A home was destroyed by fire over the weekend while its owners, Brady and Jessie Sidwell, were camping. Located at 185 N. 400 West near Preston, the home was old enough that it still had adobe bricks in the walls.

Old wiring, called knob and tube wiring, caused the blaze, said Fire Marshal Scott Martin. This type of wiring was installed before the World War II era, he said. It was intended to be cooled by air and was never designed to handle the electricity loads required by modern appliances, he said.

That type of wiring has largely been replaced in older homes. Martin said hes covered many fires caused by the old wiring, but less in recent years as people have had it replaced.

The fire in the Sidwell home was reported to the fire department first at 4:15 p.m. on Saturday afternoon. They were recalled later that night, then again early Sunday morning.

According to Martin, despite the fire departments use of heat sensors, the fire was able to escape detection between the adobe bricks, and other nooks and crannies common in older homes that have been remodeled.

Because there was no insurance on the home, Martin said he referred the family to the Red Cross for assistance.

See original here:
Fire destroys home near Preston over weekend | Members ... - Idaho State Journal

By Josh Goldman

It's 90 degrees here in our nation's capital but it might feel like the winter holiday season to those who reserved a Tesla Model 3. Expected to have a 215-mile range and sticker price of $35,000 (or $27,500 after the federal tax credit), the Model 3 will compete with the similar spec'd Chevy Bolt for the prize of cornering the early majority of electric vehicle owners.

No other automaker has a relatively affordable, 200 mile-plus range electric vehicle on the market, yet (the nextgen Nissan Leaf will compete too), and one or both of these vehicles may be a pivotal point in the modern shift to electrics. Assuming you're already sold on the benefits of driving on electricity, here are a couple tips for you to consider if you're prepping for an electric vehicle.

There are two main options for charging an electric vehicle at home: (1) 120V charging from an ordinary home outlet and (2) 240V charging from either an upgraded home circuit or existing circuit for a heavy electric appliance like a drying machine.

There is also DC fast charging, but that is only applicable to charging on-the-go and described in more detail below. Before deciding on how to charge, talk with a couple licensed electricians to better understand your home's electrical capacity. Mr. Electric appears to win the Google SEO for "electrician for electric vehicle," so maybe head there for a start.

Electric Vehicle Charging Level 1 (120 volts)about 4-6 miles of range per hour of charge

Electric Vehicle ChargingLevel 2 (240 volts)about 10-25 miles of range per hour of charge

Electric Vehicle Charging Level 3 (aka DC fast charging) (400 volts)Not for home use, but can charge battery up to 80 percent in about 30 minutes

See the original post here:
5 Things You Need to Know Before Buying an Electric Car - EcoWatch

By Debbie CarlsonChicago Tribune

Thinking of a smart home device but don't know where to start?

A smart home device is loosely defined as an object connected via Wi-Fi or a different technology to other things in the home, so that a person can control it remotely from a touch panel or an app on a device, said Carley Knobloch, smart home expert for HGTV.

More people are looking to buy these gadgets. A study by consulting firm McKinsey forecast 29 million homes will become connected in 2017, up from 22 million in 2016. Getting a "connected" home doesn't necessarily mean going out and buying several new devices. Instead, start small, experts said.

Knobloch said first-time buyers should ask themselves what problem they want to solve, rather than buying a device to see how it fits with their lifestyle.

"The truth is, this stuff is all more expensive. How are you going to feel like you made the right investment? How will you stick with it given the learning curve? You also have to know how to keep them updated for security reasons. How to know when it's ready to upgrade and replace completely? It's an uphill climb, and you'll feel the most engaged with it if you're starting with something that will have a huge impact on your life," she said.

Knobloch and Mark Spoonauer, editor-in-chief of review guide Tom's Guide, suggested a few devices for smart home newbies.

Energy-efficiency devices

Smart electrical plugs and thermostats can increase energy efficiency. Smart plugs Spoonauer likes are the relatively inexpensive WeMo Insight ($40) and iHome ISP8 ($50). They turn manual objects like lamps or fans into devices that can be controlled by a remote control or smartphone. They can give energy readouts of how much electricity the plugged-in device is using, and can be turned on or off when the user is away from home and put on an automatic schedule.

The Lutron Caseta Wireless Smart Lighting Dimmer Kit ($190) turns any floor lamp into a dimmer and allows the homeowner to program lights to turn on and off with sunrise or sunset, or to turn on before the user gets home, among other options.

Smart thermostats can improve energy efficiency by learning the homeowner's schedule and can give the user information about energy usage and ways to improve efficiency. While the Nest Learning Thermostat ($250) is popular, Spoonauer likes the ecobee E3 ($245), which has a sensor that can be put in the chilliest part of the house to ensure proper temperatures. These thermostats can be difficult to install if a home doesn't have modern wiring, but Spoonauer says home improvement stores are beginning to offer installation services.

Speakers

Smart speakers, like Amazon's Echo ($180) and Google Home ($129), "took the whole industry by surprise with how much it's been embraced in the home. It started out as a way to play music or answer questions, but it's really developed far beyond that," Spoonauer said.

The speakers have developed into smart home hubs, as they are compatible with other smart devices, like smart plugs and thermostats, allowing users to operate all their smart devices by voice commands.

"You can do so much more with it, and what you can do is expanding over time," he said.

Although Home doesn't work with as many devices as the Echo does, for people who already use other Google products, like email and their calendar, it's a good option.

"Some people are a little worried about what Google knows about you, but that's one of the benefits, in a way. Because it knows more about you, it can set your schedule and have it read your email (among other tasks)," he said.

Garage-door openers

Of all the smart devices she uses, Knobloch said, the smart garage-door opener is her favorite. What she likes about the garage-door opener is it can be controlled simply by the phone app or manually with a clicker, if needed. She likes the Liftmaster MyQ series (about $350 installed).

"It's fantastic for the kid who is constantly out on the street playing, leaves to go to a friend's and leaves the garage door open," she said.

She can check remotely to see if the door was left open and close it from her phone, and can set it to alert her if the door was left open for 10 minutes or more. Plus she can let people remotely into the house while she's away.

"It's freedom and control over a gaping security part of my home," Knobloch said.

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Smart home devices for newbies to try - Worcester Telegram

Welcome

Fulton Grass Co.is a family-run farm on the banks of the Red River in southwest Arkansas. We have been in the sod grass business since 1985, starting with just 40 acres of sod. In the past 20 years, we have grown to just over 1,000 acres, split about equally between Celebration Bermuda, Certified Tifway 419 Bermuda, and Certified Crowne Zoysia, which we have exclusive rights to grow inArkansas and Louisiana.We pride ourselves in producing top quality, sandy-backed sod, ideally suited for climate conditions in this region.

Fulton Grass Co.is a member of Turfgrass Producers International, a professional organization committed to

We are alsomembers of

With our sod quality and customer service, we strive to reach and exceed the expectations of

Fulton Grass Co.has installed turf for many area golf courses and ball fields (football, baseball, softball, and soccer). We have the ability to harvest and install grass from sprigs to big rolls. We will work with you to determine the best and most economical grass applications for whatever your needs may be.

Directions We are located in Fulton, Arkansas just4 miles from I-30, only22 miles from Texarkana and 16 miles from Hope, Arkansas.

From I-30, take the Fulton Exit #18. Turn south and follow the gravel road4 miles to Fulton Grass Farm. The office will be on your right with a sign in front.

791 Hempstead 1 Fulton, AR 71838

Phone: 870-896-2407 Fax: 870-896-2497

If you cannot reach us on the phone, please Email us:

Continue reading here:
sod | Fulton, Arkansas | Fulton Grass Co.

Question: We sprayed weeds in our lawn with weed killer and killed them, but a lot of grass died, too. We used a product that was not supposed to kill grass. This is not the best time of year to plant grass, so what can we do to fix this?

Answer: I have seen several lawns in my neighborhood with stripes and spots of dead grass due to improper use of weed killers. First, let's make sure you do not do this again. There are chemicals that kill all plants on contact, and some even sterilize the soil so no new plants can grow for a while. Even though it may seem obvious, these plant killers will kill the good plants in flowerbeds and on the lawn. Sometimes they kill lawn grass even with very low doses.

Be very careful when using them. Do not use them on windy days, and be sure to spray close to the plant so mist will not spread and hit other plants. It is best to use a separate spray bottle or spreader for this type of chemical. Washing the sprayer out several times very thoroughly with soap and water will reduce the risk of problems but not eliminate them. If they are not washed out very well, the next use of the sprayer may kill lots of plants.

You may need three sprayers: one for plant killers, one for broadleaf weed killers and one for other pesticides. I label mine with permanent marker, so the plant killer spray is never used for anything else.

Lawn chemicals intended to kill weeds but not grass can still kill grass when applied incorrectly: in the wrong dosage, at the wrong time of day, during the wrong season or at the wrong time in the grass's life cycle.

Too much of a good thing can be a problem. Never add more chemical than what is recommended in the directions. If the grass is newly planted and has not become established, it is very likely to have problems with weed killers. Grass under stress from hot weather or drought conditions is more sensitive to herbicides.

Sometimes the grass plant is not entirely killed; the top leaf blades might be chemically burned, but the crown of the plant is still alive. In this case, the plants will recover quickly. Water and fertilize the lawn, and it should respond favorably.

If thin strips of grass or areas smaller than the size of a saucer are dead, it can grow in from the sides. Again, water and fertilizer will help the grass along the edge of the dead areas to fill in the areas. Leave the dead grass in place as protective mulch, and watch for weeds that may sprout.

One of the problem weeds that may sprout is grass that does not match the existing lawn. Watch the color, shape and size of any new grass that sprouts in the dead areas. Weed grass will not look the same and should be pulled when it is noticed. It is often a lighter green color, and the leaf blade is usually much wider than that of lawn grass.

If the dead areas are large, you will have to re-seed or sod the lawn. Matching the type of grass will help the new lawn not look like a patchwork quilt. If you can find out what kind of grass plants were used and buy more of that seed or sod, you will be very lucky. Very few people know what they have in the lawn, let alone their landscaper.

Planting sod to fill in the dead areas is generally difficult due to the size and shape of the dead spots. Digging each spot out so the soil levels of the sod and the existing soil match is difficult. Cutting out sections of the lawn to match the size of the large sod rolls is costly.

If you want to seed the dead areas, get as good of a match to the species and varieties as you can. Planting new seed in large areas during the summer is hard, even without watering restrictions that exist in many towns. Spread the seed into the live grass areas around each dead area. It is often best to re-seed the entire lawn so the new and old grass varieties will visually blend together.

Excerpt from:
Be careful when applying weed killers - Sioux City Journal

As TinCaps fans tentatively find their wet seats amid the raindrops before a recent Thursday night game, head groundskeeper Keith Winter can be found in his usual spot alongside Parkview Field's third base line.

Standing less than five feet from the team's tarp, which weighs close to a ton, Winter prepareshimself and the rest of his crew for their latest battle against inclement weather.

We lead the world in 6:30 p.m. tarp pulls, Winter says to an array of familiar faces, including Winter's assistants, Jake Sperry and Ryan Lehrman, TinCaps president Mike Nutter and the Bad Apple Dancers, each of whom falls to Winter's side when duty calls.

Winter's team can do little more than repeatedly check smartphones for weather updates, the fate of first pitch hanging in the darkening skies, a narrative all too familiar in a wild season that has seen at least 12 inches of rain more than the usual year.

Only a few days before, without a cloud in the morning sky, it was a different story for Winter and his assistants, who cover more ground than TinCaps outfielders Jorge Oa and Jack Suwinski do during games.

It's hurry hurry hurry, wait, hurry hurry hurry, wait. That's baseball, Winter shouts over the roar of a mower before returning to trimming grass by the foul line.

When Winter's day isn't dictated by weather, he's making sure his team comes home to a tidy office.

It's June 27 and the TinCaps have an early batting practice at 2 p.m., which means Winter and his grounds crew have been out beautifying the field since 10 a.m., hardly the earliest start of the season for a trio that's battled firework debris, egg-laying moths and Mother Nature.

It all feels worth it when the gates open and the fans arrive.

When somebody walks through any of these gates, what's the first thing they're looking at? The field, says Winter, who has been with the TinCaps since 2010.

While the groundskeepers pour their blood, sweat and tears into what was named Best Ballpark in America by Stadium Journey in 2015, Winter, 58, is worried the younger generation may not want to be a part of what can be an unforgiving business.

It's a dying breed. Most young guys don't want to work and put in the time outdoors, says Winter, who has to endure menial tasks like dragging the batting cage across the field and painting the clubhouse in the offseason.

See that thing rolled up? Winter asks, pointing toward the third base side at the tarp, almost an afterthought as the sun beats down on itspolyethylene surface. When you're playing with that thing all day, it beats you up. It chases men who are good at this job out of the business because they get tired.

Nutter may run the team, but he rolls up his sleeves like many staff members to tackle the tarp, a beastly task when it's heavied by rain.

It's the days when you're taking it on and pulling it off three times. It's more mental than physical, Nutter says. You're just like, 'What in the world are we doing?'

Nutter, whose time with the organization stretches almost 20 years to now-razed Memorial Stadium, believes Winter is a rarity.

(There's always) that little voice that says, 'We can do this tomorrow,' and (Winter) will not cave, Nutter says. He does an amazing, amazing job. Winter is a machine.

Under Winter's guidance, the TinCaps have won six Turf Manager/Grounds Crew of the Year awards in the Midwest League, no small feat.

You get physically drained, but if you recharge your battery with a strong work ethic and desire to do things right, you just keep going, Winter explains.

And it's clear Winter, Sperry and Lehrman are more than a crew; they are a family.

For us to grow within the industry it's seeing the bigger picture of not just certain duties but taking what we learn on the field and transferring it to life as well, said Sperry, who's worked with the grounds crews of MLB's Detroit Tigers and Baltimore Orioles. If we have a good looking baseball field, then we've killed two birds with one stone.

There are reasons to be optimistic about the rigors of grounds keeping at places like Parkview Field, which contains engineered soil with a compound of sand, silt and clay that didn't exist 10 years ago and is intended to holds up under rainy or dry conditions throughout the season.

Everything that we use here is a specialized type of thing, and technology, and being able to research those materials, and understanding what they do and how they work, yeah, that's all played a big part in how things are changing for grounds keepers, Winter says.

The biggest commitment toParkview Field's future may have come in2012, when Kentucky Blue Grass was ordered from a turf company inColorado for the 3-year-old field.

I love that part of designing a field and putting the right materials and the right drainage and the right irrigation because that plays a huge role in how that field's going to maintain itself for the rest of its life, Winter says.

We paid more money to get (the grass) here than we did for the sod, but I felt this grass was the best grass in America and I still do.

For the thousands of people Boy Scouts, high school teams and TinCaps fans who have roamed the outfield and run the bases, it truly feels like the big leagues. Keeping it as nice as PNC Park, Busch Stadium or Camden Yards in the MLB is the goal for Winter, who previously worked with the Great Lakes Loons and has gotten to rub shoulders with the likes ofClayton Kershaw, Dee Gordon and Carlos Santana before they were big-league stars.

Because he aspires to help assistants move up from Single-A baseball, Winter has pledged that if any of them gets to run an major league grounds crew, he will finish his career working for them. Two of his former assistants work for the Cincinnati Reds and Pittsburgh Pirates, so it could happen.

For now, though, Parkview Field is home.

I mean, look at this day. What's bad about that? Winter says, stretching his arms out to figuratively embrace the stadium. There's no better place to work than this.

acandor@jg.net

Read more from the original source:
More than keeping grass green - Fort Wayne Journal Gazette

The community will soon be seeing green at the site of the South Lake Tahoe Community Playfields on Al Tahoe Blvd.

Thomas Haen Company of South Lake Tahoe, a long-time local General Engineering contractor and two local subcontractors, Ron Fuller Construction and Earth and Stone Landscape were awarded the contract by the City of South Lake Tahoe to create two fields adjacent to the Lake Tahoe Community College (LTCC) soccer field.

Last year, Burdick Excavation Company and Ed Cook Tree Service cleared the area and prepared it for this next phase.

On July 11 there will be a pre-construction meeting, with the actual construction to start soon after. The contracts will amend the soil and then start installing real grass in large sod rolls according to Chuck Taylor, the City's Associate Civil Engineer. He said it will take about two months to get the grass in and another month and a half to establish the root system of the natural sod.

Automated irrigation will also be installed.

The fields are configured side by side and are FIFA (Federation Internationale de Football Association) standard natural grass soccer fields to meet the requirements for competitive college soccer and to serve multi-sports and play activities for the community.

Recognizing the value of recreation in South Lake Tahoe, along with the need for trails, fields and parks, Measure S passed by voters in 2000. It brought in $6,500,000 to be used to maintain new bike trails, acquire, construct, and equip athletic fields, upgrade of Paradise Park facilities and construction of an ice rink. The measure promised three new fields in South Lake Tahoe, they got one. Now, this new project gives the community the other two through a joint effort between the City and LTCC. The increase in popularity of soccer at the college has resulted in their needing more play time on the one soccer field on their property, leaving the community to need the other fields.

Excerpt from:
Work on new South Lake Tahoe play fields to start mid-July | South ... - South Tahoe Now

Photo: istockphoto.com

Q: I started seeing brown patches on my lawn at the end of spring. They seem to have grown in size and number since then. Whats causing this, and how can I correct it before it takes over my turf?

A: Brown patches of dormant, dead, or dying turf is hardly unusual, as they plague grasses of all varieties and can be caused by a number of factors ranging from extreme weather and poor soil conditions to pests and fungus. Whatever the culprit, brown grass should be assessed and addressed ASAP: If the underlying problem is severe enough, the pesky patches could eventually destroy your lawn. So find out the cause early and treat your turf accordingly to restore it to its former green glory.

Wait out droughtor water properly. If brown grass appears or worsens with scorching temperatures, and fallen tree leaves on the surrounding lawn have shriveled, this can be a sign that the problem is drought. Its natural for grass to go dormant to conserve water during periods of limited rainfall, and drought-induced brown grass should turn green on its own as the weather cools and rainfall increases. You can also restore your lawn by giving it an inch of water on a weekly basis with your lawn sprinkler. You may need to adjust a sprinkler head to ensure that there are no spots on the lawn that the sprinkler isnt reaching. Remember to water early in the day, before the suns heat burns off the water.

Restore your soils pH balance. When soil pH is too alkaline or acidic, iron chlorosis, a type of iron deficiency affecting plants, can take root in your lawn and lead to yellowor in severe cases, brownpatches. Check your soil pH is with a home soil testing pH kit available at your local home center or nursery for about $10. If the pH is higher than 7.2, apply sulfur to your lawn as a short-term solution for lowering soil pH and improving the color of grass. Generally, the higher the starting soil pH and the loamier or more clay-based the soil, the more sulfur it needs. Sandy soil with a starting pH of 7.5, for example, only needs 10 to 15 pounds of sulfur per 1,000 square feet to reach an optimal soil pH of 6.5, while a loamy soil of the same pH needs 20 to 25 pounds of sulfur per 1,000 square feet. As a long-term solution, reduce the frequency with which you water the lawn, as over-watering reduces iron uptake in grass and can lead to repeat cases of yellowing or browning.

Photo: istockphoto.com

Lay off the fertilizer. Excess salt from fertilizer can build up in grass, scorching it and turning it brown. Your lawn might have this fertilizer burn if brown spots appear one to two days after fertilizing the lawn and the spots follow the pattern of where you applied the fertilizer. Act fast to beat the burn, watering until the ground is thoroughly saturated to help leach excess fertilizer out of the grass root zone. Then apply an inch of water to the lawn each day for the next seven days to flush out the fertilizer salts from the grass roots. If grass fails to re-grow completely, you can either sow new grass seeds or lay sod over dead turf spots. In the future, avoid over-feeding the lawn by applying fertilizer only in the manufacturer-recommended amount and frequency. Choose slow-release fertilizers to improve absorption and reduce the risk of fertilizer burn.

Weed wisely. Weeds and tree roots siphon vital nutrients from fertilizer and water that would otherwise go to grass, leaving you with a dry brown lawn. To treat, dig up the weeds or spray the lawn with a selective herbicide that targets weeds but leaves the grass undamaged. Follow up weed removal by spraying pre-emergent herbicide over the lawn to prevent new weed seeds from sprouting.

Fight the threat of fungus. Fungus thrives in hot, humid, moisture-rich environments, and stagnant water on your lawn helps it fester. Once conditions like Brown Patch Disease take root, you might notice thinned-out brown grass in a ring-like pattern, possibly affecting a large area of turf. If you spot these symptoms, apply fungicide to smaller affected areas, or call in a lawn care specialist if the problem is widespread. Avoid over-dousing your lawn, and stick to a morning watering schedule, to keep fungus at bay. To reduce the risk of fungal disease, mow the lawn weekly, aerate it twice a year, and clear thatch (shoots, stems, and roots that accumulate on the soil surface) when it rises to about an inch in height.

Dont let your lawn be grub for grubs. Grubs, the larvae of beetles, spend their summers feeding on the roots of turf grassand as the grass decays, brown areas emerge. To determine if this is a problem, simply dig into one of the brown patches and look for milk-white creatures curled up into a C-shape. If you spot 10 or more of these grubs per square foot of sod, a grub infestation is the likely culprit of your lawns brown patches. To be rid of the pests, apply either a chemical like carbaryl or natural grub control like nematodes (roundworms) over the lawn. In two to three weeks, new green shoots should start to emerge.

Have pets do their business elsewhere. You love your furry friends, but canine and feline urine contains salts that can kill grass and leave behind round, brown dead patches that arent likely to go green on their own. Revive dead turf by covering it with a layer of ground limestone (2 to 5 pounds per 100 square feet) to restore the soils pH balance, then let the limestone sit for a week before covering it with topsoil and planting new grass seeds. In the future, you can replace an area of your lawn with mulch and let your pets go thereor better yet take them for walks!

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Solved! What to Do About Brown Grass - BobVila.com

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Continued here:
Find office space, retail space and industrial space ...

Posted: 7:15 a.m. Friday, July 07, 2017

The developer says Hobe Sound Station will bring a stylish retail center with the feel of Worth Avenue to a desolate section of U.S. 1.

But several locals in this laid back Martin County area say they like their neighborhood businesses just fine.

Theres no fun, no energy, no imagination along this stretch of U.S. 1. People leapfrog Hobe Sound. They go north to Stuart or south to Jupiter, said John Doyle, who is building the $7 million retail/office center. Crawdaddys Nawlins Grill & Bar and Lynoras restaurants are scheduled to open when construction is finished early next year about one mile north of Bridge Road on the east side of U.S. 1.

RELATED: MORE NORTH AREA NEWS FROM THE PALM BEACH POST

About four dozen condos the tallest would be 40 feet with prices starting at about $600,000 are planned. So are a neighborhood market with a gas station and a retail/office building. An Aldis grocery store may go in on the other side of U.S. 1, on the site of the former Horsefeathers bar.

Not everybody in Hobe Sound, an unincorporated area of about 15,000 residents north of Tequesta, is excited about the Mizner-style Hobe Sound Station. The 40,000-square-foot center is the first major development along U.S. 1 since the Publix Plaza was built about 15 years ago.

Hobe Sound doesnt want to be Palm Beach. We dont want to turn into another Abacoa. Were a very seasonal, quiet community. This project has Hobe Sound residents very nervous, said Harold Jenkins, a lifelong Hobe Sound resident, owner of a local landscape business and Martin County commissioner who represents the Hobe Sound and the Jupiter Island area.

Martin County, which has about 160,000 residents about one-tenth of Palm Beach County has a well-earned reputation of being a high hurdle for developers.

Hobe Sound Station is leaping that hurdle and could start of a flurry of unwelcome growth, said Jenkins.

Supporters of the project disagree.

They say Hobe Sound Station is a planned neighborhood that will fill commercial space along a desolate urban corridor. That four-mile stretch on U.S. 1 from Bridge Road north to Osprey Street has a Winn-Dixie plaza, a dog grooming store, a vaping shop, a recreational vehicle dealership, a couple of coffee shops, restaurants, auto parts stores and a nursing home.

The Palms Inn Hotel and adjacent restaurant closed three years ago. The building is vacant.

What that urban corridor does not have are residences with nearby upscale places to shop, dine, window shop or have a beverage.

Thats the niche Hobe Sound Station will fill, said Doyle.

(Hobe Sound Station) is not ringing the dinner bell for uncontrolled growth. We are the beneficiary of controlled growth between Jupiter and Stuart. We want to continue that controlled growth, said Doyle, who also built The Medalist and Old Cypress Village luxury residential communities on U.S. 1 in Hobe Sound. Doyle lives in the Medalist.

Businesses and families will be attracted to a walkable community, said Angela Hoffman, the executive director of the Hobe Sound Chamber of Commerce.

Hobe Sound Station is not urban sprawl. Its not tall buildings. Its a good start to attract more infill projects to enhance our community, said Hoffman.

Harry MacArthur, whose family has owned Harry and the Natives restaurant on U.S. 1 and Bridge Road for 65 years, doesnt buy it.

Martin County has fought to keep things small. We like it that way, said MacArthur, whose wood-paneled restaurant just north of Bridge Road offers live music, breakfast and pig roasts. Trinkets made by local artists are for sale at the door.

Others counter that new construction will pump dollars into the local economy.

Vic Pepitone, the owner of nearby Hobe Sound Produce on U.S. 1, agrees that Hobe Sound residents dont want major development. But Pepitone also wants more customers to buy his seafood, vegetables, fruits and boiled peanuts.

More people means more business, Pepitone said.

The tough part, says John Martin, who sells bait in Reel Life Bait & Tackle across U.S. 1 from Hobe Sound Station, is keeping a balance.

Locals are not looking for bigger restaurants and businesses. They like the fact that Jonathan Dickinson State Park separates them from the hustle and bustle of Palm Beach County, said Martin.

Yeah, we need the economic boost. But growth isnt something locals are used to, said Martin, who moved to Hobe Sound in 1985 from West Palm Beach for a calmer lifestyle.

Non-local restaurants will have a tough time attracting locals, said Sam Lenz, a longtime Hobe Sound area resident who owns Fog E Vapor vaping shop on U.S. 1.

People around here like local places where they know the owners, like Harrys, Lenz said, referring to Harry and the Natives restaurant. Its tough to break into the in crowd in Hobe Sound.

The next step for Hobe Sound Station will be winning approval for the Aldis, the neighborhood market with gas station and the 46 condominiums.

It wont be easy, said Harold Jenkins, the Martin County commissioner who represents Hobe Sound.

Martin County is ruled by extremes. People are either totally against development, or they are totally in favor of it. When (Doyle) makes those other proposals, there will be a lot of opposition, said Jenkins.

HOBE SOUND STATION: IN THE WORKS

* Approved: 15,000-square-foot area planned to open early 2018. Crawdaddys Nawlins Grill & Bar and Lynoras expected to open.

* Submitted for approval: 6,000-square-foot building neighborhood market with gas station adjacent to restaurant building

* Planned: 18,000-square-foot commercial/retail office planned adjacent to restaurant building

* Planned: 46 condominiums, gated community to be called The Preserve. The two- and three-bedroom units will start at about $600,000.

* Planned: Aldis grocery store on the other side of U.S. 1, at former site of Horsefeathers bar.

Read more:
Will retail complex revive Hobe Sound or make it Harbourside Place? - MyPalmBeachPost