Daily Archives: June 20, 2021

Seeking your input on the PEACE Park: Heights Libraries is taking steps to ensure that its PEACE Park remains an accessible public resource for the community, and is asking you, the users of the park, what youd like to see there.

The Library has contracted with landscape architects Andrew Sargeant and Jim McKnight, at a cost of $9,000 each, to prepare sketches and develop an overall plan for the property, including cost estimates. The architects will also coordinate and gather public input about the park, located across from the Coventry Library branch, 1925 Coventry Road in Cleveland Heights, via three separate public events.

The first event will be held from 1-4 p.m. Sunday, June 27 at the PEACE Park. The Coventry PEACE Park Design Jam encourages community members to visit five stations and engage in activities that will help Sargeant and McKnight determine what the community wants from the popular public space. Refreshments will be served. Those five stations will include: Predict Your Park: Take an interactive survey; Share a Story: Share your park memories; Mark the Map: Show us your favorite places; Find Your Favorites: Rate our ideas; Picture a Park: Kids can create their dream park.

The second event, from 1-4 p.m. Saturday, July 24, will be an open house at the Coventry Village branch, where Sargeant and McKnight will display preliminary design proposals and answer questions from the community about the potential designs.

The third event, at 7:30 p.m. Monday, Sept. 20 will have Sargeant and McKnight presenting final plans for the park, including costs.The plans could include an accessible playground, a walking storybook loop, an amphitheater, and outdoor seating areas.

Fundraising for the project will be needed before any construction can begin. Fundraising will be handled by the nonprofit Fund for the Future of Heights Libraries.

Our PEACE Park is popular, and well loved, so were hoping we get plenty of input from our community so we can improve it and make it an even better public asset for all, said Heights Libraries Director Nancy Levin, in a release.

Since 2018, when Heights Libraries obtained the park from the CHUH School District, the Library has made small improvements, such as new trash cans, regular trash pick-up, repair of the existing playground, new concrete walkways and pads for benches, a bicycle repair station, and parking lot upgrades, including improved lighting.

College news: Being June, theres lots to report from our nations college campuses that pertains to our Sun Press coverage area students. So, here we go.

-- Among the graduates from Bucknell University in Lewisburg, Pa., are Cleveland Heights residents Charlie Espy, who earned a bachelors degree in chemical engineering, and Molly Paine, whose business administration degree is in accounting and financial management. Also graduating from Bucknell, with a bachelors degree in international relations, was Shaker Heights Elizabeth Stack.

-- Beachwoods Natali Polonsky graduated from the University of Iowa with a degree in interdepartmental studies.

-- Down at Ohio University, in Athens, those achieving deans list status for the spring semester included Ann Baldwin and Paige Campbell, of Cleveland Heights; from Beachwood, Lyric Albert, Tanner Mayfield, Jocelyn Trostler, Jesse Wu and Zoe Zilbert; from University Heights, Lula Everett and Avery Pope; and from Shaker Heights, Demetrius Gest, Jr., Olivia Graham, Maddie Henning, Aliyah Houston, Amira Hunter, Karyn Price and Paris Trowsdell.

-- Local Ohio University spring graduates are Ann Baldwin, Nicholas Borkey Hayley Eichenlaub and Lee Price, III, of Cleveland Heights; Evan Cherchiglia, Jaime Freiburger, Aliyah Houston, MacKenzie Reece, Kristen Ruckstuhl and Abby Samuel, of Shaker Heights; Sam Connor and Shawntina Lewis, of Beachwood; and, from University Heights, Lula Everett, Londo Farmer, Wesley Hofstetter, Avery Pope and Briana Story.

-- Local graduates from Baldwin Wallace University include Beachwoods Darjon Bentley and Karen Doran; Shaker Heights Kayla Blake and Keith Slater; and Cleveland Heights Brandon Taylor.

-- Named to the presidents list at Saint Francis University in Loretto, Pa., was Shaker Heights resident Adam Slovikoski.

-- Mary Sikorovsky, of Shaker Heights was named to the presidents list at Shenandoah University in Winchester, Va.

-- Achieving the deans list at Lehigh University in Bethlehem, Pa. were Sara Weisman and Darien Hersh, of Beachwood, and Noah Jalango, of Shaker Heights. Also, Lehigh graduates during May 24 ceremonies included Cleveland Heights Lilly Herschman, who earned a bachelor of science degree in psychology, with high honors, and Noah Jalango of Shaker Heights, who earned a bachelor of arts degree with a major in journalism, also with high honors.

-- Making the spring semester deans list at Ohio Wesleyan University in Delaware, Ohio, was Caroline Kiker, of Shaker Heights.

-- Added to the spring semester deans list at Lock Haven University in Lock Haven, Pa. was Beachwoods Gabrielle Ciulla.

-- At the College of Charleston in South Carolina, Cleveland Heights residents Madeline Ashby and Kerrigan-Tierney von Carlowitz earned spots on the presidents list.

-- Making the deans list for the spring semester at Georgia Tech was Cleveland Heights Gerard Daher.

National Council of Jewish Women of Cleveland honors three: The NCJW/CLE has honored three women, Niki Resnick, of Moreland Hills; Rita Rome, of Pepper Pike; and Barbara Yaksic, of Concord.

Resnick took home the Arline B. Pritcher Award, which is given for outstanding direct community service. Pritcher was a dedicated volunteer in Cleveland in the 1960s and left a legacy of devotion and enthusiasm to NCJW/CLE. In 1976, her husband, Nathan, and their children established the Arline B. Pritcher award as a tribute in her memory, and her father, Irwin Bellin, perpetuated the award.

Resnick is currently co-chair of NCJW/CLEs Share What You Wear program, a project creating personally-shopped, gender- and size-specific clothing and toiletry bags for distribution to children in need or in crisis locally through school and agency social workers. She is a Beachwood High School graduate.

Rome and Yaksic received the Alice and Eugene Weiss Esteemed Service Award, given for outstanding, non-direct service for advocacy, fundraising, or education. Rome currently takes a leadership role in many NCJW/CLE advocacy-related committees, including Promote the Vote, Protect the Vote; Understanding the Issues; Reproductive Rights and Health Committee; Reduction of Gun Violence, and the Lois Zaas Advocacy Lecture. A native of Washington, D.C. and former art teacher, Romes husband brought them to Cleveland when he accepted job at Case Western Reserve University at the Medical School in 2004.

Yaksic is co-chair of NCJW/CLEs Promote the Vote, Protect the Vote Committee, a board member, and a member of the Stop Human Trafficking, the Family and Sexual Violence, and the Understanding the Issues committees. The retired lawyer is a Beachwood High grad.

More Jewish Federation Microgrants announced: The Jewish Federation of Cleveland has announced its next cohort of Young Leadership Division (YLD) Microgrant Program recipients. Through its Microgrant Program, YLD looks empower Jewish young adults to build community and have an impact by hosting innovative experiences for Jewish Clevelanders, ages 22-45.

YLD Microgrant Program recipients will receive up to $1,000 per calendar year to support their projects. Projects connect young adults to Jewish Cleveland through one of the Federations four priorities: care for one another, prepare for the future, share our perspectives, and repair our world.

This years YLD Microgrant program recipients showcase the creativity of Jewish Clevelands young adult community, said Abbie Pappas, YLD board chair, in a release. The YLD Board and I are honored to be able to select programs that are engaging, diverse, and will reach a significant number of Jewish Clevelanders.

Recipients include: American Jewish Committee (AJC) Cleveland ACCESS, which will host Conversations with Clevelands Leaders, an opportunity for Jewish young professionals to connect with Cleveland leaders from the civic, diplomatic, interfaith, and intergroup communities; and Anshe Chesed Fairmount Temples Fairmount Young Professionals, who will host Jew Years Eve, a meaningful event for young professionals to celebrate the high holidays.

Also, Bnai Jeshurun Congregation ATID, which will host Kick off the New Year with a Hole in One, a program to welcome new Clevelanders in their 20s and 30s to the community; Henry Samuels of Cleveland, who will host An Interactive Look at Jewish Music: From Beta Israel to India, a workshop to introduce young adults to different Jewish music from around the world; Moishe House and Partners in Torah, which will host Torah on Tap, a program for young professionals to participate in Jewish learning and dissecting Torah text; and Samia Mansour, of Richmond Heights, and Ngozi Williams, of Medina, will host Jews of Color: Cleveland, an intentional community for Jews of Color in Cleveland to partake in Jewish rituals together.

Lifelong Learning programs scheduled: Case Western Reserve Universitys Siegal Lifelong Learning has announced a series of remote classes for July and August.

Upcoming are Modern Storytellers: The Short Stories of Hemingway, Fitzgerald and Others, from 1-2:30 p.m. Thursdays from June 24 to July 29; Salt, A World History, from 1:30-3 p.m. Thursdays from July 1 to Aug. 5; a Virtual Interfaith Tour of Israel, from 1:30-3 p.m. Tuesdays from July 6 to Aug. 24; and Sail the Seas with Queen Elizabeth I, Her Spies and Privateers, from 1:30-3 p.m. July 6-27.

For details and prices, visit case.edu/lifelonglearning.

Get your Dippy Whip at Legacy Village: Dippy Whip has opened for business at Legacy Village, at the corner of Richmond and Cedar roads. Dippy Whip features famed frozen custard once served at now long-gone Cleveland area amusement parks, as well as a mix of 20th and 21st century treats and fun.

Dippy Whip is pure joy, and the perfect addition to the Legacy Village community as we get out and celebrate warmer weather with family and friends, said Legacy Village General Manager Susan Windle, in a release. Were excited about sharing this beloved northeast Ohio legacy with new generations of fans.

The new addition to Legacy Villages Restaurant District is located adjacent to the Legacy Village lawn, next to Wild Mango, and is open from noon to 8 p.m. Tuesdays through Thursdays; noon to 9 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays; and noon to 7 p.m. Sundays.

We were fortunate to have obtained the original recipe from one of Clevelands beloved parks, said Joe Tomaro, known as one of The Euclid Beach Boys, and owner, along with his wife, Kathy, of the Dippy Whip Custard shop. This one-of-a-kind custard, hands down, the absolute best vanilla custard in the Cleveland area for generations until the park closed. There is no better time than the present to immerse ourselves in the timeless memories of childhood, and share them with the next generation.

Check out Parks virtual Mandela exhibit: Park Synagogue invites the community to virtually tour Mandela: Struggle for Freedom at 1 p.m. Sunday, July 11, via Zoom.

The new exhibit is being featured at the Illinois Holocaust Museum & Education Center in Skokie, and traces the history of apartheid in South Africa, with Nelson Mandela as the central character. With immersive environments, such as a recreation of Mandelas cell on Robben Island, Mandela promotes human rights with a central message: All people deserve to be treated with dignity and respect.

The event is free and open to the community. Pre-registration is required to receive a Zoom link by July 7. Register at parksynagogue.org, or by contacting Ellen Petler at epetler@parksyn.org or 216-371-2244, ext. 122.

At the Heights Libraries: Coming online via the Heights Libraries are these three events: Word Part 5 -- Tables, from 7-8:30 p.m. July 1 (register here); Zoom Meditation Tuesdays, with Christine Valadon, from 6-7 p.m. July 6 (register here); and, for children and families, ABCs of Kindergarten, from 6-7:30 p.m. July 6 (register here).

Also, the University Heights branch will host, from 1:30-2:30 p.m. July 7 at Walter Stinson Park, Arts & Crafts in the Park for school-age children (register here).

Have you thought about a career in plumbing?: Neptune Plumbing of Bedford Heights is growing their business while also giving back to its community by holding a community-wide open house for prospective hires and community members. The event is an opportunity for the business to give neighbors a steady career opportunity while donating to local charities who have done so much for those across the region.

Neptune Plumbing will give back to the community by making sizeable donations to the local Salvation Army and Ronald McDonald House for applications received and prospects hired. In addition, new hires will receive a $1,000 hiring bonus, matched by a $1,000 donation to charity.

Free coffee and donuts will be served for breakfast, and barbecue is on the menu for lunch.

The event takes place from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. June 24, at 25440 Miles Road in Bedford Heights.

If you would like to see an item appear in Press Run, send me an email, at least 12 days prior to an event, at jeff.piorkowski@att.net.

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Let Heights Libraries know what youd like to see at Coventry PEACE Park: Press Run - cleveland.com

MIDDLETOWN The Middlesex United Way has invested over $1.2 million in supporting local nonprofits that help people find both temporary and permanent housing.

We believe that all individuals and families should have access to safe and affordable housing in Middlesex County, and are proud to share that, throughout the past 10 years, significant strides have been made. Just recently, our partners, HOPE Partnership, created affordable housing units in Essex, building 17 residential units in a mix of one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments.

Living and working in Middlesex County, we have so many choices choices of grocery stores, choices for recreation and cultural activities. And yet, when it comes to housing, there is little choice in most of our towns.

Local zoning regulations have encouraged the creation of detached single-family homes on large lots, and discouraged less expensive multifamily housing. Not everyone wants this type of housing, or can afford it.

These antiquated zoning practices have led to segregated towns and segregated schools. They created missed opportunities for our towns to attract young people, empty nesters and people from diverse backgrounds. The economic case for increasing housing options is easy to make, and so is the moral case.

The Middlesex United Way is committed to ensuring individuals and families live in an anti-racist, equitable and inclusive community. This cant happen without meaningful change to local zoning practices.

Our countrys history of redlining, building affordable housing only in urban areas, and exclusive zoning has led to a concentration of poverty, and racial, economic and ethnic segregation.

I am hopeful that the time for change is here. There are signs all around us, as more and more people in our region recognize the need for more housing choices, and have come to see the negative impact of overly restrictive zoning regulations. More communities are waking up to the benefits of rental housing towns such as Haddam, Essex, Old Saybrook and Portland.

Connecticut just passed the most sweeping zoning reform bill in decades. It makes it easier to create an in-law apartment in your home, requires planning and zoning commission members to participate in housing training, and clarifies the Zoning Enabling Act, among other worthwhile changes.

If we are to realize our vision for equitable and inclusive communities, we cannot ignore the long history of housing segregation. We must be intentional in dismantling this system that created it.

I ask you to get involved locally. Let your local planning and zoning commission members know that you support affordable housing in your community. If a project comes to your town for approval, testify in favor of it. The time for change is now.

To learn more about housing assistance right here in Middlesex County, contact 2-1-1 or our Community Impact Director Christina Heckart atchristina.heckart@middlesexunitedway.org.

Kevin Wilhelm is president and CEO of the Middletown-based Middlesex United Way.

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Middlesex United Way: We cannot ignore history of housing segregation - Middletown Press

Authors: Catherine Kyobutungi and Madhukar Pai, Editors-in-Chief, PLOS Global Public Health; and Julia Robinson, Executive Editor, PLOS Global Public Health

As researchers, teachers, practitioners, health care workers, activists, and humans in this world, we are at a pivotal moment in the history of global public health. Over the past few decades, the field of global health one which, in the wake of the Declaration of Alma Ata, held such promise to overturn systems of colonization, exploitation, discrimination and inequitable access to healthcare has sadly replicated some of the same systems that have perpetuated the worst inequities. Power continues to be concentrated in the hands of a few elites in a few high-income countries, while low and middle-income countries are left facing the hardest health challenges with the fewest resources [1]. The ongoing struggle for vaccine equity during the Covid-19 pandemic in which rich countries have the luxury of imagining a post-pandemic life while poor countries grapple with newer, more dangerous variants and a lack of available vaccines is the best illustration of the power asymmetry inherent in global public health [2].

The Covid-19 pandemic, the Black Lives Matter and Women in Global Health movements, as well as ongoing calls to decolonize global health have all created space for uncomfortable but important conversations that reveal serious asymmetries of power and privilege that permeate all aspects of the field [2], including funding [3] and authorship of research and scientific publications [4-6]. In particular, lack of diversity at all levels in global health journals [7, 8], and lack of affordability for authors from low and middle-income countries [9, 10] are key concerns that journal publishers must address.

Just as power asymmetries between high-income and low-income countries have existed and been brought to the fore in recent times, power asymmetries also exist within regions in the global South and even within countries. Some countries are systematically excluded from the global knowledge system either because of language or capacity barriers [11, 12], while important voices in global public health are excluded because of power asymmetries between scientists, communities and public health practitioners.

A new journal in global public health, therefore, must welcome and hold these uncomfortable conversations, using research, academic discourse, and advocacy to deliberately tip the balance of power in the direction of social justice, equity and diversity. With the launch of PLOS Global Public Health, a global Open Access forum for public health research, we aim to reach across disciplines and regional boundaries to address the biggest health challenges and inequities facing our society today.

The mission of PLOS Global Public Health is to address deeply entrenched inequities in global health and make impactful research visible and accessible to health professionals, policy-makers, and local communities. We are committed to amplifying the voices of underrepresented and historically excluded communities and aredeliberate about equity, diversity, and inclusion at all levels editors, editorial boards, peer reviewers and authors to broaden the range and diversity of perspectives we learn from and advance the health of all humankind.

Equity, diversity and inclusion are core to the journals mission this will be deliberate at every level of the journal, from its leadership (i.e. Editors-in-Chief), to Section Editors and the Editorial Board, to the authors and communities to which it serves. We will deliberately and actively recruit a diverse pool of experts from all geographies and identities and make an intentional effort to ensure representation from historically underrepresented and excluded groups. We will amplify the work of Black, Indigenous and people of colour (BIPOC) experts, especially people from the Global South, Indigenous scholars, and individuals working and living within their impacted communities.

We will avoid elitism: In the spirit of PLOS ONE, we will not focus on novelty or impact factors, but rather on the rigor of the research and its contribution to the base of academic knowledge.

We will be accessible: PLOS Global Public Health will ensure immediate, gold open access to all content, including manuscripts and data. Article processing charges and fees will not be a barrier to publication (for details, please see https://plos.org/publish/fees/). We are aware of the limitations of publishing only English language articles and plan to work towards language accessibility and global communication of research.

We will strive towards being more feminist, anti-racist, anti-patriarchal, anti-ableist, anti-elitist, and anti-classist in our work. We will explicitly address and combat parachute or helicopter research. Lastly, we will publish research that address health inequities wherever they occur, not just in low-income countries.

With regards to scope, we will publish ethically and methodologically rigorous research that impacts public health, and particularly encourage submissions reporting research into health inequities and efforts to increase diversity and inclusion in public health. We consider submissions in areas including but not limited to global health delivery; infectious diseases; non-communicable diseases; race and health; mental health, laboratory medicine; maternal, newborn, and child health; nutrition; sexual and reproductive health and rights; Indigenous health; environmental and planetary health; evidence use and policy; global health governance; social and behavioral health; humanitarian aid and conflict/displacement; injuries, trauma and global surgery; global health financing and trade; and global health security.

PLOS Global Public Health welcomes quantitative and qualitative primary research that contributes to the base of academic knowledge, including interdisciplinary research articles, clinical trials, replication studies, and negative or null results; systematic reviews whose methods ensure the comprehensive and unbiased sampling of existing literature; submissions describing methods, software, databases, or other tools that meet the journals criteria for utility, validation and availability that adheres to appropriate study design and reporting guidelines.

With this new journal, we are setting ambitious goals, and we expect to be held accountable. We acknowledge that we need to go beyond pledges [13]. We will make mistakes as we go along, but we will learn from them and do better. We look forward to building and engaging with the global public health community around the world, in charting a new path towards equity, diversity and inclusion in global health.

References:

1. Abimbola S, Pai M. Will global health survive its decolonisation? Lancet. 2020;396(10263):1627-8. doi: 10.1016/S0140-6736(20)32417-X. PubMed PMID: 33220735.

2. Abimbola S, Asthana S, Montenegro C, Guinto RR, Jumbam DT, Louskieter L, et al. Addressing power asymmetries in global health: Imperatives in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. PLoS Med. 2021;18(4):e1003604. Epub 2021/04/23. doi: 10.1371/journal.pmed.1003604. PubMed PMID: 33886540.

3. Erondu NA, Aniebo I, Kyobutungi C, Midega J, Okiro E, Okumu F. Open letter to international funders of science and development in Africa. Nat Med. 2021;27(5):742-4. Epub 2021/04/17. doi: 10.1038/s41591-021-01307-8. PubMed PMID: 33859410.

4. Hedt-Gauthier BL, Jeufack HM, Neufeld NH, Alem A, Sauer S, Odhiambo J, et al. Stuck in the middle: a systematic review of authorship in collaborative health research in Africa, 2014-2016. BMJ Glob Health. 2019;4(5):e001853. doi: 10.1136/bmjgh-2019-001853. PubMed PMID: 31750000; PubMed Central PMCID: PMCPMC6830050.

5. Mbaye R, Gebeyehu R, Hossmann S, Mbarga N, Bih-Neh E, Eteki L, et al. Who is telling the story? A systematic review of authorship for infectious disease research conducted in Africa, 1980-2016. BMJ Glob Health. 2019;4(5):e001855. doi: 10.1136/bmjgh-2019-001855. PubMed PMID: 31750001; PubMed Central PMCID: PMCPMC6830283.

6. Abimbola S. The foreign gaze: authorship in academic global health. BMJ Glob Health. 2019;4(5):e002068. doi: 10.1136/bmjgh-2019-002068. PubMed PMID: 31750005; PubMed Central PMCID: PMCPMC6830280.

7. Nafade V, Sen P, Pai M. Global health journals need to address equity, diversity and inclusion. BMJ Glob Health. 2019;4(5):e002018. doi: 10.1136/bmjgh-2019-002018. PubMed PMID: 31750004; PubMed Central PMCID: PMCPMC6830051.

8. Bhaumik S, Jagnoor J. Diversity in the editorial boards of global health journals. BMJ Glob Health. 2019;4(5):e001909. doi: 10.1136/bmjgh-2019-001909. PubMed PMID: 31749449; PubMed Central PMCID: PMCPMC6830044.

9. Pai M. How Prestige Journals Remain Elite, Exclusive And Exclusionary. URL: https://www.forbes.com/sites/madhukarpai/2020/11/30/how-prestige-journals-remain-elite-exclusive-and-exclusionary/?sh=615d4e3e4d48 [date accessed 13 March 2021]: Forbes; 2020.

10. Jain VK, Iyengar KP, Vaishya R. Article processing charge may be a barrier to publishing. J Clin Orthop Trauma. 2021;14:14-6. Epub 2021/03/09. doi: 10.1016/j.jcot.2020.10.039. PubMed PMID: 33680812; PubMed Central PMCID: PMCPMC7919939.

11. Sooryamoorthy, R. The production of science in Africa: an analysis of publications in the science disciplines, 20002015. Scientometrics 115, 317349 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11192-018-2675-0

12. Kana MA, LaPorte R, Jaye A. Africas contribution to the science of the COVID-19/SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. BMJ Global Health 2021;6:e004059

13. OlusanyaBO, MallewaM, OgboFA. Beyond pledges: academic journals in high-income countries can do more to decolonise global health. BMJ Global Health 2021;6:e006200.

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PLOS Global Public Health, charting a new path towards equity, diversity and inclusion in global health - Speaking of Medicine and Health - PLoS Blogs

The Rankin government announced today, June 19, a $3 million investment in revitalizing Sydneys downtown core. The project will help support local businesses and attract new investment in the heart of the Cape Breton Regional Municipality (CBRM).

The province is partnering with the municipality, which is also contributing $3 million, in the redesign and upgrade of Charlotte Street to create a welcoming, accessible and green destination.

There has never been more optimism for the downtown core, said Premier Iain Rankin. The area is being reenergized with a new NSCC Marconi Campus and a second cruise ship berth at the Port of Sydney, and this project will help enhance its marketing position to draw in more residents and visitors and stimulate growth in the local economy.

Preliminary design details that will be shared with community include:

Develop Nova Scotia will work in collaboration with CBRM and the local community on the project. The process of building will be participatory and intentional to build local placemaking capacity and encourage inclusive economic participation.

Construction is expected to begin in April 2022.

There has never been a more exciting time for growth in the Sydney area with the anticipated increase in student population, new immigration, new investments and unlimited tourism potential. This project has been on CBRMs radar for some time, and I am proud that our government is helping to make this a reality.Derek Mombourquette, Minister of Education and Early Childhood Development and MLA for Sydney-Whitney Pier, on behalf of Labi Kousoulis, Minister of Inclusive Economic Growth

Downtown Sydney is a gem. With this significant investment from the provincial government, this historic commercial district will be ready to welcome the world back again. Rebuilding better and redesigning with accessibility at the forefront will benefit all who visit downtown.Amanda McDougall, mayor, Cape Breton Regional Municipality

Investment in places for people, like waterfronts and main streets, which are so often the heart of urban and rural communities, helps grow an inclusive economy and contributes to well-being for residents. For us, developing projects is a means to an end: by building these projects with community, the place we build is better - inclusive, sustainable and reflective of local culture which attracts people, but it also builds community participation, pride and resilience. We cant wait to get to work.Jennifer Angel, president and CEO, Develop Nova Scotia

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Province Invests in Revitalizing Sydney's Downtown Core - Government of Nova Scotia

Harold Love Jr. and Faye DiMassimo, Guest Columnists Published 11:23 a.m. CT June 14, 2021 | Updated 11:24 a.m. CT June 14, 2021

North Nashville resident Keisha Gardner Beard is excited for the proposed Interstate 40 Cap in North Nashville. Nashville Tennessean

We have a plan to come back stronger, right here in Nashville. Lets use the transportation dollars President Biden is putting on the table to pay for it.

America is talking a lot about how to come back, stronger than before.

After a grueling year, were asking ourselves: how do we create communities that are more resilient and work for everyone?

A major part of that answer is found in our transportation strategy.

Transportation is a powerful influencer in peoples lives.

Our roads and bridges take us to work and family.

Bike lanes and buses prevent further pollution of our communities and offer more options to connect to the places we want and need to go.

And construction projects put our contractors and tradesfolk to work.

In other words, what we build, where we build, and how intentional we are about building it can lift communities up or let them down.

A car travels across the D.B. Todd Jr. Boulevard bridge over Interstate 40 Friday, June 11, 2021 in Nashville, Tenn. Metro Nashville wants to build a cap above the interstate to "stitch together"communities north and south of I-40. When the interstate was constructed in the late 1960s many North Nashville residents were upset how the highway split the neighborhood in two.(Photo: George Walker IV / The Tennessean)

With the INVEST in America Act as a core piece of President Bidens American Jobs Plan, the House has called for a $547 billion investment in our nations infrastructure. The INVEST Act pours resources into the nations surface transportation assets to also create jobs and tackle the climate crisis.

Earlier this month, we traveled with Mayor John Cooper to Washington to advocate for bringing those federal dollars home.

Nashville has a plan to build more resilient, better connected infrastructure.

And we would begin in North Nashville.

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In 1967, the U.S. Department of Transportation built the I-40 Freeway through this area. This concrete python created a heat island in a beautiful community, suffocated a thriving business and music district, and forced nearly 1,400 people out of their homes.

Using INVEST dollars, we would reconnect the community by expanding Dr. D.B. Todd, Jr., Boulevard over I-40 into a 3.4-acre, publicly owned cap and connector.

Just fewer than 2,300 residents would be within a ten-minute walk of this pedestrian platform, which would feed into Nashvilles greenway system and connect to the incredible Historic Black Colleges and Universities in the area.

Residents and business owners of North Nashville would design what the top of the connector looks like. It could house public amenities, such as a park or community center, pedestrian connections, and celebrations of the areas history.

This project would help reduce air and noise pollution in the area. It would also bring additional safety improvements to a nearby interchange known as Truckers Curve, where 24 truck-related crashes occurred in 2019.

The star marks the location of a proposed cap over Interstate 40 that would reconnect two neighborhoods separated by the highway.(Photo: 2021 INFRA Application, City of Nashville)

We have a powerful, overdue opportunity on I-40.

Harold Love Jr.(Photo: Dawn Majors)

We also have a Metro Transportation Plan to make 1,961 other traffic and multimodal improvements in 300 neighborhoods across Davidson County.

That plan includes a traffic management center, where well use smart-city technology to better sync traffic signals and address congestion on our busiest corridors.

It calls for a local department of transportation, to consolidate everything Nashville does in transportation for quicker, accountable, more cost-effective delivery including more sidewalks.

Faye DiMassimo(Photo: Submitted)

We have a plan to come back stronger, right here in Nashville. Lets use the transportation dollars President Biden is putting on the table to pay for it.

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State Rep.Harold Moses Love, Jr., P.h.D., is the pastor of Lee Chapel African Methodist Episcopal Church, State Representative for the TN House District 58 and vice president of the National Black Caucus of State Legislators.

Faye DiMassimo is the senior advisor for transportation and infrastructure to Nashville Mayor John Cooper. She has 40years of multimodal planning, development, and delivery experience in the public and private sectors.

Read or Share this story: https://www.tennessean.com/story/opinion/2021/06/14/nashville-ready-build-back-its-roads-and-infrastructure-stronger/7686698002/

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Nashville is ready to build back its roads and infrastructure stronger | Opinion - Tennessean

Woodlands along streams and rivers are an important part of Californias diverse ecology. They are biodiversity hotspots, providing various ecosystem services including carbon sequestration and critical habitat for threatened and endangered species. But our land and water use have significantly impacted these ecosystems, sometimes in unexpected ways.

A team of researchers, including two at UC Santa Barbara, discovered that some riparian woodlands are benefitting from water that humans divert for our own needs. Although it seems like a boon to these ecosystems, the artificial supply of water begets an unintended dependence on this bounty, threatening the long-term survival of natural forest communities. The paper, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, spotlights the need for changes in the way water is managed across the state.

We need to be more intentional in incorporating ecosystem water needs when we manage waterboth for aquatic organisms and species on land, said lead author Melissa Rohde, a groundwater scientist at The Nature Conservancy who led the research as a doctoral student at State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry (SUNY-ESF). These forest ecosystems are in a precarious state because we have disrupted the natural hydrologic processes that these plant species rely upon to support and sustain key life processes.

In Californias Mediterranean climate, plants and animals have adapted to rely on precipitation and soil moisture recharge during the rainy winter and spring seasons for reproduction and growth during the typically dry summers. Once soil moisture is exhausted, tree species often found in stream corridors, such as willows, cottonwoods and oaks, typically use deeper groundwater. However, the researchers discovered the story was more complicated.

By analyzing five years of vegetation greenness data from satellite imagery, the authors found that in some cases, these ecosystems were affected by subsidies of water delivered via human regulation of rivers, agricultural canals and discharges from wastewater treatment plants. Altered streamside woodlands in the most arid regions of the state stayed greener longer into the dry season and were less responsive to changes in groundwater levels than natural ecosystems.

Although this seems like a good news story trees benefit from anthropogenic water management there is an important caveat, said co-author Michael Singer, a researcher at UC Santa Barbaras Earth Research Institute and a professor at Cardiff University in the United Kingdom. In channels and canals with severely altered flow regimes, there are few if any opportunities for these trees to spawn new offspring. This means that once these riparian woodlands die off, they will not be replaced through forest succession.

Many of the most-altered stream ecosystems are in Californias Central Valley, the states agricultural hub, which produces a third of the produce for the United States. Following the Gold Rush in the 1850s, massive human settlement led to clearing of 95% of the natural floodplain woodlands across the region. These isolated and restricted riparian, or streamside, forests now provide important habitat for threatened and endangered species like the California red-legged frog, Chinook salmon and Swainsons hawk.

As water is rerouted from rivers into canals to accommodate urbanization and the multibillion-dollar agricultural industry, it creates an artificially stable environment for riparian woodland ecosystems. This encourages a live fast, die young community that favors trees that peak and then decline within a few decades. Key ecosystem functions such as the regeneration of new forest stands and their development over time are being compromised by the extensive alterations to streamflow and to river channels, which are fixed in place and no longer create new floodplain areas where young trees can establish.

We call these forests the living dead because the forest floor is devoid of saplings and younger trees that can replace the mature trees when they die, Rohde said. This has repercussions related to habitat for endangered species, biodiversity, carbon sequestration and climate change.

California is one of the most biodiverse regions in the world, containing more species than the rest of the United States and Canada combined, said Rohde. In the midst of the sixth mass extinction, the long-term sustainability of Californias river ecosystems and the preservation of the rare and endemic species that live within them now rely on the deliberate, coordinated management of resource and government agencies.

This study is part of a $2.5 million suite of projects that the collaborators at SUNY-ESF, UC Santa Barbara and Cardiff University have funded throughout the U.S. Southwest and France. The investigators also include UCSB geography professor Dar Roberts, one of the studys co-authors. The goal is to develop water stress indicators for dryland riparian forest ecosystems threatened by climate change and increasing human water demand.

Rhode and The Nature Conservancy will use the insights from the study to provide scientific guidance to California natural resource agencies for sustainably managing groundwater-dependent ecosystems throughout the state. As Singer pointed out, the findings pertain to the recent sustainable groundwater legislation passed in California. The Sustainable Groundwater Management Act, requires all groundwater stakeholders to agree on sustainability targets for groundwater usage to support urban areas, agriculture, industry and ecology.

The research team used publicly available online data and Google Earth Engine, an open-source tool for analyzing data from satellites and other global spatial datasets. Our methods and findings open up a whole new world of interdisciplinary research possibilities and ways that water practitioners can consider ecosystem water needs to achieve sustainable water management, Rohde said.

John Stella, a SUNY-ESF professor and principal investigator on the National Science Foundation grant that funded the study, characterized the work as groundbreaking for the way it combined several big datasets in an innovative way to understand how climate and water management interact to put these sensitive ecosystems at risk.

[The] findings are important for sustainably managing groundwater, not only throughout California, but in water-limited regions worldwide, Stella said. By creatively harnessing and integrating these large environmental datasets, we can now answer resource management questions at a scale that was previously impossible.

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Dozens of people walked Saturday, June 20, 2020, down Main Street in Fond du Lac, Wis., during an Ebony Vision hosted march to commemorate Juneteenth, a holiday celebrating the emancipation of the last people enslaved in the United States.(Photo: Doug Raflik/USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin)

Daisy Frazier has been organizing Juneteenth Day celebrations for more than a decade, sometimes tucked away in one of Fond du Lacs shady parks, other years in a mall parking lot, at the local college and in front of the library.

There was always an abundance of soul food cooking, games for kids and an overall feelingof neighborliness.

This year is different. Black Lives Matter movements, diversity and inclusion initiatives and the overall treatment of people of color are sparking deeper conversations asthe holiday approaches.

On Saturday, inGreen Bay, there's spoken word poetry and a community meal. Milwaukee is hosting a50th anniversary extravaganza with a parade broadcast live and multiple events. Sheboygan's festivities will culminate inthe crowning of a teen royal court.

In Appleton,Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter Musiq Soulchildperformed during a celebration held June 13,along with 100 carnival dancers from Chicago.

Some local governments and businesses have given employees a paid day off for the first time, to honor the African American day of freedom. And some communities, among them Wausau and Stevens Point, are hostingcelebrations for what is believed to be the first time.

These statewide events provide opportunities to take a serious look at the history of people of color in the United States, said Frazier, who heads Ebony Vision, a group workingto foster inclusion. Fond du Lacs festivities run from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday at Buttermilk Creek Park.

RELATED: Milwaukee has long celebrated Juneteenth here's why, and what makes it different from other cities' events

To remember Juneteenth, USA TODAY staff members read an excerpt of the Emancipation Proclamation. USA TODAY

Juneteenth Day commemorates the end of slavery in the United States. The Emancipation Proclamation made slavery illegal, buteven today, Frazier believes true freedom is still only a promise.

Daisy Frazier, president of Ebony Vision.(Photo: Courtesy of Meghan Hyland)

The death of George Floyd while inpolice hands brought the problem of race relations to the forefront, demanding an honest and sincere examination of inherent racism, she said. I think a lot of people are now seeing things through a different lens. Its like a new day.

For fartoo longthe accepted norm has been todo or say something either throughwords or actionsthat exclude minority groups of people, Frazier said.

"Now I see that changing, I see awarenesschanging, andsomeday marginalized people will be included in every aspect of life. It willbecome as natural as breathing once we are able to acknowledge each time an actof exclusion happens," Frazier said.

People gathered June 16, 2018 in Buttermilk Creek Park in Fond du Lac to celebrate Juneteenth. A June 19, 1865, announcement of the abolition of slavery in the U.S. state of Texas.(Photo: Doug Raflik/USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin)

In 1863 during the American Civil War, President Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation declaring freedom for more than 3 million slaves living under Confederate control.

It wasn't until two years after the Proclamation on June 19, 1865 that General Gordon Granger and a troop of Union Soldiers arrived in Galveston, Texas to enforce the end of slavery. At that time, Texas was isolated from much of the war and slaves were still being held captive. The announcement gave freedom to nearly 250,000 enslaved people in Texas.

Within a few years, African Americans in many states were celebrating Juneteenth, making it an annual tradition. It's now an official holiday in allbut three states: Hawaii, North Dakotaand South Dakota.FormerGov. Jim Doyle made Juneteenth Day a legal holiday in Wisconsin in 2009.

Efforts to have Congress declare Juneteenth a federal holiday have stalled.

Green Bay celebrations areslated for noon to 7 p.m. Saturday at Murphy Park, co-hosted by We All Rise: African American Resource Center and Black Lives United. The theme is: Black love, light and solidarity.

Robin Scott, executive director at We All Rise, said while the fight for freedom as a culture continues, Juneteenth Day serves asa catalyst for unity.

Young people will be able to engage and learn about domestic and global happenings for Black culture, and well have Black business owners sharing innovative ideas and products, Scott said. We want to show people its about more than just tolerating Black folks, its being intentional incelebrating, supporting and uplifting.

In Sheboygan, a new organization, Black Community Outreach, has stepped up tosponsorthe noon to 6 p.m. event at Kiwanis Park, said the Rev.Michael Thomas of Community Church. The group was formed to strengthenBlack leadership in the community.

During a time of racial unrest and a lot of tension, we wanted to do our part to unite and uplift the community, Thomas said. And as more people become aware of what we are doing, they are embracing our mission and joining in.

Juneteenth Day should be a celebration for all people, Thomas said, as anacknowledgment of past history and a way tospend time with folks who may be different than you.

Wausau communityactivist Kayley McColley is just 21 and helped organize a George Floyd march last summer that drew more than 1,500 people. On Saturday, she hopes the city's first Juneteenth Day festival will again bring the community together in solidarity.

"This has been an extremely trying year and a half. Between the pandemic and racial tensions, it has been both challenging and demoralizing at times," she said. "But this time, joy and celebration are the catalysts for coming together, as opposed to loss and grief. Im hoping people can come away from this event with a stronger sense of community and an expanded knowledge about Black history, heritage and legacy."

Adrian Johnson, 13, of Fond du Lac, says he wants to promote change through peaceful activism.(Photo: Courtesy of Amber Kilawee)

In Fond du Lac, Adrian Johnson, 13, a student at STEM Academy, said hes working to enact positive change in his community in peaceful ways. Heplans to attend the Juneteenth gathering and has participated inmarches with his family this past year.

He wants to see more young people getinvolved with promoting Black culture and history.

Theres an energy when we come togetherto support equity and some of these bigger issues people are talking about," Johnson said.

Contact Sharon Roznik at 920-907-7936 or sroznik@gannett.com. Follow her on Facebook atfacebook.com/reporterroz/

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Juneteenth Day festivities around Wisconsin give participants a time to celebrate, support and uplift - Fond du Lac Reporter

The General Assembly concluded its 2021 session on June 9th, and I believe we passed significant legislation to bolster the Connecticut economy, maintain the states fiscal stability, and improve the quality of life for all.

I sponsored, co-sponsored and had significant input on many bills this year. As Vice Chair of the Appropriations Committee I am particularly proud of a new state budget that holds the line on tax increases, supports small businesses, our local and state economies, invests in our communities, protects the environment, and supports hard working families.

Over the past 18 months, America learned that the U.S. justice system is not fair and just. We passed several pieces of legislation to ensure Connecticuts judicial system is equal for everyone.

SB 1019, known as The Clean Slate Bill, creates a path toward expungement of low level crimes, protection for undocumented individuals, and provides those with criminal records with the opportunity to support themselves and their families. The legislation is meant for those who have done their time, reentered society, and remained out of trouble.

We passed SB 753 which requires the state to use U.S. Census data in counting incarcerated individuals in the community where they lived prior to incarceration rather than the prison where they are serving time.

With SB 972 the state ends the practice of charging inmates and their families exorbitant fees for phone calls. By signing the legislation, all communications to incarcerated individuals will now be free of charge. This includes costs for communication by phone, video, email, or any other type of communication service.

SB 1 is in response to the pandemic and Washingtons ongoing attempt to restrict access to health care. The legislation includes various provisions related to racial disparities in public health, health care services, pandemic preparedness, and other related topics. The pandemic highlighted how health care in communities of color is not as accessible or of the same quality as health care available in other communities.

HB 5677 requires the Department of Social Services (DSS) commissioner to amend the state Medicaid plan to provide coverage for community violence prevention services. It applies to individuals who have received medical treatment for an injury sustained from an intentional act of violence committed in public by someone other than a family member or intimate partner, and to those referred to receive the services by a certified/licensed health care or social services provider. The provider must first determine that the individual is at a high risk of retaliation or violent injury from another act of violence.

SB 241 is of particular interest to New London. This bill allows the legislature to review the payment in lieu of taxes program (PILOT) to the Port Authority as compared to similar quasi-public agencies. The Port Authority Executive Director must submit a report on port projects and bond funding and an analysis of job gains and losses at State Pier in New London.

We did all this despite the unprecedented challenges resulting from the pandemic. For health and safety reasons, the legislature conducted its business from afar and used technology to remain engaged with citizens and hear their views on the issues. I look forward to putting pandemic restrictions behind us and holding a normal session in 2022 with face-to-face discussions with my fellow lawmakers and our constituents.

State Rep. Anthony L. Nolan39th District, New London

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Nolan Reflects on the 2021 Legislative Session The Connecticut Examiner - CT Examiner

They're popular. They're hated. They're everywhere. Can they be stopped?

Brian Gordon| USA Today Network

In North Carolina, youre rarely far from a Dollar General.

On average last year, a new location opened in the state every eight days. Asheboro, a Piedmont city of 26,000, now has seven stores, four of which are clustered in a three-mile area on the city's south end. Residents hear more are on the way.

Across North Carolina, chain dollar stores are popping up every month - filling urban blocks, rural highways, and suburban strip malls.

In New Bern, six stores sit along the same street, a pair facing each other. In one Wilmington neighborhood, a person can walk to each pillar of the dollar store triumvirate: Family Dollar, Dollar Tree, and Dollar General - in 10 minutes.

Through economic booms and busts, dollar stores have flourished. In fact, crises elevate the demand for their affordable home goods and groceries. The companys stock price has risen 935% since the 2008 recession. In its latest annual report to the Security and Exchange Commission, Dollar General said COVID-19 had a significant positive effect on sales and profits.

North Carolinanow has 930 Dollar Generals, nearly doubling its total since 2008. Only three states currently have more. In 2021, the Tennessee-based company has a goal of opening more than 1,000 new stores nationwide.

Dollar Tree and Family Dollar have smaller footprints in the Tar Heel State, but they too plan ambitious expansion. In its recent SEC filing, Dollar Tree (which boughtFamily Dollar in 2015)statedthe U.S. marketcould support 10,000 additional stores.

Tired of seeing dollar stores multiply unabatedin their backyards, some North Carolina residents have begun to push back. From one city's plan to ban new dollar stores in low-income neighborhoods to anothertown'smulti-thousand-dollar campaign against a single store (featuring a highly-produced music video), North Carolinians have - in just the past few years - galvanized to try to slow down these discount giants.

Propelling these movements are a variety of concerns:access to healthy foods, support for local retail, concerns about crime, and the change of charactersome argue these stores inevitably bring to their neighborhoods.

But whether this resistance will dent dollar storegrowth remains unclear, for while many complain about their ubiquity, people continue to shop at them. A lot.

Though each has dollar in their name, the three leading dollar store brands target different markets.

Dollar Tree sets up primarily in suburbs and sells everything at or close to $1. Dollar General andFamily Dollar focus on lower-income areas and sell a wide-range ofat discounts but for more than a buck. Holding the bigger market share, Dollar General skews more rural; 75% of its stores arelocated in towns with fewer than 20,000 people.

Dollar store aisles are stocked with a wide-range of stuff, from plastic snorkel sets to dog food, light bulbs to onion rings, hair dye to taco dinner kits. Customers typically have their pick between both brand name items and cheaperalternatives.

It's a consistent product, Rick Niswander of EastCarolina Universitys College of Business. When you go in, it kind of looks the same. The types of products that are for sale tend to be the same. It's something that's comfortable, and the price is very low.

Immenseeconomies of scale and detailed logistics, Niswander said, allow these stores to price products cheaply. And insteadof carrying perishable foods that go to waste if unsold, dollar stores focus on more profitable, high-margin items likecleaning products, toiletries, paper goods, drinks, and non-perishable foods.

The construction of new stores is also intentional.

They know exactly what they need, Niswander said. They're going to get better pricing on materials. They know exactly how to make it; they've done it 100 times before.

As of late February, North Carolina had 916 Dollar Generals. For comparison, the state has 192Walmart stores. More than 160 North Carolina cities and towns have at least one Dollar Tree orFamily Dollar. (Family Dollarused to be headquartered in Charlotte.)

Some residents see these stores as convenient. Others embrace them out of necessity.

Im still in college, and we're all broke, said Jessica Petty, a master's studentat UNC Wilmington. So, wego to Family Dollar.

Trends like automation, globalization, union decline, and stagnantwages have hollowedout Americas lower-middle class in a way that's made dollar stores more appealing said Shyam Gouri Suresh, an economics professor at Davidson College.

But while thestores are popular, many say their market saturation comes at the expense of local retail. According to Gouri Suresh, mom-and-pop stores have essentially closed down in part because their traditional customer base has shifted to discount chains.

Others fear the discount chains scare away traditional grocery stores, keeping chunks of the state as food deserts that lack access tonutritious fresh foods. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, close to 1.7 million North Carolinians live in such areas.

Another criticism of discount chains is that they don't do enough to preventviolent crimes. Recent reporting from national outlets like ProPublica, CNN, and NBC News presented claims that low staffing at the major dollar store chains- which tend to be located in higher-crime areas -left employees vulnerable to armed robberies.

North Carolinians have seen these threats firsthand.

One night in February 2018, Brittany Fitzgerald was closing down the Dollar Tree in east Burlington where she worked as an assistant manager. Like every evening, she was carrying cash from that evenings sales which she was to deposit at a local bank. But when she and another employee were leaving the store, she heard a deep voice say, Give me the money and saw a manflash a gun.

The person ran off before Fitzgerald could make a decision, but the experience left her shaken and frustrated. Before the incident, she said she'dasked her managerabout hiring a security guard several times.

We asked for it and nothing was done, she said.

Following the incident, Fitzgerald gave her two weeks notice and landed a new job at another area dollar store. A year later, her old Dollar Tree was the site of an armed robbery.

In a statement to the USA Today Network, Dollar Tree spokesperson Kayleigh Painter wrote: "Our Company recognizes that we sometimes open stores in markets where other retailers choose not to operate and we are proud to serve these underserved communities. We tailor our store operations, current best practices, and security protocols for each store."

Last June, the company partnered with ADT to enhance security monitoring at many of its stores nationwide. Dollar General did not respond to email and phone questions about its security.

Though she no longer works at a dollar store, Fitzgerald still routinely shops at the many around Burlington. Still, she's made a point of avoiding her former workplace.

More: NC mobile home residents take bold step after investment firm buys their park

In pockets of North Carolina, residents have startedfighting against incoming dollar stores, including recent grassroots effortsin thecity of Lumberton and in counties like Guilford and Iredell.

Kennedy Smith, a senior researcher for the Institute for Local Self-Reliance, an advocacygroup opposing corporate control in communities, has seen anti-dollar store movements nationwide gain momentum since around 2018, with "a significant uptick in the last year."

In September, north of Winston-Salem in the small town of Walnut Cove, residents banned togethertolobby local officials against a plan to add a second Dollar General in their community. Thetown only has a population of 1,600, but over the next several months, residents collected more than 1,000 handwritten signatures against thestore.

Many felt the Dollar General would be a terrible fitamid the surrounding residential neighborhood. If it opened, some vowed to boycott.In January, after an hours-long hearing, the towndenied the store's would-be developer, Teramore Development, a permit. Teramore has appealed the decision.

Ephraim Harrell, a Walnut Cove resident and lead organizer of the anti-store campaign, saidTeramore's local developer, who had previously builtmore than 60 Dollar Generals, told him they'd never received this much pushback from a small town.

Perhaps the developer had never been to Transylvania County.

In late 2019, residents in the mountainous western countyorganized against a prospective dollar store along Route 276 near the county seat of Brevard. Fearing the ramifications of another Dollar General in a county that already had six of them, began the No Dollar in the Holler campaign.

Over the next several months, the campaign raised at least $14,000, and thousands signed petitionsin opposition to the store. Some spoke of buying the property from Dollar General's preferred developer, though the price tag was too steep.

Residents packed intocounty commissioner meetings (until the pandemic hit)and gave testimonials ina series of YouTube videos. Some worriedthe stores corporate faade would ruin theregions county character; others argued the store would threaten local businesses. The new storewas to be builton a floodplain, leaving locals concerned more flooding would come to an area thatalready was often underwater.

A few months into the campaign, theBrevard-based band Pretty Little Goat collaborated with Asheville director James Suttles to produce a anti-dollar storeprotest anthem.

There are all these communities that are feeling like they have no voice in the conversation of a big company like Dollar General coming in and buying a piece of land and plopping a store down, said band member Josh Carter.

In May 2020, a group called the Concerned Citizens of Transylvania County sued Dollar General to preventconstruction, citing the threat the store posed to the local population of Appalachian elktoe mussels, a species protected by the federal Endangered Species Act. The sides settled the following month.

Under the settlement, the store could openbut Dollar General hadto take a series of actions -like planting more native trees and maintaining a sediment pond - that metsome local environmental demands. The company also agreed to put up alternative signage that more ascetically aligned with nearby stores.

I think they were extremely surprised with how relentless the community was about this location, said Elizabeth Thompson, aNo Dollar in the Holler organizer. If not for the pandemic, she feels her neighbors would've taken more collective steps against the site.

But while grassroots efforts in communities like Transylvania aimed to stop individual stores, one major North Carolina city has taken the bold step of trying to codify a dollar store ban into law.

More: For NC small towns, apartment boom marks transformative change

Wilmington is a city of beaches, history, and food deserts. The coastal city haseight food deserts,lower-income neighborhoods with no large grocery store within a mile.

Some areas of the city, like the historically Black Northside neighborhood, havent had a grocery store since the 1970s. Less access to fresh foods correlates to higher rates ofdiabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure, and stroke.

Several economic factors may keep supermarket chains away, but city officials believe high concentrations of dollar stores - which sell many carb-laden, sugary, and salty foods - are a key cause.

Weve heard from some grocers that when there are certain types of competition nearby in their service area, it really limits what they can do, said Christine Hughes, the citys senior planner.

This year,the city is updatingits land development code, and officials proposedan amendment that would bar new discount variety stores from opening in food deserts. While no North Carolina city has taken this step,other places, like Tulsa, New Orleans, and Dekalb County near Atlanta, have recently passed similar restrictions. Hughes said results elsewhere have been promising.

Yet not everyone is bullish about a ban.

If youre not going to put up more (dollar stores), but youre not putting in Food Lion, then what am I going to do, Jessica Petty, the UNCW student, said.

Dollar Tree spokesperson Kayleigh Painter said, Dollar Tree and Family Dollar complement and operate side-by-side with grocery stores and bring economic development to every community we enter. Dollar stores help alleviate the effects of food deserts in urban communities by helping serve the underserved.

Two weeks ago, Family Dollar announced it would start selling fresh fruits and vegetables at a small number of its stores nationwide. And Dollar General, which did not respond to requests to comment about its impact on food deserts, has starteda higher-end line of stores called DGX that more resemble traditional grocery stores.

Yet it remains difficult, in many areas of Wilmington, to find a fresh piece of fruit for sale. The local city council plans to vote on the new land development code, which includes the dollar store restrictions, later this summer. With food deserts prevalent in urban and rural places across North Carolina, many other local governments may be eyeing Wilmington to see what a dollar store ban delivers.

Housing: The Airbnb effect: Short-term rentals alter housing markets in rural NC

Related: NC cities want to keep limiting vacation rentals. The state legislature may not let them

April Ziegler wasin the middle of the uproar around Transylvania's new dollar store. Already the manager at oneDollar General in the county, she was slated last year to head the new store her community was rallying against.

In her time as a manager, Ziegler had had a front-row seat to Dollar General's recent rapid expansion across Western North Carolina; the company sent her to soon-to-be-opened stores across the mountains to advise staff on logistics.

"They're not playing," she said of Dollar General's growth aims, noting the chain opened at least three new stores from 2016 to 2020 in Transylvania alone. But instead of backingthe "No Dollar in the Holler" movement,she saw another Dollar General as a simple byproduct of supply and demand.

If you dont want to shop there, then fine, dont shop there, she said. "If people stop feeding Dollar General, then Dollar General doesnt have the revenue to continue their growth. ButIll tell you right now, people that were part of the protesting, who were in the (music) video, they shop at that Dollar General, and that's a fact."

Ziegler remembersone customer, during the height of the protests, asking her to keep his patronage a secret because he was involved in the campaign against the other store. She left the company in the spring of 2020, soon after COVID-19 hit and a few months before the new locationopened.

Elizabeth Thompson said she hasnt shopped at that new Dollar General and has no plans toshop at any Dollar General anywhere in the U.S. ever in my life. Based on the settlement her group reached with the company, she is no longerable to specifically disparage the new Route 276 store.

Reflecting on the campaign,Thompson said she was exhausted".

As the dollar store chains look to enter new areas, the absence of local zoning laws in many rural regions prevents local officials fromstanding in the way.

"We're low-hanging fruit for (dollar store) developers to reach their number goals," Christy Blakely, another "No Dollar in the Holler" organizer, said of Transylvania County.

Even as resistance to new dollar stores strengthensstatewide, some predict the number of new stores will continueclimbing. The chains, and their developers, are motivated to hit their expansion metrics and the local opposition has been isolated.

In its latest SEC report, Dollar General said local government zoning restrictions - like the one proposed in Wilmington -have not materially impaired our ability to complete our planned real estate projects or growth.

Brian Gordon is a statewide reporter with the USA Today Networkin North Carolina. Reach him at bgordon@gannett.com or on Twitter @briansamuel92.

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