Home Builder Developer - Interior Renovation and Design

Moffat Boulevard is slowly returning to its glory days.

This year the eastern end of Moffat will undergo a $2.6 million transformation.

Moffat Boulevard between Austin Road and Woodward Avenue will be widened to four lanes under a plan to secure employment centers in the first phase of the 1,039-acre Austin Road Business Park.

It will help relieve current congestion as southbound traffic on Moffat often backs up past Woodward Avenue during the afternoon commute period. The project, though, is primarily designed to handle major movements of trucks in and out of the business park that is expected to include major distribution centers.

There would also be traffic signals at the off ramps as well as at Moffat and Austin.

Ramps at the Austin Road and Highway 99 interchange would be widened including allowing the southbound off ramp to 99 to have two left turn lanes and a right turn lane.

In addition there will be two northbound lanes that will go down to one at Woodward as the left lane would be dedicated to traffic heading into Woodward.

The work will start less than a year after the city completed work on the $7 million transit center on Moffat at South Main Street.

Fifteen years ago, the Moffat corridor had a dive reputation.

It had deteriorated from its heyday when it was the southern Highway 99 entrance to Manteca. Once the freeway was completed in 1955 Moffat started a long downward slide. In 1995 motorists entered Manteca on Moffat via the left turn flyover from northbound Highway 99 that has since been removed. They were greeted by the old Moffat feed lot, the pulp smell on the back side of Spreckels Sugar, dilapidated gas stations, few trees, shuttered businesses, crumbling pavement, weed-infested lots, aging trailer homes, and motels that had seen their better days.

Excerpt from:
Glory days returning for Moffat?

By Jackie Pilossoph For Sun-Times Media | @helpsquadjp January 2, 2014 6:24PM

Biegel said he spent the first five years pounding the pavement to establish a client base that includes the owners of this Winnetka home. | Jackie Pilossoph/For Sun-Times Media

storyidforme: 59974732 tmspicid: 21724852 fileheaderid: 10244109

Updated: January 3, 2014 2:43AM

When Jeff Biegel rang in the new year, he wasnt just celebrating the start of 2014. Biegel toasted to the 10-year anniversary of his Northfield-based business, Fish Window Cleaning.

This has worked because I surround myself with amazing people who care, and who are trusted by our clients, who feel comfortable letting them in their homes, said Biegel, who bought the St. Louis-based franchise in 2004.

Biegel, who lives in Highland Park with his wife, Monica, is no stranger to owning a business. In 1977, he bought Irvings in Niles, a restaurant he had for nine years, which he said taught him the value of hiring good employees and keeping them happy.

I learned the importance of customer service and pleasing people, and that starts with the people who work for you, he said.

Biegel sold Irvings in 1986 and spent the next 17 years as a commodities trader. In 2004, he decided to leave the business and search for a franchise to buy.

I got involved with a franchise broker who showed me a bunch of different companies, Biegel said. This seemed perfect for me because it involved my natural born skills being a people person and selling.

Excerpt from:
New year means decade in business for window cleaner

Carlstadt, NJ (PRWEB) January 02, 2014

The dining scene in New Jersey is ever-changing, but as food trends come and go innovative chefs are embracing the move toward green cuisine that is, cuisine with a focus on local sourcing of ingredients, environmental sustainability and nutrition. At Carlstadt-based Terre Terre, Chef Todd Villani works with farmers, artisan food producers, food distributors and purveyors within a 300-mile radius to deliver a local dining experience.

Increasingly, farm-to-table is taking on a whole new meaning, says Villani. For those in the New York and New Jersey area, it means the farm is in New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Pennsylvania or a bordering state and is not some farm clear across the country. Thats important because it helps reduce our carbon footprint and ensures that were eating fresh foods. But moving product from our farms to the dining table takes hard work and a willingness to collaborate with those who produce our food in a way that hasnt been done before, observes Villani.

While New Jersey doesnt have some of the established infrastructure necessary to move product from farm to table at least relative to some of the neighboring States its clear these visionary chefs and restaurateurs like Villani have their fingers on the pulse of what people want. According to its newly released culinary forecast, the National Restaurant Association (NRA) predicts that sustainable food is poised to hit the mainstream in a major way.

http://www.restaurant.org/News-Research/News/What-s-Hot-in-2014-culinary-forecast-confirms-sour

But just as sustainability grows in momentum, New Jersey still ranks among the lowest in the country in its consumption of locally produced foods. As the Garden State, we have the opportunity to change the way we eat by supporting and preserving sustainable, local food production. Throughout the region we have a committed group of farmers, food artisans and distributors who are making locally sourced cuisine a reality.

Terre Terre works with a number of visionary farmers and food producers paving the way for a more sustainable local food system. Here is a small sampling of those farms and producers Terre Terre has worked with in 2013.

Bobolink Dairy and Bakehouse

Bobolink owners Nina and Jonathan White, who run the Hunterdon County farm, have been not-to-quietly raising grass-fed beef, pork and suckled veal in addition to a nice selection of cheeses. They have been featured in Gourmet magazine; Anthony Bourdain taped an episode of "No Reservations" on their farm; and food activist and author Michael Pollan served their cheeses at his book party for The Omnivore's Dilemma.

Blue Moon Acres Farm

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Farm-to-Table Restaurant in Carlstadt Keeps Pace with 2014 Culinary Trends, Terre à Terre Sources Food from Local ...

BROOKSVILLE --

A fertilizer ordinance is now in effect in Hernando County.

The ordinance includes a limited application season from Jan. 1 through March 31 of each year. During this time, only professionals who are trained, certified and registered with the county may apply fertilizer.

Under the ordinance, the only kind of nitrogen fertilizer that may be applied are those that are labeled as slow- or controlled-release.

The ordinance was passed in an effort to protect the environment, as researchers say excess nutrients from fertilizer wash off lawns into nearby bodies of water, which in turn causes excessive algae growth and harms aquatic life.

Researchers say nitrogen from inappropriate use of fertilizer is the primary cause of water quality problems at Weeki Wachee Springs and the Weeki Wachee River.

Officials released a list of tips to help homeowners comply with the ordinance:

For more information, contact the Hernando County UF/IFAS Extension office at (352) 754-4433.

If you are a professional applicator who needs to register with the county, contact the Hernando County Permitting office at (352) 754-4050.

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Fertilizer ordinance goes into effect in Hernando County

What you probably didn't know about Monday's Bowl Championship Series championship is that it will be played on an entirely fresh field, placed directly atop the one you saw Wednesday at the Rose Bowl. Like a blanket over another blanket.

Senseless, right?

By all accounts, that Rose Bowl field was still nearly flawless after Wednesday's game, but that didn't stop groundskeepers. Foolish perfectionism is a Pasadena birthright and one I don't condone. Yet that's exactly what is behind this all-new grass, which requires a Herculean effort on a frazzled five-day time frame.

Sure, they have modified forklifts that unspool the sod in giant swatches. But in the end, laying a new field requires nearly 75 groundskeepers to push the puzzle together, starting work as soon as the Rose Bowl ends, blowing away the confetti, marking the sprinkler heads, then as midnight approaches then passes, then sunup comes laying down this magic carpet, by many estimates the finest playing field in the country.

Add six pockets and you've got yourself a very nice pool table.

As is my nature, I pitched in on this transformation. It really began a month ago. Soon as the last UCLA game ended Nov. 23, I joined Rose Bowl groundskeepers as they scraped out the old field and began to put in a new one.

I was there from the beginning, digging out clumps of old sod, thick and stubborn, like thatches of Einstein's hair. Wouldn't budge, most of it, till you got your mitts into it good clawing, pulling and twisting.

When that didn't work, I'd attack the stubborn turf with a shovel, chased with a couple of Tylenol.

A shovel, by the way, is this giant spoon you use to move dirt and sand. Many of you have never touched one. More of you prefer not to.

But I did. Just to take you inside the ultimate L.A. makeover. A blanket over another blanket. A Rembrandt over a Vermeer.

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Rose Bowl's grass act: A new field in time for BCS title game

Borough officials are moving forward with a plan to install artificial turf on a local athletic field using open space funds and grant money.

Resolution 2013-335, passed unanimously by the council during its Dec. 17 meeting, authorizes Borough Clerk Kelley Rohde and Borough Manager Scott Heck to apply for funds from the 2014 Passaic County Open Space Farmland Preservation Trust Grant program in order to cover the cost of bringing turf to the borough.

Both Heck and Rohde expressed the importance of passing the resolution before 2014 to meet the grant application deadline.

"We have to hold public hearings to start this process," said Heck.

"It's a short timeline," Rohde said. "The entire thing has to be submitted before March 14."

In order to meet the March 14 deadline, she said, it would be necessary to schedule a public hearing on the turf project at the scheduled Jan. 21 council meeting. That would leave just enough time to approve minutes from that session at a February council meeting, notify nearby property owners of the borough's intention to build a turf field, and obtain letters of support for the project from various borough entities, including the Open Space Advisory Committee and the Recreation Commission.

Once all those steps are completed, Rohde said, "The council will have to pass another resolution in February," authorizing the submission of the final application to Passaic County.

Heck said he has already let county officials know of the borough's intention to apply for grant money to fund the venture, which is being called the Redevelopment and Rehabilitation for Ringwood Turf Field Project.

The public hearing is scheduled for the Borough Council meeting on Tuesday, Jan. 21 at 8 p.m.

"Kelley (Rohde) and I will be really busy in January to get this ready," Heck said, "but we're going to do everything we can."

Continued here:
Ringwood moving ahead with plan to install faux turf using grant money

Dear Neil: We have an aerobic septic system, and we've had trouble with roots growing into it. There were three yaupon hollies about 5 feet from it, and I had them removed. I also have two mountain laurels on the other side, about 3 feet from it. Do you think their roots will cause a problem, and if so, can I move them to another location? I've had them about 10 years.

A. You might want to discuss this with the company that did the original installation or the person who services the system each year. There should be a way to install a root barrier between plants and the system. Better yet, there may be a way to open the tank enough to remove any roots that have penetrated it. Your problem is unusual. There may be a problem within the system itself or the connecting pipes that is allowing this to happen. You need the help of a professional in that field. Hopefully you can find a way to solve the problem without having to move large mountain laurels. That would be a laborious task.

Dear Neil: My 419 bermuda lawn has suffered serious trampling from the neighborhood kids. They now play in a park nearby, and I want to replace my lawn with new turf and build up the thin underlying soil while I'm at it. When should I do it, and what type of soil should I spread? Do I have to remove the old grass first?

A. This is a big task that is best accomplished in April or May. You do need to remove the old grass first. The easiest way would be to spray with Round Up or one of the other glyphosate herbicides. They will kill the old bermuda without contaminating the soil. After two weeks you can rototill and rake out the old debris, then bring in your new loam topsoil. Your local nurseryman can suggest the best source, or you can work with a landscape contractor to do the entire job for you. They will know sources of "safe" soil, that is, soil that is free of nutsedge and other potential problems. After you get the new soil in place, tilled and raked smooth, you can plant your new sod. Let your local sod yard work with you on selecting the best type for your needs. In fact, it's probably a good idea to involve them in this entire process from the outset. If you decide to choose another type of bermuda, you must be completely sure that the remnants of the 419 have all been eliminated.

Dear Neil: How can I kill ajuga that has jumped from my beds into my St. Augustine without hurting the grass?

A. Apply a broadleafed weedkiller spray containing 2,4-d with a pump sprayer directly to the ajuga at a time when it is growing very actively. April or May would be ideal. Keep the spray away from groundcovers, low shrubs, flowers and other non-grassy (broadleafed) plants.

Dear Neil: I have a non-bearing grapevine. I grow it for its leaves, which I use in cooking. Most years I don't prune it, but now it's grown too tall and wild. When should it be pruned?

A. Grape pruning, whether to tidy your plant or to keep a fruiting type in peak production, is done in late January or early February. You may be surprised by the improved quality of the foliage you get after the pruning.

Dear Neil: We have a young pecan (I don't remember the variety name) with very good pecans. Could we graft a Burkett onto one side?

A. You probably could, but you shouldn't. Burkett is a very old variety (100 years old), and it is not nearly as dependable a pecan variety as many of the newer hybrids. What you have is probably better. Plus, you'd have a mismatch of the two halves of your tree. That could lead to problems.

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Best to keep track of roots in septic system

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Join us for lots of fun, study, and companionship in integrating the various techniques into a dynamic, creative and flexible approach. In this series of unique seminars you will learn an in depth study of Feng Shui applications:

How to use the Form School principles, How to use feng shui recommendations and design protocols, Ming Gua and Ba zhai methods, Flying Stars techniques, Using the Lopan compass, Four Pillars Astrology, I Ching studies, Taoist healing principles, Space Clearing, Sacred Geometry, Sustainable Environments and Eco-Design principles, Taoist natural healing processes, Personal development and awareness.

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He has sponsored over 10 International Feng Shui Conferences, lead several feng shui tours to China, india and South America. He is the past founder and director of the Golden Gate School of Feng Shui and the San Francisco School of Feng Shui. He is also presently the Founder and Director of the Academy Healing Nutrition and the Academy Sacred Geometry, along with the Breakthru-Technologies conferences.

"The Taoist's elegant yet scientific approach to looking at nature allowed them to formulate some profoundly rational principles. In many cases it confirms our own instinctive ideas about what makes a happy and productive environment. Feng Shui builds on this intuition through the understanding of sound principles, allowing us to maximize beneficial energy flow, ideally in a way that is harmonious with our own unique culture, values, and beliefs. Using yin and yang as our infinite guide, we can explore how to become whole, how to adjust to changing circumstances, how to create health and balance in our lifes and other peoples."

Read more about our curriculum here and download our course outlines

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Feng Shui Seminars with Roger Green

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ABC A cubby house and chook pen were destroyed in a deliberately lit fire at Mile End.

Police are investigating whether separate series of deliberately lit fires in brush fences in the past few days are the work of the same arsonist.

Eight brush fences and a tree were set alight in Semaphore and surrounding suburbs in Adelaide's west overnight.

It follows several similar incidents at Mile End the previous night and at Alberton and Cheltenham four nights ago.

Police say they spoke to a man early this morning but did not have any evidence to arrest him.

He is now considered a suspect and police are looking to track him down.

Ethelton resident Thelma Masters owns one of the homes that were attacked and says it was only the efforts of her neighbour that stopped the fire from spreading.

"There's a lot of timber work there on my pergola," she said.

"It just would've gone up straight into the unit. I'd have probably lost my unit."

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Police seek suspected arsonist after latest series of brush fence fires