Home Builder Developer - Interior Renovation and Design

The Syracuse-based Plowz and Mowz lawn mowing company is offering a discount code as a thank you to health care professionals and front line workers for their hard work during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to an article by WICZ News.

CEO and co-founder of the company, Wills Mahoney, says this campaign means a lot to him, as his own twin sister is a first responder.

Plowz and Mowz is an on-demand lawn mowing company, servicing 55 markets nationwide. Since the beginning of their campaign, the company has already more than 5,000 lawns for health care workers.

Our missions always been to help people, and you know we were seeing nurses and healthcare workers working around the clock, 12-plus hours, and we said the last thing they probably want to do is mow their lawn when they get home. So we set out to offer free lawn mows, Mahoney says in the article.

For the frontline workers in need of an extra hand in their outdoor chores, all they need to do is visit the companys website and use the discount code HERO to save up to $60 on their services.

The discount campaign will continue for at least another week, but customers can schedule their lawn care services for a later date if needed.

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Plowz and Mowz offering free lawn services to health care workers - Irrigation & Green Industry magazine

LifestyleHomes and GardensCutting the grass may sound like a simple task.

Monday, 18th May 2020, 9:49 am

With the lawn looking a little unkempt, simply give it the once over with the lawnmower. Sorted.

Thats one way of doing it, but there are so many more things you could be bearing in mind.

There are ways of doing things that will keep your grass in better nick in the long run, and as everybodys got a little more time on their hands these days, now is the perfect opportunity to try them out.

Here are seven top tips for a happier lawn:

Service your lawn mower regularly

The first step to having a healthy lawn, is to have a healthy lawnmower.

Keeping its innards clean and free from the build up of any clippings is an easy way to keep your machine ticking over nicely.

But once a year, its worth getting your mower serviced regularly, looking for chips on the blades, and checking whether theyre still sharp.

Blunt blades can actually damage your grass, bruising it instead of giving it a nice, clean cut.

Adjust the regularity of cuts during the year

Grass grows at different rates throughout the year, so it stands to reason that the regularity of your trims should vary too.

Grass needs cutting less frequently in early spring, but you may need to mow twice weekly when growth rates peak in late spring.

Cut your grass to the right height

Unlike an efficient haircut, you dont actually want to get your moneys worth (or mowney's worth) and take your grass as short as possible with each cut.

The ideal height for lawn grass is are 2.5cm 4cm tall, though if you have the patience, different lengths should be utilised in different areas of your garden.

Patches that get more wear and tear should be left longer at around 4cm 5cm, while shaded section should be longer still, at 7cm 8cm.

Set your blades to the right height

To get that perfect grass blade height, youll want to adjust the cutting height of your mower.

People can often neglect to do this, but if you want to be proud of your lawns luscious leaves, its a must!

Who hasnt exuberantly taken on a lawn cut, only to find their mower quickly clogging up with damp cuttings.

Your first mistake? Giving the lawn a trim while its not dry.

Not only could the mower jam, but it will also smear and rut the soil, with wet grass clippings clumping and smothering the lawn.

Aim to only mow when both the grass and soil are dry.

Put the clippings to good use

You can compost your grass clippings of course (though youll want to mix them with carbon-rich brown material to avoid slimy compost, but in the summer, you should leave the clippings on the lawn to retain moisture.

Mowing the lawn neednt be the arduous chore youve treated it as all these years.

Experiment while youre out there with heights, stripes and all sorts of finishes.

You could even leave areas to grow free if you want to encourage wildlife into a secluded corner! Have fun with it.

Link:
How to cut the grass: 7 top tips for lawn care - and when you should mow it - The Scotsman

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Bartender Carrie Boyle wipes down the bar at A.J. O'Brady's Irish Pub & Grill in Menomonee Falls on Thursday. Patrons were spaced 6 feet apart at the bar and surfaces were cleaned after every patron. In addition, the bar is taking reservations for a limited number of tables available.(Photo: Rick Wood / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel)

Milwaukee and other area municipalities announced a flurry of openings Friday, just asMemorial Day weekend arrived.

Among the announcements Friday was everything from Milwaukee churches reopening to state parks resuming normal business hours. Here's a list of everything open during the long weekend:

Live Updates: The latest on coronavirus in Wisconsin

Daily Digest: What you need to know about coronavirus in Wisconsin

Share Your Story:We want to talk to doctors, nurses and others affected by coronavirus

According to the public health order issued in Milwaukee, all public and privategatherings are limited to a maximum of 10 people, andbusinesses are also expected to have customers maintain social distancing. Businesses allowed to open include:

A public health order for suburban Milwaukee County businesses expired Thursday, allowing bars and restaurants to offer indoor seating and dine-in services.

Here's a list of how some prominent businesses plan to welcome guests and customers this weekend.

Beginning Saturday, Wisconsin state park properties will return to regular operating hours of 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. seven days a week, the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources announced Friday.

All restrooms will remain closed through June 2 and all group campsites and shelter reservations will remain closed and canceled at leastthrough June 7, according to a news release.

Temporary capacity restrictions will still be used as needed to prevent overcrowding at properties, the release said. Updates on capacity restrictions can be found here.

Rock Island State Park, however, will remain close to all use until July 1 due to high lake levels interfering with ferry service.

The DNR also said four other properties will remain closed for the health safety of the public:Dells of The Wisconsin RiverStateNatural Area, Gibraltar RockStateNatural Area, Parfrey's Glen StateNatural Area andPewits Nest StateNatural Area.

All facilities such astowers, shelters, playgrounds, nature centers, headquarters, entrance stations and concession buildings remain closed to the public.

Contact Elliot Hughes at elliot.hughes@jrn.com or 414-704-8958. Follow him on Twitter@elliothughes12.

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Here's a list of everything in and around Milwaukee that's open for Memorial Day weekend, including beaches and libraries - Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

Nothing in this world is certain, except death and taxes, according to Benjamin Franklin. Thats not entirely true. He left out weeds.

Anyone with a yard or garden knows that weeds are a near certainty. Plant it, and they will come; weeds, that is.

Weeds can take the fun out of gardening, if we let them get the upper hand in our vegetable gardens, landscapes and flower beds.

Weeds are a major challenge in lawns, landscapes and gardens. Michael Vosburg / Forum Photo Editor

But we can win the war on weeds, and the following tips can help.

Hoeing weeds when small is a key to control. Michael Vosburg / Forum Photo Editor

ARCHIVE: Read more of Don Kinzler's Growing Together columns

Don Kinzler, a lifelong gardener, is the horticulturist with North Dakota State University Extension for Cass County. Readers can reach him at kinzlerd@casscountynd.gov or call 701-241-5707.

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Conquering weeds in the yard and garden | INFORUM - INFORUM

I recently saw a social media post showing an image of an emerging pin cushion. Its a two of a kind working on a full house scenario. So barely a pin cushion on the old Jeff-Luc-ometer. Of course, everyone has their own opinion based on a single photograph as to which pin is better. The debate and camaraderie were thought-provoking, so I broke editorial code and chipped in my two cents. The underlying question is what binds us to calling any particular object evidence? I like to think I rely on evidence that will lead to facts supporting the original grant. Thus, I need an authoritative basis for accepting evidence. All of you old dogs know this. Im willing to assume that you understand because you were mentored. Our profession is working if our folks can say they earned this wisdom through mentoring rather than hard knocks. The mentoring process is designed to pass second-hand knowledge so that we dont have to reinvent the wheel or take any lumps to the forehead. The artful craft of sorting evidence is learned through experience. Retracing and substantiating the authoritative grant should keep us from stabbing that pincushion like a worn-out voodoo doll and lead us to the real egg in the basket. There may be a path to cleaning up the other fiddle sticks but were gonna have put on the mommy/daddy pants and be willing to communicate with the owners and lawn archers. Can we measure, document and remove foul markers under the authority a boundary agreement? If you think so, then would you be willing to yank your foul corners under the terms of a boundary agreement? Sounds counterintuitive to remove marks but the end result is a single point of notice under a documented agreement. Id need to see some really strong before, during, and after documentation of this rigid and abrupt event. There could very well be some conveyancing involved too. At some point we have to fess up to the cause and relieve our profession of this nuisance. How about implementing a standard of care that requires any newly set monument to be accompanied by a certified mailing of notice to all impacted parties? If you fear it will jack up the price of your survey, then use whats already there and save your client a few bucks. If you fear that youll lose billable time from not replacing corners, then youre probably not charging enough in the first place. I have come to believe that the reason we see these shenanigans is two-fold. Number one were not digging around enough and number two the offensive surveyor is not required to face the folks were impacting. Theres no such thing as a secret survey so why dont we feel the need to engage the common owners when the lawn darts start piling up? I boil it down to this. Laying out a new subdivision is a mechanical exercise done under a single authority. Johnny Ironpusher can play all the games he wants out in the barren plains of a brand-new subdivision. The developer hired his outfit by the hour to mark it as they see it. Heck, the courts even give them a free pass if they mess up on that first shot. On the other hand, the courts have set a higher bar for the retracement surveyor. This function constructs authoritative evidence of multiple grants independently marked in time. So, back to my questions. Can we offer a legally sound process to pull the lawn darts? Do you possess the professional skills to engage the people you are impacting?

About the Author

Jason Foose

Jason Foose is a Professional Surveyor licensed in multiple jurisdictions.

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From the Editor: Pin Cushion Corners - Amerisurv

In March, seeds were carefully planted, watered, fertilized and cared for.

In April, we watched as those plants grew beautiful and green with fruit that made us hopeful. Then May arrived with the arrival of insects that dashed our dreams and stung us while we tried to care for our precious gardens. Some plants not only produce flowers and/or food, but they also repel insects.

Many plants can help repel mosquitoes. The citronella geranium can be planted in containers around the porch. There is even a citronella grass that can be planted.

Citronella oil is found in lemongrass and is commonly used in candles and sprays to repel mosquitoes.

Cats are smart to love catnip. It is a very effective mosquito repellant. It works best if the plant is crushed and rubbed on the skin (if you are not allergic) or if the essential oils are used in a spray.

Rosemary and sage both repel mosquitoes when burned, so they can be used in the barbecue pit or campfire to lessen the population of biting insects.

The smell of basil naturally deters mosquitoes. It is also toxic to mosquito larvae, so it can be planted close to areas where you dont want mosquitoes to lay eggs.

Peppermint oil is great for repelling mosquitoes and easing the sting of mosquito bites. Bee balm attracts bees, butterflies and hummingbirds. If you crush the leaves, the scent will repel mosquitoes.

Plants can also repel other garden pests. Marigolds repel many different insects, so many people plant them in the garden to keep bugs off their vegetables. They repel aphids, mosquitoes, nematodes and whiteflies. Petunias repel aphids, asparagus beetles, tomato hornworms, leafhoppers and squash bugs. Thyme repels whiteflies, cabbage loopers, cabbage maggots, whiteflies, tomato hornworms, and corn earworms. Lavender is also a great insect repellent, but it does not like our humid environment, so it does not grow well here.

These plants will not keep all insects away from the garden, but they will beautify the garden while decreasing the number of pests and helping you enjoy the fruits of your labor.

Reach Jefferson County Master Gardener, Melissa Starr, at melynstarr@hotmail.com or call the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension at 409-835-8461.

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OUT IN THE YARD Plants that repel bugs and protect our hard work - Port Arthur News - The Port Arthur News

Bowlers lined every other lane Friday as Green Acres Bowling Center reopened after a two-month closure due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Today is a great day, the bowling centers general manager Andrew Turner said. We finally get to open up to twenty-five percent occupancy, but its better than nothing. It does allow everybody to come out and get some fun outside of the cabin fever.

Even though Green Acres Bowling Center is open, management is being very careful to maintain the safety of their customers. Not only does the bowling alley require customers abide by social distancing standards, employees are required to wear masks.

Green Acres Bowl employee Zane Williams sanitizes bowling balls left on the lanes during the businesss first day back open after being closed due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The Tyler bowling alley has been a staple in the community for over five decades.

Turner also said that the bowling alley is going to extra lengths to make sure everything is sanitized and as clean as possible.

We started sanitizing immediately after the closure, the twenty-first of March, Turner said. We sanitized everything. Then here about the last week and a half we got started inside re-cleaning, doing a couple of construction projects, getting the sneeze-guards (plastic shields on the counters) put in place.

The bowling balls and shoe cleaning have always been an area of focus in cleaning for the bowling center, but Turner said that Green Acres Bowling Center is increasing its focus in sanitation.

Now, weve amplified that, Turner said.

Customers bowl at Green Acres Bowl during the businesss first day back open after being closed due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The Tyler bowling alley has been a staple in the community for over five decades.

In order to keep as few hands as possible on each ball, the bowling alley has provided a selection of different sizes and weights at each lane from which customers can choose.

The centers occupancy is limited to 74 people, not including employees. Turner is asking those who are interested in bowling to make a reservation. Green Acres Bowling Alley also provides a liability waiver at the entrance before the public is allowed to use their facilities.

Although the bowling lanes are open, the club area and the arcade are still closed. Alcoholic drinks must by bought from the window to the bar. The snack bar is serving its full menu in to-go containers.

Mike Lewis bowls at Green Acres Bowl in Tyler on the businesss first day back open after being closed due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The bowling alley has been a staple in the community for over five decades.

Turner said the transition has brought out a lot of different emotions.

Everybody takes a new light, a new view of the way were coming back, Turner said. It was very painstaking. And its one of the toughest things anybody could ever face in the business world I think is to have to look your employees in the eyes and say, Youve got to go home.

But with the reopening of the alley, Turner has been able to put his employees back to work.

Its been a big relief a big breath of fresh air being able to call them back, hearing the excitement in their voice, ready to get back in the saddle and make things happen. Its a gratifying feeling, he said.

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Green Acres Bowling Center is back in the strike and gutter ball business - Tyler Morning Telegraph

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG HAS EXTENDEDTHE* FLOOD ADVISORY FOR...EAST CENTRAL MCDOWELL COUNTY IN WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA...WEST CENTRAL BURKE COUNTY IN WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA...* UNTIL 1215 PM EDT SUNDAY.* AT 1159 AM EDT, LAKE JAMES REMAINED ABOVE FULL POOL AT 101.25FEET. THE WATER LEVEL WILL CONTINUE TO SLOWLY FALL, BUT REMAINABOVE FULL POOL THROUGH THE NEXT 24 HOURS. THEREFORE, A FLOODADVISORY HAS BEEN EXTENDED FOR NUISANCE FLOODING AND WILL REMAININ EFFECT THROUGH SUNDAY MORNING OR UNTIL THE FLOODWAVE HASPASSED.* ACTION/ADVISORY STAGE: 101.00 FEETMINOR FLOOD STAGE: 102.00 FEETFORECAST: DUKE ENERGY PROJECTS THE POOL TO CONTINUE TO FALL SLOWLYTHROUGH TONIGHT. EXPECT LAKE JAMES TO REMAIN ABOVE FULL POOLTHROUGH AT LEAST TONIGHT.IMPACTS: BETWEEN 101 AND 102 FEET...NUISANCE FLOODING OF LOW-LYINGAREAS ADJACENT TO THE SHORELINE INCLUDING RESIDENTIAL YARDS,CAMPGROUNDS, DOCKS, AND BOAT-LAUNCH AREAS IS ONGOING. LAKEWATERSMAY BE FLOODING MOOSE LODGE CAMPGROUND, MOOSE LODGE CAMPGROUND RD,AND HOUSEBOAT LANE.PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...BOATERS, FISHERMEN, KAYAKERS, AND OTHER LAKE USERS ARE ENCOURAGED TOEXERCISE CAUTION DURING ELEVATED LAKE LEVELS AND DOWNSTREAMRELEASES. AVOID AREAS ALONG THE STREAM BELOW DAMS RELEASING WATER.CAMPERS AND OTHER RESIDENTS ALONG THE LAKESHORE MUST BE PREPARED TORETREAT TO HIGHER GROUND IF LAKE LEVELS CONTINUE TO RISE.STAY WEATHER AWARE AND MONITOR LAKE LEVELS CLOSELY.&&

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Chuck E. Cheese operates under a secret pizza delivery name, new Target scam and other things you might've missed this week - McDowell News

The remains of the old smokehouse sit just beyond our kitchen porch The Kitchen Porch Cafe at Delialand it has been dubbed. The smokehouse was one of the victims of Hurricane Katrina when she unleashed her wrath on this area. The storm took out most of the trees around our house and laid part of a huge pecan on top of Smokey. Now 15 years later, after some land clearing and further decay, weve decided to take the old building all the way down.

Its a shame.

For years my entire childhood in fact there was no porch outside the kitchen door. Just a solid wood door and a screen door with about a three foot drop to the ground.

My Granny and plenty of folks before her would open the door in winter and summer to let the heat of the kitchen out and after dinner was over and the dishes were done the dishpan of dirty water would be tossed out that door as well.

In the late 90s we built the first ever little porch out there with steps down to the ground. It was more for the purpose of walking outside than sitting outside for a dozen or so years, and then a couple of years back wife Danny and I built a larger porch as an outdoor kitchen of sorts. Hence The Kitchen Porch Cafe name.

But back to the smokehouse.

Although it was orignally built as a place to cure meat and cure meat it did it has served a variety of different purposes over the years.

Back in the day...

The days when we raised and butchered hogs the saltbox inside the smokehouse created the best country cured ham around and casings of smoked sausage and shoulders kept us all full and happy through the winters.

The lid of the saltbox now serves as a table top on our back porch Herbies Hideaway named for my grandfather. I hope to be able to salvage the remainder of the box very soon. Itll be a tricky endeavor. To get the lid I had to slither in on my belly like the resident king snake. To get the box, I hope to remove what is left of the wall in the back corner where it lies. There is some salvageable, very old, very pretty, wood I hope to do something with as well.

Last week I pulled a big old pressure cooker lid out of there and plan to invert it on top of a cedar post saved from one of the downed trees, and make a bird feeder for the red birds that call our place home.

When it comes to calling a place home, the smokehouse has been just that to all sorts of critters large and small. Currently an armadillo hangs out in there when its not rooting up the yard something that is about to come to an end one way or another if you know what I mean.

Stray cats like to check the place out on occasion and for years it served as a buzzard roost and we watched as a pair of the big birds raised many a family. They always lay only two eggs and nurture to adulthood two of the ugliest and meanest chicks ever seen.

The buzzards finally tired of the smokehouse likely because it is now down to pretty much the roof and the back corner where that box is and they moved their nursery to the a horse stall in the big barn. The majority of that barn, by the way, succumbed to high winds several yeas ago and about all that is left of it is the back corner where those buzzards hang out.

One of the last years that my grandmother was alive we held a family reunion in the side yard of Delialand the name Danny and I gave our place in honor of my grandmother, Delia Mae Lang Hudson, when we took up residence there. My uncle, Jimmy, served as MC, I suppose you could say, and the smokehouse served as the stage as he read the family history he had compiled.

For as long as I can remember there was a basketball goal, minus the net, above the door of Smokey and in the sultry summers there is no telling how many games of H-O-R-S-E and Around the World were battled there by a host of cousins.

In more recent years even with the tree on it the smokehouse served as a storage room for all sorts of things and all sorts of things are currently crushed beneath its timbers. I know there is a croquet set in there and I can see the old basketball in a big aluminum pan between some of the rotted boards of a wall.

I forget what all else might be buried there but well find out before long. Before long old Smokey will be gone, but the memories, ahh the fond memories, those will carry on.

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The old smokehouse - Scott County Times

WHEN trees were being felled at a parcel of land earmarked for development in Bukit Cerakah, Shah Alam, residents nearby began to worry.

I was in the living room when I heard trees falling and it did not sound like branches falling off during a thunderstorm.

Land clearing started in March, a few days before the movement control order (MCO) was in place. It then stopped and resumed later, said Perdana Heights resident S. Yuga.

Yuga, who lives right behind the said parcel of land, is concerned over some aspects of the land clearing.

I am not sure if the developer is aware there is a river behind my house which leads to a lake, like a water catchment area, she said, adding that rainwater flows from the river into the lake, preventing flooding in the neighbourhood.

With land clearing works going on, soil and dirt end up in the river and residents worry it may obstruct the flow of rainwater into the lake.

Apart from this, they are also concerned about the wildlife in the Bukit Cerakah forest reserve.

I see tapirs in the neighbourhood. The animal is an endangered species and have nowhere to go, she said.

There are also wild boars and other wildlife which residents see occasionally around the area.

Yuga said residents were unaware of the type of development taking place there as no signboards were put up by the developer.

Pertubuhan Perlindungan Khazanah Alam Malaysia (Peka) Selangor chairman Damien Thanam said approval for land clearing and development should have only been given after engaging with residents in the area.

There are very few forests left in Selangor and they must be preserved for our next generation.

With this development, wildlife in the area will migrate due to the presence of humans, machinery and pollution, he said, adding that this would force animals to move closer to housing areas, thereby creating human-wildlife conflict.

He also raised concerns that workers at the development site might catch these animals illegally either for consumption or wildlife trade.

When contacted, YCH Develop-ment Sdn Bhd project manager, who only wanted to be known as Chai, said the residents concerns would be addressed soon.

We have planned a meeting with residents and will also invite relevant government departments such as Drainage and Irrigation as well as Shah Alam City Council (MBSA), he said.

Chai said work at the site had commenced after obtaining all necessary approvals from the various authorities. However, the MCO kicked in two days later forcing the developer to stop work.

The company, he added, obtained approval to restart work after applying to MBSA and the International Trade and Industry Ministry last month.

Due to the MCO, we could not get our signboards done, which is why there is no signboard providing information at the site, he said, adding the 20.2ha development consisted of residential landed properties and there was no project name given to-date.

As for wild animals sighted in the neighbourhood, Chai urged residents to contact the Wildlife and National Parks Department (Perhilitan).

He assured residents that contractors would take proper measures to prevent soil or other debris from flowing into the river and lake throughout the construction.

We will filter the soil and other debris before water is channelled into the river, he said.

In previous reports, there were claims that the area in question had been gazetted as a forest reserve.

Asked about this, Chai said the area had been degazetted many years ago.

When we took over the land in 2011, it had already been degazetted for several years.

The Forestry Department came to the site a few times to ensure that we did not encroach into forest reserve, he said, adding that the boundary was more than 400m away.

Kota Anggerik assemblyman Najwan Halimi said the developer had obtained all the necessary approvals from the state, MBSA and other relevant authorities.

The developer must adhere to the rules set by the government and ensure that the issue of river pollution is addressed properly, he said when contacted.

The ongoing land clearing is not illegal. However, the developer must monitor its contractors closely to ensure work is done properly, he said.

MBSA corporate communications head Shahrin Ahmad said, The developer has obtained the green light from the city council, Forestry Department, land office, Selangor department of environment and other relevant authorities.

Developers have to adhere to the rules and contractors must follow the standard operating procedure given, he added.

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Land clearing near Bukit Cerakah raises concerns - The Star Online