July 26, 2006

Published in Wake Forest, NC

            Although its articles about fishing and hunting are of more interest to fishermen and hunters, they also give general readers a lot of information about the kinds of fish in our streams, lakes, sounds and ocean as well as the turkeys, bears, deer and other animals in our woods, and there are always articles about the state’s people and heritage.

            In the July issue, with its cover photograph of a sperm whale’s flukes, you can read about how efforts to restore river cane are helping Cherokee artisans preserve part of their heritage, river cane baskets. Striking photographs and text will help you share the quiet preserve of the South Fork of the New River with fishermen, canoeists, campers and birders. If you have visited the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences in Raleigh, you have seen the skeleton of an enormous sperm whale called Trouble, for he certainly was after he beached down at Wrightsville. The article tells you about Trouble’s journey from a beach to a museum and gives you a wealth of information about sperm whales.

            There is information about land preservation and conservation, a note about the critters in season in the current month – crows are the target for July – and always four pages for children with a nature activity. This month’s focus is on grasshoppers, crickets and katydids.

            The issue with the annual amateur photography contest always has some of the most beautiful pictures you can find.

            This little treasure is available for only twelve bucks a year – yes, that is a pun. You can order by credit card by calling 1-866-945-3746 or sending your check payable to the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission at 1710 Mail Service Center, Raleigh, NC 27699-1710.

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            One measure of Wake Forest’s rapid growth has to be the number of roll-out garbage and recycling bins it needs.

            Mike Barton, the public works director, said they began with 6,500 of each last August when Republic took over the garbage-collection contract and the town switched to the bins.

            There was another order in October, this time for 500 recycling bins and 608 solid waste bins, and they are awaiting delivery of the third order, this time for 530 solid waste bins and 432 recycling bins.

            “The latest shipment is due to arrive Aug. 2,” Barton said. “Republic Waste Services is lending us carts in the meantime for solid waste.

            “We are currently OK on recycling carts – due mainly to residents taking trash carts with them when they move out or for residents requesting a second solid waste cart at our current rate of $3.25 per month.”

            I view the carts as one of the town’s great ideas – for many reasons, beginning with how easy it is to get them to the street and back again. Plus they are good looking.

            We have substantially reduced the amount of garbage we put in the large bin because we put so much – newspapers, cartons, milk jugs, bottles – in the smaller one for recycling.

            In addition, we have gone back to composting, taking all the vegetable scraps, banana peels and coffee grounds down to the compost bin in the garden. Some of the scraps – along with torn-up newspapers – go to the worm bins, where the little wrigglers are also making compost.

            Just a note: The town does think homeowners are responsible for the carts. If they get lost, stolen, misplaced or damaged, the town will want to know its serial number if not its rank. Just write down those identifying numbers somewhere.

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            Some neighbors along Heritage Links Drive close to Rogers Road are upset because a child-care center is being built between their street and Rogers Road. They want the town to stop construction because the center will generate additional traffic. They say it is already difficult to exit onto Rogers Road at heavy traffic times.

            Unfortunately for the neighbors, plans for the Goddard Center were approved back in March and the land was already zoned for an appropriate use, neighborhood business.

            Gazette readers might want to advise all newcomers that this newspaper is the only source for advance notice of the planning board and town board agendas, giving people a chance to know about planned development that could affect their homes and neighborhoods.

            And people who are buying homes need to investigate adjacent land and its zoning before they purchase. That is not to say that land uses will not change dramatically in five, 10 or 20 years. Our neighbors 36 years ago were a dairy farm, old houses and soybean fields.