Email

From: Evan Riley, Chair, Juniper Estates Neighborhood Committee

Sent: December 12

To: Loretta Acosta, Zoning Commissioner

CC: Rudy Hartwell, Mayor

Subject: Proposed re-zoning for Brannick's Superstore adjacent to Juniper Estates



1. I represent the Juniper Estates Neighborhood Committee. Last night, community residents had a meeting in which they expressed views on the re-zoning request Brannick's Superstore proposed. Nearly 100% of the attendees were opposed to the Antrim Zoning Commission allowing a Brannick's to be built on the land adjacent to Juniper Estates. I have been asked to summarize neighborhood opposition.

2. A Brannick's Superstore is a wonderful place to shop. It provides groceries prescriptions and even auto repairs. However, it is not an appealing structure to have in one's backyard. This is especially true for residents of Juniper Estates. Situated on the northern edge of the Antrim city limits, Juniper Estates is more rural than urban. Many of our residents moved to the northern edge of Antrim to be near the woods and the wildlife. They wanted to be away from the city, not in the middle of a busy shopping mecca. Furthermore, construction of this superstore would remove a large portion of forest from the area adjoining Juniper Estates and uproot the wildlife that depends on it.

3. In place of deer, this superstore would bring in cars and chaos. With traffic congestion comes increased pollution and noise. In effect, a store the size of Brannick's would bring the city right to our doorsteps. While we live within the city limits of Antrim, we reside in the rural community of Juniper Estates, and we want to keep it rustic.

4. Even though most Juniper Estates residents commute to jobs downtown, about 15% of our residents work right here in the surrounding area. These folks are largely small- business owners and their employees. They depend on the purchases made by residents of the Antrim community for their livelihoods. These shopkeepers are happy to let members of the rest of the community spend their city earnings in our shops. Antrim shoppers know that our shops are unique and distinctive, offering original, often handmade products. These businesses are a source of both income and pride for their owners and employees.

5. Unfortunately, the shops near Juniper Estates could not compete with the prices of a nearby superstore. If Brannick's is right next door, most people will shop there. Brannick's can afford to sell for less. Its presence in the community could force many of our local businesses to close. Even people who are loyal customers of the small, specialized shops could eventually succumb to the lure of a superstore.

6. Additionally, the Property Trends website states that building a superstore typically drops home values by 10%. This is reason enough for members of our community to protest the proposed zoning adjustment.

7. Antrim already has two Brannick's Superstores. How many superstores do we need? If you change the zoning legislation, let it be for something that will enhance the beauty and uniqueness of our community. Juniper Estates has enough traffic and noise. We need to protect the businesses we have and the independent personality of our rural community. We strongly urge you to decline Brannick's re-zoning request.

Evan Riley

**********

Press Release

February 2

For Immediate Release

Brannick's Superstore Is Coming!

8. Thanks for being our new neighbor!

9. Brannick's application for the re-zoning of land adjacent to Juniper Estates has been approved with some revisions. We are now preparing to begin construction. Although our original plan was to build a full-sized store on this land, we have modified our plan to accommodate the community concerns that were presented to us by the Antrim Zoning Commission. People in the neighborhood were unhappy with our plan, and beginning a feud with potential customers is never an option for Brannick's. Therefore, we have made some concessions that we hope will please our customers in the area.

10. The first concern of our new neighbors is the noise and traffic the store could generate. Unfortunately, traffic and noise come with the territory of a superstore. Brannick's Superstores are popular, and this one will no doubt draw customers from nearby towns. However, we have worked with the Antrim City Council to find a way to minimize the noise and traffic and to limit our impact on Juniper Estates.

11. We have agreed to forgo our original plan to use the full 200,000 square feet possible under the original re-zoning request. Our store will instead occupy only 125,000 square feet. This size will allow for a buffer zone of wooded area between our store and Juniper Estates. Brannick's will maintain this wooded area; our landscaping team will scrupulously clean up any trash that winds blow into this area. This area will ensure that the store is not visible to nearby residents and will greatly reduce the traffic noise.

12. Furthermore, in the spirit of community involvement, we will place an 80-inch plasma

screen within the store for local ads and announcements. And this service will be free to

all local businesses! These ads could generate more business for local shops, because

Brannick's general merchandise and services. Aren't competition for these more specialized shops.

13. We will soon have nearly 100 job openings. Applications for the new store are avallable

online. We are looking forward to being your new neighbor.

This Landfill Is No Dump
1. There are hard sells, and then there are really hard sells. Anyone who has ever tried to build a landfill is probably keenly aware of this. People know that landfills are a disgusting, if necessary, evil and that they spread disease and pestilence throughout populated communities. People want them located as far from their homes and businesses as possible. They do not want trash blowing onto their properties, nor do they want to be downwind of putrid air that ruins their time outdoors.
2. For those in the trash disposal business, trying to open a new landfill site and fighting the legal battles that this often brings are par for the course. However, a trash disposal company south of Austin, Texas, has created a successful model for keeping everyone happy-from rural neighbors to local environmentalists. How did the owners of the company manage this? They chose to take themselves out of the fight. They are so committed to running a model business and being a good neighbor that, over time, opposition to their landfill has gone away completely.
3. Texas Disposal Systems (TDS) is a profitable business that operates a landfill, recycling/resale center, composting operation, conference center, and exotic animal farm in Creedmoor, Texas. Brothers and co-owners Bob and Jim Gregory set high expectations for themselves, and this has been key to their success. Although all solid waste management companies in a state are supposed to adhere to the same regulations, some companies try to get by with the least possible effort. Some companies put on a thin veneer of being good neighbors while they really focus on their own self-interests.
4. The Gregory brothers are different in this regard. For instance, they put their own facilities, notably a pavilion that hosts fund-raisers and dinners, downwind from the landfill's working face. Bob Gregory explains that showing people the reality of the operation is important. The owners would not ask a neighbor to put up with anything that they would not put up with themselves. They have prioritized controlling odors and picking up stray trash so successfully that the more than 10,000 people who visit the site annually are more aware of the pleasant views and clean, fresh air than the landfill nearby.
5. Two of the biggest challenges for waste disposal operations are odors and the trash itself. About 2,000 tons of trash is handled daily at the Creedmoor facility. The facility keeps the working part of the landfill as small as it can and also uses biofilters, recycle sprays, and other treatments to mitigate odors. The owners also built high fences to help prevent trash from blowing away. Furthermore, they have a street crew operating six days a week to patrol the area and catch any stray trash that makes it beyond the fences.
6. Searching for the right fences actually inspired the Gregory brothers to include exotic animals on the land. They did not want to use industrial chain-link fences around the property because they thought that would send the wrong message to the neighbors. The land would look forbidding rather than welcoming. The brothers wanted to find functional, but inviting, fences. As they shopped around, they saw a number of high fences on exotic animal farms and thought that maybe their neighbors would like the idea of animals on the land surrounding the landfill. The neighbors did, indeed, like the animals. Currently, hundreds of acres owned by TDS are home to more than two thousand native and exotic animals of eighty species.
7. TDS also reaches out to the community by allowing various charity groups to host fund-raisers on the pavilion. About 150 groups hold events each year, raising thousands of dollars per event. There are also two beautifully appointed cabins on the property designated for community use. In addition, TDS hosts its own outreach events, like hosting volunteers from Big Brothers Big Sisters on the ranch.
8. Moreover, TDS runs a drop-off center for items like grills, tools, bicycles condition and sells them at a garage sale, TDS also has a retail outlet for Compost products and sells topsoil, mulch, and compost produced an-site.
9. The Gregory brothers provide an example of how to run a profitable business to the needs of the community and is a great neighbor. One bonus of operating so well is that TDS can re-invest money into making improvements rather than fighting opposition in costly legal battles. Ultimately, TDS has shown that it owners mind doing business and are great neighbors, people are willing to welcome and fill in next door

Words vs. Deeds in Equal Employment Opportunity
The Letter of the Law
by Anne Versteen
1. In 1979, the Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company in Gadsden, Alabama, hired Lilly Ledbetter: She worked long hours as an overnight supervisor on the late shift from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. and labored alongside men for nearly 20 years, doing the same work as they did for the company.
2. By the time she was ready to retire in 1998, Ledbetter was earning $3,727 per month. She had no idea what the men were making in comparison to her until shortly before her retirement. As her last days on the job drew near, she learned that her male counterparts, who held her same position and worked the same job, were all being paid substantially more than she was. They made between 54,286 and $5,236 per month. Company policy prohibited employees from speaking to one another about pay, so Ledbetter had not known all those years that her wages were less than those of her male equivalents.
3. Understandably, Ledbetter felt cheated and filed a complaint against Goodyear with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC). Then she sued the company for gender discrimination in violation of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, alleging that the company had given her a low salary because of her gender. Goodyear denied her allegations, stating that Ledbetter was paid less because the quality of her work was poor. A jury awarded Ledbetter $3.6 million. Even though the amount was reduced to $300,000 by a district court, she had still won a monumental case for the cause of women everywhere.
4. Good year appealed and the 2007 employment discrimination case Ledbetter v. Goodyear eventually reached the Supreme Court, The Court ruled by A 5-4 vote that Ledbetter's claim was time-barred by Title VII's limitations period. Title VII holds discriminatory intent or the deliberate act of causing harm, as a crucial element of a claim, and Ledbetter would have needed to file within 180 days of a discriminatory salary decision to fall within the alloted time period. The court did not consider it relevant that the paychecks Ledbetter received within 180 days before her claim were affected by past discrimination. Unfortunately, each instance of Goodyear's discriminatory intent fell outside the limitation period
5. The Court stated that the short statute of limitations, the period of time an employee has to file a complaint against the employer, is intended to ensure quick resolution or pay. Such instances become more difficult to defend as time passes. If the Court had accepted Ledbetter's argument, the decision would have allowed discriminatory pay decisions from years ago to be the subject of Title VII claims, In dissent. Justice Ruth Bader Ginshury clearly sided with Ledbetter, calling the majority's ruling a cramped interpretation of Title VII, incompatible with the statute's broad..

Community Garden Newsletter

FOREST ELMS APARTMENT HOMES

SPRING NEWSLETTER

1. It's official! The FEAH's governing board has approved the residents' committee request for a community garden in the unused lot adjacent to the children's playground. We need everyone's help to bring our garden to life! Volunteers are needed, STARTING THIS WEEKEND, to clear away garbage and debris from the lot and plant individual plots of fruits and vegetables. Every family can sign up to be responsible for one plot, and the family can choose the vegetables, fruits, and flowers it wants to grow there.

2. As we work together throughout the seasons, we will share in the benefits of a community garden. Some of the benefits go beyond just growing a garden.

3. • A community garden allows all of us living here to work together to cultivate and harvest our own foods, bringing beauty and friendship to our whole community.

4. • Our community garden has the potential of improving everyone's health. All of our families that contribute to the upkeep of the garden can reap the benefits of the food that will be grown and harvested there. Freshly grown food looks better, tastes better, and is healthier for us than produce that has been sitting for who-knows-how-long on the grocery store shelves!

5. • And think of the health benefits we'll derive from the exercise we'll get working in the

garden!

6. • Our garden will promote feelings of happiness and belonging that result when people

get together as a group to work for a common cause.

7 • Our garden will also benefit us financially because the fresh fruits and vegetables will

be available to us at a fraction of the price that grocery stores charge!

Letter to the Editor: Local Foods

Dear Editor,

9. I was appalled to discover that the local farmers' market was not at its usual location off Highway 244 near Broomer Lake when 1 arrived there Saturday. I have been depending on this market for almost al. of my fresh fruits and vegetables, as well as for the honey my children love, for years. I was shocked to see a sign posted near the turnoff road to the market that said only "Market Closed Until Further Notice." What is going on?

10. Consumers should have many choices when it comes to food and nutrition. Cultivating and purchasing local foods is undoubtedly the best choice to make when it is available in our communities. These locally grown foods are simply better than their store-bought counterparts. We know exactly where the food was grown, and it is reassuring to have it sold to us directly by the farmer who grew it.

11. I've read reports from the Grow Local Association that explain why produce grown in the communities where it is sold has greater nutritional value. These fruits and vegetables are certainly fresher, and everyone knows that the sooner fruits and vegetables are consumed, the better they are nutritionally. Vitamins like A, B, C, and E begin losing potency as soon as the produce is picked. When we buy our produce from the grocery store, we have no idea how long it has been sitting in a warehouse or railcar. Surely, these vitamins have faded away considerably before the produce finds its way to a grocery store. On the other hand, locally grown produce is usually purchased within 24 hours of being harvested

12. Fresh produce also generally tastes better and has a longer shelf life than produce that has been transported over longer distances. Farmers who sell locally allow their fruits and vegetables a longer time to ripen because they do not have to factor in production and transport time, and we all know that riper produce is tastier

13. Don't we want our farmers to prosper and keep our money here in our community rather than giving it to those huge corporate farming conglomerates in other states that sell their produce nationwide? Even if the huge farming enterprises have the technology to grow and sell some seasonal produce year-round, I'd prefer to buy and eat my fresh produce when it is in season if it means helping our local farmers prosper.

14. Locally grown fruits and vegetables are simply more appealing. I believe that these foods are healthier more affordable and more flavorful let's all sneak up to our local authorities so we can get our farmers' market reopened!

Excerpt from The Musician's Daughter

by Susanne Dunlap

I thought a lot, at the beginning, about my father playing the violin. I still remember the first time I ever saw a concert. I was very small, and we had just come to Esterhaza, a magnificent palace in Sopron, Hungary, when the prince's household moved there from his winter palace, at Eisenstadt, near Vienna. I think it may have been the first concert Papa took part in there. I had a new dress for the occasion, and Mama looked beautiful. I don't think Toby was born yet, or if he was, he was a small baby and stayed in our rooms with a nurse.

The palace at Esterháza was so new that it still smelled of raw wood and paint. The rooms were very grand. I had never seen so many candles in one place before. And they were expensive wax candles, not foul-smelling tallow. We stood to the side to watch the fine ladies enter. I thought they looked like dolls; their faces were so perfect. Later my mother told me that they painted them with white lead to make their skin artificially smooth and pale, and then rubbed rouge into their cheeks and lips, and drew lines of charcoal around their eyes so they would appear larger. And the headdresses-in those days the fashion was to have hair that towered up, stuck into place with diamond combs, with ribbons and pearls festooned around. And no matter what color it was naturally, ladies powdered their hair to snowy whiteness, so that the light of the candies was magnified by the glow from the people themselves.

And the men, too, were powdered and patched. Their gold buttons and lace were almost as gaudy as the ladies' finery. But the enormous panniers that held the ladies' skirts out to the side so far that they had to move sideways through doorways fascinated me most of all. I could barely be persuaded to turn my eyes to the orchestra when the concert started.

We were not seated with the guests. In fact, I think we were tucked away in an anteroom. The door was open so we could see through, and everyone pushed me forward to let me watch my father, who looked up now and again from the music and gave me a quick smile. The candlelight danced over the rich wood of his violin, the beautiful Italian instrument, an old Amati, that my grandfather had given him. Kapellmeister Haydn-who was also my godfather-sat at the harpsichord, smiling broadly all the time, waving one hand in the air to direct, then putting it back on the keys and instead using his head, bobbing and nodding to bring the winds in, or to indicate the entrance for the cellos. He looked like the music, 1 remember thinking. I wish I could bring that particular sound to my mind, but it has since blended with countless, other concert. I'll always remember what it looked like, though. The light shimmering glow of everything and everyone.

Community Garden Newsletter

FOREST ELMS APARTMENT HOMES

SPRING NEWSLETTER

1. It's official! The FEAH's governing board has approved the residents' committee request for a community garden in the unused lot adjacent to the children's playground. We need everyone's help to bring our garden to life! Volunteers are needed, STARTING THIS WEEKEND, to clear away garbage and debris from the lot and plant individual plots of fruits and vegetables. Every family can sign up to be responsible for one plot, and the family can choose the vegetables, fruits, and flowers it wants to grow there.

2. As we work together throughout the seasons, we will share in the benefits of a community garden. Some of the benefits go beyond just growing a garden.

3. • A community garden allows all of us living here to work together to cultivate and harvest our own foods, bringing beauty and friendship to our whole community.

4. • Our community garden has the potential of improving everyone's health. All of our families that contribute to the upkeep of the garden can reap the benefits of the food that will be grown and harvested there. Freshly grown food looks better, tastes better, and is healthier for us than produce that has been sitting for who-knows-how-long on the grocery store shelves!

5. • And think of the health benefits we'll derive from the exercise we'll get working in the

garden!

6. • Our garden will promote feelings of happiness and belonging that result when people

get together as a group to work for a common cause.

7 • Our garden will also benefit us financially because the fresh fruits and vegetables will

be available to us at a fraction of the price that grocery stores charge!

Letter to the Editor: Local Foods

Dear Editor,

9. I was appalled to discover that the local farmers' market was not at its usual location off Highway 244 near Broomer Lake when 1 arrived there Saturday. I have been depending on this market for almost al. of my fresh fruits and vegetables, as well as for the honey my children love, for years. I was shocked to see a sign posted near the turnoff road to the market that said only "Market Closed Until Further Notice." What is going on?

10. Consumers should have many choices when it comes to food and nutrition. Cultivating and purchasing local foods is undoubtedly the best choice to make when it is available in our communities. These locally grown foods are simply better than their store-bought counterparts. We know exactly where the food was grown, and it is reassuring to have it sold to us directly by the farmer who grew it.

11. I've read reports from the Grow Local Association that explain why produce grown in the communities where it is sold has greater nutritional value. These fruits and vegetables are certainly fresher, and everyone knows that the sooner fruits and vegetables are consumed, the better they are nutritionally. Vitamins like A, B, C, and E begin losing potency as soon as the produce is picked. When we buy our produce from the grocery store, we have no idea how long it has been sitting in a warehouse or railcar. Surely, these vitamins have faded away considerably before the produce finds its way to a grocery store. On the other hand, locally grown produce is usually purchased within 24 hours of being harvested

12. Fresh produce also generally tastes better and has a longer shelf life than produce that has been transported over longer distances. Farmers who sell locally allow their fruits and vegetables a longer time to ripen because they do not have to factor in production and transport time, and we all know that riper produce is tastier

13. Don't we want our farmers to prosper and keep our money here in our community rather than giving it to those huge corporate farming conglomerates in other states that sell their produce nationwide? Even if the huge farming enterprises have the technology to grow and sell some seasonal produce year-round, I'd prefer to buy and eat my fresh produce when it is in season if it means helping our local farmers prosper.

14. Locally grown fruits and vegetables are simply more appealing. I believe that these foods are healthier more affordable and more flavorful let's all sneak up to our local authorities so we can get our farmers' market reopened!

The Long Road to Equality for women

Excerpt from Susan B. Anthony's Address to Congress in 1868

After more than 100 years of struggle, women in the United States finally won the night to vote in 1920. Sulfragist Susan B. Anthony (1820-1906) dedicated her life to the cause of winning the vote for women. In 1866, Anthony read an appeal to the Congress of the United States for the enfranchisement of women.

“To the Senate and House of Representatives:

1. "Woman has always had the right to property and wages, the right to make contracts and do business in her own name. And even married women, by recent legislation, have been secured in these civil rights. Woman now holds a vast amount of the property in the country, and pays her full proportion of taxes. On what principle, then, do you deny her representation?

2. “We propose no new theories. We simply ask that you secure to ALL the practical application of the immutable principles of our government, without distinction of rack, color or sex, And we urge our demand now, because you have the opportunity and the power to take this onward step in legislation. The nations of the earth stand watching and waiting to see if our Revolutionary idea, "all men are created equal," con be realized in government: Crush not, we pray you, the million hopes that hang on our success. Men and parties must pass away, but justice is eternal.

3. "The only tenable ground of representation is UNIVERSAL SUFFRAGE, as it is only through Universal Suffrage that the principle of "Equal Rights to All" can be resized. All prohibitions based on race, color, sex, property, or education, are violations of the republican idea. You assume to be the representatives of 15,000,000 women - American citizens- who already possess every attainable qualification for the ballot. Women read and write, hold many offices under government, pay taxes, and the penalties of crime, and yet are allowed to exercise but the one right of petition.

4. "With man, woman shared the dangers of the Mayflower on a stormy sea, the dreary landing on Plymouth Rock, the rigors of a New England winter, and the privations of a seven years' wait. With him she bravely threw off the British yoke, felt every pulsation of his heart for freedom, and inspires the glowing eloquence that maintained it through the century. With you we have just passed through the agony and death, the resurrection and triumph of another revolution, doing all in our power to mitigate is horrors and guard its glories. And now thank you we have no souls to fire, no brains to weigh your arguments, that after education such as this, we can stand silent witnesses while you sell our birthright of liberty to save from a timely death an effete political organization? No, as we respect womanhood, we must protest against this desecration of the magna Carta of American Liberties; and with an impartiality not to be'

Excerpt from Don Quixote

by Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra

translated from the Spanish by John Ormsby

1. At this point they came in sight of thirty or forty windmills that were on the plain, and as soon as Don Quixote saw them he said ta his squire, "Fortune is arranging matters for us better than we could have shaped our desiress ourselves, for look there, friend Sancho Panza, when thirty or more monstrous giants present themselves, all of whom I mean to engage in battle and stay, and with whose spoils we shall begin to make our fortunes; for this is righteous warfare, and it is God's good service to sweep so evil a breed from off the face of the earth."

2. "What giants?" said Sancho Panza.

3. "Those thou seest there." answered his master; "with the long arms, and some nave them nearly two leagues long.'

4. "Lock, your warship," said Sancho, "what we see there are not giants but windmills, and what seem to be their arms are the sails that turned by the wind make the millstone go."

5. "It is easy to see," replied Don Quixote, "that thou art not used to this business of adventures those are giants; and it thou art afraid, away with thee out of this and betake thyself to prayer while I engage them in fierce and unequal combat.

6. So saying, he gave the spur to his steed Rocinante, heedless of the cries his squire Sancho sent after him, warning him that most certainty they were windmills and not giants he was going to attack. He, however, was so positive they were giants that he neither heard the cries of Sancho, nor perceived, near as he was, what they were, but made at them shouting, "Fly not, cowards and vile beings, for a single knight. attacks you."

7. A slight breeze at this moment sprang up, and the great sails began to move, seeing which

Don Quixote exclaimed, “Though ye flourish more arms than the giant Briareus, ye have to

reckon with me.”

8. So saying, and commending himself with all his heart to his lady Dulcinea, imploring her to support him in such a pert, with lance in rest, and covered by his buckler, he charged at Rocinante's fullest gallop and fell upon the first mill that stood in front of him, but as he drove his lance point into the sail the wind whirled it round with such force that it shivered the lance to pieces, sweeping win it horse and rider, who went rolling over on the plan, in a sorry condition. Sancho hastened to his assistance as fast as his donkey could go, and when he came up found Don Quixote unable to move, with such a shock had Rocinante fallen with him

9. “God bless me!" said Sancho. "Did I not tell your worship to mind what you were about, for they were only windmills? And no one could have made any mistake about it but one who had something of the same kind in his head."

10. “Hush, friend Sancho," replied Don Quixote, "the fortunes of war more than any other are liable to frequent fluctuations; and moreover I think, and it is the truth, that that same sage Friston who carried off my study and books, has turned these giants into mills in order to rob me of the glory of vanquishing them, such is the enmity he bears me; but in the and his wicked

Email

From: Evan Riley, Chair, Juniper Estates Neighborhood Committee

Sent: December 12

To: Loretta Acosta, Zoning Commissioner

CC: Rudy Hartwell, Mayor

Subject: Proposed re-zoning for Brannick's Superstore adjacent to Juniper Estates



1. I represent the Juniper Estates Neighborhood Committee. Last night, community residents had a meeting in which they expressed views on the re-zoning request Brannick's Superstore proposed. Nearly 100% of the attendees were opposed to the Antrim Zoning Commission allowing a Brannick's to be built on the land adjacent to Juniper Estates. I have been asked to summarize neighborhood opposition.

2. A Brannick's Superstore is a wonderful place to shop. It provides groceries prescriptions and even auto repairs. However, it is not an appealing structure to have in one's backyard. This is especially true for residents of Juniper Estates. Situated on the northern edge of the Antrim city limits, Juniper Estates is more rural than urban. Many of our residents moved to the northern edge of Antrim to be near the woods and the wildlife. They wanted to be away from the city, not in the middle of a busy shopping mecca. Furthermore, construction of this superstore would remove a large portion of forest from the area adjoining Juniper Estates and uproot the wildlife that depends on it.

3. In place of deer, this superstore would bring in cars and chaos. With traffic congestion comes increased pollution and noise. In effect, a store the size of Brannick's would bring the city right to our doorsteps. While we live within the city limits of Antrim, we reside in the rural community of Juniper Estates, and we want to keep it rustic.

4. Even though most Juniper Estates residents commute to jobs downtown, about 15% of our residents work right here in the surrounding area. These folks are largely small- business owners and their employees. They depend on the purchases made by residents of the Antrim community for their livelihoods. These shopkeepers are happy to let members of the rest of the community spend their city earnings in our shops. Antrim shoppers know that our shops are unique and distinctive, offering original, often handmade products. These businesses are a source of both income and pride for their owners and employees.

5. Unfortunately, the shops near Juniper Estates could not compete with the prices of a nearby superstore. If Brannick's is right next door, most people will shop there. Brannick's can afford to sell for less. Its presence in the community could force many of our local businesses to close. Even people who are loyal customers of the small, specialized shops could eventually succumb to the lure of a superstore.

6. Additionally, the Property Trends website states that building a superstore typically drops home values by 10%. This is reason enough for members of our community to protest the proposed zoning adjustment.

7. Antrim already has two Brannick's Superstores. How many superstores do we need? If you change the zoning legislation, let it be for something that will enhance the beauty and uniqueness of our community. Juniper Estates has enough traffic and noise. We need to protect the businesses we have and the independent personality of our rural community. We strongly urge you to decline Brannick's re-zoning request.

Evan Riley

**********

Press Release

February 2

For Immediate Release

Brannick's Superstore Is Coming!

8. Thanks for being our new neighbor!

9. Brannick's application for the re-zoning of land adjacent to Juniper Estates has been approved with some revisions. We are now preparing to begin construction. Although our original plan was to build a full-sized store on this land, we have modified our plan to accommodate the community concerns that were presented to us by the Antrim Zoning Commission. People in the neighborhood were unhappy with our plan, and beginning a feud with potential customers is never an option for Brannick's. Therefore, we have made some concessions that we hope will please our customers in the area.

10. The first concern of our new neighbors is the noise and traffic the store could generate. Unfortunately, traffic and noise come with the territory of a superstore. Brannick's Superstores are popular, and this one will no doubt draw customers from nearby towns. However, we have worked with the Antrim City Council to find a way to minimize the noise and traffic and to limit our impact on Juniper Estates.

11. We have agreed to forgo our original plan to use the full 200,000 square feet possible under the original re-zoning request. Our store will instead occupy only 125,000 square feet. This size will allow for a buffer zone of wooded area between our store and Juniper Estates. Brannick's will maintain this wooded area; our landscaping team will scrupulously clean up any trash that winds blow into this area. This area will ensure that the store is not visible to nearby residents and will greatly reduce the traffic noise.

12. Furthermore, in the spirit of community involvement, we will place an 80-inch plasma

screen within the store for local ads and announcements. And this service will be free to

all local businesses! These ads could generate more business for local shops, because

Brannick's general merchandise and services. Aren't competition for these more specialized shops.

13. We will soon have nearly 100 job openings. Applications for the new store are avallable

online. We are looking forward to being your new neighbor.

This Landfill Is No Dump
1. There are hard sells, and then there are really hard sells. Anyone who has ever tried to build a landfill is probably keenly aware of this. People know that landfills are a disgusting, if necessary, evil and that they spread disease and pestilence throughout populated communities. People want them located as far from their homes and businesses as possible. They do not want trash blowing onto their properties, nor do they want to be downwind of putrid air that ruins their time outdoors.
2. For those in the trash disposal business, trying to open a new landfill site and fighting the legal battles that this often brings are par for the course. However, a trash disposal company south of Austin, Texas, has created a successful model for keeping everyone happy-from rural neighbors to local environmentalists. How did the owners of the company manage this? They chose to take themselves out of the fight. They are so committed to running a model business and being a good neighbor that, over time, opposition to their landfill has gone away completely.
3. Texas Disposal Systems (TDS) is a profitable business that operates a landfill, recycling/resale center, composting operation, conference center, and exotic animal farm in Creedmoor, Texas. Brothers and co-owners Bob and Jim Gregory set high expectations for themselves, and this has been key to their success. Although all solid waste management companies in a state are supposed to adhere to the same regulations, some companies try to get by with the least possible effort. Some companies put on a thin veneer of being good neighbors while they really focus on their own self-interests.
4. The Gregory brothers are different in this regard. For instance, they put their own facilities, notably a pavilion that hosts fund-raisers and dinners, downwind from the landfill's working face. Bob Gregory explains that showing people the reality of the operation is important. The owners would not ask a neighbor to put up with anything that they would not put up with themselves. They have prioritized controlling odors and picking up stray trash so successfully that the more than 10,000 people who visit the site annually are more aware of the pleasant views and clean, fresh air than the landfill nearby.
5. Two of the biggest challenges for waste disposal operations are odors and the trash itself. About 2,000 tons of trash is handled daily at the Creedmoor facility. The facility keeps the working part of the landfill as small as it can and also uses biofilters, recycle sprays, and other treatments to mitigate odors. The owners also built high fences to help prevent trash from blowing away. Furthermore, they have a street crew operating six days a week to patrol the area and catch any stray trash that makes it beyond the fences.
6. Searching for the right fences actually inspired the Gregory brothers to include exotic animals on the land. They did not want to use industrial chain-link fences around the property because they thought that would send the wrong message to the neighbors. The land would look forbidding rather than welcoming. The brothers wanted to find functional, but inviting, fences. As they shopped around, they saw a number of high fences on exotic animal farms and thought that maybe their neighbors would like the idea of animals on the land surrounding the landfill. The neighbors did, indeed, like the animals. Currently, hundreds of acres owned by TDS are home to more than two thousand native and exotic animals of eighty species.
7. TDS also reaches out to the community by allowing various charity groups to host fund-raisers on the pavilion. About 150 groups hold events each year, raising thousands of dollars per event. There are also two beautifully appointed cabins on the property designated for community use. In addition, TDS hosts its own outreach events, like hosting volunteers from Big Brothers Big Sisters on the ranch.
8. Moreover, TDS runs a drop-off center for items like grills, tools, bicycles condition and sells them at a garage sale, TDS also has a retail outlet for Compost products and sells topsoil, mulch, and compost produced an-site.
9. The Gregory brothers provide an example of how to run a profitable business to the needs of the community and is a great neighbor. One bonus of operating so well is that TDS can re-invest money into making improvements rather than fighting opposition in costly legal battles. Ultimately, TDS has shown that it owners mind doing business and are great neighbors, people are willing to welcome and fill in next door

Community Garden Newsletter

FOREST ELMS APARTMENT HOMES

SPRING NEWSLETTER

1. It's official! The FEAH's governing board has approved the residents' committee request for a community garden in the unused lot adjacent to the children's playground. We need everyone's help to bring our garden to life! Volunteers are needed, STARTING THIS WEEKEND, to clear away garbage and debris from the lot and plant individual plots of fruits and vegetables. Every family can sign up to be responsible for one plot, and the family can choose the vegetables, fruits, and flowers it wants to grow there.

2. As we work together throughout the seasons, we will share in the benefits of a community garden. Some of the benefits go beyond just growing a garden.

3. • A community garden allows all of us living here to work together to cultivate and harvest our own foods, bringing beauty and friendship to our whole community.

4. • Our community garden has the potential of improving everyone's health. All of our families that contribute to the upkeep of the garden can reap the benefits of the food that will be grown and harvested there. Freshly grown food looks better, tastes better, and is healthier for us than produce that has been sitting for who-knows-how-long on the grocery store shelves!

5. • And think of the health benefits we'll derive from the exercise we'll get working in the

garden!

6. • Our garden will promote feelings of happiness and belonging that result when people

get together as a group to work for a common cause.

7 • Our garden will also benefit us financially because the fresh fruits and vegetables will

be available to us at a fraction of the price that grocery stores charge!

Letter to the Editor: Local Foods

Dear Editor,

9. I was appalled to discover that the local farmers' market was not at its usual location off Highway 244 near Broomer Lake when 1 arrived there Saturday. I have been depending on this market for almost al. of my fresh fruits and vegetables, as well as for the honey my children love, for years. I was shocked to see a sign posted near the turnoff road to the market that said only "Market Closed Until Further Notice." What is going on?

10. Consumers should have many choices when it comes to food and nutrition. Cultivating and purchasing local foods is undoubtedly the best choice to make when it is available in our communities. These locally grown foods are simply better than their store-bought counterparts. We know exactly where the food was grown, and it is reassuring to have it sold to us directly by the farmer who grew it.

11. I've read reports from the Grow Local Association that explain why produce grown in the communities where it is sold has greater nutritional value. These fruits and vegetables are certainly fresher, and everyone knows that the sooner fruits and vegetables are consumed, the better they are nutritionally. Vitamins like A, B, C, and E begin losing potency as soon as the produce is picked. When we buy our produce from the grocery store, we have no idea how long it has been sitting in a warehouse or railcar. Surely, these vitamins have faded away considerably before the produce finds its way to a grocery store. On the other hand, locally grown produce is usually purchased within 24 hours of being harvested

12. Fresh produce also generally tastes better and has a longer shelf life than produce that has been transported over longer distances. Farmers who sell locally allow their fruits and vegetables a longer time to ripen because they do not have to factor in production and transport time, and we all know that riper produce is tastier

13. Don't we want our farmers to prosper and keep our money here in our community rather than giving it to those huge corporate farming conglomerates in other states that sell their produce nationwide? Even if the huge farming enterprises have the technology to grow and sell some seasonal produce year-round, I'd prefer to buy and eat my fresh produce when it is in season if it means helping our local farmers prosper.

14. Locally grown fruits and vegetables are simply more appealing. I believe that these foods are healthier more affordable and more flavorful let's all sneak up to our local authorities so we can get our farmers' market reopened!

Community Garden Newsletter

FOREST ELMS APARTMENT HOMES

SPRING NEWSLETTER

1. It's official! The FEAH's governing board has approved the residents' committee request for a community garden in the unused lot adjacent to the children's playground. We need everyone's help to bring our garden to life! Volunteers are needed, STARTING THIS WEEKEND, to clear away garbage and debris from the lot and plant individual plots of fruits and vegetables. Every family can sign up to be responsible for one plot, and the family can choose the vegetables, fruits, and flowers it wants to grow there.

2. As we work together throughout the seasons, we will share in the benefits of a community garden. Some of the benefits go beyond just growing a garden.

3. • A community garden allows all of us living here to work together to cultivate and harvest our own foods, bringing beauty and friendship to our whole community.

4. • Our community garden has the potential of improving everyone's health. All of our families that contribute to the upkeep of the garden can reap the benefits of the food that will be grown and harvested there. Freshly grown food looks better, tastes better, and is healthier for us than produce that has been sitting for who-knows-how-long on the grocery store shelves!

5. • And think of the health benefits we'll derive from the exercise we'll get working in the

garden!

6. • Our garden will promote feelings of happiness and belonging that result when people

get together as a group to work for a common cause.

7 • Our garden will also benefit us financially because the fresh fruits and vegetables will

be available to us at a fraction of the price that grocery stores charge!

Letter to the Editor: Local Foods

Dear Editor,

9. I was appalled to discover that the local farmers' market was not at its usual location off Highway 244 near Broomer Lake when 1 arrived there Saturday. I have been depending on this market for almost al. of my fresh fruits and vegetables, as well as for the honey my children love, for years. I was shocked to see a sign posted near the turnoff road to the market that said only "Market Closed Until Further Notice." What is going on?

10. Consumers should have many choices when it comes to food and nutrition. Cultivating and purchasing local foods is undoubtedly the best choice to make when it is available in our communities. These locally grown foods are simply better than their store-bought counterparts. We know exactly where the food was grown, and it is reassuring to have it sold to us directly by the farmer who grew it.

11. I've read reports from the Grow Local Association that explain why produce grown in the communities where it is sold has greater nutritional value. These fruits and vegetables are certainly fresher, and everyone knows that the sooner fruits and vegetables are consumed, the better they are nutritionally. Vitamins like A, B, C, and E begin losing potency as soon as the produce is picked. When we buy our produce from the grocery store, we have no idea how long it has been sitting in a warehouse or railcar. Surely, these vitamins have faded away considerably before the produce finds its way to a grocery store. On the other hand, locally grown produce is usually purchased within 24 hours of being harvested

12. Fresh produce also generally tastes better and has a longer shelf life than produce that has been transported over longer distances. Farmers who sell locally allow their fruits and vegetables a longer time to ripen because they do not have to factor in production and transport time, and we all know that riper produce is tastier

13. Don't we want our farmers to prosper and keep our money here in our community rather than giving it to those huge corporate farming conglomerates in other states that sell their produce nationwide? Even if the huge farming enterprises have the technology to grow and sell some seasonal produce year-round, I'd prefer to buy and eat my fresh produce when it is in season if it means helping our local farmers prosper.

14. Locally grown fruits and vegetables are simply more appealing. I believe that these foods are healthier more affordable and more flavorful let's all sneak up to our local authorities so we can get our farmers' market reopened!

Harnessing the Power of Ocean Waves

1. “Water is currently the leading renewable energy source used by electric utilities to

generate electric power.”

Energy Information Administration (EIA)

2. A predominant source of hydroelectric power is moving water-the water that runs in rivers, streams, and other waterways. The moving water turns turbines, which can resemble large propellers or fan blades. As a turbine spins, an axle at its center also spins. Machines then use this constant spinning motion to convert the energy of the moving water into electricity. On a larger scale, the world's oceans are also moving-in currents throughout these vast bodies of water, and as waves along hundreds of thousands of miles of coastline. As with land-based waterways, the power of ocean waves could be used to produce electricity. Currently, the technology exists to meet a significant portion of the world's energy demands by converting wave power to electricity.

Methods for Capturing Wave Power

3. There are several types of devices used to capture ocean wave power, such as point absorbers, terminators (also called oscillating water columns'), and attenuators? (see Table 1). Additionally, there are several methods and locations of deployment for these devices, including fixed and floating, and onshore, near shore, and offshore. Together, the wave-capturing device, the deployment method, and the deployment location determine the amount of energy captured and available for conversion into electricity. See Table 1 for examples of wave-capturing devices, deployment methods, and deployment locations.

Advantages and Disadvantages

4. As with any technology that converts our world's resources to energy, there are advantages and disadvantages to using ocean wave power. Supporters of the technology point to a critical advantage-ocean wave power does not release heat-trapping gases into the atmosphere. Additionally, if ocean wave power provides a portion of the electricity currently being met by fossil fuel power, then fewer fossil fuels will be burned and, in turn, fewer heat-trapping gases will be released. Thus, ocean wave power can lead to a reduction in heat-trapping gases accumulating in the atmosphere. Proponents of using ocean waves to generate power cite another advantage: the technology does not use or waste water, but merely displaces it.

5. These arguments are countered by opponents of ocean wave power, who contend that disadvantages of using waves to generate electricity are more numerous than the advantages. They argue that the technology is likely to disrupt marine ecosystems and introduce pollutants into marine waters. Specifically, energy collection and conversion devices may disrupt migratory patterns, expose marine animals to risk of entanglement in the equipment, and repel or attract species to such a degree that ecosystems are thrown out of balance. Adversaries of the technology do not limit their argument to the environmental impact of ocean wave technology. Instead, they claim that deploying ocean wave devices could also disrupt the relationships that people have with the oceans by ruining their views of the seaside.

6. Whether one is a proponent or opponent of harnessing the ocean's wave power for our own use, it is clear that there are benefits and pitfalls to the technology. Advocates of ocean wave power argue that cleaner energy production is worth the risk of disrupting marine habitats. But people who challenge the use of ocean wave power counter that any risk to our fragile ecosystems is too much of a risk.

Harnessing the Power of Ocean Waves

1. “Water is currently the leading renewable energy source used by electric utilities to

generate electric power.”

Energy Information Administration (EIA)

2. A predominant source of hydroelectric power is moving water-the water that runs in rivers, streams, and other waterways. The moving water turns turbines, which can resemble large propellers or fan blades. As a turbine spins, an axle at its center also spins. Machines then use this constant spinning motion to convert the energy of the moving water into electricity. On a larger scale, the world's oceans are also moving-in currents throughout these vast bodies of water, and as waves along hundreds of thousands of miles of coastline. As with land-based waterways, the power of ocean waves could be used to produce electricity. Currently, the technology exists to meet a significant portion of the world's energy demands by converting wave power to electricity.

Methods for Capturing Wave Power

3. There are several types of devices used to capture ocean wave power, such as point absorbers, terminators (also called oscillating water columns'), and attenuators? (see Table 1). Additionally, there are several methods and locations of deployment for these devices, including fixed and floating, and onshore, near shore, and offshore. Together, the wave-capturing device, the deployment method, and the deployment location determine the amount of energy captured and available for conversion into electricity. See Table 1 for examples of wave-capturing devices, deployment methods, and deployment locations.

Advantages and Disadvantages

4. As with any technology that converts our world's resources to energy, there are advantages and disadvantages to using ocean wave power. Supporters of the technology point to a critical advantage-ocean wave power does not release heat-trapping gases into the atmosphere. Additionally, if ocean wave power provides a portion of the electricity currently being met by fossil fuel power, then fewer fossil fuels will be burned and, in turn, fewer heat-trapping gases will be released. Thus, ocean wave power can lead to a reduction in heat-trapping gases accumulating in the atmosphere. Proponents of using ocean waves to generate power cite another advantage: the technology does not use or waste water, but merely displaces it.

5. These arguments are countered by opponents of ocean wave power, who contend that disadvantages of using waves to generate electricity are more numerous than the advantages. They argue that the technology is likely to disrupt marine ecosystems and introduce pollutants into marine waters. Specifically, energy collection and conversion devices may disrupt migratory patterns, expose marine animals to risk of entanglement in the equipment, and repel or attract species to such a degree that ecosystems are thrown out of balance. Adversaries of the technology do not limit their argument to the environmental impact of ocean wave technology. Instead, they claim that deploying ocean wave devices could also disrupt the relationships that people have with the oceans by ruining their views of the seaside.

6. Whether one is a proponent or opponent of harnessing the ocean's wave power for our own use, it is clear that there are benefits and pitfalls to the technology. Advocates of ocean wave power argue that cleaner energy production is worth the risk of disrupting marine habitats. But people who challenge the use of ocean wave power counter that any risk to our fragile ecosystems is too much of a risk.