What you should know:

• 20 residents will be chosen to have their portraits included in the public art for the Victoria Street light rail station.
• You can nominate anyone and you can nominate several people. Just fill out a separate form for each person.
• Your nominees can absolutely be nominated posthumously. So many people have impacted this community and have passed away. What a great way to remember them!!
• Nominations are due Thursday, JUNE 30, 2011.

If you have any questions or need hard copies of the nomination form, please feel free to contact Executive Director, Irna Landrum.

The site at Victoria & Concordia was once a vacant lot. Over the past year, residents and community gardeners have been working to create a community green space. A community orchard will serve as an  asset and gathering place, helping neighbors and other community members build stronger relationships with one another, grow healthy food and beautify the neighborhood. It will enhance the green space currently being developed, providing a strong focal point for the neighborhood. With this orchard, we will not only create a local source of produce, but also provide education on nutrition and local food production. We hope it will also help to foster even greater interest in community gardening.

WE NEED YOU TO VOTE!! Voting starts Friday, April 15th at www.communitiestakeroot.com. Anyone and everyone can vote once per day –so “vote early and often!” Please pass the word along to your networks! SPREAD THE WORD on Facebook (and if you haven’t already, be sure to “like” us), Twitter, your book club, running group…anywhere else you can think of!

Here are some quick facts about the Communities Take Root Program:

• Communities Take Root is a program created by Edy’s Fruit Bars that helps the brand give back by providing fruit orchards in deserving communities across the U.S. Our hope is to not only beautify these neighborhoods, but to encourage healthy eating and build strong community relationships.

• Edy’s Fruit Bars has partnered with the Fruit Tree Planting Foundation, an international nonprofit organization dedicated to planting fruitful trees and plants in places that best benefit communities across the world. Their hope is to help alleviate world hunger and global warming, while strengthening communities and improving surrounding air, water and soil. The Fruit Tree Planting Foundation will be responsible for sourcing the plants and trees, and helping to plant the winning orchards.

• People of all ages are invited to cast one vote per day from April 15 through August 31st by visiting www.CommunitiesTakeRoot.com.

• The 20 locations with the most votes will win a fruit orchard provided by Edy’s Fruit Bars and planted by the Fruit Tree Planting Foundation. From June through September, we will announce 5 winners every 1st of the month.

• 120 organizations are participating in Communities Take Root this year, including city parks, community gardens, educational centers, YMCA’s, local food banks, and other deserving establishments.

• 2011 is the second year of the Communities Take Root program. Edy’s Fruit Bars has already planted 25 orchards in communities across the US, and will award 20 more as part of this year’s campaign.

Before we know it, the first warm day of spring will be upon us. As we excitedly throw open the windows without getting frostbite, we also realize how dusty, dirty, and cluttered our houses have become during the winter hibernation. We get the urge for spring cleaning, but how do we do this the cheapest and greenest way possible?

Identify toxic products!

Many household cleaning (or other) products  are considered hazardous. If you have kids or are worried about your health watch for words on the labels such as “caution,” ” warning,” ” danger,”  or “poison.”. These are  “Signal Words” and are required by law to be put on the labels of hazardous products.

Here are the ‘meaning’ of these signal words:

• Caution – mildly to moderately hazardous (not fatal if swallowed but the product may irritate the skin or make a person sick)

• Warning – moderately hazardous

• Danger – extremely hazardous, i.e., extremely flammable, corrosive or highly toxic

• Poison – highly toxic (harmful or fatal if swallowed)

Here are some of the ingredients that are considered toxic: Ammonia, Chlorine bleach, Methylene chloride, Formaldehyde, Sulfuric acid, Sodium hydroxide, Formaldehyde, Sulfuric acid, Sodium hydroxide. Avoid these if possible. You should also stay away from aerosol sprays as they produce tiny droplets that are easily inhaled into the lungs and absorbed through the skin. Fragrances can also be toxic especially if they are made from synthetic chemicals. They are present not only in personal and beauty products, but also in cleaners, laundry products, and air fresheners. Synthetic fragrances can cause allergy and asthma attacks. In addition, the chemicals in fragrances are inhaled and absorbed into the skin and accumulate in the body over time.

Use plant based and biodegradable products or ingredients!

Look for cleaning products made from plant based and biodegradable products instead of petroleum based products. Buy fewer household chemicals and use multipurpose cleaners to avoid buying many specialty cleaners. Use single-ingredient products (baking soda, white vinegar, lemon juice, salt) that serve several functions. Sometimes muscle can replace chemicals. For example: try to dislodge a clog in a drain with a mechanical “snake”, scrub sink stains with an abrasive sponge or use a dandelion digger instead of weed killer.

If you want to save money and be safe from toxins  try to make a cleaner yourself! The ingredients below serve as the building blocks for safe home cleaning:

Baking Soda - Cleans and deodorizes. Softens water to increase the sudsing and cleaning power of soap. Good scouring powder.

Borax - Cleans and deodorizes. Excellent disinfectant. Softens water. Available in the laundry section of grocery stores.

Liquid Soap - Look for soap with non-synthetic, plant-based ingredients such as olive oil-based. Biodegrades safely and completely and is non-toxic. Available in grocery stores and health food stores.

Washing Soda - Cuts grease and removes stains. Disinfects. Softens water. Available in the laundry section of grocery stores, order at hardware stores or in pure form from chemical supply houses as “sodium carbonate.”

White Vinegar or Lemon Juice - Cuts grease and freshens.

Vegetable Oil - Works well when polishing and cleaning wood.

There are many websites where you can find recipes for homemade cleaning. Here are a couple below (courtesy of the Dakota County Website:

All-Purpose Cleaner Recipes

Recipe 1

• 1 teaspoon vegetable-oil based liquid soap
• 1 quart warm water
• A squeeze of lemon

Combine ingredients in a small bucket or spray bottle. Apply with a sponge or rag and wipe clean.

Recipe 2

• 1/8 cup washing soda
• 1 tablespoon vegetable-oil based liquid soap
• 1/4 cup vinegar
• 2 gallons hot water

Mix ingredients in a pail. Apply with mop or cloth and wipe clean.

(For more ideas click HERE.)

Getting rid of stuff

Upon cleaning a lot of people find things in their home that they don’t need anymore. If you need to get rid of stuff remember to throw as little as possible to the trash!

1. Recycle whenever you can!  Click here for Eureka Recycling Guidelines (PDF).
   Recycling day in the Summit-University area is every Wednesday.  If you need recycling bins pick one up at the Summit-University Planning Council!
2. Sell or give away items to people who can find use for it.
3. Use Craigslist, the Twin Cities Free Market or ask around in your family, friends and neighbors!

HAVE A PRODUCTIVE SPRING CLEANING EVERYONE!

We need your help. Learn how to get involved.

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