Feeling summer

Tom and I attended a public input meeting this week at which consultants presented a draft of the City of Jamestown Pedestrian and Bicycle Plan. Coordinated by the Chautauqua County Health Network's Creating Healthy Places to Live, Work, and Play project, which promotes a more healthy and active lifestyle,  the focus of the plan is finding out how to safely and comfortably connect key destinations (for cyclists and pedestrians) such as schools, shopping, services and parks with neighborhoods and downtown Jamestown. There was a good-sized crowd there, including Team Hollyloft, and it seems quite possible to quickly implement some of the recommendations if interested parties work with city officials to make them happen. (Too often people sit back and wait for somebody else to do something.) Enhanced crosswalks with more visible paint and additional signage, for instance, are an easy and inexpensive way to increase pedestrian safety. The "walking school bus," where children walk to school together with an adult chaperone, just needs volunteers to come forward. Other things like bike lanes, and especially a bike track that traverses the city, will take extensive effort and the location of funding sources in order to be accomplished. The vision is there, and now we need to see some follow-through to put the usual grumbling naysayers in their place.

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I wanted to say something about the "working poor," since I see quite a few of them around these days and the stereotype of  "lazy, unmotivated" people who get food stamps is just WRONG.  In fact, I know some very hard-working young people who piece together two or three part-time jobs (because full time hours with benefits are not offered) and perform important (but low paying) functions like assisting disabled and elderly persons, or standing on their feet for hours and cashiering/bagging to help you on your way with your groceries.  Some of them take classes in addition to working, although one cashier told me she doesn't have the money to spare for college right now (it has gotten quite expensive, if you haven't noticed). Some of them are frightened off by the crushing debt some of their peers are incurring in pursuit of degrees which no longer guarantee employment that will cover both living expenses and loan repayment.  Oh, the two or three part time jobs these "lazy" people are working don't amount to a living wage either, so they find themselves accepting food stamps as well in order to feed their children. But of course they make just a little too much to qualify for Medicaid, so if they get sick, they're on their own.

Why have we become so mean-spirited towards those who don't fit some arbitrary definition of financial success?  I think about this a lot, because I grew up in a hard-working family, in a different time. My father came from a large family with immigrant parents. His father died when he was still a child and he had even younger brothers. So when the Great Depression came, he was forced to quit school after the 8th grade to help support the family. Fortunately for him, our government came to the aid of its struggling people with civilian jobs and job training, and a military that taught marketable skills in exchange for service, and he was eventually able to support a family of his own, become a homeowner, and build a successful business.  Because life handed him some formidable challenges, he lacked formal education, and he accepted government assistance, but nobody would have called him lazy and unmotivated. Nowadays, life is still handing out all kinds of challenges, but rather than extending a hand (via our tax dollars, which we would rather see spent on low interest loans to Wall Street tycoons and unmanned aircraft that kill people, I guess), we kick people to the curb, expecting them to pull themselves up by their bootstraps when they can't afford boots.  Farewell, humanity.

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We finally figured out our tile pattern for the new bathroom, and that will be our project this weekend.  Hopefully, we'll also have time to take a break and check out the Yassou Festival at St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church. Good baklava is hard to find. I'll be thin in my next life.

June isn't exactly bustin' out

Our heat wave has been followed by something that feels like October, without the colorful foliage.

It's 42 degrees this morning. It's been warming into the low 60's during the day, and we've been getting some rain, for which the garden is very grateful. But this isn't June as I have been accustomed to. Alas, the global weirding continues.

William Baffin rose

The garden looks good. The indoor projects are still coming along.  We still have a big decision to make about flooring, and maybe we'll have it figured out in a year or so. The sheer number of decisions, small and large, that you have to make when you take on a remodeling project of this magnitude can be overwhelming. We are essentially doing a complete makeover of our entire house.

 But, I make a point of getting out and about in the community, supporting local events and looking for ways to make a difference. After church on Sunday, we went to the fundraiser for our locally owned low power radio station, WRFA, at Southern Tier Brewing Company. (In the true spirit of community, they host quite a lot of these fund raisers for local groups, and contribute a portion of the proceeds from food and beverage sales to the beneficiary.) The light rain failed to dampen the turnout, and our stellar local musicians had the place rockin' for the afternoon. 

Blueberries are growing!

This week, it's strawberry picking, the library book sale,  and the Rib Fest.

I want to say a few things about the working poor, and the not-so-poor who control the BPU, but I'll save that for my next entry.

Wish my kids were here, but life is really pretty good for these times.

Another heat wave

We've been roasting here, and it's not even officially summer yet. (I still need to get into the attic and find my summer clothes!)  The extra insulation in the house has been keeping us cool, though, without a/c.  You just have to remember to keep the doors and windows shut when it's hot outside. 


We've almost finished the interior painting.  There's still plenty of other stuff to do, but it appears we're near the point when we can arrange the furniture, organize our storage, and stop bumping into things (displaced bookcases, ladders, paint cans) cluttering up the middle of every room. I'm hopeful for a summer that can be enjoyed -- there's so much to do here when work doesn't get in the way, and it's been too long since I spent an entire afternoon reading for pleasure.


So, bring it on, June!  


The second annual Chautauqua in June series of learning experiences is underway, and the "summer people" are arriving. We've seen them in Wegman's in their bermuda shorts and sunglasses, studying the layout map of the store. While these workshops, classes, and events are, in general, not as costly as the regular Chautauqua season events, it has occurred to me that perhaps there should be a parallel, free or minimal cost series for those who would like to learn how to grow an garden or to make compost, how to cook using fresh ingredients (rather than opening a can and heating the contents), or how to repair a bicycle, but lack the disposable income to partake of these lessons.



Yes, there are some wonderful programs going on in the city. Case in point, the community gardens program offers raised bed garden plots for the season for a small rental fee (6' x 4' for $5 or 12' x 4' for $10). 

That will help a few people anyway.   


Jamestown Renaissance Corp., a partner to the community gardens program, also offers the Block Challenge for homeowners who want to improve the curb appeal of their block by offering matching funds and discounts from local hardware stores and garden centers, as well as design assistance. A neighborhood near us, Royal Avenue, has used this program to not only spruce up appearances, but to foster a sense of community among neighbors. They host an annual street sale that is not to be missed.  This year, the number of applicants for the Block Challenge has doubled. 


The downtown Jamestown Farmers Market, in Foundry Alley next to the Renaissance Center, will be open every Friday from 10 am till 4 pm, bringing farm fresh food to the people who live downtown but don't have cars (a large number of elderly) and everyone else. I've heard complaints from some people about the market being open on a week day and closed by the time they get out of work, and I don't know if this can be addressed.


The Street Jam charity basketball tournament is this weekend. The sponsorship has changed, but this has been a very popular event, bringing in a large number of people from surrounding areas, and the proceeds help provide services for people with disabilities.

Jamestown Community College will be once again hosting the 2012  NJCAA National Golf Championship at Chautauqua Golf Club June 4-8. The 72-hole tournament has qualifiers from over 20 states and 40 colleges.  Tom will be helping out with this one.


The Celoron Rib Fest will be held June 6, 7, 8, and 9 at Lucille Ball Memorial Park. Enjoy the beautiful lake and live music while eating some great barbecue.

Roger Tory Peterson has their annual Birding Fest June 8-9. 

Prendergast Library will be having their 33rd annual Book Sale June 8-9 also.


Merritt Estate Winery in Forestville has the Strawberry Festival June 9-10.


June 15 at 6 pm, an ArtParty at JCC Weeks Gallery marks the opening of Barbara Proud’s exhibition, First Comes Love: Radical Spirits, Civil Rights, and the Sexual Evolution , which we do not want to miss.

 St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church has their annual Yassou Festival June 15-16, 11 am - 11 pm, all day food and entertainment. Tom and I need to get to this one and see how it compares with the St. Demetrios Greek Festival in Cleveland. (It's a tough act to beat.)


June 15, 16, and 17 is also the weekend of the LakeArts Foundation Film Festival, "Politics Goes to the Movies."

The Jamestown Jammers, our single A affiliate of the Florida Marlins, open their NY/Penn League season on June 18 at 7:05 pm. Their games are always fun for the whole family.


On Saturdays during the summer, the Fenton History Center holds walking tours of the city's historic neighborhoods (members $5, non-members $10).


The 2012 Chautauqua Institution Season runs from June 23 - August 26.



Live music for the whole summer: Popular local band Big Leg Emma is playing a free, all ages show on Saturday, June 23 at 6:30 pm at the Southern Tier Brewing Company.  Riverwalk has free concerts on June 28, July 12 and 26, and August 9 at 7 pm. The 2012 Big City Concert Series on the patio behind Jamestown Arena kicks off on June 22. The Bemus Bay Pops 2012 Concert Series kicks off on Sunday, June 24. Dunkirk has bands playing every Thursday from 6:30 - 8:30 at City Pier Park.  


This is in addition to the very vibrant music scene always on display at local clubs.

I really don't want to spend my whole summer doing home improvements.  


I really don't understand the people who complain that this town is lame. 


I guess people are as happy as they make up their minds to be.

Too busy to update

Spring cleaning and planting have been keeping me very busy. Things that take me out of the house take me away from my computer.  Here are a couple of snapshots in lieu of words.

It's almost planting time

Wow, long time no update.  We just got the construction crew out of our house--which means I'm dusting and mopping and scrubbing, though it might take the rest of the year to get rid of all the drywall dust. And I still can't prime, paint, and start putting things in their proper places until our builder comes back next week to finish up a few details.  I'm getting a little edgy.

Meanwhile, we've been to Boston and back.  We celebrated our awesome little grandson's 4th birthday, and learned all about Super Heroes and Transformers!  The indoctrination sure starts early.

The arrival of grandchild #2 is just a couple months away now, and our petite daughter is looking like she swallowed a basketball.

Tom has sort of un-retired and has started a new part-time position at the college as their Sustainability Project Manager. He rides his bike to work. I don't expect him to be too popular with the faculty and commuter students when he tells them they all drive too much, but so far he's having fun and glad to have a project he can sink his teeth into.

Our Occupy group had its first public appearance at the college's Earthfest--we set up an information table and made some new friends. Then we had our second public appearance--a May Day CommUNITY Celebration in lieu of the "general strike"that most other Occupy groups were having.   We had some of Jamestown's most talented musicians and artists entertaining us throughout the afternoon and evening, vendors from local independent businesses, yummy food by Planet Earth Catering, kids getting their faces painted and dancing around a maypole, hooping and fire hooping, an alternative energy display, the Earth Awareness student group from the college, and lots of great conversations. The weather (unfortunately damp and chilly) kept the attendance down a bit, but we still had a great time. It's amazing what a few creative people can do without spending a whole lot of money. Admission was free, our entertainers volunteered their time and talent, and vendors were not charged a rental fee for their space. It was definitely a success. And we made more new friends. See how this works?

Pictures are at Occupy Jamestown The Blog.

Local power

 The title is a double entendre, but not particularly risque unless you want to stretch the meaning and say that coal is dirty. Which it is, regardless of all the "clean coal" propaganda.

I've now been to a couple of board meetings at the Jamestown BPU to observe and  learn how things work. I understand that the current coal-fired power plant is obsolete and in the process of being decommissioned. I understand that a large amount of our electricity comes from hydro-power via Niagara Falls. I understand that there are natural gas turbines generating power to meet the rest of the demand. I understand that shortages can be addressed by buying additional power off the grid.  I understand that there are issues with the reliability of transmission lines here, as everywhere, in a country that has dangerously neglected its vital infrastructure in pursuit of short-term and short-sighted gains. I understand that the BPU board has an obligation to continue providing its customers (particularly its business customers) with reliable and affordable electricity. And that, if the funding were available (which it isn't), they would elect to build another dirty (while insisting it is clean) coal plant in a heartbeat to keep that power flowing.  Because to have the courage and vision to move Jamestown into a renewable, clean-energy future would be...uncomfortable.

It's interesting because I was reading a couple of weeks ago about the people of Boulder, Colorado, who have voted for public ownership of their previously privately-owned utility in order to provide for their energy needs with wind and solar. And here we already have a public utility and... crickets.

There is a handful of environmentally-conscious and concerned citizens who, for years, have basically been a thorn in the side of the board. Having now been to a couple of the public board meetings, I have observed the members' annoyance at having to endure public input and questions while they're just trying to do their jobs.  I can't say I blame them. Public input is such an unusual and unheard of thing. What are these people thinking?  They're like mosquitoes at a picnic. I really would like to see MORE of the public become conscious and concerned enough to share their input, so the board members would get used to having to consider them.

Which brings us to the other "local power" in the title: if you're sitting at home and kvetching about something, you're helpless. Those who show up are the ones with the power.

Short note on a crazy week

The first night we had a frost following the early warm spell, I covered my new daffodils (planted last fall) to protect them. Now that things are clearly back to more "normal" for spring, I've decided not to fight nature.  So far, the daffs are proving to be pretty tough little buggers.  Glad I held off on planting any of my vegetable seeds, but the peas will probably go in this weekend.

The house is pretty torn up at the moment and we had to spend a couple of nights in a motel. Now the plumbing is back, so we can sort of live here again, as long as we make ourselves scarce during the day when the crew is working.  By tonight we will have stairs.

Today, I'm planting a cherry tree and shopping for shrubs.