April is Fair Housing Month.

Fair Housing Month promotes the federal Fair Housing Act and its laws against housing discrimination. 2011 marks the 43rd anniversary of the signing of the Fair Housing Act by President Lyndon B. Johnson in 1968. This year’s theme, designated by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, is “Live Free.” . . .

In addition, “The Other Side,” a drama examining housing and race discrimination before the civil-rights era, will be shown during April on WSTV 13, the government channel on Time Warner Cable (channel 13) in Forsyth County. A fair housing public service announcement will also air on select cable channels.

The department will provide fair housing training at 10 a.m. Wednesday, April 13, in Room 239 of City Hall, 101 N. Main Street. Additional training sessions will be held during the month at area colleges and universities for students who live off-campus.

For more information about Fair Housing Month and the Human Relations Department, call City Link at 727-8000. http://cityofws.org/Home/Departments/MarketingAndCommunications/NewsArchive/News2011/Articles/AprilIsFairHousingMonth

2011 Piedmont Earth Day Fair: It’s a Planet Party! The sixth annual Piedmont Earth Day Fair
Dixie Classic Fairgrounds in Winston-Salem
Saturday, April 16, 2011
10 am to 5 pm.

Admission is free. Parking is free.
Please enter the coliseum parking lots off University Parkway. Carpooling is encouraged and a free bike valet will be available. The Fair will be held rain or shine. In the event of severe weather, the Fair will be held inside the Education Building, adjacent to the Fairgrounds. http://www.peanc.org/earth-day-fair

Local Action Plan to Reduce Emissions of Greenhouse Gases: Sustainability steps of the Sanitation Division
Existing Reduction Measures in Winston-Salem Government Operations

* Curbside recycling program provides collection service to single family homes, multifamily dwellings, and small businesses. Program collects the following materials:
o Aluminum Beverage Cans; Steel Food, Beverage, and Aerosol Cans; Glass Jars/Bottles (clear, green, brown); Plastic Bottles (with small necks only); Newspaper; Magazines; Telephone Directories; Junk Mail & Office Paper; Chipboard (cereal boxes, paper towel rolls, etc.) and Corrugated Cardboard.
* Provide cardboard-only drop-off sites at nine city fire stations.
* Education/promotion activities (brochures, container decals, promotional items, presentations, newspaper, radio, television ads; website, special events, etc.)
* Promote reducing unwanted junk mail.
* Provide in-house recycling program for paper, metal, plastic, and glass.
* Provide recycling of inkjet/laser toner cartridges and cell phones.
*

Promote Dell/Goodwill Reconnect computer recycling program. http://www.cityofws.org/Home/Departments/Sanitation/Articles/Sustainability

Spring Home & Garden Library Series The Forsyth County Cooperative Extension and Public Libraries are sponsoring a Spring Home and Garden Library Series to be held March 1st – May 27th at your local libraries. http://www.co.forsyth.nc.us/Library/sitemap.aspx

Rabies Vaccination Clinic this Saturday! April 9, 2011
Time: 11:00 am – 3:00 pm
Location: Dixie Classic Fairgrounds
Cost: $5.00 for each pet. http://www.co.forsyth.nc.us/default.aspx?StoryID=16783

Bulky Item Collection. Bulky items such as carpet, appliances, furniture, mattresses, etc., will be picked up by the city crews only during your annual neighborhood area cleanup, scheduled between March 1 and August 30. [~ June 2011 ] If you have questions about bulky item collection, call 727-2638. http://cityofws.org/Home/Departments/Sanitation/Articles/BulkyItems

US Census releases 2010 City and County population counts
The U.S. Census Bureau has released more detailed 2010 Census population totals and demographic characteristics for the state of North Carolina.
Between 2000 and 2010, the City of Winston-Salem grew by 23.6% to a population of 229,617. Forsyth County grew by 14.6% to a population of 350,670. Winston-Salem is now the 4th most populous city in the state, behind Charlotte (731,424), Raleigh (403,892) and Greensboro (269,666), and ahead of the City of Durham (228,330). Forsyth County is the 4th most populous county, behind Mecklenburg (919,628), Wake (900,993), and Guilford (488,406) and ahead of Cumberland County (319,431). http://www.co.forsyth.nc.us/default.aspx?StoryID=16730

March 2011

Average N. C. frost date April 15th

Forsyth County extension http://www.co.forsyth.nc.us/CES

Spring Home & Garden Library Series

The Forsyth County Cooperative Extension and Public Libraries are sponsoring a Spring Home and Garden Library Series to be held March 1st – May 27th at your local libraries.

Community Gardening Networking Event

The public is invited to attend a Community Garden Networking Event on Thursday, March 24th from 7:00 – 9:00 pm hosted by Forsyth County Cooperative Extension.

Forsyth County 4-H Plant Sale

Would you like to grow your own delicious berries such as blueberries, blackberries, strawberries, and raspberries? How about asparagus and herbs? You can purchase yours & support the youth of Forsyth Co. at the same time

REYNOLDA GARDENS

Orchid Auction – begins 9am March 26th

Tomatoes – 5:30 -6:30 pm April 12th

Big Spring Sale – 8am – 2pm April 16th

Source: http://www.reynoldagardens.org/pdf/rgcalendar.spring.2011.pdf

WATCH for landscaping students’ plant sale

Forsyth Technical College

frost date April 15th and Wednesday [20], Thursday [21], & Friday [22]

Want to Volunteer? Consider

Food Bank community Garden in Winston-Salem, NC

See: http://foodbankgarden.blogspot.com

Watch out for Christmas trees along the roads.

Greetings during the long, cold winter. We may all be busy planning our spring and summer garden, ordering seeds, and doing the winter things gardening requires. We may plant potatoes and onions around Valentine’s Day. Also, February is the time to plant seed in our cold frame for bedding plants. Lots to keep us busy!

Additional references

Expand your resources options at home online http://www.co.forsyth.nc.us/Library/Documents/online_resources_groups_list.pdf

[library card & password needed] http://www.co.forsyth.nc.us/Library/online_resources.aspx

Division of Bicycle and Pedestrian Transportation deadline for Bike/Ped Survey = February 8th http://www.ncdot.org/bikeped

Are You Recycling Enough? — Winston Salem Newsletter http://cityofws.org/Home/Departments/Sanitation/Newsletters/CartAndBinWinter2011

For Links to Local, State & nation Parks http://www.co.forsyth.nc.us/Parks/links.aspx

Tanglewood Bluebird Trail Goes Digital Posted on 1/14/2011 by Charles “Bill” Abbey http://www.co.forsyth.nc.us/Parks/?StoryID=16661

Forsyth County End of the Year Air Quality Newsletter http://www.co.forsyth.nc.us/EnvAffairs/Documents/AQ_Holiday_2010.pdf

Happy 2011

Worried about fuel prices? Consider:
* driving more carefully to avoid hard breaking when stopping
* avoiding over packaged materials – petroleum-based plastics
* recycle, recycle, recycle

Interesting websites for winter plans and programs

New Community Garden Resource Program. Posted on 1/3/2011 by Mary Jac Brennan. http://www.co.forsyth.nc.us/CES/?StoryID=16633
Community Gardening. http://www.co.forsyth.nc.us/CES/community_gardening.aspx

NC State Extension Gardener, Winter 2011. http://www.cals.ncsu.edu/extgardener/EGWinter11Piedmont.pdf

What Are Good Flowers to Plant in the Winter? By Brian Hill, eHow Contributor Read more: What Are Good Flowers to Plant in the Winter? | eHow.com http://www.ehow.com/about_5387398_good-flowers-plant-winter.html#ixzz1ABiGeFqK

Top 10 Winter Plants, by Sara Elliott. http://home.howstuffworks.com/lawn-garden/professional-landscaping/basics/10-winter-plants.htm

Get Started Downloading Audiobooks & eBooks. Posted on 12/20/2010 by Raegen Luntz. http://www.co.forsyth.nc.us/Library/CalendarSelector.aspx?StoryID=16617

Oh, Ardmore, it’s of you I’m thinking
& of our celebrated centennial community
Our New Years’ bells will soon be ringing
In diverse traditional faith groups all in unity
Comes 2011 for environmental sharing and caring
Join ANA to be active our neighborhood community

I know it’s late/I hesitate yet/I found time for me/To create/For you a gift

Many blessings throughout the year

I hope you enjoy my photos and your 2011 calendar . . . Ardmore Neighbors Share-2011

North Carolina’s Energy Star sales tax holiday runs Nov. 5-7

Attention, North Carolina shoppers! You won’t have to pay state sales tax on certain Energy Star-rated appliances during this weekend’s Energy Star sales tax holiday

Forsyth County Cooperative Extension Service News
http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/depts/ent/notes/O&T/trees/note148/note148.html

Winston-Salem City News
Leaf Collection Information http://www.cityofws.org/Home/Departments/Sanitation/Articles/LeafCollectionVideo
City Link is open 24-hours-a-day, 7 days a week. http://www.cityofws.org/Home/CitizenServiceDesk/CCC/Articles/CityLink

. . . With appreciation and honor to our ever-present City Council member,
Dan Besse – gro.essebnadnull@essebnad who keeps us advised.

In 2008 Law 2008-107 was enacted authorizing a sales tax holiday for certain Energy Star qualified products. Each year qualifying products will be exempt from sales and use tax when purchased between 12:01 A.M. on the
first Friday in November and 11:59 P.M. the following Sunday.
During these three shopping days, North Carolinians can purchase any product that bears the “Energy Star” label
and not have to pay any state or local sales taxes.
The following Energy Star labeled products are tax exempt during this holiday: clothes washers, freezers, refrigerators,
central air conditioners, room air conditioners, air-source heat pumps, geothermal heat pumps, ceiling fans, dehumidifiers,
and programmable thermostats.
There is no upper limit on the amount of Star Energy purchases and counties and local jurisdictions taxes are also waived
during this sales tax holiday.
Dates For Star Energy Label Sales Tax Holidays in NC

* November 5-7, 2010
* November 4-6, 2011
* November 2-4, 2012

For more information on the Star Energy sales tax holiday, visit The Department of Revenue for North Carolina.