Embed Size (px)
Citation preview
This page brought to you by:
ANNA McCARTNEY/Contributed photo
Tackling the spread of invasive species requires teamwork.
If you are one of 250people who own propertyalongElkCreekintheLakeEriewatershed,youshouldhave received a letter inthe mail that you want tobe sure to open.
The letter from the LakeErie Watershed Coopera-tive Weed ManagementArea (LEW-CWMA) hasimportant informationabout a workshop for cho-sen landowners on Feb. 21from 9 a.m. to noon at theTomRidgeEnvironmentalCenter. By attending theworkshop, you will learnhowyouandyourpropertycan benefit from the LEW-CWMAprograms,whichin-clude education and fund-ingforcontrollinginvasivespecies that are negativelyimpacting farmland, work-ingforestsandrecreationalland,andreducingtheaes-thetic value of these land-scapes.
Invited landowners ownproperty that overlaps inwhole or in part with oneormoreofthenaturalheri-tage areas along Elk CreekidentifiedthroughtheErieCounty Natural HeritageInventory (CNHI).
Because plants canspread beyond prop-erty lines, it will take acombined effort by bothprivate landowners andpublic land managers tocontrolinvasivevegetationand conserve the naturalconditions of importantplaces in the Lake Eriewatershed. Likewise, asprivate landowners try toimprove their propertiesand limit the spread of ag-gressive invasive plants,they often must seek thecooperation of adjacentlandowners,whetherpub-lic or private.
Ashortpresentationwillbefollowedbyanopportu-nity for asking questionsanddiscussion.Snacksandbeverages will be served.Please RSVP by Feb. 6 toMartiMartzat217-9011,ex-tension104,[email protected]. Contact PA Sea GrantCoastal Outreach Tech-nologist Tom Cermak withany questions at 217-9011,extension 106, or [email protected].
A N N A M c C A R T N E Y , acommunications andeducation specialist forPennsylvania Sea Grant,can be reached by e-mail [email protected].
Workshop looksat creek vegetationBy ANNA McCARTNEYContributing writer
Six 10- and 11-year-oldstudents attended theirfirst Erie Zoning BoardpublicmeetingatErieCityHall on Nov. 11 to sharetheir concerns about thewalkway along the westErie bayfront, near the for-mer GAF Materials Corp.site.
They attended the hear-ing because they like to gofishing in the city, whichis close and convenient tothem, and they want thewalkway to be safe. “Weare concerned that peoplemight trip on the graveland rocks or sprain theirankle,” one student said.Theyalsobelievethewalk-way is not wide enoughand more space is neededfor people who are fishing,jogging, biking, runningand walking. Their advicewas to remove the graveland rocks and make thewalkway wider.
AllarePfeiffer-BurleighElementary School stu-dents who also participatein environmental classesat the Neighborhood ArtHouse and the Pennsylva-nia Sea Grant Great LakesGreat Stewards program.
They shared their com-ments about the experi-ence:
The Zoning Board Hear-ing was a great experiencefor a child and the debatewas good. But when it wastime for the group from
the Art House to go up tothe mike, I had butterflies.Wedidagreatjobspeakingabout the walkway by theold GAF property. It reallyshould be 12 feet wide andthere should not be graveland stones. Christian and Ispoke nice and clear andloud enough for people tohear us. I was glad that wewent to City Hall; we didhave an awesome reasonto be there.
— Rickaylaha Ransom,11 years old
It was our first time at apublic meeting. We weresonervousthatwecouldn’tevenspellourlastnamefortherecorder.Weworkedsohard on our testimony andwewereupsetwiththevoteof the Zoning Board.
— Samuel Kakulu andNathan Martinez,
10 years old
Pfeiffer-Burleigh kidsback wider walkway
GOVERNORCUOMOFLICKR
Even though travel on Interstate 90 was extremely hazardous and the road was officially closed from Rochester to thePennsylvania state line during the November blizzard, people ignored the warnings. Because every entrance wasn’timmediately blocked, drivers continued to take to the road. This only stranded more people, made clearing the roadsimpossible and hampered rescue crews trying to free stranded motorists.
Do you check weatherforecasts and road con-ditions to decide if youshould venture out in win-ter weather?
In our region, stormscan turn into blizzardswithblinding,wind-drivensnow that can last for sev-eral days. Knowing whento cancel or delay yourtrip and being preparedfor extremely hazardousconditions can keep youand your family out of un-necessary life-threateningsituations.
The following tips canhelp you make informeddecisions.
First, monitor the Na-tional Weather Serviceforecasts, statements,watches and warnings forthe latest information atwww.weather.gov or onNOAA Weather Radio.Then get the road condi-tions where you will betraveling. In Pennsylva-nia, traffic conditions andspeeds, weather condi-tionsandalertsandNOAAweather forecasts can befound at www.511pa.comor by dialing 511 on yourphone. Smart-phone userscan add a 511PA mobileapptogetthemostcurrent,relevanttrafficinformationwithout taking their eyesofftheroadorhandsoffthewheel. This app will auto-maticallyrepeatadvisoriesevery20minuteswhileyouremain within range of re-portedincidentsorhazard-ous/closed roads.
The www.roadnow.com/i90/traffic-road-conditionswebsite gives similar in-formation for Interstate 90and other roadways acrossthecountry.Thesesitescanhelpyoudecidetostayput,turnbackorgetoffatasafelocationandwaitforcondi-tions to improve.
If you must travel, beprepared. Dress to suitthe weather since you mayneed to leave your vehicle.Wearseverallayersofloose-fitting clothes and hooded,windproofandwater-repel-lent outer clothing, mittensor gloves, a hat and warm,waterproof boots.
Winterize your vehicleand keep the gas tank full.Take a fully charged cell
phone or two-way radioand an adapter to pluginto the lighter. Travelduring daylight and advisesomeone of your route andarrival information. Thengrab your survival kit and
store it in the passengercompartment in case youcan’t get to the trunk.
If you become strandedin your vehicle:
•Stayinsideandwaitforhelp if you cannot see help
within 100 yards becauseyou can quickly becomedisoriented in blowingsnow.▀Display a brightly col-
ored flag, preferably red,from the antenna or a win-dow.▀Raise the hood after
the snow stops falling.▀Run the engine10 min-
utes every hour (or 5 min-utes every half-hour) tokeep warm and to reducethe risk of carbon monox-ide poisoning. Make surethe tail pipe is clear, andhave a downwind windowopen slightly for fresh air.▀Leave the overhead
light on while car is run-ning.▀Clap your hands and
move your arms and legsoccasionally to aid circu-lation.▀Drink fluids to avoid
dehydration, (no alcoholicor caffeinated beverages).
Your winter driving sur-vival kit should include:▀Whistle▀Waterproof container
with candles and matches▀Small, sharp knife▀Redbandannaorcloth
to signal trouble▀Pencil and paper▀Fruits, nuts and high-
energy foods▀Flashlight and spare
batteries (Reverse batter-iesintheflashlighttoavoidaccidental switching andburnout.)▀Blankets or sleeping
bags▀Rain gear, extra
clothes, mittens, socks andhats▀Windshield scraper
with a brush▀Shovel and sand or cat
litter for traction▀30-foot cord to use as
hominglineifyoumustexitthe vehicle▀Booster cables▀Basic tools▀First aid kit▀Compass or GPS and
road maps▀Tow cables or chain▀Road flares and reflec-
tors▀Metal can for melting
snow
A N N A M c C A R T N E Y , acommunications andeducation specialist forPennsylvania Sea Grant,can be reached by e-mail [email protected].
Weather or notFollow this checklist for winter travel in Erie regionBy ANNA McCARTNEYContributing writer
NWS JEREMIAH WILLIAM
Your choices can make the difference between safety andsuffering. Check forecasts and road conditions and stayoff the roads until storms pass.
GOVERNORCUOMOFLICKR
Roads can quickly become impassible in winter. Don’ttake unnecessary risks.
TWITTER.COM CK FIRE DEPARTMENT
Keep a survival kit in the passenger compartment in caseyou get stranded.
Do you know the difference between weatherand climate? Weather is what you get, climate iswhat you expect. If you live in this region, you canexpect cold wintry weather and lots of snow. Butif you live in Florida or Texas, you expect warmertemperatures. Follow the daily weather map tolearn more about how the climate differs acrossthe country.
Does the Erie climate agree with you? Orwould you rather move to a warmer climate?Share your ideas for possiblepublication in the weekly “your space”by sending them to [email protected].
CONTRIBUTED PHOTO
Students share theirconcerns at a City of EriePublic Zoning Boardmeeting.
Check out these websitesto learn more:
www.weather.gov/nwr.www.nws.noaa.gov/om/
winter/index.shtmlwww.paseagrant.org/
Tuesday, January 27, 2015 | Erie Times-News | GoErie.com | 5C
