Killearn Briefs Open Letter to City of Tallahasse Regarding Lakes

Transcription

MARCH 2012
K illearn Kloverleaf
Killearn Estates Community Magazine
Killearn Briefs
Open Letter to City
of Tallahasse Regarding
Lakes and Stormwater
2012 Women’s History
Month
Killearn Hosts Yard Sale to
Benefit Mission San Luis
TFD Smoke Detector
Program
Care to Serve
on a Committee?
Tired of Throwing Money
out the Window?
Proactive Hurricane
Protection
ACC Actions
for January 2012
March in the
Tallahassee Garden
Natural Gas Utility
Community Event
Cover photo by Leslie Trainor, Rogue Eye Photography
killearn
briefs
Board of Directors
Monthly Meeting
KHA Office Hours and
Scheduled Holidays
The Killearn Homes Association Board of Directors’ regular
meeting is scheduled to be held
on Tuesday, March 6, 2012 at 7
pm in the conference room of
the association office located at
2705 Killarney Way. Any change
to the scheduled date and/or
time will be posted on our web
site at www.killearn.org.
The scheduled dates of the
Board of Directors’ future meetings are:
Tuesday, April 3rd
Tuesday, May 1st
Tuesday, June 5th
Tuesday, July 10th
Tuesday, August 7th
Tuesday, September 4th
Tuesday, October 2nd
Thursday, November 15th –
Annual Meeting
Tuesday, December 4th
Tuesday, January 8, 2013
Your Association’s staff is available Monday through Friday from
8:30 am to 2:30 pm.
The office will be closed for the
following holidays:
• May 28th – Memorial Day
• July 4th – Independence Day
Fireworks at Shamrock Park
• July 6th & 9th – Independence
Day
• September 3rd - Labor Day
• November 12th – Veterans Day
• November 22 nd and 23 rd –
Thanksgiving
• December 24 th and 25 th –
Christmas
• December 31st – New Year’s
Eve
Spring Forward, Fall Back
Don’t forget, Daylight Savings Time begins on Sunday, March 11, 2012 at 2:00 am, and ends Sunday,
November 4, 2012 at 2:00 am. Remember to move
your clocks ahead one hour in the spring and back
one hour in the fall.
2012 Annual Dues
Killearn Homes Association’s 2012 annual dues notices have been mailed
to all of our Association members. To save the costs of additional mail reminders and members’ potential late fees, please pay the invoice by the
close of business on March 31st or you will have a late fee added to your
annual dues invoice. Thank you to the majority of our residents for their
quick response in paying their dues on time.
Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE)
Several residents have asked the Killearn Homes Association how they
might check to see if there are any “Sexual Predators/Offenders” in their
area. The FDLE website, www.fdle.state.fl.us offers many items of interest,
plus the listing of Sexual Predators/Offenders in your area of interest. A
“Search our Systems” button will allow you to search by different criteria
such as zip code, by your address providing a name/address list, or a map
circling your address.
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Bob Ippolito
President
Allen Nobles
Vice President
Christine DeLand
Secretary
Bill Sittig
Treasurer
Lee Johnson
Joe Zollner
David Ferguson
Mike Flemming
Phil Inglese
ASSOCIATION STAFF
Brad Trotman
Executive Director
Bonnie B. White
Sue Barlow
Publisher
Killearn Homes Association
Editor
Sue Barlow
graphic design
Debbie Dewell, Great MInds, Inc.
Advertising
850/893-3468
kha@killearn.org
ad design
850/386-7401
debbie@greatmindsinc.com
Association Office
Killearn Kloverleaftm is published monthly
(12 issues/yr.)
by Killearn Homes Association
2705 Killarney Way,
Tallahassee FL 32309
850/893-3468 FAX 850/668-0530
POSTMASTER: Send address changes to:
Killearn Homes Association
2705 Killarney Way
Tallahassee FL 32309
Copyright © 2012. All rights reserved.
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Open Letter to the City of Tallahassee
(Continued on page 5)
www.killearn.org MARCH 2012 / SUPPORT THE ADVERTISERS WHO SUPPORT OUR COMMUNITY
3
Attachment A
On September 7, 2011 at a City of Tallahassee’s meeting, Brad Trotman, Executive Director and Bob Ippolito, President of Killearn Homes Association presented their appreciation to the City for the excellent work
on two major stormwater projects: an Obrien Drive retaining wall and a larger project from Dunleer Court to
Bayshore Drive into a culvert toward Timberlake. We asked why the project stopped 100+ feet away from
Timberlake at an old collapsing culvert. The Commission directed us to talk with Mr. Mike Tadros, the City’s
Underground Utilities General Manager. Mr. Tadros stated that since the culvert was on property owned by
the Association, the Association would have to bring it up to the City’s current stormwater specifications
before the City would take over responsibility for the culvert. But, he would have his staff repair the culvert.
The culvert was repaired within two days.
Why the City considered the culvert repair to be the Association’s responsibility
remained an open question.
On September 27, 2011, KHA Executive Director Brad Trotman, KHA Lakes Chairman Christine Deland and
I met with Mike Tadros, City Underground Utilities Manager, Robert McGarrah, City Electric Utility General
Manager, and Jim English, City Attorney, to discuss some of our concerns relative to recent stormwater and
electric issues. Mr. English shared a copy of the City’s “Urban Service Plan for Northeast Area Annexation
Plan” dated July 13, 1982. According to that document, on December 31, 1982, Killearn Estates was annexed
into the City. The planning document was and still is a requirement of Florida Statutes, Chapter 171.042. The
issues discussed were:
What “Urban Services” are directly or by contract offered and provided by the City of Tallahassee to its
residents? According to Chapter 171.031 (9) FS “Urban Services means any services offered by a municipality, either directly or by contract, to any of its present residents”. The City of Tallahassee’s Urban Service
Plan listed: Electric service, Water service, Sewer service, and Gas service. It did not list Stormwater service,
because the City had a memorandum of agreement contract with Leon County since February 2, 1976, that
the County would provide stormwater drainage construction and maintenance for the City until October 1,
1983. The contract was renewed May 27, 1987 and was to terminate on September 30, 1988.
How was Killearn Estates annexed into the City of Tallahassee – By Referendum or Voluntary request by Killearn Estates residents? Killearn Estates was annexed into the City of Tallahassee by referendum. Reference
Chapter 171.0413 (2) Referendum Annexation and Chapter 171.044, Voluntary Annexation. Under voluntary
annexation of property that does not meet the City’s design standards or public facility requirements, the
property must be brought up to the City’s standards in order to be eligible for voluntary annexation. This requirement does not apply for annexation by referendum. We presented a copy of the City of Tallahassee’s
Annexation Policy #132, passed by the City Commission on October 25, 2006 that agreed with our position of
the different requirements of annexation by referendum versus voluntary annexation. Mr. English disagreed
but provided no clear rationale for his position.
When read collectively, the statutes, ordinances, and government documents demonstrate that the City
is responsible for the maintenance of Killearn’s lakes. This is based on the fact that Killearn Estates was annexed to the City by referendum, not by the residents’ choice. The referendum required the City to accept
responsibility for the stormwater as is. At that time, however, the City had an agreement with Leon County
that provided Leon County would maintain the stormwater system. That agreement expired in 1989. When it
expired, the maintenance responsibility shifted back to the City. Below are various statutes and government
documents that track the responsibility.
The Northeast Area Annexation Plan: Page 3, Section III. Edward R. Mack, Jr., Chief of Comprehensive
Planning, Tallahassee-Leon County Planning Department certifies “the area proposed for annexation does
meet the criteria” per Florida Statutes, Chapter 171. Section 171.043. However, the plan addresses every
urban service except stormwater drainage.
The Northeast Area Annexation Plan: Page 2. The City lists all of its major municipal services – Stormwater
services are not listed. Florida Statutes 171, Section 171.021 “Purpose. – The purpose of this act are to set forth procedures for adjusting the boundaries of municipalities through annexations or contractions of corporate limits and to set forth
criteria for determining when annexation may take place so as to: (3) Ensure the efficient provision of urban
4 SUPPORT THE ADVERTISERS WHO SUPPORT OUR COMMUNITY / MARCH 2012 www.killearn.org
services to areas that become urban in character. (4) Ensure the areas are not annexed unless municipal
services can be provided to those areas. (9) Urban Services” means any service offered by a municipality,
either directly or by contract, to any of its present residents.” Leon County’s 1982 Stormwater Ordinance No. 82-15. When Killearn Estates was annexed into the City,
Leon County was responsible for all stormwater permit approvals, maintenance, upkeep or improvements
of any drainage facility in Leon County per Ordinance No. 82-15, Section 7-10 (4) [page 16] dated March 9,
1982; “Maintenance: (4) Any document affecting title to land which document contains provisions or requirements for the maintenance of drainage facilities by persons other than Leon County or the City of Tallahassee
shall contain the following statement: Neither Leon County nor the City of Tallahassee is responsible for the
maintenance, upkeep or improvement of any drainage facility referred to herein. Leon County Ordinance No. 82-15, Section 7-4:
• Definitions: (4) [Page 4] “Drainage Facilities” means all watercourses, water bodies and wetlands through
which surface water flows. • (12) [page 6] “Watercourse” means any stream, river, creek, channel, ditch, canal, conduit, drain, waterway, gully, ravine, street, roadway, swale, or wash in which water flows in a definite direction, either
continuously or intermittently, and which has definite channel or bed, or definite banks.
• (13) [Page 6] “Water body” means any natural or artificial pond, lake, reservoir or other area which normally
contains water. • (14) [page 6] “Wetlands” means those areas where the soil is normally saturated with water, or the dominant plant community is one or more species of aquatic plants.” None of Killearn Homes Association’s properties have the above required clause which excludes Leon
County or the City of Tallahassee from the maintenance of drainage facilities. The City of Tallahassee and Leon County “Memorandum of Agreement” was renewed until September
31, 1988, six years after Killearn Estates was annexed into the City – by a referendum. Effective January 1,
1989, the County was no longer responsible for stormwater drainage within the corporate limits of the City
of Tallahassee.
Why the silt and sediment should be removed from the lakes
On July 12, 1989, H.P. Goodling, Asst., Streets & Drainage Supt. wrote the following report regarding the
“Killearn Chain of Lakes Removal of accumulated sediment:
A field review of Lakes Kinsale, Killarney, Big Kanturk, and Little Kanturk was conducted-on June 29, 1989.
The purpose of this review was to see and hear what the property owners (adjacent to the lakes) wanted
done. Two classes of property owners were represented. (1) The Killearn Owners Association and (2) a group
represented by Ed Hornsby. Those present were:
• Carl Rehwenkle, Killearn Owners Association Inc. Donna Placilla, Killearn Owners, Association Inc. and CoChairperson, Lakes Committee
• Ed Hornsby, a Group of Homeowners
• Tom Bryant, Leon County
• Mike Lehmann, Leon County
• Bob Bass, Leon County
• Bill Coleman, City
• H.P. Goodling, City
The owners want the sediments removed. Recent rains have refilled the lakes and covered the sediments.
No direct assessment of the amounts to be removed was possible. Ed Hornsby has photos taken during recent
dry spell that provide limited understanding of the amount of material to be removed.
Hornsby’s group wants the Lakes restored to their “original condition”. This is defined as being the way they
were in 1973 or 1974 when excavated and shaped by Killearn Properties Inc. There are no known “as built”
plans, maps, photos, or drawings defining the “original” contours.
The depth of material to be removed can be determined in two practical ways, each with some margin
of error. These are:
• Conduct test borings in the lake’s bottoms. This will allow an approximation prior to the start or work.
• Drain the lakes and remove the material. The original bottom will be obvious both visually and by its hardness.
5
Nothing was done on the Association’s request. In 1994 a heavy rainfall flooded the homes around the
Killearn lakes and the City of Tallahassee and Leon County passed Resolution No. R94-32 for the “Leon County
Centerville Road culvert enlargement project” to improve the water flow out of the lakes.
During FY-90 and FY-91, the City of Tallahassee provided the initial funding for a study from the City’s Municipal Innovation Funds. In June, 1996 Rodney O. Cassidy of the Growth Management Department completed
and authored a report entitled “A Water Quality and Biological Assessment of Selected Lakes”.
In the 1996 Report’s summary, Mr. Cassidy concludes Lake Killarney has managed to maintain “relatively
good” water quality values and the lake supports fish and other wildlife. SWMP staff has examined the catch
of numerous anglers over the last four plus years and informally interviewed the fisherman to gauge the fishery. In addition, numerous largemouth bass, crappie and other fish have been observed during monitoring
events. This is a shallow, clear water, nutrient enriched, flow-through reservoir.
Factors which appear to prevent this lake from achieving an overall “good” rating include nutrient (Phosphorus and nitrogen) inputs from residential areas and a golf course, as well as a lack of adequate littoral
vegetation. Development of the watershed upstream from Lake Kinsale (from which water flows into Lake
Killarney) has been reported by citizens to have caused a decrease in water clarity in Lakes Kinsale and
Killarney in recent years.
One strategy to improve the functioning of this lake would be to decrease nutrient inputs and increase
wildlife habitat. The following general recommendations can be considered: (1) Encourage lakefront property
owners to leave wider buffer zones and/or construct swale(s) near their property boundaries with the lake
to reduce nutrient, pesticide, and herbicide inputs. (2) Potentially “fertilizer-enriched” runoff from the golf
course could be detained and treated in holding ponds and swales before it enters the lake. (3) Yards could
be managed through an integrated management approach that would reduce the use of pesticides, herbicides, etc. and fertilizers in the watershed. (4) Future “improvements” to the lake should be made with lake
ecology and water quality given consideration. (5) The buildup of sediments on the lake’s bottom could be
removed during a period of drawdown or drought and the Lake’s original stream channel reconfigured. (6)
Macrophytes could be reestablished after lake sediments were removed. Improvements to the water quality
in this lake and the other lakes of this system would prove beneficial to Lake Lafayette which is downstream
of Lake Killarney.
In addition, Mr. Cassidy’s summary of Lake Kanturk concluded the LCI score for Lake Kanturk was seven,
which places it two points above a rating of grossly altered. The score for the benthic part of the LCI was six,
a low score but better than similar lakes, i.e., A. J. Henry, Tom Brown Park, Killarney, etc. Residential development surrounds the majority of Lake Kanturk’s shoreline and undoubtedly accounts for much of the nutrient,
sediment and other inputs into the waterbody.
Data indicated Lake Kanturk rated both mesotrophic and eutrophic depending upon which set of criteria
were used to evaluate the lake. At this point in the study, a plurality of the data indicates the lake is eutrophic.
The flow-through component of this lake (it both receives and discharges water) makes it less degraded
system than it otherwise would be. As with Lake Killarney, if this flow is greatly reduced or terminated, Lake
Kanturk will suffer from poor water quality, fish kills, and algal blooms. The effects of excessive nutrification will
be most obvious during periods of warm or hot weather when the capacity of the water to hold oxygen is at
its lowest and the biological activity is the highest. Recommendations for hike improvement closely parallel
those for Lake Killarney.
This man-made reservoir supports a productive fishery and is not likely to be subject to fish kills and algal
blooms during periods of cooler water temperatures and high flow. It appears that temporal and flow variations account for much of the variation in ambient lake conditions.
On August 3, 2007, the Florida Department of Environmental Protection produced a map dated March 1,
1825, concluding that the Kanturk and Killarney Lakes were state water bodies collectively called “Turkey Lake”.
On September 5, 2011, Killearn Homes Association’s biologist, Dr. Sean E. McGlynn provided a report, entitled: “Lake Sediment Report: The Killearn Estates Lakes, Certified Analytical Results (NELAC), TMDL Approved
Data (FDEP)”. His summary states:
The Killearn Estates Lakes have problems related to water quality, aquatic plant and wildlife habitats, as
well as recreational usage. In addition to documented water quality problems this preliminary investigation
looked into the quality and quantity of sediment in different habitats within these lakes. The accumulation
of soft flocculent sediments, or muck was investigated within all three lakes with an emphasis on deep holes
in the lakes where benthic sediments collect and accumulate. Chemical analyses were not run on this material at this time. Also, the quality and quantity of sediments where stormwater flows into these lakes was
investigated. This focuses on areas in the lakes where stormwater conduits enter the lake and discharge
stormwater (concrete pipes or ditches). The areas where stormwater is released into the lakes at the inflow
structures have mounded sediments. Total solids, inorganic and organic matter were run on the inflow sediments. Organic vapor analysis was run on the inflow samples, in the field with an Organic vapor analyzed
equipped with a flame ionization detector.
These lakes in Killearn Estates, particularly Lakes Kanturk and Killarney are Impaired Waters on the basis of
water quality problems: Trophic State Index; Dissolved Oxygen; Total Nitrogen; Chlorophyll and Total Phosphorus. Lake Kanturk and Killarney exceeded regulatory criteria for fecal coliform bacteria, TSI, dissolved oxygen,
biological, limnological criteria. Other ecological problems resulting from the poor water quality or possibly
contributing to it are: stormwater (elevated phosphorus and bacteria); exotics (infested with island apple
snails and alligator weed); aquatic plants (low biomass); persistent algae blooms; muck deposits (siltation);
and wildlife potential (habitat loss); and hydrological stress.
These Lakes are “Sovereign Waters of the State.” These Lakes are subject to Water Quality Standards as
specified in Chapter 17-302, Florida Administrative Code, including but not limited to 17-302.500, 17-302.510
and 17-302.560. These lakes are Class III Waters that must have surface water of an appropriate quality for
“Recreation, Propagation and the Management of Fish and Wildlife.” They must “fishable and swimmable.”
This report provides additional evidence that these lakes do not have the water quality that satisfies these
criteria.
Dr. McGlynn’s Conclusions
• The inflow sediments are approximately 80% solids and 20% water. Of these solids they are composed of
90% non-combustible material (mostly sand) and less than 10% combustible material (organic matter)
• Stations KS3 and KS4 had the highest organic vapor readings (OVA), over 1400 mg/L OVA, a very high
reading. This was station KS3 12 -18 inches deep. Both of these stations are on the southern shore of Lake
Killarney. Station KS3 is located at the stormwater outfall near Kimberton Park (beside 3062 Shamrock).
Station KS4 is located at the stormwater outfall between 3074 and 3078 Shamrock.
• Heavy metals were below detection limit at all stations. Lead, copper, cadmium, chromium and mercury
were all below detection limits. Iron was present in the samples but is not usually considered hazardous.
• Lake Kinsail had less than a foot of muck in all places investigated. The inflow areas where Alford Creek
enters Lake Kinsail was silted up and dry at the time of this sampling.
• Lake Kanturk was intermediate in muck amounts, greater than Kinsail but less than Killarney. This lake has
been mostly dry for the last 10 years and has probably experienced a reduction in muck amounts due to
desiccation. This lake still had almost 2 feet of muck in some areas.
• Lake Killarney had the most muck with between 2 and 3 feet of muck deposit in deeper areas.
• Areas near the stormwater inflows should be dredged to create an area 10 feet deep which would behave
as a sediment sump. A combination of a deep area and surrounding vegetated filtration marshes would
be ideal.
• The lake bottom needs to be dredged to increase lake depth and remove nutrients and oxygen consuming bacteria associated with the muck.
An improvement at the inflow and outflow of each lake needs to be implemented. Trash racks should be
installed at the inflows and the outflow elevation for Lake Killarney and Kanturk needs to be investigated
because these elevations seem to be lower than the outflow of Lake Kinsail which seems to be several feet
higher than the outflow of the other two lakes. All the lakes should have a similar ordinary high water level.
Under Florida Statute Title Public Health, Environmental Control – Chapter 403.0893 Stormwater Funding
– the City of Tallahassee may charge residents’ fees to support the City’s stormwater control activities. The
City of Tallahassee does charge the residents of the Killearn Homes Association fees to support the City’s
stormwater activities.
Therefore, the stormwater system is Not a Homeowners Association’s responsibility.
7
2012 National Women’s History Month Theme:
Women’s Education ...
Women’s Empowerment
Although women now outnumber men in
American colleges nationwide, the reversal of
the gender gap is a very recent phenomenon.
The fight to learn was a valiant struggle waged
by many tenacious women—across years and
across cultures—in our country. After the American Revolution, the notion of education as a
safeguard for democracy created opportunities
for girls to gain a basic education—based largely
on the premise that, as mothers, they would
nurture not only the bodies but also the minds
of (male) citizens and leaders. The concept that
educating women meant educating mothers
endured in America for many years, at all levels
of education.
Pioneers of secondary education for young
women faced arguments from physicians and
other “experts” who claimed either that females
were incapable of intellectual development
equal to men, or that they would be harmed by
striving for it. Women’s supposed intellectual and
moral weakness was also used to argue against
coeducation, which would surely be an assault
on purity and femininity. Emma Willard, in her
1819 Plan for Improving Female Education, noted
with derision the focus of women’s “education”
on fostering the display of youth and beauty,
and asserted that women are “the companions,
not the satellites of men”—“primary existences”
whose education must prepare them to be full
partners in life’s journey.
While Harvard, the first college chartered in
America, was founded in 1636, it would be almost two centuries before the founding of the
first college to admit women—Oberlin, which
was chartered in 1833. And even as “coeducation” grew, women’s courses of study were often
different from men’s, and women’s role models
were few, as most faculty members were male.
Harvard itself opened its “Annex” (Radcliffe)
for women in 1879 rather than admit women
to the men’s college—and single-sex education remained the elite norm in the U.S. until the
early 1970s. As coeducation took hold in the Ivy
League, the number of women’s colleges decreased steadily; those that remain still answer
the need of young women to find their voices,
and today’s women’s colleges enroll a far more
diverse cross-section of the country than did the
original Seven Sisters.
Emma Hart Willard (1787 –1870)
Women Higher Education Pioneer
One of the pioneer
refor mers of Women’s
Education, Emma Willard
was born in 1787 into a
world that did not value
the schooling of girls. Her
father, however, was liberal minded, and encouraged his daughter to read
widely and to enter into
discussions of philosophy
and politics. Self-taught in
areas of study reserved for men, she went from
being a student to being a teacher, and at the
age of 20 became the principal at the women’s
academy in Middlebury, Vermont.
Two years later she married physician John Willard, and because it was considered improper for
married women to work, she retired to the home,
rearing her husband’s four children from his first
marriage and bearing a child herself.
But neither her “retirement” nor the work of
running a large household kept Willard from
advancing her studies. She borrowed college
textbooks from a male relative, and her eyes
were opened not only to advanced learning, but
also to the world of the mind denied to women.
When her husband was struck with financial
troubles, Willard opened a school in their Middlebury home, but met with opposition there to
her belief that women deserved an education
on a par with men. She criticized the finishing
school curriculum directed to young women,
noting that “the education of females has been
exclusively directed to fit them for displaying to
advantage the charms of youth and beauty ...
[and] though [it is] well to decorate the blossom,
it is far better to prepare for the harvest.”
Seeking a more hospitable location for her
school, she moved with her family to New York
9
Women’s History Month
Continued from page 8
State, and approached state legislators with
her “Plan for Improving Female Education”—
a document she had to submit in writing, as
women were not allowed to address the legislature in person. In it she wrote that “ reason and
religion teach that we [women] too are primary
existences...the companions, not the satellites
of men.”
While her ideas did not meet with universal
acceptance, the Governor of New York, De Witt
Clinton, was impressed. The booming industrial
city of Troy raised taxes to endow the Troy Female Seminary, and families across the country
sent their daughters to be educated according
to the philosophy of Madame Willard. The real
education of American girls had begun.
On the twenty-fifth anniversary of the Troy
Female Seminary it was named the Emma Willard School, and continues today to provide
a first-rate education to young women from
all over the world. In 1895—twenty-five years
after Willard’s death—a statue in her honor was
erected on the campus of her groundbreaking
experiment. Its inscription reads in part:
HER MOST ENDURING MONUMENT, [is]
THE GRATITUDE OF EDUCATED WOMEN.
Charlotte Forten Grimke (1837 – 1914)
Freedman Bureau Educator
Charlotte Forten
was born in Philadelphia to an affluent
and educated black
family—a family of
abolitionist activists
who championed
any number of civil
rights organizations.
She received her education at the Higginson Grammar School
in Salem, Massachusetts, where she was the only non-white student
in a student body of two hundred students. She
then went on to the Normal School in Salem,
where she studied literature and teaching.
Forten became a member of the Salem Female
Anti-Slavery Society, where she proved her abilities as what we would now call a community activist—organizing, speaking, and raising money.
When her financial situation demanded that
she find paid employment, Forten became the
first Black woman to teach white children in
Massachusetts, at the Epes Grammar School of
Salem. During this time she also began publishing poetry, much of it activist in theme.
But with the coming of the Civil War,Forten’s
determination to participate in the education of
liberated slaves brought her to South Carolina,
where slave-owners had fled the Union army.
She left the north under the auspices of the
Philadelphia Port Royal Relief Association and
taught on the island of St. Helena—the first black
woman to do so.
Her activist spirit and idealistic determination
are evident as she contemplates the challenge
she has taken on: “The long, dark night of the
Past, with all its sorrows and its fears, was forgotten; and for the Future—the eyes of these freed
children see no clouds in it.”
The physical and emotional stress finally took
its toll on Forten, and she left St. Helena after
two years. But she had achieved one dream,
and had years ahead to achieve still more. She
had national impact on education in the United
States when she worked for the U.S. Treasury Department in Washington, D.C. recruiting teachers. At the age of forty-one, Charlotte Forten
married Presbyterian minister Francis Grimké,
himself a freed slave, and nephew of the famous
Grimké sisters, who were abolitionist activists.
Charlotte supported his work at his Washington
D.C. church, where she organized a women’s
missionary group, and continued to work with
and for the black community.
Scholar, teacher, abolitionist, crusader, Charlotte Forten Grimké is remembered and read
today as a writer whose careful documentation
of her varied life is a testament to the racial
experience of 19th century America.
Source: www.nwhp.org//whm/honorees2012.php
City Ordinance
requires pet owners to pick up
their dog’s waste. Please carry
a plastic bag when
walking your dog(s).
KILLEARN HOSTS YARD SALE
TO BENEFIT MISSION SAN LUIS
A large yard sale to benefit the
costume budget at Mission San
Luis will be held in the Killearn
shopping area Saturday, March
24 featuring items collected by
The Questers, an international antiques appreciation organization.
The sale will be from 7a.m. to
10 a.m. in the parking area of the
office complex across from the Killearn Methodist
Church playground.
“The re-enactors at Mission San Luis wear period
attire tailored from wool, cotton, leather and other
material typical of the colonial period,” said Betty
Matousek, an organizer of the sale. “Our objective
is to help finance the expense of designing, making
and maintaining these costumes to make San Luis as
authentic a historic reproduction as possible.”
She stressed that the Questers are collecting good
quality household, clothing, jewelry and decorative
items for the sale.
Contact: Betty Matousek at 727-0705
11
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To
The Smoke Detector Program
The Tallahassee Fire Department
Smoke Detector Program began
in the early 1980’s with a community block grant. This program was
designed to provide senior citizens
and low-income citizens with a
smoke detector for their home.
Senior citizens have an increased
risk of dying in fires. More than 1,200
Americans over the age of 65 die
as a result of fire and 3,000 are injured due to residential fires each
year. Over the years, the department has installed many smoke
detectors throughout Tallahassee
and Leon County.
Smoke detectors can provide
the early warning necessary to
escape a deadly fire. To be effective, smoke detectors must
be installed in the right location
and they must be maintained.
Battery replacement should be
done whenever you change your
clock in the fall and in the spring.
A “chirping” or “beeping” sound
indicates the battery is weak and
needs to be replaced. Do not remove the battery until you have
one to replace it with.
Recently, we have assisted a
number of residents in Sawgrass Cr
and White Ibis Lane territory with
the replacement of their batteries in their smoke detectors and
have found that even with replacing the batteries the chirping still
continues. This is a clear indicator
that the actual detector needs to
be replaced. A practice that a lot
of homeowners are not choosing
to do for a variety of reasons, but
mainly the location of the detector is in a location that is not easily
accessible to maintain. As a veteran of the Tallahassee Fire Department, I cannot stress enough
how important it is to install smoke
detectors and to maintain them
in good working order. I have
seen many lives saved because
of them and, sadly, lives lost with
a lack of them. So, if you are an
Tallahassee
Construction
#CRC 057459 • #CCC 1325561
Professional Building & Remodeling
Room Additions • Cabinetry • Screened Porches
Wood Decks • Fireplaces • Painting • Wood Rot Repair
Reroofing • Bathrooms • Kitchens
850-668-4400
FAX: 850-668-5900
4028 Desoto Farm Road. Tallahassee FL 32309
SPECIALIZING IN HOME AND AUTO INSURANCE
As an officer with the Tallahassee Fire Department and currently
assigned to Fire Station 7 at 2805
Shamrock South, I would like to reinform you about a program we
offer. It is called Smoke Detector
and The Smoke Detector Program
and can be accessed on the web
at http://www.talgov.com/fire/
fpdetect.cfm . . . briefly:
elderly
citizen
or of lowincome
please do not
hesitate to contact our Fire Prevention Bureau at
891-6629 or one of us here at Fire
Station 7 891-6720. We are more
than glad to assist you in making
sure that your residence is as fire
safe as it can be, and while the
above program specifically addresses helping the elderly and low
income, this should not deter the
rest of the citizens to ask questions
if they are concerned. Remember:
Most fire deaths occur in homes
without properly placed or maintained smoke detectors. If you
have a fire, the smoke will act like
an anesthetic and will put you in a
deeper sleep. Therefore, you must
protect yourself and your family by
installing and maintaining smoke
detectors in your home. A properly
placed and working smoke detector will wake you in time to escape.
Thank you for the opportunity
to serve you.
Sincerely,
Lt. Judi Davison
Bethany, Joe
& Gus
Great Insurance.
Great Service.
Great Prices.
judi.davison@talgov.com
We are your
Killearn Estates Neighbors!
(850) 523-0605
FAX (850) 523-0615
gfitally@greatflorida.com
www.greatflorida.com 2522 NE Capital Circle, Suite #4
13
CARE TO SERVE ON A COMMITTEE?
Please let us know if you care
to serve on one or more of the
following seven (7) standing committees. However, since there
will not be an election this year
of KHA Directors, the Nominating
and Election Committee will not
be active.
The Nominating Committee:
The Nominations Committee
encourages broad participation
throughout the Association in
securing candidates for director
positions. This effort includes the
opportunity for individual Association members to volunteer
for nomination to the Board of
Directors.
The Recreation Committee: The
Recreation Committee advises
the Board of Directors on all matters pertaining to the recreational
programs and activities of the
Association and performs such
other functions as the Board, in its
discretion, determines.
The Maintenance Committee:
The Maintenance Committee
advises the Board of Directors
on all matters pertaining to the
maintenance, repair or improvement of the Common Properties
and Facilities of the Association,
and performs such other functions as the Board, in its discretion,
determines.
The Architectural Control Committee: The Architectural Control
Committee has the duties and
functions described in the appropriate articles of the respective Declarations of Covenants
and Restrictions applicable to
The Properties. It watches for any
proposals, programs, or activities
which may adversely affect the
residential value of The Properties
and advises the Board of Directors regarding Association action
on such matters. The Committee
meets every Wednesday from 10
am to 12 pm. The Public Relations Committee: The Public Relations Committee informs the members of
all activities and functions of the
Association and shall, after consulting with the Board of Directors,
make such public releases and
announcements as are in the best
interests of the Association.
The Audit Committee: The Audit Committee supervises and
reviews the annual audit of the
Association’s books and approves
the annual budget and balance
sheet statement to be presented
to the membership at its regular
meeting as provided in Article XI,
Section 8. The treasurer shall be ex
officio member of the Committee. The Elections Committee: The
Elections Committee follows the
ballot counting process prescribed in Article VIII of the Killearn
Homes Association’ Bylaws. The Chairs and current members of the committees for 2012
can be found on our website
www.killearn.org; please drop a
line or send an email to kha@killearn.org with the committee(s)
you are interested in serving on.
The chairman of that committee
will then contact you by phone
or email.
Tired of Throwing Money out the Window?
Do you think you are paying too much for your
utilities every month? Are you concerned that the air
in your home could be cleaner, or do you sense an
odor that won’t go away? Are certain rooms or areas
hotter/colder/less comfortable than the rest of your
home? Are you thinking about selling or refinancing
your home in the coming years, or do you just want to
explore ways of impacting the world a little less? Bixler Energy Consulting (BEC)
is a comprehensive home
efficiency auditing, consulting, and
improvement
company that
is directed toward assisting
homeowners
with these issues.
To m B i x l e r
was educated
in the science
of human and
env i ronmental relationships at Emory
University. He
has spent his
career in north
Florida as an
environmental scientist, a low-impact landscape designer, and a Class 1 Existing Residential Rater. Lately,
Tom has been working with contractors who are building ENERGY STAR qualified homes. Achieving this goal
involves construction techniques which make homes
more efficient, comfortable, safe, and healthy. BEC
was created to take this experienced knowledge and
implement it in the existing home market.
Once homeowners recognize an issue, the hardest
step can be getting started. The City of Tallahassee’s
free energy audit is a great service and should be utilized, but BEC has observed that this is often as far as
an improvement project goes. BEC’s business model
is designed to produce results. Many projects require
performing a much more thorough audit (research,
measuring, testing, running diagnostics and thermal
imaging). A comprehensive audit may include modeling the home on a computer, calibrating that model
with the last twelve months of utility bills, and using that
model to explore different improvement scenarios
(cost vs. benefit and return on investment analysis).
Next, BEC is ready to assist the homeowner in achieving the goals that are set. Once the improvements are
complete, BEC can test the new system(s) and analyze any improvements to create an energy improvement report. The homeowner may also request a HERS
Index report, the
standard scoring system for a
home’s efficiency. In Florida,
E N E R G Y S TA R
houses must
have a HERS
Index score of
77, or better,
to qualify. If a
homeowner
can get their
house close to,
or even below,
that score, they
have a powerful selling or refinancing point!
In the new home
market, ENERGY
STAR qualified
homes generally sell better
than non-qualified homes. The same holds true for energy efficient,
pre-existing homes. Local real estate agents are
becoming trained and qualified to understand and
relate energy improvements to potential buyers.
Home inspections now contain data acquisition points
for energy improvements, and mortgage companies
are moving toward taking energy improvements into
account when financing or refinancing homes.
Each homeowner’s need is different; therefore
each project that BEC procures is unique. Some are
simple and some extensive, depending on what the
homeowner wants. Contact BEC with your questions
or concerns, and let’s get started!
BixlerEnergyConsulting.com
850-524-5150
t.bixler@hotmail.com
15
by Scott Mann, Killearn Resident
by Scott Mann, Killearn Resident
Proactive Hurricane Preparation
Let’s face it living in Florida
one thing residents need to be
aware of is the possibility of being
affected by a Hurricane, tropical
storm or tornado.
Most people deal with this reality in a somewhat reactive way by
waiting until June 1st, the official
start of the Hurricane season, and
dust off their check list of things
to do and items to have on hand
after a storm has gone through.
Most experts would agree that
Tallahassee would not suffer storm
surge damage due to its distance
from the Coast, but the wind damage could be substantial in the
event of a severe storm. There are
two very important things that can
be done that can make a substantial difference in how you are affected by the inevitable storm either
from a hurricane or tornado.
The first proactive action to
consider is to invest in an emergency power source i.e. a standby generator. There are some very
reliable models available that run
on either natural gas or propane
and come on automatically in the
event of a power loss and shut off
automatically once the power is
restored. A standby generator
properly sized for the needs of
your home can deliver electricity to power your refrigerator,
therefore preventing loss of food
items, cooking appliances, for
meal preparation, lights, for your
home giving comfort and security,
washer and dryer, air conditioning
and can even power your cell
phone charger and portable radio long after the batteries in your
hurricane kit have gone dead.
If you are considering investing
in a standby generator to have
before the 2012 Hurricane season,
now would be the time to act due
to the three to four month delay in
having one purchased, delivered
and installed by a properly trained
technician. Last year’s devastating tornadoes in Alabama have
resulted in a manufacturer’s back
order of home standby generators.
The second proactive thing that
can be done to reduce your risk
from storm related damage is to
remove or trim diseased or dead
trees that threaten your family
and property. I am aware that it
is sacrilegious to talk of trimming
or removing trees in Tallahassee, however, besides the fact
that overhanging trees threaten
homes, cars and power lines, it is a
also a fact that properly trimmed
trees have a much better chance
of surviving a storm with high winds.
I am aware that Tallahassee has
not been hit with a major storm for
quite a while which could lull residents into a sense of complacency.
My last duty station before retiring
from the U.S. Coast Guard was in
New Orleans during which Hurricane Katrina devastated the Gulf
Coast. You remember Hurricane
Katrina, the storm that was on track
for the Big Bend area before taking
a more easterly course to Mississippi and Louisiana. The Saturday
morning before Hurricane Katrina
slammed into the Gulf Coast, I
had to plead with my neighbor
to evacuate his family out of the
“bowl” of New Orleans created by
the Mississippi river and man-made
levies. My Coast Guard unit evacuated its personnel, family members
and search and rescue equipment
100 miles north to Meridian, Mississippi where we rode out the storm,
which was still a class two Hurricane
as it passed over. Even at 100 miles
away from the Coast, a distance
twice the distance of Tallahassee’s
coastal proximity, Meridian, Mississippi was without power for several
days and many of the older trees
were downed.
Architectural Control Committee Actions for January 2012
Date
1/4/2012
37
Roof Replacement
Approved
1/11/2012
51
Install Swingset Structure
Approved
39
Install Storage Structure
Approved
01
Rear Addition to Home
Approved
04
Replace siding and back porch
Approved
12
Roof Replacement
Approved
03
Replace asphalt driveway
Approved
51
Add additional fencing
Approved
19
Roof Replacement
Approved
12
Addition to rear of home
Approved
36
Install pool and replace fencing
Approved
1/18/2012
1/25/2012
Unit
ProjectActions/Conditions
17
march
By Katherine LaRosa, Master Gardener
ee
s
s
a
h
a
ll
a
T
In the
Garden
March is one of my favorite gardening times of
year. The weather is warm, the soil is warming and
the nurseries and garden centers are full of plants.
But March is also one of the most dangerous
times of year. Our average annual last frost date
is March 15, but some years we experience killing
frosts as late as the end of March or early April.
So some gardening activities must be put off until
April, such as planting tender summer annual
flowers, like impatiens and begonias. However, a
long list of other gardening activities sounds the
call to action.
PLANTING: Trees and shrubs can still be planted,
but the sooner the better. The roots need time
to become established before suffering the
stress of hot summer months. Select springflowering trees and shrubs now while they
are in bloom and you can see just what you
are getting in terms of color and shape.
Knowledgeable people at our nurseries and
garden centers can help you select plants
suited to our area.
PRUNING: Now is the time to finish heavy pruning
of trees and shrubs. Delay pruning spring-flowering
shrubs, such as loropetalum, until they finish
blooming. Then prune without delay to avoid
pruning away next year’s blooms. Be patient with
shrubs which appear cold-damaged. Once new
growth appears you will see how much actually
needs pruning. Even shrubs which appear totally
dead may grow back from the crown. Older,
overgrown woody shrubs such as tea olive, hollies
and ligustrum can be rejuvenated by cutting
them to within a foot or two of the ground and
allowing them to grow back.
LAWN CARE:
Sharpen your
mower blades
now, and then check
your lawn throughout the
mowing season to determine
when you need to re-sharpen the blades. A
dull blade makes a ragged cut which will stress
the grass. If your grass blades look chewed off
after your lawn care service mows, ask them
to sharpen their blades. Mow at least every 2
weeks to keep winter weeds from spreading.
If you over-seeded your lawn with winter rye,
cut it very close so that sun can reach the
permanent grass.
VEGETABLE GARDEN: In the vegetable garden
the race is on! Local gardeners try to plant
the summer vegetable garden as soon as
danger of frost has passed in order to harvest
the produce before the summer insects and
diseases take over. After March 15, in full sun
and well-drained soil, begin planting beans,
melons, sweet corn, cucumbers, eggplant,
southern peas, peppers, squash and tomatoes.
Katherine LaRosa is a Master Gardener Volunteer with
the University of Florida IFAS Extension in Leon County.
For more local gardening information, visit the UF-IFAS
Extension website for Leon County at http://leon.ifas.ufl.
edu. Reprinted with the permission of David W. Marshall,
who directs environmental education programs for the
University of Florida IFAS Extension in Leon County.
FERTILIZATION: Resist fertilizing your lawn
until April, at least three weeks after greenup. Otherwise it will be a waste of time and
money. Or you may decide you don’t need
to fertilize it at all. If your lawn was healthy and
presentable last year, then good watering and
mowing practices can help keep it healthy.
Fertilize young trees and shrubs now. Established
trees and shrubs in mulched beds need little
fertilization. A soil test can help you decide.
around tallahassee
events
The City of Tallahassee Natural
Gas Utility will sponsor a community event on Saturday, March
10th, 2012 at Shannon Lakes Park.
The event, which will be held from
1:30 p.m. – 4:30 p.m., will feature
live demonstrations of natural gas
appliances and give residents the
opportunity to “Ask the Experts”
on a variety of related topics.
Natural gas installers (plumbers,
contractors, etc.) will be on hand
to answer questions about natural
gas appliances and installations.
Find out:
• What’s the cost of a new natural gas water heater? Range?
Dryer?
• How much can be saved annually with natural gas?
• Just how does a tankless water
heater work?
• Natural gas fire logs – more than
just another pretty face?
• Can I really get up to $2,000 in
rebates?
• Why almost 2 out of 3 Killearn
residents have switched to
natural gas.
We invite all our current and
future customers to join us on the
10th for information and refreshments. For more information on
natural gas availability, please
visit our website at www.Talgov.
com/YOU and don’t forget to
“Like” us on Facebook (City of
Tallahassee Natural Gas Utility).
March 10, 2012
8:00 am - 1 Mile Fun Run/Walk
8:30 am - 5K
Killearn United Methodist Church
2800 Shamrock South, Tallahassee, FL
Contact: Valerie W. Smith
(850)893-1116
www.shamrockscurry.com
19
PRSRT STD
U.S. POSTAGE
2705 Killarney Way, Tallahassee FL 32309
PAID
TALLAHASSEE, FL
PERMIT NO. 132
Happy St Patricks Day

Killearn Briefs Open Letter to City of Tallahasse Regarding Lakes

Transcription

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