Please go to
http://www.flickr.com/photos/7295307@N02
to see some of today's photos online. My picasa gigabite is full!
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
Thursday, August 20, 2009
Karst map of NW Arkansas significant tool for identifying green infrastructure deserving of protection
Please click on images to ENLARGE to read and see detail.
http://watershedwarrior.blogspot.com
The Town Branch Neighborhood is the smallest rectangle on that map. Enlarge the chart to read it.
Our neighborhood is a small hotspot for groundwater recharge and you can see how the wetland with springs and depressed land coincides with the karst coloring when you click and blow up the map.
Although the Nature Conservancy guys who created it admit that more ontheground investigation (and underground) to confirm a stricter scientific map is needed, it matches what I have believed about our neighborhood for some time. You can see the national cemetery circle with the karst just to the north along the old alley between Gov ave and Hill ave and pinnacle and wpwp are bright as is my own yard!
Please note one particular error. Cato Springs Branch, a northeast-flowing tributary of the Town Branch, is mistakenly called the Town Branch on the map. The oldest available government maps mark the portion of the Town Branch that flows from the UA and through our neighborhood as the Town Branch.
This is a significant tool for working on green-infrastructure plans and the FNHA already has it but in PDFs, which I can't post on the blogs.
Aubrey James Shepherd
http://watershedwarrior.blogspot.com
The Town Branch Neighborhood is the smallest rectangle on that map. Enlarge the chart to read it.
Our neighborhood is a small hotspot for groundwater recharge and you can see how the wetland with springs and depressed land coincides with the karst coloring when you click and blow up the map.
Although the Nature Conservancy guys who created it admit that more ontheground investigation (and underground) to confirm a stricter scientific map is needed, it matches what I have believed about our neighborhood for some time. You can see the national cemetery circle with the karst just to the north along the old alley between Gov ave and Hill ave and pinnacle and wpwp are bright as is my own yard!
Please note one particular error. Cato Springs Branch, a northeast-flowing tributary of the Town Branch, is mistakenly called the Town Branch on the map. The oldest available government maps mark the portion of the Town Branch that flows from the UA and through our neighborhood as the Town Branch.
This is a significant tool for working on green-infrastructure plans and the FNHA already has it but in PDFs, which I can't post on the blogs.
Aubrey James Shepherd
Wednesday, August 19, 2009
Skip Descant of The Morning News reports on delay of vote on sale-barn issue
The Morning News
Local News for Northwest Arkansas
Sale Barn Zoning Delayed A Month
By Skip Descant
THE MORNING NEWS
FAYETTEVILLE — Even though veterans and community groups wanted to see the Fayetteville City Council move forward on a zoning request, the city stalled.
The council Tuesday evening ceded to a delay request by developers wanting to build apartments on the 9-acre Washington County Livestock and Sale Barn site.
The council is now to decide the sale barn rezoning Sept. 15.
What irked groups was the continued delay at making a decision.
"This whole issue is beginning to sound like a good-news, bad-news joke," said Sam Sansom, president of the Northwest Arkansas Military Officers Group. "And bad news doesn't get any better."
The tabling request came from Campus Crest, the North Carolina student housing developer set to purchase the site if the zoning request goes through. Developers are still working through the "bills of assurance." Those are guarantees by the developer the project will have certain limitations regarding issues such as density or height.
"There's a lot of moving parts. It's a timing thing, and we'd like some more time to reach out and make some plans," Alex Eyssen, an attorney representing Campus Crest, told the City Council last night.
Veterans groups oppose the zoning change because they would like to buy some of the land as an area to expand the Fayetteville National Cemetery. But they also oppose the idea of college students living next door to the cemetery.
The City Council voted 7-1 to table the request. Robert Rhoads voted against. But other council members also expressed discomfort with the delay.
"I really don't want to table it, myself," said Shirley Lucas, a council member from Ward 4. "It bothers me that the people asking for the extension are not the ones who own the property."
Local News for Northwest Arkansas
Sale Barn Zoning Delayed A Month
By Skip Descant
THE MORNING NEWS
FAYETTEVILLE — Even though veterans and community groups wanted to see the Fayetteville City Council move forward on a zoning request, the city stalled.
The council Tuesday evening ceded to a delay request by developers wanting to build apartments on the 9-acre Washington County Livestock and Sale Barn site.
The council is now to decide the sale barn rezoning Sept. 15.
What irked groups was the continued delay at making a decision.
"This whole issue is beginning to sound like a good-news, bad-news joke," said Sam Sansom, president of the Northwest Arkansas Military Officers Group. "And bad news doesn't get any better."
The tabling request came from Campus Crest, the North Carolina student housing developer set to purchase the site if the zoning request goes through. Developers are still working through the "bills of assurance." Those are guarantees by the developer the project will have certain limitations regarding issues such as density or height.
"There's a lot of moving parts. It's a timing thing, and we'd like some more time to reach out and make some plans," Alex Eyssen, an attorney representing Campus Crest, told the City Council last night.
Veterans groups oppose the zoning change because they would like to buy some of the land as an area to expand the Fayetteville National Cemetery. But they also oppose the idea of college students living next door to the cemetery.
The City Council voted 7-1 to table the request. Robert Rhoads voted against. But other council members also expressed discomfort with the delay.
"I really don't want to table it, myself," said Shirley Lucas, a council member from Ward 4. "It bothers me that the people asking for the extension are not the ones who own the property."
Monday, August 17, 2009
Imagine all the people .......................... living so close
Please click on images to ENLARGE view of Dunn Avenue along the east edge of the Fayetteville National Cemetery as it would appear if student apartments were allowed to be built on the site of the former Washington County Livestock Auction.
Campus Crest's draft of a concept drawing/tentative plan for apartments the company wants permission to build
Please click on image to ENLARGE view of a draft of a concept plan for a proposed student-apartment complex along the east border of the Fayetteville National Cemetery as it was shared by a representative of the developer on August 11, 2009.
Should rezoning to Downtown General be approved by the Fayetteville City Council to allow apartments or other large-scale projects next to the National Cemetery, the plan would be modified in later meetings with the planning department and planning commission. But rezoning to Downtown General would basically eliminate future council input into what kind of project might go on the land.
Veterans, members of the Town Branch Neighborhood Association and hundreds of others have expressed opposition to the rezoning. And finding someone who believes apartments would be appropriate on that site is difficult.
Should rezoning to Downtown General be approved by the Fayetteville City Council to allow apartments or other large-scale projects next to the National Cemetery, the plan would be modified in later meetings with the planning department and planning commission. But rezoning to Downtown General would basically eliminate future council input into what kind of project might go on the land.
Veterans, members of the Town Branch Neighborhood Association and hundreds of others have expressed opposition to the rezoning. And finding someone who believes apartments would be appropriate on that site is difficult.
Wednesday, August 12, 2009
Senator Pryor pledges support to buy sale-barn property
Please click on images to read August 12, 2009, Northwest Arkansas Times stories on Senator Mark Pryor supporting acquisition of sale-barn property for addition to the Fayetteville National Cemetery and story about possible delay in vote on sale-barn property until first council meeting in September.
Monday, August 10, 2009
Fran Alexander discusses Campus Crest student-apartment plan proposed for auction-barn site in Northwest Arkansas Times on August 10, 2009
Please click on image of Fran Alexander's newspaper column to ENLARGE to read.
Saturday, August 8, 2009
Tuesday, August 4, 2009
RNCIC meeting set for 10:30 a.m. Saturday, August 8, 2009, at the American Legion building on Curtis Avenue north of 15th Street in Fayetteville
The August meeting of the RNCIC is to begin at 10:30 a.m. Saturday, August 8, 2009.
REGIONAL NATIONAL CEMETERY IMPROVEMENT CORPORATION
PO Box 4221
Fayetteville, AR 72702
Minutes of July meeting:
President Roger McClain called the meeting to order at 10:30.
Recited Pledge of Allegiance
Harold Crivello offered the prayer
OLD BUSINESS
1. Jake Lamkins moved, 2nd Beverly Swaim the approval of the minutes. Minutes approved.
2. Harold Crivello presented the Financial Statement. Jake Lamkins moved 2nd Beverly Swaim the approval of the statement as presented. Motion passed.
NEW BUSINESS
1. Discussion of how to notify people of our mailing address for donations.
2. Bruce Schaffer reported people are calling the cemetery office with questions about what is happening.
3. President McClain reported Dudley Shaddeburg of the Dept. of VA called and requested our permission to use our group as an example of the way to form an organization to purchase property for cemeteries for the National Cemetery in Chattanooga, TN.
4. Jake discussed our website. Geocities is closing so he will be moving us to a new website.
5. Harold Crivello will hold off on moving our account from B of F to Arvest due to several recent death notices that listed them as a way to make a donation to RNCIC.
6. MOPH National Convention will be held in Rogers at J Q Hammond Convention Center. Discussed having a booth to distribute information at the start of the convention. Beverly Swaim and Lorna Sterrett volunteered.
ANNOUNCEMENTS
1. Everyone please take a few minutes to write a letter to the editor regarding the cemetery. Bring copies of your letter to the next meeting. IF WE DON’T DO THIS, WE WILL BE IN THE SAME SHAPE NEXT YEAR.
2. The VSO office is located on the County South Campus close to the jail. Everyone feel free to stop by and see the new location. They are there to help all veterans
The meeting was adjourned at 10:30 a.m.
Respectfully submitted,
Peggy McClain, Secretary
NEXT MEETING 8 August 2009 10:30 a.m. at the Fayetteville American Legion Post 27
REGIONAL NATIONAL CEMETERY IMPROVEMENT CORPORATION
PO Box 4221
Fayetteville, AR 72702
Minutes of July meeting:
President Roger McClain called the meeting to order at 10:30.
Recited Pledge of Allegiance
Harold Crivello offered the prayer
OLD BUSINESS
1. Jake Lamkins moved, 2nd Beverly Swaim the approval of the minutes. Minutes approved.
2. Harold Crivello presented the Financial Statement. Jake Lamkins moved 2nd Beverly Swaim the approval of the statement as presented. Motion passed.
NEW BUSINESS
1. Discussion of how to notify people of our mailing address for donations.
2. Bruce Schaffer reported people are calling the cemetery office with questions about what is happening.
3. President McClain reported Dudley Shaddeburg of the Dept. of VA called and requested our permission to use our group as an example of the way to form an organization to purchase property for cemeteries for the National Cemetery in Chattanooga, TN.
4. Jake discussed our website. Geocities is closing so he will be moving us to a new website.
5. Harold Crivello will hold off on moving our account from B of F to Arvest due to several recent death notices that listed them as a way to make a donation to RNCIC.
6. MOPH National Convention will be held in Rogers at J Q Hammond Convention Center. Discussed having a booth to distribute information at the start of the convention. Beverly Swaim and Lorna Sterrett volunteered.
ANNOUNCEMENTS
1. Everyone please take a few minutes to write a letter to the editor regarding the cemetery. Bring copies of your letter to the next meeting. IF WE DON’T DO THIS, WE WILL BE IN THE SAME SHAPE NEXT YEAR.
2. The VSO office is located on the County South Campus close to the jail. Everyone feel free to stop by and see the new location. They are there to help all veterans
The meeting was adjourned at 10:30 a.m.
Respectfully submitted,
Peggy McClain, Secretary
NEXT MEETING 8 August 2009 10:30 a.m. at the Fayetteville American Legion Post 27
Tuesday, July 21, 2009
DISCUSSION of rezoning of sale-barn property next to Fayetteville National Cemetery tabled until August 18 rather than Aug. 4 as developers' requested
Please click on image to ENLARGE 2009 aerial view of Fayetteville National Cemetery, the sale-barn on its eastern edge and wetland areas to the north and west toward South Hill Avenue.
By Skip Descant
THE MORNING NEWS
http://www.nwaonline.net/articles/2009/07/21/news/072209fzcouncil.txt
FAYETTEVILLE — Rezoning the 9-acre Washington County Livestock and Sale Barn was left on the third reading Tuesday night. The council tabled the measure for four weeks, at the request of the developers. Campus Crest, a student housing developer wants to build apartments on the site. The move is opposed by a number of surrounding neighbors and veterans groups representing the nearby Fayetteville National Cemetery.
At the last city council meeting, Dan Normand, a representative for Campus Crest, said the company is willing to issue assurances that it will keep its word on certain developmental amenities such as a 25-foot vegetative buffer.
The developers are asking the property be rezoned from light industrial to downtown general. Bills of assurance attached to rezoning tend to better spell out what sort of development can happen, say planners. For example, the developer may make assurances regarding general development concepts such as density or building height, said Kit Williams, city attorney.
Alderman Update
Ward 2 Alderman Matthew Petty was not at Tuesday's meeting as he recovers from a broken leg he suffered while on Center Street in Fayetteville on Monday. He was on his way to Giraldi's restaurant.
No vehicles were involved.
He says surgery will not be needed.
Source: Staff Report
By Skip Descant
THE MORNING NEWS
http://www.nwaonline.net/articles/2009/07/21/news/072209fzcouncil.txt
FAYETTEVILLE — Rezoning the 9-acre Washington County Livestock and Sale Barn was left on the third reading Tuesday night. The council tabled the measure for four weeks, at the request of the developers. Campus Crest, a student housing developer wants to build apartments on the site. The move is opposed by a number of surrounding neighbors and veterans groups representing the nearby Fayetteville National Cemetery.
At the last city council meeting, Dan Normand, a representative for Campus Crest, said the company is willing to issue assurances that it will keep its word on certain developmental amenities such as a 25-foot vegetative buffer.
The developers are asking the property be rezoned from light industrial to downtown general. Bills of assurance attached to rezoning tend to better spell out what sort of development can happen, say planners. For example, the developer may make assurances regarding general development concepts such as density or building height, said Kit Williams, city attorney.
Alderman Update
Ward 2 Alderman Matthew Petty was not at Tuesday's meeting as he recovers from a broken leg he suffered while on Center Street in Fayetteville on Monday. He was on his way to Giraldi's restaurant.
No vehicles were involved.
He says surgery will not be needed.
Source: Staff Report
Wednesday, July 15, 2009
Many people visit national cemeteries on vacation, benefiting cities that advertise having national cemeteries; Times' headline premature
Please click on image to ENLARGE view of a couple from West Palm Beach, Florida, at the Fayetteville National Cemetery on July 14, 2009. They were on a self-guided tour of Civil War battlefields and National Cemeteries and such. Many people choose to vacation in cities that have significant historic sites.
The July 15 headline below may be accurate if published again on July 22.
"Rezoning of sale barn property postponed
BY ROBIN MERO Northwest Arkansas Times
Posted on Wednesday, July 15, 2009
URL: http://www.nwanews.com/nwat/News/78148/
"Consideration of a rezoning request for the Washington County Livestock Auction property will wait until the Aug. 4 meeting of the Fayetteville City Council.
"Developer Campus Crest LLC wants two more weeks to develop a bill of assurance for the request, which will be presented to the council with the aim of making the zoning request more palatable.
"The developer is asking that nine acres be rezoned to downtown general from heavy commercial/light industrial and seeks to build apartments for University of Arkansas students."
The headline and the two graphs above were written after an agenda-setting meeting of the Fayetteville City Council. It may turn out to be accurate if the council tables the issue during the July 21 meeting. No action is taken at agenda sessions beyond setting the agenda for the official council meeting. If the developers actually do ask that it be tabled at the July 21 meeting, then the a member of the council could make a motion to table and, if that were seconded, then they could vote to table or not. If the council approves tabling, then it might not be further discussed.
If the tabling fails, then a motion could be made to vote on the issue of rezoning, which would require allowing developers to present and the public to speak. So there is no guarantee that the issue will not come to a vote at this meeting, but it does appear likely that it will be delayed until the first August meeting.
It would be an embarrassment to the city if apartments were allowed next to the national cemetery. This isn't about property rights. The lack of need for apartments for university students at this time has been well-documented. The obvious need in Fayetteville is for affordable housing such as the single-family homes in the neighborhood nearest the former sale barn and the National Cemetery.
Please click on image to ENLARGE view of representatives of the VA and contractors on July 14, 2009, discussing plans to prepare property to be added to the Fayetteville National Cemetery.
On Tuesday, federal officials and engineers and others with experience in cemetery design walked the cemetery and some adjacent land to the west that already has been bought by the Regional National Cemetery Improvement Corporation and donated to the VA for cemetery expansion. That land will be prepared after careful study of that land to become part of the burial ground. But it will not meet the projected need for more space for much more than a decade.
The sale-barn ground also would require careful planning and much work if it is added later. But the people on hand yesterday are well-trained and able to do it properly. It will be needed and is in the natural spot to be added to the existing cemetery that was created in 1867, soon after the civil war ended.
Maybe some people would not see the inappropriateness of putting apartments there unless it were allowed and then they actually experienced what it would be like.
Just imagine.
Quoting the NWAT article further: "The council by law is to consider only whether the zoning requested is compatible with the neighborhood.
"Alderman Sarah Lewis asked how the developer can present information about the project when the council is not to consider a specific project.
" 'I don't understand; we're not allowed to talk about the project, but they're allowed to bring a bill of assurance," Lewis said.
"City Attorney Kit Williams said a bill of assurance doesn't describe a project, only limits the range of a zoning.
A bill of assurance places voluntary restrictions on a developer."
"Copyright © 2001-2009 Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, Inc. All rights reserved. Contact: webmaster@nwanews.com"
Regardless of the outcome of the effort to stop this rezoning, the Regional National Cemetery Improvement Corporation will continue its fund-raising effort. There is no guarantee at this point that federal money will be provided to help expand the cemetery even though Senator Blanche Lincoln told me in person that she will work toward that end and even though Congressman John Boozeman told me and several other people recently that he will work to earmark a bill in the House of Representatives to provide money through the Department of Veterans Affairs to purchase the sale-barn property to add to protect the future cemetery and the thousands of veterans are eligible for burial there already.
Please make donations payable to the Regional National Cemetery Improvement Corporation and mail to P.O. Box 4221, Fayetteville, AR 72702.
For more information, please go to the RNCIC's Web site at http://regncic.tripod.com
Regional National Cemetery Improvement Corporation's Web site
The July 15 headline below may be accurate if published again on July 22.
"Rezoning of sale barn property postponed
BY ROBIN MERO Northwest Arkansas Times
Posted on Wednesday, July 15, 2009
URL: http://www.nwanews.com/nwat/News/78148/
"Consideration of a rezoning request for the Washington County Livestock Auction property will wait until the Aug. 4 meeting of the Fayetteville City Council.
"Developer Campus Crest LLC wants two more weeks to develop a bill of assurance for the request, which will be presented to the council with the aim of making the zoning request more palatable.
"The developer is asking that nine acres be rezoned to downtown general from heavy commercial/light industrial and seeks to build apartments for University of Arkansas students."
The headline and the two graphs above were written after an agenda-setting meeting of the Fayetteville City Council. It may turn out to be accurate if the council tables the issue during the July 21 meeting. No action is taken at agenda sessions beyond setting the agenda for the official council meeting. If the developers actually do ask that it be tabled at the July 21 meeting, then the a member of the council could make a motion to table and, if that were seconded, then they could vote to table or not. If the council approves tabling, then it might not be further discussed.
If the tabling fails, then a motion could be made to vote on the issue of rezoning, which would require allowing developers to present and the public to speak. So there is no guarantee that the issue will not come to a vote at this meeting, but it does appear likely that it will be delayed until the first August meeting.
It would be an embarrassment to the city if apartments were allowed next to the national cemetery. This isn't about property rights. The lack of need for apartments for university students at this time has been well-documented. The obvious need in Fayetteville is for affordable housing such as the single-family homes in the neighborhood nearest the former sale barn and the National Cemetery.
Please click on image to ENLARGE view of representatives of the VA and contractors on July 14, 2009, discussing plans to prepare property to be added to the Fayetteville National Cemetery.
On Tuesday, federal officials and engineers and others with experience in cemetery design walked the cemetery and some adjacent land to the west that already has been bought by the Regional National Cemetery Improvement Corporation and donated to the VA for cemetery expansion. That land will be prepared after careful study of that land to become part of the burial ground. But it will not meet the projected need for more space for much more than a decade.
The sale-barn ground also would require careful planning and much work if it is added later. But the people on hand yesterday are well-trained and able to do it properly. It will be needed and is in the natural spot to be added to the existing cemetery that was created in 1867, soon after the civil war ended.
Maybe some people would not see the inappropriateness of putting apartments there unless it were allowed and then they actually experienced what it would be like.
Just imagine.
Quoting the NWAT article further: "The council by law is to consider only whether the zoning requested is compatible with the neighborhood.
"Alderman Sarah Lewis asked how the developer can present information about the project when the council is not to consider a specific project.
" 'I don't understand; we're not allowed to talk about the project, but they're allowed to bring a bill of assurance," Lewis said.
"City Attorney Kit Williams said a bill of assurance doesn't describe a project, only limits the range of a zoning.
A bill of assurance places voluntary restrictions on a developer."
"Copyright © 2001-2009 Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, Inc. All rights reserved. Contact: webmaster@nwanews.com"
Regardless of the outcome of the effort to stop this rezoning, the Regional National Cemetery Improvement Corporation will continue its fund-raising effort. There is no guarantee at this point that federal money will be provided to help expand the cemetery even though Senator Blanche Lincoln told me in person that she will work toward that end and even though Congressman John Boozeman told me and several other people recently that he will work to earmark a bill in the House of Representatives to provide money through the Department of Veterans Affairs to purchase the sale-barn property to add to protect the future cemetery and the thousands of veterans are eligible for burial there already.
Please make donations payable to the Regional National Cemetery Improvement Corporation and mail to P.O. Box 4221, Fayetteville, AR 72702.
For more information, please go to the RNCIC's Web site at http://regncic.tripod.com
Regional National Cemetery Improvement Corporation's Web site
Sunday, July 12, 2009
Monday, July 6, 2009
Arkansas Democrat/Gazette editorial a hit with neighbors and veterans
Please click on image to ENLARGE to read and enjoy.
Lauren Hawkins asks City Council to protect neighborhood and Fayetteville National Cemetery
Dear members of the Fayetteville City Council:
I am a homeowner on the south side of Fayetteville — a field away from Pinnacle Foods, the train track, a neighborhood vest-pocket park and with the sale barn.
The blocks that separate me from the sale barn are mostly in the Fayetteville National Cemetery. The cemetery is one of only a few hundred across the country. It is on the National Register of Historic Places and now recognized as a National Shrine.
Many homes in this neighborhood were here when the sale barn was built. The cemetery was. My house was. Two close neighbor's houses were, though one was moved about 200 feet east by mules about the time sale barn was built. A house or two up the road were here to see the Butterfield stagecoach deliver mail. The rest of the neighborhood has grown up with the sale barn as its neighbor.
It is a quiet single-family neighborhood primarily, with a mix of light-industrial, agricultural, a few duplexes and a 12-unit single-story apartment building. The population includes a mix of young families, middle-aged and older folks living here.
This unique neighborhood is one that deserves to be preserved, as we see new developments attempt to emulate much of what we have.
The sale barn has met a few battles as Fayetteville grew up around it, I gather. Established use and preservation of a way of life have won its favor many a time.
The only thing that makes a bit of sense is to rezone the whole area to neighborhood conservation. Period.
The proposal to rezone the parcel to allow such things as rent-by-the-room student apartments is simply incompatible with the surroundings. We owe our veterans' final resting place as much.
Present estimates of the Fayetteville National Cemetery are for capacity to meet demand for the next decade. Will we have our troops out of harm's way by then?
I urge the Fayetteville City Council to be good stewards and take the opportunity to rezone to neighborhood conservation and nothing less.
Lauren Hawkins
I am a homeowner on the south side of Fayetteville — a field away from Pinnacle Foods, the train track, a neighborhood vest-pocket park and with the sale barn.
The blocks that separate me from the sale barn are mostly in the Fayetteville National Cemetery. The cemetery is one of only a few hundred across the country. It is on the National Register of Historic Places and now recognized as a National Shrine.
Many homes in this neighborhood were here when the sale barn was built. The cemetery was. My house was. Two close neighbor's houses were, though one was moved about 200 feet east by mules about the time sale barn was built. A house or two up the road were here to see the Butterfield stagecoach deliver mail. The rest of the neighborhood has grown up with the sale barn as its neighbor.
It is a quiet single-family neighborhood primarily, with a mix of light-industrial, agricultural, a few duplexes and a 12-unit single-story apartment building. The population includes a mix of young families, middle-aged and older folks living here.
This unique neighborhood is one that deserves to be preserved, as we see new developments attempt to emulate much of what we have.
The sale barn has met a few battles as Fayetteville grew up around it, I gather. Established use and preservation of a way of life have won its favor many a time.
The only thing that makes a bit of sense is to rezone the whole area to neighborhood conservation. Period.
The proposal to rezone the parcel to allow such things as rent-by-the-room student apartments is simply incompatible with the surroundings. We owe our veterans' final resting place as much.
Present estimates of the Fayetteville National Cemetery are for capacity to meet demand for the next decade. Will we have our troops out of harm's way by then?
I urge the Fayetteville City Council to be good stewards and take the opportunity to rezone to neighborhood conservation and nothing less.
Lauren Hawkins
Thursday, July 2, 2009
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
Honeybee on butterfly milkweed on June 30, 2009
Please click on image to ENLARGE view of honeybee on milkweed on June 30, 2009, at World Peace Wetland Prairie.
Sunday, June 28, 2009
Robert Reed of Bentonville speaks against rezoning for apartments next to National Cemetery
http://www.blogger.com/video-play.mp4?contentId=6230787456488b4a&type=video%2Fmp4
Saturday, June 27, 2009
KERMIT WOMACK DOING LIVE INTERVIEW ON WASHINGTON COUNTY LIVESTOCK AUCTION'S FINAL DAY
Ozarks Farm Neighbor - The Ozarks most read farm newspaper
The Voice Behind the Microphone
Written by Ronnie Deese, OFN Contributor
Monday, 22 September 2008
How many big radio names credit their start to The Future Farmers of America?
“I credit that organization with changing my whole perspective, my whole life,” Kermit Womack, Arkansas radio pioneer, said. “We didn’t own a car. We didn’t have indoor plumbing. I remember when electricity came to the house, I was in the 10th grade. We always plowed with mules and horses.”
But winning the state FFA public speaking contest in 1952 earned Kermit a one-year college scholarship to Arkansas Tech University, where President J.W. Hull promised to help Kermit find a way to stay in school beyond that first year.
“I explained to Mr. Hull that I was afraid that I was going to have to decline (the scholarship) because I would go a year and then I would have to drop out because my folks did not have the resources,” Kermit said. “He said, ‘Don’t ask me how, but just come on faith and it’ll work out.’”
Thanks to Hull, within a month Kermit had that first radio job as a news reporter at KARV on the Arkansas Tech campus. In addition to working at the radio station, Kermit joined the National Guard and ROTC to help pay for college. Kermit would spend 35 years in the military reserves, which later led to his on-air title, “The Colonel.”
When Kermit took that first job with Russellville, Ark., radio station KARV in 1952, the farm boy from rural Yell County had found his calling. Later on, while working in various roles in the radio business at stations in Arkansas and Missouri, “The Colonel,” began to dream of having his own radio station. Not one to let opportunity pass him by, today Kermit lives out that dream as he and his wife Diane together now own five radio stations, including KARV, where Kermit got his start, as well as Rogers-based KURM, which was molded into the image of its namesake from its beginning in 1979.
“Since my name is Kermit, I wanted to have the station K-E-R-M,” Womack said. “But when we searched the frequency… those call letters were not available. So K-U-R-M was available, and that’s still pronounced the same.”
Womack saw the potential in starting a new station in Northwest Arkansas, and KURM became Womack’s first venture into radio station ownership. KURM went on the air as a 500-watt daytime station broadcasting from five acres of rented farm land, and six months later was upgraded to 5,000 watts.
“I bought some acreage out here which is now our tower site,” Kermit said. “We applied for an increase in power to 5,000 watts and added night time. And that was the key to making this a real regional-type broadcast facility.”
The increased power allows KURM’s signal to be heard as far away as Harrison, Ark., Fort Smith, Ark., Tulsa, Okla., and Springfield, Mo. KURM and its owner have become a fixture in the area, as Kermit has immersed himself in every aspect of his flagship station. In addition to managing all of his radio stations, The Colonel can be heard on KURM at all hours of the day, from his morning news and talk shows to endorsing local advertisers to a weekly broadcast from the local livestock auction barn, to broadcasting high school sporting events in the evenings and on weekends.
“I don’t think there is any broadcaster in America that spends more time at his station doing work than I do here,” Kermit said.
Five of the Womacks’ seven children have also served in the military, including their son Steve, who had been the heir apparent to take control of KURM radio until he was elected as the mayor of Rogers ten years ago.
KURM carries a wide variety of live events, including county and state fairs, rodeos, church services, and sporting events from junior high to major league baseball. But agriculture has always been an integral part of Womack’s radio business. In fact, the land where Kermit’s radio equipment stands doubles as pasture for his 200-plus head of cattle, which graze under the shadow of his towers near Danville, Ark., on Crow Mountain near Russellville, Ark., and on the edge of the rapidly growing Bentonville-Rogers metropolis. Kermit has broadcasted from several different sale barns over the years and currently has a weekly half-hour live broadcast from inside the Washington County Livestock Auction.
“We are the radio station that the farmers recognize as the farm station,” Kermit said. “I started out broadcasting from the Bentonville Sale Barn 20 years ago. The farmers in the area really like this because they can tune in and kind of get a sense of what the market trend is.”
At times, Kermit and Diane find themselves working at the station seven days a week, as local businesses often insist on having “The Colonel” broadcasting their live remotes. But after 56 years in the radio business, Kermit admits he’s beginning to think about stepping away from the microphone.
“I’d always thought my son would take over, but… he’s got too good a future in government,” Kermit said. “I think that this thing will be winding down one of these days and somebody else will be changing the formats and everything here.”
The station Kermit founded will inevitably change, but KURM and “The Colonel’s” impact over the past 30 years have made a lasting impression.
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Friday, June 26, 2009
Thursday, June 25, 2009
Issac Caudle, prisoner of war in Germany during WWII, wants cemetery expanded across sale-barn property
Veterans seek one year to raise funds
BY ROBIN MERO Northwest Arkansas Times
Posted on Thursday, June 25, 2009
URL: http://www.nwanews.com/nwat/News/77634/
State Sen. Sue Madison joined military veterans Wednesday at the Fayetteville National Cemetery to implore the public to attend a July 7 City Council meeting and object to nearby property being rezoned for apartment development.
"Anyone who has been to a service here was deeply moved by the sanctity of the place. This is a quiet, tranquil part of town, and I think that atmosphere needs to be preserved. A multistory apartment complex would be very incompatible - and tragic. We have enough apartments in Fayetteville already," Madison said. Her father is a retired lieutenant colonel from the U.S. Army, she said.
Madison said she spoke to the veterans affairs liaison for U.S. Sen. Blanche Lincoln about finding stimulus funds for the purchase.
"He was very receptive to the idea," she said.
Veterans said they need one year to raise at least $2 million - preferably $4 million - to purchase the 9 acres that comprise the old Washington County Sale Barn property. After more than 70 years selling livestock, the barn's final sale is today, and owner Billy Joe Bartholomew said he will close the business. He has a contract with Campus Crest LLC of North Carolina to buy the land and build apartments geared toward university students.
The argument of neighbors and veterans is twofold: The land is needed for cemetery expansion, and apartments are a bad idea.
"Students are the worst kind of neighbor you can have," said Jim Buckner, senior vice commander of the Military Order of the Purple Heart in Arkansas. "In 2023, this cemetery will be filled, and the only way we can expand enough to take us up to the end of this century is to acquire this property."
Buckner said he's guessing at the sale price being around $2 million, since neither Bartholomew or Campus Crest have revealed the contract price.
Veterans have raised $2,475 in private donations toward the purchase, Ron Butler of the Regional National Cemetery Improvement Corporation said. The RNCIC has nonprofit status to collect and hold the funds.
The morning press conference was held outside cemetery property to avoid the appearance of cemetery officials taking a position, and Cemetery Director Gloria Bailey was not present.
The city's Planning Commission recommended the rezoning be approved. The City Council tabled the request June 16, and it was moved to the July 7 agenda. The rezoning request, Downtown General, is a downzoning from the current heavy commercial/light industrial zoning. The land is located south of Martin Luther King Boulevard and west of School Avenue, directly across Government Avenue from the cemetery.
Andy Aldridge, Campus Crest representative, said Wednesday that the company made an offer to the Bartholomew family to purchase the sale barn property, which is now a binding contract between a buyer and a seller contingent upon approval of the rezoning.
"Campus Crest does not enter lightly into a contract such as this and fully plans to honor its commitment to the Bartholomew family and the community of Fayetteville," Aldridge said. "Throughout this process, Campus Crest has worked very hard to listen and understand the concerns of the neighbors in the area. And, we plan to continue the same level of community involvement and awareness."
Bartholomew has said veterans never approached him about buying the land until after the contract was entered. He said wishes he could afford to give the land to the cemetery but he needs to sell, he told the Planning Commission in May.
The July 7 City Council meeting starts at 6 p.m. in the City Administration Building, Room 219, 113 W. Mountain St.
Copyright © 2001-2009 Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, Inc. All rights reserved. Contact: webmaster@nwanews.com
Sunday, June 21, 2009
Fayetteville man urges all to donate to help expand the National Cemetery
http://www.geocities.com/regncic/
Future looks grim for cemetery
It's sad when a graveyard dies. You wouldn't think so, but it is. "But how does a graveyard die?' you ask. It dies when it runs out of room. And "how is that sad?" you might inquire further. It's sad because it's happening right now to our beloved Fayetteville National Cemetery, the final resting place for over 7,000 servicemen and women. Veterans who fought and died in the Civil War are buried there. Servicemen and women who'll fight and die in Iraq and Afghanistan will be buried there. And, of course, veterans from all the wars in between have been laid to rest there. It's sad to think of the day when the cemetery has to start turning away those whose last wish was to lie for all eternity alongside their compatriots, their brethren. Who will be the last, I wonder. What will be his or her name?
Sadly, this is the fate of the Fayetteville National Cemetery unless it can procure more land. One of only three in the state, the FNC is already smaller than the other two in terms of size and burial capacity. The projected year during which our veteran's cemetery will reach full capacity, if no more land is secured, is 2023. Fourteen years, folks. Fourteen short years and we'll know their name.
But it doesn't have to happen this way, citizens of Northwest Arkansas. We have one chance, but one chance only, to save this cemetery. At present, eight acres of land adjacent to the east of the cemetery, where the "sale barn" sits now, has come up for sale, and the owner is on the verge of selling it to an out-of-state developer who intends to build more of the last thing Fayetteville needs - apartment buildings. The owner has stated that he would like to see the cemetery have the land, but they haven't made him an offer.
One might assume that all the cemetery has to do is ask the federal government for the money. One would be wrong. Under the responsibility of the Department of Veterans Affairs, veteran's cemeteries can only accept land through donations. That's where you come in, citizens of Northwest Arkansas. I would venture to guess that almost everyone reading this letter is either a veteran, is related to a veteran, or knows a veteran, and understands how important this is, and should be, to veterans. It's time to spread the word. And you must move fast. A viable solution as to how the land can be purchased must be underway before the next City Council meeting, or the aldermen might vote in favor of the rezoning, effectively killing the cemetery.
The property owner has yet to reveal his asking price, instead requiring the cemetery to "make an offer." If someone out there, or a consortium of individuals out there, would step up and make that offer, then there's hope for survival of the Fayetteville National Cemetery. Otherwise, it will die.
Brian Jackson
Regional National Cemetery Improvement Corporation
Attn: Sue Graham, Treasurer
P.O. Box 4221
Fayetteville, Arkansas 72702
CONTRIBUTION CARD
Please print out this page and fill in the information below. Then mail the form along with your donation to the address above. Checks may be made out to the RNCIC.
Name:____________________________________________________
Address:_________________________________________________
City, State, Zip:___________________________________________
• I donate to the (RNCIC) $_________________ Date __________________
Do NOT fill out below line
RECEIPT
Future looks grim for cemetery
It's sad when a graveyard dies. You wouldn't think so, but it is. "But how does a graveyard die?' you ask. It dies when it runs out of room. And "how is that sad?" you might inquire further. It's sad because it's happening right now to our beloved Fayetteville National Cemetery, the final resting place for over 7,000 servicemen and women. Veterans who fought and died in the Civil War are buried there. Servicemen and women who'll fight and die in Iraq and Afghanistan will be buried there. And, of course, veterans from all the wars in between have been laid to rest there. It's sad to think of the day when the cemetery has to start turning away those whose last wish was to lie for all eternity alongside their compatriots, their brethren. Who will be the last, I wonder. What will be his or her name?
Sadly, this is the fate of the Fayetteville National Cemetery unless it can procure more land. One of only three in the state, the FNC is already smaller than the other two in terms of size and burial capacity. The projected year during which our veteran's cemetery will reach full capacity, if no more land is secured, is 2023. Fourteen years, folks. Fourteen short years and we'll know their name.
But it doesn't have to happen this way, citizens of Northwest Arkansas. We have one chance, but one chance only, to save this cemetery. At present, eight acres of land adjacent to the east of the cemetery, where the "sale barn" sits now, has come up for sale, and the owner is on the verge of selling it to an out-of-state developer who intends to build more of the last thing Fayetteville needs - apartment buildings. The owner has stated that he would like to see the cemetery have the land, but they haven't made him an offer.
One might assume that all the cemetery has to do is ask the federal government for the money. One would be wrong. Under the responsibility of the Department of Veterans Affairs, veteran's cemeteries can only accept land through donations. That's where you come in, citizens of Northwest Arkansas. I would venture to guess that almost everyone reading this letter is either a veteran, is related to a veteran, or knows a veteran, and understands how important this is, and should be, to veterans. It's time to spread the word. And you must move fast. A viable solution as to how the land can be purchased must be underway before the next City Council meeting, or the aldermen might vote in favor of the rezoning, effectively killing the cemetery.
The property owner has yet to reveal his asking price, instead requiring the cemetery to "make an offer." If someone out there, or a consortium of individuals out there, would step up and make that offer, then there's hope for survival of the Fayetteville National Cemetery. Otherwise, it will die.
Brian Jackson
Regional National Cemetery Improvement Corporation
Attn: Sue Graham, Treasurer
P.O. Box 4221
Fayetteville, Arkansas 72702
CONTRIBUTION CARD
Please print out this page and fill in the information below. Then mail the form along with your donation to the address above. Checks may be made out to the RNCIC.
Name:____________________________________________________
Address:_________________________________________________
City, State, Zip:___________________________________________
• I donate to the (RNCIC) $_________________ Date __________________
Do NOT fill out below line
RECEIPT
Boozman shows he can earmark funds for national cemetery if he chooses to
FORT SMITH : Boozman seeks coin as honor to marshals
BY DAVE HUGHES
Posted on Saturday, June 20, 2009
URL: http://www.nwanews.com/adg/News/262391/
A proposed commemorative coin is intended to provide a $5 million windfall for the planned U.S. Marshals Service Museum in Fort Smith.
U.S. Rep. John Boozman, a Republican whose 3rd District comprises western Arkansas, last week introduced House Bill 2799 to mark the 225th anniversary of the Marshals Service. The bill would require the U.S. Treasury Department to mint up to 500,000 silver coins and 100,000 gold ones.
The coins would be issued Sept. 24, 2014, the 225th anniversary of the agency. Cost would be $35 for the gold ones and $10 for the silver.
"The U.S. Marshals Service has played a vital role in the development and growth of our nation," Boozman said in a news release. "I believe that a commemorative coin will help recognize and honor more than two centuries of heroic, brave men and women who worked to uphold the law."
The bill earmarks the first $5 million generated by the sale of the coins to go to the museum "for the preservation, maintenance and display of artifacts and documents of the United States Marshals Service."
In early 2007, the agency selected Fort Smith as the site for its national museum. Earlier this month, the museum's board of directors approved the architectural design for the 50,000-square-foot facility, to be built on the Arkansas River in downtown Fort Smith at an estimated cost of $50 million.
Museum supporters are seeking donations from corporations and individuals, said Russ Hodge of The Hodge Group of Dublin, Ohio. The effort to raise enough money to build the museum could take longer than seven years, Hodge said.
Museum program director Sandi Sanders said Friday she's delighted with the proposed bill and that its passage would mean a lot to the museum.
"We are very grateful to Congressman Boozman for sponsoring the bill," she said.
Marshals Service spokesman Jeff Carter said in a prepared statement Friday regarding the filing of the bill that its members "are extremely proud of their many historical contributions over the course of this nation's history and are honored to be recognized for that service."
The bill also calls for various proceeds from the coin sale to go also to the Center for Missing and Exploited Children, the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund, scholarships for spouses and children of law enforcement officers killed in the line of duty, the Community Oriented Policing Service and the Retired United States Marshals Service Association.
According to the bill, the coins would carry the image of the Marshals Service star on the front and the agency's motto, "Justice Integrity Service," inscribed along the edge. The bill instructs that the back of the gold coins would feature a design symbolizing the sacrifice and service of marshals killed in the line of duty.
The design for the coins would be chosen by the treasury secretary in consultation with the Marshals Service director and its historian, and the Commission of Fine Arts, then reviewed by the Citizens Coin Advisory Committee and the Marshals Service 225th Anniversary Committee.
The coins would be the first issued to honor the Marshals Service since the U.S. Mint resumed issuing commemorative coins in 1982, according to the Boozman news release.
The coin wouldn't be the first to have Arkansas ties. According to its Web site, the U.S. Mint issued a commemorative coin in 2007 recognizing the 50th anniversary of the desegregation of Little Rock's Central High School.
Copyright © 2001-2009 Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, Inc. All rights reserved. Contact: webmaster@nwanews.com
BY DAVE HUGHES
Posted on Saturday, June 20, 2009
URL: http://www.nwanews.com/adg/News/262391/
A proposed commemorative coin is intended to provide a $5 million windfall for the planned U.S. Marshals Service Museum in Fort Smith.
U.S. Rep. John Boozman, a Republican whose 3rd District comprises western Arkansas, last week introduced House Bill 2799 to mark the 225th anniversary of the Marshals Service. The bill would require the U.S. Treasury Department to mint up to 500,000 silver coins and 100,000 gold ones.
The coins would be issued Sept. 24, 2014, the 225th anniversary of the agency. Cost would be $35 for the gold ones and $10 for the silver.
"The U.S. Marshals Service has played a vital role in the development and growth of our nation," Boozman said in a news release. "I believe that a commemorative coin will help recognize and honor more than two centuries of heroic, brave men and women who worked to uphold the law."
The bill earmarks the first $5 million generated by the sale of the coins to go to the museum "for the preservation, maintenance and display of artifacts and documents of the United States Marshals Service."
In early 2007, the agency selected Fort Smith as the site for its national museum. Earlier this month, the museum's board of directors approved the architectural design for the 50,000-square-foot facility, to be built on the Arkansas River in downtown Fort Smith at an estimated cost of $50 million.
Museum supporters are seeking donations from corporations and individuals, said Russ Hodge of The Hodge Group of Dublin, Ohio. The effort to raise enough money to build the museum could take longer than seven years, Hodge said.
Museum program director Sandi Sanders said Friday she's delighted with the proposed bill and that its passage would mean a lot to the museum.
"We are very grateful to Congressman Boozman for sponsoring the bill," she said.
Marshals Service spokesman Jeff Carter said in a prepared statement Friday regarding the filing of the bill that its members "are extremely proud of their many historical contributions over the course of this nation's history and are honored to be recognized for that service."
The bill also calls for various proceeds from the coin sale to go also to the Center for Missing and Exploited Children, the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund, scholarships for spouses and children of law enforcement officers killed in the line of duty, the Community Oriented Policing Service and the Retired United States Marshals Service Association.
According to the bill, the coins would carry the image of the Marshals Service star on the front and the agency's motto, "Justice Integrity Service," inscribed along the edge. The bill instructs that the back of the gold coins would feature a design symbolizing the sacrifice and service of marshals killed in the line of duty.
The design for the coins would be chosen by the treasury secretary in consultation with the Marshals Service director and its historian, and the Commission of Fine Arts, then reviewed by the Citizens Coin Advisory Committee and the Marshals Service 225th Anniversary Committee.
The coins would be the first issued to honor the Marshals Service since the U.S. Mint resumed issuing commemorative coins in 1982, according to the Boozman news release.
The coin wouldn't be the first to have Arkansas ties. According to its Web site, the U.S. Mint issued a commemorative coin in 2007 recognizing the 50th anniversary of the desegregation of Little Rock's Central High School.
Copyright © 2001-2009 Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, Inc. All rights reserved. Contact: webmaster@nwanews.com
butterfly gardens easy to grow all over, especially in the black, rich soil of the Town Branch valley in south Fayetteville, Arkansas
Please click on image to ENlarge view of obedient plant on Pinnacle Foods Inc. Prairie west of World Peace Wetland Prairie on June 19, 2009, a big non-native pink flower whose name I can't remember at the moment at the entry to the trail through Pinnacle Prairie and a butterfly milkweed near WPWP.
World Peace Wetland Prairie is about 3 blocks west of the Fayetteville National Cemetery with access at 1121 South Duncan Avenue. Pinnacle Prairie is immediately west of World Peace Wetland Prairie with access from West 12th Street intersection with South Duncan Avenue. A paved city trail accessible for people in wheelchairs, walking or riding bicycles runs through a portion of Pinnacle Prairie at connects to the Heritage Trail at the interesection of 12th and Duncan.
Butterfly gardens can be grown throughout the
United States. There is a wide variety of both butterfly
attracting (nectar) plants and host (food) plants cover-
ing climates zones throughout the country.
Creating a Garden
Gardens can range in size from containers to sever-
al acres. Butterflies like sunny sites and areas sheltered
from high winds and predators. Warm, sheltered sites
are most needed in the spring and fall. Butterflies are
cold-blooded insects that can only fly well when their
body temperatures are above 70oF. They are often seen
resting on rocks, which reflect the heat of the sun help-
ing to raise their body temperatures, so be sure to
include some rocks in your garden. It’s also beneficial
to have partly shady areas, like trees or shrubs, so they
can hide when it’s cloudy or cool off if it’s very hot.
Plants that attract butterflies are usually classified
as those that areafood source,anectar source or both.
Butterflies require food plants for their larval stages and
nectar plants for the adult stage. Some larvae feed on
specifichost plants, while others will feed on a variety
of plants. If possible, include both larval host plants
and adult nectar plants in your butterfly garden.
Butterflies also like puddles. Males of several
species congregate at small rain pools, forming “puddle
clubs”. Permanent puddles are very easy to make by
buryingabucket to therim, filling it with gravel or
sand, and then pouring in liquids such as stale beer,
sweet drinks or water. Overripe fruit, allowed to sit for
afew days is a very attractive substance to butterflies
as well!
Life Cycle of A Butterfly
Butterflies go through a four-stage developmental
process known as metamorphosis (egg, larva or caterpil-
lar, pupa or chrysalis and adult). Understanding a but-
terfly’s life cycle can make butterfly watching more
enjoyable, andthis knowledge is an important asset to
those who want to understand the principles of attract-
ingbutterflies to their gardens.
Butterflies begin their life as an egg, laid either
singly or in clusters depending on the species. A very
tiny caterpillar emerges and, after consuming its egg
shell, begins feeding on its host plant. Caterpillars must
crawl out of their skin or molt, usually around five times,
before changing into a pupa. Finally, an adult butterfly
emerges, spreads its wings and flies away.
Butterflies typically lay their eggs in late spring and
hatch 3 to 6 days after they are laid. It takes 3 to 4
weeks for a caterpillar to pupate and 9 to 14 days to
emerge as an adult.
Host Plants
Adult female butterflies spend time searching for
food plants required by the immature caterpillar stage.
Most butterflies have specific host plants on which they
develop. For example, caterpillars of the monarch but-
terfly develop only on milkweed, while the black swal-
lowtail feeds only on parsley, dill and closely related
plants. Planting an adequate supply of the proper host
plants gives butterflies a place to lay their eggs, which
will successfully hatch and result in butterflies that will
continue to visit thegarden. Providing the necessary
food plants for the developing caterpillars also allows
production of a “native” population that can be
observed in all stages ofdevelopment.
To enjoy adult butterflies, you have to be willing to
allow their caterpillars to feed on foliage in your garden.
Food source plants that support caterpillars include the
annual marigold, snapdragon and violet; the perennial
butterfly milkweed, daisy and various herbs; the ash,
birch, cherry, dogwood, poplar and willow trees; lilac
shrubs; juniper evergreens and more.
The weediness of some host plants makes them less
than desirable for a space within your more attractive
garden beds, but they serve the same function if you
place them away in a corner of the yard. To keep them
from becoming invasive, remember to remove their
spentblooms before they go to seed.
Plants to Attract Butterflies
To attract the most butterflies, design a garden
that provides a long season of flowers (nectar plants).
The time of flowering, duration of bloom, flower color
and plant size are all important considerations when
selecting plants to attract butterflies. A wide variety of
food plants will give the greatest diversity of visitors.
Choose a mixture of annuals and perennials.
Annuals bloom all summer but must be replanted every
spring (after the last frost). Perennials bloom year after
year from the same roots but their blooming periods are
typically limited to a few weeks or months. To ensure
the availability of nectar sources throughout the sum-
mer, long-blooming annuals should be planted between
the perennials.
Try staggering wild and cultivated plants, as well as
blooming times of the day and year. Planting in mass
(several plants of the same kind) will usually attract
more butterflies, as there is more nectar available to
them at a single stop. Plants with clusters of flowers
are often better than plants with small, single flowers
because it is easier for butterflies to landon clustered
and/or larger flowers.
Many plants which attract butterflies, especially
trees and shrubs, may already be present in a specific
area. Shrubs include azalea, spirea, butterfly bush and
lilacs. Although weeds andsomenative plants are gen-
erally not welcomein a garden, allowingthem to grow
under supervision may be an option, as these plants
help attract butterflies. Try to avoid plants that readily
reseed and may take over and dominate garden sites.
Perennials, such as chives, dianthus, beebalm, but-
terfly weed, mints, black-eyed susan and purple cone-
flower offer a succession of blooms, other perennials
include coreopsis, lavender, phlox, sedum and yarrow.
Add annuals that flower all season, such as cosmos, lan-
tana, pentas,petunias, phlox, salvia and zinnias. Select
flowers with manysmall tubular flowers or florets like
liatris, goldenrod and verbena. Or chose those with sin-
gle flowers, such as marigold, daisy and sunflower.
Butterflies are attracted to flowers with strong
scents and bright colors, where they drink sweet energy-
rich nectar. Planting a variety of nectar sources will
encourage more butterflies to visit the garden.
For better butterfly viewing, plant the tallest
plants in the rear of the garden and work smaller or
shorter towardthefront.
Butterfly
Gardens
Creating, Growing and Enjoying
EARLMAYSEED&NURSERY
www.earlmay.com
SHENANDOAH, IOWA51603
Butterfly Host Plants(continued)
Trees Herbs
Ash Dill
Birch Parsley
Cherry Sweet Fennel
Dogwood
Linden
Poplar
Willow
Butterfly Attracting Plants
Annuals Perennials
Ageratum Aster
Cosmos Beebalm
Gomphrena Blanket Flower
Heliotrope Butterfly Milkweed
Lantana Coreopsis
Marigold Daisy
Nasturtium Dame’s Rocket
Nicotiana Daylily
Pentas Dianthus
Petunia Liatris
Phlox Phlox
Salvia Purple Coneflower
Snapdragon Rudbeckia
Statice Russian Sage
Sunflower Salvia
Sweet Alyssum Scabiosa
Verbena Sedum
Zinnia Veronica
Yarrow
Shrubs Herbs
Azalea Catnip
Butterfly Bush Chives
Lilacs Lavender
Mock Orange Mint
Potentilla
Viburnun
Cut Back on Insecticides
It’s difficult to have a successful butterfly garden
inalocation where insecticides are used. Pesticides,
specifically insecticides, kill not only the insects you
want to get rid of – they also kill the insects you want
tokeep, such as monarch caterpillars. Even biological
controls such as Bt (Bacillus thuringiensis) will kill but-
terfly larvae. When treating for insect pests, always
consider non-chemical methods of pest control before
turning to pesticides.
Let Your Garden Grow
Most butterfly species over-winter nearby. This
means that their eggs, chrysalises, or larvae are likely to
be in or near your yard during the non-gardening
months. Some will even hibernate as adults. Do not
mow weed sites, cut down dead plants or dismantle
woodpiles which provide them safe shelter in the off-
season until the weather warms up.
Enjoying Your Butterfly Garden
Butterfly gardens are a great source of enjoyment
for everyone. Visiting butterflies include a variety of
different species and names, depending upon the region
of the country in which you live. To learn more about
which plants help in attracting butterflies get your copy
of National Wildlife Federation Attracting Birds,
Butterflies and Other Backyard Wildlife by David
Mizejewski or the Earl May Perennial Guideavailable at
your local Earl May Nursery & Garden Center.
Butterfly Host Plants
Annuals Perennials
Marigold Butterfly Milkweed
Snapdragon Daisy
Violet
Shrubs Evergreens
Lilacs Juniper
IBM# 912600 750 4/08
Copyright Earl May Seed & Nursery L.C. ©
World Peace Wetland Prairie is about 3 blocks west of the Fayetteville National Cemetery with access at 1121 South Duncan Avenue. Pinnacle Prairie is immediately west of World Peace Wetland Prairie with access from West 12th Street intersection with South Duncan Avenue. A paved city trail accessible for people in wheelchairs, walking or riding bicycles runs through a portion of Pinnacle Prairie at connects to the Heritage Trail at the interesection of 12th and Duncan.
Butterfly gardens can be grown throughout the
United States. There is a wide variety of both butterfly
attracting (nectar) plants and host (food) plants cover-
ing climates zones throughout the country.
Creating a Garden
Gardens can range in size from containers to sever-
al acres. Butterflies like sunny sites and areas sheltered
from high winds and predators. Warm, sheltered sites
are most needed in the spring and fall. Butterflies are
cold-blooded insects that can only fly well when their
body temperatures are above 70oF. They are often seen
resting on rocks, which reflect the heat of the sun help-
ing to raise their body temperatures, so be sure to
include some rocks in your garden. It’s also beneficial
to have partly shady areas, like trees or shrubs, so they
can hide when it’s cloudy or cool off if it’s very hot.
Plants that attract butterflies are usually classified
as those that areafood source,anectar source or both.
Butterflies require food plants for their larval stages and
nectar plants for the adult stage. Some larvae feed on
specifichost plants, while others will feed on a variety
of plants. If possible, include both larval host plants
and adult nectar plants in your butterfly garden.
Butterflies also like puddles. Males of several
species congregate at small rain pools, forming “puddle
clubs”. Permanent puddles are very easy to make by
buryingabucket to therim, filling it with gravel or
sand, and then pouring in liquids such as stale beer,
sweet drinks or water. Overripe fruit, allowed to sit for
afew days is a very attractive substance to butterflies
as well!
Life Cycle of A Butterfly
Butterflies go through a four-stage developmental
process known as metamorphosis (egg, larva or caterpil-
lar, pupa or chrysalis and adult). Understanding a but-
terfly’s life cycle can make butterfly watching more
enjoyable, andthis knowledge is an important asset to
those who want to understand the principles of attract-
ingbutterflies to their gardens.
Butterflies begin their life as an egg, laid either
singly or in clusters depending on the species. A very
tiny caterpillar emerges and, after consuming its egg
shell, begins feeding on its host plant. Caterpillars must
crawl out of their skin or molt, usually around five times,
before changing into a pupa. Finally, an adult butterfly
emerges, spreads its wings and flies away.
Butterflies typically lay their eggs in late spring and
hatch 3 to 6 days after they are laid. It takes 3 to 4
weeks for a caterpillar to pupate and 9 to 14 days to
emerge as an adult.
Host Plants
Adult female butterflies spend time searching for
food plants required by the immature caterpillar stage.
Most butterflies have specific host plants on which they
develop. For example, caterpillars of the monarch but-
terfly develop only on milkweed, while the black swal-
lowtail feeds only on parsley, dill and closely related
plants. Planting an adequate supply of the proper host
plants gives butterflies a place to lay their eggs, which
will successfully hatch and result in butterflies that will
continue to visit thegarden. Providing the necessary
food plants for the developing caterpillars also allows
production of a “native” population that can be
observed in all stages ofdevelopment.
To enjoy adult butterflies, you have to be willing to
allow their caterpillars to feed on foliage in your garden.
Food source plants that support caterpillars include the
annual marigold, snapdragon and violet; the perennial
butterfly milkweed, daisy and various herbs; the ash,
birch, cherry, dogwood, poplar and willow trees; lilac
shrubs; juniper evergreens and more.
The weediness of some host plants makes them less
than desirable for a space within your more attractive
garden beds, but they serve the same function if you
place them away in a corner of the yard. To keep them
from becoming invasive, remember to remove their
spentblooms before they go to seed.
Plants to Attract Butterflies
To attract the most butterflies, design a garden
that provides a long season of flowers (nectar plants).
The time of flowering, duration of bloom, flower color
and plant size are all important considerations when
selecting plants to attract butterflies. A wide variety of
food plants will give the greatest diversity of visitors.
Choose a mixture of annuals and perennials.
Annuals bloom all summer but must be replanted every
spring (after the last frost). Perennials bloom year after
year from the same roots but their blooming periods are
typically limited to a few weeks or months. To ensure
the availability of nectar sources throughout the sum-
mer, long-blooming annuals should be planted between
the perennials.
Try staggering wild and cultivated plants, as well as
blooming times of the day and year. Planting in mass
(several plants of the same kind) will usually attract
more butterflies, as there is more nectar available to
them at a single stop. Plants with clusters of flowers
are often better than plants with small, single flowers
because it is easier for butterflies to landon clustered
and/or larger flowers.
Many plants which attract butterflies, especially
trees and shrubs, may already be present in a specific
area. Shrubs include azalea, spirea, butterfly bush and
lilacs. Although weeds andsomenative plants are gen-
erally not welcomein a garden, allowingthem to grow
under supervision may be an option, as these plants
help attract butterflies. Try to avoid plants that readily
reseed and may take over and dominate garden sites.
Perennials, such as chives, dianthus, beebalm, but-
terfly weed, mints, black-eyed susan and purple cone-
flower offer a succession of blooms, other perennials
include coreopsis, lavender, phlox, sedum and yarrow.
Add annuals that flower all season, such as cosmos, lan-
tana, pentas,petunias, phlox, salvia and zinnias. Select
flowers with manysmall tubular flowers or florets like
liatris, goldenrod and verbena. Or chose those with sin-
gle flowers, such as marigold, daisy and sunflower.
Butterflies are attracted to flowers with strong
scents and bright colors, where they drink sweet energy-
rich nectar. Planting a variety of nectar sources will
encourage more butterflies to visit the garden.
For better butterfly viewing, plant the tallest
plants in the rear of the garden and work smaller or
shorter towardthefront.
Butterfly
Gardens
Creating, Growing and Enjoying
EARLMAYSEED&NURSERY
www.earlmay.com
SHENANDOAH, IOWA51603
Butterfly Host Plants(continued)
Trees Herbs
Ash Dill
Birch Parsley
Cherry Sweet Fennel
Dogwood
Linden
Poplar
Willow
Butterfly Attracting Plants
Annuals Perennials
Ageratum Aster
Cosmos Beebalm
Gomphrena Blanket Flower
Heliotrope Butterfly Milkweed
Lantana Coreopsis
Marigold Daisy
Nasturtium Dame’s Rocket
Nicotiana Daylily
Pentas Dianthus
Petunia Liatris
Phlox Phlox
Salvia Purple Coneflower
Snapdragon Rudbeckia
Statice Russian Sage
Sunflower Salvia
Sweet Alyssum Scabiosa
Verbena Sedum
Zinnia Veronica
Yarrow
Shrubs Herbs
Azalea Catnip
Butterfly Bush Chives
Lilacs Lavender
Mock Orange Mint
Potentilla
Viburnun
Cut Back on Insecticides
It’s difficult to have a successful butterfly garden
inalocation where insecticides are used. Pesticides,
specifically insecticides, kill not only the insects you
want to get rid of – they also kill the insects you want
tokeep, such as monarch caterpillars. Even biological
controls such as Bt (Bacillus thuringiensis) will kill but-
terfly larvae. When treating for insect pests, always
consider non-chemical methods of pest control before
turning to pesticides.
Let Your Garden Grow
Most butterfly species over-winter nearby. This
means that their eggs, chrysalises, or larvae are likely to
be in or near your yard during the non-gardening
months. Some will even hibernate as adults. Do not
mow weed sites, cut down dead plants or dismantle
woodpiles which provide them safe shelter in the off-
season until the weather warms up.
Enjoying Your Butterfly Garden
Butterfly gardens are a great source of enjoyment
for everyone. Visiting butterflies include a variety of
different species and names, depending upon the region
of the country in which you live. To learn more about
which plants help in attracting butterflies get your copy
of National Wildlife Federation Attracting Birds,
Butterflies and Other Backyard Wildlife by David
Mizejewski or the Earl May Perennial Guideavailable at
your local Earl May Nursery & Garden Center.
Butterfly Host Plants
Annuals Perennials
Marigold Butterfly Milkweed
Snapdragon Daisy
Violet
Shrubs Evergreens
Lilacs Juniper
IBM# 912600 750 4/08
Copyright Earl May Seed & Nursery L.C. ©
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
The Morning News says neighbors, veterans oppose apartments next to National Cemetery
Please click on image of a few of the several veterans who spoke out against the proposed student-apartment complex that an out-of-state developer has proposed for construction adjacent to the National Cemetery in Fayetteville, Arkansas, on June 16, 2009.
The Morning News
http://www.nwaonline.net/articles/2009/06/16/news/061709fzcouncil.txt
Local News for Northwest Arkansas
New Water Tank Gets Approval; neighbors, veterans disapprove powerfully of sale-barn rezoning next to National Cemetery
By Skip Descant
THE MORNING NEWS
FAYETTEVILLE — It took a week, but a decision among the city and residents has been reached to locate a half-million-gallon water tank on the hilltop neighborhood of Hyland Park.
A 143-foot water tank will be built on a .66-acre secluded site on Lovers Lane. The site is one of the four sites originally explored, but it was generally viewed as too expensive, in terms of land cost and needed infrastructure. This site will add about $220,000 to the cost of the project, said Dave Jurgens, Fayetteville utility director.
However, city officials have negotiated a deal with Hyland Park resident Jim Waselues for him to pay the city $75,000 for the original lot intended for the tank — known as Lot 22. In turn, Gary Combs, owner of the Lovers Lane site will donate his site to the city.
"Although I'm not crazy about spending $200,000 more, I think it shows that the city is willing to be flexible and work with people," said Bobby Ferrell a council member.
"Maybe everyone's not totally satisfied, but this is probably the best solution," said Adella Gray a council member from Ward 1.
The project was opposed by the Hyland Park Homeowner's Association that did not want a water tank in their backyards, saying it will negatively impact views, property value and the general aesthetic nature of the neighborhood.
What did not move forward was any decision regarding rezoning the old Washington County Sale Barn site. The barn intends to hold its last sale June 25, said Steve Bartholemew, one of the sale barn's owners.
A 192-unit student housing apartment development is proposed for the nine-acre site. Some 50 people showed up for the council meeting Tuesday to oppose not only the rezoning, but more largely, the development.
It wasn't just residents from the area petitioning the council to deny the downtown general rezoning, but numerous veterans from across Northwest Arkansas. A national military cemetery — the final resting place for 7,963 deceased veterans — sits adjacent to the site. Veterans would like to expand the cemetery into the sale barn site. However, no deal has been reached say veterans and Bartholemew.
"If we can just stave off this rezoning at this time, it will give us that time," said Jim Buckner, a retired lieutenant colonel and a representative of the Military Order of the Purple Heart.
"There are private resources," Buckner added, and who said student housing would be "a terrible neighbor."
"In fact it would only be a beer can throw away from our veterans buried there," he continued.
"There has been no contact with us on a dollar amount," said Bartholomew. "I do know that they have talked, but there has never been a dollar amount."
Wanda Peterson, who's lived in the neighborhood since 1938 and has family buried in the cemetery, was passionate in her plea to stop the rezoning.
"I just can't bear an apartment building shadowing those graves," Peterson told the council.
Others reminded the council the current zoning is light industrial and a number of undesirable land uses could move in without the rezoning.
"The rezoning tonight is a downzoing from industrial to a downtown general," said Dustin Bartholomew, grandson to Billy Joe Bartholomew, co-owner of the Washington County Sale Barn.
"The things that could be built there at this time could be a lot more damaging than what's being proposed," Dustin Bartholomew said.
What Comes Next?
Washington County Sale Barn Rezoning
• The ordinance was left on its first reading.
• It will be considered again at the next council meeting.
For government channel schedule of reruns of the council meeting on City 16 on Cox Cable, please see
http://fayettevillearkgovernmentchannel.blogspot.com
The first rebroadcast of the June 16 city council meeting begins at 1:30 p.m. today and the second is at 7:30 p.m. today.
Rebroadcasts of the June 8 meeting of the Town Branch neighbors with the developers who want the sale barn rezoned for student apartments are set for CAT 18 on cox cable at 11 a.m. Wednesday, 3 p.m. Thursday, 11 a.m. Friday and 10 a.m. Saturday.
I am uncertain how this affects the short takes normally run at those times. Some weeks, few short takes are recorded. In fact, the one I recorded for those time slots is mostly about the same issue! I apologize to anyone who did a short take and is bumped by this very timely production.
When all equipment is running properly, the shows run on CAT 18 are run simultaneously on the Internet from the CAT Web site for those with access to the Web but no cable television.
The Morning News
http://www.nwaonline.net/articles/2009/06/16/news/061709fzcouncil.txt
Local News for Northwest Arkansas
New Water Tank Gets Approval; neighbors, veterans disapprove powerfully of sale-barn rezoning next to National Cemetery
By Skip Descant
THE MORNING NEWS
FAYETTEVILLE — It took a week, but a decision among the city and residents has been reached to locate a half-million-gallon water tank on the hilltop neighborhood of Hyland Park.
A 143-foot water tank will be built on a .66-acre secluded site on Lovers Lane. The site is one of the four sites originally explored, but it was generally viewed as too expensive, in terms of land cost and needed infrastructure. This site will add about $220,000 to the cost of the project, said Dave Jurgens, Fayetteville utility director.
However, city officials have negotiated a deal with Hyland Park resident Jim Waselues for him to pay the city $75,000 for the original lot intended for the tank — known as Lot 22. In turn, Gary Combs, owner of the Lovers Lane site will donate his site to the city.
"Although I'm not crazy about spending $200,000 more, I think it shows that the city is willing to be flexible and work with people," said Bobby Ferrell a council member.
"Maybe everyone's not totally satisfied, but this is probably the best solution," said Adella Gray a council member from Ward 1.
The project was opposed by the Hyland Park Homeowner's Association that did not want a water tank in their backyards, saying it will negatively impact views, property value and the general aesthetic nature of the neighborhood.
What did not move forward was any decision regarding rezoning the old Washington County Sale Barn site. The barn intends to hold its last sale June 25, said Steve Bartholemew, one of the sale barn's owners.
A 192-unit student housing apartment development is proposed for the nine-acre site. Some 50 people showed up for the council meeting Tuesday to oppose not only the rezoning, but more largely, the development.
It wasn't just residents from the area petitioning the council to deny the downtown general rezoning, but numerous veterans from across Northwest Arkansas. A national military cemetery — the final resting place for 7,963 deceased veterans — sits adjacent to the site. Veterans would like to expand the cemetery into the sale barn site. However, no deal has been reached say veterans and Bartholemew.
"If we can just stave off this rezoning at this time, it will give us that time," said Jim Buckner, a retired lieutenant colonel and a representative of the Military Order of the Purple Heart.
"There are private resources," Buckner added, and who said student housing would be "a terrible neighbor."
"In fact it would only be a beer can throw away from our veterans buried there," he continued.
"There has been no contact with us on a dollar amount," said Bartholomew. "I do know that they have talked, but there has never been a dollar amount."
Wanda Peterson, who's lived in the neighborhood since 1938 and has family buried in the cemetery, was passionate in her plea to stop the rezoning.
"I just can't bear an apartment building shadowing those graves," Peterson told the council.
Others reminded the council the current zoning is light industrial and a number of undesirable land uses could move in without the rezoning.
"The rezoning tonight is a downzoing from industrial to a downtown general," said Dustin Bartholomew, grandson to Billy Joe Bartholomew, co-owner of the Washington County Sale Barn.
"The things that could be built there at this time could be a lot more damaging than what's being proposed," Dustin Bartholomew said.
What Comes Next?
Washington County Sale Barn Rezoning
• The ordinance was left on its first reading.
• It will be considered again at the next council meeting.
For government channel schedule of reruns of the council meeting on City 16 on Cox Cable, please see
http://fayettevillearkgovernmentchannel.blogspot.com
The first rebroadcast of the June 16 city council meeting begins at 1:30 p.m. today and the second is at 7:30 p.m. today.
Rebroadcasts of the June 8 meeting of the Town Branch neighbors with the developers who want the sale barn rezoned for student apartments are set for CAT 18 on cox cable at 11 a.m. Wednesday, 3 p.m. Thursday, 11 a.m. Friday and 10 a.m. Saturday.
I am uncertain how this affects the short takes normally run at those times. Some weeks, few short takes are recorded. In fact, the one I recorded for those time slots is mostly about the same issue! I apologize to anyone who did a short take and is bumped by this very timely production.
When all equipment is running properly, the shows run on CAT 18 are run simultaneously on the Internet from the CAT Web site for those with access to the Web but no cable television.
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
Meeting of vets, Town Branch neighbors and developers from last Monday on CAT 18 and internet at 10:30 P.M.
Video of Town Branch Neighborhood meeting with developers of sale barn property to be shown on Cox cable channel CAT 18 starting at 10:30 p.m. Please watch to get an idea of the issues that will affect neighbors and the National Cemetery.
Meeting video streams online at the same time at
http://www.catfayetteville.org
Meeting video streams online at the same time at
http://www.catfayetteville.org
Sunday, June 14, 2009
Please download, sign and invite others to sign and mail to
P.O. Box 3159,
Fayetteville, Ar 72702
or call numbers listed and one of us will pick up your signed copy or copies.
Please click on image to enlarge for easy reading.
Fayetteville, Ar 72702
or call numbers listed and one of us will pick up your signed copy or copies.
Please click on image to enlarge for easy reading.
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