WHAT HAPPENED TO SHOE POLISH?

Nope...not kidding!

In a world that accepts tossing all things no longer needed as long as it is recycled, what happened to shoe polish?

I know... a strange affiliation, so let me explain.

My experience in 6th grade was dominated by the fact that I had to wear oxford shoes. You know...the ones that were white with black leather across the lace area. Wow...they were ugly! But, because they were predominantly white, shoe polish was an absolute necessity.

Skip 40 plus years. Now, when our shoes begin to show wear and tear, how many of us toss them? I have 2 such pairs of shoes. Other than the scuffs on the toes and heels, they are still perfectly good. However, I was accepting the fact that I was going to have to replace them soon.

Then...I watched my husband get out a shoe shine kit straight from his fathers era. He smoothed on the polish and buffed them to a beautiful shine in a matter of minutes. Sadly, it had never occurred to me that I could polish my shoes back to their original look.

Tonight, I asked my husband if I could use his shoe polishing kit. I rubbed on the polish and then buffed away. Voila! I had shoes that were wonderfully comfortable and looked like new!

So, my question stands and cries out for expansion. What else do we assume has lost its life when all we really have to do is buff it a little?

LAND PARK COMMUNITY ASSOCIATION ANNUAL MEMBERSHIP MEETING

Be sure to put March 16th, 2011 on your calendar! Land Park Community Associationwill be hosting its annual membership meeting on that night at Eskaton Monroe Lodge at 3225 Freeport Blvd. Starting at 6:30, the members will be updated on current issues facing our neighborhood and get an opportunity to share with the board their concerns.

The featured guest speaker will be Councilman Rob Fong who will share with us his view of current issues facing the city and the Land Park neighborhood. We will be voting in the new Land Park Community Association board as well...so we will need your vote!

Other items on the agenda are an update on the Sacramento River Crossings study and the associations role in that study, an update on the upcoming April 16th Egg Hunt and Taste of Land Park and developments regarding the Sacramento Zoo and the possibility of a steam train extension.

These are all important events and we encourage you to come and participate!

LAND PARK COMMUNITY ASSOCIATION ANNUAL MEMBERSHIP MEETING

Be sure to put March 16th, 2011 on your calendar! Land Park Community Associationwill be hosting its annual membership meeting on that night at Eskaton Monroe Lodge at 3225 Freeport Blvd. Starting at 6:30, the members will be updated on current issues facing our neighborhood and get an opportunity to share with the board their concerns.

The featured guest speaker will be Councilman Rob Fong who will share with us his view of current issues facing the city and the Land Park neighborhood. We will be voting in the new Land Park Community Association board as well...so we will need your vote!

Other items on the agenda are an update on the Sacramento River Crossings study and the associations role in that study, an update on the upcoming April 16th Egg Hunt and Taste of Land Park and developments regarding the Sacramento Zoo and the possibility of a steam train extension.

These are all important events and we encourage you to come and participate!

SACRAMENTO RIVER CROSSING

The Sacramento River Stakeholder Advisory Group, in which I participated as the Land Park Community Association representative, concluded its eight-month long series of meetings in December with a recommendation that not one, but two new bridges are needed in Sacramento.

Working with consultants under the guidance of the transportation departments of both West Sacramento and Sacramento, the stakeholder group had been tasked to help develop a recommendation regarding the placement of the next bridge over the Sacramento River. The final report (available on the "crossings" page at landpark.org) ultimately recommended bridges north and south of the Pioneer Bridge (Interstate 80) and further study of each area.

Based on discussions at Land Park Community Association meetings, a survey, comments submitted personally and electroncially, many Land Park residents support a neighborhood friendly, well designed connection with pedestrian and bicycle capacity. Support for a bridge quickly disintegrates, however, when the purpose of the first bridge-which, according to City of Sacramento staff, is to relieve commuter congestion on busy freeways-is understood.

After soliciting neighborhood input, the LPCA board voted to support additional Sacramento River crossings in principal "as a catalyst for connecting communities and elevating regional livability". The LPCA further concluded that the initial bridge (the utilitarian, commuter-style bridge) be placed near the railyards development and closer to the planned multi-modal transportation hub - a conclusion clearly supported by the study data.

My thanks to Mark Abrahams for his permission to share his article.

SACRAMENTO ZOO...A LAND PARK GEM!

Maagizo is a magazine published by the Sacramento Zoo each quarter. It is worthy of the time it takes to read all of the great information shared in this publication.

The Sacramento Zoo is a small regional zoo that is housed in about 14 acres and is over 80 years old. Now, you might think that this translates to a neighborhood zoo. Not so! Here is just a little bit of the information gleaned from Maagizo:

The Association of Zoos and Aquariums helps sponsor a program referred to as the Species Survival Plan. It works to ensure the long term survival of species that might otherwise be endangered. Here are a few of the creatures our Sacramento Zoo is helping:

a newborn Sumatran Tiger
Red River Hog piglets
White-faced Whistling ducklings
5 Fulvous ducklings
7 Burrowing owlets

The Sacramento Zoo also supports global conservations efforts in conjunction with other organizations. One of the main efforts by the Zoo is protecting Grevy's zebras in Kenya through holistic management of community rangeland. Other efforts are the International Snow Leopard Trust and the Hornbill nest boxes for the Thailand Hornbill Project. Locally, they support the International Bird Rescue and Research Center in Cordelia, California.

There is so much more including partnerships with the Monterey Bay Aquarium and the Seafood Watch Program and the Giant Garter Snake Recovery Program.

This is a vital part of not only the Land Park community, but the region as a whole. It deserves our support...or at least a visit or two!