Aquaponics at The Arc

Girl Scout Gold Award project will supply herbs to Panama City Taziki's PANAMA CITY
— Helen Works' Girl Scout Gold Award aquaponics project has taken root at The Arc
of the Bay. "It's better than what I could've ever imagined," said Helen, 17,
during an Aug. 9 celebration in Lynn Haven. Her aquaponics garden features five
herbs — basil, parsley, oregano, rosemary and cilantro — that will be tended to by
Arc of the Bay clients and sold to Taziki's Mediterranean Café for use in the
restaurant's daily dishes at the locations on 23rd Street and at Pier Park in
Panama City Beach. "We have three clients at Arc of the Bay clients who work with
us at the two stores," said Bobby Touchton, owner/operator of Taziki's in Panama
City and Panama City Beach. "Clients can come in and see the rosemary being used in
the rosemary potatoes and the basil in the basil pesto." The herbs also will be
used in The Arc's culinary program, led by Develyn Davis, and complement teaching
on healthy eating choices. "We're excited about it because we teach life skills
here," said Ron Sharpe, executive director of The Arc of the Bay. "We help our
clients who come and learn, and watch them grow. We will assign a payroll, and they
will sell it. ... This has opened many other opportunities to reach out." The
clients will have to pick out the herbs, weigh them and mark them in gallon zip-
close bags. "We'll buy it by the pound at market value," said Touchton,
who initially had approached Sharpe a couple of years ago about Taziki's Herbs
Offering Personal Enrichment project. "The timing wasn't right. He wanted to wait
till he had the staff and the means." The HOPE project, started by Taziki's founder
Keith Richards, is in schools and nonprofits across the country to empower those
with special needs to grow herbs and other leafy greens in greenhouses and sell
them to the restaurants. So, when Sharpe and Touchton learned about Helen's plans
for the aquaponics project, getting on board was natural. Helen received approval
for the project Sept. 1 from the Girl Scout Gateway Council. Her aquaponics herb
garden is a self-contained system that uses the waste from the channel catfish to
provide nutrients for the plants. Water flows from the tanks through the pipes
making contact with the plants' roots, and the water is filtered and recirculated
back to the fish. Cups, with holes in the bottom for the roots, hold water around
the plants, and the pipes easily can be turned off for cleaning. The tables are
low for better wheelchair accessibility by the clients, and the pipes are color
coded to help Arc of the Bay clients care for the different herbs. "My brother
(Colin) has autism, so it was like I sort of had a gateway to watching how they
interact and what helps and what doesn't," Helen explained. "We have to coat the
pipe so it doesn't get sun, and I thought it could be color coded; and it looks
super cool." The tanks have lids to prevent the sun from growing algae. It was
first installed in late spring, and now the plants are beginning to flourish. "The
shade cloth is over it because, in Florida, the heat will roast the plants. ...
This is my project, but the way this system was built, it could easily
expand," said Helen, a Girl Scout Juliette. "Girl Scouts sort of taught me how to
be a good project manager and leader throughout all the years I've done it. ... I'm
able to take something I really like and show my community; it's really cool."
Juliette Girl Scouts are registered members who are not affiliated with a troop and
can participate in events as they fit their schedule. Part of the experience
includes serving the local community through an individual community service
projects. "I want to go to the Air Force Academy and be a mechanical engineer,"
said Helen, a senior at North Bay Haven Charter Academy, who plans to follow in
her father's footsteps. "I looked around for a stem project, and this is
sustainable so you don't have to worry about soil depletion. The community can use
this as a way to grow and conserve resources, a very natural way." Her father, Jim
Works, a retired lieutenant colonel in the U.S. Air Force, also is on the board of
directors at The Arc of the Bay. "After the hurricane, her first concern was if she
could still do the project," said her mother, Karen Works, who added the family has
been living in an RV since Hurricane Michael hit in October. "Helen is doing
engineering studies at North Bay Haven. It's nice to find an engineering project
that's also a social outreach." Karen Works teaches computer science at Florida
State University Panama City, but she previously had taught at Gulf Coast State
College, where she saw the Enactus Club's aquaponics project first hand. "Enactus
Club had a grant to do aquaponics," she said. Part of the Gold Award project
involved Helen securing her own grant. She received $1,000 sponsorship for the
project from Lynn Haven United Methodist Church, which had its buildings destroyed
during the hurricane. "They like to do a lot of service projects," said Helen, a
LHUMC member. "We believe the church is not a building. We are the church in our
physical bodies. We need to go out and help the community, making Panama City
better than it was before and really show the community the love of God." On Aug.
9, members of the community, including LHUMC Pastor Craig Carter and LHUMC Director
of Missions Katie Fanning, Touchton and his wife, Anna, and engineer Mark Fogarty
of the Gulf Coast Chief Petty Officers Association, came out to The Arc to
celebrate the project's completion. "This was a perfect way to get our organization
out there with Girls Scouts and the Arc of the Bay; and it was just fun to do,"
Fogarty said. "We get to feed people, and food makes everyone happy."

Jamaican immigrant revives S. Side neighborhood through gardens, restorations

By GRAIG GRAZIOSI ggraziosi@vindy.com YOUNGSTOWN When William Johnson walked into

his prospective new home in 2011, he noted immediately that he could see the sky,
very clearly, through his roof. There was no skylight. The house is on Chalmers
Avenue on the city’s South Side, and previously belonged to a man known in the
neighborhood as the person you could go to for anything you needed. New sink? Light
fixtures? VHS tapes? It was probably stashed somewhere in his house. By the time
William – a naturalized citizen from Jamaica who had moved to Youngstown from New
York City – decided to check out the house, the elements had taken their toll. It
was listed for $2,225. William called his friend Bill Orock to ask his advice. The
two had worked together as welders at Bethlehem Steel, and William respected Bill’s
insight. “Hey Billy, man, I’m in this house and I’m looking up at the sky,” William
said, apprehension apparent in his voice. “Where in New York are you going to find
a six-bedroom house for $2,225? Buy the damn house. I’ll help you fix the roof,”
Bill replied. It was a compelling enough argument. William handed over the money
and purchased his first home. Just as he promised, Bill showed up and helped him to
fix the roof. Almost a decade later, William has six properties under his belt, a
greenhouse with an aquaponics system and a pond on the way. Six new Youngstown
residents – mostly Jamaican friends and family – have moved to the city to live in
the houses William buys and repairs. He’s no mere flipper. The homes he’s saved –
most of which are located on Chalmers within eyeshot of his own home –would have
been demolished by anyone else. Some of the structures had load-bearing walls that
needed replacement. Others had rotting floors or caved-in roofs. To William, it was
all opportunity. William isn’t interested in a quick buck – he’s investing in his
future. He works his 9-to-5 job, then comes home and gets to work on his
properties. He wants to live in a decent community surrounded by people he enjoys.
So, like so much else in his life, he figured he’d just build it himself. LIFE IN
JAMAICA Seated in the lowlands separating the Caribbean Sea and the Blue Mountain
range, the colorful high-rise buildings of Kingston, Jamaica, break the otherwise
forested horizon of the island. William grew up in Greenwich Town, a residential
neighborhood just north of a coastal strip of industrial plants on Kingston’s
southwestern edge. He and his older brother attended St. Andrew’s Technical High
School, just west of Trench Town, the birthplace of reggae. School emphasized
technical skills; all students took courses in electrical insulation, building,
auto mechanics and technical drawing. After that, students followed specialized
tracks based on the aptitude shown during their initial year. That apprenticeship
model struck a deep chord within William; he learned from professionals on the job.
His lessons were practical, their purpose and importance immediately apparent. His
brother went on to work in pipe fitting. William, who had spent his first jobs
after graduating helping welders on oil refineries, was drawn to pipe
fabrication/welding. He reasoned if he worked as a helper, he’d eventually get his
own helper, plus he could avoid all the complicated calculations that go into pipe
fitting. After working in the trades for nearly 20 years, he decided he wanted to
pass along his skills to kids while working to reduce crime and violence in
Kingston. So he began a nonprofit, Progress for Youth, that targeted inner-city
kids in Kingston, offering them the opportunity to learn a trade in exchange for
their labor. William had no idea starting the program would put him on the path to
American citizenship. ARRIVAL IN AMERICA William applied for a visa to spend two
weeks in the United States for a “peace makers” conference in Virginia at Eastern
Mennonite University in Harrisonburg, Va. His mother and sister were already living
in the U.S. at that point – his mother in New York City and his sister in New
Jersey. On the second day of the conference, William received a call from his
sister. “She told me a letter came saying that my immigration numbers came up. It
asked if I wanted to continue the process of becoming a citizen. I already had a
visa for my conference, so I decided I’d stay and continue the process to become a
citizen,” William said. Apart from having family in the states, William’s
motivations were the same as the long line of hopeful immigrants who came before
him; he was hoping for more opportunity and a better life for himself. So he
stayed, applied for labor jobs through Tradesman International – a skilled labor
staffing company – and got his first American job building a 7-Eleven in Long
Island, N.Y. “At one point on the job, I wondered, ‘Man, am I even going to get
paid?’ because I was working for someone I’d never seen,” William said. “But then I
got a check for $35,000 and thought ‘This really is America.’” He took welding jobs
around the country with Tradesman International before settling in at a job outside
of Pittsburgh with Hennecke Inc. Happy with his employment and with a young family
in tow, he decided it was time to buy a house. YOUNGSTOWN –TODAY William, his wife
Esther, and his three children live in their renovated house on Chalmers Avenue.
The family greenhouse is filled with fresh produce, William raises tilapia in his
basement and his recently purchased chickens will soon provide eggs. He chose
Youngstown because Jamaican friends in Cleveland recommended the city as a place
where he could purchase a home cheaply while still being close enough to enjoy the
culture of the surrounding region. One street over, on Ellenwood Avenue, William is
installing new siding on one of his most recent home acquisitions through the
Mahoning County Land Bank. He has worked with the Land Bank four times to acquire
houses. Deb Flora, land bank executive director, said his work was so admired by
the organization that he eventually became the focus of a trial program, pairing
renovators with land-bank properties. Once the renovators finish their work, the
land bank allows them to purchase the properties. “I have met many well intentioned
people through the land bank. But good intentions don’t always translate into
action. It’s hard work to repair these homes,” Flora said. “I call him the Thomas
Alva Edison of Youngstown because I’m not convinced that the man actually sleeps.”
His aquaponics greenhouse is built from reclaimed wood and plastic. A network of
PVC pipes dominates the central length of the greenhouse. Every few inches holes
are cut into the pipe, just wide enough to accommodate white Styrofoam cups filled
with soil. A variety of vegetables grows from these cups; a cucumber hangs from the
side of one, while a brilliant violet stalk of Swiss chard looms over another. At
the far end of the greenhouse is a small pond that feeds the pipes running through
the building. The orange shimmers of foot-long goldfish and koi wriggle around just
under the water surface. Fish waste is carried through the pipes and empties into
beds of clay balls and rock. The bacteria in the clay breaks down the waste,
converting it into nitrates, which are then carried through the pipes to feed
William’s crops. In the future, the 52-year-old hopes to open a corner store on the
South Side where he can sell fresh produce grown from his greenhouse. “I want
people to be able to walk in and pick what they want right off the vine, so they
know it’s grown right there, fresh,” William said. “For people who maybe don’t know
how to prepare the vegetables, we’d have a little kitchen. All healthy food and
some Jamaican dishes, too.” He’s also planning on starting a Progress for Youth
chapter in Youngstown. The first order of business will be to teach his young
apprentices how to read tape measures. On Sept. 29, the organization will host its
first event, a barbecue featuring reggae and traditional Jamaican food, at 39
Ellenwood Ave. At a time when the city’s institutions are crumbling and people are
leaving in droves, William has doubled down on carving out a community for himself
in Youngstown. “When I was made a citizen, the judge told me to give back to my
neighborhood. I think he’d be proud of this,” William said. “America wasn’t founded
by no coward people. You’ve got to be brave. I believe in making wherever you are
your home, so that’s what I’m going to do.”

Aquaponics, aquaculture event Aug. 22 in Garland

No result found, try new keyword!GARLAND – A comprehensive aquaponics and

aquaculture systems program will be held Aug. 22 in Garland. The program will begin
with registration at 7:30 a.m. and end with a question-and-answer session ...