I share an elevated boundary with my neighbour who subsequently applied for planning permission to extend and excavate part of my retaining walls and earthen support verges.

In lodging a planning observation, I anticipated the planner might have addressed some protections or inserted conditions cognisant of my rights of support, or at the very least cautioned against interference citing the risk of collapse with any disturbances to be made good. I was shocked to find that these potential concerns were ignored. Subsequently, many irregularities have surfaced, which I believe should render the entire grant void.

How successful might this approach be with An Bord Pleanla, and what exhibits should I include as a lay person?

It is understandable that you are concerned as you believe that part of your retaining walls and earthen support verges will be removed. However, the planning process deals with planning-related matters only and may not address such details. Details of structural issues are generally a matter for the applicant and his/her engineer or building surveyor, and boundary issues are a matter for the applicant and his/her neighbour.

I assume that there is a wall along your boundary. It is likely therefore that the legal boundary runs along the centre of this wall. Its not clear if the support structures you refer to are on your side of the boundary or if they are on your neighbours side, but you refer to them as yours as they provide support to your shared boundary wall. If they are on your neighbours side, he/she would be entitled to remove them but is obliged to replace them with an equally stable support structure.

The details should be formally agreed in advance and when completed, would require certification by a chartered building surveyor or engineer. If the support structures are on your side, your neighbours proposed development would be encroaching on your property. The planning application form requests the applicant to state that he/she is the owner of the entire subject property, and if not, to provide evidence of consent of the owner of other property included in the application.

The planning process does not seek to verify the ownership information provided. It appears that your neighbour did not get your consent to encroach on to your property. Irrespective of the outcome of the planning application, whether at planning authority stage or on appeal to Bord Pleanla, your neighbour cannot encroach on, or interfere with your property without your consent. Your neighbour should bear the cost involved in relation to the boundary, irrespective of which side the support structures are located, as he/she has instigated the development.

An appeal to Bord Pleanla must be within the four-week time limit. I suggest that you engage a chartered planning and development surveyor or planning consultant and provide them with the relevant information, required for appeal.

These include the planning file reference number; addresses of both properties; name of planning authority; copy of acknowledgement of receipt of your submission to the planning authority; a plan outlining the existing situation with the legal boundary clearly marked and also indicating the support walls and earth bank; a plan indicating the extent of your neighbours proposal, also with the location of the legal boundary clearly marked; a written statement outlining your case and, if relevant, confirming if the information concerning ownership in the original application is incorrect; and photographs, preferably from an elevated position.

It is difficult to predict the outcome. However, as outlined above, you have overriding rights in relation to your boundary supports and/or encroachment. While it is possible to make a third-party submission yourself, I advise that you engage professional assistance as there may be other aspects that will strengthen your case.

Patrick Shine is a chartered geomatics surveyor, a chartered civil engineer and a member of the Society of Chartered Surveyors Ireland

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Im worried that my neighbours extension will damage our retaining wall. What can I do? - The Irish Times

By Nathan Ham

The Gamekeeper Restaurant will officially reopen on Wednesday night with a new deck, additional outdoor seating, and a beautiful new rock retaining wall to add to the rugged look that so many customers have become accustomed to over the year.

Owners Ken and Wendy Gordon are excited to reopen and see their favorite customers and hopefully some new guests that want to venture out and try the unique food offerings at The Gamekeeper.

All the wonderful things we have wanted to do for 20 years, we finally did them, Ken said. It never seemed to be the right month and when it was the right month, it was always wet and rainy.

The downtime from the COVID-19 pandemic allowed crews to come in and be able to work through the spring and early summer to get the new looks completed.

We rebuilt the deck and the entrance and we have handicap accessibility to the front door, which is something we have wanted for a long time, explained Ken. We have extended outdoor seating as well by extending our retaining well and adding patio space outside.

The rock retaining wall was put together by Nova Sky Construction and was done mostly by repurposing large stones that were already on the property and just needed to be put into place. The outdoor seating has been expanded to 10 tables.

With the newly expanded seating outside, it will be a lovely place to watch the sunset, said Ken.

Inside you will notice a fresh coat of paint as well as newly refinished floors. The menu will include a lot of The Gamekeeper favorites, including the mixed game grills and chocolate martinis. Michael Vinson, the new matre d who found his way to the High Country from Pinehurst, has a vast knowledge of wine and will be happy to match a wine selection to your meal of choice.

Reservations by phone are required for each day. The Gamekeeper will be open Wednesday through Sunday from 5-9 p.m. Reservations can be made by calling 828-963-7400.

OPEN AND READY FOR DINERS

NEW ROCK WALL

CONSTRUCTION PROGRESS DURING JULY

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Gamekeeper Restaurant Has Reopened After a Summer of Renovations and Improvements - High Country Press

Waters rise at the intersection of Lewis and Pump streets by Gloria's Pupuseria on Aug. 8, 2020 when a flash flood hit downtown Staunton.(Photo: Submitted/John and Gloria Gerber)

STAUNTON - The City of Staunton saw damage to 164 public, residential and commercial properties totaling $3.1 million in damages.

The city has submitted the preliminary damage assessment to the Virginia Department of Emergency Management, a release said.

The property damage totals werebased on reports from city staff, commercial property owners and residential property owners that have been received since Saturday, the release said. The city is continuing to get damage reports from property owners for damage to private properties. Reports can still be made by calling 540-332-3960 or emailingfloodreport@ci.staunton.va.us.

Any additional information received from private property owners in the comingdays will be submitted by the city to VDEM in a follow-up report, the release said.

The city sent the following breakdown of the assessment:

We appreciate the speed and diligence with which private property owners have contacted us with the necessary details regarding residential and commercial damages, Staunton Fire Chief Scott Garber said in a release. Their cooperation during what is a very challenging time has made it possible for us to compile a comprehensive and accurate preliminary report for VDEM.

The city is awaiting eligibility for assistance from the state for both city and private property owners and a possible referral of the assessment for federal assistance from to theFederal Emergency Management Administration (FEMA).

See footage from Saturday night's flooding in downtown Staunton. Staunton News Leader

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More: Exactly 17 years to the day, Staunton sees another devastating flood

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A car is submerged in floodwaters during Saturday night's flood in downtown Staunton. Staunton News Leader

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Over $3 million in damages due to flood that hit Staunton - The News Leader

This spring's high water in Mill Creek caused a washout on the Bitterroot National Forest's Mill Creek Trail. A section of the trail disappeared near milepost 0.5, requiring a temporary bypass for hikers. Tod McKay of the Bitterroot Forest said that horses were unable to get by the eroded section. A week's closure and repair project will bring the trail back to normal use. Starting August 17, crews will build a 20-foot wide by 10-foot tall retaining wall. The 48-ton structure will allow passage when completed. During the project, hikers can use Cow Creek Trail #3 to access the trail beyond the footbridge.

Crews will be using jack hammers and installing wall materials at the damaged site. That will require the closure of the trailhead and Forest Road #1348. The trail will be closed from the washout to the footbridge at milepost 0.75. Forest Road #1348 will also be closed while the repairs are being made. The project is west of Corvallis in the Stevensville Ranger District and construction will be from August 17 to August 25. If you need more information call (406) 777-5461.

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Mill Creek's Washed Out Trail Will Be Fixed - klyq

The Park City Police Department last week received at least two reports of water infrastructure issues in different neighborhoods.

On Saturday, Aug. 8 at 11:09 p.m., the police logged a report of water shooting out of the ground in the vicinity of tennis courts at or close to the intersection of Webster Drive and Three Kings Court. The water was reaching a height of upward of 12 feet and appeared to be a result of an issue with a larger pipe, the police were told.

On Wednesday, Aug. 5 at 6:53 a.m., meanwhile, water was exiting the ground on Deer Valley Drive, apparently reaching a height or distance of approximately 15 feet. The police said a utility issue caused the spraying.

Other incidents reported to the Police Department last week included:

On Sunday, Aug. 9 at 10:42 p.m., a person reportedly had slept in an apartment complex on Kearns Boulevard for three consecutive nights. The person who contacted the police indicated the person might be homeless.

The police at 10:13 p.m., received a report from someone who was looking up at the mountain he can see what he thinks is a headlamp that was flashing periodically but not moving. The person who contacted the police, who was in a pool on Lowell Avenue, said it was strange.

On Saturday, Aug. 8 at 11:35 p.m., a party was reported on Solamere Drive. There were approximately six people making lots of noise, the police were told.

The Police Department received two reports of apparently unrelated hit-and-run traffic accidents in quick succession at 2:08 p.m. and 2:27 p.m. They occurred within four blocks of each other on Park Avenue. Public police logs did not provide details.

Someone in the vicinity of Royal Street at 12:34 p.m. contacted the police wanting to report issues with parking. The person told the police drivers opted against a location where the price was $30, prompting them to hunt for spots elsewhere on Royal Street.

An altercation was reported at the skate park at City Park at 12 p.m. Public police logs did not provide details.

Two bicycles were reportedly stolen from the back of a truck at 11:27 a.m. The case was logged on Lowell Avenue and was classified as a suspected theft.

Someone on Woodside Avenue contacted the police at 2:12 a.m. about what sounded like a party on nearby Norfolk Avenue. The police logged the case as suspected disturbing the peace.

On Friday, Aug. 7 at 9:46 p.m., the police received a report of a possible party on Silver Star Court. A manager indicated there were complaints and numerous cars, according to public police logs.

A driver reported a vehicle suffered overheated brakes at or close to the Old Town roundabout at 6:13 p.m.

A truck reportedly hit a power line on Daly Avenue at 2:58 p.m. The line remained in the air afterward and it looked as it if skipped off the top of the truck, the police were told.

A steel plate in the road on the 1500 block of Kearns Boulevard reportedly had shifted, leaving the possibility of a tire becoming stuck in the opening, the police were told. The Police Department said the plate presented a traffic hazard.

The police at 11:43 a.m. received a report from a business on Lowell Avenue, where someone refused to wear a mask, the department was told. The person who declined to wear a mask indicated they were medically exempt, the police said.

The police at 11:35 a.m. received a complaint about people drinking beer at City Park or on the bordering Sullivan Road. The people had been there for nearly a week, the police were told. The police said the circumstances were suspicious.

A hit-and-run traffic accident was reported on Sidewinder Drive at 7:29 a.m. There was damage to the rear bumper, the police were told.

The Police Department at 12:55 a.m. received a report of loud youngsters outside somewhere along Daly Avenue. The person needed to wake up for work the next morning, and they wanted an officer to remind them to be quiet and ask if they could go inside, the police said.

On Thursday, Aug. 6 at 11:37 p.m., a party with music was reported on Prospector Drive while, in an unrelated case, loud music was reported close to the intersection of Main Street and Heber Avenue at 10:56 p.m.

A vehicle that was parked on Main Street at 7:02 p.m. leaked gasoline, the police were told. The leaking was bad, according to public police logs. The police classified the case as a suspected hazardous-materials spill.

On Wednesday, Aug. 5 at 8:50 p.m., a car was reportedly left in a location where it partially blocked a driveway on Comstock Drive. The police contacted the owner of the vehicle.

On Tuesday, Aug. 4 at 6:01 a.m., elk were seen close to the road on S.R. 224.

On Monday, Aug. 3 at 8:22 a.m., graffiti was reportedly found in three locations a bridge, a retaining wall and a rock on or in the vicinity of Twisted Branch Road.

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Park City police blotter: Water shoots out of the ground - The Park Record

Where were you when the lights went out?

Alyssa Nightingale was changing the sheets on her mom's hospital bed. She didn't think much when the electricity went poof;after all, Tropical Storm Isaias was coming through, hammering Long Islandwithpunishing wind and rain.

How many calls did you make trying to get somebodyat PSEG Long Island to estimate when the darkness, the heat, the rapidly warming foodstuffs and a whole lot more would end?

Nightingale said she tried to report the outage, but everything, including internet and phone service, went dead. And, she said, she wasn't about to leave the house or her mother,Gisela.

"At that point, you know,I was concerned, because I couldn't have her getting up at night in the dark, getting injured or hurt or breaking something," said Nightingale, who works in public relations.

Many people tried to use PSEG's text-message system, but Nightingale took to herphone.

On Aug. 5, Nightingalestarted calling.

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And calling.And calling.

Over six days, she said, she ended up making two shy of 50 phone calls.

And that's a conservative number because it doesn't include the times she punched PSEG-LI's number into her phone butcouldn't get a connection.

"I went kind of crazy," Nightingale said. "There came a point where I said, no, no, no, I have had enough, I am going to get through to somebody, anybodyand get some answers," she said.

To that end, Nightingale often would get into her car and hunt, firstfor stronger cellphone service and, later, for PSEG-LI service trucks.

But let's not get too far ahead.

Nightingale was changing the bed on the afternoon of Aug. 4because her mother had been released recently from the hospital. Because of COVID-19, Nightingale and doctors had decided that home was the best place for mom to recover from an infection unrelated to the virus, Nightingale said.

Luckily, mother and daughter live next door to each other, on Spring Street, in Cold Spring Harbor.

That's alot of springs, but they have a place in this saga because the homes like many of the historic buildings inthe area were built over springs. Thus, they rely on pumps to keep water from the springs from accumulating in the basement.

On Aug. 5, she made three calls and got through, she said, to report the outages.

At Newsday's request, Nightingale shared records from her cellphone.

It shows that she started out small with the three calls to PSEG-LI's 1-800 on Aug. 5.

On Aug, 6, Nightingale called eight times.

On Aug. 7, she called seven.

One day later, she ended up calling 12 times.

The day after, 11.

Then came 8more calls, on Aug. 10.

But it wasn't just the volume of calls, it was time a total of 438 minutes, which works out to 7.3 hours.

Her shortest time on the line wasone minute. The longest was an hour and five minutes, her records show.

Did you ever get through, not to a recording but to a livingPSEG-LI representative?

Nightingale did several times, in fact, when she ended up talking to PSEG-LI repsincluding Jay and Christina and Katie.

That's not to say she didn't spend time on hold before getting disconnected; that happened a few times, including after a31-minute wait that ended when she was cut off.

Nightingale got crafty. When prompted, she didn't press any of the options and ended up getting real people on the other end of the phone.

"They would tell me one thing, then another and then promise one thing and another," she said.

A few times, at the end of a call, she wasprompted to answer a company survey.

She said she savaged PSEG-LI's service in the ratings, "but I made sure to give the reps high marks because they were doing the best that they could, and it wasn't their fault we kept getting different estimates, that we weren't getting power."

On Aug. 8, the power went on in her mom's house.

She remembers it well because she'd tried to reach PSEG-LI at 2:19 a.m., and againat 2:23 a.m.

Nightingale grabbed a flashlight and made her way next door, hoping to hearpumps working.

There still was silence.

So Nightingale remained with her mother.

And that was a good thing. Itmeant Nightingale could cease her daily hunt for cellphone and Wi-Fi service, which had taken her first to a locationoutside a Starbucks on Main Street in downtown Huntington (no good); to a darkened Dunkin Donuts on Southdown Road(also no good); to a Dunkin Donuts on Route 25A in Northport (nope); and finally to success outside an office building not too far from her home.

"I don't know," she said, "but as awful as it was for us, I kept thinking, over and over, how awful it was for people who didn't have cars, who couldn't make calls, who couldn't get their work done.

"It made me angry," she said.

She grew angrier once she began to see PSEG-LI officials on television.

"They kept spouting numbers, rather than saying, hey, we accept that we messed up and it's going to be a while and maybe you need to make other arrangements," she said. "They kept giving estimates, and we kept believing them, but I'd go out when they were supposed to be there and they weren't there, and I would drive around looking, and couldn't find anyone out there,either."

Where were youwhen the lights came on? For Nightingale, it was two days after her mother's.

Nightingale was sitting on a retaining wall, across the street from her cottage after a neighbor had blocked a PSEG truck.

She sat there, on Aug. 11, watching as a line was repaired.

Nightingale didn't go inside her cottage, she said, until after another neighbor had confirmed the return of electrical power.

She'd been out for eight days.

PSEG Chief Operating Officer Dave Eichhorn, has acknowledged the frustration of PSEG-LI's customers.

Joye Brown has been a columnist for Newsday since 2006. She joined the newspaper in 1983 and has worked as a reporter, an editor, newsroom administrator and editorial writer.

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Brown: How many calls does it take to get the lights turned on? - Newsday

Q: Creeping Charlie is taking over the land from our backyard down to a pond. What is the best way to get rid of it? I am hoping not to use anything that would run into the pond and be bad for the wildlife. Thank you!

A: Creeping Charlie flourishes in areas that grass does not. Unless you change the environment, it will continue to out-compete grass and come right back with a vengeance. The problem is usually that it is too shady, or the ground is wet or compacted. It may also be a combination of these problems.

You could dig out the creeping Charlie by hand, but that is not very practical with the quantity you have.

You could spray the entire area with Rodeo, which is glyphosate (the same ingredient in Roundup) but does not hurt water life, and kill all of the vegetation, both weeds and grass. You then would have to change the water flow down the hill, maybe with a French drain, so it does not saturate the area you want grass. You would have to somehow core aerate to help with compressed soil. This would not be easy on a steep hill. Then you would have to re-seed or sod.

If it were me, I would learn to like creeping Charlie. It has a bad reputation because we have been convinced by advertising that we need a homogenous lawn, but it is actually not a bad plant. It is low maintenance and does not need mowing or fertilizing. It also provides some nectar to pollinators though not much pollen, which pollinators also need.

Or if you felt really ambitious, you might consider replacing the lawn with something more suitable to the habitat. Lawns, as you point out, can cause chemicals to run off into the water. Replacing turf grass with native plants can help prevent erosion, reduce algal blooms and attract wildlife. There are lots of suggestions here for attractive shoreline plantings: dnr.state.mn.us/lakescaping/index.html.

Written by U of M Extension Master Gardeners in St. Louis County. Send questions to features@duluthnews.com.

Read the original here:
Ask a Master Gardener: In the battle with creeping Charlie, sometimes the best answer is to give up - Duluth News Tribune

Bernd Leinauer, Southwest Yard and Garden Published 2:21 a.m. MT Aug. 9, 2020

Manifold made from a flexible 0.75-inch diameter pipe follows the contours of the turfgrass area. Drip lines are connected to header line using a PVC tee and an adapter.(Photo: New Mexico State University)

This week, the question comes from yours truly (i.e., Dr. Marisa Thompson, regular writer of this column). Ive heard about subsurface drip as an improved way to irrigate turfgrass, so I invited NMSU Extension Turfgrass Specialist Dr. Bernd Leinauer to bring us up to speed. See photos of subsurface irrigation athttps://nmsudesertblooms.blogspot.com/2020/08/subsurface-drip-irrigation-for-new.html

Despite their proven inefficiencies, pop-up sprinklers are still the most common systems for irrigating lawns or other turf areas. Sprinkler overspray, overlap, wind driftand evaporation losses all contribute to water losses that increase overall water consumption and/or decrease plant quality. An alternative to sprinklers is subsurface drip irrigation (SDI). Drip irrigation systems have been frequently used to irrigate trees, shrubs, flower bedsor vegetables, but theyve received little acceptance for turfgrass irrigation. They offer a solution for lawns that are difficult to irrigate, such as narrow strips, slopes, or unusual, irregular-shaped areas, which is the case for many residential lawns.

SDI systems irrigate either from a point (equally spaced emitters) or a line source (e.g., soaker hoses) using polyethylene pipes buried at shallow depths. SDIs benefits have been extensively studied in agriculture, but SDI has received very little acceptance or attention for turf irrigation, despite strong evidence of its water savings.

Advantages of SDI compared to sprinklers include energy savings due to a lower operating pressure, no human exposure to irrigation water, reduced plant disease pressure, and water savings. Water savings of 50% to 90% have been reported when turf was irrigated using SDI. With SDI, water is applied directly in the rootzone only to the area requiring water. Savings result from improved distribution uniformity (no sprinkler overlap), no water loss due to wind drift, and no evaporation losses during irrigation. Another advantage is that turf areas can be used during irrigation, which is important for golf courses or athletic fields.

Arguments against SDI include higher installation costs and difficulty in determining spacing and depth of pipes or emitters. Other arguments against SDI are based on inaccurate assumptions, including a perceived inability to establish SDI irrigated turf from seed or sod, a perceived interference with regular maintenance, and a perceived inability of SDI irrigated rootzones to leach salts.

Potential additional costs of SDI depend on a number of issues, and therefore will vary from substantially more to less than sprinkler systems. Costs for material and installation (labor) depend on the soil type, sizeand shape of the irrigated area. Areas that require many connections to the header lines can be significantly more expensive than a sprinkler system for the same area. However, SDI systems used on areas that require only a few connections to header lines (e.g., long and relatively narrow areas of turf) can be less expensive than sprinklers

Research has shown that SDI-irrigated turf can be fertilized with granular fertilizer without any loss in color or quality. If sufficient soil water is present, nutrients from the granule will become plant-available regardless of whether water is applied from the surface or subsurface. However, most large turf areas with an SDI system have an injection system and apply liquid fertilizer. Home lawns can also be fertilized with a hose-end sprayer (foliar/liquid fertilization tool). If granular pesticide applications require watering-in from the surface, either hand watering or a temporary surface irrigation system may have to be used. Core aeration can be applied if the drip lines are installed below the penetration depth of the core aerator. Deep tine aeration cannot be conducted on SDI-irrigated turf.

We have no published data available on the longevity of SDI systems. We recommend that all SDI systems be installed with filters (disk, screen, or sand) and flush valves to prevent clogging from sediments/particles. Potential root intrusion can be addressed by using products (e.g., Toro DL2000, Netafim TECHLINE HCVXR, or Rainbird XFS) that offer technology that protects the emitter from root intrusion. Our oldest SDI system was installed in 2003 and is still working fine.

SDI systems in lawns should be installed 3 to 6 inches below the surface. It is easiest to install if the pipe network can be placed directly on the ground and subsequently covered with soil up to the appropriate depth. However, an SDI system can also be trenched into soil that is already in placeor trenched into an existing lawn

The drip line depth and emitter spacing depend on the type of soil, type of grass, and whetherthere is a slope. Our general recommendation is to place emitters and drip lines 1 foot apart, particularly in sandy soils. However, for finer-textured soil, such as silt or clay, emitters can be spaced up to 18 inches apart. On slopes, lines should be placed closer together at the top but farther apart at the bottom to account for internal downhill water flow. If SDI is used close to driveways, walkways, or other hardscape, place emitters no more than 6 inches away from these surfaces to avoid dry soil along that border.

Drip lines are usually connected to header lines, also called manifolds. Commonly used SDI lines are 0.5 inches in diameter, but manifolds should be larger and can be anywhere from 0.75 to 2 inches, depending on the length of each drip line and the lawns size. Larger manifolds should be used on each end of the drip line and allow for sufficient water supply at the appropriate pressure to each drip emitter. If areas are small and drip lines are relatively short, manifolds can be made of drip line.

For more gardening information, including decades of archived Southwest Yard & Garden columns, visit the NMSU Extension Horticulture page (http://desertblooms.nmsu.edu/), follow us on social media (@NMDesertBlooms), or contact your County Extension office (https://aces.nmsu.edu/county).

Guest author Dr. Bernd Leinauer (NMSU Extension Turfgrass Specialist, @NuMex_Turf) is based in Las Cruces and performs research in turfgrass water conservation. Regular author Dr. Marisa Thompson (NMSU Extension Urban Horticulture Specialist) is based at the NMSU Agricultural Science Center at Los Lunas.

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Considering subsurface drip irrigation? Here's what you need to know. - Las Cruces Sun-News

Decades of racist transportation policy have saturated non-white neighborhoods in heat-absorbing asphalt and shortchanged residents of those communities of greenspaces that might absorb all that heat resulting in parks that are half the size as those in majority-white communities, a new study finds.

Parks that serve majority non-white populations are, on average, half as large 45 acres compared to 87 acres, according to an analysis of 14,000 cities conducted by the Trust for Public Land.

Communities with a majority of low-income households fared even worse: their collective park space was just 25 acres in the average urban area, compared to 101 acres in richer areas.

Those discrepancies have particularly dire implications during the ongoing pandemic, when many free indoor spaces remain shuttered and residents are turning to often scarce parkland for socially-distanced recreation.

The researchers found that small parks were more likely to be located in areas with unusually high population densities and a majority of poor, non-white residents. Green spaces that serve people of color are typically five times more crowded than their white-serving counterparts, and parks that serve poor residents are four times as crowded as rich ones.

But of course, avoiding catching coronavirus at your favorite pocket park on a busy day isnt the only health risk posed by insufficient greenspace (and over-abundant asphalt) in our cities. Thats because trees can play an outsized role in regulating the temperatures of our cities overall just as extra-wide, car-focused roads can play an outsized role in heating cities up to dangerous levels.

In addition to providing shade, trees act as natural air conditioners unto themselves through the process of evapotranspiration, channeling water from the ground and releasing it through the surface of their leaves, cooling the surrounding air by up to nine degrees. And a high density of trees, such as a well-planned park, can have a stunning, neighborhood-wide cooling effect: the Trust for Public Land researchers found that the ambient temperatures around homes located within a 10 minute walk of a park were as much six degrees cooler than areas located beyond that range.

People who live in concrete jungles built around the automobile, by contrast, dont get to enjoy all that free, natural cooling and as a result, they suffer a host of health outcomes whether or not they ever step foot on our deadly, car-clogged roads.

More than 65,000 people every year are admitted to an American emergency room for conditions like heat stroke and heat exhaustion, which can impede circulation and interfere with brain, lung, and kidney function, often to fatal effect. Excessive temperatures contribute to the deaths of an average of 5,600 people each year in the U.S. a number thats just barely lower than the average 6,000 pedestrians who are killed by drivers each year. And 81 percent of those deaths happened in urban areas, largely among people who were simplyexistingin an over-paved city environment, rather than among rural people, for instance, who were laboring in a field on a hot day.

Even worse, modern conveniences that could theoretically cut the death toll, like air conditioning, come at a financial cost that the many residents of the hottest and most heavily-paved environments simply cant afford. Researchers have found that the phenomenon of energy poverty is already approaching epidemic levels in many nations, and that poor residents who adopt air conditioning see their electricity costs skyrocket an average of 35 to 42 percent.

Of course, many poor (and predominantly non-white) Americans simply have no choice but to skip the window unit and try to live with the heat even if it literally kills them.

In California, for instance, emergency-room visits for heat-related illnesses jumped 35 percent from 2005 to 2015, but the increases were steeper for certain groups, the researchers noted. Hospital visits increased an average of 67 percent for Black Californians and 63 percent for Latinos; among White Californians, however, they rose only 27 percent. Urban heat islands and lack of access to air-conditioning are frequently cited as factors.

So how can we expand access to life-saving green space for non-white neighborhoods without displacing the residents in the process?

The authors of the Trust for Public Land stress that its crucial to learn from the racist legacies of projects like New Yorks Central Park (and more recent examples) and work with communities to build the kind of green spaces they want most.

This is why a lot of us emphasize the issue of representation, said Carolyn Finney, author of Black Faces, White Spaces: Reimagining the Relationship of African Americans to the Great Outdoors. Its not that people of color dont care about their parks. Sometimes, its that no one has ever asked them what they think. Cities need to make space for their voices.

As cities undergo the long-term collaborative process of reclaiming car-focused space to build large parks in BIPOC communities, there are still ways to cool things down in the short term. Planting trees in vacant, city-owned lots, repurposing parking spots with sod and planters, and even putting a micro-forest on a flatbed truck are all innovative options. And of course: dont forget humble street trees, which have the added benefit of calming car traffic and providing a natural barrier for pedestrians when theyre planted on grass verges between sidewalks and roadways.

There is no excuse for ending the disparity in quality green space access between white and non-white communities. And as we continue to brainstorm green stimulus ideas to save our planet from climate change while getting Americans back to work, theres no better time than now.

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Study: Parks in Non-White Neighborhoods Are Half As Large and 5x As Crowded - Streetsblog New York

We feel compelled to write to you in a shared voice, as there are universal elements to our concerns about re-entry into the schools this September. It is important to note that this is a discussion about re-entry, not re-opening. The education of children has always been our top concern. One truth that cannot be ignored as a necessary precursor to any successful model of instruction is a safe learning space. Though we will open this September for instruction, the only question is the modality of that instruction.

All districts in New York were required to create a re-entry plan that addressed three options: full virtual, hybrid, and full in-person instruction. The hybrid model is the most popular one for re-entry this September, but it poses significant risks. The hybrid model requirement gained traction in the state early on, but unfortunately, most of what we have recently learned about COVID-19 and children calls the safety of this model into question. These risks are not a reflection of inadequate efforts by any district or administrative team in protecting the children and staff in their schools. Rather, they are inherent inadequacies when a system designed around instructing students is tasked with creating learning environments that will protect children and teachers during a viral pandemic. Additionally, there has been a failure in state and federal governments to ensure that adequate testing, PPE, and HVAC filtration systems are readily available. The requirements for the district plans were provided by the Governors office and the State Education Department in the middle of July and they were to be completed by July 31. The Governor even added new testing and contact tracing requirements in the first week of August.

To create truly safe re-entry plans, districts would require more time, direction, and resources. It is telling that neither the state nor federal governments have provided additional resources to help ensure a safe re-entry; districts have been on their own.

Educators approach every task with a can do attitude. Throughout the months of July and August, teams in each district leaned in and got the job done. The plans were made and it is truly impressive work. The problem, however, is that they are plans to meet government requirements for safety; they are not necessarily plans to make the schools as safe as they can be. The limits of these plans hit close to home this summer when the Greenburgh-North Castle school experienced an outbreak of COVID-19, despite meeting or exceeding all Department of Health guidelines and having a very small student population. As anyone with any experience planning school events can attest, even the best plans on paper never match what happens once actual students are brought in. Every plan assumes a well-behaved student body that will follow all directives and maintain masks and social distancing, even during hall passing. Plans assume we will be able to hire enough leave replacements, substitutes, and monitors to supervise students in the next three weeks. This will not occur. When schools reopen with the potential of being understaffed, it will make an already unsafe situation even worse.

In every survey conducted about re-entry, the most important condition people require is that the schools be safe. The phrase Maslow before Bloom is never more applicable than the current situation. It is irrational to expect students will be able to learn in any reasonable manner when their teachers and administrators are constantly conveying the need for vigilance in mask- wearing and social distancing. The constant need for vigilance cannot help but be internalized as fear and anxiety. At best, schools will be more similar to a well-meaning prison than an actual rich learning environment where thoughts can be shared and joy can be expressed.

Before we can return to schools, we must be sure that every reasonable precaution has been met in order for schools to be safe. The goal cannot be to just mitigate risk, but to create the safest possible learning environment. Many of these requirements go well beyond the capability of an individual school district and require action at the state or federal level. We may feel powerless to secure what is necessary; that, however, does not change the reality of its necessity.

To ensure that in-person instruction begins safely, every school district should be putting into place the following measures that create the highest health and safety standards for our students, teachers, and staff:

1. All building-wide HVAC systems must be upgraded to a minimum of MERV-13 filtration, and if existing systems cannot be upgraded, portable units with HEPA filtration must be available for all indoor spaces.2. There must be uniform standards for COVID testing that help monitor asymptomatic spread. COVID testing must provide accurate and reliable results within 24 hours in order to monitor asymptomatic spread. The current wait time can be as high as 12 days, which is not adequate to help prevent the spread of COVID by asymptomatic individuals infected with COVID in our schools.3. Supply lines for PPE must be prioritized to deliver all necessary PPE to schools in a timely fashion. All schools must have an adequate supply of PPE at all times, including enhanced PPE for students and employees who require it.4. School districts must be able to guarantee that there is sufficient staff to supervise students and provide instruction, even as individual staff members are absent for illness or quarantine, child-care, or personal leaves.5. There must be a 100% virtual option for teachers and students who are medically compromised.6. Plans should require a minimum 14-day shutdown once closed for COVID-19 issues.

Last year was the most challenging instructional year any teacher experienced. There is no teacher who looks forward to beginning the year using remote instruction. Everything about teaching virtually is more complicated. For educators, their classroom is their space. It is where they conjure childrens dreams and give them the tools to fulfill them. Computers are sterile imposters that rob the experience of the richness of our relationships with our students. Educators and students need to not only feel safe but must actuallybe safein their working and learning environments. Districts and governments need to strive to meet these expectations. There is too much at stake to fall short of the safest possible model.

Additional Resources

Hybrid Model Risks:https://www.wired.com/story/hybrid-schooling-is-the-most-dangerous-option-of-all/

Testing:https://covidstates.net/COVID19%20CONSORTIUM%20REPORT%208%20TEST%20JULY%202020.pdf

New Information on Children and COVID-19:https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/what-scientists-know-about-how-children-spread-covid-19-180975396/

https://www.lohud.com/story/opinion/2020/08/12/westchester-doctor-school-chronic-illness/3331348001/

https://www.cnn.com/2020/08/12/health/covid-kids-school-gupta-essay/index.html

https://www.lohud.com/story/news/education/2020/07/29/greenburgh-north-castle-summer-school-coronavirus/5530181002/

Co-signing PresidentsMichael Lillis, Lakeland Federation of TeachersNate Morgan, Hastings Teachers AssociationVanessa Vaccaro, Ossining Teachers AssociationTom McMahon, Mahopac Teachers AssociationJennifer Maldonado, Hendrick Hudson Education AssociationElisa Rosen, Hendrick Hudson Education AssociationDavid Wixted Scarsdale Teachers AssociationAnthony Nicodemo, Greenburgh North Castle United TeachersMary Claire Breslin, New Rochelle Federation of United School EmployeesSamantha Rosado-Ciriello, Yonkers Federation of TeachersBrenda OShea, Somers Faculty AssociationAndrea McCue, Haldane Faculty AssociationJames Groven, Irvington Faculty AssociationJudith A. Kelly, Teachers Association of the TarrytownsChris Tyler, Harrison Association of TeachersJeanne Whelan, Tuckahoe Teachers AssociationRoseanna Cutietta, Hawthorne Cedar Knolls Federation of TeachersRick Tivnan, Brewster Teachers AssociationCarene Domato, Mt. Vernon Federation of TeachersMelissa Barreto, BOCES Teachers AssociationJeff Yonkers, NYSUT ED 16 DirectorSean Kennedy, Yorktown Congress of TeachersLisa Jackson, Carmel Teachers AssociationJanet Knight, Mamaroneck Teachers AssociationJos Fernandez, Peekskill Faculty AssociationAmy Geiger, Katonah-Lewisboro District Teachers AssociationKathleen Fox, Edgemont Teachers AssociationMiriam Longobardi, Chappaqua Congress of TeachersJennifer Cole, Greenburgh Eleven Federation of TeachersClare Delongchamp Eastchester Teachers Association

Read more:
An Open Letter to the School Communities in Westchester and Putnam Counties from the Leadership of Teacher and Staff Unions - HamletHub