Downtown merchants, police and public works officials gathered at the Pawtucket Foundation last month to discuss a number of projects and concerns intended to help improve safety, maintenance and the overall downtown retail environment.
At the meeting, the Foundation previewed a new marketing campaign that will be unveiled in January and gathered input for streetscape improvements planned for the spring. Earlier this year, the Foundation, in conjunction with several business owners, was approved for a Community Development Block Grant to purchase and install greenery, planter boxes, bike racks, trashcans and banners on Main Street.
Meeting attendees went on to discuss concerns related to security, maintenance and management of the Main Street parking garage. Next steps include:
KeepSpace, the KeepSpace Advisory Committee and Working Group, the Pawtucket Citizens Development Corporation, and Rhode Island Housing are among those announcing the release of a comprehensive community design plan for Pawtucket and Central Falls.
The 50-page report, available at www.keepspace.org, lists strategies developed over several months that involved members of the community from all walks of life. The purpose, according to a news release, was to engage the entire community to ensure that homes are surrounded by healthy neighborhoods and connected to a range of services.
"The strategies outlined in this plan will help guide future growth, revitalization, preservation, community and economic development, all of which will have an impact on our neighborhoods," said Nancy Whit, executive director of PCDC. "These strategies are intended as a roadmap on how residents, businesses, community groups, local nonprofits, government and state agencies can work together to turn Pawtucket/Central Falls into a well-planned, great place to live, work and play."
Richard Godfrey, executive director of Rhode Island Housing and a member of the KeepSpace Advisory Committee, said that partners identified strategies for the six key elements of a sustainable community: good home, healthy environment, strong commerce, sensible infrastructure, integrated arts, recreation, culture and religion, and positive community impact.
That buzzing sound you hear at Chicago's O'Hare International Airport could be a jet taking off. Or maybe it's coming from the 1.5 million bees that call the airport home. In May, the Chicago Department of Aviation partnered with a community group to start a 2,400 square foot apiary on-site. Now 23 beehives are up and running and are scheduled to yield 575 pounds of honey this year.
The project offers a creative, sustainable, and productive way to use otherwise wasted open space at mega-airports like O'Hare. The bees' new home on the east side of the airport campus had long stood vacant, so it was a natural spot for the bee program to begin. And if that's not enough benefit, the beehives provide employment opportunities for formerly incarcerated adults (similar to other projects that teach prisoners beekeeping).
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The "airport beekeeping movement" has been growing in Germany since 1999, when scientists realized honeybees could be helpful for monitoring air quality, but O'Hare is the first American airport to get an apiary. In a way, it's a return to the airport's agricultural roots: O'Hare was founded on a former apple orchard, which lives on in the three letter airport code "ORD."
From: http://www.good.is/post/bees-enter-the-air-traffic-mix-at-chicago-s-aiport
Hasbro, Inc. today announced an exclusive MY LITTLE PONY retail program with Target Corporation (NYSE:TGT) featuring out-of-aisle premium space in the toy department devoted to MY LITTLE PONY merchandise inspired by the magical world of CANTERLOT from MY LITTLE PONY Friendship is Magic, the No. 1 television show for Kids 2-11 airing on The Hub and a Hasbro Studios production. The new program debuts the week of July 31 at Target stores nationwide.
“CANTERLOT at Target is a showcase example of how Hasbro reinvents our brands and works with retailers and licensees to create innovative and meaningful connections with consumers,” said Ira Hernowitz, Senior Vice President, U.S. Marketing at Hasbro. “The program presents a wide array of MY LITTLE PONY products from t-shirts to bedding and books in a dedicated display that is designed to share the magic and sparkle of CANTERLOT with young girls.”
“This summer, fans of the MY LITTLE PONY Friendship is Magic television show, can embark on their own CANTERLOT adventure at Target,” said Stephanie Lucy, Vice President of Merchandising, Target. “We expect that Target’s exclusive merchandise will have MY LITTLE PONY followers mesmerized.”
Read more http://eon.businesswire.com/news/eon/20110728006062/en
A vacant commercial building that once housed a furniture store and was later known as a source for Halloween costumes, party supplies and quirky novelties, was destroyed Monday night by a fire of unknown origin.
While the cause of the fire remains under investigation, city records show that the building had been cited for several building code violations, and the latest owners were scheduled for a hearing on outstanding violations in Municipal Court next Friday.
The fire broke out at about 8:15 p.m. on the second floor of Morris Novelty, a brick and wood frame building at 523 Main St. The blaze proved stubborn to completely extinguish and firefighters remained on the scene throughout the night and into Tuesday morning, continuing to douse “hot spots.”
The business had been closed for several years and no one was inside when the fire erupted. The smoke and flames were noticed by several passers-by who phoned it in.
According to Fire Chief William Sisson, the building's sprinkler system was non-functioning so there was no water being supplied to it. He said there were other structural problems, such as there being essentially a maze of wall dividers and stairwells, and some holes in the flooring, which made it too difficult and dangerous for the firefighters to enter with the hoses. Instead, they fought the blaze from the exterior and at both ends of the structure, Sisson said.
In addition, Sisson said, the building was filled with costumes, boxes of merchandise, plastic wrapping and other remnants left over from the novelties business which kept burning and created a thick, black smoke in the immediate neighborhood. While no firefighters were injured in the four-alarm blaze, Sisson said the firefighters were continuously monitored for carbon monoxide due to the acrid smoke.
Read more http://www.pawtuckettimes.com/content/morris-novelty-fire-proves-stubborn