|
 TCEC members
receive the
Eco-Logic
Newsletter,
which is
published
monthly except
for July/August
and
November/December
issues. Each
issue is full of
local
environmental
news, events and
activities, and
ways you can get
involved in
environmental
issues.
Review a sample
(past) issue.
Online, we
feature the
Closer Look
column, written
for our
newsletter by
TCEC Board of
Directors
Chairperson,
Donna Olsen.
Closer
Look
July 2008
Will the City
Take on Earth
Day?
For the past
three years, the
Earth Day Family
Fair has been
cosponsored by
the ecology
center and the
City of Fremont.
While the city
provided the
venue (Teen
Center), banner
and some
publicity, TCEC
supplied the
manpower.
Adrienne
Stephens and I
worked from
January to
mid-April
putting together
a winning event.
Even with help
from other
volunteers, the
required amount
of work and
ultimate
responsibility
fell on us.
Now, we feel
it is time for
the City of
Fremont to
resume the
responsibility
of organizing
the event. On
June 9, Adrienne
and I met with
the
Environmental
Services
Departments’
Kathy Cote, Ken
Pianin and
Chanel
Patterson. We
gently announced
that we could
not continue as
volunteer
coordinators,
and the time had
come for the
city to take
over. We were
pleased when
department head
Kathy Cote said,
“We’re not
pulling the
plug.” Since the
meeting, Chanel
has asked for a
time-line, which
we sent to them.
We also made it
clear that we
would provide
the city with
all our
materials,
information,
lists and
vendors. In
addition, we
will provide
volunteers to
help on that
specific day
(probably April
25) and make a
donation of
$1000 to help
fund the event.
In three
years, the
ecology center
returned the
Earth Day Family
Fair to the
standing it had
achieved when it
was cancelled in
2002. Exhibitors
again numbered
35, and crowds
returned in
force. Music,
good food, a
raffle, the
Passport Game,
poster contest,
and crafts were
all back. In the
days following
the event, the
feedback was
more than
positive…it was
ecstatic. It is
crucial that the
public learn
about the
environment, its
problems and
solutions. To be
able to do this
while having a
good time is a
significant
achievement.
Finally, the
City of
Fremont’s Green
Task Force,
which has been
meeting for the
past few months,
will include
Earth Day as
part of its
educational
component. If
you would like
encourage the
city to continue
Earth Day Family
Fair, Adrienne
and I recommend
that you e-mail
Kathy Cote at
kcote@ci.Fremont.ca.us.
Or write a
letter to the
Fremont Mayor
and City Council
at PO Box 5006,
Fremont CA
94537.
Bayside
Marketplace to
Reflect
Fremont’s
History
Background:
The 150-acre
King & Lyons
site is located
on the west side
of I880, north
of Dixon Landing
Road. One
hundred acres of
wetlands will be
donated to the
Wildlife Refuge
in the near
future. The
remaining
50-acres will be
a commercial
center,
currently named
Bayside
Marketplace. The
name will likely
change to
reflect the
history of the
area.
The designers
of the project
want to reflect
the topography
of Fremont, its
five original
townships and
Dixon Landing
in its
design. As you
know, Dixon
Landing was a
former
commercial
center
connecting
Washington
Township to
surrounding
areas via the
Bay, starting in
the Gold Rush
Days. Design
elements for the
center will
endeavor to echo
the rich history
of Fremont. This
is an exciting
idea with lots
of
possibilities.
I
have referred
consultant John
Zentner to the
Museum of Local
History and to
Phil Holmes.
Ideas? Let me
know.
Patterson
Ranch Community
Park Reviewed
Last Month,
TCEC board
members met with
Fremont city
staff members
Scott Ruhland
(Planning),
Annabell Holland
(Parks &
Recreation) and
Roger Ravenstad
(City Landscape
Architect). The
point of
discussion was
the Community
Park in the
proposed
Patterson Ranch
Plan. After a
park plan
overview, three
areas of concern
were discussed
at some length.
First to be
discussed was
the odd, narrow
configuration of
open space next
to the community
park near
Alameda Creek.
It was generally
agreed that this
could be changed
to act as a
better buffer
for the
Patterson Slough
and as more
viable wildlife
habitat.
A more
controversial
item was sports
lighting. Two
soccer and four
cricket fields
are planned for
the park; they
call for
nighttime
lights. We are
assured that
lights have been
developed that
are targeted on
the field and
will not disturb
wildlife (and
nearby
residents). This
is an issue that
we will follow
closely.
Finally, the
topic of
artificial turf
was discussed in
detail. The
League of
California
Cities is
touting
Synthetic Turf
as “green” and
more cost
effective than
lawn. There is
little doubt
that the latter
is true, but
greener is still
questionable.
The new version
of artificial
turf uses a
soybean-based
replacement for
petroleum-based
components, and
recycled plastic
bottles or tires
are used for
turf-backing.
Still, the
question of lead
in artificial
turf has arisen
recently, thanks
to the Center
for
Environmental
Health (CEH) and
the Center of
Disease Control
(CDC).
Presently, we
are searching
for complete and
clarifying
information.
Rwanda Has
Banned Plastic
Bags…So Has
Bangladesh…Why
Won’t We?
Please view
an amazing,
thought-provoking
power-point
production on
our website
www.tricityecology.org.
Go to the
home
page and look
for a link
accompanied by a
photo of a
non-plastic
shopping bag.
The United
States is far
behind many
nations in
recognizing the
plastic bag for
the menace it
is. Are we in a
state of denial?
Lazy? One of the
beginning slides
of this “show”
states, “Plastic
bags
photo-degrade
over time. They
break down into
smaller, more
toxic
petro-polymers.
What could be
clearer?
The
presentation is
put together by
the City of
Fremantle,
Australia. The
Sources are
National
Geographic
Society, World
Wildlife Fund
and the BBC.
Please pass this
along to your
friends and
relatives. And
don’t forget to
take your cloth
bag on your next
shopping trip.
Urban Moth
Spraying
Cancelled
On June 19,
the State of
California
announced
that it will
abandon aerial
spraying over
urban areas in
its program to
eradicate the
light brown
apple moth (LBAM).
In its place, a
program of
sterile moth
release will be
launched in
early 2009. The
Pesticide Action
Network (PAN)
and many other
individuals and
groups have been
urging the
California
Department of
Food and
Agriculture (CDFA)
to replace
unnecessary
spraying with
ecologically-sound
and safer
ground-level
bio-control
programs.
A Victory for
the Everglades
June 24,
2008: In a
historic deal,
U.S. Sugar, the
nation's largest
producer of cane
sugar, said it
was leaving the
Everglades and
selling its
nearly 300
square miles
(187,000 acres)
of land to the
state of Florida
for Everglades
restoration.
According to
Florida Governor
Charlie Crist,
U.S. Sugar
agreed to begin
negotiations to
sell the land
seven months
ago, after it
became clear
that the state
would require
the clean-up of
dirty farm
runoff before it
was back-pumped
into Lake
Okeechobee.
Back- pumping is
a violation of
the Clean Water
Act. Restoring
the natural
water flow
between Lake
Okeechobee and
the Everglades
means a future
for this unique
landscape and
many endangered
species -- from
sea turtles to
manatees to
crocodiles.
Learn more:
http://www.earthjustice.org/our_work/victory/a-historic-victory-for-everglades-restoration.html
Source:
Earthjustice,
426 17th Street,
6th Floor,
Oakland, CA
94612-2820,
510.550.6700
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