Pointers
Yesterday was Mother’s Day – a busy day in our home as we honor the three women in our family who make life special.
Fresh off the hugs, kisses, and reminiscing that takes place on this special day, I sat down in my chair, flipped to the first story I needed to proof, and started reminiscing again.
I couldn’t help it.
Our intrepid John Kneer (“The Starting Point” page 30) had written a compelling overview of an ambitious project he recently completed for the city of Stevens Point, Wisconsin – which is also home of the Pointers and the university where my Mom and Dad met.
Like all family tales, the story of how my parents both happened to end up at the University of Wisconsin – Stevens Point, how they met, and how my Dad wooed my Mom, are well known – as was the path they walked together that led from Wisconsin to Ohio, from teaching jobs to five kids and more education, more degrees, and jobs in the financial services sector.
Looking back, it’s a remarkable path from the family farm to a completely different reality and, somehow, seems the perfect anecdote for this issue’s theme – water and the beautiful features they create.
Much like my parents’ wandering path to Ohio, water is a powerful, almost mysterious force that can be hard to contain, manage, or predict. Take a look at our feature, “On The Edge of Spectacular” by Bob Gorman (page 26), and you’ll see how difficult it can be to contain and control the water that encompasses the growing trend of designing rooftop pools.
Or, consider the advice of Christopher Estes, who takes us through “Stormwater Infiltration” (page 18), and the practices that are moving more and more to the mainstream in communities throughout our land regardless of the composition of native soil.
But, of all our features, the one that really captured my imagination was Kevin and Diane Sloan’s “Biofiltration Street” (page 22) – which offers a glimpse at the change we all know absolutely has to happen in how all of us view our personal landscapes (yards) and how we use the knowledge we’re gaining daily to better manage our natural resources and help create a future brighter than the one envisioned by the scientific community.
Just like I’m sure we’ll eventually move away from fossil fuels, I’m also sure we’ll eventually find a way to live in greater harmony with nature without sacrificing the conveniences we’ve come to know and love.
Watching that all come together is going to be fascinating, don’t you think?
Enjoy!
Rodney J. Auth
Publisher
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