Odds and ends from the mailbox
I've got a day job, in case you were wondering. Most days, i wake up, check my email, scan the headlines and a few blogs, get some ideas for what i might write about. I think them through on the way to work, make some notes when i get to the office, and hit the publish button throughout the day as i get a bit of down time. Once in a while i'll spend a couple of days working on a piece, but i've found i don't like that so much. Especially this time of year when i'd rather be spending my free daylight hours working in the yard, moving rocks around, and grilling.
This month is turning out to be exceptionally busy at work. My to do list, if you're interested, has a good 50 hours of tasks waiting to be done. And there's so much to write about, what with local, state and national elections coming up in 3 weeks, a Beaver Queen pageant to promote, and the usual Durham shenanigans. Oh, and the Durham Committee should be releasing their endorsements in our local races any day now. Fortunately, i've got lots of Ornette Coleman in the iTunes jukebox to calm my nerves.
So all this is a roundabout way of saying, here's some stuff that's shown up in my email inbox today that you might want to know about it, with minimal, but extremely pithy, commentary.
First off, from the Ellerbe Creek list, i learned that a couple of hundred gallons of sewage spilled into an unnamed tribuatry of the Ellerbe Creek near Club and Washington (my neighborhod) this morning. "City crews cleared the blockage, which was said to be caused by grease and rags by 10:15 a.m. The area was being cleaned and disinfected. The city reported "no immediately visible adverse environmental impacts or hazards to persons or property." Say what? Grease and rags? What the hell are you people flushing down your toilets? Hopefully, there's a business card or water bill tucked in those rags so someone can get a bill for this.
Next, i'm alerted by someone who prefers to remain anonymous, that in addition to the $400K the city is budgeting for rebates on Ultra High Efficiency (1.28 gallons per flush) toilets, the city is also budgeting $400K for a PR "blitz" to remind people that the drought isn't over, and that water conservation is a full-time gig. I'm not particularly upset by this (although my correspondent has some major concerns) because it is important that people get this message. But, are there other positions that are going unfunded in the city that could also impact our water usage habits? And given that the city has little experience in funding this kind of PR campaign, is it going to be done with enough oversight to make sure we get the most bang for the buck? Good questions to ask.
Jim Neal's going to be back in Durham for a meet'n'greet and fundraiser on April 20. That's a Sunday, from 4-6 pm. Call or email Sara Forman from the Neal for Senate campaign at 919-544-1136 or sara_forman@jimnealforsenate.com for more details (such as location) or to RSVP.
Finally, from my neighborhood listserv, comes this note: "Just wanted to let everyone know that it is honey bee swarming season. I write this as I watch one of my hives swarm. If you happen to see a clump of bees hanging from a tree, branch, house etc. just give me a call and I will do my best to come retrieve them.
These bees are not aggressive at this time and are just looking for a new home."
Given how distressed honeybee hives are right now, don't panic and call the exterminator, OK? Without honeybees, we wouldn't have cucumbers. And without cucumbers, we wouldn't have pickles. And without pickles, well, you can figure that out yourself, can't you?
This month is turning out to be exceptionally busy at work. My to do list, if you're interested, has a good 50 hours of tasks waiting to be done. And there's so much to write about, what with local, state and national elections coming up in 3 weeks, a Beaver Queen pageant to promote, and the usual Durham shenanigans. Oh, and the Durham Committee should be releasing their endorsements in our local races any day now. Fortunately, i've got lots of Ornette Coleman in the iTunes jukebox to calm my nerves.
So all this is a roundabout way of saying, here's some stuff that's shown up in my email inbox today that you might want to know about it, with minimal, but extremely pithy, commentary.
First off, from the Ellerbe Creek list, i learned that a couple of hundred gallons of sewage spilled into an unnamed tribuatry of the Ellerbe Creek near Club and Washington (my neighborhod) this morning. "City crews cleared the blockage, which was said to be caused by grease and rags by 10:15 a.m. The area was being cleaned and disinfected. The city reported "no immediately visible adverse environmental impacts or hazards to persons or property." Say what? Grease and rags? What the hell are you people flushing down your toilets? Hopefully, there's a business card or water bill tucked in those rags so someone can get a bill for this.
Next, i'm alerted by someone who prefers to remain anonymous, that in addition to the $400K the city is budgeting for rebates on Ultra High Efficiency (1.28 gallons per flush) toilets, the city is also budgeting $400K for a PR "blitz" to remind people that the drought isn't over, and that water conservation is a full-time gig. I'm not particularly upset by this (although my correspondent has some major concerns) because it is important that people get this message. But, are there other positions that are going unfunded in the city that could also impact our water usage habits? And given that the city has little experience in funding this kind of PR campaign, is it going to be done with enough oversight to make sure we get the most bang for the buck? Good questions to ask.
Jim Neal's going to be back in Durham for a meet'n'greet and fundraiser on April 20. That's a Sunday, from 4-6 pm. Call or email Sara Forman from the Neal for Senate campaign at 919-544-1136 or sara_forman@jimnealforsenate.com for more details (such as location) or to RSVP.
Finally, from my neighborhood listserv, comes this note: "Just wanted to let everyone know that it is honey bee swarming season. I write this as I watch one of my hives swarm. If you happen to see a clump of bees hanging from a tree, branch, house etc. just give me a call and I will do my best to come retrieve them.
These bees are not aggressive at this time and are just looking for a new home."
Given how distressed honeybee hives are right now, don't panic and call the exterminator, OK? Without honeybees, we wouldn't have cucumbers. And without cucumbers, we wouldn't have pickles. And without pickles, well, you can figure that out yourself, can't you?
Since 1949, Durhamites have slept soundly, secure in the knowledge that, in our town, erection can be depended upon. Now, thanks to the power of the internets, we can spread that security all over the world.
3 Comments:
"And without pickles, well, you can figure that out yourself, can't you?"
We'd lack something to be in when the water gives out?
By
Marsosudiro, at 6:29 PM
we've had a bee hive living in a column of our front porch for about 3 years now, Donna (who sent that email, helped us understand them...and she harvested some. we live in harmony with them...they dont bother us...only 2-3 stings in the last 3 years...
By
Vera, at 8:53 PM
City staff confirmed that the "unnamed tributary" was South Ellerbe Creek.
Now, South Ellerbe drains most of downtown (north of the RR tracks) and Durham Central Park -- along with significant areas of Trinity Park, Old North Durham and Duke Park.
It's more than "an unnamed tributary."
Seems like we're reading about these spills on a regular basis.
Here are specific recommendations we outlined after the mother of all spills (in the western branch of South Ellerbe)...
Letter: Water Protection Needs Higher Durham Priority
(Herald-Sun, 15 December 2000)
South Ellerbe Creek flows for three miles through some of Durham's oldest and most densely developed neighborhoods (Old West Durham, Walltown, Trinity Park and Northgate Park).
It is home to wild rose and blackberry bushes, wild pear trees, cat tails, thrush grasses and other wetland plants, large bullfrogs, rabbits, racoon and several varieties of birds -- including red tail hawks and great blue herons.
After crossing under Northgate Mall's massive surface parking lots and Interstate 85, South Ellerbe flows into what was a greenbelt of forests and farms that separated Durham from Braggtown. It was here, on Thanksgiving Day, that an old 18" terra-cotta pipe burst, spilling 4.5 million gallons of raw sewage into the creek for a period nine days -- the biggest sewage spill in the state.
Once detected, the City of Durham responded to the spill quickly and capably. However, the City of Durham must take responsibility for the slow detection of this spill of raw sewage into South Ellerbe Creek and the Neuse River system. The City uses automatic monitoring devices in the wastewater pipes to detect spills. But the one person in charge of monitoring the computer readings was out sick, so the spill went unnoticed. Durham must give a higher priority to protecting our public trust waters by giving more attention to this very important duty. The first step could be training existing employees as back up operators and making the readings public so that more people could monitor for leaks. The City is permitted to discharge treated water into the creek. For this privilege, it must show respect for the community and the natural environment and take responsibility for protecting the creek from such disasters.
We also ask that the risk of spills be minimized by placing a priority on prevention. Inspecting wastewater pipes with more frequency, and replacing the old terra cotta pipes that are likely to crack over time with more durable piping, should be at the top of the list. The spill on South Ellerbe Creek could have been prevented by a system to detect and replace high risk pipes. Durham should be commended for having already mapped its wastewater system, and should be able to use these maps to locate pipes that are compromised such as the pipe on South Ellerbe Creek.
Urban creeks are the most neglected and degraded creeks in the nation -- polluted, channelized, littered, and forgotten. Yet, these streams contribute to drinking water for urban communities, and also provide recreation and refuge from concrete and asphalt. Restored rivers help make cities livable again, offer many urban residents a significant connection to nature, and provide enormous benefits for public health, recreation, economic growth, and community pride.
The Friends of South Ellerbe Creek and the Neuse River Foundation ask the City of Durham to take appropriate measures to protect our waterways by investing the necessary resources to prevent such disasters in the future.
signed,
Michelle Nowlin, Friends of South Ellerbe
and
Heather Beard, Neuse River Foundation
By
Unknown, at 11:24 AM
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