HAMPTON Jack-o'-lanterns with crooked grins sat on front porches Tuesday morning on First Street in Buckroe.

It was a sign of normalcy after a day of tidal flooding from Hurricane Sandy it was also a sign that Halloween was still on for Wednesday night.

A day after floodwaters from Hurricane Sandy receded on the Peninsula, there were no plans to restrict areas for trick-or-treating on Halloween, according to city officials. In areas hit the hardest by the storm, like Poquoson and Hampton, flood waters had receded by Tuesday morning.

"I didn't think we would be able to go," said Raushanah Barrett. "I thought we were going to be flooded."

Barrett, of Newport News, said when rains from Hurricane Sandy flooded the back parking lot of Riverlands apartments Sunday, she began to doubt if she would take her nieces and nephews out to trick-or-treat.

"The kids may have to sit in the house and eat a bowl of candy," Barrett said, with a laugh.

Barrett said her decision will depend on whether it rains and how cold it is Wednesday.

The weather is slated to be clear and in the high 50s.

Karen Grizzard has owned Party Station on Jefferson Avenue in Newport News for 19 years. Party Station is a year-round costume shop that specializes in Halloween attire. Grizzard says there has never been a weather threat as severe as Sandy near Halloween.

"We've had cold and rainy spells but never had this," Grizzard says.

Read this article:
Hurricane Sandy will not alter trick or treating

An apartment fire forced seven people to evacuate as the flames engulfed their porches Wednesday night at an East El Paso complex.

The fire started on the first floor of one of the units at about 10:15 p.m. at the La Estancia Apartments on the 7900 block of Viscount.

The fire began on a first floor porch and quickly extended to the kitchen and ceiling of that unit and the porch of the upstairs unit, fire department officials said.

Three people were inside the first floor unit and four people were upstairs. All seven safely exited the apartments, officials said.

Fire officials said both units had heavy smoke damage in the kitchen and living room areas.

Two people from each apartment were displaced by the fire but had a place

The cause of the fire is undetermined and the damages are estimated at $40,000 for both units combined, officials said.

Aaron Bracamontes may be reached at abracamontes@elpasotimes.com; 546-6156. Follow him on Twitter @AaronBrac.

More:
East El Paso apartment fire forces seven to evacuate

While his neighbors talk on their porches, Cape May resident Dave Fitch checks on the lower level of his victorian home Monday, Oct. 29, 2012, in Cape May, N.J., as Hurricane Sandy continues toward landfall. The fast-strengthening Hurricane Sandy churned north Monday, raking ghost-town cities along the Northeast corridor with rain and wind gusts. The monster hurricane was expected to make a westward lurch and aim for New Jersey, blowing ashore Monday night and combining with two other weather systems - a wintry storm from the west and cold air rushing in from the Arctic - to create an epic superstorm. (AP Photo/Mel Evans)

Hurricane Sandy, after killing at least 69 people in the Caribbean, streamed northward, merged with two wintry weather systems and socked the Northeast, mid-Atlantic and Great Lakes with wind, waves, rain and snow. Some figures associated with Sandy's rampage through the U.S., as of Tuesday evening:

Maximum size of storm: 1,000 miles across

Highest storm surge: 13.88 feet, at New York

Number of states seeing intense effects of the storm: At least 17

Deaths: At least 55

Damage: Estimated property losses at $20 billion, ranking the storm among the most expensive U.S. disasters

Top wind gust on land in the U.S.: 140 mph, at Mount Washington, N.H.

Power outages at peak: More than 8.5 million

Canceled airline flights: More than 18,100

Read more:
Superstorm Sandy's extremes, by the numbers

The deep porches are lined with pumpkins and chrysanthemums in McKinneys Tucker Hill neighborhood. Not-so-scary scarecrows smile. Rocking chairs and benches have fall-theme pillows.

In short, its a nostalgic view of a small town.

Its like living in the pages of Southern Living magazine, says Michelle Martin, who moved in six months ago.

Her familys home took first place in the developments Pumpkinville fall-decorating competition. Prizes also were given for Halloween decorations.

On her front steps, a crow-beaked scarecrow overlooks pumpkins, flowers and a basket of gourds. A barrel topped with gourds sports a sign Welcome to our porch. There are straw men and a handmade wreath on the door with colorful letters spelling fall.

The homeowner made the door decoration, but she says that most of the decor came from a stash shes been building for 15 years.

I just kind of brought it all out, she says.

More than half the 100 or so homes in the neighborhood have such seasonal decorations. In front of one house, theres an old wood wagon piled high with common orange pumpkins and more exotic pale green and white specimens.

Most of the homes decorations come from hobby and crafts stores, with a few handmade accents thrown in. McKinneys farmers market by the downtown square is a popular resource, for produce and for handmade figures and other decorations.

Tucker Hill is drawing onlookers for its fall decorations the way that some neighborhoods bring in visitors for Christmas displays, says Vicki Northcutt, the developments marketing director.

Go here to read the rest:
McKinney neighborhood goes all out for fall with outdoor decor

DANIELSVILLE, Ga. (AP) Residents in northeast Georgia say kudzu bugs are swarming on yards, fields and front porches.

The Athens Banner-Herald reports (http://bit.ly/Rlmp5Z) that the new invasive pest is continuing its aggressive proliferation across the South.

The small green bugs, about the size and shape of native ladybugs, have spread into six states since they were discovered in the Atlanta area in 2009.

Madison County Extension Service agent Adam Speir finds himself picking the bugs off his clothing when he arrives for work.

Speir said kudzu bugs are native to Asia, where they feed on the kudzu vine, but they also feed on legumes, including soybeans, peas and beans.

He said there is speculation that the bugs arrived in Georgia on a flight from Asia that landed at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport.

___

Information from: Athens Banner-Herald, http://www.onlineathens.com

2012 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

Excerpt from:
Kudzu bugs blanket Georgia yards, fields, porches

A preserved historical gateway building. Brick and clapboard townhouses with porches that greet the neighborhood. A pedestrian mews with urban gardens off Mechanic Street.

Meet One Lawrence Street, the third plan in five years to attempt to bring a mix of residences and business to the vacant Star Supply building, the desolate former industrial site at the northern end of State Street.

Former Yale Law School student and Goatvillean Ben Gross, now a research fellow at the Furman Center for Real Estate and Urban Policy at NYU, led a team of seven partners called Goatville Development LLC in presenting preliminary plans for the proposed 250-apartment (with 200 parking spots) mixed retail and residential complex. He made his pitch to the East Rock Management Team at the little Hooker School on Canner Street Monday night.

Gross learned about the property during his years as a Yale Law School student, as a Yale fellow at New Haven governments Livable City Initiative, and as a five-year-denizen of the Goatville section of East Rock before he moved to New York City. The plans are so preliminary Gross and fellow partner and project architect Randolph Gerner couldnt even put a dollar figure on the cost.

Gross envisions studio, one, and two-bedroom apartments, with a smattering of three-bedrooms, all to be offered on a rental basis.

Gerner said the apartment footprint would be smaller than standard, with the studios covering 500 square feet and the one-bedrooms running between 625 and 700. He proposed 30,000 square feet of commercial space on the first and second floors, primarily along State Street. The large space would aim to attract a bigger business than the ones currently on that stretch of State, such as a fitness studio or a small bank.

The designers offered a schematic presentation of how the buildings preserve and echo local history, interact with as opposed to turn their back on the neighborhood, build on the success of Upper State Streets commercial corridor, and defend against the looming presence of I-91. The 45 attendees offered high marks for thoughtfulness and wishes for success.

The project will need it. The site is contaminated with petroleum and solvents from its previous industrial history, although Gross said previous developers had gotten a good head start in defining the environmental issues.

Developers have eyed the 3-acre lot to build stores and apartments as far back as 2006. The Christie Wareck Co. drew up detailed plans for stores and 139 apartments, and even got zoning approval, before the plan fell apart due to in-fighting among the developers. Then Fairfield Residential, the largest privately held multi-family developer in the nation, tried to turn Star Supply into luxury housing; that plan fell apart when the economy tanked in 2008.

Architect Randolph Gerner of GKV Architects, presented the chief features of the latest plan. They include townhouses with porches along Mechanic Street and a pedestrian mews off Mechanic that is a kind of public urban garden on the order of Forest Hills Gardens in Queens, N.Y. Plans call for preserving the two-story brick structure where Lawrence and Mechanic meet. That gateway building would give the name to the project, One Lawrence.

Read the rest here:
Goatville Welcomes Latest Star Supply Plan

Photo by Emily Adams Keplinger

This sculpture at the corner of Jefferson and McLean adds artistic flair. It is one of several sculptures by local artists Roy Tamboli and Carol Buchman that can be found throughout the area.

Photo by Emily Adams Keplinger

Photos by Emily Adams Keplinger/The Commercial Appeal The porches on the houses in the Tucker-Jefferson area of Midtown add a distinctive flavor to the neighborhood, as well as encourage neighborly visits.

Photo by Emily Adams Keplinger

Neighbors Bryan and Rachel Baddorf (from left); Brandon and Lily Russell, with their children Clemens, Hazel and Jane; recently enjoyed socializing with Kathy McAllen at her home in the Tucker-Jefferson neighborhood. McAllen's house was the first stop for the group's progressive porch party which ultimately was moved indoors because of rainy weather.

Gathering on front porches is a time-honored tradition, especially in the South. And that tradition lives in the tiny jewel of a neighborhood known as Tucker-Jefferson albeit with a twist neighbors recently gathered for a "Progressive Porch Party." The intent was to draw neighbors outside to visit with one another, which is certainly nothing new to this social group. The newness of the visit came from moving from house to house as the evening and the courses went along.

Kathy McAllen has lived in Tucker-Jefferson for almost 15 years. She said she was drawn to the eclectic feel of the neighborhood, both in terms of the styles of houses and their inhabitants.

"We have single-family homes and retirement homes, renters and owners, businesses and restaurants and more lately, art students," explained McAllen.

With about 600 households, including apartment dwellers, in the area bounded by Cooper on the east, McLean on the west, Poplar on the north and Madison on the south, the area is affectionately known by those who live there as "where The Park (Overton Park) meets The Square (Overton Square)." Sculptures by local artists and residents Roy Tamboli and Carol Buchman can be spotted throughout the neighborhood, adding to the artistic flair.

Visit link:
Front porches make good neighbors

wwltv.com

Posted on October 16, 2012 at 10:27 PM

Updated yesterday at 10:41 PM

Tania Dall / Eyewitness News Email: tdall@wwltv.com | Twitter: @taniadall

NEW ORLEANS -- Dozens of "Night Out Against Crime" events took place across the metro area on Tuesday night, from Orleans to Jefferson to St. Tammany parishes.

Many of the community-centered celebrations were held in parks, churches, community centers and front porches.

"It's good to have, it brings a lot of people out and it brings them together," said Chris Ferrand.

NOPD officers went door-to-door inviting citizens to a National Night Out Against Crime event just around the corner from Ferrand's Treme home.

"Food, talk, a little conversation. You get a chance to meet a lot of people and that shows you how close people can get together, if they want to," said Ferrand about the events aimed at uniting neighbors.

City leaders and community members packed the parking lot of St. Peter Claver Church in Treme on Tuesday night. New Orleanians teaming up to say enough is enough.

See the rest here:
Dozens of metro events mark "Night Out Against Crime"

Those not-so-scary scarecrows, black and orange garlands, and jack-o-lanterns are popping up all over front porches. Kids want as much candy as possible, but wary parents are making no bones about seeking alternatives to door-to-door trick-or-treating. And Dorchester is hosting several Halloween events, some of which even boast a little educational value. Sat., Oct. 20 For the 11th year, the Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) starts the Halloween season off in earnest with one of Dots signature spectacles : the Great Pumpkin Float, this year on Sat., Oct. 20, at Pope John Paul II Park. Hundreds of costumed children and their families will coax a flotilla of illuminated jack-o-lanterns down Davenport Creek to the Neponset River, providing photo ops galore.

Beginning at 5:30 p.m., participants can bring a 6-8 inch pumpkin that has been carved at home to the Hallet Street entrance to the park to be mounted on a special individual float. Each jack-o- lantern will have a candle inserted and lit before being launched en masse in the water. Floats and candles will be provided. The result will be a beautiful water parade of ghoulish gourds. Free hot cocoa and candy treats, too. The event is free and no registration is required. Pumpkins will be collected for composting and floats are recycled for next years event, making this a green tradition. Call DCR at 617-333-7404 for weather updates. Fri., Oct. 26 The Franklin Park Coalition invites neighbors to their Night Walk in the Woods. Tune your ears to the creatures of the night while prowling around Franklin Park just before Halloween. Wear sneakers or walking shoes, costumes discouraged, no flashlights allowed! But youll still see lots by the light of the moon. Come wander the deepest woods, wonder about the ghosts that haunt park ruins, and let yourself be spooked! Meet at Valley Gates parking lot midway along the park road by 7 p.m. Look for the lighted jack-o-lantern on the gate. franklinparkcoalition.org Sat.-Sun. Oct. 27-28 Among the haunted happenings at the Franklin Park Zoos annual Zoo Howl (both days 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.) are creature encounters, creepy crafts, ghoulish games, a trick-or-treat trail and the Haunted Maze. Radio Disney will be broadcasting from main stage.The Puppet Showplace Theatre and Catching Joywill also be on site on Sat., Oct. 27, for puppet-making and Halloween crafts. Franklin Park Zoo is pleased to partner again this year with Green Halloween, a non-profit, grassroots initiative to encourage communities to celebrate healthier and more sustainable holidays. greenhalloween.org.

*** Thousands of costumed trick-or-treaters and their parents will flock to Southie for the immensely popular Childrens Magical Halloween Castle from noon to 4 p.m. An all volunteer army from the Castle Island Association transforms Fort Independence into a Halloween funtown. Normally bare former soldiers quarters are decorated in Disney and seasonally appropriate motifs. Sun., Oct. 28 Cedar Grove Gardens at 911 Adams St. will host its annual all-ages Harvest Festival from 1-3 p.m. The event includes horse-drawn hayrides across the street in the Cedar Grove Cemetery. The festival includes a scarecrow contest with prize of $250 for the best entry by a group (a perfect opportunity for a class art project.) For more information, call 617-825-8582. Mon., Oct. 29 The Annual Haunted House (Mattapan B-3 Police Station, 1165 Blue Hill Ave., 5 p.m.-8 p.m.) will feature music, food, costumes, candy, spookily decorated dungeon (cells), and much more! In years past over 650 kids participated in the event. 617-822-8269. Sat., Nov. 3 From 10 a.m. to noon: Three days after Halloween, Boston Natural Areas Network invites families to The Pumpkin Drop. Bring us your withering jack-o-lanterns and pumpkins and smash them into the City Natives compost piles (30 Edgewater Drive, Mattapan) and learn how BNAN recycles green waste to improve soils across Boston. To register for a program: Call 617-542-7696 or e-mail info@bostonnatural.org

Read more:
Multiple events for Halloween offer treats for ghosts, goblins

To the people that keep complaining that police cruisers keep hitting porches and cars. It's an unfortunate thing but the city doesn't pay because that's the law. It's not an ordinance, it's the law. Besides, all the time and all the miles these police cruisers are putting in in a day, they're subject to accidents. That's why the law is there. Otherwise, our taxes would be outrageous. They're just protecting the taxpayers.

About time

I just saw on the TV that they arrested 10 people for welfare fraud. It's about time. Sick of going to the market and scrimping and saving and working hard, these people go up to the register with food stamps, dressed to the hilt with all their gold and earrings.

Birds know

I would like to respond to the sound off on Oct. 4. Same sex marriage is for the birds. That's not so, even the birds know the difference and they don't go for same sex birds.

Best yet

John, your column on Oct. 3 is the best yet. And yes, most of them are out of gum. They don't know what they're talking about or who they're voting for.

What about us

Gee thanks, giving everybody in your office raises left and right. Yet, you won't sit down and talk to us about our contracts that are ten months late. Thanks.

We cant win Continued...

More:
Sound Off: Protecting the taxpayers