City of Loveland’s Post

On, Earth Day, theoretically the biggest holiday in terms of how "big" it is, I like to keep it small. I paddleboard a lot. It's one of the reasons I moved to Florida. In Pennsylvania, I generally paddled on the Susquehanna River, roughly 380 miles down from its beginning. 380 miles that have been mostly civilized for hundreds of years. It's difficult to go more than 100 yards or so without finding trash. There's actually an Instagram account from a guy who's been picking trash out of the water for the past several years. He's collected - literally - thousands of items. When possible, I'd pick up pieces, myself, but with so much trash and so much current, I found it impossible to make a dent. Before too long, some of what I collected would inevitably get blown off the board, despite my best efforts. In Florida, I live on a 28 mile river. It's a much smaller one in a state that's really only had measurable population for 100 years or so. On a two hour paddle, I might come across 4-6 pieces of trash and I try to pick every one of them up, from beer cans to lawn chairs. Why? Because when I leave the river will once again appear to be free of trash. At least for the day. My hope is that in doing so, my river in Florida never becomes too overwhelming to keep clean. That people will always pick up trash there because it appears wrong to not do so. So I choose a river that's "small." Likewise, I choose a tactic that's "small." There are wonderful nonprofits like the Suncoast Waterkeeper that are working to the protect my river and others in the courtroom. Organizations like the Conservation Foundation of the Gulf Coast are doing their best to save these waters for future generations and I'm grateful for them and others like them. But someone needs to pick up the trash, and I'm happy to do it. #earthday #florida

This issue of Louisa County's newsletter, The Informed Citizen, offers updates from departments including Parks, Recreation & Tourism, Community Development, General Services/the Animal Shelter, and Administration. It also features updates from the Louisa County Sheriff's Office, the Assessor's Office, and partners like the Louisa Arts Center, the Louisa County Historical Society, the Commission on Aging, JABA, the Louisa County Library, the Virginia Cooperative Extension, Firefly, and FFA. Each issue aims to communicate to citizens how their local government is working for them and provides useful partner resources. Featured in this issue: * Louisa County Photo Contest * Upcoming Events * Firefly Fiber Broadband's Progress in Numbers * Household Hazardous Waste Day * Community, Staff and Board Spotlights * What to Do If You Find a Lost Animal * Board of Supervisors Updates ... and more See past issues at https://lnkd.in/er3FMvju. Hard copies are available in the County Office Building (1 Woolfolk Ave, Louisa). See past issues at https://lnkd.in/er3FMvju. Sign up at https://lnkd.in/gjydJjZR to receive email or text notifications of new issues.

Have you ever noticed how a tidy and organized community makes everyone feel happier and more connected? If you're looking for a way to bring your community together and make a positive impact, organizing a community cleanup day is the perfect solution! A community cleanup day brings people together to clean up litter, remove graffiti, and improve the overall environment. 🧹 Many communities struggle with litter and neglected public spaces, but by organizing an event like this, you can create an opportunity for residents to come together and take pride in their surroundings. 🌳 By gathering your community members and working together, you can make a significant difference in the appearance and cleanliness of your neighborhood. Plus, it's a wonderful way to teach children the importance of taking care of the environment and instill a sense of civic responsibility. Organizing a cleanup day might seem like a daunting task, but with the right planning and preparation, it can be a rewarding experience for everyone involved. 🗓️ Read our blog below to learn more about the importance of community cleanliness and how to organize your own community cleanup day! 🏘️ #CommunityCleanup #NeighborhoodPride #CivicResponsibility #CleanAndGreen #TogetherWeCan #ManagementPlus https://lnkd.in/gx4Vq-yq

September 8th 2024 To the editor: North Toledo residents fight blight again. This year residents in North Toledo came together to combat blight and had another successful year. We call ourselves the North Toledo Coalition, neighbors coming together for neighborhood issues. We are advocates for our neighborhood who strive for better days. This year we organized three cleanup events, our first one was covered by The Blade (“Crew collects mess to clean up N. Toledo,” March 24). We measure our success by a few simple metrics, how long it takes to fill up the truck, how many abandoned tires are collected, and how many volunteers help. In previous cleanup events it would take us less than an hour to fill a truck up; we would collect over 50 tires easily at each event. This year’s three cleanups netted about 40 abandoned tires. We had several volunteers from different backgrounds participate. The goal of our events is to reduce blight; in turn that reduces crime, adds to neighborhood engagement, and offers hope to those residents that feel the neighborhood has been forgotten. Our efforts would not be possible without our partnerships. The city of Toledo has been so supportive with our projects, our volunteers consisted of church members from Salem Lutheran, a few Lowe’s employees and most importantly members of the community. We will continue our initiative into 2025 because it is successful. ALFONSO R. NARVAEZ North Toledo #CommunityService #Toledo

Litter costs money. In 2022, litter cleanup cost the Missouri Department of Transportation $7.7 million and is projected to cost $9 million in 2023. This cost affects all Missourians. Litter also affects organizations such as businesses, city councils, local communities, and educational facilities, making the money used for litter clean-up not available for more positive use in the community. Impact on Wildlife: Litter can have a negative impact on both land and water-dwelling wildlife. Animals can ingest inedible materials, such as plastic packaging and cigarette butts. Insufficient quantities, these materials may poison the animal or cause it to starve by blocking its intestinal tract. We thank all those who have spent time to keep our community clean, healthy, and happy! Volunteer today! Interested in getting involved with our City government? There are opportunities for folks of any age or ability to get involved just once or to join an ongoing program. Volunteering is a rewarding way to serve your city, meet new people, have fun, and learn something new! www.como.gov/volunteer/ 𝗧𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗸 𝗱𝗶𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗹𝘆. 𝗧𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗸 𝘀𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗯𝗹𝘆. 𝗧𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗸 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘁𝘆. *𝙄𝙉𝙁𝙊 𝙎𝙊𝙐𝙍𝘾𝙀: https://lnkd.in/eE2Rkihh

And what a fantastic day it was 💙 Natural Flood Management (NFM) utilises landscape and natural processes to reduce flood risk. It involves measures like planting trees, restoring rivers to their natural courses, and creating wetlands to absorb and store excess water, thereby mitigating flood impacts while enhancing biodiversity - a holistic approach to climate resilience! Flood risk reduction like this project at Gissing is critically important. It protects communities from the devastating impacts of flooding, enhances public safety, and supports sustainable development.

I love the holidays because I get to witness so much public service being done. Whether it’s toy drives, helping a neighbor put up decorations, volunteering at shelters, etc., the holidays bring out everyone's inner public service officer. Going into this new year, there are simple and large ways to continue serving the public and empowering our communities. What better week to start than the week of celebrating a public service hero, Martin Luther King Jr. Ways to be involved: 💡 Local cleanups: I subscribe to volunteercleanup.org to inform me about local cleanup events. It’s a great way to not only help the environment but also ensure communities have a safe and clean environment. - Further: If you have lawn gear, offer to help your elderly neighbors with their yard work. If you see a clogged drain, please take the time to unclog it; Miami and the South Florida area have notorious flooding issues. - Ask your city for a recycling bin and start recycling! 💡Local animal shelter: There is usually crowding at local shelters. Volunteering for an hour to take cute dogs for a walk ensures that not only does a dog in need get some love and exercise for the day, but it also increases your step count and dopamine! 💡Sign up for a library card: One of the only ways governments can measure funding towards public libraries is by looking at library card enrollment numbers. By signing up for a library card (which is free), you support public library funding by showing an increase in demand. Also, the library can open up a new social arena for you in which you can also volunteer and connect with individuals from all types of backgrounds in your community! 💡Buy and donate necessities to homeless shelters! 💡Volunteermatch.com is another great resource to connect you to opportunities to assist that align with your talents. For example, if you’re a musician, there are opportunities to provide music lessons to those suffering from Alzheimer's. Have your fun hobbies align with service! If you have any service events or opportunities you’re involved in, please share! I’d love to learn and connect.

BREAKING - COVID MONEY TO PARKS STOLEN? Here is DuPont Circle in Washington DC minutes to the Biden White House and everything, including the seats, is falling apart, even though the CARES Act provided $900 million in funding for the Land and Water Conservation Fund to support outdoor recreation and conservation projects, including improvements to parks and recreation areas. NOTE: Additionally, the American Rescue Plan Act allocated $350 million for the National Park Service to address deferred maintenance projects. These funds were part of broader relief efforts aimed at mitigating the impacts of the pandemic. NOTE: I wonder if DC @MayorBowser, President @JoeBiden, and @NatlParkService have any answer. NOTE: Not sure the funds have been stolen but they are certainly not being used for any improvements here at DuPont Circle.

🌊What does the ocean mean to you?🌊 For the last few hours of World Ocean Day 2024, let's take a moment to think about the services our blue planet provides for us. For me, completing university on the Cornish coastline meant having a soothing blue haven on my doorstep, to recover from the challenges of university life, to connect with nature, and spend many happy evenings on the beach with friends listening to the sound of the waves. In fact, the ocean is scientifically proven to improve mental health in humans. Looking further afield, in our troubled climate, the ocean takes most of the impact for us. Heatwaves would hit much harder if the sea didn't store as much thermal energy as it does. Tsunamis would be far more damaging if it weren't for coral reefs and mangroves absorbing wave energy. These impacts might be a little hard to imagine, especially if they're far from home. So take a moment to think, what does the ocean offer to you? How do you feel when you're by the sea? Let's keep forging a strong connection between people and the ocean, to celebrate and safeguard our blue planet. #WorldOceanDay

BEES AND OTHER POLLINATORS ARE CAUGHT IN THE CROSSFIRE OF WEEDKILLER ROUNDUP! Researchers have found that glyphosate — the main ingredient in Roundup — can harm bees’ gut microbiomes, making them more susceptible to disease, and hindering their navigation, which makes finding food and even the way back home difficult.    Home Depot and Lowe’s are keeping their shelves stocked despite Roundup’s harmful impacts to bees. What’s more, the EPA found that glyphosate is likely to injure or kill 93% of U.S. endangered species, including many pollinators. Home Depot and Lowe’s can choose to make the right decision and stop selling Roundup – but only if people like YOU stand up. Can I count on you to tell Home Depot and Lowe’s to protect pollinators? SIGN THE PETITION https://lnkd.in/g6qxQtd7