February 2008

NASSAU SIERRA NEWS

florida.sierraclub.org/nassaucounty

Nassau Sierra General Meeting:

(Not at Council on Aging Building this Month)

East Nassau Traffic, Roads

Yulee Meeting

Wednesday Feb. 6,         7 p.m.

Yulee County Building on Pages Dairy Road between U.S. 17 and A1A

              · FDOT plans for A1A widening

· Alternate east-west corridors

· Plan to transfer logs from trucks to rail

· Legal restrictions to more traffic A1A

· Chester Road/A1A intersection plans

Open to the public

For further information, please call Robert 491-6817

In memory of Jeanette Catherwood, Nassau Sierra has received a generous donation from the co-workers of Mrs. Catherwood’s daughter, Muriel. It is always nice to know Sierra is admired by such a considerate giving person as Jeanette. We know she will be truly missed by all who knew and loved her. Sierra Club appreciates the memorial gesture of Muriel and her co-workers and our heart felt condolences go out to Jeanette’s family and friends.

 

 

Nassau Sierra Club Meet and Greet in Hilliard!

Where: at the Hilliard Public Library / 37177 Pecan Street Hilliard, Florida

When: Thursday, February 21, 6:30 to 8 p.m.

The Nassau Sierra Club will host a special meeting as part of its effort to involve Nassau residents from all parts of the county.  A presentation will be made on Sierra activities and

ways those on the Westside can get involved.

Continuing Nassau Sierra’s program of bringing county and city commissioners together with the public, County Commissioner Barry Holloway will join the meeting for an open discussion with the public on environmental issues.

For further information, please call Robert Weintraub 491-6817

 

 

The Nassau Sierra Club is having a fund raiser called

“Golf: Sierra Club Style”

This is a high-flying ball drop to save the environment! We’re going to drop numbered golf balls from a helicopter onto the soccer fields at Bailey Road, where a “hole” will be painted on the field. Three balls closest to the hole win cash prizes. If we have $5,000 in donations, the first place would be worth $150.00, second $100 and third $50.

Tickets with numbers corresponding to the golf ball numbers are available at the following locations:

Amelia Home Health Care, A1A across from Lowe’s

Amelia Island Golf on 14th and Courson

Amelia Liquors at Harris Teeter

Fran’s Nutrition Shoppe-1881 S. 14th Street

The Beach Shop at Hall’s Corner, Sadler & Fletcher

Island Tobacco on Centre near 4th

Kafe Haus on Sadler near 14th

SanJon Galleries at Ash & 3rd.

We will be selling tickets on Wednesdays and Saturdays at the Fernandina Beach Golf Club. The event will be on  Feb. 16.   Winning balls will be announced at ticket sale locations and in the newspapers.

$20 Donation = one numbered Golf Ball

$50 Donation = three numbered Golf Balls

$85 Donation = five numbered Golf Balls

1st Prize = 3% of Total Donations For Event

2nd Prize = 2% of Total Donations For Event

3rd Prize = 1% of Total Donations For Event

Every Ball Is A Win For The Environment

Volunteers to help with the event are welcome. For more information please call Robert 491-6817

 

 

 

SIERRA CLUB TELEVISION SERIES TO AIR ON SUNDANCE CHANNEL

Robert Greenwald Executive Produced Series to Focus on Ordinary People

Fighting Extraordinary Battles

The Sierra Club announced that their half-hour television series with award-winning filmmaker Robert Greenwald (“Outfoxed,” “Wal-mart: The High Cost of Low Price”) will be broadcast on the Sundance Channel. The series will air as part of the GREEN, the network’s weekly primetime destination focusing environmental topics. A new episode will air every Tuesday at 9:00 pm February 5th—March 18th.

“All over America, there are inspirational, real life stories of women band men defending their homes, health and families from environmental hazards and threats,” explained Carl Pope, Executive Director of the Sierra Club. “Sierra Club Chronicles’ takes viewers directly into those communities and provides a first hand look at these profiles in environmental courage.

To watch short clips or whole episodes online, or to order the complete first season on DVD, visit http://www.sieraclub.org/tv/ More information can also be found at www.sundancechannel.com

Good for Whole Foods!!

 

 

We’re going all out for reusable!

htpp://www.wholefo0odsmarket.com/byobag/injdex.html

“Paper or plastic?” is soon to be a question of the past at Whole Foods Stores. When you shop, bring any bags you have on hand. Any will do old, new, paper, plastic, fabric, even backpacks or woven baskets! Whole Foods are telling their customers, “You’ll feel good about helping our environment and we’ll even give you a refund of at least 5 cents per bag.; They are offering a wide selection of reusable bags for sale. They are called “Better Bag” and cost only .99 cents and are made from recycled plastic bottles.

It can take more than a thousand years for a disposable plastic bag to break down in a landfill. Most reusable bags can be used thousands of times and there are so many reusable bag options. Thousands of Whole Foods customers and Team Members support their Core Value to “care about our communities and the environment.”

They are trying to settle the “paper vs. plastic” debate by saying “reuse!” instead. But when you don’t reuse, our 100% recycled and recyclable paper bags are the way to go.

Whole Foods’ goal is to eliminate disposable plastic grocery bags by Earth Day, 2008

 

 

County Tree Ordinance Meetings

By Robert Weintraub

Nassau County is actively working on a tree protection and land clearing ordinance for application throughout the unincorporated county. The Board of County Commissioners has temporarily postponed consideration of amendments to the current tree protection ordinance that is only applicable to Amelia Island. A drafting team has created incentive-based provisions that address new commercial, industrial and multi-family developments. This portion of the draft ordinance appears to have been adequately thought through and has achieved a general consensus among the development community, environmental activists and the general public. Two major issues remain for further resolution: The maintenance of viable timber industry without the inadvertent creation of a free pass for de elopers; and post-development protection after property has been conveyed to an individual homeowner. In order to create a fair and effective proposal, the County Commission is seeking the input of affected parties and all interested citizens. This is an opportunity to be heard, play a part and observe the local legislative process at work. Meetings have been scheduled at various times and locations and everyone is invited to attend and participate.

Feb 4, 2008 @ 7 p.m. in the Callahan Multi-Purpose Facility, 543350 U.S. Highway 1, Callahan

Feb. 7, 2008 @ 7 p.m. in the Peck Center, 516 South 10th Street, Fernandina Beach

Feb. 21, 2008 @ 7 p.m. in the James S. Page Governmental Complex, 96131 Nassau Place, Yulee

Anyone interested in this subject is invited to be present and be heard at all meetings. If a conflict prevents your attending, you can phone or e-mail your comments to the undersigned at 491-3613 or wfufidio@nassaucountyfl.com

Walter Fufidio, Planning Director

Nassau County, Florida

96161 Nassau Place / Yulee, Fl. 32097

(904) 321-5919

 

 

East Nassau Traffic

By Robert Weintraub

A1A’s future, parallel roads, intensifying traffic in eastern Nassau County and what is being done about it will be on the agenda for the Nassau Sierra Club’s February 6th general meeting to be held from 7 to 9 p.m. at the County Building on Pages Dairy Road in Yulee.

The Florida Department of Transportation’s presentation on plans to six-lane A1A from I-95 to SR 107 (Nassauville Road) made to the County Commission in November will be shown. That widening will cost $150 million at today’s costs, but the State does not know where the bulk of that money will come from and hence has not scheduled the work.

There will be a report on discussions held since November with FDOT and county officials on the development of alternate corridors—which could provide more capacity than six-laning A1A for a third of the cost. The status of the proposal to remove many –or all-of the log trucks from A1A by using the rail line to Fernandina Beach mills, will also be discussed.

The meeting is open to the public

Nassau Sierra Club Group

P. O. Box 38

Fernandina Beach, Florida

32035