Nancy Patrick holds up the stone that went through her front window.

image credit: Colleen Flanagan/The News

The front window of a house owned by a woman who petitioned to keep open the controversial off-leash dog area in Volker Park was first smashed with a rock, then a piece of metal.

Now, its gotten to this, its insane, said Nancy Patrick.

Sometime Sunday morning, someone threw a rock through her front window.

Then around 9 a.m. Monday, someone used to slingshot to fire a piece of metal through the same window.

You cant even voice your opinion without rocks being thrown at your house, because I want a dog park?

Nancys husband Rob said he saw someone hanging out the window of a car holding a slingshot, then heard his front window smash.

Hes called Ridge Meadows RCMP, but they havent shown up yet.

At first, Nancy Patrick thought the broken window was just a random act by kids. But after the second break, she began to think shes being targeted.

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Fighting flares over off-leash park in Maple Ridge

LA QUINTA, Calif. -

Getting enough to drink is critically important here in the valley, especially with the hot days of summer fast approaching.

But one valley mom is expressing concerns about her son and other students staying hydrated at La Quinta High School.

The is mother complaining about dirty water fountains on campus, and she says drinks sold from vending machines are too expensive.

One fountain in question was backed up with what appeared to be green algae covering the basin.

Other fountains near the practice field were brown and rusty.

Another was badly discolored and corroded.

Kelly hall says the thought of her 9th grade son drinking from the dirty fountains makes her stomach turn.

"I think it is deplorable that they allowed the conditions of the water fountains to get like that, for our students to have to drink out of," said Hall.

After her son told her about the dirty fountains, she asked him to take pictures of the half dozen or so he felt were cause for concern.

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Mom complains about dirty water fountains on campus at La Quinta High School

BEIRUT: The fountain is flowing, the bike path is paved, and the grass is springy and new. The Rene Mouawad Garden, known as Sanayeh Park, appears ready to be opened to the public on June 1 following a ribbon-cutting ceremony on May 31 hosted by the Beirut Municipality and the Azadea Foundation, the Beirut-based luxury retail holding company that funded the renovation of the garden.

Visitors to the old park will recognize the original layout with a few new additions. The park now boasts bike and jogging paths around the perimeter, three small playgrounds and an outdoor performance space. All of the original trees have been trimmed and preserved, with newly planted grass and flower beds. The large central fountain, dry for years, has been cleaned and filled, and the splashing of water is almost enough to drown out the sounds of traffic and nearby construction.

During a press preview Wednesday, Azadea deputy CEO Marwan Moukarzel said the garden would remain free and open to the public under the auspices of the Beirut municipality. Azadea has signed a renewable contract to oversee maintenance for the next 10 years, and has contracted Middle East Security to provide guards during opening hours. Moukarzel promised the guards would undergo strict training on how to deal with the public.

The park will remain open for approximately 12 hours a day, closing in the evenings, Moukarzel said. The rules for the park include bans on water pipes, barbecuing and damaging the flora. Dogs will be allowed initially and as long as owners are vigilant in cleaning up after their pets.

Praising the municipalitys cooperation, Moukarzel said he hoped to set an example for the private sector to take initiative where the public sector had failed to do so.

CSR [corporate social responsibility] is a great way for a company to do good for the community and at the same time remain competitive in the market, he said, adding that it would be nontransparent to deny the positive publicity such projects bring to the brand.

Weve got 1,100 employees in Lebanon ... we want them to be proud that their company is making a difference in their [community] and with their families, he said. As for my customers, I want them to start looking at us as a company that not only sells whatever it sells, [but] is also ... going beyond that point of sale.

The renovations, which began last year, cost a total of $2.5 million. The company has pledged several hundred thousand dollars a year in maintenance and upkeep as well.

It remains to be seen whether the park will win the approval of local residents, many of whom were skeptical early on following an aborted attempt by the municipality to turn Sanayeh Park into a parking lot. Mayor Bilal Hamad has denied the plans ever moved beyond the preliminary stage. The municipality continues, however, to pursue plans to dig up several other parks in the city to install garages before replanting the areas, a strategy that has been heavily criticized by residents, activists and urban planners.

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Revamped Sanayeh Park to make public debut on June 1

By Laura Lennie, News Staff

City officials say the new parkette at the corner of King and Jones streets should be ready for use by the end of next month.

Senior landscape architect David Zimmer says the parkettes irrigation system has been completed and the sites large trees and shrubs appear to look healthy.

The contractor has a number of minor things to complete in the next couple of weeks, he said last Thursday. Once the sod is installed, we will move the fence back to protect only the inner grass circle. We are expecting the parkette to open once the sod has had time to catch and has been cut twice, so I would say towards the end of June.

The parkettes features include an open green space area, a circular walkway with benches and a mix of trees of shrubs. The project has been funded through Taro dump royalties at a cost of about $400,000.

The site also includes a clock tower that mimics the design of the arbour structure at the Augustus Jones fountain area. The clock tower was made possible through a Rotary Club of Stoney Creek donation of approximately $20,000.

Zimmer said the parkette will see the addition of two large planters on top of the columns at the site.

These will be annually planted with colourful floral displays, he said. We also have intentions to install some decorative art on the grass side of the columns. We formed an edge to frame this future art.

Zimmer said naming of the parkette is being discussed.

A grand opening ceremony also is in the works, he added.

Link:
Stoney Creek parkette expected to open in late June

Cologne City Council members reviewed preliminary concept designs of a splash pad fountain for the city on May 5, expressing interest in the project. (Submitted image by Aquatic Recreation Company)

by ADAM GRUENEWALD

NYA Times

The Cologne City Council members moved forward with several key infrastructure improvements while also taking a glimpse at a unique city attraction during its meeting on Monday, May 5.

Early discussion sparked the councils interest for the construction of a splash pad, or community fountain play area, which could be potentially located at City Park near Fritz Field. Nicole Evenski, representing the Park Board, presented early concept designs of the fountain by Eden Prairie-based Aquatic Recreation Company.

Its basically a playground with water, she said. Theres no standing water but it has sprays that come or big umbrellas where the water trickles down. Its a nice place to just cool off for the kids.

Hypothetical designs include funnels, geysers, arch jets, stream jets and misting sprays as well as a recirculation system that includes a 2,000-gallon concrete vessel and 250-gallons-per-mintue filtration rates.

The reason we choose the recirculation system is because of the water quality in Cologne, said Evenski, comparing it to a runoff system and mentioning higher installation fees.

Evenski added that water levels would need to be checked and button timers could be installed so the water is not constantly running.

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Cologne City Council members mull splash pad concept

The drought is drying up many city-owned decorative water fountains and kids' splash areas in parks this year in the San Ramon and Tri-Valley areas.

As Dublin, Livermore and Pleasanton and part of San Ramon prepare for some of the harshest water shortages in the Bay Area, cities are turning off or limiting hours of fountains and splash features. Officials note that reducing water for recreation or decorative purposes leaves more for people to drink and for cooking and bathing.

Pleasanton this year will not turn on splash water features for youngsters at Val Vista Park and the Tennis and Community Park. The splash runoff in those two parks is not recirculated, so it goes down a drain. About May during normal years, Pleasanton activates the water features, allowing users to push a button to start the spray.

"We have to do everything we can to save water," said Jackie Cordes, a Pleasanton water efficiency technician. "It's too bad for the kids who like to play in the splash areas, but the bottom line is we have a serious water shortage."

Dublin has shut down all city-owned decorative fountains, including ones at the Dublin Civic Center, the senior center, Shannon Park and Emerald Glen park, the city announced in a written statement.

Dublin also is limiting hours of its splash features at Shannon and Emerald Glen parks. The splash areas will open only on afternoons when it's hotter than 90 degrees during the period from Memorial Day Weekend to Labor Day,

Livermore has turned off one of its six downtown fountains and cut in half the operating hours of the other ones to about four to five hours a day. Livermore city officials said they may consider further cuts of most fountains, but would not cut more hours of the Lizzie Fountain, a splash feature, because children seek it out to get relief from the heat.

Dublin, Pleasanton and Livermore and the Dougherty Valley in San Ramon get their water from Zone 7 Water Agency, which is cutting back supplies 25 percent due to shortages in its state water supplies.

San Ramon is reducing operating hours for the Central Park fountain by three hours a day so it gets turned off at 6 p.m. on summer nights. San Ramon is located mostly within the East Bay Municipal Utility District, which is seeking a 10 percent voluntary water reduction but is not going to impose higher water rates in the drought.

"It's a very popular fountain, so reducing its water usage but still making it accessible is the goal," said Jeff Gault, San Ramon's operations division manager. "A lot of people who use it would complain if it were shut off completely, especially when they are cutting back at home, and they want to have somewhere they can go to."

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San Ramon, Tri-Valley areas: Drought dries up many fountains, park splash areas

Editor, The News:

Re: Residents object to closing dog park (The News, April 30).

As a dog owner, I am shocked to here that, as of June 10, the off-leash area of Volker Park will be closed.

So, basically, the person or persons in that neighbourhood who tried to poison and injure dogs has won.

Instead of catching the perpetrator on video, the district caught dog owners using the park after hours.

So rather than catch the criminals, lets just close the dog park.

One could walk down any street in Maple Ridge or Pitt Meadows and here dogs barking, children screaming, school bells going off, roofers hammering, sirens, loud music playing, spouses arguing, parents yelling at there children, meth labs and grow ops being operated. I could go on and on.

I wish that myself and fellow off-leash park users had more of a voice in the closure.

When the rash of vandalism and dog poisonings started in this off-leash area, I had to take my dog elsewhere. Then there were times when it was just me and my dog at the park. That is why I dont understand the closure.

The people who live on the outside of this park need to get over themselves and live with every day noise.

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Learn to live with everyday noise

Durai Swamy was interested in reducing his carbon footprint by making his Huntington Beach home as energy efficient as possible.

So he turned to the Community Home Energy Retrofit Project (CHERP) of Huntington Beach in the interest of doing the work without overpaying for it.

CHERP, which is made up of real estate agents, contractors, city officials and those passionate about sustainability, is hosting free community forums about its services.

Members educate homeowners on how to retrofit their properties at a reasonable cost, said John Shipman, the program's regional director.

The group has worked with residents in Claremont to retrofit about 200 homes since 2008, according to its website, and is expanding into Orange County and other communities.

The organization is working with the city and the Huntington Beach Chamber of Commerce, which has a Sustainable Surf City Committee. CHERP provides tips on how to get rebates from local energy and water agencies and find contractors and technicians who are qualified to perform energy upgrades.

"It's going to help the whole community," Swamy said. "If you can avoid spending more on energy, the carbon footprint gets smaller, and that way we feel that we are contributing to society as a whole."

That philosophy is something the retired 68-year-old chemical engineer has practiced in his previous homes, where he installed solar panels to produce electricity and removed turf to reduce water consumption.

Swamy's new property, in the 19000 block of Homestead Lane near Garfield Avenue and Newland Street, will have more than just solar panels and drought-tolerant landscaping. He bought the house at the end of March and has already added a more-efficient furnace and a tankless water heater.

He is putting in low-flow toilets and having high-efficiency faucet aerators installed at the kitchen sink and other water fixtures.

Excerpt from:
Energy project aims to aid homeowners

By SARAH CUTLER

In response to a budget shortage for the ongoing Commons redesign project, the City has made cost-cutting measures in order to preserve amenities such as a playground and gateway structures.

In addition, the Downtown Ithaca Alliance has begun efforts to attract private sponsorship to fund a fountain, for which there is a funding gap of $500,000.

The inclusion of the saved amenities will further animate the Commons, creating the vibrant and prosperous public space that the City and public sought to create, Ithaca Mayor Svante Myrick 09 said in a memo on April 22.

According to John Schroeder 74, a member of the Ithaca City Planning and Development Board, all projects other than the fountain are set to be completed as a result of the City cheapening reducing the cost of aspects of the redesign, despite the additional $2 million it recently received in funding.

In order to address the remaining deficit after Common Council added that $2 million, the City found ways to accomplish the spirit of the design in a cheaper way, said Schroeder, who is also the Production Manager for The Sun. This includes substitution to cheaper materials like granite for some of the structures.

According to Schroeder, this streamlining of resources led to the shortfall being cut to about $500,000, which would be required to construct the above-ground portion of the planned fountain, which will be located in Bank Alley.

The understanding was that the Downtown Ithaca Alliance would fundraise to cover the fountain, Schroeder said.

Downtown Ithaca Alliance Executive Director Gary Ferguson said he currently feels good about the fundraisers success. Though he said he is not yet ready to release the names of sponsors, he said they have included a combination of families, banks and other community businesses.

A lot of people have stepped up to make this a community project, he said. This donor program will provide needed funds for finishing the project while at the same time providing value and exposure to donors and sponsors.

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Ithaca Commons Project Undergoes Cost-Cutting

Gordon Westrand, with Spud, wishes the parks board consulted park users more.

image credit: Phil Melnychuk/The News

Spud isnt a big dog, but he still likes to run around and get some exercise and sniff out some of his peers in a safe environment.

As of June 10, though, when the off-leash area in Volker Park closes and the fence is removed, Spud, a cairn terrier, will be looking for a new playground.

Im upset with fact its being closed, said Gordon Westrand, Spuds owner. I just dont think the public is being told why its being done.

The Maple Ridge and Pitt Meadows Parks and Leisure Services Commission made the decision at its April 10 meeting after hearing from residents who live nearby.

Parks and facilities director David Boag said the residents had a compelling case.

The closure, I would say, is largely about the noise, although there were also complaints about dust and people walking dogs outside the fence.

People were upset about being woken early on Sunday mornings or from dogs barking after hours. Video clips backed up the residents concerns.

I would say the biggest part is the noise throughout the day for the people who live in such close proximity to the park, Boag said.

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Maple Ridge residents fight dog park closure