A boundary exists between man and nature, and sometimes the boundaries cross over. Usually, it's man crossing over into nature. When man does this, nature is permanently altered.

Michelle Podgorski likes to inspect the intersections of man and nature and turn them into artworks. An exhibit of 11 of her large-scale watercolors are on exhibit now at Green Street Arts Center in Middletown.

It's the subtle interactions that interest her the most. "I live near the Katawba River, which is polluted," said Podgorski, who now lives in Lowell, N.C., but is a native of Rocky Hill and a graduate of Hartford Art School. "When the river floods, water goes into the holes in the trees, and the chemicals in the river eat the trees from the inside out."

Two of the artworks feature deteriorating trees. In addition to watercolor, they are enhanced by thin slivers of bark. Podgorski finds bits of bark fallen from trees and slices them with a razor until they are almost as thin as a layer of paint. "Bark grows in really thin cellular layers, and I try to replicate that in the way I paint," she said.

Podgorski also is interested in how nature affects itself, and uses negative space creatively to show thow the death of one organism often gives life to another. Fungus climbs up a tree that isn't there. Moss covers an invisible tree stump.

"People destroy nature and nature destroys itself," she said. "It's a constant cycle."

FRAGMENTED LANDSCAPE will be at Green Street Arts Center of Wesleyan University, 51 Green St. in Middletown, until June 26. An opening reception will be held Thursday, June 5, from 5 to 8 p.m. Podgorski will present a talk on Friday, June 6, at 12:15 p.m. Information: 860-685-7860.

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'Fragmented Landscape' At Green Street Arts Center

Landscape makeover

We love to hear about examples of collaboration between the business community and nonprofit organizations in our community.

The Ygnacio Valley Library in Walnut Creek will receive a "landscape makeover" this summer, funded entirely by private and local business and community donations, and made possible by grants from the William A. Kerr Foundation and the Walnut Creek Library Foundation.

The library, also known as the Thurman G. Casey Library, will debut the results this fall, coinciding with Walnut Creek's centennial celebration. Landscape architect Michael D. Fotheringham volunteered the landscape plans, creating two paved outdoor patio spaces, relocating existing bicycle racks, planting more attractive, drought-resistant plants, and installing a water-efficient irrigation system.

Volunteers from Mormon Helping Hands, under the auspices of the local arm of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, is providing much of the labor. And lending a hand with operating earthmoving equipment is contractor Cliff Beck, with Republic Services stepping in with donations of Dumpster and hauling services.

The library, which was funded in part by the Walnut Creek Library Foundation and was a first in public/private partnerships for a Contra Costa County library, enjoys more than 95,000 visits annually and circulates more than 300,000 items.

Relay for Life

Relay for Life, a program of the American Cancer Society, raises funds for cancer research. The relay is not a race or run. Teams form in advance to raise money and educate visitors on cancer awareness, and must keep at least one member on the track for 24 hours to signify that cancer never sleeps, and neither does the fight against cancer.

There is no registration fee for cancer survivors, and they do not need to raise funds to participate in the survivor ceremonies at the relay, to be held at 9 a.m. Saturday and Sunday, June 7-8, at Pleasant Hill Middle School, 1 Santa Barbara Road in Pleasant Hill.

Prior to the kickoff, a hearty breakfast will be served by the Pleasant Hill Lions Club, with cancer survivors as the special guests. The food is free, but donations to the relay will be welcomed.

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Good Neighbors by Faith Barnidge: YV Library landscape makeover, Lindsay Museum appreciates vets, Women Bridge to ...

Well-known biologist Bill Montevecchi will speak at a council meeting in Portugal Cove-St. Philip's this evening to make an appeal for discussion on what he calls sensible development in the region. Montevecchi and others are upset after a company, currently developing new housing in the area which was approved years ago, came upon a granite hill once the land was cleared. Montevecchi says over the last week or so, efforts have been underway to blast the hill away using dynamite. He says it's unfortunate that other alternatives couldn't be found. He calls it an 'assault on the landscape' due to an 'inconvenience.'

He says people live in the town because of its rural aspect and he's upset that an entire hill would be removed because it's considered to be an inconvenience to one developer.

He says while many council members are similarly concerned, the permits were already issued and they're unable to put a halt to the work for fear of litigation. Montevecchi calls that a cop-out and says common sense has to prevail when it comes to development in the region. He's urging others to come out to tonight's council meeting to have their voices heard.

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Biologist says Granite Blasting an 'Assault on the Landscape'

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St. Andrews rising senior guard Marcus Adkison is expected to be one of the top players in the county.

The Montgomery County boys basketball landscape will have a different look this summer, thanks to a new league launched by St. Andrews Episcopal School.

The St. Andrews League will include 16 teams with many, like St. Andrews, that played in the Montgomery County Summer League in previous summers.

Lions boys coach Kevin Jones, who helped launch the league, said he hopes it will help the players gain additional exposure to college coaches. The league is in the process of adding a website that includes schedules, standings, rosters and statistics, Jones said.

We just thought it would be a good opportunity to run a league the way that we wanted, Jones said.

Walt Whitman, the Class 4A state finalists, is one of the 12 Montgomery County public school teams participating in the league, hosted at the Potomac private school.

[We wanted] to do something different, Vikings coach Chris Lun said. ... For us, its right in Potomac. Its close for a lot of our kids.

Other participants include Clarksburg, Winston Churchill, Albert Einstein, Gaithersburg, The Heights, Landon, Col. Zadok Magruder, River Hill (Howard), Rockville, Richard Montgomery, Poolesville, Quince Orchard, Watkins Mill and Thomas S. Wootton.

The Lions return three starters, including rising senior Marcus Adkison, from last seasons 18-7 team.

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St. Andrews launches summer league -- Gazette.Net

May 30, 2014

Pawtucket Red Sox left-handed reliever Rich Hill has already seen one opt-out date in his contract come and go. Theres another one on tap next month, which could result in the Massachusetts native having to make a decision between staying with his hometown team or seeking what could be a better opportunity with another ballclub.

PAWTUCKET As a 34-year-old with 181 games of pitching experience at the major-league level under his belt, Rich Hill is well aware theres a whole other realm to keep in mind while recording outs on the mound.

I think over the course of your career, wherever you are, this is a business first and foremost. When I was younger, that was something I didnt read too much into, Hill said while standing in front of his PawSox locker earlier this week. Now that I have a good amount of time in the big leagues and in professional baseball, you see your side as a player and from the end of baseball operations. Thats totally understandable.

Hills complete knowledge of the bigger picture comes at a time when the lefty reliever has a contractual opt-out clause thats due to pop sooner rather than later. Hes unsure of the exact date either June 15 or June 30 though the fact Hill has options on the table figures to make the coming weeks interesting.

A native of Milton, Mass., Hill actually had an opt-out provision on May 15. This season marks his second stint with the Red Sox after pitching for his hometown club during parts of three consecutive seasons (2010-12).

He signed a minor-league deal with Boston in February following a 2013 season in which he went to spring training with Cleveland as a non-roster invitee, then went on to post a 6.28 ERA in 63 games for the Indians.

That wasnt a lateral out for the big leagues, which is one of the reasons for not leaving, he explained about the May 15 opt-out, one that came and went with little fanfare. Hopefully, the opportunity will show itself here. Obviously, I would love to stay and pitch in Boston, but if that doesnt happen, theres no 100 percent bias to go elsewhere.

Its your career, and ultimately you want what is best for yourself and obviously for everyone else. At the same time, you have to look out for yourself.

Without specifically referencing the terrible tragedy of having his infant son, Brooks, pass away shortly after his birth the day after last Christmas, Hill noted this marks the first time in his career that he has in-season contingency plans to carefully weigh.

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PawSox' Hill has options to consider

Architect Alfred Dragani and his wife, Concetta, an art historian, were at a Chestnut Hill dinner party six years ago when they learned that the house next door was for sale - and their ears perked up.

The house, designed in 1957 in two glassy pavilions by Swiss architect Oskar Stonerov, was a rare gem - a modern house on a street dominated by modern architecture in the middle of Victorian Chestnut Hill. A devotee of the International Style of architecture, Stonerov advocated clean, sparse designs and community connections as espoused by the writings of French architect Le Corbusier - whom Alfred Dragani had admired since being a graduate architecture student at the University of Pennsylvania in the late 1990s.

At the time of that dinner party, the Draganis were living in a large, old house in the northern part of Chestnut Hill that required constant upgrades and renovations, and the family was looking for a home that was less expensive to maintain - their three children planned to attend private school.

The 2,500-square-foot house offered that, as well as a place in architectural history.

On the former estate of 19th-century developer Henry Houston, the house was part of a nine-year Stonerov project that included the 104-unit Cherokee Village development, a walkable community adjacent to the Wissahickon woods, and a few private homes. Besides its notable architect and developer, the house had been owned for 10 years in the 1970s by Ian McHarg, a famous landscape designer.

But the house still needed work, and the project was embraced by the whole family.

The yard had to be replanted, and the couple's sons, now 18 and 20, planted a beech tree and removed the overgrown stuff, Concetta Dragani said.

On the interior, the couple wanted to restore the original Stonerov design - covered with layers of previous owners' additions - and reclaim it as a "machine for living," a Le Corbusier phrase that compares the function of a home to something like a car.

See the rest here:
An architectural gem, still a home

By Damien Gayle

Published: 12:56 EST, 28 May 2014 | Updated: 13:05 EST, 28 May 2014

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The monument rises from a hill behind a shroud of mist. Before it, trees shed their coats into a placid body of water reflecting an cloud-flecked sky.

It could be the setting for a fantasy adventure, a game of thrones played out in murky history, whose heroes have long since been forgotten.

And indeed it probably was once, for this ethereal image is a photograph of Glastonbury Tor, one of England's most spiritual and historic locations.

Ethereal Tor, Glastonbury, Somerset, England, an entry for the 2014 Take A View Landscape Photographer Of The Year Award

The photo is just one of dozens of entries for the eighth annual Take A View Landscape Photographer Of The Year Award competition, which is open for submissions from now until July 11.

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Landscape photographs of the UK reveal stunning wild countryside

When people think of the state of Florida there are many things that come to mind, but the unquestioned top of the list typically is the amount of theme parks that pepper the landscape. (visitflorida) From Orlando to Tampa, and seemingly all points in between, you're never too far from some sort of amusement or theme parks to treat your children, your family, and even the child inside yourself to a day of fun and entertainment. (orlandofuntickets) The king of the hill is obviously the Disney properties in the Kissimmee/Orlando area, while ticket prices may be high it's virtually impossible to go to any of their properties and not have a great time, even with the long lines, it truly is the happiest place on Earth. (disneyworld) Beneath the Mouse you have the likes of Busch Gardens, Legoland, Fun Spot, Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure, many different water parks, and of course the ultimately controversial Sea World, the area is virtually littered with parks geared toward family fun and enjoyment. (orlandosentinel) If there's one thing you would have thought wasn't needed in the area it would be another theme park, but when one of the most beloved theme parks in the United States, you go forward with the plan and add another family destination to the area.

Six Flags is one of the more popular theme parks around the United States, starting in 1962 in Grand Prairie, Texas the park has become the largest in terms of properties owned across the United States, Mexico, and Canada. (wikipedia) With all of the locations that Six Flags currently owns, it's hard to believe that they've never found a home for themselves in the state that's known as the land of the amusement park. (sixflags) While nobody would dare dream of catching Disney anytime soon, if everything is run properly Six Flags could quickly find a home for itself among the Busch Gardens, Sea World, and Universal Studios of the world as they all vie for the coveted second most popular destination in Florida. (travelchannel) Six Flags is slated to break ground in Hernando County this year, planning to open their park in 2018, hoping that Six Flags Spring Hill can quickly climb the ranks, it's a park that's been planned for almost twenty years now with the park operators finally seeming to have secured all needed approvals to finally proceed with the next big theme park in Florida. (springhillcourier) This is great news for the local economy, and I look forward to having another place to take my daughter for fun and enjoyment in the near future, unless something else happens to stall the project.

Excerpt from:
Six Flags Finally Coming to Florida

ITS like a buffet of must-see spots that can be enjoyed in single stop. Although this is not uncommon in an ancient city such as Rome where just at every street corner a cornucopia of surprises unfold. But consider this "buffet" something special -- the offerings are lip-smacking, so to speak.

It's one of the seven hills in the city -- the Capitoline Hill, a citadel (like the forum to the Greeks), where, once, one of the largest and the most beautiful temples of early Rome sat on. What sits on the hill today is a piazza with Medieval and Renaissance palaces converted into museums, an ancient church and a controversial monument.

The Piazza del Campidoglio.

Commissioned by Pope Paul III "to build a symbol to reestablish the grandeur of Rome," Michaelangelo designed the Piazza del Campidoglio and redesigned the surrounding palazzi, plan that was executed over a period of more than 400 years. It can be approached via the cordonata, a sloping road composed of transversal stripes, from the Via del Teatro di Marcello.

Enclosing Michaelangelo's trapezoidal piazza were once two official buildings of Rome's civic government-the Palazzo dei Conservatori (built in the Middle Ages for the local magistrate on top of "Maximus Capitolinus," a 6 BC temple dedicated to Jupiter. Annexing it is the Palazzo Caffarelli Clementino where short-term exhibitions are held) and the Senatorio (a 13-14th century palace that housed the archives of ancient Rome and now the Roman city hall) - and the Palazzo Nuovo (built in the 16th century). At the center of the piazza is a replica of the equestrian statue of Marcus Aurelius in bronze (the original is in the Palazzo dei Conservatori).

Santa Maria in Aracoeli

The monumental flight of stairs left of the cordonata leads to the highest summit of the Campidoglio where the Basilica di Santa Maria in Aracoeli al Campidoglio or the Basilica of St. Mary of the Altar of Heaven is situated. The church was famous in Rome for the Santo Bambino, a 15th century wooden statue of Jesus Christ of olive wood from the Garden of Gethsemane, which was stolen in 1994 and never recovered. A jewel-encrusted copy can be seen in the church.

The relics of Constantine the Great's mother, Saint Helena, and the remains of St Juniper, one of the original followers of St. Francis of Assisi, are in this church.

The Altaredella Patria (The Altar of the Fatherland)

Also known as the Monumento Nazionale a Vittorio Emanuele II (National Monument to Victor Emmanuel II) or "Il Vittoriano," the monument erected to honor the first king of unified Italy, is the controversial addition to the Capitoline Hill. Why? Because to create this, the largest monument in white Botticini marble ever built, a large area of the historic hill, a Medieval neighborhood included, had to be "chopped off" or "destroyed." The boxy structure (the Romans commonly call it "the typewriter") was perceived as "pompous and too large," and glaringly white against the predominantly brownish hue architectural landscape.

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Up & down a Roman hill

File photo

St. Andrews rising senior guard Marcus Adkison is expected to be one of the top players in the county.

The Montgomery County boys basketball landscape will have a different look this summer, thanks to a new league launched by St. Andrews Episcopal School.

The St. Andrews League will include 16 teams with many, like St. Andrews, that played in the Montgomery County Summer League in previous summers.

Lions boys coach Kevin Jones, who helped launch the league, said he hopes it will help the players gain additional exposure to college coaches. The league is in the process of adding a website that includes schedules, standings, rosters and statistics, Jones said.

We just thought it would be a good opportunity to run a league the way that we wanted, Jones said.

Walt Whitman, the Class 4A state finalists, is one of the 12 Montgomery County public school teams participating in the league, hosted at the Potomac private school.

[We wanted] to do something different, Vikings coach Chris Lun said. ... For us, its right in Potomac. Its close for a lot of our kids.

Other participants include Clarksburg, Winston Churchill, Albert Einstein, Gaithersburg, The Heights, Landon, Col. Zadok Magruder, River Hill (Howard), Rockville, Richard Montgomery, Poolesville, Quince Orchard, Watkins Mill and Thomas S. Wootton.

The Lions return three starters, including rising senior Marcus Adkison, from last seasons 18-7 team.

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St. Andrew