Latest news with #greenway
CBS News
11 hours ago
- General
- CBS News
Santa Rosa retired custodian helps breathe new life into downtown greenway
A retired custodian and his volunteer group are helping breathe new life into a greenway they call the crown jewel of downtown Santa Rosa. For Robert Ashe, the Prince Memorial Greenway is an oasis of natural beauty in the heart of the community. I want people to feel good, comfortable down here," Ashe said. But Ashe didn't feel good when he started bicycling to work along the pathway in 2021 during the pandemic. "It was very heavily populated. There was a lot of debris on the ground, all over the place. It was making me sad," the Santa Rosa resident told CBS News Bay Area. Ashe began picking up trash before he started his day as a custodian at Park Side Elementary School in Sebastopol. "At that point, I was probably picking up 4-5 bags per day," he recalled. Others joined in as he founded the group Friends of Prince Memorial Greenway in 2021. They help care for the 1.3 mile long greenway, on both sides of Santa Rosa Creek, from near City Hall to Pierson Street on one side, and from Olive Park to Santa Rosa Avenue on the other side. "The goal is to show off the greenway and the potential it's always had. It's just never been given an opportunity to shine." Ashe explained. About 20 volunteers with Friends of Prince Memorial Greenway work with the city and county to pick up trash, from bedding and clothes to cigarette butts. They also pull weeds and overgrown vegetation, and scrub the rails on the bridges. Volunteer Jack Cabot said Ashe leads by example. "All this time he's been here at 6:30 in the morning. He's quite meticulous and doesn't miss anything." said Cabot. Ashe has become the greenway's ambassador. Since he retired last year, he volunteers along the trail a few hours every day. He tries to stay ahead of the garbage left behind. It doesn't take long, less than five minutes, to fill a small plastic grocery bag with trash on a short walk along the creek. Ashe and the Friends of PMG are also drawing more visitors to the greenway. They've helped restore American Disabilities Act access routes to the creek, cleaned up vandalized murals, and painted the plaza that's on the back side of the Hyatt Regency Hotel. Volunteers even printed a brochure for distribution, inviting visitors on a walking tour of the greenway. So visitors, like Chayo Alvarez, can enjoy the fruit of the revitalization efforts by Ashe and his volunteers. "Just doing what he loves to do, it's such a blessing to have someone like him who has such a beautiful heart," Alvarez said, smiling. Ashe said the cleanup efforts are making a difference: although he observes the same amount of trash, he says more of it is ending up in the garbage bins. And that motivates him to keep going. "I've got to be down here doing it. It's just something I have to do," he said. For beautifying the Prince Memorial Greenway, this week's CBS News Bay Area ICON Award goes to Robert Ashe.
Irish Times
17-06-2025
- Lifestyle
- Irish Times
Semidetached Rathfarnham four-bed overlooking the Dodder for €950,000
Address : 56 Dodder Road Lower, Rathfarnham, Dublin 14 Price : €950,000 Agent : Mullery O'Gara View this property on Dodder Road Lower, beside the gentle murmur of the Dodder river, was developed between the 1930s and 1970s. Number 56, which has just been launched to the market, was constructed in about 1956 along with three identical semidetached neighbours. Its location is becoming a sought-after spot due to recent improvements in the area: The newly developed Dodder greenway passes along the road and restrictions to through-traffic have resulted in a much lower volume of traffic. The stretch of the river that number 56 faces, especially near the weir, is one of the most popular spots for wildlife photographers in Dublin. Regular visitors include otters, herons, badgers and foxes, and this run of water is also a hotspot for the elusive kingfisher, which for many is the star attraction along the leafy banks. But with 13 other bird species in the area, according to Birdwatching Ireland's website, any day of the year a stroll here is sure to be interesting in terms of wildlife. The linear park along the river has more than 100 hectares of green spaces, with trails, parks and sports fields, and the greenway here is destined to become Dublin's next signature amenity with its continuous 17km route beginning in the Dublin Mountains and ending at St John Rogerson's Quay on the river Liffey. Hall A livingroom overlooks the front garden Family room in the open-plan space A patio leads on to a south-facing terrace Kitchen Dining space Number 56 appears on the Property Price Register as having last sold in 2018 for €600,000. Since then owners have extended and upgraded the home, which is a five-minute cycle from Templeogue and a short stroll from Rathfarnham and Rathgar. READ MORE Having a south-facing aspect, the semidetached house is light-filled and has a great sense of flow throughout its 101sq m (1,087sq ft). Off the hallway is a cosy livingroom that opens into a family room, which in turn leads into the kitchen/dining area, in a space created by a new extension. Both the livingroom (which can be closed off for privacy and peace) and family room have fires (an open fire and a stove, respectively) for warmth in the winter, while the large patio doors and overhead Velux window allow much passive heat to the kitchen and dining area thanks to the south-facing aspect. The property has four bedrooms A garden room lies to the rear A weir on the Dodder River is across the way from the house and is a great spot for birdlife Upstairs are three bedrooms: two fine doubles and a single, along with a family bathroom. When the extension was taking place, owners converted what was a garage into a fourth bedroom, which now lies opposite the livingroom in the hallway. [ Bavarian farmhouse transposed to lakeside spot in Co Leitrim, for €500,000 Opens in new window ] Outside is another selling point. There are the lovely Dodder walks across the road, and the rear garden has been landscaped with raised beds and a generous patio with a large garden studio that has a multitude of uses. Extending to 45ft in length, there's plenty of garden space for adults to dine and kids to play on summer evenings. Out front is parking for about three cars behind electric gates. The property, which has a Ber of C2, is on the market through Mullery O'Gara seeking €950,000.
