What I Found at the Mouth of the Highland Creek

Natural Garden Care

Creeping Charlie

Creeping Charlie believe it or not can be used as an herbal medicine. It works to clear up inflamed eyes and it is also used to help stop ringing in the ears!

There are only two ways that I know of to get rid of creeping charlie. The method that you use depends on how much of it you have. If you can, just pull up as much as you can and then overseed the area with grass seed. the grass should overcrowd it and prevent it from growing back. You will get some coming back but nearly as much as you had before.

The problem is, creeping charlie can have roots that are 2 feet long so you can never get the whole thing out. Overseeding works but you may have to pull everything out two or three times before you can get rid of all of it. The second way works but it is kind of an extreme method. You use Borax and make a mixture using water. If you spray it on the creeping charlie, it will kill it. The problem is with this method is that nothing but grass will grow where you spray the Borax. Borax wont damage the grass either, the active ingredient in Borax is Boron and creeping charlie is very sensitive to it, grass is not.

If you have the time and patience, I would pull the creeping charlie and reseed right away, soon enough it should be gone !!Or else, just take five teaspoons full of 20 mule team borax and mix it in a quart of water and spray away. The quart should cover about 25 square feet and then you can say good bye to Charlie !!



Cucumber Beetle

They can be controlled fairly easily. Cucumber beetle can be repelled by plants and herbs, i dont know what you have around the yard but the following plants and herbs will repel the cucumber beetle so pick out whicever is best for your garden, Broccoli, calendula, catnip, goldenrod, nasturtiums, radishes, rue and tansy. The really pungent varieties of Marigolds will work too, if you want to use those then get some of the African, french or Mexican varieties and those should work.

Weeds

Weeds are easy to get rid of. I dont know how many weeds you are trying to get rid of so I will give you several options and each of them will work. if it is one or two stubborn weeds you are trying to get rid of and they just keep growing back then you could pour vinegar on them and they WILL die. Table salt works too but I have always had good luck with vinegar. For one or two weeds you can also pour boiling water right on the weed and that WILL kill it too. But....if there are several weeds growing there then you are better off making up a great home made weed killer. You take a sprayer or a spray bottle and in it you mix one litre of boiling water, 5 tablespoons of vinegar, 6 tablespoons of salt, one tablespoon of lemon juice and two teaspoons of dishwashing liquid, the kind for the machine washers is best. Then you shake it all up and spray it on the weeds and within two days they will all be dead. The best thing to do is to add all the ingredients in the bottle first and then add the boiling water, and then spray right away, the temperature of the water is very important. This formula WILL work

Ants

Actually, ants are really easy things to get rid of, the sage works great !! you can also sprinkle some cinnamon around too and that will add an extra layer of protection but the sage will work great all by itself ! About the bleeding hearts, i have pink and white bleeding hearts, the pink can take the sun better than the white but bith are primarily shade plants. The thing about bleeding hearts is that the soil has to be just righ for the plants to be happy. Heavy, dense, clay is what they hate.

If your soil isnt right then just mix in some peat moss and a little sand to help drainage and the plant will thrive. Bleeding hearts are very sensitive to water and bad soil conditions. Never let the water pool up around the base of the plant either. Are your plants blooming at all? if they are then they are not dead, after they bloom, they will fade away and die off about halfway through the summer, that is just what they do. The have their moment of glory and then go away for the summer and that is too bad because they are so pretty, but if you are not having any luck with them, the odds are that the soil needs to be worked to make it less dense and to improve the drainage.

Great Lakes In Trouble

According to today's edition of the New York Times:

CHICAGO — Regional government agencies around the Great Lakes spend some $15 billion a year to protect the lakes from invasive species, contaminated sediment and sewage overflows, a new study shows. But local officials say that still more protection is needed and that the United States and Canadian governments should pay for it.

“They’re saying it’s not a federal problem, but it is,” Mayor Richard M. Daley of Chicago said of the five lakes, which hold 20 percent of the world’s fresh water. Mr. Daley and other regional leaders say they intend to press for more federal money in light of the study, to be released Wednesday, which for the first time estimates what local governments are devoting to the lakes.

Several mayors said the lakes should not be deemed merely local concerns, but seen as a broader issue, akin to assisting the New Orleans region after Hurricane Katrina or restoring the Everglades in Florida. The study, arranged by the Great Lakes Commission and the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Cities Initiative, both advocacy groups, concluded that the 688 local governments in the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence River region spend much of the money on aging wastewater systems, which can release sewage when overwhelmed with rain. The $15 billion estimate was based on responses by 143 of the local governments to a survey on their spending in 2006.

It is uncertain exactly what federal authorities in the United States and Canada now spend on the Great Lakes, in part because so many agencies and programs are tied to the lakes. “That is one of the problems; we can’t find out what’s being spent,” said David Ullrich, executive director of the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Cities Initiative.

No one was available on Tuesday at the United States Environmental Protection Agency to answer questions about Great Lakes spending. But Dale Kemery, a spokesman for the agency, wrote in an e-mail message that its budget provided “significant funding” for wastewater infrastructure nationally.

“We’re doing more with less by advancing innovative technologies and growing greater partnerships for sustainability,” Mr. Kemery wrote.

Still, Mr. Ullrich pointed to a main federal fund — one that helps states with wastewater projects — as an example of shrinking federal money that he said would leave the Great Lakes in jeopardy: the Clean Water State Revolving Fund dropped to $689 million in the 2008 fiscal year, from $1.08 billion a year earlier.

“The same problem can be seen here,” David Miller, the mayor of Toronto, said of Canada’s federal financing. “The national government doesn’t seem to understand the urgency and importance of the Great Lakes.”

Restorative Justice

What is restorative justice?

Restorative justice is one way to respond to a criminal act. Restorative justice puts the emphasis on the wrong done to a person as well as on the wrong done to the community. It recognizes that crime is both a violation of relationships between specific people and an offence against everyone - the state.

Restorative justice programs involve the voluntary participation of the victim of the crime and the offender and ideally members of the community, in discussions. The goal is to "restore" the relationship, fix the damage that has been done and prevent further crimes from occurring.

Restorative justice requires wrongdoers to recognize the harm they have caused, to accept responsibility for their actions and to be actively involved in improving the situation. Wrongdoers must make reparation to victims, themselves and the community.

What are some examples of restorative justice programs?

All restorative justice programs have some common elements. They seek healing, forgiveness and active community involvement. The programs can take place at different times after a crime has occurred - sometimes after charges have been laid; sometimes after an accused has been found guilty of an offence.

Some examples of restorative justice programs include:

• victim offender mediation;
• family group conferencing;
• sentencing circles;
• consensus-based decision-making on the sentence; and
• victim offender reconciliation panels.

Good restorative justice programs have well-trained facilitators who are sensitive to the needs of victims and offenders, who know the community in which the crime took place and who understand the dynamics of the criminal justice system.

How do victims of crime benefit from restorative justice programs?

The restorative justice process provides victims with the opportunity to express their feelings about the harm that has been done to them and to contribute their views about what is required to put things right. Some studies of restorative justice programs show that victims who are involved in the process are often more satisfied with the justice system and are more likely to receive restitution from the offender. Involvement can also help victims heal emotionally as well as lessen their fear of the offender and of being a victim of crime again.

However, restorative justice programs can be time-consuming and emotionally draining. For some crime victims, meeting the offender is difficult. The criminal justice system is working out ways to make sure that restorative justice programs give victims a voice in the process without pressuring them to participate or causing them more distress.

Does a victim of crime have to participate in restorative justice?

No. A victim's participation is voluntary. To help a victim decide whether or not to participate in a restorative justice program, the victim should be given complete information about the restorative justice process, possible outcomes, her or his role, the role of the offender and other process participants, as well as information about the criminal justice system options.

The fundamental principle is that restorative justice must not re-victimize the victim in any way. The process and the outcome should not cause further harm.

Whether or not a victim of crime participates in a restorative justice program, she or he is entitled to all the victims' services that are available in the community.

Are restorative justice programs in place across Canada?

There is a growing number of restorative justice initiatives under way across the country. More programs are being put in place all the time.

Will restorative justice programs replace other criminal justice system responses to criminal behaviour?

No. There will always be the need for a court process. Restorative justice can only take place when:

• an offender admits guilt, accepts responsibility for his or her actions and agrees to participate in the program;
• the victim of the crime freely agrees to participate in the program, without feeling pressured to do so; and
• trained facilitators are available in the community and a restorative justice program is in place.

As well, a person who has been wrongly charged with an offence must have the opportunity to prove his or her innocence in court. Restorative justice programs are not appropriate in every situation.

Zenn Update

In December I wrote to Jim Bradley, Ontario's Minister of Transportation, to advocate approval of the Zenn car on Ontario's roads. Strangely, although the all electric Zenn is manufactured in Canada, it has only recently received Federal permission to sell in this country--but only if it meets Provincial standards. To date, the only Province to approved the Zenn for sale has been British Columbia.

Today I received a reply from Susan Lo, Director of Safely at the Ministry of Transportation, expressing concern that Low Speed Vehicles (LSVs) such as the Zenn, are only legally required to meet 3 of 40 federally mandated safety standards. She feels, in the event of a crash, Low Speed Vehicles offer little in the way of occupant protection.

However, the Province now plans to evaluate the Zenn as part of Ontario's LSV pilot to help her get a better sense of where these vehicles should be allowed to operate and who should be allow to operate them. As a result, the Zenn will be allocated to provincial and municipal parks and conservation areas.

They may also be evaluated on college campuses, gated communities, military bases and other places where the Zenn would not share roads with larger and faster motor vehicles. The Zenn is designed to have a maximum speed of 40 km per hour.

Since the Pilot project began in 2006 and will not be complete until 2011, I wouldn't look for Zenns on Ontario roads in the near future.

Social Night Part Two

A vicious winter wind chased Linda and I from the car to the warmth of the Olde Stone Cottage Pub, where five members of the Green Party were already at our table and deep into quiet conversation. Lawson Hunter, President of the GPO hadn't arrived yet, but a U of T student journalist was busy interviewing Glenn Kitchen about Party policy for an article to be published in the Scarborough East Observer.

Various GPO members described some of the activities we've been involved with and the issues we were addressing right here in Scarborough Guildwood, including the Woodgreen Ravine, our support of the Zenn electric car, Greg's support for an Ontario wide cosmetic pesticide ban and Linda's campaign against plastic bags. I talked about climate change and global warming.

As the reporter hurried off to write her story Linda the teacher and Stefan the GPO candidate from Scarborough Southwest, a fellow teacher, talked about the heritage gardens both had helped plant at their respective schools. Greg and fellow IT enthusiast Ralph, from Markham, examined the new mini Linux laptop he had purchased. The fully loaded little computer was no more than the size of a trade paperback and cost only $400.

Wendy, the literary agent, talked about her interest in horror stories and the discussion turned to Stephan King and scary novels in general. Stefan and Linda were now discussing the medicinal properties of what are generally considered weeds. Charles the lawyer talked about wills and powers of attorney while Don and I tried talking to each other down the length of the table about the Toronto Regional Meeting he had passed up in order to join us for the night.

Glenn and Stefan were delighted the Provincial refund of their election deposit had arrived. By now Ralph had brought out his flexible key board and had attached it to Greg's Linux. They were also talking about the dangers of shipping old computers to 3rd world countries where they were disassembled or trashed without adequate safety precautions.

The reporter returned to take a photo of the group and we all began to wonder what had happened to Lawson Hunter who was to have been our special guest. Michael talked about the Pub and wondered if the location had been clear enough.

Through it all our tireless waiter kept drinks and food flowing to the dozen people now out for the evening and before anyone knew it, it was already 10:30 and, with work looming the next day, the first people started leaving.

Wendy and I discussed plans for a quarterly newsletter and she promised to send ideas for some designs. The wind wasn't quite so vicious by the time we left and the evening seemed a little warmer.

Our First Social Night of 2008

Hi Everyone,

Just a reminder, you have a wonderful
opportunity to meet the President
of the Green Party of Ontario.

Lawson Hunter has agreed to join our
Social Night this month at the Stone
Cottage Inn on Wednesday January
30th at 7:30.

The Office of the President is second 
only to that of the Party Leader.

We would like to have as many people 
at the meeting as possible, so please
mark you calendar and join us for an 
interesting and provocative evening.