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Auckland Transports board is unlikely to hear of the widespread concern from iwi, urban design experts, the Tree Council, cyclists, and the wider community about Auckland Transports plans to destroy a stand of mature pohutukawa trees on Great North Road as part of the St Lukes junction project.

The trees were planted around Arbor Day in 1934 as part of a Depression-era project to enhance greenspace and create Chamberlain Park. They stand opposite the gates of MOTAT, and over recent months have attracted a storm of protest and a number of signs and colourful yarnbombing.

"Representatives of the various interest groups had asked for the opportunity to briefly address Auckland Transport Board at the open session of the Boards meeting on Friday 20 February," says Christine Rose, a spokesperson for the Pohutukawa Savers. "This is the only opportunity the board will have to hear of the range of community concerns about Auckland Transports plan. Auckland Transport have advised, however, that only one community representative will be allowed to address the Board."

Jolisa Gracewood, a spokesperson for the Pohutukawa Savers, who has written about the issue for the blog Public Address, said this is the latest in a series of events that have seen the community effectively shut out of debate on the controversial decision to remove the trees.

"All but two of the 64 written submissions to a Council-appointed Hearings Panel on this issue were opposed to the loss of the trees. Fully 54 of these submissions, including a petition with 1475 signatures and individual comments, were ruled out of order on a technicality; a wrong number was supplied and a mistake perpetuated by Council in its correspondence with the public up until the late afternoon of the day before the hearing.

AUT Maori Development lecturer, Ella Henry, questions Auckland Transports claim that "no concern was raised by mana whenua in regard to the removal of the trees." She is concerned that there has not been appropriate and meaningful consultation with Mana Whenua groups, and also Mata Waka/Taura Here - those Maori who are not tangata whenua, but are, like herself, part of the Auckland community, and who are passionate about ensuring that indigenous flora and fauna in the region are protected and enhanced.

Ngati Whatua Orakei Deputy Chairman Ngarimu Blair said they have not been engaged on the proposed tree removal and is concerned with their removal. "That area is already hostile to families who visit MOTAT, Pasifika and Western Springs. It is hoped the design can be re-thought to retain these trees and any other measures that can bring back a sense of calm and safety for those not in cars," Blair said.

Transportblog editor Patrick Reynolds points to several flaws in Auckland Transports preferred design: "The proposed plan meets only narrow transport objectives, offers inadequate provision for walking, cycling, and public transport, and fails on social and environmental grounds. It would be a travesty to destroy the trees for a sub-optimal design, when credible alternatives exist.

Says Christine Rose, "A community liaison meeting in January was remarkable for the unwillingness of Auckland Transport representatives to even discuss alternatives that would meet their objectives and preserve the treescape.

"Fridays board meeting is a last chance for positive, open dialogue. We would like to see Board members fully informed of the range of concerns so that they are well-positioned to test the thinking of Auckland Transport officers and their advisors before agreeing to the destruction of a piece of Aucklands history.

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Board 'needs to hear alternatives to destruction of trees'

HARTSVILLE, S.C. -- Crews in Hartsville will remove a tree deemed hazardous Wednesday at the intersection of East Home Avenue, Fourth Street and Laurel Oak Street. Work will begin at 9 a.m. and last for at least two hours.

While removal is ongoing, East Home Avenue between Fourth and Fifth Streets as well as Laurel Oak Street at the East Home Avenue intersection will be closed. During the closures, westbound traffic on East Home Avenue will be diverted onto Fourth Street. Northbound traffic will be diverted right onto East Home Avenue.

There is the possibility for traffic on Fourth Street and East Home Avenue to be stopped by flaggers for safety concerns.

Christopher McKagen is the editor of The Hartsville Messenger, covering Hartsville, Darlington and Darlington County .

2015 SCNow. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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Tree removal in Hartsville will cause brief road closures, traffic diversions

La Crosse residents will get a wake-up call in April as to the severity of the emerald ash borer infestation in the city.

The city plans to shut down busy Losey Boulevard, the main north-south route in east La Crosse, for nine hours on Saturday, April 11, so crews can take down 117 ash trees.

City staff estimate they will be able to fell 24 trees an hour that Saturday if they can just drop them in the street a safer, faster and less disruptive option, they said, than trying to work around traffic. Losey will be barricaded from La Crosse Street south to Ward Avenue from 6 a.m. to 3 p.m.

East-west crossings will remain open at State Road, Ward Avenue and Main, Market and Green Bay streets. The Village Shopping Center should be unimpeded as well but access to the Kwik Trip store and Catholic Cemetery on Losey will be affected, officials said.

With the help of other departments, the city that day will have triple the normal number working to remove the Losey trees, Parks, Recreation and Forestry Department Supervisor Jay Odegaard told the Board of Public Works on Monday in seeking approval to close off Losey to traffic.

Three loaders and five trucks will be continuously running the wood to Isle la Plume, where it will be cut up or chipped. The mass effort should condense what otherwise take a month into a single day, Odegaard said.

But perhaps more importantly, it will show on a high-visibility route just what the city is dealing with in the emerald ash borer, an invasive species first confirmed in La Crosse in November 2012 and considered 100 percent fatal to untreated ash trees.

Crews already have removed about 1,000 boulevard ash in neighborhoods throughout the city but not on a major thoroughfare like Losey Boulevard. While the city has tried to get the message out about the ash-killing beetle, likely a fair number of residents remain unaware of the threat.

This is a way to show the citizens, Here it is, Odegaard said. It might be almost like a billboard for the cause.

Added council president and board member Dick Swantz, This is going to be rather stark for those people.

Excerpt from:
Losey to be closed a day for ash tree removal

Auckland Transport Board needs to hear alternatives to destruction of historic trees

Auckland Transports board is unlikely to hear of the widespread concern from iwi, urban design experts, the Tree Council, cyclists, and the wider community about Auckland Transports plans to destroy a stand of mature pohutukawa trees on Great North Road as part of the St Lukes junction project.

The trees were planted around Arbor Day in 1934 as part of a Depression-era project to enhance greenspace and create Chamberlain Park. They stand opposite the gates of MOTAT, and over recent months have attracted a storm of protest and a number of signs and colourful yarnbombing.

Representatives of the various interest groups had asked for the opportunity to briefly address Auckland Transport Board at the open session of the Boards meeting on Friday 20 February, says Christine Rose, a spokesperson for the Pohutukawa Savers. This is the only opportunity the board will have to hear of the range of community concerns about Auckland Transports plan. Auckland Transport have advised, however, that only one community representative will be allowed to address the Board.

Jolisa Gracewood, a spokesperson for the Pohutukawa Savers, who has written about the issue for the blog Public Address, said this is the latest in a series of events that have seen the community effectively shut out of debate on the controversial decision to remove the trees.

All but two of the 64 written submissions to a Council-appointed Hearings Panel on this issue were opposed to the loss of the trees. Fully 54 of these submissions, including a petition with 1475 signatures and individual comments, were ruled out of order on a technicality; a wrong number was supplied and a mistake perpetuated by Council in its correspondence with the public up until the late afternoon of the day before the hearing.

AUT Maori Development lecturer, Ella Henry, questions Auckland Transports claim that "no concern was raised by mana whenua in regard to the removal of the trees. She is concerned that there has not been appropriate and meaningful consultation with Mana Whenua groups, and also Mata Waka/Taura Here those Maori who are not tangata whenua, but are, like herself, part of the Auckland community, and who are passionate about ensuring that indigenous flora and fauna in the region are protected and enhanced.

Ngati Whatua Orakei Deputy Chairman Ngarimu Blair said they have not been engaged on the proposed tree removal and is concerned with their removal. "That area is already hostile to families who visit MOTAT, Pasifika and Western Springs. It is hoped the design can be re-thought to retain these trees and any other measures that can bring back a sense of calm and safety for those not in cars," Blair said.

Transportblog editor Patrick Reynolds points to several flaws in Auckland Transports preferred design: The proposed plan meets only narrow transport objectives, offers inadequate provision for walking, cycling, and public transport, and fails on social and environmental grounds. It would be a travesty to destroy the trees for a sub-optimal design, when credible alternatives exist.

Says Christine Rose, A community liaison meeting in January was remarkable for the unwillingness of Auckland Transport representatives to even discuss alternatives that would meet their objectives and preserve the treescape.

The rest is here:
Destruction of historic trees challenged

GREENVILLE, N.C. - Frigid temperatures linger across the east. Many were dealing with strong winds late into Saturday night.

Those winds caused a large tree to fall, damaging a home in Greenville.

"Now that it's broken off you can see the inside was rotten off," said Billy Godley

Billy Godley, owner of Billy's Tree Service, said the rotten spruce pine crashed into this home on West Wright Road causing major damage inside and outside.

"Wind, constant wind continuously beaten down on the tree even if it's not a hard wind. It would take care of the trees in rotten places, said Godley.

Last night a couple came home to celebrate after their Valentine's Day engagement.

"I had rose petals going down the hallway, laid into the bedroom.. Had champagne in the bubble bath, had the water going, the bubbles going, and then uh then we stopped in the bedroom to talk for a few minutes and the tree fell on and that was it," explained the couple.

The couple said they heard a loud noise and thought it was a tornado.

"Commotion and then the wind was blowing doors were shutting. It was crazy. I thought it was a tornado out there," they explained.

Family and friends helped the newly engaged couple pack their belongings and move. The family of three rents the home and was happy that they have renters insurance. A tree removal service came in Sunday and used multiple machines to lift the pine tree off of the home.

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High winds down tree into home in Greenville

CoolTiles.com - Your Glass Tiles, Metal Accent Tiles, and Stone & Marble Tile store. Offering over 1700 colors and designs of full sheet and loose mosaic glass tiles; pewter and bronze accent tiles; marble and stone sheets and accent tiles, and unique Natural Pebble Tile. Vidrepur Recycled Glass Tiles - Nieblas Collection Hot Glass Classic Blends Collection Stellar Tile - Pennyround Collection DT Glass Tile Impact Collection Polished Pebble Tile on Mesh Backed Sheets Diamond Tech Stainless Steel Tile Collection

Vidrepur Recycled Glass Moon Collection evokes the beauty and mystery that is the moon. Enchanting craters and an iridescent flare gives this collection of tile an unmatched design aesthetic. Vidrepur Glass Tile is made of 100% recycled glass, and is the only true "Green" tile available on the market. These tiles are perfect for any application walls, backsplashes, countertops, floors and pools. With the Moon Collection, your possibilities are endless.

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The only choice for Cool Glass Tiles & Metal Accent Tiles!

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Glass Tiles and Metal Tile Super Store Shop here for great ...

"All things tile" retailer Tile Shop Holdings reported financial results for the fourth quarter and full year 2014 on Feb. 17, and in short, it was another underwhelming result. The highlights:

While the results where underwhelming, they weren't exactly terrible, as the company continues to operate in a weak demand environment. Let's take a closer look at some key takeaways from the earnings release.

Market remains very challenging, based on one important metric Many long-term Tile Shop investors are probably just happy to see the company put some of the scandalous events of the past couple of years in the rearview mirror. New CEO Chris Homeister stated the company is:

[A]ctively executing numerous initiatives focused on returning the Company to higher levels of growth and profitability. Although much work remains ahead, we look forward to delivering comparable store sales growth, strong growth in earnings per share.

It's also worth remembering that 2014's comparable sales result -- an unexpected 0.4% decline in sales at locations open at least one year -- follows 2013's 12.4% comps growth. That's a tough act to follow in any industry, much less one that is largely affected by such cyclical trends as home sales:

U.S. Existing Home Sales data by YCharts

Existing-home sales are an important source of new business for the Tile Shop, and, as you can see in the table above, they really fell off beginning late in 2013 and never fully rebounded to 2013's peak. For the full year, existing-home sales in 2014 were down 3%, according to the National Association of Realtors (NAR). This came on the heels of a 2013 when existing-home sales reached the highest levels since before the recession. The NAR also reported that sales in the second half of 2014 were up 8% versus the first half, with the last three months of the year reporting better results than the same period in 2013.

Only time will tell if this national trend provides a lift for Tile Shop in coming months.

Operating and debt costs rising, but look reasonable In the quarter, sales, general, and administrative (SG&A) expense increased $3.4 million, or about 9%. Management says the majority of this increase is related to store openings, and considering the store count increased 20% to 107 stores in the quarter, this makes sense.

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Tile Shop Holdings Inc. Q4 Earnings: Key Takeaways for Investors

If Texas-based Energy Transfer Partners plans for a crude oil pipeline are approved by the Iowa Utilities Board, Story County will contract with I&S Group Inc. to inspect topsoil removal and drainage tile damage across the 14 miles of the county the pipeline would cross.

The Mankato, Minn.-based I&S Group, which has an office in Des Moines, was approved to do the work Tuesday by the Story County Board of Supervisors.

Story County is required by Iowa code to carry out the inspection. However, according to the letter of intent approved by the supervisors, the county expects ETP to cover all costs of the inspection services as it has said it will do.

Its beyond our internal manpower to inspect it ourselves, so were hiring a consultant to do it for us, if the pipeline goes, said Darren Moon, county engineer.

Doing business as Dakota Access LLC, ETP has filed a petition with the Iowa Utilities Board for a hazardous liquid pipeline permit. There is no timeline for when the three-member board will make a decision on whether to grant the permit, although ETP has said it plans to have the pipeline operational before the end of 2016.

Should the IUB reject the project, the countys letter of intent with I&S will be considered null and void.

Otherwise, the firm will inspect activities including topsoil removal and stockpiling, drainage tile marking and repair and the digging of trenches as the pipeline is buried underground.

Were not actually inspecting the pipeline installation, were just kind of there for the farmers protection, watching to make sure they fix tile and put the topsoil back properly, Moon said.

Moon said officials from Story and neighboring Boone and Jasper counties have discussed all contracting with I&S so theres continuity over county lines.

The scope of the projects so big, in order for these consultants to get manpower, they need to know far in advance in order to get people on staff, he said.

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County approves pipeline inspection consultant

WATERLOO (KWWL) - When you think of carpet and water, you might not assume the two go together. But one As Seen on TV product claims to bring the feel of carpet into the shower.

KWWL's Ally Crutcher put the Aqua Rug to the test to find out -- Does It Really Work?

Pami Erickson lives in Waterloo. Her morning routine consists of a rude awakening from her alarm at 6:30 a.m. sharp, followed by a shower.

The Aqua Rug claims to be the first quality carpet for your shower or bathtub.

Erickson tested the rug in the shower first. The product maker claims the rug can be placed right over the drain, and the water will pass through easily.

Water seemed to filter with no issues. However, a problem was found during the test.

The suction cups on the bottom of the mat wouldn't stick to the shower floor. Erickson tried the cups on the fiberglass in the tub, and then on the tile on the bathroom floor.

After multiple attempts, no luck. Crutcher and Erickson couldn't get the suction cups to stick to any of the bathroom surfaces.

The Aqua Rug claims to have Microban, a mold protector. However, plumbers were more concerned about other things getting trapped in the rug, such as soap, dirt and dead skin.

The product maker also claims one never has to wash the Aqua Rug, saying it's the last mat the consumer will ever have to buy.

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Does It Really Work?: Aqua Rug

DERRY, N.H. (AP) A sprinkler system has saved the life of a teenage girl inside a house in Derry during a fire in the attached garage.

The Derry Fire Department says it received calls from neighbors reporting the garage fire Monday evening.

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Firefighters arrived to find flames engulfing the two-car garage and beginning to spread into the 2 1/2-story wood-frame home. They say the garage collapsed with big parts of the roof intact, making it more difficult to put out the flames.

A 14-year-old girl was home at the time. Firefighters say a sprinkler head between the garage and the home unleashed water, preventing most of the fire from spreading.

The girl scrambled from the homes basement and made it out through the front door.

Firefighters say the fire would have blocked her exit without the sprinkler system. They say no one was injured.

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Fire destroys garage; sprinkler saves teen girl in basement