Things that make you go, hmmm…….
A tipping point
Janet Bowman, a spokeswoman for The Nature Conservancy, said the proposal comes at a critical time.
"We're reaching a tipping point at some of the springs, and we won't be able to restore the water quality," Bowman said.
The state is already doing a lot to protect the springs, but more can be done, said Department of Environmental Protection Secretary Michael Sole.
"When you look at not only the recreational value that those springs provide but the ecological value, they're critical to our state, and they need good protection," Sole said.
Increased nitrogen and phosphorus levels have become a problem statewide, said Jerry Brooks, a deputy director with the department.
A major source of nitrogen and phosphorus is fertilizer from lawns, sports fields, golf courses, farms and ranches.
Another major source is
human waste, either waste that's been treated and pumped from sewage facilities or
oozing from septic tanks.
The springs should also see a reduced threat from septic tanks, since Wakulla County has set stricter standards.
The county passed an ordinance in October 2006 that requires all new homes built to use septic systems that remove a much higher level of nitrogen, said Padraic Juarez, the county's environmental health director.
The springs protection bill (HB 31) has one more stop in the House before reaching the floor.
An identical bill (SB 2078) has two more stops in the Senate before reaching the floor of that chamber.
Scientists with the St. Johns River Water Management district put together a map of the Blue Spring basin four years ago. They concluded the water in the spring comes from most of Deltona and much of DeLand.
The basin's northernmost boundary is the intersection of State Road 44 and State Road 15A and on the east it reaches almost to Osteen.
Wildlife at risk of losing habitat to Farmton
Florida panthers. Confirmation of the elusive, highly endangered feline has been tough, but at least two panthers have made it north to Tomoka State Park in Ormond Beach, and one died near St. Augustine. So it's likely the panther travels through this property.
Snowy and great egrets. The extensive wetlands and lakes make this a strategic habitat for many wading birds.
Florida black bear. State wildlife officials identify the land as a part of a key black-bear wildlife corridor stretching along the St. Johns River and connecting to the Ocala National Forest.
Florida scrub-jay. Both scrub-jays and gopher tortoises have been identified on the scattered scrub uplands throughout the property.
Congressional indifference
to what many voters see as a
problem may stem from the emergence of a new culture on Capitol Hill
in which Members no longer see themselves as
statesmen debating the lofty principles and issues of the day,
but rather as sales clerks serving influential constituents and
lobbyists in exchange for campaign contributions and box seats at
ball games.
However they may disguise
these actions as legitimate constituent services governed by the
principles of democracy,
these actions can in fact cause considerable
harm to the nation and to the people of their states and districts.
"Our taxpayers pay taxes, too. If we don't secure funds,
they will go to other communities," said Gary Burns,
legislative
director for Mica, the top Republican
We value the
aquifer
and her recharge areas
over draining down
our Conservation
Corridor. $800,000 worth of unwanted
congressional pork for an Expressway
Authority study to pave over our
Conservation Corridor was insulting to say the least
Mr. Mica.
We want our troops home too,
please stop
threatening
our troops
need the conservation corridor for clean water
when they do come home'
Transportation and Infrastructure
Committee
and ONE of OUR TWO Deltona Representatives-
Whom from their voting record have a very difficult time understanding the importance of water
House Passes Water Quality Financing Act,
(vote shows DELTONA has CLUELESS Representatives)
By The Associated
Press Fri Mar 9,2007
The 303-108 roll call Friday by which the House passed the Water Quality Financing Act of 2007.
Democrats — Boyd, Y; Brown,
Corrine, Y; Castor, Y; Hastings, Y; Klein, Y; Mahoney, Y; Meek, Y; Wasserman
Schultz, Y; Wexler, Y.
Republicans — Bilirakis, N; Brown-Waite, Ginny, Y; Buchanan, N; Crenshaw, N; Diaz-Balart, L., Y;
Diaz-Balart, M., Y; Feeney, X; Keller, N; Mack, N; Mica,
N; Miller, N; Putnam, N; Ros-Lehtinen, Y; Stearns, N; Weldon, N; Young, Y.
The agreement among Deltona, the county and a few Osteen landowners gives up too much by allowing city-like development densities and compromising design standards to accommodate the dream of more than 6 million square feet of commercial development plus mixed office and residential construction.
A more sensible agreement would have prevented urban encroachment in the low-density and rural areas on about 250 acres east of S.R. 415 at Doyle Road and farther south on the west side of the highway, while permitting commercial and urban mixed uses on land only between Doyle and Howland Boulevard on the highway's west side.
What happens to the land north and south of the Doyle-S.R. 415 intersection?
We don't have to draw you a picture.
You've seen it all over Volusia County, throughout Central Florida.
Development creep.
And then justification for wider highways, more connector thoroughfares
(think John Mica's appeal for a toll road
through the southern heart of the county),
more density,
more government services
and further shrinking of Volusia's rural and intended conservation interior.
Inevitable, they call such growth. Inevitable because the negotiations that occur in government halls are rarely anymore discussions that begin with
"What do you not understand about 'No'?"
Instead, they're about giving up more or a lot more of what we shouldn't to satisfy growth interests.
It has been extremely difficult for an average citizen to play an effective role in this process, a process that has the potential to eradicate the very reason we live in the area under discussion.
Imagine this on
S.R. 415 and/or S.R. 46
Community-Based
Solutions
Of course, many
such innovations lend themselves best to new structures. But even older homes
in shady neighborhoods, where solar power is impractical, could reduce their
energy consumption through more efficient, community-based solutions. We could
put solar thermal collectors in open parks or even in the hot tar of streets,
then distribute the hot water via pipes to the surrounding neighborhood. Heat
would stay heat.
As some European
towns already do, we could build community windmills and solar farms and
distribute energy locally, avoiding the energy losses
associated with high-voltage transmission lines. Both solar and wind
energy-collection systems operate most efficiently on a slightly larger scale
than that used by individual homes.
Such off-the-grid, locally based energy solutions offer
the added advantage of making communities less
vulnerable to terrorist attacks on centralized power networks.
Osteen NOT divided about it's future;
Just who are they representing???
More than one billion people do not have access to clean water or adequate sanitation and one in five of them are children. Eighty percent of all illness and infant mortality is due to waterborne disease. Lack of clean water is the second largest killer of children under five. UNICEF works in more than 90 countries around the world to improve access to safe water and sanitation facilities in schools and communities, and to promote safe hygiene practices.
Over the past 15 years, more than a billion people gained access to improved drinking water and sanitation facilities. UNICEF's goal is to reduce by half the proportion of people without sustainable access to safe water and basic sanitation by 2015. A little goes a long way - for example, with one dollar UNICEF can provide 40 liters of safe drinking water, which is enough to give one child safe drinking water for 40 days, or forty children safe drinking water for one day.
About UNICEF
For more than 60 years, UNICEF has been the world's leading international children's organization, working in over 150 countries to address the ongoing issues that affect why kids are dying. UNICEF provides lifesaving nutrition, clean water, education, protection and emergency response saving more young lives than any other humanitarian organization in the world. While millions of children die every year of preventable causes like dehydration, upper respiratory infections and measles, UNICEF, with the support of partnering organizations and donors alike, has the global experience, resources and reach to give children the best hope of survival. For more information about UNICEF, please visit www.unicefusa.org.
City Commissioner Herb Zischkau
But OUR "heavily lobbyied"elected officials ARE
February 07, 2008
Exurb Osteen
How to get from S.R. 415 to Lake Mary Blvd.
Widen S.R. 415 between Deltona and Osteen to four lanes, make it six,
and it won't ease traffic in the long run
Why?
Because commercial-tax hungry Deltona
has visions of Lake Mary dancing in its head.
(Make that Lake Mary without the Seminole County city's distinctive design standards.)
And because a few landowners who stand to make a lot of money off high-density development
along what remains essentially a rural highway
want land uses changed to make it happen.
And because the Volusia County Council appears ready today to approve a poorly negotiated agreement
that will all but assure Deltona's eventual surge east of the highway, or a defensive incorporation attempt by Osteen.
This is wrong.
The agreement among Deltona, the county and a few Osteen landowners gives up too much by allowing city-like development densities and compromising design standards to accommodate the dream of more than 6 million square feet of commercial development plus mixed office and residential construction. A more sensible agreement would have prevented urban encroachment in the low-density and rural areas on about 250 acres east of S.R. 415 at Doyle Road and farther south on the west side of the highway, while permitting commercial and urban mixed uses on land only between Doyle and Howland Boulevard on the highway's west side.
What happens to the land north and south of the Doyle-S.R. 415 intersection?
We don't have to draw you a picture.
You've seen it all over Volusia County, throughout Central Florida.
Development creep.
And then justification for wider highways, more connector thoroughfares (think John Mica's appeal for a toll road through the southern heart of the county), more density, more government services and further shrinking of Volusia's rural and intended conservation interior.
Inevitable, they call such growth. Inevitable because the negotiations that occur in government halls are rarely anymore discussions that begin with "What do you not understand about 'No'?" Instead, they're about giving up more or a lot more of what we shouldn't to satisfy growth interests. And in this case, also for a business-first, conservation-second-minded County Council to appear kinder and gentler toward Deltona.
The best of families fight now and then, and this agreement was worthy of more fight from the county.
At the least, the council should insist on better design standards before signing off.
If we're going to turn a country highway into Lake Mary Boulevard, we at least ought to make the brick and mortar look as fetching.
WHY isn’t Florida LEADING the WORLD in solar energy production
The Mayor of Deltona sets Energy Policy
Meeting for
Attending the Energy Policy Meeting
County, City and State Representatives
Video of meeting available soon chortled DeltonaVotes
While our Florida politicians,
solar/alternative energy:
China is well on its way to acquiring fully 15 percent of its energy from renewable sources by the year 2020,
while the United States is dragging its feet
on transitioning away from fossil fuels.
The U.S. Conference of Mayors is the official nonpartisan organization of cities with populations of 30,000 or more. There are 1,139 such cities in the country today, each represented in the Conference by its chief elected official,
the Mayor.
Helping Mayors Create Green Jobs
The Apollo Alliance recently organized a Green-Collar Jobs panel at the largest-ever gathering of U.S. mayors on climate issues. Mayors from across the country heard from Jerome Ringo and other Apollo staff members about ways that global warming solutions can create good, clean jobs.
Read more about how Mayors are focusing on green-collar jobs
Community Jobs in the Green Economy
"Cities across the country are facing similar
challenges and it is important that we come together to raise the issues in one
voice to get the attention of the federal government," said Mayor Douglas
H. Palmer, President of The USCM.
During the meeting, the mayors will also release a climate
protection survey that highlights what over 130 cities large and small are
doing NOW to reduce global warming, especially in the absence of federal support.
The U.S.
Conference of Mayors is the official
nonpartisan organization of cities with populations of 30,000 or more.
There are 1,139 such cities in the country today, each represented in the
Conference by its chief elected official, the Mayor.
Bring Solar Roofs to Your Community • • • • •
Announced in June 1997, Million Solar Roofs (MSR) is an
initiative to facilitate the installation of solar energy systems on 1 million
China is well on its way to acquiring fully 15 percent of its energy from renewable sources by the year 2020,
while the United States is dragging its feet
on transitioning away from fossil fuels.
Imagine this on
S.R. 415 and/or S.R. 46
Community-Based
Solutions
Of course, many
such innovations lend themselves best to new structures. But even older homes
in shady neighborhoods, where solar power is impractical, could reduce their
energy consumption through more efficient, community-based solutions. We could
put solar thermal collectors in open parks or even in the hot tar of streets,
then distribute the hot water via pipes to the surrounding neighborhood. Heat
would stay heat.
As some European
towns already do, we could build community windmills and solar farms and
distribute energy locally, avoiding the energy losses
associated with high-voltage transmission lines. Both solar and wind
energy-collection systems operate most efficiently on a slightly larger scale
than that used by individual homes.
Such off-the-grid, locally based energy solutions offer
the added advantage of making communities less
vulnerable to terrorist attacks on centralized power networks.
January 07, 2008
Demand revs up for microcar
Daimler AG says orders for Smart Fortwo outpacing production capacity
Smart, which reaches U.S. dealerships this month, has received $99 deposits from more than 30,000 customers to reserve the two-seater and about nine in 10 are placing full orders, said Daimler AG Chief Executive Officer Dieter Zetsche. More than 50,000 motorists have taken the tiny vehicle for a test drive at road shows around the country.
Amid concerns about climate change,
the company is testing a fleet of about
100 electric-drive Smart cars
in London. Zetsche said
the company hopes to develop a similar partnership with a
U.S. city
(Could of/Should of/Would have been Deltona, Mr. Mayor and City Commission)
to study electric versions of the vehicle.
January 21, 2008
Smart car finally arrives in States
Associated Press
BLOOMFIELD HILLS, Mich. -- Americans who want to drive Smart like their European and Canadian counterparts are finally getting their chance.
The first car was delivered to a New York buyer last Wednesday, and there'll be plenty more behind that.
"I think it's really an amazing accomplishment by our associates and dealers," Smart USA President Dave Schembri said. "A year ago, there was not one dealer, not one customer, no cars in the U.S. and relatively low awareness. . . . Our thinking when we developed the business plan that America has never been more ready for a car like this seems to be a reality."
The flagship dealership and corporate headquarters for Smart USA opened last week in a Detroit suburb. The dealership is one of 68 in 31 states expected to open this month to sell the 8-foot, 8-inch Smart Fortwo microcar.
The French-made cars have been sold for nearly a decade in Europe.
Hundreds of Fortwos were shipped out of ports in Maryland, Florida and California and have been arriving at dealers since last week. And Smart has been contacting the 30,000 people from all 50 states who plunked down $99 to reserve the tall, round yet tiny two-seater during the past year.
The Smart's base price is more than $12,000 with destination charges included. A fully loaded Smart Fortwo Passion convertible goes for more than $17,000 with those charges.
Schembri said customers have responded well to the reservation system, which was part of a nontraditional marketing campaign last year that included 50,000 test drives in 50 cities. Smart will continue the reservation process in the dealerships. Expected delivery time varies depending on where people live.
Smart has a steel safety cage and four air bags, including two in front and two on the sides to protect the head and abdomen. It also has standard electronic stability control, which is designed to stop vehicles from swerving off the road.
The 1,800-pound car gets 33 miles per gallon in the city and 41 miles per gallon on the highway.
Amid concerns about climate change, the company is testing a fleet of about 100 electric-drive Smart cars in London. Zetsche said
the company hopes to develop a similar partnership with a
U.S. city
(Could of/Should of/Would have been Deltona, Mr. Mayor and City Commission)
to study electric versions of the vehicle.
Mayors warn worst of mortgage crisis ahead
By Kevin Krolicki 1 hour, 3 minutes ago
The report, released by the U.S. Conference of Mayors, predicts states and cities will be left scrambling to make up for lost property tax revenue, particularly in markets such as California and Florida where home values had soared.
SWIPER, STOP SWIPING!!
VOLUSIA WATCH
Auto dealership to
build in center
DELTONA - An auto dealership
DeLand Nissan:(
will be the first business to start construction within
Deltona's section of the
a roughly 1,800-acre parcel at
Interstate 4 and State Road 472 that county and city officials HAD envisioned as a
hub for economic development.
More gasoline powered vehicles that we could have gone to DeLand for,
INSTEAD WE "SWIPED OUR SISTER CITY" OF THEIR BUSINESS!!!
DEE DEE DEE.
Why can't we all just get along?!?!!
With gasoline heading toward $100 a barrel
it
is obvious that our city has its head up its arse
Residents demand answers on Deltona land-use change
-
March 14, 2007
A vote to change industrial land use in the planned economic
engine known as the
The residents at Monday's meeting demanded to know why a
City Commission vote
slipped through after
April 16 to approve the change in
a section of the city's 900-acre property at
But Mayor Dennis Mulder said residents don't have all the facts yet,
though he added that he takes the blame
for not educating the public about the process.
"I stood outside and only heard one or two things that were accurate," he said.
"If they're provided with all the
facts and they still hate it, we'll work through that."
Still, argued Diane
Smith,
For the sake of our children
My mother sometimes said be careful what you wish for; how true this is in the case of Amendment 1. Recently passed by the citizenry of Florida, now we will see what it really means in our communities and our lives.
First up: Citing budget constraints, the Volusia County School Board announces the closing of five small schools . . .
and so we begin to reap what some have sown.
Supercenter ushers in commercial development of Deltona By SARA KIESLER
Staff Writer
"We see that we can
provide shopping and cut down on driving into other cities to shop,"(Is shopping in Orange City really that inconvenient for the
residents of Deltona that we must sacrifice our future? Our leadership in this City is concentrating
on developers instead of us parents and our
future quality of life) said Greg Stubbs, planning and development services director.
"Obviously, it will offer a better quality life for the residents of
Deltona." (Only
obvious to someone who hasn’t been in our city for more then six months Mr.
Stubbs)
However,
not everyone is excited to see the changes. With its
streets filled with housing, Deltona's main opportunity? to grow lies along S.R. 415(how about
I-4/Howland??) -- where
Osteen residents and others have come to enjoy a rural life style.
The city has been
meeting with county officials and listening to fears of Osteen residents (how about Deltonians fear????) for more than a year to shape a plan for roughly 4,000 acres east of
Barbara Evans and her
husband live less than a mile from the new Wal-Mart, but there's no way she
could battle the cars and trucks flying by to walk to it.
Evans said she is so worried about the
dangers of increasing traffic that growth like Wal-Mart and other planned developments near her home are bringing she plans to stand outside her home tomorrow with a sign demanding motorists slow down.
"I've
almost got T-boned three or four times coming out of my driveway," Evans said. The 55-year-old,
whose house has been in her husband's family for about 60 years, said she also
questions why a traffic light is at the entrance to the store on Howland, but
not at the corner of S.R. 415.
Stubbs added that if the state does not allow any more traffic added to S.R. 415, it may stifle Deltona's plans for economic development. (We
can only pray that Tallahassee hears our prayers and stops this insanity)
But to Evans, keeping businesses from buying out her
neighbors' property and halting the growth would be the answer to her prayers.
"A lot of those old people here could live good and better somewhere else," she said,
"but they got blood, sweat and babies born on this land.
Let them die on it."
We survived hurricanes together
For the sake of our children
My mother sometimes said be careful what you wish for; how true this is in the case of Amendment 1. Recently passed by the citizenry of Florida, now we will see what it really means in our communities and our lives.
First up: Citing budget constraints, the Volusia County School Board announces the closing of five small schools . . .
and so we begin to reap what some have sown.
Instead of more sprawl, concrete, flooding and crime in Florida let’s use the
and get some $$$carbon credits$$$ for our schools
Volusia County Schools Superintendent Margaret Smith said officials are worried about having a consistent source of money to provide public education. "We are very concerned, because we do not feel that the sales tax is a stable tax because of what has happened, the revenue shortfall in our state," she said.
THINK GLOBALLY, ACT LOCALLY
IS LOCAL
or did
Volusia County Council decide we should just pave over our conservation core
for more
The plan is too intense to protect the rural and historical character of Osteen, she said.
Osteen NOT divided about it's future;
But Some OUR "heavily lobbyied"
Just who are they representing???
City Commissioner Herb Zischkau
He said the city is giving up planning authority to the county in an area where property owners want to annex into the city and develop.
"I object to joint planning agreement as a way to avoid the Volusia County lawsuit. We should have fought that so
we are free to expand and go past 415 as the property owners desire.
Signing Your Economic Stimulus Over to the Saudis?
By Marianne Lavelle Wed Jan 23, 2:42 PM ET
President Bush's economic stimulus plan would put $800 in the pocket of almost every taxpayer. Given that Congress is pretty much on the same page, why isn't that prospect buoying everyone's hopes?
Maybe one reason is that Wall Street and consumers alike realize that unless oil prices drop significantly
--which may well happen if we fall into a recession--
many will be emptying that newfound stash just to pay for the increase in gasoline and other energy prices this year.
But the reality is that the average U.S. household, which paid about $1,500 for gasoline in 2001, had to fork over more than $3,200 in 2007 for the very same product--a bonanza for the oil-producing states and big oil companies but for few others. If the tables now turn and the economy begins to suffer, how many economists won't blame, in part, the drain of paying more each year for oil
Lawmakers want to keep bombs from Saudis
Tue Feb 12, 8:25 PM ET
WASHINGTON - A handful of Republican lawmakers, saying Saudi Arabia is funding terrorism, on Tuesday sought to enlist more GOP opposition to the Bush administration's proposal to sell precision-guided bombs to the Arab kingdom.
The 30-day period for lawmakers to object ends on Thursday.
Iraq rejects permanent U.S. bases
By Peter Graff Tue Dec 11, 2007 3:49 AM ET
BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Iraq will never allow the United States to keep permanent military bases on its soil, the government's national security adviser has said.
Mowaffaq al-Rubaie said, speaking to Dubai-based al Arabiya television in an interview broadcast
