At some point in nearly all of my recent conversations, the economy has come up for discussion. What´s been going on in the housing industry is no secret and it seems the job market is a major concern to quite a few people. There is a lot of anxiety in our country and now is the time to become better prepared to get through it…and get through it, we will. At least with the hurricane season we have a countdown to June 1st, but with the economy, it´s anybody´s guess. In order to stay on top on any situation it boils down to the questions we ask ourselves. We can ask, "Why me" which will not get us moving forward OR we could ask, "What can I do?" As you can see one opens up more possibilities and the other does not. "What can I do" or "How can I" are questions that will activate the most powerful computer in the world (our brain) and move us into a problem solving mode. Take this time to plan, prepare and anticipate the challenges ahead for you and your family. In today´s world we are just a click away from getting information on anything we can imagine. Here are a few links to areas of concern I feel will be helpful to our neighborhood. Please feel free to add to these sites and as you find others that would be helpful, share them with your neighbor.
Also, now is a good time to start preparing for the 2008 Hurricane Season, go to http://redcross.tallytown.com and make sure you have everything you need to be ready. And lastly, volunteer. We need your help in some of the projects being suggested to make our neighborhood an even better place to live. Participating in our scout program, www.talgov.com is just one way you can volunteer and make a difference as well as coming to our Ice Cream Socials to meet some of your neighbors. Choose your level of participation.
Thank you and I look forward to seeing you at our next association meeting.
Bert A. Mitchell – President
Our neighbors to the east are fighting the development that threatens to encroach upon their homes, and which could make traffic on Old Bainbridge much worse for us too. They have a good case, but need a little help with Attorney Fees. If you´d like to support this cause, make your checks out to Parkside–Park Terrace NA and send them to Joe O´Neil at 720 Voncile Ave., 32303. Thanks!
Are you tired of spending precious weekend time on lawn maintenance chores? If so, consider reducing the size of your lawn. By doing so, you´ll create more leisure time while helping the environment by using less fuel, fertilizers, pesticides and irrigation.
One of the best techniques is to create a large planting island to connect scattered lawn trees. Design the island by laying out a garden hose in the desired shape. Smother the sod by putting down sheets of cardboard or newspaper and covering it with a thick layer of mulch such as pine straw or shredded bark. Plant the island with small trees, shrubs and groundcovers that are both attractive to you and beneficial to neighborhood songbirds. Your new planting island will further reduce yard chores next autumn. When leaves fall from the trees just rake them into the island as fresh mulch rather than bagging and sending them to the landfill.
David Copps is a local landscape designer specializing in natural habitat gardens to protect Tallahassee´s water, wildflowers and wildlife. Contact him at 850.385.6548 or meadowman3@yahoo.com.
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