Tag: Flood zone

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Keep it Green

>I didn’t realize my name would be published but it serves me right because I just said to a friend that I believed the Blog would be better served if one had to use their name. I guess I was being put to the test. Thank you for not commenting on my spelling errors! I have given packets of info regarding grass fields/turf to the council members, Bd. of Ed. members and other significant people in the community.

My goal was to inform the community about the benefits of grass fields to the athlete and the community. Many of my friends are in the sports fields because I went to Cortland many years ago. All of them prefer grass to artificial turf because of incresed temps on artificial turf, wear and tear on the athlete and now the threat of a new strain of staph infection that has crept into the sports world associated with artificial turf. However many places in the US still have the luxury of space and so are not as limited in accomodating the needs of a community.

Ridgewood was over developed and now open space is at a premium. The benefits of grass include the exchange of carbon dioixde for oxygen, natural cooling and cleaning properties to name just a few. I sat on a committee in the 80,s that looked at our fields and decided that Maple Field could benefit the entire community by placing a grass playing field in the center surrounded by natural vegetation. I feel that this was an excellent compromise and served us well for many years. I was told that Maple Field was being maintained at a cost of 11,000 dollars per year. Even if that cost had been increased 3 times to improve the field, it would be 30 years before we had spent 1,000,000 dollars { the cost of an artificial turf field]. I love the landscaping and the upgrades at Maple but if the green in the center was natural, I would be donating money instead of worrying about the consequences. I understand the increased need for fields as enrollment in sports continues to rise and we want all kids who want to participate to be able to do so. I have talked to many landscapers who tell me that the quality of new grass blends on the market are so superior to the old ones, that grass fields would be far more durable and able to handle more useage.

With the master plan being reviewed in September, it is my hope that figures will be obtained on the use of natural grass and that it will be considered. Ridgewood has always been known for its leadership in quality of life issues. Why can’t we be also known for having the finest grass playing fields in the area? I can guarentee that in the coming years, laws will mandate a better use of our natural resources. How better to show our kids how we can treat our environment with care and still not loose essential aspects of sports and recreation.

Linda McNamara

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To Compost or Not to Compost

>”Composting is about creating good, healthy dirt. It is the decomposition of plant remains and other once-living materials to make an earthy, dark, crumbly substance that is excellent for adding to houseplants or enriching garden and yard soil. It can enrich gardens, improve the soil around trees and shrubs, and be used as a soil additive for house plants and planter boxes. Insects, earthworms, bacteria, and fungi help in transforming this material into compost. It is a way you can recycle your yard and kitchen wastes, and is a critical step in reducing the volume of garbage needlessly sent to landfills for disposal. Yard and food wastes make up approximately 30% of the waste stream in the United States. Composting most of these waste streams would reduce the amount of municipal wastes requiring disposal by almost one fourth. ” (Healthy Families)

Environmental Benefits

Compost use can result in a variety of environmental benefits. The following are a few of the most important benefits:

Compost enriches soils
Compost has the ability to help regenerate poor soils. The composting process encourages the production of beneficial micro-organisms (mainly bacteria and fungi) which in turn break down organic matter to create humus. Humus–a rich nutrient-filled material–increases the nutrient content in soils and helps soils retain moisture. Compost has also been shown to suppress plant diseases and pests, reduce or eliminate the need for chemical fertilizers, and promote higher yields of agricultural crops.

Compost helps cleanup (remediate) contaminated soil
The composting process has been shown to absorb odors and treat semivolatile and volatile organic compounds (VOCs), including heating fuels, polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), and explosives. It has also been shown to bind heavy metals and prevent them from migrating to water resources or being absorbed by plants. The compost process degrades and, in some cases, completely eliminates wood preservatives, pesticides, and both chlorinated and nonchlorinated hydrocarbons in contaminated soils.

Compost helps prevent pollution
Composting organic materials that have been diverted from landfills ultimately avoids the production of methane and leachate formulation in the landfills. Compost has the ability to prevent pollutants in stormwater runoff from reaching surface water resources. Compost has also been shown to prevent erosion and silting on embankments parallel to creeks, lakes, and rivers, and prevents erosion and turf loss on roadsides, hillsides, playing fields, and golf courses.

Using compost offers economic benefits
Using compost can reduce the need for water, fertilizers, and pesticides. It serves as a marketable commodity and is a low-cost alternative to standard landfill cover and artificial soil amendments. Composting also extends municipal landfill life by diverting organic materials from landfills and provides a less costly alternative to conventional methods of remediating (cleaning) contaminated soil.
(Environmental Protection Agency)