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Home My WebLink About08-2009 Newslettermiff?, AUGUST 2009 Dear Friends and Neighbors, BEND V MAYOR STEPI Y I, if'UaECk Letter from the Mayor During recent coverage of the 40"' anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landing, there was a curious fact. The footprint left on the moon by Astronaut Neil Armstrong is expected to remain long after anyone with living memory of that event turns to dust. With virtually no atmosphere on the moon — no erosion, no wind, no rain — only a deliberate action could erase it. Here in South Bend, we are taking deliberate actions to ensure that the carbon foot- print we leave on our own planet doesn't have such a long - lasting impact on our descendants. In 2008, I signed the Cool Cities charter. Through that action, South Bend is joining other cities that have pledged to reduce the causes of global warming in line with the international Kyoto Protocol on climate change. To follow through on that pledge, the City of South Bend has established a Green Ribbon Commission, chaired by Jim Mazurek, director of sustainability at the University of Notre Dame, and Mike Keen, director of sustainability at Indiana University South Bend. I've just participated in this group's second meeting, and would like to update you on its progress. One of the Green Ribbon Commission's key objectives is to create an inventory of South Bend's local carbon footprint — an accounting of the energy usage of municipal government facilities as well as an analysis of the entire community's impact: from homes and businesses to industry and automobiles. A team of University of Notre Dame students, serving as City government interns, provided an update on the data- collection process, which is soon to be complete. With that information in hand, the Green Ribbon Commission will be able to set emissions- reduction goals and timetables for the City of South Bend. As Green Ribbon Commission members are organizing into committees, members learned that the City of South Bend plans to establish a new high -level Office of Energy. Start-up costs for the first two years of operation will come from a federal stimulus grant. After that, the office must pay for itself through energy savings. We expect to reduce energy consumption costs citywide from $7 million to $5 million. This impact will cut greenhouse gases by 2 percent annually over the next decade, reducing the carbon footprint of City government by 8,000 tons. Through this office, the City will improve energy efficiency, help the environment and save taxpayers money. Based on the experiences of other communities, we anticipate cutting energy expenses by more than 25 percent. Finally, a key reason for convening the Commission was to engage the best Green practices in our community to improve government efficiency and quality of life for all. From Notre Dame computer exhaust heating our greenhouse to converting traffic signals to energy - saving LEDs, the City of South Bend has relied on creative partnerships for environmental innovation. Through our Green Ribbon Commission, we anticipate even greater successes. May our legacy be the kind of footprints that our descendents will want to follow. Sincerely, THIS MONTH... Mayor's Letter Morris Performing Arts Center Schedule Recycle Everyday, Fall Collection 2009 Pet Safety Tips Art Beat Triad Pill Drop Fall Family Fun Fair Composting Workshop • • PERFORMING ARTS CENTER • • Upcoming Performances • • September • 13 Dan Tepfer in Goldberg Variations • • • (At the Palais Royale) • • 26 South Bend Symphony Orchestra • • "Triumphant Beginnings" with • 0 Gleb Ivanov 0 • October • • 1 Comedian Robin Williams • • 9 -10 The Wedding Singer • • 24 The Casting Crowns in Concert • • 31 South Bend Symphony Pops • • "Latin Exposure" with Tito Puente • • November • • 2 Celtic Thunder • • 14 South Bend Symphony Masterworks - • • "Signature Strings" with Euclid Quartet • • 20 The Bob and Tom Comedy Show • • December • • 5 -6 South Bend Symphony Orchestra Presents • "Home for the Holidays" with • • Anita Johnson • • New events are always being added, so • check out www.MorrisCenter.org for the • • latest on the Hottest Tickets in Town, or • • call the Morris Box Office - 235.9190. • SI USTED NO ENTIENDE INGLES Y NECESITA AYUDA PARA TRADUCIR ESTE DOCUMENTO, O SI TIENE ALGUNA PREGUNTA, POR FAVOR LLAME AL Mayor Steve I TELEFONO (574) 235 -5858 X 1000. 7 to RECYCLE EVERYDAY! FALL COLLECTION 2009 BOOK S - CELL PHONES - SHOES - EYEGLASSES It's time to get things in order and clean out basements, closets, attics, bookshelves, boxes and cabinets. Thanks to South Bend, Mishawaka, and St. Joseph County residents who donated 4 tons of books, 250 cell phones, 40 lbs. of shoes and 200 pairs of eyeglasses our spring collection was a huge success. So why not donate those unused items to area nonprofit agencies and Goodwill for reuse? SHOES: All shoes must be paired and with rubber bands around them please! BOOKS: Only morally appropriate books accepted. They will be put to good use rather than wastefully being dumped into the landfill. CELL PHONES: Donated to the Women's Shelter for emergency use. Please place items in the DROP BOX at the SWMD's District Office at 621 East Jefferson Blvd. Monday through Friday, September 28 thru October 2 from 8:00 - 4:30 and at the Household Hazardous Waste facility at 1105 East 5ffi Street in Mishawaka Tuesday, September 29 through October 3 from 8:30 - 3:30. s�awr Sponsored by the Solid Waste Management District Gare 4 fiend, C' .�°. PET SAFETY TIPS 20 t1ti O If the thought of pests and insects on your pet make you cringe, don't go unprepared for flea and tick season! Here are some flea and tick facts every pet owner should know • Fleas thrive in temperatures between 65 -80 degrees Fahrenheit and in humid conditions. • The best place to look for fleas on your cat or dog is over the back by the tail base and on the abdomen between the hind legs where there is less fur. They are also found on the ears and in the ear canals, at the base of the ears and on the feet, and in between toes. • Ticks can carry and transmit disease such as Lyme disease and Rocky Mountain spotted fever and are found outside in areas of low brush and shrubs. • Ticks can be removed from your pet by grasping the head of the tick where it attaches to the skin with tweezers and gently but firmly pulling back. Use caution. • There are many topical flea and tick preventatives currently available, including Frontline, Revolution, and the Advantage family of products. A veterinarian can provide the best recommendation for your pet. • The best way to check for fleas and ticks is to brush your pet daily! flT Art in the Heart -*% of South Bend Stroll the streets and sidewalks of Downtown South Bend and enjoy the more than 200 local artists, performers, musicians, poets, chefs and dancers during Art Beat 2009! Stop and shop at the many merchants, retailers, restaurants, and downtown businesses that support the cultural arts community on Saturday, September 26 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Now in its seventh year, Art Beat draws individual and group artists from all over Michiana to showcase their work in the streets of South Bend's downtown. More than 7,000 people from the area attend Art Beat to see, hear or taste what's happening at each of several venues throughout the event. This year Art Beat is being held in conjunction with the opening of Innovation: George Rickey Kinetic Sculpture, a year long exhibit of outdoor kinetic sculpture in downtown South Bend. Art Beat is brought to you by: Downtown South Bend, Inc., The City of South Bend; Scene Sponsors: Barnes & Thornburg, LLP, Indiana Arts Commission; Patron Sponsors: Indiana Michigan Power, The South Bend Chocolate Company and Media Sponsors: WSBT Radio Group, WNIT, WVPE, WSBL & WUBS. Visit www.ArtBeatSouthBend.org any time to find out more about how Art Beat is bringing the cultural arts into the heart of downtown South Bend. Don't miss Art Beat 2009 on September 26. It's art in the heart of the city - and so much more! Triad rill Drop Thursday, September 17, 2009 Triad will hold its annual Pill Drop Collection from 7:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at the South Bend Police Department on Sample Street in South Bend and the Mishawaka Police Department in Mishawaka. All pills and liquid medicines are being collected and will be disposed of properly. All liquid medication must be brought in its original container. Donations are now being accepted to support the program. For questions call Jessica 245 -6604 or Dan � 258 -1678 ext. 274 or Kathy (i� 258 -4863. Composting Workshop Tuesday, October 6, 2009 A free informational session at the South Bend Library in the Colfax Room at 6:30. There will be a drawing for backyard composting bins! Reservations only so call now and reserve a seat at 574- 291 -2300 ext. 3. By attending the fall workshop, you could also be eligible too win a Deluxe Compost Bin, "The Earth Machine" in a special prize drawing that evening. Fall Family Fun Fair Monday, October 19, 2009 The Fall Family Fun Fair will be at Rum Village Park from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Please come for great family fun. Vsit Our Website at www SoutliBendIN.gov!