Home Builder Developer - Interior Renovation and Design

THE WOODLANDS, TEXAS (May 8, 2020) The Woodlands Township Environmental Services Department recently named the winners of the 2019-2020 Water-Wise Village Challenge: first place, College Park; second place, Creekside Park; third place, Sterling Ridge. Congratulations to the winners who will receive donations to their village scholarship funds courtesy of The Woodlands G.R.E.E.N.

More than 500 households participated in the village challenge and pledged to turn off their sprinklers from October 15, 2019, through April 15, 2020. Lawn watering accounts for more than 50 percent of the water usage by The Woodlands residents. Turf grass naturally goes dormant in the winter and requires much less water, so turning off your sprinkler system during the winter not only saves water but also to encourages a healthier lawn in the spring. To learn more about water conservation methods, please visit The Woodlands Township Environmental Services page atwww.thewoodlandstownship-tx.gov/environmentand select Visit Our Blog.

Save the date for the next Water-Wise Village Challenge! Submit pledges online beginning in August 2020. Each household pledge earns one point for the village, and pledges must be renewed annually each fall atwww.thewoodlandstownship-tx.gov/environment.

For more information about the Water-Wise Village Challenge or how you can participate in ongoing water conservation efforts, please emailenviro@thewoodlandstownship-tx.govor contact the Township Environmental Services Department at 281-210-3800.

For more information on The Woodlands Township, please call 281-210-3800, or visitwww.thewoodlandstownship-tx.gov.

Photo: The Woodlands Township Environmental Services Department recently named the winners of the 2019-2020 Water-Wise Village Challenge: first place, College Park; second place, Creekside Park; third place, Sterling Ridge.

The Paper's Corporate Sponsors for 2020 are: Entergy and Methodist Hospital The Woodlands

Advertise 30 days in The Paper For only $50 Reserve your space by calling 832-296-6887

Read more here:
Township awards winners of Water-Wise Village Challenge | The Paper Magazine -Covering The Woodlands, Spring, Conroe & North Houston Areas - The...

A bypass road is in the process of being constructed near Brodin Comfort Systems in Thief River Falls. The temporary road will enable motorists to bypass construction work for the future roundabout at that intersection.

by April ScheinohaReporter

The crystal ball has been activated, and Pennington County Engineer Mike Flaagan shared his plans regarding future construction projects with the Pennington County Board on Tuesday, April 28.

The board approved the Five-Year Road and Bridge Plan at its meeting that evening. If all of the projects were to come to fruition, they would cost more than $25.3 million.

Every year, things move up and down in the five-year program, Flaagan said at a public hearing for the plan.

After the public hearing, commissioners met as the County Board and approved the plan.

This years projects include: The County State Aid 8/Mark Boulevard reconstruction, roundabouts and bridge. The project will span from Highway 32 to CSAH17. Two roundabouts will be constructed, including one roundabout at the intersection with Highway 32 (north of Sanford Health) and another at the intersection with Pennington Avenue (near Challenger Elementary School). Two-foot shoulder paving and safety enhancements on CSAH 8 from CSAH17 to Highway 59 The installation of rumble strips on CSAH16 from Highways 32 to 59The installation of a box culvert at the intersection of CSAH 7 and Highway 32 as part of the Westside Flood Damage Reduction ProjectThe installation of a box culvert at the intersection of County Road 61 and CSAH 16 as part of the Westside Flood Damage Reduction ProjectThe installation of culverts at the intersection of County Road 62 and CSAH 16 as part of the Westside Flood Damage Reduction ProjectOther proposed projects include: In 2021 Lighting at the intersection of CSAH 7 and Highway 32In 2022 A mill and overlay of CSAH 6 from CSAH 22 to CSAH 24, and the reconstruction of CSAH 30 from Highway 59 to Barzen Avenue In 2023 The replacement of the Kratka bridge, and the mill and overlay of CSAH 10 (from the south county line to CSAH 3) and CSAH1 (from Polk County to CSAH 10). Flaagan said the bridge replacement project may be completed a different year depending upon its condition.In 2024 Seven projects are planned. I just listed several projects that are on the radar, said Flaagan, who added that some of the below projects will likely be moved to another year.Those projects include: The installation of curbing at the following Highway 1 intersections CSAHs 27 and 28. Flaagan noted this project would be made to encourage truck traffic to use the latter two roadways, as opposed to Highway 89, when traveling to the Roseau area from the Twin Cities.The mill and overlay of CSAH 25 (from Red Lake County to CSAH 3) and CSAH 22 (from CSAH 3 to Highway 1)The mill and overlay or reclamation of CSAH 7 from CSAH 17 to Highway 59 Regrading CSAH 21 from Highway 1 to Marshall County, CSAH 2 from CSAH 17 to CR 80, and CSAH 15 from CSAHs 3 to 7 Reconstructing CSAH17 from CRs 57 and 59. Flaagan noted this project would be dependent on whether the Thief River Falls Regional Airport Authority extends the runway at the airport.

Flaagan also included countywide crack sealing, shouldering and striping as part of the projects for each year described above.

County Board accepted a grant from the Minnesota State Transportation Fund. Funded through the state bonding bill proceeds, the $167,521.90 grant will be used for the installation of the CR 61 box culvert listed above. Flaagan noted that the county is required to pay more than $5,000 for the project.

Commissioners approved the wetland delineation report for a Farmers Co-op Grain and Seed project. The application noted one natural wetland and two manmade ditches would be impacted. The project would require the filing of 0.3754 acres of regulated wetland and 0.4114 acres of manmade linear ditch wetlands. It plans to use 0.7508 in wetland bank credits from Beltrami County for the project.

Farmers Co-op Grain and Seed plans to construct railroad siding east of its existing three rail lines. In July 2019, County Board approved a wetland delineation for its initial project, which involved 4,800 feet of railroad siding. Now, it has determined that it needs an additional 1,500 feet in railroad siding to allow for the loading of a 134-car train. This report covers the latter, and the new railroad will span from north of the golf course road south to the elevator in Thief River Falls.

No work has been done on this project yet, but they hope to start this this summer,said Bryan Malone, manager of the Pennington Soil and Water Conservation District.

In separate motions, commissioners approved four personnel actions for the Pennington County Jail.County Board approved hiring Ginger Alby as a full-time dispatcher/jailer, accepted the resignation of Jail Sergeant Gregory Martinez, and approved internally posting for Martinezs position.

Commissioners also approved allowing Sheriff Ray Kuznia to advertise for two part-time corrections positions. Kuznia believed a part-time employee may be hired for Martinezs position, and he noted there is another vacancy among part-time staff.

County Board accepted a petition to clean about one-and-a-half miles of County Ditch 41 and approved scheduling that work to be completed.

Chairperson Darryl Tveitbakk signed a proclamation declaring May as Bike Month in Pennington County. The proclamation noted that BikeMn, Bike Thief River Falls and the League of American Bicyclists will promote bicycling during the month. It further indicated that they are promoting greater public awareness of bicycle operation and safety education in an effort to reduce collisions, injuries and fatalities, and improve health and safety for everyone on the road.

The next County Board meeting is scheduled Tuesday, May 12 at 10 a.m. at the Justice Center.

Our subscribers make this coverage possible. Subscribe today at subscribe@trftimes.com and support local journalism.

View post:
Road and Bridge Plan approved - Thief River Falls Northern Watch

Moments after signing a proclamation honoring National Nurses Day on Wednesday, and in the middle of a pandemic that has already claimed tens of thousands of American lives, President Donald Trump reaffirmed his support for throwing out the Affordable Care Act.

While speaking with reporters in the Oval Office Wednesday, Trump was asked about a federal lawsuit, Texas v. California, which was brought by a coalition of Republican state attorneys general and seeks to have the landmark health care law thrown out entirely.

Obamacare is a disaster, but weve made it barely acceptable, Trump said.

Wednesday was the deadline for the Department of Justice to file a brief in the case, which will be heard by the US Supreme Court this October. DOJs brief agrees with the litigants and asks the Court to rule the entire law unconstitutional instead of a more narrow request that the Court throw out only the laws preexisting conditions as the Trump administration had asked for at one point in 2018. US Attorney General William Barr had lobbied the president to revert to that previous position in the middle of the coronavirus pandemic, according to a Politico report.

While Voxs Ian Millhiser notes that its unlikely SCOTUS will overturn the law, the outcome is not certain. And doing so without an adequate replacement would kick millions of Americans off their insurance. The Urban Institute reviewed the likely consequences of tossing out the law:

The number of uninsured people would increase by approximately 20 million, or 65 percent nationally, [and] the increases in uninsurance would be most heavily concentrated among people with the lowest incomes (below 200 percent of the federal poverty level), young adults, families with at least one full-time worker, and residents of the South and West. These subpopulations of the United States have experienced the largest gains in insurance coverage under the ACA and consequently would be hit the hardest if the law were repealed.

It would also have consequences for the countrys future potentially devastating ones regarding the countrys ability to combat the coronavirus pandemic, and interesting ones in this falls general election.

This is not the first time Trump has gone against the advice of his highest-level advisers on the lawsuit. When originally argued in district court in northern Texas, the DOJ argued not for the ACA to be thrown out, but instead to scrap smaller portions of the law, like protections for patients with preexisting conditions.

But after federal Judge Reed OConnor ruled that the whole law should be thrown out, the administration changed its position on the suit. In a terse two-sentence note submitted to the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals, which by that point had taken up the case, the administration came out in support of OConnors position.

The Department of Justice has determined that the district courts judgment should be affirmed, wrote three Justice Department lawyers. [T]he United States is not urging that any portion of the district courts judgment be reversed.

The administrations decision was reportedly driven by then-domestic policy chief Joe Grogan and acting director of the Office of Management and Budget Russ Vought, both close allies of then-acting White House Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney, according to a Politico report last March. Mulvaney was a founding member of the House Freedom Caucus when he was a Congress member from South Carolina.

According to the Politico report, Barr and Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar opposed changing the DOJ position in the suit, putting Barr in the awkward position of running the department responsible for arguing the case. Supporting throwing out the law without a viable Republican plan to replace it, they argued, would play badly electorally.

At the time, HHS spokesperson Caitlin Oakley denied that Azar opposed the administrations new position in the case to Politico. Any insinuation that Secretary Azar has butted heads with Mulvaney on this issue is false, she said in a statement.

The timing of the case means that a SCOTUS decision will likely come after this falls general election. That wont stop Democrats from hammering Republicans on the issue throughout the campaign season.

Former Vice President Joe Biden, the presumptive Democratic nominee, released a statement Wednesday denouncing Trumps decision to follow through his support for the suit. By siding with the Republican Attorneys-General who are seeking to invalidate the ACA in the U.S. Supreme Court, Trump has made clear where his priorities lie, he wrote, saying that Trump doesnt side with people with preexisting conditions or those who may develop preexisting conditions due to Covid-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus.

Trump has decided hed rather destroy President Obamas legacy than protect the health care of millions upon millions of Americans. Hed rather look after the profits of the insurance industry than make sure people can access healthcare in their hour of need. Its despicable, Biden said.

Support Voxs explanatory journalism

Every day at Vox, we aim to answer your most important questions and provide you, and our audience around the world, with information that has the power to save lives. Our mission has never been more vital than it is in this moment: to empower you through understanding. Voxs work is reaching more people than ever, but our distinctive brand of explanatory journalism takes resources particularly during a pandemic and an economic downturn. Your financial contribution will not constitute a donation, but it will enable our staff to continue to offer free articles, videos, and podcasts at the quality and volume that this moment requires. Please consider making a contribution to Vox today.

See the article here:
Trump moves to get rid of the Affordable Care Act amid coronavirus - Vox.com

A woman and an infant were killed in a south Tulsa collision Monday after a reported beer theft.

Police Lt. Kurt Dodd said a car, driven by a man and carrying the woman and infant, was speeding west on 51st Street and ran at least one red light at Hudson Avenue before it crashed into a pickup exiting Interstate 44 about 4:30 p.m.

Dodd said the car appeared to be fleeing from the 7600 block of East 61st Street, where the beer theft was reported, but he said detectives will investigate further.

The woman died at the scene, and firefighters extricated the man and infant before they were rushed to a hospital in critical condition. The baby later died.

The pickup driver was hospitalized with injuries that did not appear to be life-threatening, Dodd said.

He called the collision horrible and grappled with the contrasting consequences of what would have been a basic misdemeanor crime but turned into a matter of life and death.

This is tragic on so many levels, Dodd said.

Officers closed 51st Street from Harvard Avenue east to Marion Avenue, as well as the adjacent I-44 entrance and exit ramps, while they processed the scene.

View post:
One killed in crash at 51st and Harvard - Tulsa World

Ashamedly, I closed my eyes

To keep out the darkening sky

Shadows have stolen my sight

And my dreams vanished in the night

As I knelt to open the crack

I saw a messiah in black

He said Let there be light

The World is not your fight

The power of the sun breathes

Upon our life giving trees

Let the doves deliver your message

Your words of love, beyond the wreckage

Ivor Steven (c) May 2020

Like Loading...

Related

G'day, and welcome to my blog site. My name is Ivor Steven, I live in Geelong, Australia. I'm an ex-industrial chemist, and a retired plumber, and a former Carer of my wife(Carole), for 30 years, who suffered from severe MS. I Write poetry about those personal thoughts, throughout and beyond my life as a Carer. I've been blogging for over 2 years, and writing poems for 19 years. Of course a lot of my poems are about my favourite subject Carole, but since I've been blogging my writings have become quite varied, humourous, mystical, observational, and even a few monster/horror poems.View all posts by ivor20

Visit link:
Beyond The Wreckage - stopthefud

PAXINOS LTS Plumbing & Heating Inc. has been providing great service at affordable prices for 30 years.

Located at 5231 Route 61, Paxinos, the business is owned and operated by Leon Supsic, who serves as president of the corporation.

Javascript is required for you to be able to read premium content. Please enable it in your browser settings.

kAm%96 4@>A2?J 92D `e 6>A=@J66D[ :?4=F5:?8 $FAD:4 2?5 `bJ62C @77:46 >2?286C {:?52 z6>A6C]k^Am

kAm{%$[ H9:49 92D 366? 2 {6??@I 562=6C 7@C ag J62CD[ A6C7@C>D C6D:56?E:2= 2?5 4@>>6C4:2= :?DE2==2E:@?D 2?5 D6CG:46D @7 9:89677:4:6?4J 7FC?246D[ 3@:=6CD[ 962E AF>AD 2?5 2:C 4@?5:E:@?6CD]k^Am

kAm!=F>3:?8 D6CG:46D :?4=F56 H2E6C 962E6CD[ H6== AF>AD[ D6AE:4 DJDE6>D[ 2?5 D6H6C 2?5 5C2:? 4=62?:?8 :?4=F5:?8 2 D6H6C 42>6C2 2?5 =@42E@C]k^Am

kAm%96 3FD:?6DD 😀 @A6? 7C@> g 2]>] E@ c A]>] |@?52J E9C@F89 uC:52J 2?5 42? 36 C624965 2E df_ecg_fcg[ H9:49 2=D@ D6CG6D 2D E96 27E6C9@FCD 6>6C86?4J =:?6] %96 72I ?F>36C 😀 df_ecgffg`] %96 6>2:= 255C6DD 😀 {EDA=F>3oAE5]?6E] %96 4@>A2?JD H63D:E6 😀 HHH]{EDA=F>3:?82?5962E:?8]4@>]k^Am

kAmr@>>6C4:2==J[ H6G6 4@>A=6E65 >2?J AC:>6 3:5 4@?DECF4E:@? AC@;64ED 7@C D49@@= 5:DEC:4ED[ >F?:4:A2=:E:6D[ 4@F?E:6D 2?5 AC:G2E6 3FD:?6DD6D[ $FAD:4 D2:5] (6G6 366? 23=6 E@ 252AE E@ >2?J 492?86D 😕 E96 :?5FDECJ[ :?4=F5:?8 25G2?46D 😕 E649?@=@8J] qFE @?6 E9:?8 E92E 92D DE2J65 4@?D:DE6?E @G6C E96 J62CD 😀 @FC G6CD2E:=:EJ[ :?E68C:EJ 2?5 8C62E H@C< 6E9:4]k^Am

kAmrFCC6?E=J[ $FAD:4 92D D:I 6>A=@J66D 4@?5F4E:?8 C6D:56?E:2= H@C<[ H9:=6 @E96C H@C<6CD H9@ DA64:2=:K6 :? E96 4@>>6C4:2= 7:6=5 92G6 366? =2:5 @77 5F6 E@ E96 4@C@?2G:CFD A2?56>:4 2?5 9@A67F==J H:== C6EFC? E@ H@C< :? E96 ?62C 7FEFC6]k^Am

kAm$FAD:4 😀 2 `hg` 8C25F2E6 @7 ~FC {25J @7 {@FC56D #68:@?2= w:89 $49@@= 2?5 `hgb 8C25F2E6 @7 (:==:2>DA@CE pC62 r@>>F?:EJ r@==686[ H96C6 96 62C?65 2 568C66 😕 A=F>3:?8 2?5 962E:?8[ G6?E:=2E:@? 2?5 2:C 4@?5:E:@?:?8]k^Am

kAmw6 2=D@ 9@=5D 2 |2DE6C !=F>3:?8 {:46?D6 7@C E96 4:E:6D @7 w2CC:D3FC8[ (:==:2>DA@CE[ {2?42DE6C 2?5 zFEKE@H?[ 2?5 9:D 3FD:?6DD 😀 7F==J =:46?D65[ :?DFC65 2?5 3@?565]k^Am

Go here to read the rest:
LTS Plumbing & Heating providing great services at affordable prices for 30 years - News Item

Photo: ASLA

With April dedicated to World Landscape Architecture Month (WLAM), landscape architects across the globe took to the internet to share their stories and photos of their favorite green spaces.

Students of landscape architecture also took this time to show their support for the industry, as well as showcase why they love being part of this field. While interest in this field has grown over the years, its true that many middle, high school and undergraduate students are still unaware that this career option is even available by the time they get to college.

Its such a small profession, and it doesnt get a lot of notoriety, says MichaelRadner,ASLA, principal at Radner Design Associates, Inc. in Framingham, Massachusetts. But I have seen that change over the course of my career, so I think weve done a pretty good job as a profession with getting the message out.

Maria Bellalta, ASLA, dean of the school of landscape architecture for the Boston Architectural College (BAC), chairs the American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA) education committee and has wondered time and time again how they can better spread the word about landscape architecture.

One of the most notable discoveries Bellalta says ASLA has made is that the best time to introduce landscape architecture to students is while they are in middle school.

I would say for many years we have also been subsumed by the architecture industry or architecture and engineering, says Bellalta. Thats something were trying to grow out of, and were also trying desperately to advocate for landscape architecture to become a STEM discipline.

Most landscape architects say they didnt learn about this field of study until well into their college years or even after graduating, and this is a problem Radner, Bellalta and Andrew Wickham, ASLA, project designer at LPA, Inc. in Sacramento, California, desperately want to fix.

From her time in the academic world, Bellalta notes that many students who are introduced to this field young come from families of landscape architects or landscape architect educators, as opposed to learning about it in school.

Bellalta says ASLA is continually working to visit more schools and career fairs to really expose students to this industry as early and as often as possible. This outreach, ASLA says, is going to be a critical component in growing the field.

Photo: ASLA Instagram

The BAC is a design only institution with approximately 700 students. Bellalta says design thinking is at the core of the college, and training designers on how to understand and actually build is paramount.

Due to COVID-19, the school has transitioned to online learning for the foreseeable future.

My programs are fairly young, but were doing great work and Im very excited about it, says Bellalta. My students are really diversifying the profession because I get students from all walks of life, not just diversity of ethnicity or culture but also of economic diversity. That means that its no longer a white mans profession; its many thinkers putting their heads together and addressing real issues that affect communities worldwide.

Bellalta notes that half of her students are female, which is a notable spike compared to previous years, and 22 percent are international students from Latin America, the Middle East and China.Twenty-five percent of Bellaltas students are undergraduates and 75 percent are graduates.

Since starting at the BAC, Bellalta says she has seen a shift in the age range of the graduate students. For instance, she notes that graduate students used to be older or second career changers. Now, she says more are either coming directly from the undergraduate track or are taking a gap year before pursuing the graduate program.

Graduate students now range in age from mid-20s to mid-30s, as opposed to mid-40s, as it has been in the past. This, Bellalta says, proves that awareness is getting out.

Landscape architecture can be a part of the solution for social justice inequities, environmental justice, economic issues, climate change, resilience, fires and more, says Wickham. Landscape architects are dealing with these on a daily basis and their projects are helping to alleviate or provide solutions for those problems.

Photo: ASLA

When trying to recruit to your career field, its imperative that you fully understand why the path is worth traveling.

When I first started, I knew that it was construction-related industry, and my attitude was always that I was in it for the environment and the people, says Radner. I would rather be working on the inside of a profession in an industry that if were going to build something, lets build the best thing that we can that can help heal the earth.

Radner says hes been in this industry for 30 years and has never been bored a single day. Every day and every hour, he says theres something new, and no two projects are ever the same. He adds that he is constantly learning something new in this field, and he enjoys the teammates he gets to work with.

Its a constant evolution for me as a professional, says Radner. Whether youre working with a team that youve worked with 20 times before or you meet somebody new, a new energy comes from that. I find that very gratifying.

For Wickham, landscape architecture spoke to him because it is all about the end-user. Working with LPA, Wickham says hes gotten to see true sustainability in practice, as the firm works to be as sustainable as possible with all of their projects.

Wickham says a large part of his work is K-12 education design, and he loves seeing the impact outdoor learning spaces have on both the teachers and students.

Its just so rewarding to see how they light up, how excited they get and how passionate they are to learn about that connection they get with nature, says Wickham. Knowing that Im a part of that, that I am making the world a better place is incredibly rewarding as well. For me, I know that Im doing all that I can to make the world a better place every day.

When the landscape architect comes to the table, we bring the green and were able to talk on both the artistic side of it and the engineering side of it, says Radner. I think that gives us more authority. When we come to a meeting with a client, were seen as good guys, and if theres going to be an impact on the community, we can help mitigate those impacts or make a project better.

Photo: ASLA

View post:
The importance of working in landscape architecture - Total Landscape Care

By: Desi Isaacson May 10, 2020

Course routing is the architecture behind your Sunday stroll.

Getty Images

As you wander through a golf course, its easy to forget about the importance of routing. Routing is the layout of (and connection between) golf holes on a property. Its a lot like a puzzle, and its up to the architect to find the best way to arrange the pieces.

A great golf course tells a story. The round has peaks and valleys, easier and harder holes. The routing is the basis for all of itthe bones of a course. Without good routing, a course is likely doomed. Its hard to make a great course out of a poor routing.

Of course, these decisions depend on the landscape and on the intentions of the owner or architect. If theres an interesting spot on the property, you might see three or four different holes end up using that same landscape, or circling back to it. The best courses have routing strategies that encourage variation. They take attention-grabbing twists and turns.

Golf course architect Bill Coore says a well-routed course should feel like a Sunday stroll. How would you walk around the property if there wasnt a golf course there? You would likely be drawn to dramatic points on the property, odd land shapes or high points with beautiful views. The sense of the property is the first step in finding a routing that feels natural.

The importance of routing becomes much more obvious when walking a course. One important element is the distance from one green to the next holes tee box. In the Golden Age of golf course architecture, it was imperative to avoid long walks between holes. At classic Raynor, Mackenzie, or Ross courses, the next tee is often only steps away from the green youre exiting. Another factor that has made routing more difficult is how far the ball travels. Older courses are now forced to add tee boxes further back than was imagined when they were originally built. A sign of great routing is rarely having to walk back to a tee box. The entire routing process is aided by the use of topographical maps, which show different land formations and allow architects to see the entire property at once.

A vital aspect of course routing is making sure holes dont all play in the same direction. Courses that have several holes playing in the exact same direction simplify the round, making it less of a challenge. One great strategy for this is the triangulation of holes. When three holes form a triangle, it means that the wind will affect each hole differently. Some of the worlds best courses use this method, including William Flynns Shinnecock Hills.

Most golf courses start with a clubhouse or central point that the first hole leaves from and the last hole to returns to. Many courses want smaller loops of holes that return to the beginning in case players dont have time for all 18 holes.

An architect must also consider what type of golf course he is building. For a public course, traffic, walks and holes need to be far enough apart to keep people safe. The holes also need to be designed so there wont be large buildups of groups waiting to play.

For years, golf courses strove to build toward a traditional par-72 design. But now, architects are given the leeway to build what the land gives them, regardless of par or other standards. Some owners or architects dont want their course to have oddities like consecutive par-3s, while others are willing to break these conventions in the name of great and creative golf.

There are also some practical concerns that must be considered in the routing process, like drainage. Technology has made drainage easier to tackle, but the best courses are designed to drain a lot of water naturally.

At the end of the day, good routing is all about variety, in every sense of the word. The course should ask the player to answer many different questions. Can you hit every club in your bag? Can you play with the wind behind you, or with a crosswind? As long as every hole asks new and exciting questions, the routing is a success.

The puzzle pieces dont always come together perfectly. Sometimes an architect has to make sacrifices for the greater good of a course. Walking the land before beginning the routing is another important step in the process because it gives the architect an idea of what landforms he has to work with. If natural topography can be utilized, the course will feel natural and less dirt will have to be moved. This is the great challenge of course routing: matching holes to the land.

It can be frustrating when it feels like you have to walk up steep hills or over tough terrain when getting from one hole to the next. One trick of great routing is to integrate these spots into holes rather than in between them. If you have to climb a big hill to see where your ball landed on the green, it wont feel as intrusive.

Here is the original post:
What is course routing and how does it affect your round? - Golf.com

The merry month of May usually brings beautiful spring flowers and warmer weather but the recent cold snap could hurt those azaleas and roses.

Jeff Hershberger is a landscape architect with David J. Frank, one of the largest landscape contractors in the nation, headquartered in Germantown.

Working in Wisconsin, Jeff has seen it all when it comes to the weather.

Mothers Day can be a tough one because it can be 70 degrees on one Mothers Day and then the next it could be 30s, said Hershberger.

Cooler temperatures can bring uncertainty for the life of flowers and plants and according to Hershberger. The roses seem to be one hardest hit so far.

From his decades of experience, Hershberger believes that southeast Wisconsin is behind 2 to 3 weeks from seeing the beautiful blooms this season because of some of the impacts of last year rainfall.

We received a tremendous amount of rainfall, probably about a foot above average last year, said Hershberger. He is expecting to see root rot or fungal damage to plants due to the excessive rain.

Many flowers are just starting to break bud right now but there are ways for you to save or protect them even if you cant bring them inside.

The best thing to do on those is to cut them way back and fertilize them and see what comes back, said Hershberger.

He recommends being patient and not trying to get all those colorful blooms at one time. Hershberger suggests planning on have a progression of color through out the whole season- from late spring to summer and summer to fall.

If we do get a late season freeze or frost in the area, he recommends continuing to make sure plants and flowers get plenty of water to help insulate them from a freeze. One final tip is to cover your perennials with blankets instead of plastic to protect them from the cooler nights ahead.

Even if its a couple of degrees it might make a difference, said Hershberger.

Report a typo or error // Submit a news tip

Continued here:
Protecting flowers, plants from the late season cold snap - WTMJ-TV

The renovation of the Mirror Pond, perhaps better known as the Duck Pond, in Manito Park went on hiatus last month and people noticed.

Spokane Parks Department landscape architect Nick Hamad said he got several emails from residents asking about the project. The shutdown caused by the COVID-19 pandemic meant that some needed supplies werent available for the project to keep going.

While our contractors were authorized to continue to work, some of their suppliers were not, he said.

The project to clean up the murky pond started last fall and was originally planned to be finished by now. But work resumed this week and the project is on track to be done by early June, Hamad said.

The old pond had many years of nutrient buildup, some of which came from duck feces and some from leaves that fell in the pond every autumn. Weve been able to reset that, Hamad said.

The first order of business was to drain the pond and dig out accumulated sediment. We actually deepened it a couple of feet to give us more volume, he said.

The Friends of Manito, a group of citizens that raises money from two annual plant sales, contributed $75,000 toward the project, Hamad said. Theyve been fundraising quite a while, he said. Without them, I dont know that we could have done it.

The heavy construction work on the project is finished. What remains is the construction of a treatment wetland that will help keep the pond water clean. Its about half full right now, Hamad said. Its been naturally refilling.

When work on the pond started last year, several turtles and ducks living there were relocated to the Cannon Hill pond. Now that the heavy construction has finished, wildlife has started to return. We have noticed some ducks taking up residence now that the pond is refilling, he said. Its good to see the ducks come back. It will be interesting to see what moves back in.

The Parks Department only wants native wildlife in the pond. When it was drained, goldfish and catfish were found in the water. The goldfish were likely dumped by people who no longer wanted them and Hamad said hes puzzled about the presence of the catfish. I couldnt tell you how they got there, he said.

The pond will have educational signs around the edge that ask people not to dump their unwanted fish in the water, he said.

Though the water will be cleaner, people shouldnt expect crystal clear water in the pond. We are looking to construct a native looking, healthy pond, Hamad said. The treatment wetland will really help us keep the nutrients in check. Our goal is to keep it as natural as possible.

The pond will remain fenced off until the work is finished. Hamad said he knows people are eager to visit it again. We see a tremendous amount of walkers around the pond, he said. Its a really great aesthetic.

Original plans called for a rededication ceremony when the pond was finished, but Hamad said there are no plans for that right now. Its likely that the fencing will simply come down so the people and ducks can come back to enjoy the water.

Were excited to deliver a pond, he said.

Link:
Manito Park Mirror Pond renovation expected to complete in June - The Spokesman-Review