Stormwater management a local issue that requires local effort

American Rivers organization offers basic information on managing stormwater

Squirrels happiest creature in a bountiful October even sitting on the stump of an old friend

Please click on image to ENLARGE photo of Police and Firefighter banner endorsing Lioneld Jordan for mayor of Fayetteville, Arkansas, on October 25, 2008.

Good idea only if using waste material from agriculture and timber production and without decreasing wildlife habitat. Clearing land pollutes air

Summit promotes growing high-energy plants
BY DUSTIN TRACY
Posted on Saturday, October 11, 2008
URL: http://www.nwanews.com/nwat/News/69979/
Northwest Arkansas Times Fayetteville’s first ever Sustainability Summit brought more than 300 people to the city’s center to talk about ways organizations can become more environmentally friendly. One way discussed was a switch from conventional diesel fuel to the use of bioenergybased fuel. Jim Wimberly with BioEnergy System LLC in Fayetteville talked about the energy-efficient idea at a small breakout session during the summit. “ Agriculture and energy are so intertwined, ” Wimberly said.
He said the idea is to start promoting the growth of high-energy yielding plants that can be processed and manufactured into a full spectrum of energy projects, including fuel for automobiles.
“ In essence, plants are batteries, ” he said. “ They store energy through photosynthesis. ”
Arkansas provides a large amount of natural resources to make bioenergy manufacturing a reality, Wimberly said, and if the state takes an active interest in the concept, it could cut in half its yearly 1 billion gallons of petroleum used each year.
“ It would take just under a million acres of herbaceous energy crops (crops high in energy ) to displace half of that diesel used, ” he said.
Wimberly said a lot of research is being done on soybeans to create biodiesel, and that it’s a good fuel. However, he said fuel users need to broaden their horizons.
“ We need to quit being worried about planting a future around traditional approaches to biofuel, ” he said.
The state has the forest and farmland to support biofuel operations, which makes it already an attractive location to bioenergy companies, Wimberly said, but Arkansas and its cities need to work towards sealing the deal with the green fuel producers.
“ We are in competition with neighboring states, ” Wimberly said.
Financial incentives as well as getting state landowners and far mers on board with the idea could be the key, Wimberly said.
“ It’s not going to happen unless (farmers ) can make at least as much money as they do growing traditional crops, ” he said.
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Only 8 polling places open today for school-board election

Polling Places

Zn # 1 Precincts 6, 19, 22, 28, 30, 39
Prairie Twp 1-A
Northeast Baptist Church
2578 Oakland Zion Road

Zn #2 Precincts 7, 8, 11, 12, 21, 29, 42,
Elkins, Prairie Twp 1-B,
Prairie Twp 2, Richland,
Richland-S, Wyman
First United Presbyterian Church
695 Calvin

Zn #2 Goshen City, Goshen Twp,
Brush Creek Twp
Goshen Community Center

Zn # 3 Precincts 2, 20, 27
Covenant Church
4511 W. Wedington

Zn # 3 Precincts 1,9,10,15,26,35, Center Twp
Farmington, Prairie Twp 3
Wiggins Methodist Church
205 W. 6th Street/MLK Blvd

Zn # 4 Precincts 13, 14, 23, 31, 37, 38, 40,41
Johnson City, Johnson Twp,
Prairie Twp 4 Wheeler
Trinity Methodist Church
1021 W. Sycamore

Zn # 4 Precincts 17, 18, 32
Sequoyah Methodist Church
1910 Old Wire Road

Zn # 5 Precincts 3, 4, 5, 24, 25, 33, 34, 36
Central Methodist Church
6 W. Dickson Street

Or call the County Clerk's office
444-1711