WORLD REFUGEE DAY, observed on June 20th each year since first established by the United Nations General Assembly in 2000. Events to recognize World Refugee Day are being planned for Friday, June 20th, in Lewiston/Auburn, to be followed by the Bayside World Market & Fair celebration in Portland on Saturday, June 21.
Highlights of the Bayside World Market & Fair:
· Date: Saturday, June 21, daytime & evening events
· Venue: Portland High School
· Multicultural music and dance performances
· Storytelling: Immigrant journey stories and/or traditional folktales
· Ethnic foods prepared by local community groups, merchants, or local restaurants
· Opportunities to buy/sell goods at flea market tables
· Ethnic arts and crafts
· Educational workshops for New Americans
· Informational displays from local organizations
· Children’s activities and childcare
· Participation of students from local schools
ASIA WEST OPENS SHOWROOM IN BAYSIDE
Asia West, one of the largest retail businesses in Portland’s Old Port, recently
opened a second store—an expansive three-story showroom at 125 Kennebec Street in Portland’s Bayside neighborhood, in the building adjoining Portland Architectural Salvage. The new showroom, housed in one of Portland’s oldest industrial buildings, offers leather and upholstered furniture, lighting, textiles, decorative accessories, and more. The Asia West staff gather almost all their furnishings from remote locations throughout India, China, Indonesia, and other exotic lands.
opened a second store—an expansive three-story showroom at 125 Kennebec Street in Portland’s Bayside neighborhood, in the building adjoining Portland Architectural Salvage. The new showroom, housed in one of Portland’s oldest industrial buildings, offers leather and upholstered furniture, lighting, textiles, decorative accessories, and more. The Asia West staff gather almost all their furnishings from remote locations throughout India, China, Indonesia, and other exotic lands.
Bayside Photographer Attacked at Home
On March 3, at 6:15 PM, when Jay York opened the door of his home on Wilmot Street to walk his dog he was confronted by a white male whom he’d never seen before who was sitting on the steps smoking a cigarette. York’s description of the man is about six feet tall, 190 to 195 pounds, between 26 and 36 years of age. He said the man had dark hair and was wearing a dark jacket and dark jeans.
The man became confrontational and aggressive after being asked to move from the steps. When York stepped back inside to dial 911, the man also came in and knocked the phone from York’s hand. York then picked up a softball stick and hit the man, without wanting to harm him unduly. After scuffling inside and outside, while still maintaining his hold on the stick, York was able to get back in his home to call police.
They were not able to locate the assailant.
The man became confrontational and aggressive after being asked to move from the steps. When York stepped back inside to dial 911, the man also came in and knocked the phone from York’s hand. York then picked up a softball stick and hit the man, without wanting to harm him unduly. After scuffling inside and outside, while still maintaining his hold on the stick, York was able to get back in his home to call police.
They were not able to locate the assailant.
Portland Public Library Sets Circulation Record
Portland Public Library set a lending record for the July 2007– December 2007 period, reporting a 10% increase over the same period last year. “This is especially encouraging to us,” said Executive Director Steve Podgajny, “as it follows a record-setting year that ended in July, and it now marks an 18-month period of record lending.” Book circulation swelled by 10% and borrowing of audiovisual items grew by 11%, both exhibiting substantial increases.
For the year ending June 30, 2007, the Portland Public Library system lent 742,779 items and experienced 617,449 visits from users.
Lending of materials is one of the key statistics libraries use to gauge activity. Preliminary figures for January 2008 show a 7% increase over last year, continuing the strong positive trend. The Library is currently raising funds for the renovation of its downtown facility located at 5 Monument Square, one of its six locations. This project is expected to further increase lending rates when completed.
For more information about the Portland Public Library system, including an online catalog and program information, visit the Library’s website at www.portlandlibrary.com.
For the year ending June 30, 2007, the Portland Public Library system lent 742,779 items and experienced 617,449 visits from users.
Lending of materials is one of the key statistics libraries use to gauge activity. Preliminary figures for January 2008 show a 7% increase over last year, continuing the strong positive trend. The Library is currently raising funds for the renovation of its downtown facility located at 5 Monument Square, one of its six locations. This project is expected to further increase lending rates when completed.
For more information about the Portland Public Library system, including an online catalog and program information, visit the Library’s website at www.portlandlibrary.com.
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