Jun 30, 2010

The Chronicle of Higher Education
June 29, 2010

Waldorf Education

My mother died in 1953 and my father’s second wife was a German woman whose family was deeply committed to anthroposophy, the world system that had been devised and promoted by the Austrian-born seer and philosopher Rudolf Steiner. Our family was Quaker, my parents had joined the Society of Friends just after the Second World War, and by the time my step mother came along I was away at a Quaker boarding school, then university, and off to Canada in 1962.  Thus I never really got much exposure to anthroposophy; but in the 1960s my father gave up his job as a bursar at a Friends’ school and went to become bursar at a large Steiner School, or as they are known, Waldorf School, where he remained until he retired (and died shortly thereafter) in the early 1990s. 

Apr 20, 2010

Big Trees make Good Neighbors


"Barrow said the problems posed by the plant were amplified when a buffer of mature trees between Quarry Road and the neighborhood was removed to make way for a proposed new road through the area."

All I can think is, when Mac Construction and Excavating is run out of Jeff, will the city of NA offer them our Linden Meadows or CCE. inc. sites? Pre-stripped of all life, pre-polluted, free waste disposal services from NAMU, if they promise to use tons of it.

Apr 14, 2010

Happy Pollen Days

Accolade® Elm purchased at Walnut Ridge Nursery April 2008. It doubled in size the first year and we suppose this year as well. What a fine tree! This cultivar was developed at the Morton Arboretum in Chicago to be resistant to Dutch Elm disease. New Albany, like most America cities 100 years ago, was heavily planted in Elm, considered the quintessential American urban tree then. Not only is it's towering vase shape appropriate for cities, but it is very LOW POLLEN. When we replace the hardwood canopy that used to keep the ground cool here, even in summer, we'll want lots of Elms. Oh, one last thing. This particular tree cost me $125 and it was small enough I planted it myself! Check out the newspaper clipping below to get an idea of what our tree will look like in 200 years.


240-year-old elm tree ‘Herbie’ to get the chop

101-year-old man has cared for sick ‘friend’ for more than half a century

Image: Frank Knight with “Herbie” the tree
Frank Knight, 101, stands in front of an elm tree known as "Herbie" in Yarmouth.
Steven Senne / AP

Apr 3, 2010

April 2, 2010

New Albany still hasn’t received response to Hoosier Panel offer

This is a follow-up, I think, to earlier stories about possible redevelopment deals the city administration is promoting. It's hard to tell when the only people interviewed for the article work for the local gov't body that wants to do the deals. It could be just another Mayoral "press release" as transcribed by the "newspaper". Other than the city and the commercial interests involved, there is no community reaction reported. Just like it's always been, the only parties involved in deal-making are the mayor's office and his friends with commercial interests.

I hope someday New Albany becomes a town for residents too, not just the commercial interests and their friends.