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Proposed updates would regulate tree removal on residential properties above 0.5 hectares in size

Faced with the conflicting pressures of urban development and tree preservation, The Town of The Blue Mountains (TBM) has drafted an amended tree bylaw that proposes to regulate tree removalon some private properties.

The new bylaw proposes regulating treeremovalon settlement area properties above 0.5 hectares in size. The town's settlement area properties are largely located within the urban areas of Thornbury, Clarksburg, and along Highway 26 into Craigleith and Blue Mountain Village.

Town staff began working in 2019 to update the towns tree protection measures, but the work was largely put on hold until the spring of 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The towns current tree regulation, bylaw 2010-68, applies to municipal lands and lands that are subject to an approved tree preservation plan, but trees on many of the towns private properties are currently unregulated.

What we're trying with this bylaw is to fill the gap in the settlement area where those current regulations or authorities would not otherwise apply, said town planner Travis Sandberg at a joint committee meeting Jan. 13. This bylaw is intended to apply to privately owned properties within the settlement area only.

We need to provide some sort of regulation on clearcutting and larger tree removals, and to not encumber every small lot for every single tree to be cut.

Here are some of the new measures that could be put in place as the proposed bylaw currently stands:

The proposed bylaw also includes a number of exemptions, where a permit will not be required for the destruction of trees, some of which are outlined below:

Town staff plan to release an interactive map showing the properties that may be affected by the bylaw.

Individual property owners will be able to search their property in order to determine if there's any current regulations on the property, and then secondly to determine who they need to talk to if they want to cut trees, if there are regulations on it, Sandberg said.

The proposed bylaw stems from the enactment of Bill 68 in 2017, in which the province requires that each municipality develop policies for tree protection and the enhancement of natural vegetation. The town currently has policies in place to promote these ends, but only one that applies to privately owned lands.

The County of Grey Forest Management Bylaw prohibits the destruction of trees on forested, private lands over one hectare in size. It is currently the only bylaw that regulates tree-cutting on private lands in The Town of The Blue Mountains.

Committee members made a number of comments on the proposed bylaw.

John Ardiel voiced concerns about the town further extending its influence onto private properties.

I would suggest you go back and check Bill 68, as I firmly believe that does not applyto private properties, he said.

Bill 68 is not exclusive to the municipal lands, said director of planning and development services Nathan Westendorp. Bill 68 requires towns to have a municipal tree canopy policy, which we do have in the official plan, but when council was looking at astaff report when we were responding to Bill 68, [they said] Well, we do have a tree bylaw. We'd like you to look into it and see how we can update it.

Duncan McKinlay questioned whether the definition of the settlement area might be abruptly changed to encompass more of the town.

Theres been some people talking to me, they're very afraid that this will pass and then council can just pass a motion to amend [the settlement area] to include the whole township, he said.

Town staff sought to reassure McKinlay such a change wouldn't be done unless there was public consultation before the decision was made.

I can confirm that to amend [the settlement area] would be an amendment to the bylaw, and it would definitely include a public process, including a public meeting, Westendorp said.

Rosemary Mesley suggested that the town might give developers incentives to avoid clear-cutting the land.

How can we make this the best it can be, and not give them the opportunity to want to clear cut everything, and give them incentives? she asked.

The incentives comment is actually very intriguing to me, Westendorp said. Bylaws are the enforcement side of it, to say here's what you can and can't do, incentives are often done through programs, but [its] something we will take back and will look into.

After postponing the work through the pandemic, TBM held a public open houseand conducted a municipal survey in 2021.

Respondents to the survey strongly supported protections for the towns urban trees and for penalties to be imposed for unauthorized tree clearing.

However, just over half of respondents supported tree protection on privately owned lands under one hectare in size.

Following the joint committee meeting with members of the sustainable advisory committee and agricultural advisory committee, staff will update the draft bylaw and present it to council.

The revised bylaw will then be brought to a public meeting, after which a final draft will be brought to council for approval.

See more here:
Proposed TBM bylaw to impose restrictions on urban tree removal from private properties - CollingwoodToday.ca

It should be a pristine stretch of Northern Territory, but the Wessel Islands archipelago is being choked by plastic waste, and Charles Darwin University researchers and rangerssay the problem is only worsening.

The archipelago, which liesjust off the coast of Arnhem Land, is renowned for its picturesque beauty, but also as a biodiversity hotspot, anda haven for several endangered species.

However, growing amounts of plastic waste are washing up on itsbeaches, putting all of that at risk, according to Charles Darwin University research fellow Carol Palmer.

"I would say the archipelago is the most-littered place in the Northern Territory, if not Northern Australia,"Dr Palmer said.

Dr Palmer said she first noticed the plastic waste on a visit in 2011and, since then, she hadseen more and more rubbish of all kinds washing up.

"The amount of plastics, fishing gear [and]ghost netswas astounding," she said.

Photosshow plastic bottles, cartons, foamand even a battered, sun-bleached toy scooter littering one of the archipelago'sbeaches.

"Certainly, working with both the traditional owners and the Gumurr Marthakal Rangers, we all agreed that this hasnever, ever been recorded at this level before."

Executive officer of the Gumurr Marthakal Rangers, Marcus Lacey, saidwesterly winds during the wet season broughtthe plastic in from the Timor Sea, which was thendumped onto the islands during dry season winds.

Dr Palmersaid she had beenalso been surprised by the increase of ghost nets washing up, abandoned nets thatcould stretch for kilometres, snagging fish and other marine life.

"It would be really great to do a review of what is the percentage of the netting, the plastics, to work out where it's from," she said.

"Because it's not just all Asian. It's certainly Australian gear too."

The Gumurr Marthakal Rangershave managed the area around the Wessel Islands since 2016, and Mr Lacey also has a strong family connection to the islands.

"The waste is worse than it has ever been, and its continuing to get worse after every wet season," he said.

But, because of the isolation and limited resources, it's not a problem the rangers can tackle aloneand, Dr Palmer says,it will notbe an easy fix.

"It's very expensive to try [to]sort out, and requires a reallybig planning process," she said.

"To do the first clean-up will probably be the biggest clean-up in Australia I would say."

Dr Palmer said the task would befurther complicated because most of the work wouldneed to be boat-based, and required cooperation between traditional owners and rangers, scientists,government and non-government organisations.

"It does require good funding and ongoing funding, not just a couple of years. It's actually long-term funding so we can actually maintain this."

Mr Lacey is also calling a permanent ranger station there, after the last permanent settlement was destroyed by Tropical Cyclone Monica in 2006.

"To give people, and traditional owners, a chance to have access to their country, and to care for it," he said.

Read more:
Calls for clean-up to remove plastic waste piling up on the Wessel Islands, off Arnhem Land - ABC News

In the early stages of legislative chambers across the nation getting back to work, legislation in multiple statehouses address concerns about snow and ice removal from cars and trucks.

Rules covering concerns about accumulations on top of vehicles are already in place in states that include Alabama, Connecticut, Georgia, Iowa, Michigan, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island and Wisconsin.

Supporters say a snow and ice rule makes enforcement easier. Others say it provides significant motivation to clean off a vehicle following a snow or ice storm.

A bill nearing passage in the Delaware Legislature would require drivers to remove accumulated ice or snow before driving.

The House Public Safety and Homeland Security Committee voted 5-2 on Tuesday, Jan. 18, to advance a bill to allow law enforcement to pull over vehicles for failure to remove ice or snow. Fines would be set from $25 to $75. Incidents that cause property damage or physical injury would result in penalties of $200 to $1,000 for motorists. Truck drivers would face fines of $500 to $1,500.

The bill, SB64, would limit citations to affected vehicles to once per 24-hour period. Drivers would be exempt when accumulations occur while the vehicle is in operation.

The bill can next be considered on the House floor. The Senate voted 18-2 last week to advance a nearly identical version of the bill.

Sen. Bryan Townsend, D-Newark, told senators before the floor vote that people need to take the issue seriously.

I would like this to be a proactive law. I would like people to take this seriously and clean off their ice or snow from their vehicles before moving, Townsend said.

He added that drivers should not leave it up to enforcement to make sure vehicles are cleared of accumulations.

We are trying to strike the right balance.

In neighboring Pennsylvania, one bill would revise the states rule on the issue.

State law allows police to ticket car and truck drivers for fines of $200 to $1,000 if the wintry precipitation causes serious injury or death.

Sponsored by Sen. Lisa Boscola, D-Northampton, the bill is intended to be proactive on the issue of ice removal from vehicles.

Specifically, SB114 would authorize law enforcement to issue tickets for failure to clear their vehicles of snow and ice. In addition to trucks, mass transit vehicles, buses and school buses would be covered by the rule.

Enforcement would be limited to highways.

Drivers would be required to make reasonable efforts to remove snow or ice from all parts of their vehicles within 24 hours of a weather event.

Offenders would face a maximum fine of $1,500 if the snow or ice causes serious injury or death. The bill includes an additional protection allowing police to ticket drivers $50 for failure to clear snow or ice before driving.

Truck operators would be excused if they are on their way to a facility to remove accumulated snow or ice. In addition, violations would not be issued if compliance would cause the trucker to violate any federal or state law or regulation regarding workplace safety, or if it would be a health or safety threat.

Senators approved the bill last spring. SB114 awaits further consideration in the House.

The Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association has concern about rules that let police pull over drivers whose vehicles were not cleared of snow or ice. They point out that facilities are not readily available to accommodate clearance mandates on trucks. Another problem is the practicality of rules that appear to require people to climb atop large vehicles, and do so in less-than desirable conditions.

The accumulation of snow and ice on any vehicle has the potential to negatively impact highway safety, OOIDA Manager of Government Affairs Mike Matousek has said.However, when it comes to commercial motor vehicles, theres really no practical or safe way of removing it from the top of a trailer, especially during winter weather conditions.

Speaking specifically about SB114, Matousek has said its far from a great bill, but the legislation does appear to address some of the safety issues that OOIDA and others have raised through the years.

A Massachusetts House bill singles out trucks for removal of snow or ice from vehicles.

H3518 would prohibit commercial vehicles from operating on roadways with any accumulation of snow or ice on the vehicle roof.

Violators would face fines starting at $500. Offenses that result in injury or property damage could result in fines starting at $1,000.

The bill is in the Joint Committee on Transportation.

In Vermont, one House bill introduced this week would create fines for driving before clearing any snow or ice accumulation.

H674 specifies clearance from any trailer or semi-trailer, to the extent needed to avoid a threat to persons or property caused by the dislodging of accumulated ice or snow or by obstruction of the operators view.

Violators operating large trucks would face minimum $100 fines. Subsequent offenses could result in fines of at least $500. Motorists would face fines between $25 and $75.

Operators would not be liable for snow or ice that accumulates on a vehicle while out on the road.

The bill is in the House Transportation Committee.

Another bill in Virginia would require the removal of accumulated snow or ice.

Delegate Mike Mullin, D-Newport News, introduced a bill to let police pull over motorists and truck drivers for failing to clear their vehicles of snow and ice before hitting the road.

Violators could face $100 fines.

Drivers would be exempt from the requirement if precipitation accumulates while the vehicle is out on the road.

HB1183 awaits assignment to committee in the House. LL

Keith Goble, state legislative editor for Land Line Media, keeps track of many trends among statehouses across the U.S. Here are some recent articles by him.

Read more from the original source:
Snow and ice removal from vehicles targeted in five states - Land Line Media

Imagine going to visit your loved ones final resting place and not knowing where to lay flowers. Imagine not feeling comfortable walking the grounds because of the large hidden roots you could easily trip on and the piles of trash scattered throughout the property. Imagine not being able to find your loved ones headstone because it had cracked and fallen over or was covered by debris.

Thats what 76-year-old Joe Ford experiences when he goes to visit his fathers grave at Cedar Grove Cemetery in Charlotte, located on Hildebrand Street off of Beatties Ford Road. The best he can do is stand in the general area where he thinks his father, John Ford, was laid to rest in 1963 after he died of a heart attack.

"Oh, it was a beautiful cemetery when he was buried here," Ford said. "But it would be very difficult for me to pick out the site, you know, unless we could find some type of marker."

Theres easily spotted evidence of people using Cedar Grove as a dumping ground or even a place to stay. Empty beer bottles and shiny food wrappers litter the property. Toilet paper used is also present.

Ford was a teenager when his father died. He wants to help any efforts to restore the property, but hes not sure who hed need to ask to get started.

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Headstones like this one are easily stepped on or tripped over due to leaves and branches that are not routinely cleared.

Sarah Delia/WFAE

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With no one to keep up with the grounds, fallen headstones remain this way for years.

Sarah Delia/WFAE

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Reporter Osker Spicer wrote about the confusion over ownership in 1982, even contacting Davidson's two daughters who denied ownership of the property.

The Charlotte Observer

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Bishop Robert Blair Bruce was a prominent figure in the AME Zion Church.

Sarah Delia/WFAE

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This headstone that simply reads "J J" is in the process of leaning and will eventually fall.

Sarah Delia/WFAE

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Many headstones have fallen during these many years of neglect.

Sarah Delia/WFAE

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With no regular landscaping of the property, greenery has taken over.

Sarah Delia/WFAE

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Vines have slowly crept over headstones throughout the years.

Sarah Delia/WFAE

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Trash bags dumped amongst headstones.

Sarah Delia/WFAE

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The last known owner John Davidson, is buried near the entrance of the Cedar Grove.

Sarah Delia/WFAE

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The ground is uneven throughout the property which has taken a toll on headstones and makes it difficult to walk safely.

Sarah Delia/WFAE

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Trash and furniture is regularly dumped on the grounds

Sarah Delia/WFAE

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Leaves cover the ground of Cedar Grove hiding large roots and headstones.

Sarah Delia/WFAE

"The main thing is finding the owner, you know, and getting his permission," Ford said.

The last known owner of Cedar Grove is buried near the front of the cemetery. Willie Griffin, the staff historian for the Levine Museum of the New South, stood near thetombstone recently. John Davidson, who was Black, bought the cemetery in 1955. He renamed it to Cedar Hill Cemetery, but the name apparently didnt stick, and in later years, people reverted to calling it Cedar Grove.

Davidson operated a funeral home in Charlotte. He died in 1972.

"People have voiced their concern about the state of the cemetery," Griffin said. "Each time, there may have been some major efforts to clean up, but each time it has fallen back to sort of dilapidated state that its in."

And its a very sad state. Ivy wraps tentacle-like arms around headstones, eventually covering them or pulling them to the ground. One veterans headstone has partially sunk into the dirt and is tilted to the side. One flat rectangular memorial that simply reads MOTHER is covered by leaves and is easily stepped on.

Griffin stood in front of one of the more elaborate and well-maintained headstones in the cemetery, belonging to Bishop Robert Blair Bruce, who was a high-ranking official in the AME Zion church, and according to reports was a presiding elder in Mecklenburg County.

"African American history in the city it's often overlooked and it falls into a state where it is unnoticed and it's sort of everything grows up around it," Griffin said. "And we forget about the efforts that African Americans have made to try to build communities."

When Davidson died, so did the care for the cemetery.

Burials continued at Cedar Grove at least through the early 1990s. But its hard to say in the cemeterys current state to say how many people are buried there or when the last person was laid to rest. Every corner you turn, a family plot is discovered. Pull back a branch, theres another grave. Plus, when Davidson bought the cemetery in 1955, it was already functioning as one. Its unclear how many people were buried there when he bought the land.

So who is responsible for the upkeep of this cemetery and why has it fallen into such disrepair? Its a question many journalists have tried to answer over the years.

In 1982, a reporter named Osker Spicer of the Charlotte News tracked down Davidsons two daughters, who lived out of state. Spicer wrote he found documents that said the property had been turned over to the women, but both denied it. One hung up on him and the other said the city of Charlotte was responsible.

According to Spicers article, the city at the time said it was not responsible for keeping private property clean.

In 2022, that' what the city is still saying, although now with an asterisk attached to that sentiment. Theres been a clear shift in tone. A representative from the city told WFAE it is interested in restoring Cedar Grove cemetery and even committed to doing a survey to help define the cemeterys legal boundaries. But Cedar Grove remains a complicated oddity because it was privately owned. Both of Davidsons daughters have died, neither had known children, so there is no apparent heir.

Melissa Timo, the historic cemetery specialist for the North Carolina Office of State Archeology, says places like Cedar Grove often fall through the cracks "because they were a private family cemetery on private property and the laws are built to cope with another entity assuming responsibility for that place at this time."

Timo says there are state laws in place to protect such properties. But at the local level, details about what should be done are murky. One option she says is for the cemetery to evolve.

"Just because it's a cemetery, it doesn't have to look like a specific thing," Timo said. "Those sort of more loose but still respectful ideas about what a cemetery could be can be less physically or financially taxing on people but still allow it to look like this isn't just an abandoned lot."

For example, turning Cedar Grove into a small park that has historical signage about the people buried there. Making it a space not just for families to come and honor their loved ones but creating an opportunity for the public to learn about its history.

But that often means neighborhood groups, schools or other service organizations donating a lot of time to organize regular cleanups.

Kevin Donaldson, a graduate student at UNC Charlotte, says he's ready to do that work.

"You can't help it when you come out here, when you visit and you see the decline that it's in, it's just sad," he said. "And it just makes you want to get out here on the weekends with your clippers and some trash bags and clean it up."

Donaldson has been working withGriffin, and they've been uncovering the history of Cedar Grove and trying to preserve it.

Step one is to take down the arch-nemesis of any cemetery overgrown trees. Donaldson says there are more than 90 trees that should be cleared, a process that is underway.

"This is like a museum to me," Donaldson said. "Just because it's a cemetery doesn't mean that it doesn't hold just as much great history. The people who are buried here hold so much great history about the city of Charlotte that we will lose if this place continues to fall into decline."

Donaldson is holding a cleanup Jan. 30 and says hes contacted community members about forming a board to oversee the upkeep of Cedar Grove. One option could be the formation of an association that works with the city. In the past when Cedar Grove has received media attention, theres been a public outcry and a clean-up here or there. The goal this time is to make sure the maintenance is ongoing.

Donaldson also created a website called savecedargrove.org, where he hopes to connect with families who are searching for ways to preserve and restore the cemetery. Connecting with these families is key if Cedar Grove cemetery hopes to live on.

Ford whose father was buried at Cedar Grove some 60 years ago, agrees.

"Because my father was a great father, we were close," Ford said. "I sure would like to find out where his grave (is) so I can start visiting and bring flowers, and it would mean world to my family."

And while it would be a way for everyone to see that although people interred at Cedar Grove Cemetery may be gone, theyre not forgotten.

Special thanks to the Robinson-Spangler Carolina Room for archival access and help with fact-checking.

Read more from the original source:
Efforts to restore a neglected Charlotte cemetery prove it's neither gone nor forgotten - WFAE

The Port of Los Angeles announced the launch of a Dairy Exports Working Group to identify and address supply chain disruptions affecting dairy exports from the U.S.

The group will include the port, the International Dairy Foods Association and container shipping company CMA CGM.

American dairy exporters have been hard hit by supply chain challenges and trade policy that have made it difficult to get their goods to global markets,'' Port of Los Angeles Executive Director Gene Seroka said.

I'm pleased to collaborate with our dairy industry partners and the CMA CGM Group to launch this working group and find solutions that will benefit not only the dairy industry but all American exporters. We look forward to others joining this important initiative.''

Local news from across Southern California

The group will explore how to aggregate and streamline U.S. dairy exports, work to increase rail availability in the inland areas of the United States to reach exporters, determine the viability of implementing a ``fast lane'' concept for vessels that depart full or have less empty cargo containers.

U.S. dairy exports reached a near-record $6.4 billion in 2020 and continued to set a blazing pace in 2021 due to surging global demand, but the U.S. dairy industry could be exporting much more to destinations around the world if there was more reliability and predictability in the supply chain,'' said Michael Dykes, president and CEO of the International Dairy Foods

Association.

Our IDFA members are pleased to collaborate with the Port of Los Angeles and CMA CGM in this Dairy Exports Working Group on potential market-based solutions to clearing bottlenecks at our West Coast ports and land and rail systems. This type of collaboration is essential to avoid significant future disruptions to the U.S. dairy supply chain that will result if exports continue to languish.''

Port officials said that supply chain disruptions in the U.S. are costing millions of dollars for the dairy industry and damaging their credibility abroad. Dairy exporters are sending their products by air more than ever before, which sometimes costs 20 times more than by boat.

Read this article:
Port Of LA Teams Up With Dairy Industry To Address Supply Chain Disruptions - NBC Southern California

The seasons of Ualaqiq is a column by Laureli Ivanoff, an Inupiaq writer and journalist, exploring the seasonality of living in direct relationship with the land, water, plants and animals in and around Ualaqiq (Unalakleet), on the west coast of whats now called Alaska.

My sister-in-law, Yanni, says her grandma always had to sleep with a light on. Yanni once asked her why. Her grandma said that when she was growing up on Little Diomede, an island in the middle of the Bering Sea, there was always the light from a qulliq as she went to sleep. With only darkness at bedtime, the air felt suffocating.

Thats the only story I know of someone who grew up with the light of a seal oil lamp. Maybe my gram, too, went to sleep with a qulliq when camping with her family in a white wall tent. But now, like most questions that spring up in adulthood, its too late to ask.

I didnt see a qulliq until I was a senior in high school. I had flown to the big city, Anchorage, from Ualaqiq,orUnalakleet, the hardworking fishing and hunting town of just 750 people on the western Alaska coast, where I grew up and still live. To me, Ualaqiq is the center of the world. Its name, however, means southernmost: We are the southernmost Inupiaq community in Alaska, and were cradled by the river with the same name.

In Anchorage, at the Alaska Federation of Natives Youth and Elders Conference, in a fancy downtown building, I was maybe 50 feet from the stage when the organizers lit a seal oil lamp. Maybe in ceremony. Probably in demonstration. I was annoyed that I couldnt really see what was happening. But I saw light, and it felt sacred. People next to me were talking, and I wanted to stop them. To shush them. So they could notice. Appreciate. Because for generations, the qulliq had been forgotten. Seeing seal oil fuel light and heat ignited something inside me; I didnt have words for it then, but in that moment I understood that goodness comes from reclamation. Now I understand that restoring what was lost or taken away not only strengthens my identity who I am as a Native woman it softens my heart in relationship with others. Its nourishing.

Winter, Kivalina, Alaska.

So this past summer, when I saw an Instagram post about a qulliq workshop, I immediately signed up. Soon after, our postmaster handed me a package containing a 3-by-4-inch block of soapstone, along with a flat rasp and a curved one.

I laugh today, remembering how after more than a year and a half of takingCOVID precautions seriously and limiting my interaction with others, even the prospect of an online class made me nervous. But the anxiety completely left my body and kitchen the moment the workshop host, Kunaq, and the other students made their introductions. It felt good to be with other Inuk women who, though scattered throughout Alaska and the country, were eager to connect with a simple but long-hidden part of our culture.

Kunaq shared a few examples of different materials used for constructing a qulliq. She showed a photo of a 28-inch qulliq made of stone taken from Unalakleet and now housed in storage at the Anchorage Museum. She also showed a crude, simple qulliq made from an aluminum smoked oyster can. She discussed the traditional wicks: moss, or cotton from cotton grass or cottonwood.

Kunaq then asked a question that pulled at something deep and sad and hopeful inside me. When was the last time a qulliq was lit in your community?

I had seen a tiny, old seal oil lamp my cousin was gifted from a friend that sat on his shelf. No longer a tool for light, but an artifact. And when I was little, I found Papas skin scraper in his bedroom. The spruce handle, carved with peaks and valleys, was customized to perfectly fit his grasp. He probably never knew the word ergonomic, but Inuk tool makers like him were masters of the concept. He still had skins to scrape and preferred his handmade tools for the job, but by then Papa and Gram had electricity and no need for a qulliq.

On the final day of class, Kunaq taught us how to light our qulliit. Behind our house, surrounded by birch and black spruce, is a clearing of open tundra where we pick blueberries, cranberries and ayuu, or Labrador tea. That day, I gathered dry white caribou moss for the wick, and for the fuel I grabbed from our refrigerator a small mason jar of smooth white rendered fat from a black bear my brother harvested. Did my ancestors ever use bear fat? I plopped a few teaspoons of fat in the bowl of the lamp. Where is the last qulliq used by our family now sitting? I rubbed the lichen with my hands, feeling its dry scratchiness in my palms. I pressed lichen onto the lip, the highest part of the lamp, and lay more down its inside curve to connect the wick down to the fuel. What would my great-great-grandma have used for her wick? I dipped my fingers in the fat and dabbed, as if delicately icing the tippy-top of the wick. And in my kitchen, with a match, I lit my qulliq and watched the flame dance.

You should light your qulliq, Aaka, my 3-year-old son, Henning, said to me. It was one of those rare calm winter days in Unalakleet. Henning had just come inside from playing in what my husband jokingly calls naluagmiu, or white mans snow fluffy flakes that had fallen straight down, a type we rarely see in this windy country. It was just about suppertime and already dark, and I agreed with my bossy toddler.

I placed a small piece of paper towel into the seal oil lamp and spooned some bear fat into the soapstone vessel. Once the dull paper held a purposeful sheen, I struck a match and lit the qulliq. Henning watched the entire ritual. Though its not a daily thing, I do this often enough now that he takes it for granted. Like Dad getting firewood, or Aaka making tea with big drops of honey. And I love that. That unlike my experience, the lamp will always be in his memory.

I left the lamp on our kitchen table, and for a moment we both watched the small flame dance along the rim. The light simultaneously ancient and new. Grounding and lifting. Giving strength from just a flicker of understanding of where we come from. And I noticed my face and belly soften and my back straighten. Then Henning padded back to the living room to play.

For a Christmas gift, I sanded a qulliq for Yanni and my brother. My black leggings turned white from the fine dust that fell as I sanded the block of soapstone into a curved and graceful vessel. My butcher-block kitchen counter, the one I daily lose the battle to keep clean and uncluttered, was covered in dust, too. A piece of coarse purple sandpaper lay crumpled and softened. Used up. My sinuses felt heavy, but the air in my kitchen was buoyant and dancing.

This will not just sit on a shelf, I thought, the life of the lamp emerging as I removed smaller and smaller bits to refine the shape. Finally, I rubbed bear fat into my hands like it was lotion. I cradled the piece of matte, light-gray stone in my hands and moved it around, feeling its slopes and valley, its slippery surface. Once the whole lamp had darkened, smooth and rich, the qulliq was complete. I placed it on our kitchen windowsill next to my own qulliq, ready to light.

Laureli Ivanoff, Inupiaq writer and journalist, makes seal oil, dried fish and strong coffee in Unalakleet, Alaska.

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More here:
Rekindling connections in the small flame of a qulliq - High Country News

Heather West inspects damage from erosion near the Wetlands viewing platform. Photo: Friends and Residents of Goulburn Swamplands.

An environmentalist has lashed out at the long-term management of Rocky Hill, one of Goulburns most valuable natural assets.

In the latest setback following clearing to make way for houses, months of rain has washed out a scar on the hill, filled backyards and the Goulburn Wetlands below with mud and gravel, and likely killed fish and reptiles.

One of the wetlands original driving forces, Rodney Falconer, a former Goulburn high school teacher and environmental consultant, says Rocky Hill is an important scenic backdrop for the city, easily seen and complementing Goulburns wonderful heritage architecture. Mr Falconer says the residential development will create yet another hillside of ticky-tacky houses.

READ ALSO: I have one word for people complaining about noise at Wakefield Park Raceway: stop

Heather West from the Friends and Residents of Goulburn Swamplands (FROGS) said land clearing on the hill, contrary to Mr Falconers recommendations years ago, sent mud flowing into May Street backyards. At the wetlands, gravel had washed over grassed areas, mud was dumped into the ponds, slopes were eroded and revegetation mulching work gutted.

Mrs West said two of the dams the developers had since built on the cleared site had breached in the last downpour.

Unfortunately, when it isnt raining, they pump out the dams and let the water flow down May Street into the stormwater drains and into the Wetland ponds, Mrs West said.

The Goulburn Group, which initiated the wetlands project, says hundreds of tonnes of mud have destroyed paths and vegetation and caused significant pollution to the water, with the likely deaths of many fish, reptiles and other species.

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The Goulburn Group says the deluge was an environmental disaster waiting to happen given the indiscriminate clearing of trees and other vegetation on a steep hill.

We are dismayed that, despite objections and warnings on multiple occasions, inadequate action was taken to prevent what has occurred, a spokesman said.

A Goulburn Mulwaree Council spokesman said the developer, Lockenstrand Pty Ltd, has been fined twice for working outside consent guidelines and polluting water.

A stop-work order was issued and the only work allowed were control and prevention measures.

The spokesman said the developer was not allowed to pump silt water out of the dams during fine weather and needed to let sediment settle as they were only allowed to pump clean water out.

May Street, Goulburn, after the recent storm. Photo: FROGS.

Any dirty water that leaves the site is an offence and is considered a pollution incident, he said. Council is currently assessing our legal options in regard to further action against this developer on this matter.

Region Media has sought comment from the developer.

For several years, Mr Falconer has provided vegetation reports and recommendations for Rocky Hill. He cites author Jim Smiths Aborigines of the Goulburn district which records the Indigenous Gandangara who had a large corroboree ground, featuring large rocks on top of Rocky Hill where the memorial stands today. Below those rocks was a boys initiation ground.

Pleas from author Mary Gilmore, who lived nearby, to leave the Aboriginal areas of cultural significance intact were ignored as the community built the war memorial.

Large areas of the hill were wheelbarrowed up to make the war memorial and vegetation was stripped. The original eucalypt forest didnt grow back. Instead, Tasmanian and South Coast eucalypts spread from nearby street trees onto the northern edge.

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At the southern edge of Rocky Hill stood ancient scribbly gum with a healthy under-storey in which mostly Grevillea arenaria grew, which protected insects and small birds. This area was part of a significant migration route for native animals from the South Coast to the tablelands. The southern edge could still harbour the Rosenberg monitor, a threatened goanna species.

Yellow box woodlands, another threatened ecological community, grew at the bottom of the hill.

Im not sure how that was let go, certainly the environmental protection laws didnt do it any favours, Mr Falconer said.

He had also learned from land authorities water poured from rocks on the hillside long after periods of heavy rain.

Any houses dug in there, disturbing the rock, could put them at risk and possible landslides and so on, he said.

That whole central part of Rocky Hill was important, botanically diverse and had a lot of large old scribbly gum. It was in fairly good condition and a major asset to the town, but not viewed so by some of the older councillors in particular, he said, referring to the former Goulburn City Council.

He said the council had failed then and still today to appreciate Rocky Hill as an environmental and aesthetic asset.

The management of this site has not been studiously policed whatsoever, Mr Falconer said.

Original Article published by John Thistleton on Riotact.

Originally posted here:
Environmentalists angered by management of Rocky Hill - About Regional

There are so many ingredients that go into creating the final outcome of classic NFL games, leaving fans, media and former players and coaches alike stewing for a long, long time.

Who came up with these silly overtime rules? Why did the Buffalo Bills kick the ball deep with 13 seconds left in regulation? Why did Mike Vrabel go for two in a 6-6 game in the second quarter?

And as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers were frantically driving for the game-tying score with less than a minute to play in their Divisional Round game on Sunday, why did Los Angeles Rams coach Sean McVay throw Tampa Bay a lifeline by calling timeout just as the discombobulated Bucs were going to snap it on 4th-and-1?

But all of those curious decisions are playing for second place after a wild weekend of four walk-off winners. Because when you thought youd seen all the head-scratching decisions in NFL games after the Rams timeout and the subsequent game-tying touchdown, Buccaneers head coach Bruce Arians and defensive coordinator Todd Bowles told the world, hold my headset.

About the only way the Buccaneers could possibly lose in the final 40 seconds after Leonard Fournette tied it at 27-27 was to somehow allow someone like, oh, I dont know, the Triple Crown-winning receiver and league MVP candidate Cooper Kupp get behind the defense to set up a game-winning field goal.

And sure enough, Bowles and Arians called for an all-out blitz they never needed to call, Kupp got open and the Rams are playing the San Francisco 49ers in the NFC Championship Game on Sunday.

Within seconds of Kupps 44-yard reception, the second-guessers were out in full force. And they were led by two men that hit the Buccaneers awfully close to home.

Tony Dungy knows a little something about coaching and how to call defensive plays. When he coached the Buccaneers in the late 1990s and early 2000s, his defense was one of the elite units in the NFL.

In 1999, the last time the Buccaneers and Rams played each other in the playoffs, Dungy came within one of the worst officials calls in NFL history the Bert Emanuel catch ruled non-catch of derailing Kurt Warners Greatest Show on Turf in the NFC Championship Game.

So, imagine what was going through Dungys mind when Kupp was suddenly wide open and the Rams had survived. Actually, you dont have to imagine. Dungy tweeted it pretty much immediately:

Dungy was far from alone in asking that question. Literally three minutes after Dungys tweet, his former quarterback from that 1999 Championship Game, Shaun King, basically said the same thing.

If anyone was hoping Arians was going to provide a decent answer to those questions after the game, they were sadly disappointed.

On Saturday, Tennessee Titans coach Mike Vrabel could have hung quarterback Ryan Tannehill out to dry for his three crippling interceptions in the 19-16 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals, but he took the high road instead.

Arians, on the other hand, has all the tact of a wrecking ball, and when asked what happened on the play, instead of acknowledging that they never should have called for a blitz in the first place, he threw his defense under the bus, blaming the failure on the plays execution.

Some guys didnt blitz, Arians said. It was an all-out blitz. We should have gotten a ton of pressure.

It should be noted that the original question to Arians was, How was Kupp able to get so open? Did you have a blitz on?

That question was not answered, beyond affirming that a blitz was called. So instead of taking responsibility for what happened, Arians punted, then backed the bus over his players.

It did appear there was a miscommunication on the field, and at least one player who should have blitzed instead dropped back into a no-mans land, leaving safety Antoine Winfield alone to cover Kupp alone.

But that doesnt change the fact that calling an all-out blitz in a situation where you can only lose by getting beat on an all-out blitz was a colossal blunder. And it was made worse when Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford offered his take on the play.

Even if everyone on the Buccaneers side of the ball got the message and carried out the blitz as called, the result was likely going to be the same. Thats because Stafford read the blitz from the get-go.

I felt it after the snap, Stafford said after the game. Kind of recognized it was going to be an all-out pressure and was able to put it to a good spot. And Coop made agreat catch.

Once Stafford recognized that a blitz was on, he immediately knew that Kupp was going to have single-coverage. In fact, the blitz turned Kupp from a decoy on the play into the main receiver, making the decision to blitz look even worse.

Youre really never getting the ball, Stafford said of Kupps original role on the play, pre-snap. Youre just clearing out some area, working for some other routes. They decided to bring everybody and thats really the best option at that point.

Best option for the Rams, that is.

Stats courtesy ofPro Football Reference

RELATED: Buccaneers LG Ali Marpet Hints at a Culture Collapse if Tom Brady Retires

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Former Bucs Tony Dungy and Shaun King Lead the Army of Head-Scratchers Over the Bucs' Fatal Blitz - Sportscasting

Tesla has started construction on a new, much-needed giant Supercharger station in Santa Monica. The station was also supposed to include the automakers 1950s restaurant, but now its not clear if the diner is still in the plans.

In 2018,Elon Musk said that Tesla plans to openan old school drive-in, roller skates & rock restaurant at one of the new Tesla Supercharger locations in Los Angeles. It was yet another, Is he joking? kind of Elon Musk idea, but he apparently wasnt kidding.

A few months later,Tesla actually applied for building permits for a restaurant and Supercharger station at a location in Santa Monica. However, the project has since stalled, apparently due to local regulations.

Nevertheless, Tesla still moved forward with a Supercharger at the location as this part of Los Angeles really needs more Supercharger stations.

Last year, we reported on construction plans revealing that Tesla was planning a large, 62-stall Supercharger V3 station at the location. When the project was approved in April 2021, Musk again said that Tesla still was aiming to build a 1950s diner at the location.

Now almost a year later, a local Electrek reader spotted construction starting at the site:

The reader noted that construction is happening fast. The location was only a dirt lot only a few weeks ago. The company has already poured concrete and installed quite a few Supercharger stalls.

Now the question is whether or not the diner and outdoor movie screen are still in the plans, as Musk said last year.

The construction plans submitted to the city havent been updated with anything that could indicate a diner, but there are a few other constructions at the site, including solar canopies and a small building.

We will be keeping an eye on the project to see if anything more comes out of it.

But the main objective is to provide much-needed fast-charging to Santa Monica and the surrounding neighborhoods.

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Tesla starts construction on giant new Santa Monica Supercharger, but wheres the 1950s diner? - Electrek.co

ALTON - McDonalds officials made an announcement Friday via a sign in front of the old location at 717 East Broadway in Alton that many have been waiting for with some simple words: Construction Starts In Mid-March.

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Elizabeth, one of the managers at the location, is now at the McDonalds restaurant on Homer Adams Parkway and will return to Broadway when it reopens.

She said that she and the other employees who work at the Broadway restaurant couldnt be more excited and confirmed she heard the great news on Friday.

All the customers I see now from here who knows I am from there is so excited, she said. We are ready to have our store back on Broadway. It went up on the reader board yesterday (Friday)."

McDonalds on Broadway was destroyed in an early morning fire on June 18, 2021. The Bold family owns the McDonalds restaurant and have always been exceptional community citizens. The McDonalds employees from the Broadway location were moved to other McDonalds restaurants while the insurance discussions occurred and the plan to rebuild was devised. This once again shows the Bold familys commitment to their employees and their families.

Elizabeth said she and the other McDonalds cant wait to serve customers again on Broadway and said there has been a big void there without it over the past months.

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McDonald's Announces Construction To Begin On Broadway In Alton - RiverBender.com