Home Builder Developer - Interior Renovation and Design

The south side of Temple Square in Salt Lake City is about to look drastically different.

Demolition on the Temple Square South Visitors Center and portions of the Temple Squares south wall began Friday as The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints starts a four-year renovation of its Salt Lake Temple and the surrounding grounds.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints closed the churchs iconic temple on Dec. 29.

The decommissioning process involves removing furnishings and sacred elements to the church from the inside of the temple in preparation for the renovation.

In the past week, hazardous materials abatement teams have begun work, according to the church.

Workers are now preparing the site ahead of excavation, the church announced Friday.

The site preparation process includes removal of statues from the grounds, including statues of the churchs founder Joseph Smith and his brother Hyrum Smith that stood south of temple. The two statues each of which weigh 18,000 pounds were put in storage.

The church also said that trees and vegetation are being removed but that they are trying to preserve some of the trees.

Andy Kirby, director of historic temple renovations for the church said in a release Friday that the tall Cedar of Lebanon tree, brought to Temple Square as a seedling more than 70 years ago, will be preserved during the renovation.

Its a special tree. Its beautiful, beloved by many, so well go through great efforts to preserve this tree as we excavate around it, Kirby said.

The excavation around the Salt Lake Temple will also start soon, according to the church. The excavation will allow for access to the temples foundation for the installation of a base isolation system that will help protect against earthquake damage.

Were designing our earthquake stabilization system to withstand ground motions or forces from an earthquake similar to a 7.2 [magnitude] earthquake, Kirby said.

The church is also emphasizing that Temple Square remains open for visitors during the renovation.

The Salt Lake Temples renovation is expected to be completed in 2024, and will be followed by a public open house and rededication.

The temple is one of the churchs pioneer-era buildings, and was completed in 1893. Several of the churchs temples from that era will be renovated, including the St. George, Manti and Logan temples.

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Demolition begins at Temple Square as part of Salt Lake Temple renovation project - Daily Herald

Happy Friday! Where yours truly is a little in awe and a little dazed at the idea of China in the span of six days building an entire hospital to handle patients of the coronavirus. The pictures from the construction site with what looks like a toddlers toy boxs worth of excavators alone are worth clicking through for.

Speaking of, you may have just may have heard theres a coronavirus outbreak happening in China. Considering Ive processed nearly 40 stories per day on the topic, I found it impossible to link to just one. If youd like to thoroughly check out the full onslaught, weve got you covered. But here are some highlights:

Although the death toll has climbed to 26 people, there are more than 800 confirmed cases, which means the death rate is not startlingly high. On top of that, mostly older men with underlying illnesses are the ones who have succumbed to the virus.

One case has been confirmed in the United States and one possible case reported. Airports in five major U.S. hubs ramped up their screenings of passengers coming in from China.

The World Health Organization is holding off on declaring a global emergency since there have been few cases outside China, and the disease doesnt seem to be spreading within other countries.

This happened at possibly one of the worst times it could have, as millions of Chinese had been preparing to travel to their hometowns for the Spring Festival.

How do you avoid the coronavirus? Wash your hands. Thats way more effective than those face masks.

Bottom line is, right now, unless you just came back from the Wuhan area in China, you probably dont need to worry about getting infected. But it does raise a good question: Is the United States ready to handle a pandemic? Experts say that, although strides have been made in recent years, no, now we are not.

The Washington Post: U.S. Readiness for a Viral Outbreak Has Improved, But Theres a Long Way to Go

And dont forget to get your flu shot! So far, in the U.S. 6,600 have died and 120,000 have been hospitalized during the 2019-20 flu season.

Whew! OK, believe it or not there was other news beyond the coronavirus.

The Supreme Court gave Republicans some breathing room when it declined a request to fast-track the health law case. The Democrats defending the law wanted the justices to make a decision before the 2020 elections and (nervous) Republicans were like, Nooo, please take your time. Any decision would have been ammo for Democrats right at the height of election season. Dems used Republicans attacks on the increasingly popular law to surge into the House during the previous midterms.

CNN: Supreme Court Signals It Wont Consider Obamacare Challenge Before Election

Meanwhile, the debate over contraception coverage is going to land back in front of the justices. At the heart of the case the justices agreed to hear lies the question: Can the Trump administration allow all sorts of employers with religious or moral objections to contraception to opt out of the coverage requirement? The overarching issue is no stranger to the Supreme Court, but it comes with the caveat that most lawsuits will come within the coming year: With conservative Justices Brett Kavanaugh and Neil Gorsuch now on the bench, past cases wont dictate what we can expect from current ones.

The New York Times: Supreme Court to Consider Limits on Contraception Coverage

On that note, March for Life swept into the nations capital Friday, but many advocates on both sides of the culture war have their sights trained a little further in the distance namely, at Supreme Court oral arguments a little more than a month away. The case over a Louisiana law requiring hospital admitting privileges for abortion providers will be the first big abortion case in front of the newly conservative court.

The Associated Press: Supreme Court Case Looms Large for Rivals in Abortion Debate

If all goes as scheduled, President Donald Trump will become the first sitting president to speak in person at the March for Life event. Trump, who in the past called himself very pro-choice, has found a fierce political ally in the anti-abortion movement in fact, the announcement that he would speak at the event came just a few days after the Susan B. Anthony List said it would spend $52 million to help the presidents reelection.

The Washington Post: Trump to Become the First President to Speak in Person at March for Life

In other news, Trump restored womens health funding in Texas, rolling back an Obama-era punishment for the state for excluding abortion providers from its program. The decision could give other conservative states the green light to cut off family planning funding for groups like Planned Parenthood.

Texas Tribune: Donald Trump Restores Womens Health Funding in Texas Stripped by Obama

Trump handed Democrats a gift this week when he mused that the idea of cutting entitlement programs like Social Security and Medicare were on the table as a way to rein in the deficit. Dems sprang into action as might be expected voters have a history of being, uh, less than receptive to that idea by highlighting Trumps previous campaign promises to protect such safety-net programs. Trump then walked back the statement, tweeting: I have totally left [Social Security] alone, as promised, and will save it!

The New York Times: Trump Tries to Walk Back Entitlement Comments As Democrats Pounce

CNBC: Davos 2020: CNBCs Full Interview With President Trump

CMS is apparently full steam ahead in crafting guidance that would help states transform their Medicaid programs into a block-grant model. Although some say the rules could come as early as this month, theres still some disagreement over the scope of the plan. The terminology might even get a rebranding away from block grant, as the phrase has quite a bit of partisan baggage.

The Wall Street Journal: Trump Administration to Soon Issue Guidance on Medicaid Block Grants

Politico: Trump Administration Finalizing Medicaid Block Grant Plan Targeting Obamacare

Insurers are getting in on the hot new trend for curbing high drug prices manufacturing your own generics. Blue Cross Blue Shield Association and 18 of its health plans are teaming up with Civica Rx to make up to 10 yet-to-be-determined high-cost generics in an effort to increase competition and address shortages. The move comes not long after California Gov. Gavin Newsom floated a similar proposal for his state.

Stat: Civica Rx Teams With Blue Cross Blue Shield to Widen Market for Generics

HHS Secretary Alex Azar apparently had to bear the brunt of Trumps anger after the president got polling data showing Democrats are more trusted than Republicans on such health care topics as controlling high drug prices.

Politico: Trump Berates Azar Over Bad Health Care Polling

In the miscellaneous file for the week:

Workers who struggle with depression or other mental health issues cant get fired because of existing federal protections. But churches are exempt. Pastors routinely lose their positions after church officials learn of their diagnoses.

The Wall Street Journal: Its Like I Got Kicked Out of My Family. Churches Struggle With Mental Health in the Ranks.

After a Native American girls disappearance, state and federal law enforcement quickly mobilized a search instead of letting the case go cold. This shouldnt be notable, and yet it is.

The New York Times: Rural Montana Had Already Lost Too Many Native Women. Then Selena Disappeared.

Should congressional candidates be able to use campaign funds to pay for health care? One progressive Georgia Democrat says that not allowing candidates to do so creates structural barriers that make running for office cost-prohibitive for middle-class Americans.

The Hill: House Candidate Asks FEC to Let Her Use Campaign Funds for Health Insurance

A new wave of state-level laws have been introduced to penalize medical providers who give certain types of care to young transgender patients. The speed and sheer number of bills introduced in recent weeks have prompted transgender advocates to mobilize in response.

The Washington Post: Republican State Lawmakers Push Bills to Restrict Medical Treatments for Transgender Youths

Thats it from me! Have a great weekend.

Go here to read the rest:
Must-Reads Of The Week From Brianna Labuskes - Kaiser Health News

I HOPE Braintree Council, Abbeyfields and the various bodies and organisations involved in construction work on Polys Hill in Bocking realise there are no road signs or markings to warn motorists that there is a concealed entrance or even a warning sign that the site is under construction.

If at any time during construction of the site - and even when it is completed - someone is exiting on to Polys Hill and a fast-approaching vehicle is coming down the hill, the chances are that as there is a blind corner and a concealed entrance, there will be a very nasty accident and the vehicle exiting will be pushed right down the hill past the mini roundabout in Church Lane.

And look at the state of that lovely hedge, an absolute mess, and talking of mess. There is still evidence of mud and remains of the hedge cuttings on the road.

The site management must surely be held fully responsible for this, just imagine when its wet with that mud on the road, how far would a vehicle skid?

What we all could have done with on that site in Bocking was a decent shopping centre with all of the essential things that most of us need, this would then perhaps encourage a bus company to put a regular bus service along Church Lane, something the elderly population must have.

Also take a look at the amount of asphalt used, it gives the impression of a aircraft runway.

Kenneth Pallant Church Lane, Bocking

Originally posted here:
LETTER: Work site needs better signage to avoid accident - Braintree and Witham Times

St Lukes Church at Tixover has reopened for services following refurbishment.

Restoration of the roof, windows, stone and plaster was funded by a 97,000 grant from landfill operator Mick George Ltd, through its community fund, and carried out by Messenger Construction of Collyweston.

The early 12th Century church is one of the oldest in Rutland. Standing alone in fields, it has no electricity and is lit by candles, attracting many visitors to its monthly services.

Churchwarden David Gandy said: I have been in the construction business for over 60 years and was most impressed by Messengers performance.

They started and completed the works to the agreed schedule, provided skilled crafts-men such as are required for such work, and were a pleasure to do business with.

An official re-opening will coincide with the Candlemas service on Sunday, February 2.

Click here to read more of the latest news.

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Candlelit church restored o glory with landfill money - Stamford Mercury

Anyone driving along the A38 between Exeter to Plymouth will have noticed many memorable sights.

Theres the Orange Elephant at Kennford, a life-size replica of aStar WarsImperial scout walker at Ashburton, and the famous Trago Towers near Newton Abbot.

But as you travel between Buckfastleigh and South Brent, off to the left hand side of the road, sits a much quainter landmark - a lonely and isolated church. Where once remote, the church is now, literally, a stones throw from the A38.

The Church of St George the Martyr in the village of Dean Prior, which dates back nearly a thousand years, lies alone, with only a handful of homes for company.

But it wasnt always like the case and prior to the construction of the Devon Expressway, it was part of one of Devons lost villages, bulldozed to make way for the new road.

The village surrounding the church once included a school and cottages, but many of these were pulled down in the 1970s to build the new road, and as a result the church only has a few neighbouring houses, while much of the parish is the other side of the A38 Devon Expressway.

There has been a church on site in Dean Prior for almost a thousand years, with a first church being of Norman origin. St George the MartyrDean Priorwas first recorded by the Bishop in 1186 as part of the possession of the Priory of Plympton, and the first known priest, Gervase of Crediton, was ordained in 1261.

Of his church, however, only the West Tower and font remain. The present building was largely rebuilt in 15 Century on the site of the earlier Norman Church, while the great yew tree in the churchyard was planted in 1780.

The main village of Dean is divided into Lower and Higher Dean with a separate hamlet of Deancombe and has a population of 160 inhabitants.

However, the parish was inevitably affected when it was cut in two by the construction of a dual carriageway.

The village surrounding the church, once included a school, and many cottages, were all demolished when the new road was built.Around the church, now lying directly to the left of the main road, had been Church Town.

Its cottages, church house and school and across the valley and now on the other side of the A38, lie Upper Dean nd Deancombe, with Lower Dean on the other side of the A38, the road that has literally spilt the village in half.

The rest of the village was dismantled for the Devon Expressway and today all that remains of these lost houses are sparse records and recollections.

According to the 2011 census, there are now just 94 males and 107 females living in the whole of parish, a total population of 201 people.

And for much of the 17 Century, one of the most accomplished nondramatic poets of his age was the churchs vicar.

Robert Herrick, the poet best known for Hesperides , a book of poems, which includes the carpe diem poem "To the Virgins, to Make Much of Time", with the first line "Gather ye rosebuds while ye may", was the vicar at The Church of St George the Martyr from 1629-1674.

In 1623 Herrick took holy orders, and in 1627, he became one of the several chaplains who accompanied George Villiers, first Duke of Buckingham, in a crusade to liberate French Protestants on the Isle of Rh.

But a disastrous combination of illness among the troops, effective military action by the French, and a storm at sea while Buckinghams ships were retreating to England resulted in the loss of two-thirds of the expedition.

In 1629, Herrick exchanged a life of danger for one of apparent safety by accepting a nomination to the vicarage of Dean Prior.

He was installed as vicar on October 29, 1630 and served as vicar of Dean Prior for 31 years in total, although that period was interrupted during the Civil War.

Herrick was every inch the Royalist and was ejected from his vicarage for refusing theSolemn League and Covenant, so returned to London, depended on the charity of his friends and family and then spent some time preparing his lyric poems for publication, before having them printed in 1648 under the title Hesperides; or the Works both Human and Divine of Robert Herrick , with a dedication to the Prince of Wales.

When King Charles II was restored to the throne in 1660, Herrick petitioned for his own restoration to his living. He had obtained favour by writing verses celebrating the births of both Charles II and his brother James before the Civil War.

Herrick once again became the vicar of Dean Prior again in the summer of 1662 and lived there until his death in October 1674, at the age of 83.

Today,Herrick is allegedly buried in the churchs graveyard within an unmarked grave

Go here to read the rest:
The 'lost village' bulldozed to make way for the A38 - Plymouth Live

Good news for the Tucson dining community: Renees Organic Oven is spreading its wings. After 15 years of balancing bespoke customer service and nationally acclaimed dishes with a tight bottom line and even tighter dining quarters, the restaurant is moving into a larger space later this year.

To the relief of many, the new location is just around the corner from the old one, in the same sprawling Foothills shopping square. Renee Kreager the friendly public face of the restaurant that bears her name, while husband Steve Kreager holds sway in the kitchen said, We love that were near major attractions Sabino Canyon and Mt. Lemmon. We didnt want to give that up.

Nor will Renees cozy ambience be sacrificed. We know that people love our intimacy as well as our genuine service, but we also know that our current space is a little too intimate, Renee smiled. Its very closed and busy. Were looking at a design that will let people know theyre still part of our dining ecosystem while having their own unique experience within it.

The design will feature a larger kitchen, a bar, and an outdoor waiting area, as well as more tables. Additional parking and greater visibility from Tanque Verde Road are other pluses of the mini-move.

(Note: The change of address will probably occur this summer and, because the new location is so close, the restaurant will only be shuttered for a short while, if at all.)

One thing that will not change is the menu, at least not for the time being and then only to add new dishes, not to subtract any favorites. The menu is very tried and true and loved, Renee said. Indeed, when she attempted to rotate out popular items such as the Thai Curry Pizza, long-time patrons rebelled. The pie returned early this year.

Creative, cross-cultural pizzas like the Thai Curry and Mid-East variety (made with hummus, feta, and olives) were ahead of the culinary curve when Renees introduced them to Tucson in 2005. So were highlighting organic ingredients and accommodating food sensitivities, practices that predate the restaurant.

When Renee became pregnant with her son, she had a mindset shift. I began investigating every ingredient of every food I consumed, Renee said. Some of my family thought I was nuts, but I didnt want to put anything into my body that wasnt healthy.

Although gluten-free pizzas are fairly common now, Renees was the first to offer them regularly. As a result, the restaurant has had plenty of time to get them right.

We tasted all the crusts available and now we are committed to Gourmet Girls, Renee said, referring to a local bakery that only makes gluten-free products. We know that we are paying more, but we would never switch.

Similarly, the restaurant debuted zucchini noodles (aka zoodles) long before they became a supermarket staple. Because theres so much water in them, zucchini spirals tend to get soggy when cooked, but Renees creates an al dente faux pasta that stands up to an array of sauces and protein add-ons. Its all in the timing, according to Renee, who noted the Zucchini Noodle Pasta Primavera has been the number one bestseller two years in a row.

But its the classic dough, perfected over time and made daily on the premises, that is at the center of everything we do, Renee contended. She is referring not only to the pizzas, but also to the focaccia in such creations as the Tailored Tony, topped with beef in marinara, roasted red peppers, basil, and mozzarella; and to the baked-to-order bread that accompanies appetizers like Oh, Honey, featuring local Dos Manos Apiaries honey, chevre, and Arizona pistachios.

And, oh, the calzones, those doughy pleasure pockets! You can have them your way, adding ingredients like roasted chiles, arugula, mushrooms, and house-made sausage to the standard ricotta, mozzarella, and marinara filling. Or you can just go the route taken by Guy Fieri and his Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives crew and choose the spinach dip variety, oozing cheesy, garlicky goodness with every bite.

The Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives segment, which first aired in March 2018, drew hundreds of people to the restaurant so many that it inspired the Kreagers to add patio seating to accommodate some of the overflow. Reruns still draw crowds, to the point that the couple has begun tracking the shows schedule so they can prepare for the deluge.

But even without the sudden customer bursts brought about by Food Network appearances and by major events like the gem show, Renees has had to disappoint diners who found the wait for one of the small number of tables discouragingly long. Adding to the problem: the kitchens diminutive size and limited equipment.

For one thing, Renees does not currently have any flame griddles. The sautees among the most popular dishes are prepared on tabletop burners.

Because guests are honored for what they individually want, many entrees have a note, and the cooks read every one of them, Renee explained. This often creates a lag time on orders, which leads to a slow turnaround of tables.

With a larger, better-equipped kitchen, one cook wont bear the entire burden of starting and bringing a dish to fruition.

But it is not only the difficult-to-meet demand for tables that causes congestion in the restaurant. Takeaway makes up some 30% of Renees business. Even those who phone in advance orders need to linger somewhere for a few minutes to retrieve them. In the new space, a patio with heaters/misters and cushy couches will serve as a waiting area.

So will a seven-seat bar, a perfect perch for those who want a sip and a schmooze while their order is being prepared. A self-described cocktail snob, Renee said the bar will be a bridge to a reinvigorated spirits program.

The program is already robust. In addition to a carefully curated wine and beer list that includes several Arizona varieties, youll also find a selection of mixed drinks made with local and/or organic spirits. These include creations such as the Maya BourbonMaya Teas blackberry sage tea, Whiskey del Bac bourbon, fresh lime juice, and a splash of orange liqueur; and the Desert Dweller, which spikes Cheris Desert Harvest prickly pear lemonade with two ounces of Purity vodka.

Currently, servers are responsible for mixing drinks, and theyre all made to specification from a manual.

For every drink we offer, we have a diagram of how its made, what its supposed to look like, how much ice goes into it, how long to shake or stir it, Renee said. You cant just order a Moscow Mule. We dont have the ingredients for that plus, its not in the manual.

Hiring mixologists to work the bar will add new energy to the cocktail menu and free up servers to focus on bringing over food.

When the Kreagers decided that the restaurants 15th anniversary would be a good time to shake things up, they faced a dilemma. They wanted to be able to serve their fiercely loyal customer base and new potential diners more efficiently, but they didnt want to jeopardize their already thin profit margin.

And so a GoFundMe campaign was born.

This turned out to be a smart move in several unanticipated ways. First of all, it forced them to solidify their plans. The couple had initially thought about expanding to a newly opened space next door, but concluded that starting from scratch was a much better idea.

And once they pinned down and articulated a rough blueprint, several investment angels offered a large portion of the original sum requested. This lowered the goal amount considerably, from $200,000 to $50,000.

In turn, having a less intimidating amount of money to raise inspired more members of the community to pitch in. One person offered to do a scotch tasting, Renee reported. Another offered to do goat therapy on the patio. In both cases, all the profits will be directed to the GoFundMe campaign.

The main foundation of why Renees is so respected is our service, which includes caring about individual food issues, Renee said. If you cant care about what a guest wants, you have no business owning a restaurant.

Its abundantly clear that Renees Organic Oven is heading in the right direction, with a future thats looking brighter than ever.

Renees Organic Oven, currently located at 7065 E. Tanque Verde Rd., is open from 11 a.m. 9 p.m. Tuesday Sunday.

For more information, visit reneesorganicoven.com.

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Renee's Organic Oven expands to new location with bar, patio & menu updates - Tucson Foodie

California is built for outdoor living.

It's time we take advantage of lower building costs and use patio covers in our backyards!

First it's important to know the different types of patio covers.

10 Types (at least)

Awning - no legs

Pergola - open air, maybe no floor

Gazebo - covered roof & floor

Retractable Cover - $700 manual $2500 motorized

Cable Shades - canvas cable canopies - https://www.infinitycanopy.com

Umbrellas - wheels, tilt, offset stand, solar LED lights, misters, fans

Sun Room

California Room

Movable louvers

Trees - evaporation, updraft, shade

Shade is an important job of patio covers! Make sure it'll do its job - Do a shade study. Solar angle in So Cal is 80 in June and 32 in December. That's why it's important to make sure your patio cover does a proper job of shade.

Questions to ask yourself.

How does it interact with the prevailing winds

How does it effect light in the house?

Does it obscure the view? - from downstairs and upstairs

Where and how do you mount it?

There are also a lot of accessories you can add to your patio covers.

It can be lighting, fans, misters, heaters, or tvs.

For more information, please listen below:

Original post:
Patio Covers Are Not As Easy As They Look | Home with Dean Sharp - KFI AM 640

Q: My roses bushes are in large pots on my patio, but they have a disease. When I put new plants in the pots, do I need to have new soil for them? Is there anything I can spray on them that will cure this disease?

A: Oh, I so wish you might have attached a photo of the disease. Roses have many diseases. Black spot is most common, of course, and some people confuse damage of thrips with diseases.

However, almost all of the questions Ive gotten over the past 10 years relative to rose diseases have been about rose rosette virus (RRV). It is spread by a wind-blown microscopic mite. Contrary to what some may try to get you to believe, there is no prevention nor any cure.

And none of these three problems is soil-borne, so changing the soil wont offer any help. In fact, if you have RRV in your neighborhood, its time to change to some other types of flowers until a workaround for the virus has been determined. It has been more serious in some parts of Texas than others, notably in Dallas-Fort Worth.

Those of us who have seen far too much of it recognize it on sight. It causes clubby new growth on rank-growing stems that have several times the normal numbers of thorns. The buds do not open properly, and over the course of a year or two, the plants lose vigor and die. As soon as its presence has been determined, infected plants should be dug and removed, put into plastic trash bags and sent to the landfill.

Q: I cannot find a local business that sells Carissa hollies. Any advice?

A: Without knowing where you are or where youve tried, I cant offer much specific help, but what I would suggest is that you talk to the owner of your favorite independent retail garden center. Carissa hollies are the best-selling dwarf hollies in Texas today.

Wait a few weeks until they are stocked up for spring. I would expect that almost every independent retail nursery in Texas will have them in stock. If they dont, they can easily order them in for you.

Q: At our place in the Texas Hill Country, we have a row of five elaeagnus plants that we set out to replace some old and tired hollies. The new plants had done well until the middle one suddenly died.

Cotton once was grown in this soil, so I wonder about cotton root rot. Weve had the property for 30 years and have never had this happen before. What might the cause be?

A: Ive grown and observed elaeagnus for all of my life. Ive rarely seen them die unexpectedly. Lace bugs are the main problem they encounter, and they only cause the plants to lose their color, not to die.

Your photo does look like cotton root rot. Its a soil-borne fungus that can remain dormant in the soil for many years before it attacks susceptible plants. Hollies are highly resistant, which would explain why they would not have died.

Elaeagnus are listed by Texas A&M as tolerant, meaning they will occasionally succumb. So that could be the problem, or this plant might have been hit slightly harder by last summers drought so that it was impacted more than the others. That happens all the time.

Its one or the other, but thats as close as I can come.

Q: We had to have our live oak tree cut down and the stump and surface roots ground out. They were threatening our foundation. How long before the other roots will decay? We want to plant new sod there. Our yard is just too small for trees as large as oaks.

A: HOAs and cities that require two trees in compact urban lots should never recommend live oaks and other large shade trees. Its easy to forget that a tree thats 8 or 10 feet tall with a 2-inch trunk will eventually grow to spread 75 feet and cover an entire city lot.

Those old roots will eventually rot, but it may take many years. They may even try to send up tons of new sprouts this spring. In all candor, it might be easiest to get the folks with the root grinder back in to finish their job. I doubt if youll be able to dig them out by hand.

Q: We hired a lawn care company to care for our yard for the first time last year, but the backyard looks terrible. They didnt pick up the leaves, but merely mulched over them.

Since three large trees contributed to the leaf matter, I feel like the grass was smothered. Could they have brought disease in from other lawns they tend? Do you have any ideas?

A: I doubt if they carried diseases in. You really do need to remove leaves over the three- or four-week period of heaviest leaf drop in autumn to keep from having way too much organic matter being put back into the soil in a short period of time.

Its also possible that all of that shade has weakened your grass, so the decline may have nothing to do with the lawn care company. In the meantime, do get the leaves off the lawn each autumn. Put them into the compost pile or use them as a mulch in flowerbeds.

Mail questions to Neil Sperry, c/o Features Department, San Antonio Express-News, P.O. Box 2171, San Antonio, TX 78297-2171, or email him at SAENgardenQA@sperrygardens.com.

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Neil Sperry: Patio roses could be infected with rose rosette virus - San Antonio Express-News

One of several shaded patios and open spaces at chef Andrew Weissman's bar and grill called The Luxury, which has closed in preparation for its move to the airport this summer. Elsewhere Garden Bar & Kitchen is moving into the space.

One of several shaded patios and open spaces at chef Andrew Weissman's bar and grill called The Luxury, which has closed in preparation for its move to the airport this summer. Elsewhere Garden Bar &

Photo: Mike Sutter /Staff File Photo

One of several shaded patios and open spaces at chef Andrew Weissman's bar and grill called The Luxury, which has closed in preparation for its move to the airport this summer. Elsewhere Garden Bar & Kitchen is moving into the space.

One of several shaded patios and open spaces at chef Andrew Weissman's bar and grill called The Luxury, which has closed in preparation for its move to the airport this summer. Elsewhere Garden Bar &

San Antonio River Walk bar and restaurant The Luxury has closed; new Elsewhere Garden Bar & Kitchen plans to open in the space

Star San Antonio chef Andrew Weissman has closed his River Walk bar and grill The Luxury as he prepares to move the operation to the airport this summer.

He sold the warren of storage containers, shaded patios and riverside swings to entrepreneurs Terrin Fuhrmann and Nolan Ellis, who plan to rename the space Elsewhere Garden Bar & Kitchen, which they pledged on Facebook to transform the space into a carefully curated, overly landscaped bar and kitchen experience.

Closing the River Walk location of The Luxury allows Weissman to focus on the airport expansion as well as Mr. Juicy, which he plans to expand to the North Side in the late spring, he said. Mr. Juicy was named the best burger joint from the 2019 Express-News series, 52 Weeks of Burgers. Read the winning rankings here.

No opening date has been announced for Elsewhere. Its representatives could not be reached for comment.

Weissman opened The Luxury in 2013, an ironically named space cobbled together from cargo containers adjacent to the San Antonio Museum of Art on Jones Avenue just north of downtown. From its shady perch above the River Walks Museum Reach, The Luxury sold gourmet burgers, banh mi sandwiches, craft beer and one of the citys best fried chicken sandwiches.

On ExpressNews.com: San Antonios restaurant scene rocked by 2019s high-profile restaurant closings

The operation is moving to the San Antonio International Airport this summer, along with a second location of Weissmans downtown coffee shop Sip Brew Bar & Eatery. Weissmans restaurant portfolio in San Antonio also includes the Olmos Park burger joint Mr. Juicy and the upscale La Cantera restaurant Signature, Inspired by Chef Andrew Weissman.

Mike Sutter is a food and drink reporter and restaurant critic in the San Antonio and Bexar County area. Read him on our free site, mySA.com, and on our subscriber site, ExpressNews.com. | msutter@express-news.net | Twitter: @fedmanwalking

Original post:
San Antonio River Walk bar and restaurant The Luxury has closed; new Elsewhere Garden Bar & Kitchen plans to open in the space - mySA

Fremont will soon have to say goodbye to one of its brewpub mainstays. The Red Door which has been serving well-loved craft beers and bar bites since 1988 announced that it will close in early March at the end of its current lease. We evaluated options for relocating but at this time do not have any plans to do so, co-owner Pete Hanning tells Eater Seattle. We cant speculate on what might happen with our space going forward. Washington Beer Blog first reported the story.

Since opening in a historic building that used to house the Fremont Drug Company (and was moved in its entirety about a block away in 2001), The Red Door has represented the old guard of beer bars in the neighborhood, serving up a variety of craft beers before it was so ubiquitous. Its snacks, including the cod and chips, were even featured on Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives on the Food Network, and its spacious patio was a destination for bar hoppers in the warmer months.

Of course, a lot has changed in that section of Fremont since the late-80s, with plenty of places around the area to find a healthy selection of beer, including nearby Fremont Brewing Company, The George & Dragon Pub, and Brouwers Cafe. But for those who want to reminisce about the good ol days, there are still a few weeks left to tip a few back at The Red Door.

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The Red Door in Fremont Will Close in March - Eater Seattle