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A Ten Commandments monument on the Oklahoma Capitol grounds that was destroyed by a man who drove into it was replaced Thursday with an exact replica.

Workers used a large crane to move the 2,400-pound granite monument onto its repaired base on a staircase landing outside the Capitol building.

"While the destruction of the original monument was tragic, this replacement is identical in every respect, and we look forward to it standing the test of time," said Rep. Mike Ritze, R-Broken Arrow, whose family commissioned the original monument for $10,000.

Gary Mosier of Wilbert Memorials, which rebuilt the 6-foot-tall headstone-like monument, said the granite came from a quarry in South Dakota. The design, which is an exact replica of a monument at the Texas Capitol, was added at the company's facility in Kansas. Mosier said the company fronted the cost for the new monument, and Ritze said he's raising the money privately to reimburse the company.

The monument, which is at the center of a lawsuit, was smashed into pieces in October when someone drove a car across the Capitol lawn and crashed into it. A 29-year-old man was arrested the next day after he showed up at a federal building in Oklahoma City, spit on a picture of President Barack Obama and acknowledged destroying the monument, according to a police report. The man was admitted to a hospital for mental health treatment, and formal charges were never filed.

The original monument was erected in 2012 after a bill authorizing it was passed by the Republican-controlled Legislature and signed into law by then-Gov. Brad Henry, a Democrat. A Norman man has sued to have it removed, saying it violates the state constitution's prohibition against using public property to support "any sect, church, denomination or system of religion." The case is pending before the Oklahoma Supreme Court.

Other groups have also asked to erect their own monuments on the Capitol grounds, including a satanic group that wants to put up a 7-foot-tall statue that depicts Satan as Baphomet, a goat-headed figure with horns, wings and a long beard. A Hindu leader in Nevada, an animal rights group and the satirical Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster have also made requests.

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10 Commandments statue replaced at Oklahoma Capitol

De Boer Services
De Boer Services servicing Kapiti and Porirua Areas http://www.deboerservices.co.nz "Reliable lawn mowing services Servicing Kapiti and Porirua areas"

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Even though January has just started and spring may seem a long way away, the city of Denison is asking residents to take the time to keep their lawns maintained when the inevitable growing season comes.

The Denison City Council authorized the placement of $38,896 of liens on 371 lots throughout the city for mowing services that were rendered on neglected or abandoned lots throughout the city over the past year. City Manager Robert Hanna said the lots were mowed because they were out of compliance with the city code, which limits grass to being less than 12 inches tall.

At some point in time it starts to become a health and safety hazard, said Hanna, adding that the tall grass can attract pests and dangerous snakes and also become a fire hazard. Beyond being a safety concern, Hanna said the tall grass can become a nuisance and an eyesore.

According to a list of frequently asked questions on the citys website, in the event of a violation, code enforcement will notify the property owner to correct the violation. If the violation is not corrected within seven days, a citation will be issued by the city. This citation is separate from the lien placed for mowing services.

These are just properties where the the grass has gotten too tall, said Denison Mayor Jared Johnson. So the city has to get them mowed.

From May of 2014 through November, the city mowed 371 lots, with some lots mowed multiple times. While some of these lots were abandoned, some are occupied.

When the economy goes bad, the weeds go up, said Hanna. Some people cant afford lawn care services anymore.

The liens placed on the property mowed by the city include mowing fees, which range from $17.50 to $75, and a flat administrative fee of $65 for each instance. The average cost of the liens is $104.84.

Hanna said the administrative fee arenot meant to act as a punitive measure and instead allow the city to recover legitimate administrative costs including the use the city attorneys time in filing the liens, the cost of city staff time in researching case history and other in-house costs connected to the service.

It is still a net loss for us, said Hanna. We dont like doing it, but this is a public safety issue.

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Denison official say mowing liens about recouping costs

Derbyshire Street Pocket Park
Landscape architect: Greysmith Associates.

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Derbyshire Street Pocket Park - Video

Grid INTRO | STRUCTURE | Trailsnodes | birdhide | Bird Hide OUTSIDE | Augmented Reality
Landscape architect: Project Studio Park Works.

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The University of Chicago is proposing that the Obama presidential library be built on about 20 acres of South Side parkland, either in Washington or Jackson parks, according to the university.

The information, released Tuesday, was privately submitted last month to the president and first lady. Since then, pressure has built from library planners who are hoping to avoid any real estate or legal challenges associated with building a library in a public park.

The two sites are:

21 acres in western Jackson Park, bounded by South Stony Island Avenue to the west, South Cornell Avenue to the east, East 60th Street to the north and East 63rd Street to the south.

22 acres in western Washington Park and 11 acres outside of it, stretching as far west as South Prairie Avenue, and encompassing the Garfield Green Line stop. The park space is bounded by South Martin Luther King Drive to the west, Ellsworth Drive to the east, East Garfield Boulevard to the south and East 51st Street to the north.

The parcels outside of Washington Park are controlled by a combination of owners, including the U. of C., the city of Chicago, the Chicago Transit Authority and private individuals or companies.

The museum is expected to occupy only a fraction of the land. As a comparison, if the George W. Bush Presidential Library and Museum in Dallas were to be spread out on one floor, it would take up about 5 acres. The entire campus measures 23 acres.

"In the first place, there's a long tradition of museums in the parks in Chicago," said Susan Sher, who is leading the U. of C.'s library bid, about the use of parkland. "When you look at the possibilities and the criteria of having enough space for the legacy of a major historical figure, you can't just plop it in the middle of a shopping center."

In her discussions, Sher said, residents of neighborhoods surrounding the university have jockeyed for the library. Sher has not found any "not-in-my-backyard" resentment, she said.

Residents will get a chance to publicly weigh in at two community hearings, Jan. 13 and Jan. 14, at Hyde Park Academy High School and the Washington Park Fieldhouse,respectively. The Park District is weighing whether to transfer the parcels to City Hall control. Such control was stipulated by library planners, led by Chicago private equity executive Martin Nesbitt.

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U. of C. plans: Obama library in the park

Winning tip: Pirin Mountains, Bulgaria

A friend and I completed a 55km, three-day hike across the Pirin mountains. We started in picturesque Dobrinishte, stayed in mountain huts for two nights and finished in the famous wine-growing town of Melnik, via the stunning Rozhen monastery. The variety of landscape was wonderful, from the glacial lakes of the upper mountains to the gentle Alpine forests below and finally the almost sub-tropical sandstone pyramids, dense vines and creepers around Melnik. jamescrouchman

Three days is all it takes to complete one of New Zealands great walks. The trek takes you through dense forest to rocky mountainsides with some spectacular waterfalls on the way. Side treks are also available for those who want a little more adventure. These are greatly advised particularly Conical Hill, which gives a panoramic view of the mountain range. Alpine parrots will accompany your journey, but keep an eye on your picnic! Really friendly guides give you all the information you need in the excellent huts on the way. David Grant

The Travessia Petrpolis is a three-day trek inland from the city of Rio that takes you up above the clouds to over 2,000m in the Parque Nacional da Serra dos Orgos. You will see spectacular sunsets and sunrises and can bathe in a refreshing waterfall. You can spend two nights in mountain shelters, hire a tent or take your own. You will need to pay a small fee to access the park, which can be done online, where you can also book the shelter and find a local guide. When you get back to Rio, you can carry on trekking with climbs up the numerous peaks of that amazing city.

bikeandwalk bikeandwalk

This is one of the last great wilderness walks in the British Isles, and not for the faint-hearted. Its a rough, tough five-day trek with no roads, no accommodation other than basic bothies and no other people! What it does have is superb coastal scenery, abundant wildlife and remarkable geological phenomena. writeofway

My partner and I trekked through Burmas Shan State, from Kalaw to Inle Lake, over three days. The states agricultural hinterland comprises a patchwork of farmland and an endless vista of hills and forest, dotted with villages, pagodas and monasteries. Stopping overnight, we were warmly welcomed to stay in wooden village houses, experiencing rural Burmese life in a place that felt off the beaten track. Along the way, we chatted to locals, rested in small tea shops over sweet, milky drinks and ducked into monasteries to escape the suns midday glare. BenStarkey

This is a great trek for several reasons. First, its history - the pilgrim way to Santiago was one of the great routes of the Middle Ages. Second, the architecture Cluniac monasteries, tiny Romanesque churches, great pilgrim hospitals, and the amazing cathedrals of Le Puy and Compostela at either end. And third, the landscape, from the great droving tracks of Aubrac to the Pyrenees, the narrow gorge of the Lot to the fertile vineyards and fruit orchards of Gascony, the route traverses some of the finest landscapes of southern Europe. andreakkk

The Nuortti hiking trail is a circular 40km trek near the Finnish/Russian border in the Urho Kekkonen national park. The trail runs along the Nuortti river, which is a popular destination for fishing and offers views of dense forests and deep canyons. It is an extremely well-catered-for trek offering reservable huts equipped with wood for fires, an outhouse, gas cooker and kitchen utensils. Id advise spending two nights in the forest its a magical environment to immerse yourself in, a place to feel detached from the hustle and bustle of life. connect10

The valley of Glenlough lies facing the wild Atlantic in south-west Donegal, Ireland. Its en route from Port to Maghera, which is a comfortable two-day trek, edging the coast, along spectacular cliffs and breathtaking scenery. Accessible only on foot, the valley was once briefly home to poet Dylan Thomas, who spent the summer of 1935 living and writing there. (The old stone cottage where he stayed is now a ruin.) The area and surrounding mountains are also home to rare flora and fauna and have been described by the Enviromental Protection Agency (EPA) as one of the last remaining wilderness frontiers in Europe, and the sea stacks offshore are some of the largest in Ireland. glendoan

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Great treks around the world: readers travel tips

By Farooq Soomro | January 7, 2015

The night sky in Kirthar range is so clear that you can spot the Milky Way with your naked eyes. The landscape is so vast that it stretches beyond man-made boundaries.

A land so enriched with history that one feels lost in time. The mountain range forming a natural boundary between Balochistan and Sindh is home to several peaks, most notably Gorakh Hill (5,700), Kuttay-ji-Qabar (6,877) and Bandu-ji-Qabar (7,112) .

The 150+ mile long stretch provides a sanctuary to different wild life and its torrents, tributaries, canyons, ponds and historical sites making it an ideal excursion for a variety of people.

Unfortunately the uncertain security situations cloaks the ground reality that the local hospitable people are more than eager to welcome tourists and help improve the image of their area.

I went to Gorakh Hill last year and had been yearning to go back to Kirthar range ever since. A family friend was hosting a kacheri on Badro Jabal and I jumped into the invitation as soon as I heard about it.

Badro Jabal in Kirthar range was a much safer and easier destination than the rest. It was only 320km from Karachi and a metal road connected it with the Indus highway.

The drive was rather uneventful until we reached the elevation of 3,000 feet where we saw the panoramic view of the valleys below. An oil exploration company had dug wells across Badro plateau and we could see dirt roads connecting various spots across the mountain.

We found a small guesthouse there that had been built by the government a long time ago and was now in desolate condition. We made a stop there and walked leisurely to the edge of the mountain. We saw a dirt road below in the gorge.

Here we met a local shepherd there who lived across the gorge. He told us that they had been promised development in the area due to the oil companys investment.

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The night sky in Kirthar range is so clear that you can spot the Milky Way with your naked eyes. The landscape is so ...

Native vegetation codes irk both environmental and farm groups.

Proposed loosening of land-clearing codes by the O'Farrell government will allow NSW farmers to slash, burn and rip will little oversight, environmental groups claim.

Deputy Premier Andrew Stoner and Environment Minister Robyn Parker on Thursday unveiled for public comment the first three self-assessable codes for clearing native vegetation.

The codes - for managing invasive native species, thinning native vegetation and clearing paddock trees in cultivated areas will help ensure we strike the balance between conservation and efficient agricultural management, Mr Stoner said.

This places trust in landholders to manage their property sustainably while maintaining environmental standards.

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Environmental groups, though, say the codes permit the use of chains dragged by bulldozers and blade ploughs that run counter to the recommendations in the Native Vegetation Regulation Review completed a year ago by agricultural consultant Joe Lane.

Self-assessable clearing should only include methods such as burning or clearing individual plants with nil to minimal disturbance to soil and groundcover, Mr Lane's review said.

The codes will obviously lead to a lot more destructive land-clearing when we need to be protecting [native vegetation] as much as possible and moving to a more sustainable agriculture - not slash, burn and rip, said Jeff Angel, director of the Total Environment Centre.

Pepe Clarke, chief executive officer of the Nature Conservation Council of NSW, said the prospect of large-scale clearing creates a substantial environment risk while placing landholders at risk of breaking laws if their self-assessment proves to be erroneous.

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Native vegetation codes open way for destructive clearing: environmental groups

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Attrition: Afghanistan Leads The World

January 7, 2015: Despite a tremendous mine clearing effort in Afghanistan, the country still suffers over 900 landmine casualties a year, nearly half of them children (those under age 18). The mine clearing effort greatly increased after the Taliban were driven from power in 2001. But in the last six years the Taliban have been increasingly planting more mines themselves and attacking or scaring away mine clearing teams.

Until 2006 Afghanistan was making great strides in getting rid of millions of land mines (most of them Russian and Chinese Cold War vintage stuff). In 2001 over 1,600 Afghans a month were being killed or wounded by all these mines but by 2006 the losses were cut in half. But since then the growing use of landmines by the Taliban and drug gangs has increased annual mine casualties to nearly a thousand. By 2006 17 years of demining efforts had cleared nearly a thousand square kilometers mines. At the time that was believed to be 70 percent of the mined areas. Up until 2007 the Taliban and drug gangs tended to leave the deminers alone. But then new minefields began to show up, planted by the Taliban and drug gangs to protect drug (opium and heroin) operations. This happened despite the fact that most Afghans wanted nothing more to do with landmines and just want to see them all gone. Most of the people actually clearing the mines are Afghans, and some have been at it for since the 1990s. Foreign aid groups and governments provide equipment, training and money for salaries and supplies. The biggest supplier of such aid has been the United States.

Landmines were outlawed by an international treaty in 1999, but this mainly applied to nations that don't have landmines or don't have any reason to use them. Islamic terrorists, rebels and drug gangs have not signed the international agreement and find the mines a cheap way to control civilian populations and slow down anyone coming after them. It takes more time, money, and effort to remove these mines than to place them. Most countries needing to get rid of mines seek to speed up mine clearing by training local volunteers to be part of the part-time mine clearing teams. The government provides training, pay (usually pretty good by local standards), health and life insurance and other benefits. When a new bunch of mines are found (usually by an animal coming across them), the team gets to work.

Despite efforts like this it has not been a promising time for those seeking to enforce the ban on the use of landmines. In the last few years Israel, Libya, Syria, North Korea, Iran, and Myanmar (Burma) planted new mines. In addition, there are three countries still manufacturing landmines (India, Myanmar, and Pakistan). Arms dealers will still provide large quantities of Russian and Chinese landmines, many of them Cold War surplus. China, Russia, and other communist nations were major producers of landmines during the Cold War. The mines were produced not just for use against potential enemies but to aid in keeping the borders closed and preventing citizens from leaving these unpleasant dictatorships.

There has been a growing list of outlaw organizations that are ignoring the 1999 Ottawa Convention to ban landmines. The Taliban in Afghanistan and Pakistan are manufacturing landmines in primitive workshops and using them against Pakistani, Afghan, and foreign soldiers, as well as Afghan civilians who refuse to support the Islamic terrorist group.

Despite the 1999 treaty, landmines are still causing over 5,000 casualties a year worldwide. About twenty percent of the victims are killed and 90 percent of them are males. This is largely because men are more likely to be out in the bush or working farmlands that still contain mines. A third of the casualties are security personnel (police and soldiers). Afghanistan leads the world in landmine casualties. Most landmine losses these days occur in countries where rebels and criminals are still using landmines, either factory made ones from countries that did not sign the Ottawa Convention or locally made models.

Landmines are simple to make and workshops are easily set up to do it. There's no shortage of mines out there, despite the fact that in the first few years after the 1999 Ottawa Convention was signed over 25 million landmines, in the arsenals of over fifty nations, were destroyed. But these nations were not users and rarely sold them either. For those who want landmines, they find a way to obtain and use them. The Taliban are the latest group to demonstrate this. Leftist rebels in Colombia have been making their own mines for years now, as have Islamic and communist rebels in the Philippines. There are believed to be over 100 million mines still in the ground and at least as many in military warehouses for future use.

The 1999 Ottawa Convention was supposed to have reduced land mine casualties among civilians. It hasn't worked because the owners of the largest landmine stockpiles, Russia and China, refused to sign. Chinese land mines are still available on the international arms black market. China is believed to have the largest stockpile, mostly of anti-personnel mines. The old ones are often sold before they become worthless. But even these mines, which go for $5-10 each, are too expensive for many of the criminal organizations that buy them. Land mines, competitive with the factory built ones from China, can be built for less than three dollars each. You can find all the technical data you need on the Internet. On the plus side these locally made anti-personnel mines tend to be less powerful than factory made ones and thus the mine boots provide even better protection when the wearer encounters an locally made mine.

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Attrition: Afghanistan Leads The World