Home Builder Developer - Interior Renovation and Design

The Perry City Hall issued an update Wednesday on the ongoing storm response and cleanup efforts.

Debris Removal Process

City of Perry cleaning crews, working with contractor partners, have been through the entire town once. Beginning Wednesday, Aug. 26, the crews began a second pass through the town in order to collect storm debris. Alley pickups will also begin at this time.

The crews will only go through the alleys for special pickup requests. To schedule a special alley pickup, call the Perry City Hall 515-465-2481 as soon as possible.

Once the second round of storm debris pickup is completed, residents will thereafter have to haul their storm debris to the dump site at the campground parking lot in Pattee Park.

Residents are asked to avoid parking on the street in front of debris piles. Parked vehicles obstruct the progress and make removing the debris extremely difficult.

As crews move through the town, hanging branches will be removed from trees on the parking or right-of-way. Branches that are too large for city crews to remove will be removed by a tree contractor. The city will also prioritize the tree removal list at this time.

Street Cleaning Continues

Due to an issue with their equipment, the street cleaning crew will return Thursday, Aug. 27, Friday, Aug. 28 and possibly Saturday, Aug. 29 in order to clear the gutters and vacuum out the storm drains. Residents are asked to remove their parked vehicles from the street, if possible, on those days so the streets, gutters and storm drains can be cleaned.

Garbage Collection

Residential garbage collection is back to the regular schedule. Residents may still bring household garbage to the recycle dumpsters at the McCreary Community Building parking lot, PHS football field parking lot and the parking lot east of the Police Department until Friday, Aug. 28. Beginning Monday, Aug. 31, these dumpsters will once again be used for recyclable drop-off only.

The Perry City Hall also expressed its gratitude to its resident and contractors for their hard collaboration following the unprecedented derecho storm:

Thank you to all of our partners assisting with the cleanup effort: Repp Trucking, J. Pettiecord Inc., Elder Corp., Walton Tree Removal Service, Landus Cooperative, Herbs Backhoe and all of the Perry residents who not only took care of their own properties, but gave a hand to their friends and neighbors, too! This is Perry Pride!

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City cleanup crews start second pass through town Wednesday - theperrynews.com

Ash trees in Alta that have been extensively trimmed due to the emerald ash borer infestation.

An insect which attacks and kills ash trees has brought changes to Alta over the past 3 years. Infestation of the emerald ash borer brought on by beetles has damaged hundreds of ash trees in Alta, and the city has been working to trim and remove the affected trees to stop the spread of infection.

According to Alta street and sanitation supervisor Brad Pedersen, about 18-20% of the infected trees have been removed, more than 50 trees so far, out of 330 that originally were scheduled for removal in the city right of way. We have several years yet, Pedersen said of the project.

The infestation, believed to have been brought to Buena Vista County and other Iowa counties on pallets from China, has taken a toll on Alta residents visually and on the city government financially. Mayor Kevin Walsh is concerned. This seems to be ongoing news but I am not sure the average person realizes the impact the ash bore has had on our community, he said.

Trees on the south end of main street or in the city park will show just how sad this community is going to look when all the trees are finally removed, Mayor Walsh said. This is not only bad in this way but it is also a burden on our city budget that we wish we could spend the money elsewhere. Our city employees have had to cut back on some things they would normally do in the summer to take care of infested trees.

The adult beetle that infects ash trees is metallic green in color and is about 1/2 inch long, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

The city continues to pay three tree trimming companies and additional summer workers to help with tree removal and trimming. Pedersen informed Alta City Council that his department will continue to work hard through August and after.

The removed branches are being put to good use. Instead of dumping the branches, they are being used for firewood, Pedersen said.

Excerpt from:
Miscellaneous: Beetle infestation changes the face of Alta (8/28/20) - Pilot Tribune

An interim tree-cutting bylaw may not be in Huntsvilles immediate future, but environmental protections are on the way, according to the latest Town of Huntsville committee talks.

Town staff confirmed during an online general committee meeting held Aug. 26 that a proposed community planning permit bylaw remained the fastest and most effective tool to combat worrisome site alteration and tree removal.

Mayor Karin Terziano noted that, after further investigation, an interim tree cutting bylaw, for example, likely wouldnt come into effect any sooner.

Councillors had previously tasked staff with researching interim controls on site alteration and vegetation removal in advance of the proposed community planning permit bylaws anticipated May 2021 implementation.

The direction came after tree removal off Forbes Hill Drive and other properties caused highly visible barrens or environmental concerns, sparked public outcry and renewed calls for action.

A number of proposed housing developments also have some residents eager to implement environmental and human health protections in advance against unnecessary site alterations or tree removal.

A community planning permit bylaw would combine zoning, site plan and minor variance approval processes, and introduce site alteration and vegetation removal restrictions, for development applications.

But committee members asked how the bylaw would prevent alteration or vegetation removal if no development application was planned.

Committee didnt seem concerned with every potential alteration, like felling a tree for winter heating fuel for example, but rather unnecessarily extreme cases that created a risk of damage to the environment or neighbouring properties.

Staff clarified that the community planning permit bylaw could have the power to require a permit for site alteration or vegetation removal, regardless of whether the property owner planned to apply for a development permit.

We would be able to require a permit for that level of site alteration through that bylaw, said staff.

And that would likely act as a deterrent, too.

Staff added enforcement of the bylaw would likely be based on complaints, as are other municipal bylaws.

The town is in the process of hiring a consultant to lead the creation of a community planning permit bylaw, which will include public consultations.

More:
Huntsville to plant tree protection in 2021 community planning permit bylaw - Muskoka Region News

Confirmed Judges, Confirmed Fears is a blog series documenting the harmful impact of President Trumps judges on Americans rights and liberties. Cases in the series can be found by issue and by judge at this link.

Trump Ninth Circuit judge Kenneth Lee tried in dissent to permit the US Forest Service to proceed with a project that would allow private logging companies to remove trees and log millions of board feet of timber in an area near a fire that had been put out in a national forest, without assessing the environmental impact of the project. The majority of a 3-judge panel, including a judge appointed by George W. Bush, rejected these arguments and ordered a preliminary injunction against the Forest Service that would require it to assess the projects environmental effects in its August 2020 decision in Environmental Protection Information Center (EPIC) v. Carlson.

In 2018, a fire caused extensive damage In Northern California, including to the Mendocino National Forest. The US Forest Service then approved a project to solicit bids from private logging companies to cut down and remove large trees with some fire damage up to 200 feet from either side of roads in the National Forest. The project authorizes logging of millions of board feet of timber on nearly 4,700 acres of National Forest land.

Despite the environmental impact of the project, the Forest Service did not prepare an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) or Environmental Assessment (EA), as usually occurs and is required by law. Instead, it claimed that the project was covered by an existing Categorical Exclusion (CE) in federal regulations from those requirements for road repair and maintenance. The environmental group EPIC disagreed that the CE covered the project and filed suit, seeking a preliminary injunction against the project until an EIS or EA was performed. A lower court ruled for the Forest Service and EPIC appealed.

The majority of a 3-judge panel on the Ninth Circuit, in an opinion by Judge William Fletcher joined by George W., Bush appointee Benjamin Settle, reversed and ordered a preliminary injunction against the project until the Forest Service performs an EIS or EA. Fletcher explained that EPIC was likely to succeed on the merits because the unambiguous repair and maintenance CE clearly does not include the work to be done on the logging project. Although removal of a dead or dying tree right next to the road could fall within repair and maintenance, Fletcher went on, the CE cannot reasonably be interpreted to cover commercial logging of large trees up to 200 feet away from hundreds of miles of roads. The majority also rejected a new argument by the Forest Service that a CE for salvage logging applied, since the project does not target only trees that pose an immediate danger to travelers as the CE requires.

The majority also found that the other criteria for a preliminary injunction were met. An affidavit and other materials showed irreparable harm to the environment if the project were allowed to proceed at this point, including diminish[ment] of individuals use and enjoyment of the National Forest. The balance of hardships and the public interest also favored an injunction, the majority continued, since it would require only a delay at this point so that the Forest Service would fulfill its obligation to perform an EIS or EA.

Trump judge Kenneth Lee dissented. Although he stated that he shared some of the majoritys concerns about the project, he maintained that the court should defer to the Forest Service and the lower court that denied an injunction. He noted that without the revenue that the project would generate, the Forest Service could be forced to close roads and recreation areas. The Forest Service decision to include the project within the CE was not arbitrary and capricious, he maintained, and the lower court did not abuse its discretion in denying a preliminary injunction.

As the majority explained, however, the lower court did abuse its discretion because it did not get the law right since it clearly misinterpreted the CE. Under no reasonable interpretation of its language, the majority noted, does the project come within the CE for repair and maintenance of roads. The majority also noted that the fact that the Forest Service relies on commercial logging operations to finance some of its work can put the Forest Service in an awkward and conflicted position in deciding on the authorization of such projects. The majority pointed out that simply requiring an honest environmental assessment of the project as required by law, which could lead to alternatives that would still include logging but have less environmental impact, would not harm the Forest Services legitimate objectives.

The Forest Service will accordingly be required to complete an environmental assessment of the impact of its proposed logging project before it can proceed. If it had been up to Trump judge Lee, however, that would not be the case, risking significant environmental injury.

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Trump Judge Tries to Permit Forest Service to Proceed with Commercial Logging of Trees Without Assessing Environmental Impact: Confirmed Judges...

Residents in Twickenham have protested the felling of trees by a Volkswagen dealership in South Rd, TW2.

On Wednesday (August 25), neighbours stood under trees to prevent them being cut down, as contractors removed shrubbery and trees on private land belonging to Citygate Automotive.

Objectors argued that some trees were protected by a Tree Preservation Order, and said that the shrubbery was vital in shielding houses from the industrial view of air-conditioners, advertising, floodlights and cars.

Paul Warrington, a member of South Road Residents Association, said:

This was an entirely peaceful move on the part of the residents who wanted the contractors to pull back, take a deep breath and for everyone to discuss matters with the council.

When we saw the first tree being mutilated, a couple of residents went over and stood under the tree and refused to move until the contractors stopped.

Later on in the day, VW continued their scorched earth policy and removed all of the mature landscaping in front of the site which has been there for years for public and residential amenity.

There is now nothing left apart from a few mutilated trees. One of the residents who has been living on the road since 1982 was in tears."

Director of the car dealership, Peter Wood, responded that landscaping was part of their maintenance programme. He said:

Citygate Automotive Ltd acquired the Twickenham facility in January of this year, which was in a very poor state of disrepair. After seeking advice and guidance from the council, we have begun a programme of tree pruning and maintenance to the area facing onto South Road.

This area has been significantly neglected over many years and has also become home to significant volumes of rubbish, bottles and general waste. Our intention has only ever been to improve this property and the surrounding area, which we are now very close to completing.

However, residents fear there is more at stake, after Lidl on South Road removed landscaping earlier in the year.

Residents Ian and Audrey Simmons said:

Is this the end of the leafy suburbs of Twickenham?

A spokesperson from Richmond Council responded:

This week the Council responded to reports of tree work being carried out on a strip of private land in South Road, Twickenham. An Arboricultural Officer attended site and found that a protected tree was in the process of being pruned; this work was halted immediately, and the Council is now investigating further.

Whilst on site the company undertaking works expressed an intention to remove and prune other dead trees, that do not have protected status, to address their relationship, including contact, with the adjacent building. Council officers inspected these trees and did not object to the proposed actions.

More:
Residents in clash to protect Twickenham trees from removal - Richmond and Twickenham Times

The Gadsden Times

Several types of hibiscus are available at nurseries and garden centers. The tropical types of beautiful hibiscus must be treated as winter houseplants in this area. They have large, lovely, colorful blossoms, but they cannot stay outside in the landscape in the winter because they cannot endure our frigid weather. I have had some of the lovely plants, but I do not have any of them now because I do not have room in my home for large houseplants.

In our landscape, we have a Rose of Sharon hibiscus tree that is larger than any crape myrtles in our landscape. The tree flowers all summer long, presenting a canopy filled with small, lovely, pinkish-lavender, single-petaled flowers. The one negative thing about the tree is that it spreads seeds, and we spend a great deal of time each season removing seedlings that grow from the scattered seeds. I love the tree, but the seedlings can be a nuisance. I have no desire for more than one of the lovely plants.

Recently, in this column, I wrote about the three Texas Star hibiscuses that we have in our landscape. They are tough enough to withstand the winters in this area, but the top portion of the plant dies back. The root system lives and the plants return year after year. They are quite lovely, too, but I do not want more than three of those. There are other types of lovely hibiscus, one of which is a plant called a dish hibiscus that presents large round blossoms the size of a dinner plate. I do not have any of these hibiscuses, at this time.

One hibiscus plant that I have never written about is a beautiful, double-blossomed, pink-flowering Althea Rose of Sharon, which is a dwarf tree that grows at the top of the hill n our front yard. The little tree is a prolific bloomer that flowers all summer. The blossoms are small but beautiful, with twice as many petals as the flowers on the larger Rose of Sharon tree. Bees, butterflies and hummingbirds love the colorful, double-ruffle blossoms that, to me, before they open completely, resemble a carnation blossom. The best thing about this small tree is that it does not reseed. We never have to remove any seedlings.

This little tree is situated in full morning sun with some afternoon shade. Generally, the tree thrives on whatever amount of water that nature provides. I have never pruned the tree; I never deadhead the blossoms, but I do occasionally feed the tree with an all-purpose slow release fertilizer and I do water at that time. The tree is a fairly carefree plant that delivers a great deal of beauty to our landscape.

Carol (Bonnie) Link is an Etowah County Master Gardener and an experienced garden writer. Her weekly column is designed to help and encourage others in their gardening endeavors. Send questions or comments to clink43@bellsouth.net.

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CAROL LINK ON GARDENING: Tropical hibiscus varieties are winter houseplants in this area - Gadsden Times

by Max Phelps

Yards to Paradise

The daylily has been steadily growing as a fad for the garden, with over 80,000 varieties registered with the American Hemorocallis (daylily) Society. Rather amazing, thats more options in this plant than you have in beans and tomatoes, or apples and daffodils combined.

My fondness for this plant is a much more subdued, but its such an easy to grow and hardy perennial, available in just about every color except crimson or pure blue, how can I not recommend a few for the landscape or garden.

The only native daylily to the USA is the tall orange one, hemorocallis fulva. Most hail from Asia. Hybridizers have had a fieldday with this plant over the past sixty years or so, creating new attractive color combinations, and bigger bolder blooms. Yet, the best bet to bloom all summer is still the Stella dOro with its compact plants and orangish blooms.

Some go dormant, some remain evergreen, and many are somewhere between, depending on temperatures and length of the winter. The evergreen ones can be killed in cold climates. Some begin blooming early, some begin late summer, and many fall in between. Most bloom for a couple weeks, but those that bloom both early and late or even all summer are called reblooming daylilies. Some are a foot tall and some get four feet plus in height. Blossoms vary from petite to eight inches wide, some are double, and some resemble spiders.

This plant loves sun, but also does well in part shade. It likes fertile and slightly damp soil but tolerates drought or floods and bounces back. The clumps slowly expand, like most perennials do, and most commonly new plants are obtained by taking a portion of the entire plant and starting it in a container or somewhere else in the yard or garden. Taking up an entire plant and dividing it into multiple little clumps of two or more fans or sets of leaves, along with sufficient roots, is an ideal way to invigorate an older plant while also producing numerous new starts for your own garden or to give away to friends, or perhaps even to sell.

Careful selection of varieties can mean you have some blooms from May until frost. Though a good number of bloom spring and fall, the majority of cultivars just bloom for a spell of a month or less. Each blossom only is open for one day, or one night and one day for the nocturnal ones. The scapes bear several buds, and new blooms open for a couple weeks or more in most varieties.

Daylilies are pretty good at erosion control after the first season, and also at keeping annual weeds down. Rabbits usually dont eat them, but deer will. And Ill eat them too, if Im hungry. The unopened blossoms make good in a salad or stir-fry. Blooms are used in Oriental cooking. And the little nodules of stored energy on the roots are like small peanuts or tiny potatoes, and definitely are edibleeven very tasty if harvested at the right time. Pickled daylily buds anyone, or battered and fried blooms?

You can plant them most anytime but try to avoid midwinter or dividing a plant while it is in bloom. It is a good idea to cut the tops back to help growing plants adjust to the new spot during hot or dry weather. Plants growing in containers can be planted anytime.

Sometimes you may be able to beg gifts from neighbors or buy from a roadside market or from a farm or gardener. Online/mailorder merchants will offer many varieties, usually shipping bare root plants spring, late summer and fall. Expect to pay quite a sum for the newest and prettiest varieties; older ones can often be bought in quantity for $3 or so per plant. If you are patient, one expensive plant can be divided in about three years to provide you extras.

Consider some daylilies the next time you are doing some flower planting. The ease of growing them and the many color and size combinations make growing these perennials a no-brainer. And remember that if you can bear to eat pretty blooms, their blossom buds are a delicacy.

For more information email rockcastles@gmail.com

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Landscaping with Daylilies - The Tryon Daily Bulletin - Tryon Daily Bulletin

Tommy Springer, Correspondent Published 12:11 p.m. ET Aug. 27, 2020

I knew it was coming. I expect it and dread it every year, but it never fails to catch me by surprise. And so, when I walked outside one morning this week to leave for work, I was greeted by the annual unwelcome sight. Streaked across the middle of my trucks hoodwas a splatter of epic proportions. Some unknown airborne visitor had made a mid-flight digested deposit that painted a picture in a bold contrast of rich purple with strokes of white. Ah yes, we have now entered the season of berry bird bombs.

Bird droppings are a year-long nuisance that I have learned to accept as a byproduct of my active feeding efforts that is the result of a self-fulfilling prophecy of sorts. Erecting a bird feeder attracts birds and consuming food creates waste, so when you entice a large group of animals and give them a buffet you kind of have to accept the obligatory ordure. However, you dont have to be a bird enthusiast to suffer the wrath of their digestive tract, as its well-known that birds have an uncanny way to detect any freshly washed window, wall or landscape feature.

The problem with certain times of year is that there are seasonal changes in birds preferred food choices that increase both the production and potency of their poop. These seasons usually coincide with the ripening of our multitudes of berries and small fruit. While fruit such as crab apples that have pale flesh may result in only an increase in volume of droppings and little other side effects, others can create the potential for permanent defacement by defecation.

The most damaging of these fruits are those that ripen into dark colors of red or purple and, unfortunately, a lot of them are found growing around our yards and gardens which make it easy work for the birds to leave their mark on our stuff. Cultivated varieties of blackberry, raspberry and grape can make minor contributions, but because most people also enjoy the taste of these, birds dont usually consume enough to cause widespread dropping distribution. As I find out each year,there are a few widespread, wild species of plants that produce hundreds to thousands of dye-packed morsels for birds to devour.

The pair I deal with on a recurring basis are mulberry trees and pokeweed plants. We have two species of mulberries that occur in Ohio: the native Red Mulberry and the aggressive, non-native white mulberry. Despite the misleading name of the introduced variety, both types of mulberry produce fruit that ranges from burgundy to black when ripe. My trees produce a bumper crop seemingly every year and birds, along with raccoons, squirrels and deer, will pick my branches clean usually before a single berry hits the ground.

Pokeweed, on the other hand, seems to be targeted solely by the birds around my yard and ignored by the furry creatures. While ripe pokeberries are toxic to humans, there are accounts of Native Americans using it to dye clothing, decorate their horses and even as a war paint although it may be possible to absorb the toxin through your skin, so I wouldnt advise trying this at home. In more recent times, there are even reports of Civil War soldiers using fermented pokeweed juice as an ink to pen letters from the battlefields.

Mulberries, too, contain a pigment that is currently used in some places around the world to create fabric dye and as a food colorant. The moral of this story is that the stuff inside these fruits has long been known as a potent colorant so its understandable why the accidental artwork left behind by birds can leave permanent stains on light colored paint, wood and metal.

I guess Ill be giving the truck and house siding a good once-over each day until the berries are all gone lest I end up with a polka-dotted mural courtesy of our feathered friends.

Read or Share this story: https://www.lancastereaglegazette.com/story/news/2020/08/27/conservation-corner-plants-stain-landscape-deck-and-car/5633156002/

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Conservation Corner: Plants that stain the landscape, deck, and car - Lancaster Eagle Gazette

High temperatures, combined with dry weather, pose a threat to Virginias home landscapes. Vegetable gardens, lawns, and even trees and shrubs are all susceptible to the effects of drought, including desiccation and increased vulnerability to pest and disease problems.

Virginia Cooperative Extension agentsandExtension Master Gardenersare positioned across the commonwealth to offer guidance for gardeners dealing with dry conditions. For many home gardeners inspired to plant vegetables in response to COVID-19 lockdown restrictions, dry weather presents a special challenge.

Dealing with dry conditions can be especially hard for vegetable gardeners as many plants need consistent water to continue to produce and some need rain at critical times, such as corn during silking, said Amy Byington,Lee County, Virginia, Cooperative Extension. In Lee County, our gardeners are struggling to keep their plants healthy and watered. Any time plants become stressed, disease and other issues are more likely to present themselves.

Trees and shrubs are also susceptible to drought, though how they respond depends on a few factors, including species, the time elapsed since transplanting, and soil type, according to Alex Niemiera, a professor in theSchool of Plant and Environmental Sciences.

Some plant species are very tolerant of drought, some very intolerant, some in-between, Niemiera said. Recently transplanted plants will be more vulnerable to drought stress compared to plants that have been planted for about a year or more. It is important to water recently planted plants regularly. Lastly, soil type will affect drought response. Plants growing in moisture-retentive soils will fare much better than those growing in less retentive soils.

For help evaluating the type of soil you have and the susceptibility of your trees and shrubs to drought, contact your local Extension Master Gardeners via yourVirginia Cooperative Extension office.

The very hot and mostly dry summer in Virginia is presenting some real challenges to Virginia gardeners, said Frank Reilly, Central Rappahannock Extension Master Gardener. There are the usual problems with heat and dry, such as plants wilting, trees prematurely dropping leaves, and fewer flowers than we expect from our favorite flowering plants. Some folks are also reporting that their tomatoes and even some peppers have stopped setting fruit.

See more here:
Heat and Dry Weather Pose Problems For Landscape Plants - The Roanoke Star

When Fred Vander Wall won an outdoor train set back in 1987, he never knew what to do with it, until a decade later when he looked at his backyard.

OTTAWA COUNTY, Mich. When it comes to landscaping projects, some people love doing it while others hate doing it.

A man from Jenison had no vision or plan for his landscaping when he started it, but today, his backyard is a giant train trip around the world, as well as being some serious eye candy, to boot.

"In 1987, I won an outdoor train in a sales contest," said Fred Vander Wall. "For the next 10 years, every Christmas, I put tracks around our Christmas tree and ran the train."

Around 2003, Fred got to thinking about a different way to use the train.

"I was standing out in my backyard looking around and thought, why not create some landscaping and have the train run through it," said Vander Wall.

That's when the project began.

"I never thought I'd end up killing half my back yard but that's what happened," added Vander Wall.

Piece by piece, he kept finding more train tracks, small houses, cars and farm equipment to scatter throughout the project.

"In the early years, I'd stay up all hours of the night making sure I'd win eBay auctions," joked Vander Wall. "I think I also kept Hobby Lobby in business."

Vander Wall says he never had a vision or a plan, but his finished project ended up being a 30 x 60 feet, 1-minute train trip around the world.

"It's a beast we've built," said Vander Wall.

Each corner of the project is a different country or city. The trains, which operate by remote control, meander their way through Paris, France, the Netherlands and past the Egyptian Pyramids and the Statue of Liberty in New York City.

In between, he's created smaller slices of Americana such as farm country, churches, lighthouses and cars.

"It just sort of went as it went," said Vander Wall. "And fortunately this is what happened."

Vander Wall added the New York City portion of the project earlier this summer. He says that completed it, and now he will just spend time enjoying and maintaining it.

"I don't see me extending it any further," said Vander Wall. "We've spent hours and hours and hours on this and we're very happy with what it's turned into."

Make it easy to keep up to date with more stories like this.Download the 13 ON YOUR SIDE app now.

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ALL ABOARD: Jenison man transforms backyard into train trip around the world - WZZM13.com