The Hume Blog is Moving!!!

Ladies and gentlemen, loyal readers, please take note: the Hume Blog has moved over to its permanent home on the brand-new peterhume.ca website!

Now all of the Hume communications will be easily accessible from one central location on the new Hume site. Social media like Twitter, Pinterest, and Facebook will continue as always.

We look forward to seeing your comments and views on the new Hume Blog!

Free Ice Cream at Weston Park! A Hume Parks Project.

Saturday July 23, 12 noon, Weston Park!
Free icecream to the first 100 visitors!

 WESTON PARK FANS: YOU’RE INVITED!

Alta Vista residents who use Weston Park: we invite you to join us this Saturday June 23, 2012 at Weston Park, at noon sharp, for a free frozen treat!

Over the course of the last three years, Alta Vista ward has accrued a reserve of money provided by building developers; this money is called ‘cash-in-lieu-of-parkland’ money, and it is earmarked for the improvement and development of local parks. As promised during the election, Councillor Hume is working hard to have these funds put towards as many parks as possible.

Over the course of this term of council, the Hume office will be coordinating rejuvenation and renovation projects in as many parks within the ward as possible; these projects are above and beyond the scope of the City’s regularly-scheduled maintenance and replacement plans. Councillor Hume is seeking input on the parks as each project is begun. Work is already underway on plans Grasshopper Park, Canterbury Park, and Balena. Our next stop is Weston Park!

We hope that you’ll join us on Saturday at noon to share your ideas and have a treat. The Merry Dairy, a new local food truck, will be on site providing their incredible frozen custard to the first 100 residents who share their park input.

We will be spreading the word about the Hume Parks Projects over the course of the summer; stay tuned for more blog posts, on-site promotion, and other initiatives to gather public feedback. If you’d like to share your ideas on Weston Park but cannot make it down on Saturday, click thislink to head straight to a feedback form where you can share your ideas with us right now.

MORE ABOUT THE MERRY DAIRY:

The Merry Dairy, in its first year of operation, is owned by West Wellington resident Marlene Haley, who was inspired to introduce frozen custard to Ottawa while living in the United States. Frozen custard is a type of ice cream, that has a high cream content and egg yolk, and as a result has a smooth, rich taste.  Frozen custard was invented in the 1920s in Coney Island, however, today many acknowledge the frozen custard capital to be Milwaukee, Wisconsin. 

The Merry Dairy Frozen Custard Truck makes its frozen custard fresh every day with the following ingredients: cream, sugar, pasteurized egg yolk, and vanilla.  The truck is a nut free truck.  It is also powered by Google Latitude so that customers can track where in Ottawa the truck happens to be that day via themerrydairy.com, or through Facebook and Twitter.

Map of Weston Park

COMMUNITY BULLETIN: Sexual Assault in Community

You may have heard that there have been two reports of sexual assault occuring in the last 24 hours in the Alta Vista area. You may have seen a news story like this one.

The Hume Team has spoken with Constable Gary McCoy, our Community Police Officer. He asked us to share his contact information with our residents.

If you have specific information relating to these assaults, please call the downtown police department at 613-236-1222. But if you are a resident of the area and would like to speak with Constable McCoy regarding general safety concerns, or with questions relating to keeping safe, you may contact him directly. He is happy to chat with anyone who may be feeling worried or nervous.

Constable Gary McCoy
Community Police Officer
613-816-0631
mccoyg@ottawapolice.ca

News Bites: Community Papers

Here's a look at the Hume News pages that are running in the Riverview Park Review and the Vistas this month. Want a closer look? Grab a hard copy in your neighbourhood! Copies are available at your local Recreation Centre in Ward 18.

The Vistas, April 2012 edition

The Riverview Park Review, April 2012 edition

Emerald Ash Borer: Public Info Sessions

Residents,

source: Cdn Food Inspection Agency

Here is the official announcement of the public meetings to be held about the Emerald Ash Borer. We hope you'll find these sessions helpful and informative.

City of Ottawa Public Service Announcement:

For immediate release:
April 4 2012

Residents invited to attend emerald ash borer information sessions

Ottawa – The City of Ottawa and River Ward Councillor Maria McRae, Chair of the City’s Environment Committee, are hosting two public information sessions on the emerald ash borer in April.

Since 2008, this invasive insect has been spreading across Ottawa, killing ash trees. The presence of emerald ash borer (EAB) poses a serious threat to 25 per cent of the City’s forest cover located on both public and private properties. 

By attending these sessions, residents can learn more about what the City is doing to prevent the spread of EAB and what they can do to help mitigate the impact this insect is having on our ash trees. 

The information sessions are scheduled for:

Date:                April 12, 2012

Time:               4 p.m. to 8 p.m.

Location:          Ben Franklin Place, 101 Centrepointe Drive, Andrew S. Haydon Hall

Date:                April 23, 2012

Time:               4 p.m. to 8 p.m.

Location:          Jim Durrell Complex, 1264 Walkley Road, Ellwood Hall

For more information, please visit ottawa.ca/eab or call 3-1-1.

- 30 -

For more information:
Media contact
613-580-2450

Public inquiries
3-1-1

News bites: updates and announcements

Here are a few announcements and news tidbits that are happening around the city 

and in our ward.

WARD 18 INFO: THE TELEPHONE GAME

We recently received stats from city staff detailing what calls were made to 3-1-1 by our constituents, and what issues were addressed in the phone calls. From our ward, there were 12,745 calls made, and the main areas of inquiry were as follows:

.

Tree maintenance questions resulted in a total of 1491 calls. This is to be expected, given our ward's struggle with the Emerald Ash Borer beetle. Garbage and organics was the next highest call volume, with 1269 calls made.
Parking, whether in regards to overtime or designated parking situations, accounted for 968 calls. Road maintenance calls made up another 760 calls.

All other call categories each accounted for less than 550 calls.

With the advent of the new ServiceOttawa website, plus new social media channels (like this very blog), we may see a decrease in the number of 3-1-1 calls that come through to the city over time; however, we can also see what a valuable service the 3-1-1 number is for our city.

SMOKE-FREE UPDATE

The city released a press release today, updating the public on the next steps in the expanded smoking bylaws. According to the press release,


"During March and April, By-law and Regulatory Services and Ottawa Public Health staff are reaching out to all affected groups by:

In a nutshell, the bylaw is being expanded from
the original to include a
ban on smoking in parks, on beaches, and
on patios where food or beverages are served.

• Sending letters and e-mails to all affected restaurants and bars, business groups, community associations, event organizers and users of City facilities;
• Notifying the public through ottawa.ca, social media, and print and radio advertising;
• Visiting all restaurant and bars with patios or terraces to discuss the changes, and providing information and signage to ensure that employees and patrons are aware of the new regulations;
• Offering information and training sessions for restaurant staff and other interested groups; and
• Engaging City employees through an internal communications strategy that includes information and training sessions."

It's important to note that, from now until July 2nd, 2012, City of Ottawa bylaw staff will be focused on educating the public and businesses of the new regulations, not enforcing with fines. Enforcement with fines may begin as of July 2nd, not sooner. Thus, we encourage the public and business owners to interact with their local bylaw officers when they stop by; their job will be to assist you with understanding your required actions and the areas of your neighbourhood or business that will be affected.

CLEANING UP THE CITY

The City has announced the launch of the annual Spring Cleaning the Capital Campaign. This is a great opportunity for neighbours to work together on community cleanup projects in any area of their neighbourhood that could use a spruce-up. It's also a great way for high school students to earn their community volunteer hours.

The city is providing cleanup starter kits to all registered cleanup teams, and teams that register before April 14 are eligible for early bird prizes. Registration closes May 15, and teams that submit their online cleanup reports by May 31 are eligible for further prizes.

If there's an area of Alta Vista ward that needs some neighbourly TLC, you're encouraged to speak with your fellow residents and get a team going. Together, we can make our ward the cleanest one in the city!

Emerald Ash Borer in Ottawa: Invasive Species Spotlight

Spring seems to really be here now, and with the return of green leaves, we’re reminded of the ongoing threat to our ash trees: the Emerald Ash Borer.

MEET THE BORER

The Emerald Ash Borer.
source: ottawa.ca

From the Ottawa.ca website: “Emerald Ash Borer is a non-native, highly destructive wood-boring beetle that feeds under the bark of ash trees. It was confirmed in Ottawa in 2008 and its impacts can be clearly seen spreading from the St. Laurent area. Since the insect spends most of its lifecycle under the bark of trees, it can be easily moved with firewood or other tree materials such as nursery stock, logs, brush and larger wood chips. This insect is able to fly, but since its spread has been primarily along major highways and transport routes, it is clear that humans are the main vector of dispersal.”

BEETLE BUSTING: A DIFFICULT BATTLE

Telltale signs of the beetle.
source: ottawa.ca

What does this mean for Ottawa residents? Over the last two years, it has meant that we’ve had to remove many dead or dying ash trees. The Borer’s effect on trees is first noticeable at the crown (top) of the tree, which means that often, it may seem as if the City of Ottawa Forestry Services is removing a viable tree; unfortunately, many of these trees only look healthy from ground level when in fact, they are destroyed internally by the beetle. Some residents have been reluctant to remove their ash trees, thinking that the tree looks relatively healthy; but because the beetle works on the insides of the tree, the result is a solid-looking tree that is actually a serious safety hazard and may fall to the ground, crushing cars, wires, rooftops, or even people.

Forestry has been experimenting with a naturally-derived pesticide that shows promise in preventing the spread of the beetle’s larva. However, treatment with the pesticide can cost between $300-$500 per tree, and must be done every 12-24 months. Removal and quarantine of the dead wood are the only other option at present...another costly process, with a full removal costing upwards of $2,000 per tree. This cost is covered by the City when the tree is on City of Ottawa property, but residents with ash trees on their own property are responsible for the cost of treatment or removal.

Ash leaves always grow in
opposite directions like this.
source: ottawa.ca

This beetle has already had a hefty impact on the number of trees in our city and most definitely within the Alta Vista ward. Forestry is interplanting, which means they are attempting to replace dead trees with new trees of different species as they go along; unfortunately, there’s an introduced plant species called Buckthorn that is complicating the process. Buckthorn strangles out other plants, and if we do not effectively remove it before planting in some areas, it will kill the saplings that are planted.

WHAT CAN RESIDENTS DO?

Residents can take some important steps toward helping with the Emerald Ash Borer problem:

1. Learn more about the Borer beetle on the city website here.

Mature ash bark.
source: ottawa.ca

2. Report any suspected outbreaks by contacting the CFIA at 1-866-463-6017 or emailing 311@ottawa.ca

3. Don’t wait too long to seek treatment for your own ash trees! Contact the City by dialing 3-1-1 to learn what your options are. Consider working with neighbours to take care of a shared tree.

4. Attend a public Open House meeting about the EAB. Two meetings are coming up: April 12 – Ben Franklin Place, and April 23 – Jim Durrell Recreation Centre. More information about the time and room will be posted here on the blog, on Twitter, on Facebook, and at Ottawa.ca.

Young ash bark.
source: ottawa.ca

5. Be sure to have your ash trees disposed of properly: the beetle won’t die just because the tree has been removed from the ground.

A NECESSARY STEP

Some parts of our ward, and the city overall, are saturated with ash trees. You may live in a neighbourhood that has already experienced some heavy tree removal, and it is indeed upsetting to see mature trees dying in this way. However, our best hope for controlling this tree-killing beetle is to remain vigilant, take action with infected trees, and keep educated. It is only through coordinated effort that we may manage to stop the spread of this insidious little insect.

UPDATE: INFO SESSION DETAILS

The following information has been gathered regarding the EAB info sessions:

EMERALD ASH BORER

PUBLIC INFO SESSIONS

APRIL 12 4-8pm

BEN FRANKLIN PLACE

and

APRIL 23 4-8pm

JIM DURRELL CENTRE

(ELLWOOD HALL)

Social Media Ahoy!

Ladies and gents, the Hume office is online with plenty of great social media. Here are some great ways to stay in touch with what's happening within the office, the ward, and even on committees:

TWITTER: Regular news, updates, tidbits, and info will be posted on Twitter, along with retweets from other tweeters. You can check out the twitter feed anytime without even registering for Twitter, yourself.

FACEBOOK: We have a Facebook page up for you to join. This is a great way to keep up to date with regular news and notices about new blog posts, announcements, and more.

BLOG: If you're reading this, you've already found the blog. But of course, you can subscribe to receive updates by email (see the box on the right)...you may also consider adding us to your blogroll or Google Reader.

WEBSITE: Watch for additions, changes, and renovations to our website over the spring and summer!

As times change, we're always looking for new ways to connect with citizens. Our social media channels are managed by our comms coordinator Jordan, with input, additions, quotes, and posts by Peter himself. By cooperating on our social media efforts, we'll be able to provide things like live tweeting from certain meetings, and consistent updates to our sites on a regular basis, even when Peter himself is hard at work in other areas.

This will be a great opportunity for increased interaction and conversation with the people of Ottawa.

Safe Streets Campaign Shifts Into Gear Again!

During the election campaign, many residents raised concerns with me about traffic and the safety of our neighbourhood streets. I launched the Alta Vista Safe Streets Campaign in June 2011 to provide an immediate and direct response to traffic concerns brought to my attention. We purchased an electronic radar sign, placed it at 18 different street locations so far, and currently it is placed on Alta Vista at the intersection of Summit Ave, on the east side. The neighbours have reported a reduction in the number of speeders, and overall the results were very positive.Other city councillors have now started to adopt the same signs and are beginning to launch this project in their own neighbourhoods.

We have now purchased a second radar sign, and will be setting it up soon. I’m seeking your feedback on where you’d like to see it placed. Let me know of any streets where drivers could use a reminder. Email me today and share your thoughts! peter.hume@ottawa.ca

We have also added a new feature to both our signs: they will now capture and record all automobile speeds, providing us with a report. We will then be able to establish how many drivers are over the speed limit. This information will be helpful in establishing where our Safe Streets campaign is most needed.


-Peter