Chatham University · Chatham University Landscape Architecture ... Studies from 1996-2005. ... State Cooperative Extension and Asbury Woods Nature Center will host a two day

Chatham University

Landscape Architecture Landscape Studies

Division of Art and Design

Newsletter Update Mid June-July 2007

Inside Information

1. Important Chatham University News 2. Conferences/ Meetings/Events 3. For Future Consideration 4. Tours – Study Abroad Opportunities 5. American Society of Landscape Architects News 6. In Search of... 7. Calls for Entries 8. Internship Opportunities

Burt Hill Penn Future

9. Design Work Opportunities 10. Volunteers Needed 11. News of Interest 12. Green Building Alliance News 13. News from Sustainable Pittsburgh

Important Chatham University News

New Dean of Chatham University’s Graduate College Announced

I am pleased to announce that Dr. Norma Burgess has agreed to become the Dean of Chatham University’s College for Graduate Studies. Dr. Burgess joins us from Syracuse University, where she has been a tenured Professor in the Department of Child and Family Studies since 1999. She was Chair of the Department of Child and Family Studies from 1996-2005. She also has served as Academic Co-Chair of the Bachelor of Professional Studies Program of Syracuse’s University College since 2000, and has been on the faculty of Cornell University’s summer Administrative Management Institute since 2001.

Dr. Burgess received a B.A. (Political Science) from the University of Tennessee and her MPA and Ph.D. (Sociology) from North Caroline State University. She has participated in a number of prominent leadership development programs, including the Summer Institute for Women Leaders at Bryn Mawr College and the American Council on Education’s National Forum for Women Leaders.

Dr. Burgess brings demonstrated expertise in the areas of leadership development, conflict management, and graduate student and new faculty development. Her scholarship includes one book, 8 book chapters, 6 articles in refereed journals, and 4 special reports to national agencies and organizations.

Dr. Burgess will start work at Chatham on August 1st. Please join me in extending a warm welcome to her when she arrives.

Esther B.

Chatham University Landscape Architecture/Studies Newsletter Mid June-July 2007

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Still on view for a limited time…

Rachel Carson – Celebrating her 100th Birthday

Photo: BOB SCHUTZ/AP Rachel Carson, author of Silent Spring, at home in Washington D.C. on March 13, 1963 Display now on view in Chatham’s Jennie King Mellon Library.Examine photographs, newspapers, and other ephemera from Carson’s years at Pennsylvania College for Women (Now Chatham University) This event has been brought to you by the Chatham University Archives.

Conferences/Meetings/Events Free Pittsburgh Walking Tours in June Pittsburgh History & Landmarks Foundation Saturday June 23, 2007 Special "one-time" walking tour of August Wilson's Hill District with tour leader Dr. Larry Glasco. Reservations are required; $5 fee for that tour if you are not a member of PHLF. Contact us at 412-471-5808 ext. 527 or [email protected] for meeting location details, tour times, and to make reservations. Mt. Washington Community Development Corporation House Tour Saturday, June 23, 2007; House Tour: 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. This self guided tour highlights some of the hidden gems of Mt. Washington and includes breathtaking views of the city from homes along Bailey Avenue, Bigbee, William, and Wyoming Street. Stop by Grandview Park for some entertainment, arts and crafts and refreshments. The park is open during the tour and is a great place to stop by and rest your feet. An Evening on Grandview


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Saturday, June 23, 2007 6 p.m. to 11p.m. After the tour, please join us for "An Evening on Grandview" - a celebration of cocktails, delicious samples from local restaurants, dancing and live jazz performances by Margot B and Walter Tolentino. Event is rain or shine. Call 412-481-3220 for Tickets. Sponsored by BMW, United American Savings Bank, Minuteman Press South Hills, Howard Hanna, and Highmark

Walks in the Woods program

Join in for this social outing where walks are led by docents familiar with park history, activities, flora and fauna. Walks are casual, fun and educational - the perfect antidote to the workweek. Some hikes will be on uneven terrain with moderate difficulty. The walks are held each Wednesday, June through August, from 6:30 to 8 p.m. and rotate through each regional park.

Tuesday, June 27, 2007: Schenley Park (meet at the Schenley Park Visitor Center) Contact the Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy for further information at 412-682-7275. Tree and Shrub Identification Wednesday, June 27, 2007 6:00 – 8:00 p.m. Nine Mile Run Watershed Association will teach plant identification of both native and non-native species of trees and shrubs. Meet at the Schenley Park Visitor Center. For more information, call (412) 371-8779; www.ninemilerun.org Restoring Native Ecosystems – One Day Regional Seminars Tuesday, June 26, 2007 Philadelphia, PA Wednesday, June 27, 2007 Columbus, OH The National Arbor Day Foundation in cooperation with Land and Water Magazine are hosting these seminars which will examine the principles behind the concept of restoration as well as the important issues, approaches, and techniques. Case studies will be included to provide real world examples to show how you can apply what you learn in your own projects. Go to arborday.org/RNE or call (888) 448-7337. Penn State Offers Series of Land Use Planning Workshops Wednesday, June 27, 2007 4:30 - 8 p.m. The workshop will look at the impacts of unbalanced growth and development patterns from a local and regional perspective and offer information and techniques that have the potential to mitigate the adverse effects on open space and natural resources, according to program planner Mark Remcheck, extension community forester based in Washington County. The objective is to encourage and facilitate regional cooperation and planning. Topics covered will include Allegheny Land Trust’s “Greenprint”: A regional conservation agenda for the public good; an overview of comprehensive planning, land use regulation and natural resource conservation as authorized by the State; the fiscal impacts of residential development; and “Natural Infrastructure”, a nine county coordinated GIS database of natural assets. Cranberry Township Municipal Center, Cost: $20. Call (724)228-6881 for more information.


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Asbury Woods Nature Center Two-day Seminar Wednesday and Thursday June 27 and 28, 2007 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. Asbury Woods Nature Center, 4105 Asbury Road, Erie, PA 16506. Our landscapes offer a tremendous public benefit of comfort, beauty, and function. However, they are made up of living structures that may fail in storms or decay. Penn State Cooperative Extension and Asbury Woods Nature Center will host a two day seminar showing how we can inspect our landscape trees for conditions of health and likelihood of breaking. We will demonstrate tools one can use ranging from simple observance to the latest of comparative analysis and recording. Dr. William Elmendorf, Assistant Professor of Forestry, will lead this presentation, with Jerry Bond of Davey Resource Group, Steven Miller of Bartlett Tree Expert, and other experts. For more information, to pre-register, call Penn State Cooperative Extension in Crawford County at 814-333-7460, or email Scott Sjolander at [email protected]. ASLA outing to the see the Pirates in action...Pirates vs. Nationals

June 29, 2007 7:05 pm Fireworks after game Price will be between $25 to 30 dollars and would include a tailgate before the game. Please respond to [email protected]

Wetland Training Courses 2007 offers courses Environmental Concern, Inc., St. Michael’s, Maryland, is offering courses at their learning campus on the headwaters of San Domingo Creek on the Eastern Shore of Maryland. July 18 – 20, 2007 Hydric Soils $600 July 23 – 27, 2007 Basic Delineation $900 August 7 – 9, 2007 Wetland Botany $480 For further description and registration, go to www.wetland.org or call (410) 745-9620. Green Homes and Sustainable Communities 2007: The Annual National Symposium on Green Affordable Housing & Community Development

July 19-20, 2007 / San Francisco, CA This industry-leading event sold out last year! Building on last years landmark event, this symposium features: Green Development - Leading developers and design professionals present best practices and lessons learned from the best green projects around the country. Green Financing - Major financial institutions and funders discuss the latest private sector resources available for sustainable affordable development. Green Tax Incentives - Deal makers share innovative techniques for using Renewable Energy, New Markets and Historic Tax Credits. Green Public Policy - Industry experts and public officials discuss how federal, state and local government policies and programs are driving green development.

Gain Knowledge. Get Connected. Go Green. IPED Inc., 401 Ninth St. NW, 8th Floor South, Washington, D.C. 20004


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Grants 101: Professional Grant Proposal Writing Workshop West Virginia State University July 25 - 27, 2007 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. The Grant Institute's Grants 101 course is an intensive and detailed introduction to the process, structure, and skill of professional proposal writing. This course is characterized by its ability to act as a thorough overview, introduction, and refresher at the same time. In this course, participants will learn the entire proposal writing process and complete the course with a solid understanding of not only the ideal proposal structure, but a holistic understanding of the essential factors, which determine whether or not a program gets funded. Through the completion of interactive exercises and activities, participants will complement expert lectures by putting proven techniques into practice. This course is designed for both the beginner looking for a thorough introduction and the intermediate looking for a refresher course that will strengthen their grant acquisition skills. This class, simply put, is designed to get results by creating professional grant proposal writers. Participants will become competent program planning and proposal writing professionals after successful completion of the Grants 101 course. In three active and informative days, students will be exposed to the art of successful grant writing practices, and led on a journey that ends with a masterful grant proposal. Grants 101 consists of three (3) courses that will be completed during the three-day workshop. (1) Fundamentals of Program Planning (2) Professional Grant Writing (3) Grant Research. $597.00 tuition includes all materials and certificates. Each student will receive The Grant Institute Certificate in Professional Grant Writing, Guide to Successful Grant Writing, Writer's Workbook with sample proposals, forms, and outline. Registration: www.thegrantinstitute.com or call (888) 824-4424.

For future consideration…

Invasive Plants: Research, Removal, and Renewal Conference August 15 – 16, 2007 University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA Sponsored by Mid-Atlantic Exotic Pest Plant Council, Inc. and Morris Arboretum of the University of Pennsylvania. $185 for two days; $100 for one day. For further information go to www.morrisarboretum.org.


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Coming in Fall 2008 At the Carnegie – New Suburbanism: Rethinking the Middle Landscape

Rachel Carson Legacy Conference September 29, 2007 Carnegie Mellon University This conference will address the topic of “Sustaining the Web of Life in Modern Society.” E. O. Wilson, Pellegrino University Professor Emeritus, Department of Entomology, Museum of Comparative Zoology at Harvard University will present the keynote address. Sessions include: Global Warming; Perspectives on the Health of Our Oceans; Environmental Leadership; and Changing the Way We Live. Spirit and Nature Conference Chatham College November 30, 2007 A multi-faith gathering to discuss the reverence for nature contained in all world religions. Through panels and workshops, participants can explore how earth stewardship is a matter of faith and how sustainable living, including conservation efforts, green building and using renewable energy, are practices that can be embraced by all. For more information on any of these events, contact the Rachel Carson Institute at Chatham College at 412-365-1361 or email [email protected].

Tours – Study Abroad Opportunities

Green Harmony To Tour Germany Green Harmony Tours has organized a unique summer ecotour to Germany titled “Adventure Ecotour of Germany 2007: Discovering Saxony’s Secret Green Architecture and Gardens”, which occurs August 24 – September 5, 2007. Germany is at the forefront of many green and sustainable living concepts. For instance, the world’s largest thin film solar power plant was opened in Germany this year. This ecotour is unique because it includes all of the variables of green living into one package. This tour takes you on a journey of green designs, including architecture, landscape architecture, town planning, and industrial design; green transportation like bicycling, mass transit, and lively pedestrian town centers; beautiful public parks and gardens, climate cooling roof gardens, creatively fun playgrounds, renewable energy, biodegradable or recyclable products, hemp & organic food stores, delicious, healthy cuisine, and more unique and inspirational places and people. This ecotour is a great way to see the latest in green living concepts and cutting edge designs! To find out more, go to the website: www.greenharmonytours.com


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Summer Creativity Courses in Europe 2007 The Creativity Workshop: Writing, Drawing, Storytelling, and Memoir were founded in 1993 by Master teachers Shelley Berc and Alejandro Fogel. Berc and Fogel developed a series of exercises dedicated to helping individuals from all backgrounds and experiences explore the uniqueness of their creativity. We teach from the point of view that people are by nature creative and that creativity, like DNA, is unique in each individual. To access and develop creativity, participants do exercises in: sense perception, free form writing and drawing, associative thinking, map-making, constructive daydreaming, and sensitivity to our environment. We also work with learning to recognize and trust your imagination's instincts. Our exercises are broad paradigms that each participant can easily tailor to her/his own goals, whether it be a particular specialty or life in general. Most of all, like the imagination itself, the Creativity Workshop is fun. We believe that creativity is best served in a playful, nurturing, and non-competitive environment where freedom and focus go hand in hand. We concentrate on creative process rather than product and on the idea of creativity as a way of viewing and appreciating life. The Workshop is designed to help you: find new sources of inspiration, break through creative blocks, take pleasure in your imagination, discover images from your unconscious, give yourself the permission, time, and encouragement to do creative work, and develop a daily practice to accomplish these goals. Participants are eligible to earn 3 grad or undergrad University credits for taking the Workshop. The only requirements for the Creativity Workshop are curiosity about the creative process and a sense of playfulness. http://www.creativityexploration.com European workshops: start at $1,700 Prague June 26-July 5, 2007 Bruges July 5-14, 2007 Florence July 13-22, 2007 Barcelona July 21-30, 2007 Dublin July 29-August 7, 2007 http://www.creativityexploration.com

American Society of Landscape Architects News

Vice President Al Gore keynote speaker

Largest ever gathering of landscape architects

The American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA) has announced that former Vice President Al Gore will be the closing keynote speaker for its 2007 Annual Meeting on October 8 in San Francisco. He will present An Inconvenient Truth, the visually stunning multimedia presentation that inspires audiences to confront environmental issues. The Society's mission is to lead, educate, and participate in the careful stewardship, wise planning, and artful design of our cultural and natural


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environments. In 1992, ASLA presented then-Senator and soon-to-be Vice President Al Gore with its Olmsted Medal, the highest honor the Society may bestow upon an individual outside the profession of landscape architecture.

“It was only the third time the medal had ever been presented and this early honor turned out to be very prescient given Al Gore’s steadfast leadership, vision, and stewardship of the environment,” said Nancy C. Somerville, executive vice president and CEO of ASLA. “His speaking tour and documentary have educated millions on what we must do to protect our planet for ourselves and for generations to come. Landscape architects are on the forefront of designing our built environment and protecting our natural resources and his presentation will provide a rallying point for the profession.”

The ASLA Annual Meeting is the largest annual gathering of landscape architecture professionals in the world and will be held October 6-9 at the Moscone Convention Center in San Francisco. More than 7,000 attendees are expected to participate in over 80 educational sessions and to tour the 500-booth product EXPO. Information on meeting registration is available on the ASLA web site, www.asla.org.

“Landscape Architect” Amendment Passes

House Comittee passes amendment to include "landscape architects" At the request of ASLA’s Federal Government Affairs staff, Congressman Michael McCaul (R,TX) offered an amendment to include “landscape architects” in H.R. 1716, the Green Energy Education Act. H.R. 1716, would allow the Department of Energy and the National Science Foundation to provide grants to colleges and universities to improve engineering and architecture education related to the design and construction of high performance buildings. The amendment calls for improving the ability of engineers, architects, “landscape architects” and planners to work together on designing high performance buildings. The amendment passed the House Committee on Science and Technology’s by voice vote. Passage of the McCaul amendment is a great victory for ASLA. Passage of this amendment demonstrates that our federal legislators recognize the many contributions that landscape architects are making in the design and construction of energy efficient buildings. This bill may soon move to the full House of Representatives for floor action.

In Search of...

Prayer Garden plans Wayne Pratt, a former member of ASLA, and graduate with a BLA from SUNY/ESF in 1985, took a later career change to the theological seminary where next semester he will be working a thesis-type study of prayer gardens. He is searching for some samples of plans, etc. of gardens which have been planned/constructed as a component of religious facilities. He would like to include some examples in his research report. Anyone with any information please to contact him. He would really appreciate it. [email protected]


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Call for Entries

2007 Great Gardens Contest Sponsored by Botanic Garden of Western Pennsylvania and the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette and the Horticultural Society of Western Pennsylvania are sponsoring the fifth annual Great Gardens Contest. Watch for upcoming articles on the Great Gardens Contest in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, including contest rules and entry forms. Also, contest posters, with entry forms, will be displayed at many of the community or specialty garden centers.

Details on the 2007 Great Gardens Contest:

Two categories, Small and Large Category. Small Category: Gardens of a half-acre or less. Large Category: Gardens of more than half-acre. • Entry deadline is July 30, 2007. • Winners notified by September 4, 2007.

* Entry forms and rules may soon be found on-line at www.botanicgardenswpa.org and [email protected] Entry forms will also be available at many local garden centers and nurseries, as well as periodically in the Post-Gazette Home and Garden section.

Selected semi-finalist gardens will be visited by the judging panel in mid to late August, with winning gardens announced and colorfully featured in a series in the Home and Garden section of the Post-Gazette in September

Ecological Landscaping: From scientific principles to public policies and practices The Ohio State University¹s Urban Landscape Ecology Program announces an interdisciplinary conference and is soliciting abstracts for contributed oral and poster sessions. The conference, to be held October 28-31, 2007 in Cleveland, Ohio, will explore interrelationships between the ecological and sociocultural dimensions of designing, creating and managing sustainable urbanized landscapes. Conference participants will include scientists, policymakers, landscape managers, urban planners and other stakeholders. This is the first call for abstracts and for contributed oral and poster presentations on topics related to landscape design and management or urban ecology. The deadline for abstract submission is August 1, 2007. Loren B. Byrne, Visiting Assistant Professor of Biology College of Wooster and Post-doctoral Scholar, Urban Landscape Ecology Program, Ohio State University More information about the conference theme, contacts and logistics can be found at www.oardc.ohio-state.edu/ulep/abstracts.

Internship Opportunities Burt Hill Kosar and Rittelman A multi-disciplinary firm downtown Pittsburgh, is looking for another intern. ASAP Please contact Lisa Kunst Vavro for more information.


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PennFuture New PF Podcast: Behind the Scenes with Interns Supporting our Work In this podcast, current PennFuture interns interview one another and a couple veterans to get some insights about why they became interested in the organization and our work, and what they did and learned while they were here. It's a fascinating journey into the world of twenty-somethings, and we hope quite a plug for how rewarding it is to contribute to the mission at PennFuture.

If you have an interest in volunteering or interning at PennFuture, we welcome your support. Contact our Director of Outreach Heather Sage at: sage (at) pennfuture (dot) org, or visit our web site to locate a staff person focused on your specific area of interest. You can also take a look at our jobs board where we post opportunities for employment. We welcome your support as a new member of PennFuture! And remember, citizen action really does work, so check out our Action Center and brand new "Legislation to Watch" section of our site to find out more about how you can affect Pennsylvania policies. http://pennfuture.libsyn.com/index.php?post_id=222724

Design Work Opportunities Opportunity to design an ecologically friendly residential landscape this summer.

Is anyone interested in this challenging design project? Please contact Lisa Kunst Vavro.

Quick design ideas needed in July for a residential backyard in Squirrel Hill.

A local couple is planning a modest back yard renovation project for mid-July (700 square feet; replace dead grass and weeds with brick or concrete pavers, low maintenance shrubs and river rocks; ~$5000). They would like to hire a landscape designer to help us make better decisions about layout and materials. They are willing to work with a student if he/she is knowledgeable and reliable. Is anyone interested in this challenging design project? Please contact Lisa Kunst Vavro.

A Chatham College alum has a challenging residential site in Mt. Lebanon with problems of clay soil, run-off, all sun, deer and groundhog problems as well as a neighborhood of many children. She is in search of advice on plant selection and design. Is anyone interested in this challenging design project? Please contact Lisa Kunst Vavro. A four year old non-profit life care facility in southern suburban Pittsburgh consisting of 19 acres would like to make their landscape more aesthetically pleasing “while using native plants to maintain a sustainable environment.” Is anyone interested in this challenging design project? Please contact Lisa Kunst Vavro.


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Volunteers Needed

Rain Barrel Volunteer Installation Day June 23 Nine Mile Run Watershed Association will teach you how to install a rain barrel, then put that knowledge to work installing 60 barrels in one day. Fifteen teams of two people each are needed to get the job done. Call them for details, (412) 371-8779.

The North Side Community Grocer Cooperative and Urban Agriculture Initiative are seeking a volunteer Landscape Architect to assist in planning community development through creative, low cost vacant lot renewal. Based on location project plans will be presented to the local CDC for approval and/or will be implemented directly. Projects will be published and presented to the city, URA and other organizations for funding.

Active projects include: 1.California/Kirkbride (Brighton Place) Community Garden approximately 10,000 sf lot in a dense row house neighborhood. 2. 1527 Brighton road 8200 sf lot 3. New Manchester community garden 6000 sf space Inactive Projects Any vacant space along Brighton corridor can be chosen for your concept space and will be published with an RFP. Those interested should contact Project Facilitator Brad Spencer, 412-567-7782, [email protected] http://northsidecoop.com/

Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy Interested in being a docent? We'd love to have you! If you know a lot about one of the city parks and want to share your experiences with others, please contact us. Or you can come to one of the June walks to get a feel for what it's like to be a docent with the Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy.

Amy Gelzheiser at 412-682-7275 or [email protected] News of Interest

Mildred's Daughters Urban Farm, in Stanton Heights, has a series of workshops on organic growing methods, community events, and plenty of volunteer opportunities through the growing season. Contact [email protected] for more information (they can email a flyer). Mildred's Daughters is part of Grow Pittsburgh, an organization working to model, teach, and facilitate sustainable urban agriculture at farms, gardens, and schools around the city. More info at http://growpittsburgh.org/ Grow Pittsburgh teams with Frick for seedling project An exciting new project of Grow Pittsburgh is a collaboration with the Frick Art and Historical Center, where Susanna Meyer has filled the greenhouse with seedlings which are available for sale to the public from 1-3 p.m. (Tuesday - Saturday). Details from [email protected] .


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Blackberry Meadows Farm in transition Another farm of note is Blackberry Meadows Farm, transitioning this season from Jack and Dale Duff to Jen Montgomery, Greg & Dave Boulos, and Heath Gamache. The expanded CSA is full for this year, but keep an eye out for them at the East Liberty farmers' market on Mondays, and for their produce at the East End Food Co-op. http://www.blackberrymeadows.com/

Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) is a terrific way to support a local food system -- far more sensible and sustainable than shipping produce from California or Chile -- while obtaining the freshest produce for your family. Sign up for the season and receive a crate of whatever's in season! Kretschmann's Farm http://kretschmannfarm.com/ ) is taking names for a waiting list, but there are still spaces in a couple of multi-farm CSA’s: http://www.localharvest.org/farms/M10233;

https://www.pathwayswellnessprogram.com/Farm_to_Table.html

Green Communities Profile: Ripley Gardens, Minneapolis, Minn.

One example of the Minnesota success story is Ripley Gardens, which shows that sustainability and historic preservation can be one and the same. The development, registered on both the National and Local Registers of Historic Places, will transform a historic hospital building in north Minneapolis into 52 rental apartments and eight owner-occupied townhomes for people earning low to moderate incomes. Developed by Central Community Housing Trust, Ripley Gardens will incorporate a wide range of sustainable design elements, including adaptive re-use of existing historic structures; pedestrian-friendly site design and nearby public transportation; energy-efficient lighting and controls; storm water retention; healthy paints, sealants and adhesives; and interior finish materials using recycled content. For more information http://www.greencommunitiesonline.org/documents. The World Trade Center Memorial Foundation

The World Trade Center Memorial Foundation is committed to building a lasting memorial which helps to safeguard the sustainability of New York City’s future. I’m proud to report that our project will be at the forefront of eco-friendly design, construction, and operations, satisfying New York State and World Trade Center Sustainable

Design Guidelines. We are also well on the way to achieving Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Gold certification from the U.S. Green Building Council for the Memorial, Museum, and Museum Pavilion. Innovative methods are being used to ensure the sustainability of the World Trade Center site. State-of-the-art irrigation, storm water harvesting and integrated management systems will conserve energy, water and material resources. The storm water recycling itself will increase the life expectancy of the Memorial’s oak trees -- a symbol of life and longevity on the Plaza -- from the average of seven to ten years for most urban trees to 50 to 70 years. This site is dedicated to preserving memory, but in doing so we are also committed to preserving the environment and enhancing the quality of life for future generations. Thank you for your ongoing support which is making our vision for a “green” memorial a reality. Joe Daniels President & CEO http://www.buildthememorial.org/


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U. S. Navy builds ship using World Trade Center steel

Artists Rendering of the USS New York

USS New York It is the fifth in a new class of warship designed for missions that include special operations against terrorists. It will carry a crew of 360 sailors and 700 combat-ready Marines to be delivered ashore by helicopters and assault craft. "It would be fitting if the first mission this ship would go on is to make sure that bin Laden is taken out, his terrorist organization is taken out," said Glenn Clement, a paint foreman. "He came in through the back door and knocked our towers down and (the New York) is coming right through the front door, and we want them to know that." Steel from the World Trade Center was melted down in a foundry in Amite, La., to cast the ship's bow section. When it was poured into the molds on Sept. 9, 2003, "those big rough steelworkers treated it with total reverence," recalled Navy Capt. Kevin Wensing, who was there. "It was a spiritual moment for everybody there." Junior Chavers, foundry operations manager, said that when the trade center steel first arrived, he touched it with his hand and the "hair on my neck stood up." "It had a big meaning to it for all of us," he said. "They knocked us down. They can't keep us down. We're going to be back." The ship's motto? - 'Never Forget'

Columns magazine on the web! Download the most recent edition of Columns magazine from the AIA Pittsburgh website!

The Billboard Assault versus a ‘greener’ America By Neal Peirce There's lots of talk about the "greening" of America in this time of climate change and soaring energy costs. But don't count the billboard industry in. Indeed, its latest and biggest money makers are the big, brash, brilliant signs – LED (light-emitting-diode) digital billboards -- being sited rapidly on high-volume highways coast to coast. The flashy mega-signs are called energy-efficient but they're powerful enough to be seen a half mile away and consume some 4,800 watts of electric power per square


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yard per hour. Each costs some $450,000. Over 500 are up already; one industry analyst predicts there'll be 75,000 by 2010. Driving on congested, stop-and-go urban freeways, it's increasingly tough to ignore these monsters, each flashing a new commercial every six or eight seconds. "We have the ultimate ability to withstand the whole challenge of consumer avoidance," Paul Meyer, chief executive of Clear Channel Outdoor, one of the media titans now dominating the billboard industry, told the Washington Post. "We're there 24-7. There's no mute button, no on-off-switch, no changing the station." What's more, because each digital board can have multiple sponsors with constantly updated messages, advertisers are proving easy to recruit. The industry is reportedly enjoying close-to-astronomic profit margins. Critics charge the new signs, like the 500,000-plus old-style billboards dotting U.S. highways coast to coast, not only blight the landscape but represent private exploitation of roadways that the public paid for. And increasingly, charges Kevin Fry, president of Scenic America, tasteless outdoor advertising is endangering Americans' public realm. Drive into San Francisco and a forest of signs looms ahead, obscuring one of our most beautiful and renowned skylines. New York's great neighborhoods are being -- in Fry's words -- "draped like a giant burrito in enormous vinyl signs." Poor neighborhoods are plastered with ads for liquor and fattening snacks. In many metropolitan areas, buses and subway cars are being wrapped in advertisements. The big new digital signs are kicking off a heated argument about safety. There's no proof the intense, rapidly flashing messages cause swerving or crashes, says the billboard industry. But Fry cites a National Highway Safety Administration conclusion that it's dangerous to divert a driver's attention more than two seconds. "By design," he says, "the LEDs distract for more than two seconds; otherwise they wouldn't be useful to advertisers." There's no doubt the billboard industry, which sues to invalidate local communities sign ordinances and targets decision-makers from local towns to state legislatures to Congress, represents one of the nation's most potent lobbies. It's effectively emasculated the 41-year old Highway Beautification Act, passed with Lady Bird Johnson's inspiration. And its hunger shows no bounds. Think trees, for example. This January, the Spartenburg, S.C. Men's Garden Club planted dozens of dogwoods, maples and other trees along a five-mile stretch of interstate roadway, some of it blighted by decaying and partly collapsed billboards. But the South Carolina Department of Transportation ordered removal of 45 trees because they were inside the 300-foot highway "view window" the billboard lobby urged the state to mandate. Indeed, some 28 states have laws that can force cutting trees, owned by the public on public land, if they obscure drivers' clear view of billboards. Florida even insists on a 500-to-1,000-foot "view zone." How "ungreen," one wonders, can government policy get? Are all signs then to be condemned? No, says Fry, reasonably sized informational signs are fine. Even big electronic displays are OK where they spell the very character of a place, like Times Square or the Las Vegas strip. The problem is the sign and billboard lobby trying to force inappropriate signs down Americans' throats, from city to country, wherever it sees a buck to be made. Los Angeles, for example, has been trying to get a handle on the 10,000-plus billboards, many illegally placed or sized, that line its roadways. The City Council ordered an inspection and enforcement program, plus a moratorium on new boards. Clear Channel Outdoor Inc, and CBS Outdoor Inc. sued to invalidate the ordinance. According to the Los Angeles Times, the city was winning successive court rounds when the City Attorney, Rocky Delgadillo, suddenly stepped in to settle with the billboard giants. He agreed to legalize scores of illegally operating billboards if the industry would agree to inspection and modest fees. Billboard opponents were enraged, noting Delgadillo had received $424,000 worth of billboard space to support his election, and that the firms had continued to


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contribute thousands more to him and some of the City Council members who eventually approved the settlement. Fighting the billboard lobby looks like a classic David and Goliath struggle -- huge resources against largely unpaid volunteers. But those volunteers say that if we're to hope for a clean, green, uncluttered America, this is one battle we can't avoid. (c) 2007 Washington Post Writers Group

Green Building Alliance News

Cradle to Cradle Recognized in LEED Products earning Cradle to Cradle (C2C) certification are now recognized in the LEED Rating System following an April 2007 ruling by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC). The new administrative credit interpretation allows projects to earn a LEED credit if at least 2.5% of the building's materials, by cost, are C2C-certified. The stated purpose of the ruling, which was posted on USGBC's website, is to stimulate the development of environmentally-focused product evaluation and certification tools for use by building professionals. C2C is a multifaceted program run by McDonough Braungart Design Chemistry (MBDC).

U.S. Environment-Friendly Building Booms A boom in environmentally friendly building is kicking off in the U.S. amid falling prices for "green" construction and strong demand for sustainable places to live and work. The total value of new buildings seeking a LEED rating rose 50% to $15 billion last year, while, in 2007, one billion square feet--or six percent of all new construction--will be aiming for environment al ratings. (That is up from one percent five years ago.)

In New York, for example, which is the country's top location for office space, every one of the 50+ projects currently being developed in Lower Manhattan and valued above $25 million, is being built along environmental guidelines.

Green Building Alliance Events Full event details and registration information are available online at www.gbapgh.org/events.asp

Green Development Tour: July 12 Wightman School Community Building, 5604 Solway St., Pittsburgh, PA 15217 Carriage House Ulysses J.L. Peoples built the Wightman School as a sub-district of the Colfax Schools. The original building was only five rooms and an office. Later, the same architect was contracted to enlarge the building, adding e ight rooms, a library and a third-floor gymnasium. The Romanesque style of the new wing is decorated with ornate cherubic friezes, intricate stained glass windows and a highly elaborate facade on the stage.


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As owner of the building, Carriage House Children's Center, Inc., has developed an environmental renovation plan focused on bringing the building into the energy-efficient 21st century, while preserving its 19th century charm. The Green Scene for Homeowners: Landscapes & Exteriors Sat. August 25 Construction Junction, 10 a.m. - noon

The Green Building Alliance and Community Design Center of Pittsburgh have teamed up to offer this first-ever series geared to the residential market. Homeowners will learn how to apply good design and green building principles to home renovation projects. This second program in the series features the principles of environmental site design and the importance of maintaining a good exterior to your home. Featured speaker will be Christine Mondor of Evolve EA.

The Green Scene for Homeowners: Reducing Your Bill$ Sat., Sept. 16 10 a.m. to noon

The Green Building Alliance and Community Design Center of Pittsburgh have teamed up to offer this first-ever series geared to the residential market. Homeowners will learn how to apply good design and green building principles to home renovation projects. This third program in the series features Conservation Consultants, Inc. with money saving tips to reduce your energy and water bills.

Technical Workshop: LEED for General Contractors & Construction Managers DEP Cambria Office, Ebensburg, PA

September 18, 2007 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. This day workshop created by the US Green Building Council is geared to design, construction, and operations professionals who want to build on their existing knowledge of LEED with in-depth instruction on the integrated design process. Faculty will share insights and lead individual and team exercises on the certification

process including conducting charrettes, estimating costs, and preparing documentation. Attendees should have completed a Technical Review workshop or have equivalent knowledge of the LEED Rating System.

Alliance Building Breakfast: Introducing - LEED for Neighborhood Developments. Pittsburgh Children’s Museum September 26, 2007 8 a.m. to 9:30 a.m., In the fourth of five Alliance Building Breakfasts, GBA's Executive Director Rebecca Flora will introduce the long-awaited, newest LEED rating system: LEED for Neighborhood Developments. Unlike other LEED products, LEED-ND takes a step back from individual buildings and assigns a system to rate master planned neighborhood developments. Ms. Flora will explain the new system based upon her experience on the LEED-ND Steering Committee which developed the new system. Guests are welcome to attend the live event in the Pittsburgh Network region, or participate via videoconference downlink at either Laurel Highlands or Northwestern PA locations.


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Technical Workshop: LEED for Product Manufacturers David L. Lawrence Convention Center Thursday, Oct. 11, 2007 8:30 a.m.- 12:30 p.m.

This 1/2 day workshop created by the US Green Building Council is geared to vendors and product sales representatives interested in understanding how a product may contribute to applicable LEED credits. Faculty will emphasize how manufacturers can share knowledge to help the building industry chart a path

toward sustainability. (This workshop will not specifically address the development of green products.)

Green Development Tour: Shady Side Academy Thursday, Nov. 1 3:30 - 5:00 p.m.

Alliance Building Breakfast: Wed., Dec. 5, 8 – 9:30 a.m. In the final Alliance Building Breakfasts of 2007, join staff, board, committee and members of the Green Building Alliance and US Green Building Council for the annual membership update. This breakfast meeting will share new developments and initiatives happening with nationally with the USGBC and locally in Western Pennsylvania by the Green Building Alliance.

News from Sustainable Pittsburgh:

Allegheny County officials plan 128-mile greenspace along the region's rivers The 128-mile riverfront park would cover the banks of all four rivers -- the Allegheny, Monongahela, Ohio and Youghiogheny. Officials said it will take several years to secure 30-35 miles of riverfront to close all the gaps between recreational areas. The banks of the Ohio River could prove toughest, they said.

The Economic Benefits of Land Conservation Too often we hear that communities can't afford to create parks, preserve farms, conserve open space, and protect watershed landscapes. But at The Trust for Public Land we know conservation is not an expense, but an investment that pays many dividends, including economic ones. Does land conservation protect the bottom line? Leading experts in the field assert that it does. The Economic Benefits of Land Conservation presents quantitative and authoritative research on the economic benefits land conservation can bring to communities

In Vancouver, civic leaders see a livable city Vancouver's strategy of density and transit is a stark contrast to the Atlanta region's road-oriented sprawl. In the 1970s, Vancouver residents waged a 10-year battle to keep freeways from its urban core. They successfully defeated a plan that would have run a


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highway through its Chinatown and run along its downtown waterfront. Now a traffic light at the edge of city limits signals that the interstate from Tijuana to Canada has come to a stop and is now a city street. "We are the only North American city of any significance without an interstate at its core," said Gordon Price, an urban affairs professor at Simon Fraser University, who used to serve on Vancouver's City Council. Instead of the city drying up economically and becoming inaccessible and unlivable, downtown Vancouver has become one of the most thriving urban areas in North America...The Vancouver model only works if communities follow four guiding principles: protect green spaces, develop in compact areas, increase transportation choices and build complete communities. A complete community includes grocery stores, drugstores, liquor stores, schools, jobs and a variety of homes, including units designed for families.

Proposal would eliminate Turnpike Commission The Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission in two years would cease to exist and would become part of a new transportation authority that would manage toll roads the Legislature authorizes, under a concept proposed by the House transportation chairman.

Sustainable Pittsburgh, (412) 258-6642, www.sustainablepittsburgh.org

A little comedy? What do you think?

Forget Rednecks! Here’s what Jeff Foxworth has to say about Pennsylvanians:

If your local Dairy Queen is closed from September through May, you may live in Pennsylvania.

If someone in a Home Depot store offers you assistance and they don't work there, you may live in Pennsylvania.

If you've worn shorts and a parka at the same time, you may live in Pennsylvania.

If you've had a lengthy telephone conversation with someone who dialed the wrong number, you may live in Pennsylvania. If "Vacation" means going anywhere south of Philadelphia for the weekend, you may live in Pennsylvania. If you measure distance in hours, you may live in Pennsylvania. If you know several people who have hit a deer more than once, you may live in Pennsylvania. If you have switched from "heat" to "A/C" in the same day and back again, you may live in Pennsylvania. If you can drive 75 mph through 2 feet of snow during a raging snow and ice blizzard without flinching, you may live in Pennsylvania. If you install security lights on your house and garage, but leave both unlocked, you may live in Pennsylvania. If you carry jumpers in your car and your wife knows how to use them, you may live in Pennsylvania. If you design your kid's Halloween costume to fit over a snowsuit, you may live in Pennsylvania.


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If the speed limit on the highway is 55 mph -- you're going 80 and everybody is passing you, you may live in Pennsylvania. If driving is better in the winter because the potholes are filled with snow and ice, you may live in Pennsylvania. If you know all 4 seasons: almost winter, winter, still winter and road construction, you may live in Pennsylvania. If you have more miles on your snow blower than your car, you may live in Pennsylvania. If you find 10 degrees "a little chilly", you may live in Pennsylvania. If you actually understand these jokes, and forward them to all your Pennsylvania friends and others, you definitely live in Pennsylvania.

Until next month….enjoy your summer!

Documents

Chatham University · Chatham University Landscape Architecture ... Studies from 1996-2005. ... State Cooperative Extension and Asbury Woods Nature Center will host a two day