Puyallup, WA For 40 years Olympic Landscape and Irrigation has been dedicated to helping its customers transform their yards and gardens into stunningly beautiful outdoor spaces. Founder and owner Neil Hedman states, The success we enjoy is due in large part to our design staff and installers. Our designers are very gifted in blending landscape architecture with the customers desires. Our installers are craftsmen in their trade, bringing the design and material together to produce terrific yards. I am amazed when I go to the sites and see what they have accomplished. Our people truly love what they do.

Fresh out of college with a degree in Botany, Hedman started with a dream in 1977 of creating a sustainable landscaping business after working for another landscaping company. From the early days of three guys and a truck with walkie-talkies, Olympic Landscape and Irrigation has grown to 30 employees with sophisticated computer-based design services and state-of-the-art products.

Landing the contract for landscaping at the Tacoma Dome was an early success for the company that has gone on to complete landscaping design projects for hundreds of customers throughout the South Puget Sound.

Through sluggish economies and big changes in technology, Hedman says he has learned a lot about how to run a successful business. Creating a great workplace culture is the best way to ensure longevity, creativity, excitement, and quality. For me, its a lot like being an excellent conductor. You put together a great team who are excellent at their individual instruments, you know the piece you want to be played and have a good idea how to get there. Throw in a little fun and love into the mix, and you are sure to hit a high note, notes Hedman. We are thankful for all of our customers who have become part of our history. They have been a pleasure to work with and we have developed many good friends over the years. Were looking forward to continuing this adventure into the future, states Hedman.

Olympic Landscape and Irrigation Co. has served the Puget Sound area since 1977. Located in Puyallup, Washington, our family-owned company provides customers with landscape design and construction, sprinkler and outdoor lighting service, and backflow assembly testing. Using our 40 years of experience, we provide creative design and craftsman expertise to create beautiful outdoor living spaces for our homeowner customers. These reflect the individual lifestyle and interests of each customer, for both new construction and remodel landscape projects. Our goal is always to provide thoughtful service, innovative design and technical excellence.

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Olympic Landscape and Irrigation Hits a High Note - The Suburban Times

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OKLAHOMA CITY-Oklahomans are fighting what you might call a bug battle, or even an all out war. June bugs are showing up in droves.

Reports of swarming June bugs showing up at night anywhere there's a light are popping up all over social media, but they're hard to ignore in real life.

"At nighttime I'll open my window and then they'll just be flying in," said Somara Roseberry, a city resident."They're loud and their feet are super sticky to my skin, and that just freaks me out," she said.

For some people, it's more than just a nuisance.

"We went to Whataburger the other day and there were so many June bugs flying around," said Jacob Mattinson,out with his girlfriend,Stephanie Hunt,"and that's her ultimate fear, June bugs. So of course when she's handing money to the guy, she has to keep the window rolled up as much as possible."

OSU Extension Educator Ray Ridlen said most of the beetles are reaching the end of their two-year life cycle.

"The adults don't have much of an exciting life and so if you have outdoor lighting, they're going to be attracted to the light," Ridlen said.

He said they come out at night to breed before they die.

"That street lamp is like a singles bar for the June bar," he said.

Ridlenwarns that people should start laying down curative grub control mid-August to September.

The females lay their eggs in the lawn, about 50 eggs at a time. Those will then hatch, eat up the lawn, and return topermeate the airin a couple years.

35.467560 -97.516428

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June bugs out in swarming numbers, Oklahomans cannot ignore them - kfor.com

Merced Sun-Star

Major Projects Underway Across Merced City School District Merced Sun-Star Meanwhile, Hoover Middle School is receiving new LED outdoor lighting, and all of our campuses now have surveillance cameras as well. The next projects on the horizon include vast improvements to Fremont Elementary and Galen Clark Preschool, along ...

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Major Projects Underway Across Merced City School District - Merced Sun-Star

THE CHALLENGE

Jill and Jeff Martinez recently added a 20-by-10-foot screened porch to their Silver Spring Tudor. They would like a dining area that can seat six (ideally with a wrought-iron table like the one Jill had when she was a child), as well as a place to relax. They need furniture that can stand up to the outdoors and want a traditional look that suits the style of the 84-year-old home. They prefer blues, greens and neutrals and are also looking for a color to repaint the siding.

THE PROPOSED SOLUTION

Designer Susan Jamieson uses a blend of materials and finishes to give the porch a vintage look that doesnt seem overly decorated. The result is that pieces seem like they were collected over time. She adds sconces and outdoor lamps to provide light for reading and keeps the ceiling fan to allow for overhead lighting and air circulation on warm days.

JAMIESONS SUGGESTIONS

Use a variety ofseating options to maximize space.Brighten the space by painting thesiding a pale neutral, such as Comfort Gray by Sherwin-Williams. Go lighter for the trim, with Big Chill from Sherwin-Williams.Add color with a bold blue door, such as Turkish Tile from Sherwin-Williams.For a more intimate feeling, use outdoor table lamps instead of overhead lighting.Bring the outdoors into thespace with lotsof plants. Whimsical bee-themed doormats (not shown) are a nod to the owners beehive.

Jamieson, with Bridget Beari Designs (804-321-4747, bridgetbeari designs.com), is based in Richmond.

SPLURGE OR SAVE

SPLURGE: Turquoise scroll patio chairs ($258 each, themine.com), left. SAVE: Del Rey stacking chairs in Dove Gray ($90 each, pier1.com).

SPLURGE: Palmetto all-weather wicker sofa in black with Sunbrella cushion cover in natural ($2,348, potterybarn.com), left. SAVE: Platinum outdoor wicker sofa with drainable cushions in scene ivory ($1,995, wicker paradise.com).

SHOPPING GUIDE

Furniture: Charleston 72-by-42-inch rectangular wrought-iron dining table ($370) and wooden backless garden bench in sky blue ($250), both from hayneedle.com; Park Meadows white stationary wicker lounge chair with midnight cushions ($219), Isabella lattice white metal outdoor bench ($199) and Statesville rectangle steel outdoor coffee table ($99), all from homedepot.com; Grandparents outdoor side table in sage ($190,themine.com); lattice circle large side table ($249, crateandbarrel.com).

Accessories: 16-inch ikat mandala geometric outdoor pillow in navy ($33), geometric wacky stripe 16-inch outdoor pillow in navy ($42) and geometric Lil Diamond Jill 16-inch outdoor pillow in soft green ($32), all from walmart.com; Santorini stripe 8-by-11-foot outdoor area rug in blue ($299) and Clare outdoor lamp in cobalt/white ($249 each), both from frontgate.com; large Roadside wall flower in silver ($40, target.com); potted moss ($13) and London blue hurricanes in small and large ($33-$47 each), all from crateandbarrel.com; Liam Collection one-light bronze outdoor wall sconce with frosted glass ($50, homedepot.com); bee welcome mats ($24 each, cloztohome.com); Mamba resin 18-by-17-inch square planter ($50, lowes.com); Giana indigo decorative bowl ($48, wayfair.com).

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Creating an easy, breezy screened porch with a classic, curated look - Washington Post

By Gabrielle SavoieDomaine

Some myths never die, especially when decorating is concerned. In the world of design, small spaces are a beast all their own and they require their own set of decorating rules. That said, the rules that people think apply to tiny spaces aren't always the right ones. Case in point: White walls don't always make your space look bigger.

"I've said it before and I'll say it again, big is not always better," Shannon Vos of Vos Creative tells Inside Out. "And with housing options shrinking by the second, that's a good thing. But this means we need to be clever with our design choices." Ahead, he explains the top three decorating mistakes he always sees in small spaces and how to avoid them:

Dollhouse furniture

"We often make the mistake of creating miniature versions of the bigger rooms we really want," says Vos. Instead of picking mini rugs and sofas, dare to make a few risky statements: Pick an oversize sofa, go for a large bold rug or push your furniture away from the walls. Give your room less but use more impactful pieces.

Poor lighting

"Almost nothing has the power to transform a room like good lighting can," Vos claims. By the same token, bad lighting can quickly ruin a room. The designer recommends using as much natural light as possible and steering clear of downlights. Instead, a good variety of sconces, table, and floor lamps arranged around the room cast a much more flattering glow and contribute to making the space feel more intimate and comfortable.

The white myth

"Sure, painting a room white is safe but it's also boring," says the designer. "While the general rule is that lighter walls and floors give the illusion of more space, our aim is to create depth and to do this we need to layer tones and textures." Instead of painting everything white, he recommends creating subtle tonal disparities with surfaces like whitewashed floors and pale fabrics. As for small rooms that have very little natural light: going dark is the best option.

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3 small-space mistakes that secretly make interior designers cringe - The Providence Journal

Kara Mann, an interior designer with offices in New York and Chicago, describes herself as a punk-rock classicist. Two years ago, she launched a furniture collection with Baker/Milling Road, and recently completed the renovation of Chicagos Talbott Hotel. Shes also currently working on two properties in Californiaa single-family home in Napa and one in Palm Springs, as well as a traditional estate on the lake in Winnetka, a suburb of Chicago.

Ms. Mann has also recently been named interior designer and interior architect for 1000M, an upcoming 350-unit skyscraper coming to Chicago.

She started her career first as a fine artist and then as a fashion and interiors stylist, opening her interiors firm in Chicago in 2005 at the request of several clients.

More:Beautiful Homes Pop Up in Some of the Most Unexpected Places, Says Daniel Libeskind

We caught up with Ms. Mann to discuss her happy real estate accident, her go-to advice for others looking for their dream homes and much more.

Mansion Global: Describe your dream property.

Kara Mann: It would definitely be a beautiful, old historic house with great proportions and great views. Thered be integrity to start and then I could maybe make modifications if needed. Im kind of a nomad so I could live many places. I cant narrow it down to one dream spot.

MG: Do you have a real estate property that got away?

KM: I walked away from a deal in Chicago on closing, because there was a problem with the seller. But I took a walk and happened upon a place thats been my home now for 10 years. Im happy that one got away.

More:Miami-Based Architect Is Not Afraid to Build on Stilts

MG: What does luxury mean to you?

KM: For me, its not necessarily about a palatial house, but a home thats built with interest, integrity, restraint and a strong sense of design. Something with soul. It has to have the necessities of life in a well edited way and a beautiful way.

MG: Where are the best luxury homes in the world and why?

KM: Anywhere thats connected to a really vibrant city, and people will always want to live there. Or reversely, somewhere thats completely remote with access to great amenities. Those are two extremes that fit the bill.

MG: Whats your favorite part of your home?

KM: I love my apartment. Its unique architecturally. Its in a 1920s building, and was like a jewel box. There was so much architectural integrity when I bought it, and then I made minor changes that were thoughtful. Its very unique, and almost feels castle-like.

More:Architect Helmut Jahn on the Need for Innovation and Boldness

MG: What best describes the theme to your home and why?

KM: Simple elegance. Its not over designed. I like a simplicity of life and thats how I live.

MG: Whats the most valuable thing in your home?

KM: Ive started a great art collectiona chair by Rick Owens; a collection of rugs. And I cant forget my clothes, of course. But honestly, the most valuable things are the moments I have there with my family and friends. Everything else are just objects.

MG: Whats the most valuable amenity to have in a home right now?

KM: An amazing location or a really killer view. Thats the first step to get you into a space.

More:Click to Read More Luxury Real Estate Professionals Share Their Insights

MG: Whats your best piece of real estate advice?

KM: Follow your gut. Environments evoke emotions. Listen to what your gut is telling you. When you walk into a space and you just know it, tune into that. Its always worth a stretch, even.

MG: If you had a choice of living in a new development or a prime resale property, which would you choose and why?

KM: Im a sucker for old and historic spaces, so thats what I would tend to gravitate toward. But you need to be willing to make changes. You need both time and money for that.

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Chicago-Based Interior Designer Says Nothing Beats a 'Killer View' - Mansion Global

Local residents may have noticed some construction taking place on the campus of MacMurray College.

The City of Jacksonville, with help from Hutchison Engineering, is finalizing a streets and sidewalks project on South Clay between College and State using motor fuel tax funds.

Vice President of Hutchison Engineering Jim Burke serves as the Project Manager for the citys Transportation and Municipal Services Department. Burke explains the type of work being done at the location.

The proposed project includes the removal and re-installation of existing curb and gutter. The curb that was there had dilapidated to a point that it wasnt serviceable anymore, so were removing it and installing new curb and gutter. Behind that curb and gutter, we will be replacing handicap ramps and some sidewalk. At the completion of that work, then there will be milling and overlaying South Clay Avenue from College to State Street, says Burke.

He says that the work currently being done near MacMurrays campus will wrap up the South Clay project.

This is actually the final piece of the Clay Avenue project to connect Morton up to State Street. A number of years ago, we did the section of Clay Avenue from Morton up to College, and this small section was remaining. So this project finalizes that out and improves some safety concerns for MacMurray with students crossing Clay Avenue mid-block, and upgrading the facility for better parking, better road quality, Burke explains.

As for a timetable for the project, Burke says it work will continue for the next few weeks, but that its scheduled for completion before MacMurray kicks off the 2017-18 school year in mid-August.

Continued here:
City putting finishing touches on South Clay project - WLDS-WEAI News

The front of the Way Station in Greenville provides an example of the need for rehabilitation, with unsafe and uneven sidewalks and lack of proper wheelchair access. Photo by Maggie Wells

Downtown Greenville is in it for the long haul. The Highway 89 Rehabilitation Project is in full swing and the projected completion date has moved from July to fall.

For some in the downtown area, the construction is seen as a spur-of-the-moment intrusion on what has always been. Theres been plenty of talk at neighborhood hangouts of, If it aint broke, dont fix it. But for those following along at home, the project is not a Johnny-come-lately attempt to have pretty sidewalks and streetscaping, but a decades old process with plenty of opportunity for public input.

Three weeks ago, an independent contractor was called in to assess the corner of Main Street and Hwy 89. There was concern that water tanks and other large vehicles would not be able to make a left turn toward the county barn and that logging trucks would not be able to maneuver turns onto North Valley Road. Proponents of the current Rehabilitation project pointed out that loaded logging trucks dont normally make turns onto North Valley Road as they are headed instead to the mill.

But the plan, with the backing of a former resident with influence, has now changed the design on the corner of Main and Hwy 89 to accommodate such use. The plan revision will extend construction into the fall. Opponents of the project had hoped an independent assessment would halt construction. Some have also voiced concern that the public was not consulted in the process.

The plan for the Highway 89 Rehabilitation Project is a few hundred pages and addresses the failing infrastructure of over a hundred years of changing building codes, uneven sidewalks, disintegrating pipes and culverts, and poor drainage.

The plan for the project has changed over time, taking into consideration public comments combined with available funding. In 2010, for example then Feather Publishing staff writer Alicia Knadler reported that the project would sport native accent trees along the continuous sidewalks and plenty of bike lanes and parking with a left-turn lane by the high school. She reported on an open community forum night hosted by Caltrans that week in 2010.

In a Caltrans document from July 2010, titled Greenville Drainage and Streetscape Project, the purpose of the project was spelled out and made available to the public.

Some of the existing problems addressed in that report included drainage facilities that failed to capture runoff and convey it to its natural drainage and that many areas lack curb and gutter installation. Problems that have not gotten any better in the seven years since the document was compiled. The floods of spring 2017 speak to the need for drainage improvements.

Driving issues were a concern in the 2010 document including intersections with limited sight distance and vehicles, including logging trucks, speeding through downtown.

The lack of two-way turn lane limits traffic operations and increases delays along the route was also a concern spelled out in that report, especially in front of the high school.

Finally, it was acknowledged then that none of downtown was ADA compliant and provided minimum mobility for the elderly and wheelchair bound.

The final plan as executed in 2017 seems to be a combination of the three design options listed in the July 2010 document. The roads have had seven years to deteriorate further.

A Regional Transportation Plan dated January 2010 describes the collaboration between the county, its transportation commission, Caltrans, the board of supervisors, the streetscape committee and public comments in addressing factors and concerns of the public and businesses in downtown Greenville.

But the plan didnt start in 2010. In 2008, a Department of Public Works schedule indicated that ADA consultants would be called in to address the lack of accessibility of much of downtown to wheelchair access.

Also, a side note in the schedule addresses the lack of knowledge anyone at the time had as to the extent of sewer repairs that might be in order.

The Streetscape Committee in a final report in 2008 titled Greenville Streetscape and Revitalization Plan makes its recommendations in a document prepared by Integrated Infrastructures. While much of the document addresses beautification (planters, better lighting), the bulk of the recommendations are pragmatic and an obvious attempt to make the streets safer for pedestrians, children and the elderly.

Cars stack up by the high school and slow down the highway. Kids need to cross the highway safely. Weve watched elderly women crossing from Hot Springs Road with shopping carts and fast cars whizzing by, said one streetscape committee member.

We need better visibility. Safe sidewalks that all people can use. This will encourage movement, said another.

In October 2001, there was a public workshop where area residents came to give input to Caltrans as to what theyd like to see in downtown Greenville.

In July 2000, a Plumas County Regional Transportation Plan documented the need to fix downtown Greenville as well as other areas of the county and draws up potential costs for each aspect of the project.

For some involved in the project, they remember meetings and public comment since before the 2000s. Each time people have met over the issue the same concerns arise: safety of pedestrians, accessibility for the elderly and disabled, steadier flow of traffic. As time goes by, the drainage and unevenness of the streets have become even bigger issues.

The project, according to all documents of public record, was a long time coming.

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Highway rehabilitation project has been decades in the making - Plumas County Newspapers

The city of Onalaska has on its radar a potential street improvement project at the Holiday Heights neighborhood, east of Hwy. 16 and south of Valley View Mall.

The Board of Public Works Thursday night discussed the potential project, which would widen over a mile of city street and provide curb and gutter to areas with recurrent drainage issues, including East and West Young drives.

The pavement in that neighborhood ranges from 24-26 feet wide, and a typical street, per city code, is supposed to be 37 feet wide. On top of drainage issues, this is causing tight squeezes between cars when both sides are parked on, according to City Engineer Jarrod Holter.

But before anything moves forward with the project, the board decided it best to set up a public meeting to allow the folks living in the neighborhood to ask questions or express any concerns they might have.

We dont want to jam anything down anybodys throat, Onalaska Mayor Joe Chilsen said.

Holter said that he thought people could be hesitant of the project, but added: From a staff standpoint, I think curb and gutter would really help this neighborhood ... It would help us clean it up and it would help with the drainage of the streets.

The date and time of the public meeting with the neighborhood werent nailed down Thursday night.

The project could cost as much as $1.4 million, and was outlined in the citys 2017 Capital Improvements budget.

Four flashing crossing beacons are going to be installed on Sand Lake Road at the cross streets of Quincy and Well.

The 10-foot-high posts will allow pedestrians to notify drivers that they want to cross the street by pushing a button that flashes a crosswalk sign. The city of Onalaska installed them on East Main Street three years ago and city officials say the structures work well and are holding up nicely.

With traffic picking up on Sand Lake Road, and expected to increase with current and future development, public concern brought this item onto the June 29 Board of Public Works agenda.

All four crossing beacons (two at each intersection), will cost $22,000 with installation.

State law requires drivers stop for any pedestrian at a crosswalk, flashing beacons or not.

The city of Onalaska doesnt seem to have a problem paying a little bit more per-capita for a household hazardous materials program run by La Crosse County.

The county-run program has been operating since 2004, but because of growth, La Crosse County asked all 18 of its municipalities for a little help bringing the program out of a deficit, which its been operating at for three years.

The quarter per-capita increase will cost the city of Onalaska an additional $913 a year, which the city of Onalaskas finance director Fred Buehler said shouldnt be a problem for the city to cover.

Smaller municipalities in the area appeared hesitant of the fee-increase when the county proposed it a few months ago.

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Onalaska's Holiday Heights could see $1.4 million street project - La Crosse Tribune

My family (my wife, me and three grown sons) bought our cabin, two hours north of the Twin Cities off Hwy. 169, in 2000. The lake cabin was a combination of a new three-car garage with a spacious unfinished loft above and a tumbling down 1950s, two-bedroom/one bath example of a rustic Americana lakeshore retreat.

We turned the garage loft into a very comfortable getaway for us, with the boys and their friends sharing the old cabin.

Years went by, and our family expanded with three wonderful daughters-in-law and a bunch of beautiful, bright grandchildren. The dwellings were bursting at the seams. Something had to be done. We looked for a year for a suitable existing cabin on our beloved hard-bottom, clear lake. With four families now involved, we could not all agree that any of the properties we looked at were better than what we already had.

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Cabin project has taken considerable work, but jack hammer days are forgotten - Minneapolis Star Tribune