Pool Construction

Whether building a new pool, your dream landscape or in most cases both, we have the expertise and team to handle any size project.

Looking to remodel you old worn out looking pool? Let us help you redesign and refinish with a wide range of surface finishes, tile, coping, deck work and even adding water features and/or rock features.

We offer the most competitive pricing in pool equipment repairs and upgrades. From salt water conversions to energy efficient pumps and fully automated wireless pool systems.

Superior pool service from highly trained professionals. Weekly and Bi weekly scheduling packages that suit your needs and budget.

We offer professional landscape construction and repairs that will suit your needs and budget. Highly trained professionals with up to date industry practices and materials.

Stamped concrete, custom rock walls, patios, walkways and more.

Looking to enhance the look of your landscape? We can help with planting the flowers/trees/shrubs of your preference or make suggestions to suit your landscape needs.

Our highly trained and skilled professionals can trim or remove any size tree or shrub, we grind debris on site and haul away. Stump grinding also available.

Licensed and Insured with the State of California. License # 987689 C53 & C27

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Pacheco Landscape & Pool Construction

One Ocean Expeditions is offering 20% off an August photography expedition to see polar bears, walruses and whales as well as Inuit settlements in Canada's Arctic and Greenland.

"Arctic Cirle in Focus: Photo Symposium" sails Aug. 2 aboard an expedition ship called the Akademik Ioffe/One Ocean Navigator.

In addition to remarkable wildlife sightings, passengers will get a firsthand glimpse of the landscape of glaciers, fjords and icebergs.

The voyage begins in Iqaluit, capital of Nunavut, the northernmost territory in Canada, and takes 11 days to sail to Kangerlussuaq on the west coast of Greenland. It includes stops in places like Monumental Island, known for its walrus populations, Cape Mercy and Sondre Stromfjord, one of the longest fjords in the world.

While on board, experts on this cruise provide background information with lectures about the wildlife, history and geology of the Arctic. Professional photographers, including resident ship's photographer Daisy Gilardini, also will be making presentations and offering passengers one-on-one photographic tips.

The ship holds fewer than 100 passengers and was designed for polar research. It has a lobby, bar, small fitness center, dining room, library, a mud room (for drying and storing the gear you need for land excursions), sauna and saltwater plunge pool.

Prices start at $5,595 (with the discount) per person and includes the trip as well as all excursions. International airfare and transfers are extra.

Info: One Ocean Expeditions, (855) 416-2326

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20% off Arctic Circle photo cruise from Canada to Greenland in August

Sunday, April 5, 2015 | 2 a.m.

For most children, and many adults, summertime is the greatest time of the year: pool parties, barbecues, camping, hiking, picnics and playing outside on sunny, beautiful days. While summer sets the landscape for limitless activities, it also comes with a set of risk factors, especially for the seasons most gleeful participants children. Heres how to keep your kids happy and safe during summer and Las Vegas many, many months of summer-like weather.

Combating heat stroke

Heat stroke occurs when body temperature rises to the point it can cause damage, 105 degrees or above. Heat stroke can happen very quickly for children simply because theyre smaller. The smaller the body mass, the more quickly the person will become overheated, said Jeanne Marsala, RN, Safe Kids Director at Sunrise Childrens Hospital.

Early symptoms

Feeling faint

Unsteady balance

Dizziness or disorientation

Late-stage symptoms

Seizures (especially common in young children)

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Keeping kids safe during summer

Greyson Cheney, 5, of Rancho Santa Margarita gets encased in a giant soap bubble by Sarah Paul. KEVIN SULLIVAN, STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER Miranda Sintora, 8, of Rancho Santa Margarita screams next to her brother Lionel, 10, as they help hold a giant boa at the Critter Expo Adventure. KEVIN SULLIVAN, STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER Ella Steinhardt, 4, of Rancho Santa Margarita is a little uncertain of exotic birds Phoenix and Casper and holds tight to her dad, Alex, during the Critter Expo Adventure. KEVIN SULLIVAN, STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER Jack Jensen, 8-months, of Rancho Santa Margarita, says hello to the Easter Bunny during the Critter Expo Adventure hosted by the Rancho Santa Margarita Landscape and Recreation Corporation in Central Park on Saturday. KEVIN SULLIVAN, STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER Sophia Gallegos, 5, of Rancho Santa Margarita visits the farm animals in the Critter Expo Adventure petting zoo at Central Park on Saturday. KEVIN SULLIVAN, STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER Lily Murnieks, 6, of Rancho Santa Margarita, says hello to her horse during the Critter Expo Adventure hosted by the Rancho Santa Margarita Landscape and Recreation Corporation in Central Park on Saturday. KEVIN SULLIVAN, STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER Gianna Jaime, 9, of Rancho Santa Margarita, pets Nell the Turtle during the Critter Expo Adventure hosted by the Rancho Santa Margarita Landscape and Recreation Corporation in Central Park on Saturday. KEVIN SULLIVAN, STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER Luca Caponera, 11-months, and his dad Frank, both of Rancho Santa Margarita, say hello to Casper and Phoenix during the Critter Expo Adventure hosted by the Rancho Santa Margarita Landscape and Recreation Corporation in Central Park on Saturday. KEVIN SULLIVAN, STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER Emma Reiley, 6, of Mission Viejo makes some furry friends while enjoying the puppy pen during the Critter Expo Adventure. KEVIN SULLIVAN, STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER kids play on a bouncer during the Critter Expo Adventure hosted by the Rancho Santa Margarita Landscape and Recreation Corporation in Central Park on Saturday. KEVIN SULLIVAN, STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER Allie Cohen, 3, of Rancho Santa Margarita tries to pet a dachshund in the puppy pen Saturday during the Critter Expo Adventure hosted by the Rancho Santa Margarita Landscape and Recreation Corp. in Central Park. KEVIN SULLIVAN, STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER Noah Park, 4, of Aliso Viejo, holds two snakes as other children wait their turn during the Critter Expo Adventure hosted by the Rancho Santa Margarita Landscape and Recreation Corporation in Central Park on Saturday. KEVIN SULLIVAN, STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER Glenn Gordon, 6, of Rancho Santa Margarita, checks out the hissing cockroaches during the Critter Expo Adventure hosted by the Rancho Santa Margarita Landscape and Recreation Corporation in Central Park on Saturday. KEVIN SULLIVAN, STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER Noah Park, 4, of Aliso Viejo, remains calm as a tarantula climbs across his head during the Critter Expo Adventure hosted by the Rancho Santa Margarita Landscape and Recreation Corporation in Central Park on Saturday. KEVIN SULLIVAN, STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER Himari Anzai, 6, of Rancho Santa Margarita, smiles as her mom Akiko does her hair before checking out the Critter Expo Adventure hosted by the Rancho Santa Margarita Landscape and Recreation Corporation in Central Park on Saturday. KEVIN SULLIVAN, STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER Noah Park, 4, of Aliso Viejo, remains calm as a tarantula climbs across his head during the Critter Expo Adventure hosted by the Rancho Santa Margarita Landscape and Recreation Corporation in Central Park on Saturday. KEVIN SULLIVAN, STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER Greyson Cheney, 5, of Rancho Santa Margarita, has a giant bubble blown around him by Sarah Paul, 29, of Temecula, during the Critter Expo Adventure hosted by the Rancho Santa Margarita Landscape and Recreation Corporation in Central Park on Saturday. KEVIN SULLIVAN, STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER Miranda Sintora, 8, of Rancho Santa Margarita, left, screams next to her brother Lionel, 10, and as they help hold a giant boa during the Critter Expo Adventure hosted by the Rancho Santa Margarita Landscape and Recreation Corporation in Central Park on Saturday. KEVIN SULLIVAN, STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

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Rancho Santa Margarita's Central Park hosts convention of critters

Greyson Cheney, 5, of Rancho Santa Margarita gets encased in a giant soap bubble by Sarah Paul. , KEVIN SULLIVAN, STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER Miranda Sintora, 8, of Rancho Santa Margarita screams next to her brother Lionel, 10, as they help hold a giant boa at the Critter Expo Adventure. , KEVIN SULLIVAN, STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER Ella Steinhardt, 4, of Rancho Santa Margarita is a little uncertain of exotic birds Phoenix and Casper and holds tight to her dad, Alex, during the Critter Expo Adventure. , KEVIN SULLIVAN, STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER Jack Jensen, 8-months, of Rancho Santa Margarita, says hello to the Easter Bunny during the Critter Expo Adventure hosted by the Rancho Santa Margarita Landscape and Recreation Corporation in Central Park on Saturday. , KEVIN SULLIVAN, STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER Sophia Gallegos, 5, of Rancho Santa Margarita visits the farm animals in the Critter Expo Adventure petting zoo at Central Park on Saturday. , KEVIN SULLIVAN, STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER Lily Murnieks, 6, of Rancho Santa Margarita, says hello to her horse during the Critter Expo Adventure hosted by the Rancho Santa Margarita Landscape and Recreation Corporation in Central Park on Saturday. , KEVIN SULLIVAN, STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER Gianna Jaime , 9, of Rancho Santa Margarita, pets Nell the Turtle during the Critter Expo Adventure hosted by the Rancho Santa Margarita Landscape and Recreation Corporation in Central Park on Saturday. , KEVIN SULLIVAN, STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER Luca Caponera, 11-months, and his dad Frank, both of Rancho Santa Margarita, say hello to Casper and Phoenix during the Critter Expo Adventure hosted by the Rancho Santa Margarita Landscape and Recreation Corporation in Central Park on Saturday. , KEVIN SULLIVAN, STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER Emma Reiley, 6, of Mission Viejo makes some furry friends while enjoying the puppy pen during the Critter Expo Adventure. , KEVIN SULLIVAN, STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER kids play on a bouncer during the Critter Expo Adventure hosted by the Rancho Santa Margarita Landscape and Recreation Corporation in Central Park on Saturday. , KEVIN SULLIVAN, STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER Allie Cohen, 3, of Rancho Santa Margarita tries to pet a dachshund in the puppy pen Saturday during the Critter Expo Adventure hosted by the Rancho Santa Margarita Landscape and Recreation Corp. in Central Park. , KEVIN SULLIVAN, STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER Noah Park, 4, of Aliso Viejo, holds two snakes as other children wait their turn during the Critter Expo Adventure hosted by the Rancho Santa Margarita Landscape and Recreation Corporation in Central Park on Saturday. , KEVIN SULLIVAN, STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER Glenn Gordon, 6, of Rancho Santa Margarita, checks out the hissing cockroaches during the Critter Expo Adventure hosted by the Rancho Santa Margarita Landscape and Recreation Corporation in Central Park on Saturday. , KEVIN SULLIVAN, STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER Noah Park, 4, of Aliso Viejo, remains calm as a tarantula climbs across his head during the Critter Expo Adventure hosted by the Rancho Santa Margarita Landscape and Recreation Corporation in Central Park on Saturday. , KEVIN SULLIVAN, STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER Himari Anzai, 6, of Rancho Santa Margarita, smiles as her mom Akiko does her hair before checking out the Critter Expo Adventure hosted by the Rancho Santa Margarita Landscape and Recreation Corporation in Central Park on Saturday. , KEVIN SULLIVAN, STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER Noah Park, 4, of Aliso Viejo, remains calm as a tarantula climbs across his head during the Critter Expo Adventure hosted by the Rancho Santa Margarita Landscape and Recreation Corporation in Central Park on Saturday. , KEVIN SULLIVAN, STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER Greyson Cheney, 5, of Rancho Santa Margarita, has a giant bubble blown around him by Sarah Paul, 29, of Temecula, during the Critter Expo Adventure hosted by the Rancho Santa Margarita Landscape and Recreation Corporation in Central Park on Saturday. , KEVIN SULLIVAN, STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER Miranda Sintora, 8, of Rancho Santa Margarita, left, screams next to her brother Lionel, 10, and as they help hold a giant boa during the Critter Expo Adventure hosted by the Rancho Santa Margarita Landscape and Recreation Corporation in Central Park on Saturday. , KEVIN SULLIVAN, STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

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Central Park hosts convention of critters

By ELLEN KNICKMEYER and GILLIAN FLACCUS Associated Press

LONG BEACH, Calif. (AP) - What's it going to take to get people to use a lot less water in drought-stricken California, the Technicolor landscape of lush yards, emerald golf courses and aquamarine swimming pools?

Residents may be about to find out as California imposes the first mandatory statewide water-use restrictions later this year.

Gov. Jerry Brown on Wednesday ordered a 25 percent overall cutback in water use by cities and towns, but not farms, in the most sweeping drought measures ever undertaken by the nation's most populous state.

The crackdown comes as California and its nearly 40 million residents move toward a fourth summer of drought with no relief in sight. State reservoirs have a year's worth of water, and with record low snowfall over the winter there won't be much to replenish them. Wells in some parts of the state are going dry as groundwater levels fall.

On Thursday, retired secretary Brenda Johnson stood in the doorway of her Sacramento home contemplating her lovingly tended lawn and azalea bushes. Johnson did not love the idea of brown as the new green.

"With the money I put into it, I don't want it to go dry," said Johnson, who got a warning letter from the city last year for watering her front yard on the wrong day.

"I don't want a dead lawn," she said. "But change is hard, and you do adjust."

In Southern California's sunbathed city of Long Beach, homeowner Katherine Rusconi stood among the bright red, pink and yellow succulents and desert plants that make up her front yard, basking in the knowledge of being ahead of the game.

The city of Long Beach gave her $3,000 in rebates for ripping out her own lawn less than two years ago. Some of her neighbors have since followed her lead, making the block a showpiece of water-saving, wildlife-friendly yards.

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California moves to kill the lawn, save the water

Summer construction on the $2 million project will change the space on Liacouras Walk near Wachman Hall.

by Steve Bohnel 31 March 2015

Starting this summer, construction on one of the two main walkways on Main Campus will mark the beginning of a major landscaping plan throughout the university.

At a March 11 meeting, the Board of Trustees approved the allocation of up to $2 million for a landscape project involving Liacouras Walk and Wachman Plaza. University Architect Margaret Carney said the money will be drawn from the Plant Development Fund, an annually replenished pool of money allocated to address infrastructure projects.

James Templeton, Temples director of architectural services, said the fund is mostly used for exterior projects, but also occasionally for interior improvements, like ceiling repairs, window replacements and lobby refurbishments.

Concerning the current project involving Liacouras Walk and Wachman Plaza, Carney said this plan is the pilot project of a major landscaping plan that the university is unveiling in a few weeks.

Its definitely, for one, about beautification, Carney said of the current project. We definitely want to make it a better experience to walk on the paths around campus its also about giving people better clues as to where theyre supposed to go, so landscapes around building entrances we want to use it to give people more clarity for where theyre going.

Carney added that one of the key aspects of the plan is replacing the walkways with pervious pavement, which would improve drainage from rain. Templeton said another issue is a lack of unity throughout the major walkways on Main Campus. The inconsistencies range from 10 to 15 different paving standards and 25 different types of light fixtures, he said.

This is the first attempt to try to unify everything, and make standards for the rest of the university, Templeton said.

In order to combat this issue along with general collaboration on the project Temple has partnered with LRSLAstudio, a landscape architectural firm located at 230 S. Broad St.

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Landscape plan calls for new walkways

Pictures: Ron Tan

Jessica Rule asked three of Perths top landscape designers which project was their all-time favourite, and their tips for creating great gardens. Here, Denise Staffa of Outside In shares some insights into an award-winning East Fremantle garden that she created.

Denise Staffa, of Outside In, designed this East Fremantle exterior and managed the project with a professional team of contractors, including LD Total.

The design needed to reflect the Hamptons-inspired interior as the clients wanted flow from the inside and a practical use of space, Ms Staffa said. As the spaces were so large, I needed the design to tick all their boxes without blowing the budget.

Ms Staffa said the biggest challenge was the blocks varying levels, particularly the front lawn. To overcome this, she installed tiered, curved steps leading up to a day bed overlooking the ocean.

A variety of seating opportunities and entertaining spaces are positioned to make the most of the harbour views.

A white sphere in a bowl makes an eye-catching water feature while faux-concrete ball sculptures and movable LED balls around the pool soften the crisp lines.

The existing alfresco area included a barbecue and range hood, which are now housed in a newly designed unit with granite splashbacks.

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Landscape design: Hamptons chic

Inspired by trips to Morocco and Turkey, world travelers Katharine Kathy and William P. Billy Rayner created exotically themed gardens at their North End estate and their efforts were honored Thursday by the Preservation Foundation of Palm Beach.

Their gardens won the fourth annual Lesly S. Smith Landscape Award, presented before a private dinner for the Preservation Club at foundation headquarters on Peruvian Avenue.

The Rayners joined landscaper Denis Lamarsh, who helped them with the design, in accepting the award.

Foundation Executive Director Alexander C. Ives presented a tour of the gardens via PowerPoint before the ceremony.

The Rayners home stands on a double lot between Emerald and Coral lanes. One of the gardens is Marrakesh-inspired, filled with lush plants and coconut palms sheltering a guesthouse, tented entertainment pavilion and swimming pool.

The other landscaped area takes a more refined form, inspired by symmetrical Persian gardens. The focal point is a guest pavilion with Turkish architecture facing another pool and a lawn.

Also assisting the Rayners in the multi-year project was gardener Michael Peasley.

Ives said Friday that the garden shows how elements borrowed from other cultures can be successfully incorporated into Palm Beach gardens. We can bring things back home with us to inform the design decisions we make here, he said.

The Rayners are members of the foundation.

Kathy Rayner is the daughter of Anne Cox Chambers of Cox Enterprises, the parent company of the Palm Beach Daily News.

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North End estate wins Smith Landscape Award

MINNEAPOLIS -- In a world where (Big) Ten equals six (hockey-playing members in the conference) and (Final) Five amounts to four (teams in this weekend's WCHA semifinal), nothing's quite as it appears on the surface.

With conference tournaments commencing this weekend -- two of them in the Twin Cities -- the makeover of NCAA Division I men's hockey is almost two full seasons in. Casual fans have had another year to figure out which sextet of Big Ten schools have varsity pucks programs, what teams are still in the WCHA and what NCHC stands for.

But those on the inside of #cawlidgehawkey, as SportsCenter anchor and ESPN hockey analyst John Buccigross likes to get trending on Twitter, think this could be the eye of the storm, not its outer edge.

"I don't know if the waters are ever really, truly calm," first-year WCHA commissioner Bill Robertson said. "I think there's been a settling right now for a bit, but I do see more changes arising in years to come in college hockey. I don't think this is the last shift we'll ever have, that's for sure."

That's because even with 2013's creation of the Big Ten and National Collegiate Hockey Conference, which precipitated Robertson's league losing and adding schools, another round of expansion and potential realignment looms.

There's a big, maroon-and-gold domino with a pitchfork emblazoned on its front sitting in Tempe, Ariz. With Arizona State announcing in November its intentions to shift from highly successful club hockey to the Division I ranks, a whole platter of possibilities arises.

Once the Sun Devils decide on facilities, a financial model and other various start-up initiatives, they'll need a conference. Robertson bullishly proclaimed his desire to add Arizona State to the WCHA's already-massive footprint, and the Big Ten and NCHC are possibilities, as well.

Their reasons for being interested are manifold. Arizona State's Tempe campus is the nation's largest in terms of enrollment and features an expansive alumni base. It'll boast Division I hockey's only program in the American west or southwest, where the game is growing exponentially. It's a part of the Pac-12, which has its own TV network.

And it could open the door to more programs in its neck of the woods adding Division I pucks.

"I think the bigger piece of it is it's a Power Five conference school, No. 1," said Robertson, who took over for longtime WCHA commissioner Bruce McLeod last April. "No. 2, they provide the ability to get us exposure into the Southwest, into the West Coast, where there are a lot more hockey players coming.

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Unfrozen: College hockey waters never 'truly calm' as landscape ever-changing