Butt Out!

Not only do we know that smoking is harmful to human health and the surrounding atmosphere, but it is also detrimental to the environment and natural ecosystems. Each year, approximately 4.5 trillion cigarettes are disposed of. (Elizabeth Batt, http://bit.ly/dvWEIS) Just thinking of the negative impacts that these discarded cigarette butts have on our environment is disheartening. Not only are these butts harmful to land animals, such as raccoons, dogs, cats, and squirrels that may consume these discards, but also saltwater and freshwater animals, such as fish, whales, and seals. Cigarette butts that are not properly disposed of, such as those that are thrown on the ground rather than discarded in a garbage or holding can, are not only more easily accessible to wildlife consumption, but are also an aesthetic displeasure. These poisioning sticks not only affect animal lives, but also human lives, especially children's health. The over 4000 chemicals exhaled and released into the atmosphere from cigarettes are not only harmful to human health, but also the ecosystems and land we live on.
If you choose to smoke, please be respectful of those around you, and disgard your finished cigarette in a garbage can. They are much more harmful to the environment when left on the ground. They will not decompose, like many believe, as the cellulose acetate filters are not biodegradable. Please think of the animals and children that you may be impacting before you throw your next cigarette on the ground. (Jessica Taylor-Cassan, http://bit.ly/wmcTm)
There are a few spots around The Courthouse Square that are littered with cigarette butts. Throwing your finished cigarette butts in the garbage helps to minimize waste, decrease health and environmental risks and damage, and to keep our downtown as beautiful as possible. Please be respectful of others around you when disposing of your cigarette butts.
Thank you.

Website Madness

Has anyone ever tried to create a webpage? Well let me tell you, it is not easy!
First, you must decide what type of a website you would like to design. Then, decide on a look for your website that will entice people to check it out. Now, that is the easy part. You must follow up by adding important and relevant information to the website. This information may be in the form of pictures, events updates, and PDFs just to name a few. Then, I keep flipping between the Website Manager and the actual site to check up on the changes that I have made. What's worse is when you run into glitches in the system and have no idea how to solve them.

That is all for now! Stay posted for more details about the new Goderich BIA Website! It will be launching in Summer 2010!

Any suggestions or ideas for the website will be greatfully recieved at bia@goderich.ca.

Thanks,
Jessica Adams

Jessica's Top Ten Weeding Tips

I don’t know how many of our Goderich residents enjoy gardening, but I can tell you one thing. It is a fantastic way for you to calm down and to take out your anger and frustration. Just think of ripping a weed’s root from the ground or pulling grass from the cracks in the sidewalk. This is the task that I was faced with on Monday morning. Under the beating hot sun, I was tugging, ripping, and pulling roots, most of them rooted fairly deep in the soil, the sweat dripping down my face. After my experience in the sun, I thought that I should give you my Top Ten Weeding Tips to a Successful Weeding Experience. Here they are:

1. Wear the right protective gear. Make sure that you are wearing running shoes and comfy clothes that you don’t mind if they get dirty. Also, don’t forget about your gloves and a hat. The sun sure can get hot.

2. WATER WATER WATER. Make sure that you remember to bring along your water bottle. Without it you will become dehydrated and may suffer from heat stroke.

3. Know the difference between flowers and weeds. Do not be pulling your Mother’s prized petunias out of her garden, leaving her with a bed of weeds and you grounded for a week.

4. Don’t overwork yourself. Weeding can be very strenuous and hard labour. Taking breaks and refueling with lots of water is the best idea.

5. Wear Sunscreen!! To beat the sun, stay protected.

6. To avoid being eaten alive by bugs, wear bug repellent! You don’t want to find that you have been the target of a swarm of mosquitoes nor an angry mob of ants.

7. Use gardening or weeding tools. Pulling out weeds with your bare hands can be very tiring, not to mention painful, so by using some tools, you will be making your job a lot easier and saving your hands from pain.

8. Pick the right time of the day. If you are an early riser, you probably prefer gardening in the morning. If you prefer the evening, you should probably begin weeding after supper. Whichever time of day you choose to weed, make sure that you are staying protected from the sun and insects.

9. When you decide to weed. Weeding during a torrential downpour is probably not the best idea, but weeding after rainfall is probably the most ideal time, as the roots are more likely to come out of the soil with little problem, as the soil is wet.

10. Have fun! If you hate weeding, then you will not enjoy your time weeding and it will take much longer!

I hope that these tips and have helped!

If you have any new ideas or events, please feel free to contact me at bia@goderich.ca.

Thanks,

Jessica Adams

It's as Clear as Mud...

Welcome to the Goderich BIA Blog! Wait... What is the Goderich BIA you may be asking? Well for starters, the BIA stands for the Business Improvement Association. The BIA is formed from the Board of Management, with 12 members on the board. This board meets monthly to oversee the improvement, beautification, and maintenance of the municipality of Goderich and to promote the Downtown Core, otherwise known as the Square, as a business or shopping area. The BIA has become involved in numerous activities, such as special events, seasonal decorations, streetscape improvements and other amenities, marketing, and business recruitment. Many of the events and celebrations held within the downtown Goderich are hosted by the BIA and are held to improve awareness about local businesses within the town of Goderich. Our town is a beautiful one, infused with uniqueness and talented individuals. One thing that makes Goderich so unique and so loved is the local and free-spirited atmosphere of our town. Goderich is a great place for families and friends alike to soak up the sun on the beach and then make their way to the beautiful downtown Square to do some local shopping in independently run shops. Beautiful flowers, shady trees, and an abundant amount of birds and squirrels within our beautiful town show the dedication and collaborative nature of all those within the town. Without the efforts and volunteer actions, Goderich would not be as viable nor as beautiful a town as it is!
Please contact Jessica Adams at bia@goderich.ca . Any ideas or questions will be greatly appreciated!

Pull My Strings

To celebrate Multicultural Day, on Sunday, June 27th, an extremely talented group of 17 teenagers from Saline, Michigan, fiddled their way into town. Fiddlers Restrung captivated and etnthralled their crowd of approximately 150 spectators. Through the group's impressive fiddling skills, swift dance moves, and peaceful voices. Fiddlers Restrung brought forth a show full of energy and passion. Goderich was the first stop on the high school students' Great Tour, followed by a performances in London, Niagara Falls, and numerous stops in the United States. Fiddlers Restrung were a great group of talented youth that amazed and inspired their audience! Followed by Fiddlers Restrung was an unplugged concert by Katy Johnston and Benson Brown. These two proved just how multicultural our county is, performing tunes ranging from old-time country, to classical, to folk. The duo captured the crowd's attention and hearts through their impressive improvisations and their lively personalities. These Huron County natives were a great thrill to watch and a pleasure to listen to. The evening was then concluded with a performance by "thatotherchoir". Composed of Huron County performers hand picked by conductor Louise Dockstader, members of "thatotherchoir" hail from Clinton, Blyth, Goderich, Varna, and points in between. Taking their audience from Sea to Sea, "thatotherchoir" threw the audience overboard with their miraculous voices and talented musical skills. This performance had the crowd clapping their hands and stomping their feet to the tunes performed by the choir. Formed over 19 years ago, "thatotherchoir" is one not soon to be forgotten. Wth performances inbcluding Canadian pop, folk, and classical songs, "thatotherchoir" took their audience on a voyage across Canada. This celebration of our country's multiculturalism was a very bright and inspiring journey across "our home and native land." This concert was a huge success and was a ggreat way to showcase the talent and pride that lives right here in our own backyard!