Rails to Trails project needs your help

Would it be great to have an American Tobacco Type Trail in our area?

Dear West Pender Rail-Trail Supporters,

 

We have hit a bump in the road and need your help!  As you may recall, we received a Recreation Trails Project grant from NC Dept. of Energy and Natural Resources through Pender Country to develop the first mile of trail in the Pender Commerce Park on 421 near the Pender/New Hanover County line. We were also in negotiations with the Department of Transportation to run the trail along the cleared water line parallel to 421 from the Commerce Park to Blueberry Road .  We have enjoyed strong support from Pender County and several local and regional planning agencies for this project.

 

We have recently learned that Wilmington Business Development has advised Pender County to drop the trail project on that property because they feel it will be a hindrance to business recruitment and that it will conflict with their new plans for the Commerce Park . We disagree with their arguments and have offered numerous studies showing that trails such as these are actually considered enhancements for development. We also believe that the health and economic impact of regional facilities such as these cannot be ignored ($60 million annually from cyclists in the Outer Banks- see DOT study link below).  We also believe that turning down a $74,000 grant will inhibit Pender County 's ability to secure future funding for other parks and trail-related projects through the NC Dept. of Energy and Natural Resources. 

 

We believe that our currently funded and heavily supported trail project has great potential for economic and quality of life benefits to the area and should not be dropped for a hypothetical future conflict of interest with a potential business that may see a trail facility as a detriment.

 

Next Monday, October 15^nd, at 4:00 pm, Wilmington Business Development will present an update on their plans for the Commerce Park at the Pender County Commissioners meeting at 805 S. Walker Street, Burgaw , NC .  It is the first item on the agenda. We have also been told that we will be able to present our case to the Commissioners at their November 5^th meeting.

 

We are asking you to attend these meetings with us to show your support and to let the commissioners know that there is another side to this story.  We recommend business casual dress and early arrival to get on the speaking list.  We plan to leave after our agenda items are concluded. We need to have strong community support at these meetings to save this trail project that we have all worked so hard on!

 

Sincerely,

WPRTA

RIVERTOSEABIKEWAY.COM

RIVERTOSEABIKEWAY.COM

It's Spring time and I got my cycling fever... or is it cycling allergies.  All I know is that I want to get out and ride!

If you are in Wilmington, this is a great event for the cycling community.  The bike trails are slowly making there way around Wilmington and it's really making a difference in how folks move around the city.

Good on ya Willywood!

Here are the details:

Join us for the 23rd Annual River to Sea Bike Ride!
Saturday May 5, 2012 starting at 8:00 a.m. at Bailey's Park -(North Front Street between Market & Princess Streets)
Join us for a casual-paced bicycle ride from downtown Wilmington to Wrightsville Beach on Wilmington's River to Sea Bicycle Route - N.C. Bike Route 1. Registration is at 8:00am on North Front Street between Market Street and Princess Street.  The ride will start promptly at 8:30am. Refreshments and drawing for prizes will be at Wrightsville Beach at 10:00am. Transportation option for returning to downtown Wilmington. No need to pre-register. Just bring your bike & your helmet & get ready to ride!

Cape Fear River Watch LakeFest May 5th from 9 to 2pm

Cape Fear River Watch

LakeFest is coming up soon! Join us May 5th from 9 – 2 pm at the beautiful Greenfield Lake for a day of fun for the whole family! Enjoy interactive activities for kids, adults, and your family dog! See alligators, turtles, snakes, and other reptiles up close and personal! The kids will love all of the great activities we have planned like face painting, arts & crafts, nature tours, Enviroscape presentations, nature talks, games, and much more!

Greenfield Lake is one of the Best places in the Southeast. Tops in Wilmington, by far. Get on down to the LakeFest and hang out with the River Watch crew.

 

The SunFlower Home Heliostat - Fully Autonomous

The SunFlower Home Heliostat - Fully Autonomous

My brother and I used to do this - manually- at our workshop with old mirrors from Big screen TVs.

I don't know if these work, but I hope they do. 500 bucks isn't too much to pay for quality and free light. I wonder how long they would last...

Check it out and tell me what you think!

Walking Fish Winter 2012 Season

----- Forwarded Message -----
Sent: Tuesday, January 10, 2012 2:14 PM
Subject: Winter 2012 Season

Dear All,

We hope you had a wonderful holiday season. Happy New Year! We are very pleased to announce our 2012 Winter CSF in Durham. The season will begin on Thursday, January 19th and will be bi-weekly for 13 weeks with 7 seafood deliveries. The last delivery date will be April 12th.

This winter you can expect to see a variety of species including flounder, triggerfish, snapper, oysters, clams, and crabs.

We hope you are looking forward to some fresh and delicious local NC seafood this winter and please spread the word!

Thank you all for your support,

~The Walking Fish Crew

Please visit our website to purchase winter shares: www.walking-fish.org

Join us on Facebook

What is a CSF?

Based on the community-supported agriculture (CSA) model, a community supported fishery (CSF) is a program that connects local fishermen to a local market. CSF members pre-pay for a "season" of fresh, locally caught seafood, and in turn fishermen provide a weekly share of premium fish or shellfish. CSFs seek to reconnect communities with their food system, encourage low-impact fishing practices, and build relationships between fishermen and community members.

Who we are?

Walking Fish is a mission driven cooperative that is dedicated to supporting healthy fisheries and the communities that depend on them. This initiative, founded by graduate students at Duke University, takes root in the belief that people –whether they are coastal fishermen or local consumers – play an important role in creating solutions to the social, economic, and environmental challenges we face. The goals of this business are simple: to foster economic opportunities, to cultivate healthy communities, and to encourage environmental stewardship. We recognize that conservation is intimately linked to the well-being of people and communities, and we believe that in order to work towards ecological sustainability we must also work towards local economic stability and social equity.