Published: Wednesday, 26th August 2020

Oxford City Council is installing 90 new bike parking spaces in Oxford city centre.

The council will install 72 of the bike parking spaces by the end of August. This will see:

The New Road installation will also involve the replacement and upgrading of 24 existing bike parking spaces.

The remaining 18 spaces will be installed in Ship Street at the end of September when scaffolding work in the street has finished.

Installation work will be carried out by ODS, the councils direct services company that operates like a social enterprise.

The 90 spaces are in addition to the extra bike parking spaces that the city and county councils are installing as part of measures to help Oxford reopen following the coronavirus lockdown.

The council installed 130 additional bike parking spaces at its Park and Ride sites in June. These were installed with the aim of providing additional capacity once shops reopened. At the time, the government was encouraging people not to use buses due to the risk of infection.

Separately, Oxfordshire County Council is installing bike parking spaces at Oxford Parkway and Thornhill Park and Ride sites and across the city.

City, county and ODS officers are scoping a further tranche of locations. Oxfordshire County Council is due to make an announcement about new location sites in the coming weeks.

Our clear objective to improve health, reduce air pollution and cut congestion is to encourage more people to choose cycling to get to Oxford city centre, and we know that a lack of bike parking spaces is one of the obstacles to achieving that.

The support of our colleagues at Oxfordshire County Council and the University of Oxford, and the guidance of members of our disability forum on locations has been really valuable. We are continuing to look for new locations for additional cycle parking as the numbers of cyclists picks up again, and we are keen for businesses and organisations to consider installing secure bike parking for their workers and customers on their own land. ODS will be happy to quote for installing even small numbers of secure stands.

Councillor Louise Upton, cabinet member for a safer, healthy Oxford

Excerpt from:
Oxford City Council installs 90 new bike parking spaces in the city centre - Oxford City Council News

After looters crashed through his floor-to-ceiling windows and stole $1 million worth of booze in May, Chicago-Lake Liquors owner John Wolf wanted to protect himself from a repeat occurrence.

Like property owners throughout the world, he wanted to install security shutters on the outside of his building. The investment would not only prevent rioters from entering his store, it would protect his windows which cost $50,000 to replace.

But Wolf ran into a big obstacle: The city of Minneapolis has barred security shutters on building exteriors since 2004.

Unlike St. Paul, which allows external shutters as long as owners request a permit, Minneapolis limits security shutters to the inside of a property, leaving windows vulnerable to attack. In a report justifying the rule change, Minneapolis officials argued that external shutters "cause visual blight" and create the impression that an area is "unsafe" and "troublesome."

But in the wake of the riots, when police failed to prevent widespread looting and damage to more than 1,500 businesses in the Twin Cities, property owners said they can no longer count on the city to protect their property.

"Times have changed," Wolf said. "I am going to spend millions of dollars to bring my business back, and I don't want to buy 20 window panes and have them broken the first day. Property owners should have options on how to protect themselves."

Wolf is one of many small-business owners who have taken a sudden interest in security. At QMI, an Illinois company that bills itself as the largest provider of security shutters in the U.S., orders have doubled since this spring, when riots broke out across the country in response to the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis.

Tom Miller, QMI's vice president of marketing, said the company is hearing from restaurants and mom-and-pop stores that never expressed an interest in shutters before.

"It's nationwide, and it's impacting the whole industry," Miller said. "We have more business than we can handle."

Miller said Minneapolis is one of the few big cities that ban external shutters, noting the shutters are widespread in Europe and many major American cities, including New York. "It is usually the landlord that restricts their use rather than the cities," Miller said.

Minneapolis City Council Vice President Andrea Jenkins, who represents many of the businesses destroyed in the riots, said any property owner who wants external shutters can seek a variance from the city. She said the city would show "flexibility" regarding the rule.

"In general, I think people should be able to protect their property," Jenkins said.

Since Minneapolis put the rule into effect 16 years ago, just one business owner has sought permission for external shutters, city records show. The property owner said he needed the shutters to protect his retail shop, which had been burglarized several times after criminals broke in through the windows. The request was denied.

"While someone is authorized to file a variance, it is challenging to meet the legal findings that are necessary to grant a variance from this type of provision," said Sarah McKenzie, a spokeswoman for the city.

Quality Coaches owner Mark Brandow, who wants to install shutters on his car-repair shop on W. 38th Street, said Minneapolis officials told him his property wasn't "eligible" for a variance when he tried to file the paperwork in July.

McKenzie acknowledged the "miscommunication" in an e-mailed response to questions. "We apologize for the error," she said.

Brandow said he is glad city officials will now let him make his case because he was prepared to install a set of interior shutters for about $25,000. Brandow said even though his business wasn't damaged in the riots he is concerned that another round of rioting could break out if one of the police officers charged in Floyd's death is acquitted.

"I have never felt so vulnerable," said Brandow, whose shop is two blocks from another car-repair business that was destroyed in the May riots.

Brandow has been fixing imported sports cars and other vehicles in south Minneapolis since 1975. Though his shop was burglarized once, about 10 years ago, Brandow said he didn't consider barricading his windows until this year. Now in his 70s, Brandow said he needs to protect his business, valued at $860,000, because he can't afford to rebuild and won't be able to retire if his shop is wrecked.

In 1992, Brandow received an award from the American Institute of Architects for rehabilitating a historic building. But the property now looks like an "orphanage in distress," he said, because he has not removed the plywood he used to protect his windows during the riots as a protest to the city's stance on shutters. The boards are covered with graffiti.

"People in the neighborhood have asked me to take the boards off because it is ugly," Brandow said. "But I don't need to be pretty. I'm going to leave it ugly until I get some satisfaction."

Some business owners said they can't wait for the city to act on a variance request, so they have moved ahead with other forms of protection. Last week, Wolf traveled to Broadway Liquor Outlet in north Minneapolis to inspect a new system installed by store owner Dean Rose, who spent $12,000 for metal gates that sit inside his giant windows.

Though the gates won't protect the glass, they are designed to keep intruders out, Rose said.

Wolf was not impressed. "How long would it take to get through here? Two minutes?" he asked, as general manager Travis Smith showed him around the store.

Smith agreed that anyone with bolt cutters could probably make short work of the barricade, but he said it was the best the store could do.

"I didn't have much choice," said Rose, who reopened his store in July. "I know there is an ordinance against shutters, and I couldn't wait."

Rose, who estimates he lost more than $500,000 when his store was looted during the riots this year, said he spent about $30,000 to replace his 14 window panels. He said he is preparing to petition the city for a rule change that would allow many business owners to install external shutters.

"I think there is a way you can make an aesthetically pleasing security barrier that doesn't give a derogatory impression to somebody," Rose said. "The reality is, certain businesses needed to be protected because they are hot spots that people go to loot because of what's inside."

Jenkins said she is willing to consider changing the rule at the City Council.

"New York has metal shutters that come down at night, and it really does look like a fortress, so I think there were some valid reasons for instituting that ordinance," Jenkins said. "But everything is subject to change. So I would be open to looking at it given the new realities we are in."

See more here:
Minneapolis businesses fight ban on exterior shutters owners wanting to protect their windows after riots face obstacle - Minneapolis Star Tribune

We reported a month ago that Microsoft appeared to be showing off a new version of the Windows 10 Start Menu with rounded corners which appeared to be based on the latest versions of Fluent Design.

Now WindowsLatest may have an explanation of what we were seeing, with new references to WinUI showing up on Windows 10.

Specifically, a scan of Microsoft Program Database (PDB) files in Windows 10 Build 20197, reveals:

WinUI is a user interface layer that contains modern controls and styles for building Windows apps. As the native UI layer in Windows, it embodies Fluent Design, giving each Windows app the polished feel that customers expect.

WinUI 3 is the next version of the WinUI framework, shipping later this year. It dramatically expands WinUI into a full UX framework, making WinUI available for all types of Windows apps from Win32 to UWP (and presumably also OS development) for use as the UI layer.

Currently, the Start Menu, Action Center and other modern elements are written in XAML with UI components from Windows.UI.XAML.

It looks like Microsoft may be planning to update that code to point to use WinUi instead, which should help with developer adoption of the new UI framework in the future.

Read more here:
Microsoft may be getting ready to replace the Windows 10 desktop with a Fluent WinUI version - MSPoweruser - MSPoweruser

Restoration work could resume this fall on one of the oldest buildings in the D.C. region Magruder's Blacksmith Shop, a stone cottage in Potomac, Maryland, built four decades before George Washington laid the cornerstone at the U.S. Capitol.

WTOP/Dick Uliano

WTOP/Dick Uliano

WTOP/Dick Uliano

WTOP/Dick Uliano

Restoration work could resume this fall on one of the oldest buildings in the D.C. region Magruders Blacksmith Shop, a stone cottage in Potomac, Maryland, built four decades before George Washington laid the cornerstone at the U.S. Capitol.

The small stone house, the oldest building in Potomac, is a familiar landmark on River Road at Seven Locks Road just outside the Capital Beltway. But when its new owner installed a copper roof last summer and made other changes to the historic structure, the project was slapped with a Stop Work order, requested by the county Historic Preservation Office.

For nearly a year, the cottage, believed to have once been a blacksmith shop, has been bracketed on one side by scaffolding and surrounded by a chain-link fence.

I was shocked to see that copper was not an approved material. They explained to me the historical reason as to why that is, said Gus Stefanou, a Gaithersburg accountant who bought the historic building early last year. Its the oldest structure in Montgomery County, thought to have been built somewhere around the mid-1700s.

Stefanou also had installed vinyl windows against the historic character of the building.

Since the county ordered work to be stopped on the stone house last year, Stefanou has worked carefully with the Historic Preservation Office to ensure that the improvements he makes adhere to the structures history, according to Rebeccah Ballo, historic preservation supervisor with the Montgomery County Planning Department.

He has agreed to replace the new copper roof, installed last year, with a wood shake roof, replace a large dormer in the rear of the house with two smaller dormers and install wood frame windows to replace the white vinyl windows that were installed last summer.

The project now has been cleared by the historic preservation committee Im all about it being correct, Stefanou said.

Planning Department documents indicate that Stefanous second round of restoration plans were approved by the Historic Preservation Commission on June 29.

Stefanou is hoping that the work can resume on the historic house this fall.

Its a top priority for me. I do not like seeing the property in the current state its in, said Stefanou.

Link:
Restoration work could resume this fall on historic Maryland cottage - WTOP

We all know that Microsoft has been working towards making Windows look more appealing to the eyes as part of a major overhaul. And one of the design changes that the company has planned was to introduce rounded corners.

Over the last few days, the company has pushed out updates for internal applications like Maps, Calculator, Calendar, Sticky Notes, Windows Images, Movies and TV etc. where you can notice Microsoft dropping sharp-edged corners. Remember these changes are subtle as of now and can be found in the internal menus or pop-up alerts.

These rounded corners are expected to replace the sharp-edged corners that can be found in almost all other apps in Windows. To recall the older Windows operating systems did have rounded corners, however, when Microsoft adopted the Metro UI with Windows 8 and the Windows phones, the company chose to go with a boxy and formal user interface.

Since Windows 8, as well as Windows phones, are a thing of the past, this dated design also needs a change and Microsoft is doing just that. Unlike Apples macOS Big Sur where the corners are well rounded, the edges in Windows are subtle and are expected for Xbox, Office, and other Microsoft products in due course.

In a related piece of news, Microsoft is testing a ton of new features on the Windows 10 UI and the company is planning to replace the Windows 10 user interface with the modern and Fluent WinUI.

Senior program manager of the Windows Insider Program Brandon LeBlanc offered further insight on the preview build's most important feature in a blog post, saying:

We mentioned we had more Settings work on the way, and heres the next one as of todays build youll now be able to manage your disks and volumes from within the Settings app. This includes tasks such as viewing disk information, creating and formatting volumes, and assigning drive letters.

Via: Windows Latest

Read the original:
Windows 10s new look has been revealed early in some apps - TechRadar

Updated 8:00pm EDT, Wednesday, August 26, 2020

Trumbull may not have enough teachers to reopen school

TRUMBULL Less than two weeks before students report for their first day of classes, Trumbull officials are hoping they will have enough teachers to reopen the schools in-person.

The information was disclosed at Tuesdays school board meeting following a report that about two dozen teachers will not be returning to their classrooms because of concerns about COVID-19.

Were making progress, Interim Supt. Ralph Iassogna told the Board of Education at the meeting. Worst case scenario: Not enough returning teachers, and substitutes not adequate. We may have to consider another learning model.

The district had planned to reopen Sept. 8 using a hybrid learning model, with students divided into two groups and splitting time in the buildings. One group would attend live classes Mondays and Tuesdays, the other on Thursdays and Fridays. Each group would have remote classes on the three days they are not in school.

But the number of teachers who have opted out of returning to the classroom, which Iassogna estimated at between 20 and 25, is causing concern.

Right now, our numbers are OK, but there are a number of staff members whose (return to work status) are not processed yet, he said. It could go over 30, but I doubt it.

Information on the status of the non-returning teachers, what buildings and grades the teachers had been working in and what percentage they were of the districts teaching staff was not immediately available. Trumbull has six public elementary schools, two middle schools and one high school.

School officials are in daily contact with local colleges seeking eligible candidates to hire as long-term replacements, he said.

Though he remained optimistic that the buildings could reopen as scheduled, he conceded that the district may have to call a special board meeting next week if it became necessary to delay reopening. The Wilton school system made a similar call earlier this week.

If you cant get teachers, you cant run in-school or hybrid learning, he said. We are monitoring the situation very closely.

Board members had plenty of questions for Iassogna following his statements. Jacqueline Norcel expressed her concern that a last-minute change in plans could put families in a difficult position, especially considering many families had scrambled to arrange child care for a partial school return. Even temporary distance learning could be really difficult for a family, she said.

Scot Kerr also expressed concern over the impact of even temporary return-to-school delays.

Just to clarify, its possible we could open remotely before transitioning to hybrid learning? he asked.

Iassogna confirmed that was possible, adding that the district would continue to search for replacement staff during the period of remote learning, if necessary.

We may have to say, lets go remote for the first month while were still trying to hire them, he said.

Assuming the schools do resume in-person learning on some scale, there also is a need for as many as 40 more lunch monitors, according to Assistant Superintendent Jonathan Budd.

The issue, Budd said said, is that lunch monitors typically supervise the elementary school students while they are eating lunch in the cafeteria. But the current plans call for meals to be delivered from the cafeteria and eaten in the classrooms. Teachers contractually have a break during lunch times, he said.

Now we need two types of monitors, Budd said. Some to deliver the meals, and others to watch the children while they are eating in the classroom.

The district is currently seeking to add lunch monitors for two to three hours each school day, and Budd said the schools would work with people who were available only on certain days.

Aside from staffing, board members also had numerous questions about the readiness of the buildings to receive students. Chairman Lucinda Timpanelli commented that many of the schools do not have central air conditioning and asked about improving air circulation in those buildings.

John Morello, the facilities director, said adding ventilation to the buildings was a tricky task given the age of most of the buildings.

The only thing would be exhaust fans, like a bathroom fan on a larger scale, he said.

Portable air conditioners, which also have built-in particle filters, were out of the question because of the schools antiquated electrical systems, he said. Portable air purifiers were a possibility, given their much lower power draw compared to air conditioners, but finding them was a challenge.

The quickest place to get them is Home Depot, he said. But the school system would need dozens of the $270 units. Six Trumbull teachers required air purification for their classrooms because of existing health problems, Morello said, and so far he had only been able to find purifiers for five of them. A search of the stores around the state showed that most had either none or very few in stock, he said.

The (Home Depot) location in Trumbull is the only one, they received a pallet of 23 today and 20 of them are going to Sacred Heart, he said. Theyre going to see if they can get more.

Even placing cheap box fans in the windows of classrooms is not feasible because of their design, he said.

The windows dont open like a window in your home so you can put the fan in the window blowing out, he said. The windows swing open.

Simply placing a fan on a table pointed at the window would not work, since the angle of the glass in the open window would deflect air back into the classroom, he said.

Iassogna, who took over as interim superintendent when Gary Cialfi took early retirement in January, said the entire staff deserved praise for the can-do attitude and round-the-clock effort with which workers had addressed a series of unforeseen and unprecedented challenges.

People dont realize what we have overcome, he said. He rattled off a handful of issues that the schools have faced in just the past six months, including a new interim superintendent and search for a permanent one, a board member resigning during a public meeting, a national examination of race relations that has been led in part by students, COVID-19, emergency remote learning, and a $1.2 million budget shortfall.

These things take their toll, he said.

So with those challenges met, finding 20 teachers, 40 lunch monitors and a truckload of air purifiers doesnt seem quite so daunting, he said.

Or, as board member Tim Gallo said, a whole new set of problems could be right around the corner.

One thing were sure of is that tomorrow things will change, he said.

deng@trumbulltimes.com

Excerpt from:
Trumbull may not have enough teachers to reopen school - Trumbull Times

Manhattan: Public Advocate Jumaane Williams, in The right way to reopen schools (op-ed, Aug. 19), suggests that we not open the schools until after September, and, even then, only for the youngest children, phasing in older students gradually. If we do not heed his message, schools will open and close within two weeks, and, instead of providing instruction, we will have increased infections. I was a teacher and supervisor for 32 years in the NYC DOE. Do the powers that be really think children can socially distance and wear masks all day? All you need is one child who takes off the mask, or goes over to a friend for a chat, and youve potentially infected an entire class. Mayor de Blasios plan is doomed to failure. Do not open the schools. Begin with remote learning and proceed from there. Barbara Guinan, Ed.D.

See original here:
Readers sound off on camp in COVID, Broken Windows and car accidents - New York Daily News

An age-restricted mobile-home community moved one step closer to reality this week when the Pierson Town Council gave second and final approval to rezoning two large parcels next to the new elementary school on the north side of town.

The parcels totalling about 158 acres border the school site on the south and north. The land is owned by Samuel Bennett, a Pierson fern grower and businessman who also is the Town Council chairman. He abstained from the vote.

A parcel of approximately five acres fronting U.S. 17 south of the school remains zoned for future General Retail Commercial use.

Ive put a lot of time and effort into this, but I think it will be a good addition to the town, Bennett told The West Volusia Beacon several days before the vote. We are having a lot of growth in Pierson, but at a slower pace than other areas.

Before the rezoning, the land was designated for mostly agricultural and conservation uses, with a portion zoned for low-density estate residences. It now has MH-1 (Medium Density Mobile Home) zoning.

The rezoning is just the first hurdle in making the community a reality. Bennett said construction plans still have to be approved by the towns Planning Commission and the Town Council before any work could begin.

I would hope this would continue to move right along, he said.

According to Bennett and an analysis by the towns planner, Mark Karet, the community of 400 units will be restricted to residents 55 years of age and older and will include supporting amenities. The sites will be primarily for rent to residents who provide their own homes, but Bennett said he may install some manufactured homes to sell.

Plans call for the project to be built in phases, with 10 to 20 sites in the first phase, along with streets, city water and individual septic tanks, Bennett said.

According to Karets report, most of the 158-acre site is uplands and not in the 100-year flood plain.

Most of these uplands consist of pine flatwoods that have been periodically harvested in the past, the report says. The site does contain approximately 56 acres of wetlands. The regulatory agencies will require avoidance and minimization of development impacts to these wetlands either by eliminating impacts altogether or by limiting the degree of impacts as much as possible. The applicant [Bennett] will be required to maintain upland buffers along the perimeter of the wetlands to avoid secondary impacts to the wetlands.

Karet also pointed out that the community would have a positive effect on the towns economy.

The Town of Pierson is in need of new housing that will support existing businesses, the report says. The residences of this community will be over 55 years of age. In general this demographic tends to have higher disposable incomes than younger residents.

Bennett doesnt yet have a developer lined up to build the community, nor does he have any plans to develop the commercial section.

Im not looking to do anything with [the commercial portion], but its available if anyone does want to use it, he said.

Read more:
Pierson to get mobile-home community for those age 55-plus - The West Volusia Beacon

By Faye Gaston

The Union Springs Planning Commission met for a public hearing on August 3, 2020, VIA Phone Conference facilitated by City Attorney, Elizabeth Smithart.

Brian Agnew, Chairman, made comments prior to the Public Hearing: "In 2012 the City of Union Springs went through expensive and necessary public meetings to review the zoning ordinance and rezone and create new zoning for the betterment of the city.

"The new zoning ordinance limits manufactured homes (mobile homes), in the city. Mobile homes do not increase the value of property.

"When a mobile home is placed next to or near a stick-built home, the property values go down. There is value in owning a stick-built home."

The public hearing was about placing mobile homes on seven locations in the city. Speaking in opposition were Henry Brown regarding a mobile home on 204 Holcombe Avenue East, Jacqueline Patterson about 131 Seale Avenue, and Willye Nance about Johnson Street. No one spoke in opposition to placing a mobile home on 111 Montgomery Avenue, 161 Rayfield Street, 905 Johnson Street, or 406 Waugh Street.

The extended remarks from Willye Nance stated that the original zoning for the neighborhood (Johnson Street) is R-3-Multifamily Residential for high population densities-apartments, boarding houses, condominiums. Mobile homes are not included in the scope of the zoning ordinance as it is written.

They are provided for in the ordinance addressing manufactured homes. He gave quotes from the zoning ordinance and the Comprehensive Plan and stated his views. He said a mobile home would change the neighborhood from its original character and decrease the value of properties.

"I've observed that more and more mobile homes are being placed on lots contrary to zoning ordinances, giving many areas the look of large, mobile home parks. Even now, the areas along Tye Street, which dissect with the street where my property is, there are scatterings of mobile homes.

"The neighborhood is slowly losing its character. If this trend continues, the approval of Conditional Use Requests, will eventually make the R3 zoning ordinance null and void. I don't want that to happen in the neighborhood where my property is located. This would include Thomas, Tye, Johnson, and Locke Streets. I think existing zoning ordinances and the vision stated in the Comprehensive Plan should be strictly followed."

Speaking in favor of placing mobile homes as requested were Felicia Hudson, Lucy Bailey, Peggy Pitts, Shamika Smith, Svetlana Mack, Kennedy Mack, Andre Miles, Kaleah Miles, and Judy Glaze.

Members of the Planning Commission who were present VIA phone conference were: Bryan Agnew, Chr; Joyce Perrin, Co-Chr; Presetta Walker, Secretary; Mayor Saint T. Thomas, Jr., Carla Elston and Gary Hyche. Members absent were: Larry Stewart, Charlotte Phillips, and Peggy Goodwin.

The Public Hearing ended, immediately followed by the Planning Commission's meeting with a roll call vote regarding granting the requests.

Here is the original post:
Public Hearing conducted by Planning Commission | News - Union Springs Herald

The following Q&A comes from a recent interview with the Crawford/Hubbell family, who own the El Jebel area under Crawford Properties, LLC. Participating in the discussion were Adele Hubbell (the daughter of Floyd Crawford and widow of Carl Hubbell) and her two sons, Robert Hubbell and Prentice Hubbell.

Sopris Sun: The first question many people ask is Where does the name El Jebel come from?

Adele: The name was given by an earlier owner of the 1280 acre property Henry Gillespie. The name changed to the El Jebel Shrine in 1888 and is home to the Shriners fraternity which has included Arabic influences. El Jebel means mountain in Arabic.Sopris Sun: Please relate the history of Crawford Properties and how its tied to the Hubbell family.

Adele: My dad, Floyd Crawford bought El Jebel Ranch, then a farming and ranching operation In 1961. Crawford wanted to keep the town in harmony with its site, according to the website. Crawford made significant improvements including better water and sewage utilities, adding a fire department, a schoolhouse, a post office and widening and paving the road.

Sopris Sun: How do you feel now about the community your family has built?

Adele: I am so proud of what El Jebel has become. All the people who live here are like family.They are hard-working people who mostly commute to Aspen and are employed in businesses including restaurants and lodges. The mobile home park was created in the early 1960s to help provide affordable housing for workers on Ruedi Reservoir and the surrounding area.

Sopris Sun: How large is El Jebel and how many residents live here?

Robert: It runs from Blue Lake to Highway 82 and then across El Jebel Road to include the shopping center, now leased by restaurants and other businesses. The vintage large white house and the pond are now owned by another branch of the family. The community has between 1,000 and 1,500 residents.

Sopris Sun: What about the elk ranch?

Robert Crawford Properties owns the 180-acre section, but the elk herd is owned and managed by my uncle Noel Crawford.

Sopris Sun: How did the newly developed modular home section develop?Prentice: We started to explore expanding our El Jebel Mobile Home Park home park in 2015. It took a year of planning and cost analysis to see if we could afford to build it. This is the only product that would fit the price point we needed to be at in order to keep rents affordable. Today the average cost to build in the Mid-Valley is well into $300+ per square foot. We were able to install infrastructure and place these homes for roughly one third of that. That expanded area added 46 to the previous total of 289 residences.

Sopris Sun: What are the demographics of the area?

Robert: The population of the mobile home park is about 60 percent Hispanic, and most are married. We really have embraced their culture. Weve extended a hand out.

Sopris Sun: We dont want to forget about June Park, named for your grandmother, June Crawford. How did this come about?

Robert: It definitely took a village. Our support came from five local organizations plus 172 volunteers who came from Aspen to Parachute to help. The design was aided by a group of 20 kids who related their choices at a community meeting and wanted to include an area for adults while the youngsters enjoyed the playground.

Sopris Sun: Any future plans?Robert: Were looking at improving the infrastructure and amenities of the area, including switching from private sewage-treatment to the Mid Valley Metropolitan District. Weve already upgraded the ballfield,which gets a lot of use.

Sopris Sun: Do you have any vacancies?

Robert: No. The demand for the space is high. We probably get one to three people per day looking for a place to rent. We have a long waiting list.

Read this article:
Meet the Hubbells - soprissun.com