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Category Archives: Conservation

Nashville’s Music Row Named 11th Most Endangered Historic Place

News Release: Media Contact: Erica Stewart, senior manager, public affairs 202.207.6795, [email protected]

Release has been sent to: American Press Travel News–Washington (May 30, 2019) – The National Trust for Historic Preservation today announced that Nashville’s Music Row was named to its 2019 list of America’s 11 Most Endangered Historic Places, an annual list that spotlights important examples of our nation’s architectural and cultural heritage that are at risk of destruction or irreparable damage.

National organization sounds alarm; calls for revisions to Music Row Vision Plan and city support for preservation tools to preserve and protect epicenter of American musical heritage

Despite its critical role in the identity, economy, and culture of the city and Nashville’s international reputation as Music City for more than 60 years, vital pieces of Music Row’s historic fabric are being lost to growing pressure from Nashville’s rapid pace of development, most famously—but certainly not only—evidenced by the narrowly avoided demolition of RCA Studio A. By naming Music Row to its 11 Most Endangered list, the National Trust is signaling its grave concern over the rampant non-music industry related development on Music Row in recent years and the urgent need for city lawmakers to preserve and protect this epicenter of American musical heritage.

“Music Row is exactly the kind of cultural district that many other cities have been trying to create,” said Katherine Malone-France, interim chief preservation officer of the National Trust for Historic Preservation. “The sweeping arc of the past and present of the music industry can be felt in Nashville’s modest late-19th century bungalows and small-scale commercial buildings that have inspired and incubated the creation of music for generations. If demolitions and zoning exemptions continue, this one-of-a-kind musical ecosystem will be lost forever.”

Studies and surveys by the National Trust and Metro Nashville’s Planning Department have repeatedly affirmed the community’s strong desire to preserve the historic character of Music Row, yet demolition activity has continued unabated. Since 2013, there have been 50 demolitions on Music Row—many of which have pushed out small, independently owned music businesses within low-rise historic buildings—to make room for new high-rise luxury apartments and offices that have no provisions or set-asides to serve the music industry. The majority of these demolitions (64 percent) were for new development permitted by Specific Plan (SP) rezonings.

“This designation is the happiest we’ve ever been receiving bad news,” said Elizabeth Elkins, vice president of the board of Historic Nashville, Inc. “We are glad that the rapid rate of destruction of Music Row will now be in the national spotlight, as the zoning and ongoing demolitions strike at the heart of our greatest fear, which is the unabated loss of the compelling spaces that are the backbone of what makes Music City both an internationally-known destination and a unique place to live and work.”

The Metro Planning Department recently released its draft Music Row Vision Plan and is accepting public comment on the plan until June 3. Metro Nashville will hold elections August 1 for mayor and members of Metro Council, making this a critical opportunity for citizens and fans of Music Row nationwide to voice their support for ensuring the community and character that makes Music Row a one-of-a-kind cultural district endures for generations.

The National Trust and its partner Historic Nashville, Inc. urge the public to join them in asking the Metro Planning Department and Metro Nashville’s elected officials to make key changes to the draft Music Row Vision Plan and to enact the creation of new preservation tools including:

Discontinue Specific Plan exemptions that ultimately encourage demolitions;
Eliminate recommendations for increased building height allowances anywhere in the Music Row area;
Designate Music Row as a Cultural Industry District in recognition of its unique role in Nashville’s economy and its worldwide significance
Provide support to create a non-profit entity to promote and preserve Music Row that would manage a revolving fund to preserve significant properties for use by music businesses; provide financial options (such as low or no-interest loans) to music businesses for expansion, rehabilitation, retention, and innovation, and promote Music Row to attract new music businesses.

“With the loss of so many historic resources since Music Row’s designation as a National Treasure in 2015, it’s critical that the city coalesces plans to protect this neighborhood—which is internationally renowned for its contribution to music culture—and keeps it viable for the creative class that built our music industry,” said Tim Walker, executive director of the Metro Nashville Historical Commission.

The National Trust’s national audience will be encouraged to sign a letter to Nashville lawmakers urging their careful stewardship of a vital piece of American musical heritage. Learn more at: savingplaces.org/endangeredmusicrow.

The other endangered historic places named to the 2019 may be found here: www.SavingPlaces.org/11Most.

Media Availability:
Representatives from Historic Nashville, Inc., Metro Nashville Historical Commission, and the National Trust for Historic Preservation will be available to talk to the media about the 11 Most Endangered listing and to discuss recommendations to ensure Music Row’s future as the center of Nashville’s music industry.

May 30, 2019, 9:30 – 12:00 p.m.
PLA Media
1303 16th Avenue South
Nashville, TN 37212
Food and drink will be available
Please RSVP to Pam Lewis at [email protected]

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About the National Trust for Historic Preservation
The National Trust for Historic Preservation is a privately funded nonprofit organization that works to save America’s historic places. Visit http://www.savingplaces.org.

About the Music Row National Treasure
Nashville’s Music Row has had a profound influence on the growth and evolution of American music, shaping many genres of music and launching the careers of some of the biggest names in the business over the last 60 years. In January, 2015 the National Trust named Music Row a National Treasure—a designation made in recognition of Music Row’s importance to Nashville’s identity as Music City and to America’s cultural heritage as well as concern for its future in light of recent intense development pressure and demolition activity.

About the 11 Most Endangered Historic Places List
America’s 11 Most Endangered Historic Places has identified over 300 threatened one-of-a-kind historic treasures since 1988. Whether these sites are urban districts or rural landscapes, Native American landmarks or 20th-century sports arenas, entire communities or single buildings, the list spotlights historic places across America that are threatened by neglect, insufficient funds, inappropriate development, or insensitive public policy. The designation has been a powerful tool for raising awareness and rallying resources to save endangered sites from every region of the country. At times, that attention has garnered public support to quickly rescue a treasured landmark; while in other instances, it has been the impetus of a long battle to save an important piece of our history. www.SavingPlaces.org/11Most.
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Traipsing For the “Sain.”


Ginseng; a Health Panacea for Millions, Or Is It?
Ginseng, the “root” of all evil to several health conditions, and the real and perceived boon to assisting in various medical issues.
Many locations near woods and waters Ginseng can be found and has at least a few die-hard seekers of this profitably sold root, traipsing around in those wild places.
Today, there is so much interest in Ginseng that there are television reality shows that follow ginseng hunter’s lifestyle in their pursuit of earning big dollars sales rewards.
Ginseng today is sold in every pharmacy and drug stores in capsule, pill, tea, and oil extracts, forms. Being one of the most well-known herbs in the natural medicine world, ginseng has been in use for a long time in traditional Chinese medicine and other parts of Asia. It has also been used extensively by peoples of North America as a stimulant and treatment for various conditions.

While there are 11 different ginseng species, the term ginseng is applied to both American and Asian/ Korean ginseng. Among these the true ginseng plant comes from the Panax genus.

The active compounds in ginseng which give this plant its therapeutic properties are known as “ginsenosides.” Various ginseng species have different types and properties. As such, each type offers different health benefits with the following being some of the most prominent ones:

Ginseng offers good stress Regulation. Both American and Asian varieties of ginseng have exhibited the capacity to cope with both mental and physical stressors. Individuals who take ginseng for stress management report an increased sense of wellbeing.
This anti-stress mechanism works by controlling the adrenal glands and regulating the stress response and hormonal changes due to stress. When subject to stress, the stress hormone, cortisol, is secreted to counteract stress, and maintain homeostasis ( a good level of “calm.)” But, too much cortisol secretion can be problematic and ginseng can improve this situation by regulating its functions.

Added Ginseng to this pie!!!!!! Great!

There is a long tradition of ginseng-hunting in the United States. It can even be traced from Daniel Boone, the folk hero frontiersman and locally and far more recently to John Frank Warner who was mentored during walks in the woods of the Plateau by his grandpa Warner. “Johnny” became a sort of guru in the ways of the “sain” as it was called in days of yore. He watched his Papa dry it and make medicine out of it. Today and for the past decades John Warner Herb Co. has been a go-to place for Natural Herb Products right on Highway 127 South.
Ginseng, as a medicinal herb, has become a hot energy-drink ingredient, and a trendy remedy for all sorts of maladies. Modern days; Miller, carrying his $2 ginseng-hunting permit, typically finds the leafy plant in Maryland’s Savage River State Forest on steep, shady slopes and digs up the gnarly roots with a long screwdriver.
Hunting ginseng never made anyone filthy rich, but with the plant picked to near extinction in China, where it is long revered, and with Asians prizing American ginseng’s calming properties, a pound (half a kilogram) of high-quality root can net hunters more than $1,000. However, in 2017, the value of an American pound of Ginseng was from $75 to 135 dollars per pound, based on condition of the roots.
Note* at least 15 states have banned the taking of wild ginseng due to it becoming a scarce commodity and so many people digging up private, state and federal wilderness properties. And poaching as seen on recent TV shows is a problem too!
But ginseng can be grown, and the ban affecting state land could be good news for ginseng growers.
There are a few varieties of ginseng: the wild stuff, which hunters dig up in the middle of nowhere; there’s cultivated, which is grown in raised beds, often in artificial shade. – Wisconsin, although known for cheese, is the largest cultivated ginseng producer in the country – and there’s wild-simulated ginseng, which is planted in woods and left to the mercy of nature.
American ginseng was especially widespread along the Eastern Coast of the US, but, due to its popularity (and selling price on the black market), it has been over-harvested (especially in the 1970s). It is illegal to take ginseng from any national park, and national parks are dealing with poachers by giving stiff fines and even jail time to those who get caught.
Ginseng was one of the first marketable herbs in the US, starting back in 1860 when Wisconsin shipped 120 tons of wild ginseng root to China!
Today’s millennials are mostly home-bodies and they aren’t as interested in hunting. They’d rather sit behind their computer and play with their computer games, and go to health food stores or order everything on-line without getting their hands into the “good earth.”

NOTE* Please read my hundreds of articles new and old at: www.AmericanPressTravelNews.com

Scallops-The Seas Comfort Food!!!

American Press Travel News–News Release pass-on-Feb. 20th, Florida—

Oh boy! Scallops, clams, shrimp–Scallops are the finest seafood comfort meal!!!

FWC sets Gulf County 2019 bay scallop season; moves forward with draft scallop seasons for 2020 and beyond in all open areas
At its February meeting in Gainesville, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) set the 2019-only bay scallop season for Gulf County to be Aug. 16 through Sept. 15.
Other 2019 bay scallop seasons were set earlier this year for all open areas except Gulf County. View season dates, regulations and more at MyFWC.com/Marine by clicking on “Recreational Regulations” and “Bay Scallops” which is under the “Crabs, Shrimp and Shellfish” tab.
The Commission also moved forward with the following proposed changes for 2020 and beyond that will be brought back before the Commission at its May meeting for a final public hearing:
Setting the bay scallop season in state waters from Franklin through northwestern Taylor County and Levy, Citrus and Hernando counties to be July 1 through Sept. 24 each year.
Setting the bay scallop season in state waters for Pasco County to start the third Friday in July and run 10 days each year.
Setting the bay scallop season in state waters for Dixie County and the remaining portion of Taylor County to start June 15 and run through Sept. 10 each year.
This proposal will include a reduced bag limit from the start of the season through June 30; with the regular bag limit beginning July 1.
Setting the bay scallop season for Gulf County to be July 1 through Sept. 24 for 2020 and beyond unless modified by Executive Order.
Allow the direct transit of legally harvested bay scallops across areas that are closed to harvest.
FWC will further discuss the draft proposal for Dixie and parts of Taylor County at a public input gathering workshop in Steinhatchee Tuesday, March 5. 

Koko Crater Botanical Garden Oahu, Hawaii

Signage allows casual visitors to understand the what Koko Crater Botanical Gardens is all about. Image: Richard Hines

American Press Travel News-January 20th, Hawaii, USA–Columnist, Richard Hines at Koko Crater Botanical Garden in Oahu, Hawaii–My wife, Pam and I decided to make one more early morning trip before our 6:00 PM flight out of Honolulu. Pam is active with our local Garden Club and one of the Master Gardner’s in our home county in Kentucky. With these credentials, it was obvious flowers were on the agenda, so we opted for the Koko Crater Botanical Garden. It was our third garden tour this past two weeks and while she was busy checking out the names of flowers, I concentrated on photographing some of the local birds.

During the entire trip bird photograph was a high priority and because Koko Crater was not crowded, I was able to photograph as many if not more birds in this garden than any other location we visited. On this morning, I was able to add several birds to our life list plus photograph Zebra Dove, White-rumped Shama, and Red-billed Leiothrix among others.

The 50,000-year-old crater has created perfect growing conditions for barrel cactus and other desert species across the 60-acre garden which is within the 200-acre crater site. We saw an interesting mix of desert plant species from America, Africa, and Pacific locations

White Rumped Sharma. “I enjoy finding birds that live in exotic locals.” image Richard Hines

When you drive in the parking area, you won’t find a visitor station as at other gardens and as we walked through the gate you will find a sign and information brochures near the gate. This the area where you will first notice the grove of Plumeria trees which provided a unique scent as we walked along the trail.
The Koko Crater Botanical Garden is located on the eastern end of Oahu, Hawaii. You will find four major collections which are organized by region (Africa, the Americas, Hawaii, Madagascar). In all there are around 500 trees comprising 200 species that you will see around the 2-mile-long loop trail.