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Oil painting was taken by thief who stuffed the frame in a toilet cubicle Landscape At Llanaelhaearn was on show at the Royal Festival Hall, London Artist Sir Kyffin Williams' works often fetch tens of thousands of pounds

By Daily Mail Reporter

Published: 06:57 EST, 17 October 2014 | Updated: 06:35 EST, 18 October 2014

An oil painting by a famous Welsh artist was stolen from the Royal Festival Hall but nobody noticed for more than a week.

Sir Kyffin Williams' work, Landscape At Llanaelhaearn, vanished from a secure room at the London venue at the end of September.

It was not reported missing until October 6 when a member of staff found its smashed frame in a toilet cubicle.

Stolen: Landscape at Llanaelhaearn by Sir Kyffin Williams, whose works now fetch up to 50,000

Sir Kyffin, pronounced Cuffin, completed the 20in by 24in piece in 1947.

He was renowned for his subtle use of pastel greens and greys to recreate the Welsh countryside. Nowadays many of his works fetch up to 50,000.

The painting, which depicts a figure looking out at a dark and rugged landscape, had been on display since November 2013, and was on loan from the Arts Council Collection.

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Theft of Sir Kyffin Williams's oil painting discovered a week later

Pittsburgh has had a number of urban-planning disappointments and a few outright disasters over the years.

But it's good to report that the recently released Pittsburgh Penguins' plans to redevelop the Lower Hill District are a clear winner. The Penguins' group has come up with a highly sophisticated preliminary plan that incorporates values that can be important to all of us.

The plans cover a 28-acre tract of empty land next to Consol Energy Center that used to be occupied by the demolished Civic Arena and its seemingly endless parking lots. They take an appropriately conservative approach to a redevelopment that will likely stretch out over a decade or more and will require participation by what may well turn out to be a large number of private developers.

The plans create, in effect, a concept that will guide what the planners are calling the form, the density and the character of what developers may do in the Lower Hill, without specifying precisely who will do exactly what or exactly where.

Areas are specified as to the height of buildings, how they will relate to the streets and other factors, but, within those allowances, developers will have considerable flexibility. The development is likely to contain a mix of high-rise and low-rise office and apartment buildings, shops, restaurants, hotels and townhouses.

There are still issues of concern to the nearby communities in the Hill and Uptown such as the proportion of low-cost housing to be provided, the use of minority contractors and exactly what the height allowances might be for certain important parcels. But after those are settled, the city should move ahead with this plan and resolve to scrupulously maintain it over the years as development proceeds.

Provisions for the buildings themselves, for traffic management and parking, for street and sidewalk design, pedestrian spaces, public amenities and parks all are exemplary.

The plan even takes into account the views the vista that residents, pedestrians and motorists will encounter as they look from the Hill toward Downtown. This is no small matter. Think of how the experience of a baseball game at PNC Park is enhanced by the view of Downtown. There's an even more dramatic view from the streets of the Hill. To preserve it, the plan envisions clustering high-rise buildings to two sides of the funnel-shaped development and low-rise to the middle streets.

Another key feature of the plan is a re-creation of the urban street grid on the site. It provides for reconnection to the streets of the upper Hill at the top of the plan and to the Golden Triangle at the bottom, integrating people and businesses. The plan recommends building a broad park that will bridge-over part of the Crosstown Expressway (Interstate 579). This may well be an expensive undertaking, but it should not be slighted.

Reconnecting to the Downtown will improve development prospects for offices and stores considerably at the new site, and reconnecting to the existing upper Hill grid should have positive spin-off effects for that long-beleaguered neighborhood, too.

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Hill District redevelopment plan shows great promise

Farmers in NSW say native vegetation costs certain farms around $156,000 a year. Photo: Jessica Shapiro

Laws forbidding farmers from uprooting bush on their land have a scant economic effect, a leading think tank has found, undercutting claims that measures to protect threatened species damage farm productivity.

But NSW farmers has strongly rejected the finding, saying native vegetation costs farms in some parts of the state about $156,000 a year.

The report by the left-leaning think tank, The Australia Institute, will add to the debate over a review of NSW's biodiversity legislation. Senior Nationals MPs have been heavily criticised for linking land-clearing laws to the death of NSW environment compliance officerGlenTurner, who was killed on the job near Moree in July.

NSW Farmers President Fiona Simson said land-clearing laws are a "burden" for farmers. Photo: Dallas Kilponen

The report claimed that native vegetation regulations have a minimal economic effect on agriculture in NSW, which produces up to $16 billion in output each year.

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It cited research by the Australian Bureau of Resource and Agricultural Economics that found weather and commodity prices largely determined productivity, and vegetation density had the lowest influence of the factors measured.

The report said land clearing legislation affected only a small minority of properties, and suggested the "private benefits" of loosening the laws may be outweighed by negative environmental and community effects.

Native vegetation reduces the land area that can be farmed and can obstruct farming machinery. But it also reduces erosion and improves water quality and biodiversity.

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NSW farmers reject land clearing report

Mizhiyoram oct 15 Part 2 (with interior designer)

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22027 Miller Court, Plainfield, IL 60544
DescriptiGorgeous home with so many recent updates! Move in condition can close quickly. Beautifully remodeled kitchen in 2008 with all new cabinets countertops. New flooring, baseboards,...

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How a Home Warranty Helps Sell Homes Faster, Mark Emerick
Mark Emerick explains how to use a Home Warranty to help sell a home faster and for more money.

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How a Home Warranty Helps Sell Homes Faster, Mark Emerick - Video

Home Security System #Lehigh Valley #Allentown #Bethlehem
Home Security System #Lehigh Valley #Allentown #Bethlehem.

By: Altronics Security

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Home Security System #Lehigh Valley #Allentown #Bethlehem - Video

MONTEREY >> Your home may be your castle, but home-improvement vendors from all over the Central Coast lined up Saturday at the Monterey County Fair and Events Center to tell homeowners how they can turn that castle into a palace.

The Inspired Home Expo of Monterey, a free event that continues from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday, features guest speakers on home-improvement topics such "Designing Rooms in Your Garden" by author/TV celebrity Steven Katkowsky, scheduled at 2:15 p.m. Sunday. Saturday's attendees heard Katkowsky on "Creating the Illusion of Size in Your 5x8 Bathroom," and Graniterock's Keith Severson, who conducted a "Patio Design" workshop.

"This is a product that is very unique it's called ICF block, and the ICF stands for insolating concrete forms," explained Brooke Lewis of Siesta Spas, a Carmel company that specializes in energy-efficient backyard hot tubs. "They build homes all over the world out of this product, but we use it to build hot tubs."

The idea, he says, is to build the hot tub using Styrofoam blocks separated by metal, then pour concrete between the Styrofoam blocks, creating "totally insulated concrete."

He then covers the insulated concrete with ornate rock and/or tile for a striking aesthetic.

"A rock and tile hot tub doesn't hold the heat, and it costs way too much energy to keep it hot," said Lewis, who sat surrounded by photos of picturesque backyard spas. "With this technology, we can now use the standard equipment that's used for every portable hot tub, and that equipment will keep big hot tubs hot. It's like putting coffee in a really good Thermos: At the end of the day you can open that Thermos and the coffee will still be piping hot."

Rows of vendors filling two indoor buildings and an outdoor corridor pitched water-conservation methods, home security systems, decorative windows, bamboo privacy hedges, landscaping, custom bathrooms and space-saving technology such as a modern-day Murphy bed that electronically lowers from a wall.

"We started our business after we built our own house because we knew we would end up looking after my parents, and also my wife's mom. We knew our little tract home wasn't going to do it," said Richard Muench, who, with his wife, Ann, started an East Bay company called Residential Elevators.

Muench figured out that building a home with vertical space costs far less in California than purchasing enough property for a spacious, one-story house.

"Because of the cost of land in California, it's cheaper to go up than out," Richard Muench said.

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From castle to palace, Inspired Home Expo has answers

Friday October 17, 2014 10:58 AM UPDATED: Saturday October 18, 2014 10:18 PM

Rebecca Berte is a busy mother of two small children, but she says she and her husband occasionally enjoy a weekend getaway and leave the kids at home with the grandparents.

"Whenever we went, we didn't feel like we were getting the full story. Everything's fine, always but that's not always the case, laughed Berte.

The family invested in a small security camera and downloaded a free mobile app called Dropcam. And now big brother, or in this case, mother, can use her smart phone to check in with home.

I'll just take a peek and see what they're doing, how they're behaving, if they're eating dinner.

Chuck Groezinger's home security company, Advanced Wiring Services, is also incorporating an app called Total Connect to help homeowners feel secure.

Groezinger says wherever you are, you can use your smart phone to arm (or disarm) the alarm, change the temperature in the house, or even turn on a light before you get home. Groezinger says he doesn't believe the apps can replace a traditional home security system.

"You need the police to be on their way. Of course, I think everybody should have a security system.

Motion or "glass break" detectors alert an alarm company to call the police, but if in-home security cameras detect motion, the app also alerts the homeowner, who can use their phone to record the images.

Groezinger says clients tell him its a terrible feeling when someone has violated the sanctity of your home.

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Homeowners Can Now Monitor Their Belongings Through A Number Of Apps

Q uestion: How do we get rid of a large area of lawn and convert it to a natural woodsy planting area with a few perennial plants and shrubs?

Answer: Beginning a garden from scratch can be quite a challenge, especially when the site is covered with turf. But, there are a handful of techniques to help with this process all of which I have performed myself at one time or another.

For sites like yours that are covered in turf, the sod needs to be killed or stripped and a few inches of organic matter rototilled into the site before planting. Getting rid of the grass is the hardest part of making a new planting bed, especially if you want to avoid using chemical herbicides.

The easiest way to remove sod is to rent a gas-powered sod-cutter. The first time my husband and I used a sod-cutter to start a new planting bed, I thought we might end the project with a divorce, or at the very least, with a matching pair of broken backs. It's hard work, but it is certainly easier than digging up the sod by hand. If you have any reservations about your physical ability to use such a machine and then haul away large strips of sod, you may want to consider hiring someone to do this part for you.

If this is a task you prefer to do by hand, rather than with a machine, use a short, flat-bladed shovel with a D-handle to cut the sod into strips. Then use the shovel to slice underneath each sod strip, lifting and rolling it up in a thin sheet. To ensure you remove enough of the grass roots to prevent it from re-growing, be sure each sheet of sod is about 2 inches thick. Toss the sod rolls into the compost pile.

Once the sod is completely removed, till the area or turn it over with a shovel. Then add 3 to 4 inches of compost or leaf mould and till the area again. Now it is ready for planting.

With a little patience, a new bed can be created via the pile-it-on-and-wait method. The it that gets piled on is organic matter and lots of it. Various types of organic materials are placed in layers over the area to essentially smother the turf and, over time, amend the soil. One to 2 feet (yes, feet!) of well-aged animal manure, shredded leaves, grass clippings, compost and even newspaper and unwaxed corrugated cardboard should cover the planting area.

The big downside to this method is the amount of time it takes for the organic matter to break down and make the area plantable. Though some of the sites I have prepared this way were ready for planting in as little as six months, others have taken a full year. Patient gardeners love this technique.

If this bed is underneath large, established trees, be extremely careful not to till into the tree's roots or smother them with excessive amounts of organic matter and mulch. If this is the case, carefully remove the sod by hand before planting, and then cover the area with no more than 2 inches of mulch.

Horticulturist Jessica Walliser co-hosts The Organic Gardeners at 7 a.m. Sundays on KDKA Radio. She is the author of several gardening books, including Attracting Beneficial Bugs to Your Garden: A Natural Approach to Pest Control. Her website is http://www.jessicawalliser.com.

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Garden Q&A: Remove sod to create garden space