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Beneath the Leaves
by Jarrod
Szydlowski
The sidewalks and curbs were littered with all
sorts of colors on that October afternoon. Fred Stetson deftly snatched
them all up, one by one. His hands flexed instinctively, collecting all
the colors in his bag: the reds,
the yellows, the oranges, and the greens. He also collected the blues,
the metallic grays, the blacks and the ever-reflective whites.
Sometimes, Stetson snagged some leaves by mistake—but only a few—and
there was always some piece of trash sandwiched somewhere between those
bunches of foliage.
Over a year ago, Burlington resident Fred Stetson
began picking up around his property and his neighbors'. What initially
started as an informal habit has since snowballed into an organized
effort with the involvement of UVM’s Office of Student and Community
Relations, local residents, and students from the Rubenstein School of
Environment and Natural Resources. Read
the full story here.
Jarrod Szydlowski is a work-study student with
the Office of Student & Community Relations and Fred Stetson is a Student-Neighbor
Liaison on No. Union Street.
Save Some $$$ This Winter!
Heating: You can save 5% of
your annual heating costs for every 5 degrees you set your thermostat
back
(make sure
to always keep heat above 55 degrees to avoid frozen water
pipes!). Turn heat down during the day when you are out of the
house.
 Weatherization:
A lot of heat escapes
through leaks. Ask
your landlord if you can weatherstrip doors and windows. Installing
plastic sheets on widows can improve insulation noticeably.
Do-it-Yourself Kits that cover up to 6 windows are available for $12-16
in most hardware stores.
Lighting: Turn off all
unnecessary lights. By
replacing five of the most frequently used light bulbs in your home
with compact florescent bulbs; you could save $60 in energy costs per
year!
Cooking: Use a microwave or
toaster oven when
preparing small portions. Keep all pots covered and refrain from
opening conventional oven while in use
(25 degrees of heat escapes each
time an oven is opened!).
Appliances/Electronics: Many
things consume electricity even while they are
“off” - TV's, computers, etc. Save energy and
money by unplugging these devices while they are not in use (putting
them on shared power strips/surge protectors makes this a lot easier to
do!).
Water Use: Heating water
accounts for approximately 15% of an average household energy
bill. To save hot water, take quick showers and use
washing machines and dishwashers with full loads only. Use cold
water when using a washing machine; it is equally effective at getting
clothes clean.
For more info on energy efficiency and
weatherization contact Efficiency
VT, VT Gas,
or Burlington
Electric.
Winter
is Coming...Don't
Get Towed!
Burlington maintains a warning system of
yellow lights mounted on utility poles throughout the  city. These
lights are activated when a snow parking ban is declared or when street
maintenance, such as sweeping, will occur. When the lights are on,
parking is prohibited on any street in the residential areas from
10:00PM to 7:00AM. Vehicles
towed or found in violation of the snow
ban or street maintenance ban will be ticketed ($95.00 fine).
During a Parking Ban residents are permitted
to park in any city-owned
parking garage from 10PM to 7AM with no charge. Please do not
park on
the top level of any garage in order that it, too, can be plowed. To
subscribe to the Burlington Parking Ban
Notification Listserv send an email to burlingtonparkingban-subscribe@yahoogroups.com
go to www.bpdvt.org,
or
call 802-658-SNOW.
Protect Your Property
While Out of Town
 Burglaries
and larcenies are usually crimes of
opportunity. Whether you are going home during an extended
university
break, or are just
leaving town for a couple of days, the following tips are ways to
increase the security of your residence:
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Make sure all windows and doors are locked and
close your curtains and blinds.
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Do not hide spare keys in places outside.
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Arrange for a friend, neighbor whom you
trust, or the landlord to watch over your house while you are away.
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Take anything of value home with you. Don’t
leave any valuable items near windows.
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Stop mail and paper delivery (https://holdmail.usps.com/duns/HoldMail.jsp)
or arrange for a neighbor to pick it up daily.
If something happens while you are away call the Burlington
police (658-2700). You may not get your stuff
back however
the police can track patterns and may be able to figure out who
is responsible.
You can
also call the Parallel
Justice
Program for victims of crime to see what kind of
resources and support they can provide to you (540-2394). Registering
your possessions on the UVM Police Services website and purchasing Personal Property Insurance
or
Renter's Insurance ahead of time can also help cover losses due to
theft.
Halloween Efforts a Success!
Many thanks to SGA, APO, and IRA for their help
with our Halloween Have
a Heart Campaign on Friday. They delivered 800 fliers and
chocolates to UVM students to help spread the Have a Heart message
which works to reduce late night noise and disruption off campus.
Also many thanks to the 30 students volunteers
from
Pi Beta Phi, APO, Class Council 2013, Alpha Delta Pi, SGA, Kappa Sigma,
Alpha Chi Omega, and the general
student body who came out to help
clean up the neighborhoods near campus on Halloween day. Collectively
we picked up 28 bags of trash which is amazing!
If you are interested in joining us for a future
Have a Heart event or neighborhood clean up email Alicia.Taylor@uvm.edu.
Student
Neighborhood
Initiative Grant
Did you ever wonder what your street would be like
if it had more gardens; less trash; more people saying hello; …
Well, the Student Government Association (SGA) can transform your
wonder into reality through its Student Neighborhood Initiative Grant.
The SGA and COLA have
dedicated $1,000 to strengthen student involvement in
the Burlington community.You
bring your good ideas for your neighborhood and SGA can help make
them happen! If you are interested in applying you
can find the grant
application on the Lynx under the Campus Feed section on the home
page under the event board.
Please email
Lucas Morgan if you have any questions, comments or concerns.
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