Now that the snow has melted from my yard I can see some problems. In some areas, the grass is matted down, and in the morning sun it shines and shimmers like it is covered with spider webs. Is this an insect problem? Is there something I should do to correct it, or is my grass dead? Thanks for your help. Lou, Racine.

Spring arrives in a big wet mess in our yards some years, and after the constant snow cover the spring melt reveals lots of unpleasantness. Challenges that might greet you include vole tracks (1-inch wide runways through the grass), yellow spots (do you have a dog?), and matted grass with either sliminess or white patches on the surface.

Shimmery patches of white, spider-web type of growth on your lawn is not an insect issue, nor a spider or mite issue, but a fungal disease called snow mold. There are two types, gray and pink, but what I am seeing mostly is gray snow mold. The bad news is that it is not a very attractive disease, and makes your lawn look a bit slimy. The good news is that it is easily remedied by light raking of the grass but even if you dont rake, the grass will recover.

The snow mold only thrives under the cool, moist protective layer of snow. Once the snow melts and the grass (and the fungal organism) is subjected to the warm, bright sun the fungi will die. The damage, at that point, is done. But the damage is only on the grass blades and should not affect the crown of the plant where new growth emerges. If the patches are raked to loosen the matted grass, sunlight and air will penetrate to the crown more quickly, allowing a faster recovery. If the grass is not raked, new grass will eventually push through the matted grass after a little more time.

It is always a good idea to correctly identify your problem before trying to fix it. In this case, no treatment is needed, which means you save money, time and the environment by not purchasing and applying either an insecticide or a fungicide. Creating a healthy lawn through proper maintenance goes a long way in reducing chemical input and minimizing damage.

The snow apparently was covering up some lawn problems, I have runways of dead grass all through my yard, there are brown stripes running all over. When I can I seed these areas and get my lawn greened up again? Deb, Caledonia.

Voles (also known as meadow mice) can do a lot of damage to the lawn when we have snow cover. They love snow as it gives them protection from hawks, coyotes, dogs, and cats, who all think voles are fabulous food. As voles run through your grass under the snow they feed on any and all available plants and insects. Through that process they make tracks in your lawn. If you follow their trails you will find one of their favorite winter snacks, the tender bark of your small ornamental trees and shrubs.

Voles can kill trees and shrubs if the chewed bark encircles the plant. When spring arrives and buds are breaking, watch those plants at the end of the vole trails to see if they bud out. If not, it could be that damage right at the soil line is severe enough to kill the plant.

Next year consider using hardware cloth (a wire mesh that can be used to cage plants or protect the base of tree trunks) to surround your trees and shrubs worthy of protection. This year consider the meadow mouse habitat and change some of your landscape habits to discourage them from making your landscape their happy home. If you have an evergreen ground cover like pachysandra or creeping juniper, you may have a perfect environment for voles. If the damage is severe, you might want to trap and kill the voles to reduce their population.

The damage to the lawn should repair itself in time if proper healthy lawn care practices are used. If seeding is needed, wait until May when the soil is a bit warmer to seed the damaged areas.

More:
The Root of it All: Snow mold in the lawn

Cedar Grove Baseball players and coaches at last seasons opening ceremonies at Victory Road Park. Photo by Bill Forry

Cedar Grove Baseball has linked up with two of the nations leading youth baseball organizations this year, an innovation that league organizers hope will boost their player development and enrollment in the coming years.

The new affiliations with the Babe Ruth and Cal Ripken programs will give Cedar Grove access to higher-quality safety and training sessions and open up new lanes of competition with the potential to compete in regional and national tournaments.

The league is currently enrolling players from Dorchester and Mattapan with hopes of increasing their base of players by 10 percent this year. The league plays on city and state ball fields in Neponset, Cedar Grove, and Lower Mills. The season begins in mid-April and parents are encouraged to sign up their children as young as age 4 by the end of this month.

Were certainly going to enhance our outreach and we hope more and more young people realize that there are opportunities to play baseball here in Dorchester, said Cedar Grove Baseball president Charlie Maneikis. Part of the boards decision is that we now have a brand awareness with Babe Ruth and Cal Ripken that can help with that.

Aside from new uniforms that will include new identities with the affiliate leagues, Maneikis says that parents and players will see a difference right away in the pre-season preparations. There will be training sessions held at the Marina Bay Sports Complex, an indoor facility that Cedar Grove used on three occasions last year to help prepare players and coaches. This year, Maneikis said, there will be seven workout and practice sessions held at Marina Bay.

Over the next few years, one additional tangible change that will become present in our offerings as a result of our new affiliation will be more specialized skill building clinics, said Maneikis. By leveraging the terrific videos that are now available to us and by being connected to teams and resources throughout Eastern Mass, we will be able to create very focused, creative, and fun skill-building clinics. We did survey our parents this year during the registration process, and as a result, we know that parents are very much interested in these potential offerings.

Another important off-season development is a planned makeover for the Dorchester Park ball field that serves the youngest Cedar Grove players in the clinic divisions. The city of Boston using a grant from a private foundation plans to spend $35,000 on a mini-facelift of the Dot Bowl next month. The funding comes through the Boston Parks and Recreation, courtesy of the Highland Foundation and the Boston Red Sox.

The kids are gonna love it! said Maneikis. Renovations will create an actual look and feel of a small diamond with new clay and actual base paths.

Meanwhile, Maneikis said, the Cedar Grove league itself will spend another $5,000 this season on seeding and treating the grass at the ball fields they use. Thats on top of $5,000 spent on the same treatment last year. The idea of the lawn chemical and re-seeding program is to enhance the good work thats already being done by the guys and gals from the city and the DCR. It should mean even earlier greening and thicker grass.

See the article here:
New season, affiliations for Cedar Grove Baseball league

Kenneris filled with subdivisions that developers gradually installed as the metropolitan population expanded west roughly half a century ago. With each new neighborhood came some way of signifying their entrances. In addition to basic signage, there were gazebos, guard stations and landscaping.

The structures and other assorted features were as much for aesthetic enhancements as for marking territory. As such, neighborhood associations were keen to keep them looking nice -- and to do so with city money. Until the early part of last decade, the way to do that was to go chat with the district council member, who would typically have no problem getting approval from the full council.

There was no rhyme or reason to getting the money, nothing to define eligible expenditures or limit the amount spent. Requests could range from three to six digits. Then, a little more than ten years ago, the state auditor blew the whistle, calling the city out for failing to establish a public purpose or otherwise setting a criteria for handing out the money. The funding spigot dried, the entryways suffered.

Now the spigot is turning back on, but it'll run at a measured rate. The council on Thursday (March 19) passed an ordinance setting forth the circumstances under which the city will fund neighborhood entryway maintenance projects.

There's a $15,000 limit. Associations must request the funding via standard application in which they demonstrate the public purpose. The money must come from capital improvement money allocated to each councilman, ensuring no additional hit to the general fund. Funding for new structures will be available only if they are on city property; existing entryways in need of maintenance will have grandfather status.

"They've got to articulate the public case," said 5th District Councilman Dominick Impastato, who sponsored the ordinance. "This isn't just for building a swimming pool for exclusive use."

Impastato acknowledges that some might argue the associations ought to raise the funds amongst themselves. In his view, however, the community suffers when outward-looking facades fall into disrepair. He's also hoping the measure will help rejuvenate associations that are lagging or dormant.

"I envision a situation where we are rebuilding, say, a sign in a particular neighborhood that has a civic organization that hasn't been very active," Impastato said. "Maybe we can rally the neighborhood and say 'hey guys, that new sign is going in next week. Let's all get our hands out there in the mud. We're going to put some sweat equity into it.'"

Read the original here:
Kenner's neighborhood entryways to get a little help

Following public hearings, the Union Board of Aldermen Monday night unanimously approved two conditional use permits for local developer Ed Schmelz.

The board will take action on a separate rezoning request by Schmelz at the April 13 board meeting.

An ordinance was approved allowing construction of a country club in the R-3 multifamily district of Stoneridge Estates, which is located east of North Washington Avenue and north of CC Camp Road.

The club, or community center, will be for subdivision tenants only, and will include a gym, laundry facility and meeting room.

The permit has several conditions, including that the meeting room will be open from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. with card access; the gym and laundromat will be open 24 hours each day; there will be a minimum of 15 and maximum of 20 parking spaces and the occupancy is limited to 41 people at one time.

Senior Housing Unit

The second permit approved was for a planned unit development for the Independence Valley subdivision north of Eve Estates Drive south of Independence Drive, and between North Union Avenue and Church Street.

Plans call for 74 units in the 55 and older community.

The development will include gazebos, a lake and sidewalks throughout the subdivision, Schmelz said.

Alderman Karen Erwin asked estimated prices for the units.

The rest is here:
Board Approves Club, Senior Housing Requests

Police are searching for the suspect who allegedly shot a 67-year-old businessman while he sat in the driveway of his Hempfield home on Thursday morning.

Harold James Marietta was shot in the neck with a handgun as he sat outside his house along Penn Valley Road near Hunker, state police spokesman Stephen Limani said.

Marietta was conscious when he was transported to a Pittsburgh hospital, where he was listed in serious condition, Limani said.

While police searched for the suspect, nearby Stanwood Elementary School and the Central Westmoreland Career and Technology Center were put on lockdown after the 7:30 a.m. incident.

The lockdowns were lifted later in the morning, state police said.

Police used dogs and helicopters in an attempt to find the suspect, who reportedly was wearing a light-colored hooded sweatshirt and gloves. He fled south on foot after the shooting, police said.

Hempfield Area School District Superintendent Barbara Marin said parents were told about the lockdown about 9 a.m. through the district's emergency notification system.

We felt it was in everyone's best interests to lock down the school, Marin said.

Earlier this month, someone entered Marietta's home through a garage door and took two handguns and $1,500, according to a police report.

Marietta, his wife and others founded Laurel Highlands Fence Co. in 1992, according to the company's website.

See the rest here:
Man shot outside Hempfield home, Stanwood Elementary put on lockdown

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