Daniel Johnson recently mowed and carefully edged his last lawn for a while. The 18-year old teen, a recent graduate of Spalding High School, began his freshman orientation at LaSalle University in Philadelphia earlier this week.

The summer between seventh and eighth grades, Johnson and a good friend Nick Van Besien became partners in a lawn mowing service in their Epping Forest neighborhood. They started with less than a handful of properties entrusted to their care and quickly realized they were mowing a market ripe for lawn, garden and yard work services, snow removal, furniture moving and simple handyman work.

By their sophomore year, they registered with the State of Maryland as a sole proprietorship named Epping Forest Enterprises. Like fast-growing grass, their business expanded to over 40 regular clients. Johnson quickly learned the intricacies of invoicing, managing the company bank account, plus marketing and promoting the company. The business brought in enough income to handle the two teens expenses and save a little for college.

Now that the entrepreneurs have graduated, they turned the enterprise over to two younger neighborhood youth to continue the tradition.

"We wanted to keep it a reliable service the community can count upon," Johnson said.

He often scheduled his Saturdays and summer week days to mow lawns from 8 to 11 a.m. He'd then hustle over to the community clubhouse where he had a job as a short order cook from 11:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Afterward, he'd practice music or swimming with friends. In the evenings, he'd wrestle with his business paperwork.

One of his bosses at the clubhouse, Tommy Wylde, also a neighbor and lawncare client, said Johnson is an exceptional kid.

"Very few kids have the knowhow to work at a young age. He gets it. He understands hard work and what it does," Wylde said. "He does whatever I ask him to do he knows what the finished product looks like and how to get there. ... He understands what it takes to be successful at a very young age."

Another neighbor and client, Steve Vetter said Johnson is a "refreshing reminder of what is good about our country and why I remain so optimistic about our future." Vetter, executive director of The Tessemae's Foundation, said Johnson earned the respect of so many of his neighbors in Epping Forest through his hard work, entrepreneurial talent and serious approach to his education and good-neighbor policy of always being willing to help when needed.

The experience with his own business is one of the inspirations which factored into Johnson's decision to attend LaSalle.

"I always wanted to own my own business," Johnson said. "Majoring in Finance will give me the best set up and knowledge of business and how to run a business. I enjoy the management process."

In recognition of his leadership experience and academic record at Spalding, Johnson is receiving an annual $16,000 scholarship from LaSalle.

At Spalding, in addition to being a member of the National Honor Society, Johnson was vice president of the school's Stock Market Club. Advanced $100,000 in play money, the club's members play the Investipedia game, a stock market simulator. The goal is to see who makes the most money on their investments. Johnson was also one of a two students selected to attend the Berkshire Hathaway Annual Shareholders meeting held May 6 in CenturyLink Omaha in downtown Omaha, Nebraska, as a representative of the school.

Johnson keeps busy with myriad activities.

He joined the swim team at the Annapolis Swim Club at age 7. Staying a member involved training 12 hours a week, year 'round. He qualified for four state championship meets, three sectional meets and one junior nationals meet.

He continued to swim throughout high school, and was co-captain of the team his senior year. That year, one of the highlights of his Spalding experience was winning the 100 yard freestyle in 47.55 seconds for the school at a MIAA Conference this spring, a first-time win for Spalding. At LaSalle, he will be a walk-on member of its swim team. He might eventually become eligible for an athletic scholarship.

"I was recruited by several other colleges to swim," he said, "but, I preferred LaSalle for its business program."

In fourth grade at St. Mary's Elementary School in Annapolis, he first picked up a trumpet. His performance was so strong and continued through high school he was awarded two, four-year scholarships to attend Spalding: the Sister Lucide Pioneer Leadership Scholarship and the Archbishop Spalding High School Music Scholarship. The scholarships covered 50 percent of the $14,000 annual tuition.

"I enjoy playing gigs," he said.

While at Spalding, he earned the Wind Ensemble's Band Student of the Year all four years of his tenure. Senior year, he was present of the Tri-M Music Honor Society.

Yet another neighbor and landscaping client, Sharon Boettinger, noted Johnson is an accomplished musician and swimmer.

"He throws himself headfirst into whatever he does," she said.

Boettinger said the teen also plays the National Anthem on his trumpet for Epping Forest's annual Independence Day Parade.

"I can't wait to watch him go through college and grow into young adulthood," she said.

Johnson's days at St. Mary's did not end when he completed his middle school years. He and his family are parishioners at the historic downtown church. Johnson is one of the Lectors at services. Occasionally, he'll make the commute to church aboard his family's 17-foot whaler.

His mother Jeanne Johnson is a judicial clerk at the District Court on Rowe Boulevard. Blair Johnson, his father, is a patent examiner for the U.S. Patent Office and Trademark Office. His sister Leah Johnson, 15, is a rising sophomore at Archbishop Spalding.

"I'm looking forward to being in a city," Johnson said. "There's always something to do. And, there are a lot more opportunities in a city."

He added, "But, I'll miss downtown Annapolis and the community of Epping Forest and the neighbors. It's so special."

DO YOU KNOW AN EXEMPLARY TEEN?

Anyone may nominate a Teen of the Week. To be considered, nominated teens must reside in Anne Arundel County or Kent Island and be enrolled in a high school program. Send nominations by email to Wendi Winters at wwinters@capgaznews.com.

Read this article:
Teen of the Week: Teen's skill as neighborhood entrepreneur forecast future goals - CapitalGazette.com

Last week we started looking at some of the service clubs that have a local presence here. Each club has a unique history and special focus on how to pitch in and help. I believe the more we help others the better off we'll be ourselves, so as we continue to look at some more of these clubs, let's remember it's the people that make the difference.

Lions Club: The Lions Club emblem for a time included a lion with a wooden club in his mouth and the word "international" on it, providing a visual interpretation of the club's name. I always associate the the Lions Club with eyeglasses since my earliest memories of the club is of them collecting used spectacles for distribution to those in need.

I had to start wearing glasses in the third grade, so that really meant something to me. When they were doing a drive to collect eyewear at times that I was outgrowing mine I would contribute.

While looking up the history of the Lions Club I discovered where their interest in fighting blindness and visual impairment stems from. In 1925 Helen Keller addressed the Lions' national convention and challenged this service organization to become "knights of the blind in the crusade against darkness." The Lions Club took up this challenge as part of their service work.

The club was formed in 1917 by Chicago businessman Melvin Jones. Within three years the Lions had gone international, first with a club in Canada and then in Mexico. Since then they have built a presence in over 200 international areas and enlisted over 1.3 million members in more than 46,000 clubs. Their focus is on people using their talents to improve their communities. In 1990 they started "SightFirst" as part of their eyesight initiative to take on the top causes of blindness in the world, including cataracts, trachoma and glaucoma, among others, and have raised $346 million for "SightFirst." Vision isn't their only work as they also do service work in the areas of general health, youth, the elderly, the environment and disaster relief. Even when their members only do a small service you could say it's a "lion's share."

Sertoma: Sertoma is the club name that I can always remember what it means since it stands for "Service to Man." For me the name is kind of like a clever, personalized car license plate that let's you know something about the driver. And of course the "man" part in the name is short for "mankind," meaning everybody.

The original name was the Co-Operative Club and it was started in 1912 in Kansas City, Mo., by three businessmen. The Sertoma's first convention was in 1921 and by 1923 women were involved in an auxiliary group. The Co-Operative Club name continued in use until 1950 when the Sertoma name was adopted. Just as the Lions have focused on eyesight, Sertoma works these days on hearing health, including dealing with hearing loss and even speech problems related to hearing loss.

Over the years they have been been involved with several astronauts, including Gus Grissom and John Glenn, as well as other well-known public figures. In a series of shows Sertoma sponsored in the 1950s to raise funds, stars such as Andy Griffith, Ferlin Husky and newcomer Elvis Presley helped bring in up to $5,000 per show.

Kiwanis: You know how if CNN is doing a story on their parent company, Time Warner, they always make sure to state in the name of full disclosure that they are owned by that company well, in full disclosure, I'm not a Kiwanis member but I sure am crazy about Pancake Day every year! Usually held the first Saturday of November, it's been a community fundraising tradition since 1960.

The name Kiwanis comes from a Native American language (Otchipwe, if you're following along) and means "having a good time" and "trading and talking," as best as I can figure it. The Kiwanis Club was started in January of 1915 in Detroit, Mich. Within two years there was a club in Canada. There are now Kiwanis International Clubs on six continents. The headquarters has moved several times and is now in Indianapolis, Ind. The Dalton Kiwanis club was started in 1953, and I saw where Dr. McGhee was the first vice president, so not only did he help give birth to the local Kiwanis organization, turns out years later he helped with my birth!

The Kiwanis Club lists 19 charitable organizations that they help provide support for, including Big Brother/Big Sister, Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts, the Creative Arts Guild, Friendship House, Junior Achievement, the Dalton-Whitfield County Library, the Northwest Georgia Marriage Initiative and others. The primary focus of the club is helping children. And the money raised from me stuffing myself with pancakes stays in the community, which puts a smile on my syrup-stained mouth.

The American Legion: Dalton Post No. 112 was chartered Sept. 12, 1932. The American Legion was chartered by Congress in 1919, just after the end of the first World War, as a patriotic veterans organization. The focus was on veterans, current service members and the communities they lived in. There are around 2.4 million members today with 14,000 posts worldwide.

The Legion clubs are organized into districts, one for each state and also Washington, D.C., Puerto Rico, France, Mexico and the Philippines. At the first convention in 1919 they made two notable decisions: to have their headquarters in Indianapolis and to support the Boy Scouts of America. At this time the Legion sponsors 1,700 scout troops with about 64,000 members.

In the 1920s the Legion worked to establish the U.S. Veterans Bureau, which is today's Veterans Affairs. In 1943 former National Commander Harry W. Colmery started work on what would become the "G.I. Bill of Rights" that contributed to the G.I. Bill. The Legion supports Little League baseball, child welfare, helps families hurt by floods, advocates (and even sues) for veterans health programs dealing with the results of exposure to Agent Orange, Desert Storm sicknesses and PTSD. The list of programs includes baseball, Boys State, Legion Riders (motorcycle riders), National Emergency Fund, Operation Comfort Warriors and their annual Oratorical Contest. With this kind of service record maybe the old epitaph "your mother wears Army boots" might just be a compliment if she's part of the American Legion.

VFW (The Veterans of Foreign Wars): The VFW, another service organization comprised of men and women who were in the service, is made up of veterans who have served overseas, the three primary membership requirements being: 1) citizenship, 2) honorable service in the armed forces of the USA, and 3) service in a war, campaign or expedition on foreign soil or hostile waters. They started when vets from the Spanish-American War and the Philippine Insurrection starting in 1899 formed local groups on their return home. Many were sick or wounded and at that time there were no veterans services available from the federal government.

The separate groups joined up in 1914 to start the VFW and then became a congressionally chartered organization in 1936. Membership now is at around 1.7 million. The VFW helped with the establishment of the VA and the national cemetery system and fights for women veterans' health rights. They have also been major funders for the Vietnam, Korean, World War II and Women in Military Service memorials in the nation's capital. The VFW has affiliate organizations it works closely with, like the VFW Auxiliary and the VFW Foundation. My favorite is the Military Order of the Cootie, an organization born in 1920 of VFW officers and leadership that strives to further the good works of the VFW but with their own added sense of humor.

Plenty of opportunity

Dalton is home to many service organizations, and these articles have only covered a few. I didn't even get into the Masons and Shriners, the Knights of Columbus, sports clubs that help youth, the historical La Leche club, the Civil War Round Table, Big Brothers Big Sisters, Boys and Girls Club, and all types of auxiliary organizations and foundations that are set up to support, well, each other when it comes down to it.

Most of the service clubs we've looked at here are pretty much open to all, the exceptions being the American Legion and the VFW, which have perhaps the most stringent membership requirements: service in the armed forces. But whether you've served the country overseas in the military or served in the yard next door mowing the neighbors' lawn, there is probably a service organization here in our area where you would fit right in. I've only touched on some of the more well known. Almost every church and place of worship is a location where people reach out to the community to help others. There are plenty of volunteer opportunities with local schools and even government organizations. Do you love sports? The Recreation Center is always looking for coaches and team supporters, and the school systems have openings (and the need for) community coaches who don't have to work for the school to actually help with teams.

Part of what makes a community is the service-oriented help neighbors give neighbors. By organizing in numbers to focus on specific issues and needs, the jobs too big for individual-sized resources can be accomplished by the group. And as part of a group it's always nice to share the warmth of a job well done. You know, like the warmth of a pancake on a cool November morning when you know the ticket you bought is going to the good of the community.

Mark Hannah, a Dalton native, works in video and film production.

The rest is here:
The Town Crier: Club House part two - The Daily Citizen

Grand Valley artist Dan Log uses a different technique for painting with oils; he holds his brush near the end instead of near the bristles. Look for Logs work to be displayed in September and October in the new exhibit space at Colorado National Monuments Visitor Center.

Katie Hill is the first local artist to exhibit paintings at the Colorado National Monuments Visitor Center. Eight of her oil paintings, some of which can be seen behind her, are displayed on a wall that until July was blank.

Independence Shadow by Katie Hill is part of the artists exhibit at the Colorado National Monuments Visitor Center.

This oil painting by Katie Hill is part of her exhibit at the Colorado National Monuments Visitor Center.

Kissing Couple by Katie Hill is part of the artists exhibit at the Colorado National Monuments Visitor Center.

Earlier this month, Dan Log was narrowing the number of oil paintings he plans to exhibit int the Colorado National Monuments Visitor Center.

Framed by his oil paintings, Grand Valley artist Dan Log sits in his painting chair at his studio. Some of Logs paintings will be displayed in the new exhibit space at Colorado National Monuments Visitor Center beginning Sept. 1.

Katie Hill is the first local artist whose work is being shown in new exhibit space in the Colorado National Monuments Visitor Center.

WATCH THE PAINT

The first Colorado National Monument Plein Air Event is set for Oct. 37.

More than 20 artists will paint at various spots in and around the monument beginning Oct. 3. Painting will wrap up at noon Oct. 6, when the events exhibition will be hung in the Visitor Center auditorium. John David Phillips (johndavidphillips.com), a local oil painter, will judge the show.

Times and dates to note:

From 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. Oct. 4 there will be a paint out in the monuments Saddlerock Picnic Area parking lot.

The event exhibition will open with a preview night for association members and sponsors from 58 p.m. Oct. 6. Non-member tickets, which will include a Chinle Level association membership, cost $30.

The exhibition will be open to the public from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Oct. 7.

Here are the names of participating artists: Jody Ahrens, Mark Akins, Timothy K. Brady, Maggie Cook, Mary Pat Ettinger, Diane Fechenbach, Amy Gibbs, Doug Graybeal, Debi Hedges, Katherine Heister, Nancy Hutcheson, Cedar Keshet, Nancy Lewis, Dan Log, Bob Martin, Jason McCullough, Susan McKelvy, David Mosier, Brooks Powell, Jane Sutton Seglem, Lily Shanabarger, Richard Szkutnik, Bob Tallarico and Lillian Wyant.

By Ann WrightThursday, August 24, 2017

Until July, the wall above the doors to the exhibits and auditorium inside Colorado National Monuments Visitor Center was blank.

John Lintott, local painter and art coordinator for the Colorado National Monument Association, sought permission for months from the National Park Service to put up a hanging system for a small art gallery to show local artwork.

Permission finally came in late May and now the wall is filled with vistas of the monument. Each two-month exhibit is required to be 50 percent or more related to the monument with the rest being a good representation of the featured artists work, Lintott said.

Katie Hills oil paintings have been on display since July 1. On Thursday, Aug. 31, her paintings will come down and Dan Logs paintings will go up on Friday, Sept. 1. Logs artwork can be viewed through the end of October, at which point another local artists work will fill the space.

All of the artwork if for sale, with a percentage going to the association and the majority to the artists.

The whole reason were doing this is, No. 1, it would be nice to generate sales for artists and have another place for them to exhibit, Lintott said.

Its also a way for the monuments many visitors to see original artwork of the monument and discover local artists, he said.

Since Hills paintings were hung, theres been a lot of people who look up and they love the fact that theres artwork up, Lintott said.

Here is a look at the first two artists to have work displayed at the Visitor Center, why they began painting and what inspires them.

I LOVE THE COLORS

When Lintott sent out a call for artists to show their work at the Visitor Center, Hill replied right away.

Im always looking for places to hang my art, she said.

He asked how soon she could be ready, and she replied, Anytime.

Im thrilled to be the first, said Hill, whose eight oil paintings have been on display at the Visitor Center since July 1.

Theres Independence Monument, Kissing Couple and Wedding Canyon with reds and oranges that contrast nicely with the blues and greens of two paintings of the Maroon Bells in the White River National Forest.

The Maroon Bells are lovely, but the canyons and monoliths of the monument are some of Hills favorite scenes to paint.

I love the colors and the dramatic landscape, the depth of the canyons, she said.

Hill, who paints mostly landscapes and occasionally animals or people, began painting in 2004 when she retired from a career as a computer analyst.

It wasnt that she couldnt paint before both her grandmothers were landscape artists and Hill painted a little in college. But life was busy, and art, along with golf and playing the flute, became a goal for retirement.

To get herself started, Hill asked members of her family to send her landscape photos to use as reference. Since she grew up in Alaska and much of her family is still there, she received a lot of photos of Alaska. And so she painted Alaska for quite a while, sending the finished pieces back to family members.

She also took some painting classes and has had both Lintott and Log as instructors.

Along with painting with oil on canvas, Hill uses acrylic to paint scenes on pieces of shale.

Ive sold 150 rocks, she said.

But selling any of her art is a bonus. Hill paints because she enjoys it, not as a 9-to-5 job.

Her easel at home is set up so that as she walks by she can do this or that with a painting until shes satisfied, then leave it and come back later.

I dont paint eight hours a day, she said.

She also prefers to use photo reference over painting plein air and likes that with landscape, things dont have to be exact.

For Hill, its about capturing the beauty of landscapes she loves and wants others to love as well.

Learn about Hill and her art at facebook.com/KatieHillArtist and katiehillart.blogspot.com.

I FOLLOW MY INTERESTS

Ive spent most of my life in this room, Log said, stepping into his garage, which is lined with paintings, oil paint and brushes, stacks of photos and more paintings. Its more studio than garage, by far.

I eat, drink and sleep art, Log said.

Hes been painting for 35 years and used to do mostly wildlife. Now he focuses more on landscape. Some of both were in the pieces Log had lined up in his studio earlier this month as he made his final selection of oil paintings to be displayed for two months at the Visitor Center beginning Friday, Sept. 1.

Among the possibilities was a coyote in its winter coat hes pretty healthy, Log said vibrant red Indian paintbrush, Independence Monument and snow over red rock.

The older he gets, the pickier he gets about his work, he said.

He describes his style as painterly realism, and prefers working from photo reference in his studio. He also does photography, so Im out there a lot getting reference material, he said.

While the landscapes featured in his paintings are a real places such as the monument, he might subtract a tree and add a rock if he likes, and I like the brush strokes to show, he said. I dont paint every hair, not these days.

Recently, he has been painting clouds to loosen up.

You can change a cloud and it still looks like a cloud, he said. But with an animal, say, a moose, you need to make sure its believable.

Log grew up with art in upstate New York, as his mother was a weekend painter. When Log started for himself, he was a river rat and painted waterfalls.

His paintings of ducks have made the cover of Ducks Unlimited magazine three times and the Long Island Duck Stamp in 1982.

When he moved west his parents retired here and his sister also moved west, so Log and his family followed it completely changed my subject matter.

The light is brighter, the color palette is different and the vistas are deeper.

He paints nearly every day and I follow my interests, he said.

Log plans to participate in the first Colorado National Monument Plein Air Event set for Oct. 37. While not what he prefers, painting plein air is something I need to do more, he said.

He has been told that it provides a connection between eye and scenery that cant be beat. And besides, I like a challenge, Log said.

Original post:
Katie Hill, Dan Log first artists to exhibit paintings at monument's Visitor Center - Grand Junction Daily Sentinel

Thursday, Sept. 7, 2017 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.

Location: Blue Hill Public Library, 5 Parker Point Rd, Blue Hill, Maine

For more information: 207-374-5515; bhpl.net

Reverend Gary Brinn, pastor at the First Congregational Church of Blue Hill, will present a talk, From Horeb to Blue Hill, at the Blue Hill Public Library on Thursday, September 7th at 7:00 PM. The presentation will be a whirlwind look at the Judeo-Christian trajectory from the ancient Hebrew faith to Jonathan Fishers Congregationalism and on to the United Church of Christ, the modern denomination that includes the Congregational tradition.

Part history, and part constructive theology, according to Reverend Brinn, it will be sure to rattle some cages. He says that this talk will help locate this very New England tradition of Congregationalism, as well as the modern United Church of Christ in a landscape of Judaism and Christianity.

A second career minister, Rev. Brinn double-majored in Medieval to Renaissance British Literature and Studio Art before completing his Master of Divinity degree at Harvard. The presentation is free and open to everyone. For more information contact the library at 374-5515.

This post was contributed by a community member. Submit your news

Read this article:
From Horeb to Blue Hill: A History of Congregationalism and United Church of Christ - Bangor Daily News

People who havent traveled through Macon on Interstates 75 or 16 lately may be in for quite a shock.

The landscape is continually changing as contractors for the Georgia Department of Transportation are clear-cutting acres of trees through Pleasant Hill and along the Ocmulgee River.

The project kicked off in June and is progressing at a rapid pace, said Kimberly Larson, a GDOT spokesperson.

Lanes have closed on I-75 North from Hardeman Avenue to the I-16 East split, and only one I-75 North lane is open for motorists headed toward Pierce Avenue.

Drivers headed south on I-75 will also find narrowing lanes to I-16 and toward Hardeman Avenue as workers rebuild the highway without having to shut it down.

The carefully orchestrated changes typically happen in the overnight hours with Bibb County sheriffs deputies providing assistance in slowing down travelers through the work zone.

Lower speed limits are posted through the site lined with orange barrels, concrete barriers and freshly painted lanes to mark the traffic shifts.

Those driving along Walnut Street on the James Brown Bridge over the interstate also are shifting lanes.

They are taking that bridge out, Larson said Friday. They started removing handrails (Thursday) night and fencing. Were starting with pieces.

By Saturday, the formerly wide, two-lane road through Pleasant Hill was down to one corridor shared by vehicles headed in both directions.

Heavy equipment tore up chunks of concrete and piled up the rubble in the old westbound lanes, which are blocked by concrete barriers.

Demolition of the bridge will continue overnight Sunday through Thursday with an I-75 South lane closure from mile marker 163.5 to 164.5.

Monday through Friday at the Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. exits, daytime workers will be paving temporary sections of the ramps and work on other temporary pavement sections for I-16 east and west.

Also during the day, crews will be placing storm drain pipes and working on a large culvert near the Walnut Street Bridge and along the Hardeman Avenue on-ramp to I-75 North.

A new $500 million interchange is being built to widen the highway and create safer access and exit ramps from Hardeman to Pierce avenues and I-16 to Walnut Creek.

The project includes designated exit and access lanes to alleviate the current mess of merging traffic lanes that are often the scene of collisions near the Ocmulgee River.

A construction bridge will be built on the western side of the river and will later become a pedestrian crossing to increase access on the Ocmulgee Heritage Trail all the way to the Amerson Water Park.

A Georgia Department of Transportation rendering shows a new Otis Redding Bridge during an unspecified future project.

Special to The Telegraph breaking@macon.com

The Otis Redding Bridge on Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. will also be upgraded and widened, according to an image posted on http://www.dot.ga.gov, but it was not immediately clear when that will occur.

The first four phases of construction are expected to be complete by 2021, including a new Jefferson Long Park in Pleasant Hill being built by the summer of 2018.

A tunnel also will be built for Norfolk Southern Railroad during the last of seven phases of construction, which wont go out for bids until 2023, and which will also finish the I-75 corridor north of the Ocmulgee River.

Read more from the original source:
Walnut Street bridge demolition part of major changes for Macon's I-75/I-16 - The Telegraph

Secretary of the Interior Ryan ZinkeRyan Keith ZinkeLawmakers push Interior to expand offshore drilling What veterans have to lose in Trumps national monument review Trump, don't take our national parks away from veterans MORE is silencing the voices of Westerners by attempting to roll back more than a decade of collaborative work with his recent recommended changes to protecting a native bird called the sage-grouse and its sagebrush habitat, which is vitally important to the West.

Zinkes proposed changes, like forcing states to substitute population targets for conservation targets and prioritizing oil and gas development in areas the conservation plans set aside for sagebrush, undermine the integrity of the plans in place, and their proven success across sagebrush landscape.

Unsurprisingly, Zinkes review of the sage-grouse plans, created confusion and conflict where none existed. More importantly, Zinke conducted his review in a relative vacuum, without public input, leaving Western stakeholders out of the loop. Part of the reason why the original plans were successful is because they were locally driven not handed down to the states by Washington, D.C insiders and beltway bureaucrats.

And the reality is that this review and these changes could have devastating effects on our local economies and outdoor recreation opportunities. Each year outdoor recreation in sagebrush country generate $1 billion in economy output. Not to mention, these changes would deplete healthy sagebrush habitat, a landscape that provides both protection and sustenance for the vulnerable sage-grouse, and would threaten to land the bird on the Endangered Species List something that the pervious conservation plans had prevented.

At the core of any successful public land management is collaboration amongst stakeholders on the ground, rarely has an effort entailed as much collaboration and cooperation as the process to create the sage-grouse plans. But Zinke has turned his back on collaboration, sound science and the experiences of those who live, work and recreate near and on the sagebrush landscape, instead choosing to be guided by Washington lobbyists. His decision is reckless, counterproductive and is bound to set back true multiple use-management of our public lands for generations to come.

Zinkes decision compromises the well-being of Western communities, wildlife, landscapes and families at the behest of corporate polluters. Zinke might fashion himself a Roosevelt Republican, but his decision to shut out Western voices and listen only to corporate special interests says otherwise.

Zinke needs to wake up to the fact that our communities, landscapes, wildlife and economies are healthier and more successful when local stakeholders have a seat at the table not when Washington lobbyists and special interests get to call the shots.

In his review of the sage-grouse plans, Zinke missed a key opportunity to build upon decades of collaboration. Going forward he must make a concerted effort to include stakeholders from across the West in decisions made about sage-grouse conservation if he does not, the alternative looks bleak for the sage-grouse and Western communities.

Chris Saeger is the director of Western Values Project, a national conversation organization focused on public lands conservation and energy development policy. Saeger previously worked as communications director of the Montana Democratic Party and the Service Employees International Union in Arizona and Colorado.

The views expressed by contributors are their own and are not the views of The Hill.

Continue reading here:
Interior Secretary Zinke has turned his back on the American West - The Hill (blog)

After long last and much planning, I finally embarked on a trip to LehLadakh earlier this year. The Duronto Express took me to New Delhi, from where a one and half hour flight brought one to the paradise that is Leh.

The La Tso Hotel in the city was to be my address for the next few days the courteous staff welcomed one with a cup of steaming hot Kashmiri kawah (local green tea with saffron, cardamom and elaichi) and the room offered a luxuriant view of the vistas around.

That done, I took a leisurely walk around the city in the evening it is highly recommended, especially after sundown. The next morning, I decided to take in the local sites. First up, was the Hemis Monastery the largest in Ladakh and stunningly beautiful! As luck would have it, the Dalai Lama was there during the time but a glimpse of His Holiness wasnt to come by. Thereafter, one moved on to the Thiksey Monastery and the view from the top was simply beyond words.

How could one go to Ladakh and miss the Druk White Lotus School? It got national attention thanks to Aamir Khans 3 Idiots and is now called Ranchos School after the name of Khans character in the film! Shey Palace was my next stop the Hall of Fame there depicts memories of Indias brave soldiers. The morning after, one started for the Nubra Valley via Khardung La the highest motorable road in the world (18,380ft).

My stint outside the car to click some pictures was short-lived as the chill was bone-rattling! After a little diversion to the Siachen base camp, I arrived at Nubra Valley.

Hotel Sten-del it was but the sand dunes of Hunder was calling me. Picking up my camera, I made a beeline for the place and was richly rewarded. How can I not mention the ride on a two-humped Bactrian camel there? One word to describe the experience would be unique!

The road was rough but after braving it for a couple of hours, I reached Chang La the second highest mountain pass at 17,688 feet from Leh. A cup of coffee was all I had time for, there, as the Pangong Lake was waiting for my sore eyes. On the way, I crossed various infantry and artillery camps and spotted a local fauna wild marmots, which is a type of rodent found in the Ladakh Hills.

Finally, I was at Pangong Lake and the sight was absolutely magical. It is 134 km long 40 per cent is in India and rest in China.

The knee-deep water was freezing but I waded in nonetheless, not intending to miss the thrill! Another must-see site is the Tso Moriri Lake, which is a salt water lake offering breathtaking views of the Sindhu River. The famed Magnetic Hill and confluence of the Sindhu and Zanskar rivers is on the way to Kargil.

En route, I also stopped at the Lamayuru Monastery, which is an old monastery and partly in ruins due to earthquakes. It stands in a massive theatre of rocky cliffs in front of some peculiar-looking hills no wonder local people call it Moon land! I reached Kargil in the evening and visited the War Memorial there.

One learnt a great deal about the Kargil War of 1999 and I couldnt help but express the utmost respects to the soldiers who had laid down their lives to protect our nation. On the way, one could see the mountains changing their appearance from dusty and rocky cliff faces to the rolling greenery of the Kashmir Valley.

It was the trip of a lifetime the harsh but undeniable beauty of the landscape in Ladakh will stay with me for many years to come.

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In a rocky otherworldly landscape - The Statesman

Concrete barricades have been put along the T-intersection of Linden and Preston Avenues, not far from Lords Park in Elgin, as the city takes steps to permanently repair damage at that location which was caused by torrential July rains.

"We've made the intersection a hard closure," Interim Water Director Eric Weiss said.

The intersection is along the top of a hill. Heavy rains July 11 led to a landslide that exposed a 20-inch water transmission main and deposited a large amount of debris in yards below it. Work will involve reinforcing the hill, repairing the storm sewer, supporting the road and transmission main and removing debris.

At the Wednesday City Council meeting, the Council unanimously moved along an $122,392 agreement with Elgin-based Hampton, Lenzini and Renwick, Inc. for engineering services related to the repair project. The measure will be up for final approval Sept. 13.

According to a memo for the Wednesday meeting, staff estimates that construction costs will be between $200,000 and $400,000. Staff also is investigating if there is any available Federal Emergency Management Agency funding to assist with the project.

Weiss that that there had been smaller barricades set out to block the intersection from traffic. At least one person contacted staff and City Council members, though, with concerns about drivers being able to move those barricades to drive through the potentially dangerous area, Weiss said.

At the meeting, Council member Terry Gavin mentioned hearing concerns and praised Weiss for acting promptly to work to get the concrete barricades, called Jersey walls, put in place the next day.

Mike Danahey/Courier-News

Elgin crews Thursday put concrete barriers at the T-intersection of Preston and Linden avenues to keep traffic from driving on a road where the hill and infrastructure beneath it washed out during heavy rains in July.

Elgin crews Thursday put concrete barriers at the T-intersection of Preston and Linden avenues to keep traffic from driving on a road where the hill and infrastructure beneath it washed out during heavy rains in July. (Mike Danahey/Courier-News)

Weiss said that two methods are being considered to support the hill. One method would involve installing a sheet pile wall, while the other would use reinforced geogrid fabric to create structural stability. A dry well to contain the overflow from Linden Avenue and to release it at a controlled rate into the ground also is being considered.

Weiss said temporary and permanent easements also would need to be obtained from some residents who live off Chicago Street in order for city workers to access the site and for installation and maintenance of any permanent structures.

This agreement moved along Wednesday is for engineering design of the repairs to the hill, storm sewer, road and transmission main, design of a dry well, assistance during bidding and construction, assistance in land acquisition and landscape design.

"We'll work to have the best solution for permanent stabilization," Weiss said. "The goal is to have this done by the end of the year."

mdanahey@tribpub.com

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Concrete barricades close Elgin intersection damaged by recent storms - Chicago Tribune

BISMARCK, N.D. - For the next five or six weeks its the very best time to seed a new lawn, or repair an old lawn that might be thin.

And when you think about it grasses and nature are seeding themselves now.

What you want to do first is loosen up the seed bed.Whether you scrap it up with a rack or use a roto tiller and go very thin.

Then we want you to put the grass seed on in two different directions so you get good coverage and maybe take a third trip on over and put fertilizer on at the half a dose rate. Now we got you losing it up putting the grass seed on.Putting the fertilizer on then we want you to roll it. Roll it with one of these rollers, and it will help firm it up so it wont blow away and the birds wont get the grass very much.

If you have a lot of steep slopes some people use this netting with this straw or burlap blanket with the spun wood or they might use burlap to fix hard to grow patches.

Theres lots of kinds of grass seed but some are good for sun some are good.

For the shade and some are good are what we call low maintenance rural grasses.

If you might have to spray to kill some weeds first like with Round Up. But if you do, you can seed the very next day. So go to our website if you want all of this in writing. Cashman.nursey.com or stop out we have a great hand out so until next week Good gardening.

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Dan's Garden: Seeding your lawn - KFYR-TV

Aug 25, 2017 5:41 PM

In keeping with the theme started last weekthat fall is for plantingI was going to continue this week with some more tips on several perennials that you can divide now and enjoy next summer. But, while looking around the property during the week, I realized it might be a good idea to review some lawn care this week and get back to other planting work next week. So, this week, a few ideas on renovating or patching your lawn.

For one reason or another, you may be noticing spots or patches on your lawn where the turf is thin to nonexistent. Yes, its been a remarkable growing season for most of our lawns, and it is the first time in about 20 years I can remember our lawns not taking a break. We can usually depend on the warm and dry months of July and August resulting in the grass growing more slowly, and cutting it once a week, or even stretching it out to 10 days now and then, has been the norm. But not this summer. This year, the lawn has stayed green and lush right from the first spring flush of green. In fact, the lawn has actually been getting ahead of us, and I found I had to cut twice in one week in August.

And yet there are those spots where I screwed up. I spilled something in one spot, a local dog left a spot in another spot, we pruned some large trees that left an area where no grass would grow to an area now in full sun and it has to be seeded.

The store shelves are filled with all kinds of lawn patch products and bags of pre-mixed seed blends, so whats a homeowner to do, and what will you use?

Im a little old-fashioned here, and I like to keep it simpleno gimmicks, just a little science, seed, soil and moisture. If youre looking for a more complicated explanation or a good introduction to lawns and how to take care of yours, there are some great links at the end.

So, this time, Im only going to speak about renovating small areas of your lawn. In other years, weve gone over over-seeding, full renovations and soddingbut this year lets concentrate on the small areas that need to be filled in with grass plants before the weeds settle in and take over.

The first task is to get these areas ready for seeding so that in the next two to three weeks they are all prepped and seeded and well on their way to being established and ready for winter.

But, before you begin to rake out these spots, make sure you have all your tools, seed, fertilizer and mulch. Tools can be as simple as a fan rake or short-toothed tine rake. Youll use these to scratch out the dead grass and weeds and also to rough up the soil below to a depth of a half inch to an inch.

Remove any stones and debris, and if theres actually a depression, you will want to fill it in with some good screened topsoil thats loose and friable. If it comes out of a bag or dumped from a truck, you might want to screen it so its consistently granular as opposed to clodded.

Mix in a very small amount of starter fertilizer. Its very important that you only use starter fertilizer and use it sparingly, as too much can damage the young grass plants.

Spread the soil over the area to be seeded, and let a little blend into the surrounding grass, feathering it as you move to the edges. You can use your rake and ever so gently pull it over the soil to create very shallow furrows.

Now, youre ready for the seed.

Instead of pre-packaged seed, go to a local garden center and ask if they have custom seed mixes. The better garden centers will have several that they have made just for our area, and they will be different blends of grasses for shade, sun or both. These mixes will contain some combination of Kentucky bluegrass, fescues and ryegrasses, and we usually use all three in varying percentages, as each has attributes that the others may be missing.

A good garden center salesperson can be very helpful hereand you wont find this kind of help at the big-box stores. And this is the one place where you dont want to skimp. You can buy what is called a builders mix, which is cheap and fills in really fast, but it will have you reseeding again next year.

Know how many square feet youll be needing to cover, buy a good blend, and ask how much you should use for new seeding for 100 square feet then do the math to know how much you need for your 5-, 10- or 20-square-foot spots.

Seeding is done by hand by filling your palm with a few ounces of seed and gently spreading it over the prepared area like you were putting sprinkles on a cake, keeping the application even and uniform. When done, there should be 10 to 15 seeds per square inch.

Now, turn your rake overtines pointed up, not down, for a fan rakegently pull the rake over the seeded area. For a stiff, steel-tined rake, use the rake like a tamper and gently push the flat side of the rake against the soil. The object is to bring the grass seeds into contact with the soil. Only a small portion of the seed needs to contact the soil, and the seed should never be entirely buried.

The next step is to water. Gently spray the area with water so the soil absorbs it. Dont sprinkle, sprayor youll create puddles and the seed will get washed into the puddles and ruin your great seeding job.

Theres more to watering, but we need one more step first, and thats the mulch. Now that the seedbed is moist, you want to add a mulch that will keep the sun off the seed bed but still allow it to warm during the day and cool at night without totally drying out.

You can use a special mulching material thats sold in bags and is lightly spread over the seedbed then watered. These materials, such as Penn Mulch, contain a form of cellulose that will absorb the water, expand and, if applied correctly, be a perfect light cover. You also can use salt hay, or specially cut hay, or straw that is seedless or headless. Dont just use any hay or strawit must be seedless, or youll contaminate your seedbed with seed from the parent hay or straw plants.

Once the mulch is down, you can now sprinkle the seedbed with water. Keep it moist for several weeks by watering lightly once or twice a day, unless theres rainfall or a series of cloudy days.

Moisture, at the right amount, will result in great germination and a perfect patch. Depending on the seed mix you used, you should have germination of some seeds in a week, and all of the seeds within three weeks.

When the grass plants are filled in and about 3 inches tall, the first mowing can be done.

For those of you who want more detailed information on grass seed, here: http://bit.ly/2xu8btz. And on lawns in general, they have great information here: http://bit.ly/1HidWKO. There are dozens of links to other lawn grass topics.

So if you can, read up, but time is of the essence. Get those brown spots and lawn renovations done in the next few weeks, and youll see the results this fall.

Keep growing!

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Lawns: How To Patch And Repair - 27east.com