COMMUNITY GARDEN PLOTS AVAILABLE

Applications are now being taken for family-sized garden plots in Concerned Citizens for Springfields Beaumont Street community garden. The fee is $15.00 per season. Plots measure 15 x 20feet and will be rototilled. The community garden program is a one of CCSs blight remediation efforts in the Forest Park neighborhood. In selecting gardeners, first preference will be given to Forest Park households who lack access to a yard.

To ensure that the garden remains an asset to the neighborhood, gardeners must commit to keeping plots clear of weeds and to picking up trash and debris from the tree belt and gutter in front of the garden.

For further information, call CCS garden coordinator Sheila McElwaine, at 788-8898.

Forest Park Library Update:

HOURS:
Tuesday: 10 am - 5 pm
Thursday: 1 - 8 pm
Saturday: 11 am - 3 pm

Whats New:

- A ramp to the Community Room

- Inside of the building has been repainted

- A unisex universal access bathroom with a baby changing station.

- A water fountain on the lower level.

- The public restrooms have been renovated.

- The building now has a lift

More info and pictures

Bing Arts Center News

Progress: Phase One renovations have resumed. They expect to make considerable progress in March.

Finishing the required work and officially launching the Bing Arts Center in April is a real possibility!

Their premiere exhibit is being readied, and planning for the opening festivities is underway. Preparations for full-time programming are also in full swing.

First Fridays:
Soft Spoken Prophet.
Friday, March 5 at 8 p.m.

Doors open at 7:30, show starts at 8. $5 donation at the door is requested. For more information about this event and our First Friday performance series please visit: www.BingArtsCenter.org.

Spoken word and gospel by
A.J. Baymon with a little help from his family and friends. Join us for an evening of exceptionally inspired music and songwriting.

Coming in April - Rising Tide
Coming in May - Children"s Chorus of Springfield

Education:
Exploring Art In Many Cultures, a studio art course for children and teens; and Let"s Make A Movie, motion picture production for kids, will be offered starting in May. For more educational programming information, please visit our website at www.BingArtsCenter.org.

Bing Arts Center 716 Sumner Avenue Springfield, MA
P.O. Box 80553 Springfield, MA 01138 413 783- 9730

City of Springfield
Committee on Green City Initiatives
Holding a Hearing Tuesday, April 13th

Location:
6pm in Room 200 of City Hall.

The subcommittee will be taking testimony from Dr Mary Booth, Co-founder/Senior Scientist of the Massachusetts Environmental Energy Alliance. She will be discussing the health dangers and environmental consequences of burning construction and demolition debris (CDD) in the proposed biomass incinerator now under investigation by the state to be located in East Springfield..

For more information go to www.springfieldincinerator.info or contact Jesse L. Lederman at 413-351-6785 or email him. You can also email FPCA Board member John Kontekakis who has been active on this issue.

Winter Farmers" Market:
November - April
On the third Saturday of each month,
10:30-1:30

It will be outside. Dress warmly.
Location: East Longmeadow United Methodist church on the corner of Chestnut Street, and Rte. 83, aka Somers Road.

Beat Management Team meets the first Wednesday of the month at 7pm
Sinai Temple, 1100 Dickinson Street

Our new Sector H (Forest Park/East Forest Park) deputy is : Robert McFarlin Rmcfarlin@springfieldpolice.net

How to Go to Housing Court Against
Offensive Neighbors (And Win)
by John Kontekakis.
View file
(pdf file)

Short Version for people who are fed up with an unruly neighbor, and have decided to do something about it.

Form to Request an Emergency Order from Housing Court.

Increase Your Chances for Police
Involvement in Your Neighborhood
by Susan Poole
View file
(pdf file)

The how-to book that even seasoned landlords use as their best reference is now available. This practical guide covers all aspects of property law and practice, including:

For those who have used the HAP manual before, this new edition has extensive updates, ranging from lead compliance laws, lease clauses and new regulations to ready-to-use forms in print and on CD. It also includes the complete text of important rental housing regulations and a chapter-by-chapter study guide.

Copies cost $34.95 each.
Email landlordbook@haphousing.org
or call 413-233-1612.

Forest Park Heights was selected as
One of the Best
This Old House Neighborhoods
for 2010
by This Old House Magazine

Read their
Award Letter

Going Green in Forest Park

Paul & Margaret Martin"s Solar Addition
...Photo by Bill Devlin

Oxford Street neighbor, and former FPCA President, Paul Martin and his wife Margaret have taken going green to a new level. They have done over their garage and installed solar panels on the garage roof to provide them with electricity and hot water. They are producing enough power to sell some back to the power company. Of course, they must sell it back at the wholesale rate, not at the rate user"s pay, but every little bit helps and some of the time they are off-the-grid. The Martins are working hard to lower their carbon footprint.

For the technically inclined, their electricity generating system consists of 16 Evergreen (a Marlborough, Massachusetts company) photovoltaic panels rated at 180 watts each for a total max output of 2,880 watts (newer ones are now available at over 200 watts each). This is direct current, so there is an inverter which converts that to alternating current at the correct voltage and frequency to match the current from WMECO. Paul says that he has "a net-meter which means that when the system is producing more than the house is using, the excess goes out to the street and is delivered to other houses in the neighborhood and I get credit on my bill; at night or on a cloudy day, I draw from WMECO. "

...Photo by Bill Devlin

The hot water system has three flat panel collectors and a 105 gallon tank. The tank and controls are German, Stiebel-Eltron, and their subsidiary in Hadley, MA manufacturers the panels and distributes the complete systems. Ethelyne-glycol (anti-freeze same as in a car) circulates through tubing in the panels back to a coil in the bottom of the tank to heat the water. Water from the tank passes through an electric on-demand water heater that will heat the water from whatever temperature it is up to the setting for use in kitchen and bath.

"Electric production for the year has been 3,480 KWH", Paul said, "over half my annual average. The hot water system provides most requirements about 80% of the time. A sunny day even this time of year gets the water in the tank over 100 degrees F, requiring only another 10 or 15 degrees of heating for use. May through October was almost 100% of hot water use. It still needs a backup system since a couple of cloudy days in a row will drop the temperature significantly. "

The Martins installed 16 electric panels and three hotwater panels. Take a look at the specs and photos for his new green addition done with the help of architect, Bill Devlin. You could do one too! Read Bill"s write-up on the project.

Join the Friends of the Connecticut River Walk
and Bikeway

The Pioneer Valley Planning Commission is actively looking for community leaders who are passionate about increasing use on the Connecticut River Walk and Bikeway.

Currently, PVPC Land Use staff are selecting volunteers for the soon-to-be-formed Friends of the Connecticut River Walk And Bikeway. This all-volunteer committee will be responsible for organizing clean-up activities, programming festivals and events, working with City officials, and fundraisingall for the purpose of making the Connecticut River Walk and Bikeway a more vibrant component of Springfields community character.

If you are interested in joining this group, or know someone who is, contact Chris Curtis or Andrew Smith at (413) 781-6045.

(To join the Forestparkca news group,
enter your email address and then
click on the "Join Yahoo Groups icon")