Home Builder Developer - Interior Renovation and Design

Maryland Dove (1978) is a re-creation of The Dove (1634) that ventured from England to Maryland with The Ark to start the colony of Maryland. Her main mast towers 64 feet. She has been in feature films and adds color and history to many St. Marys festivals and events.

Tall ships ruled the sea during the age of exploration. Tall ships discovered America, brought colonists to Virginia, Maryland and Delaware and brought the British to wage a couple of wars. In 1812, the new United States Navy was short on tall ships. British naval strength towered over ours, bringing big guns to the fight. Our Navy used flotillas of small, everyday boats to run up the rivers in defense. The small ships took advantage of the Bays landscape while the tall ships of the British could only stay in the deepest waters. This weekend, ships made in the image of tall ships of yore invade Solomons, then sail up the Patuxent River to Jefferson Patterson Park to anchor offshore as a backdrop to the reenactment of the Battle of St. Leonard Creek. See them throughout Solomons with free tours on all four ships Saturday from 9 to 11am. Have your sea legs? Sail on Kalmar Nyckel, Pride of Baltimore II or Sultana June 18 to 22. Full details and sign-ups for the sails at http://www.choosecalvert.com/1812.

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Tall Ships by the Yard

MIAMI, Sept. 9, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- The National Hispanic Landscape Alliance (NHLA), the leading organization for the economic and professional development of the landscape industry's Hispanic American workforce, will participate in a Day of Service initiative on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. on September 12, 2014. The event, hosted by the Trust for the National Mall, will count on services offered by volunteer representatives from the NHLA, John Deere, PLANET, OPEI, the Irrigation Association, and other industry leaders, who will work on improving the space just north of the Lincoln Monument Reflecting Pool.

A total of 82 volunteers from across the country have signed up to participate in this year's Day of Service at the National Mall, including RulyScapes Inc. and NHLA President, Raul Berrios, NHLA President Elect and VP of Operations at Total Tree Care, Juan Torres, NHLA Secretary-Treasurer and President of Alexandria Lawn Service, Pam Berrios, and NHLA Executive Director Ralph Egues.

"We look forward to being part of this industry wide effort, not only because it beautifies such an important site in our nation's history, but also because it serves as a great opportunity to emphasize the important environmental and human health benefits of professionally maintained landscaping and green spaces," said NHLA President Raul Berrios.

Astudy by Marc Berman of the University of Michiganfound that natural environments can have a significant positive effect on physical and mental health as well as the environment. Turf grass provides plenty of environmental benefits as it captures dust, smoke particles and other pollutants, as well as producing oxygen.

By carefully refining the scale, shape, and function of each component of the landscape of the National Mall's Constitution Gardens landform, soils, plant materials, water flows, and paving the 82 volunteers aim to create a visually appealing, sustainable environment which will thrive for generations to come.

About NHLAThe National Hispanic Landscape Alliance is an association that facilitates and promotes the advancement of Hispanics as landscape industry professionals and leaders and provides the nation's half million Hispanic-American landscaping professionals a voice in the national dialogue on environmentally responsible landscape practices, and a means through which to advocate on behalf of their businesses, the livelihood of their employees, and the quality of life in their communities.

SOURCE National Hispanic Landscape Alliance

RELATED LINKS http://www.masverde.us

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The NHLA Joins Other Landscape Industry Leaders for Day of Service at the National Mall in Washington D.C.

Jan Cerminara said in the 26 years she and her husband, Fred, have been in business, their company, Pool & Spa Outlet on Galley Road in North Strabane Township, has installed thousands of pools.

However, the fiberglass pool recently installed at the Vitale house in Peters Township is one of if not the most important projects they have done, she said.

Doug Vitale was severely wounded while fighting in Afghanistan in September 2011 when he stepped on a land mine. He lost both legs above the knee and suffered strokes on both sides of his brain because of blood loss.

In July, Vitale and his wife, Alexis, moved into their custom home in Peters Township designed to permit the couple to live as independently as possible. Funds for the $500,000 home were raised through community efforts, including by the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 764 in Peters Township, and national organizations, such as the Wounded Warrior Project and Tunnels to Towers.

While the home is equipped with special lifts and other amenities to aid the Vitales, Cerminara knew something was missing and that something was an outdoor therapy pool.

When Vitales mother-in-law, Denise Abraham of Peters Township, was purchasing a hot tub from Cerminaras daughter, Ashley Meucci, who went to Peters Township High School with Abrahams son Matt, the two began to talk about how much Vitale used to love to swim.

After more than a year of discussions among the Cerminara family members, the idea of installing a pool was born, and Pool & Spa Outlet donated a Viking fiberglass, constant-depth pool that will provide a place for Vitale to have water therapy.

Alexis Vitale said the family is working with the Veterans Administration to determine what type of lift will be needed, with the VA providing the eventual choice. Because there is not a lift, no one but the familys service dog, Partner, has been in the pool, and that was because he jumped in to retrieve a toy.

Its a small pool, Cerminara said. It measures 12 feet by 25 feet, and is a constant depth of 4 1/2 feet. Installation took about a week at the new house on Longleaf Drive in Venetia.

The Cerminara family was not the only one to donate services. Donations came from Silhol Builders Supply Co., All Around Concrete Pumping, Briggs Electric, A&S Landscaping and Santel Landscape and Design in Bethel Park, just to name a few. Cerminara cousin Anthony Cerminara provided the excavating. Jan Cerminara said the companys lead installer, Bob Kaczorowski, donated his weeks salary while working on the project, and other vendors provided discounts on materials.

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Injured vet gets therapy pool thanks to local business

By Hadassah Patterson

Chapel Hill, N.C. Looking for a fun day off-the-beaten path, but not too far from home? One legendarily fun place to spend the day is Chapel Hill and Carrboro. The city has oodles of uniquely-originated fun spots for all interests and ages, many of which can be accessed without leaving Franklin Street! Keeping in mind the fall terms are starting and hours may reflect recent changes, here are a few spots I visited recently that have a lot of day-trip power for your buck.

Morehead Planetarium Starting with a quintessential family-friendly venue, Morehead Planetarium and Science Center always has awe-inspiring and educational events for the whole group. Over 7 million people, including famous astronauts from NASA, would agree that this is one must-see stop in Tarheel Blue territory! Big Bird is back for the summer. They also have exhibits with extraordinary facts about ordinary things that we often take for granted, such as Water in Our World. All around, this is a great ecological and natural learning experience for kids. During the year, they offer very special seasonal versions of their star shows including: "Carolina Skies: Valentine Edition," "Our Vanishing Night" and "Scare-o-lina Skies."

Admission: Free for Members; Adults $7.68; Children, Students, and Senior Citizens $6.51

Hours are currently: 10:00 am 3:30 pm Tuesday through Saturday, and 1:00pm-4:30pm on Sunday

The Ackland Art Museum

Some places leave a lasting impression. Recalling a field trip to the Ackland many years ago, it was a pleasure to revisit their offerings. The paintings and exhibits are still inspiring. They also offer yoga classes and hands-on drawing activities such as Drawing in the Gallery, Music in the Gallery, and Drawing for Tweens. Not to be missed are showings for vintage and wonderful moviesup next is an Ackland Film Forum on Alfred Hitchcocks "Rear Window" on Sept. 9! The films introduction will be conducted by Henry Veggian, UNC-Chapel Hill Professor of English and Comparative Literature. Whether looking to be inspired, mystified, or thrilled, this is a great place to take a seat or ramble to ones hearts content.

Admission: Free; Most Events and Programs: Free

Hours are: 10:00 am 5:00 pm Wednesday through Saturday, and 1:00 5:00 pm Sunday

Dining But wait! What happens if one gets hungry?

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Day trips abound in Chapel Hill, Carrboro

'It's not an isolated incident, just the worst of a range of incidents': Barnaby Joyce on Mr Turner's death. Photo: Marina Neil

The family of an NSW environment compliance officer killed in the line of duty, Glen Turner, has decried potential changes to land clearing laws and says itis "appalled" by a push to reduce penalties for impeding the work of those enforcing them.

In an emotional submission to an independent review of land clearing laws ordered by the state government, the Turner family also criticises the responses of senior Nationals MPs to Mr Turner's death in July after he was allegedly shot by Moree farmer Ian Turnbull, who has been charged with murder.

Deputy Premier Andrew Stoner said the laws "have been a sore point in farming communities", while federal Agriculture Minister Barnaby Joyce said the shooting "is not an isolated incident, this is just the worst of a range of incidents".

Deputy Premier Andrew Stoner. Photo: James Brickwood

Coffs Harbour MP Andrew Fraser said the "tragic" death was "brought about by bad legislation".

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The Turners say the comments "exhibited a degree of vitriol and contempt for existing law, that has no place in a tolerant democratic society".

"Given that this review into the vegetation laws was already under way and taking submissions, their comments were highly inappropriate, inexcusable and the source of great hurt to Glen's immediate and extended family, friends and associates," they say.

Shot dead: Glen Turner. Photo: Supplied

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'Vitriolic' ministers under fire

'It's not an isolated incident, just the worst of a range of incidents': Barnaby Joyce on Mr Turner's death. Photo: Marina Neil

The family of an NSW environment compliance officer killed in the line of duty, Glen Turner, has decried potential changes to land clearing laws and says itis "appalled" by a push to reduce penalties for impeding the work of those enforcing them.

In an emotional submission to an independent review of land clearing laws ordered by the state government, the Turner family also criticises the responses of senior Nationals MPs to Mr Turner's death in July after he was allegedly shot by Moree farmer Ian Turnbull, who has been charged with murder.

Deputy Premier Andrew Stoner said the laws "have been a sore point in farming communities", while federal Agriculture Minister Barnaby Joyce said the shooting "is not an isolated incident, this is just the worst of a range of incidents".

Deputy Premier Andrew Stoner. Photo: James Brickwood

Coffs Harbour MP Andrew Fraser said the "tragic" death was "brought about by bad legislation".

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The Turners say the comments "exhibited a degree of vitriol and contempt for existing law, that has no place in a tolerant democratic society".

"Given that this review into the vegetation laws was already under way and taking submissions, their comments were highly inappropriate, inexcusable and the source of great hurt to Glen's immediate and extended family, friends and associates," they say.

Shot dead: Glen Turner. Photo: Supplied

Read more here:
Ministers under fire for 'vitriolic' comments

'It's not an isolated incident, just the worst of a range of incidents': Barnaby Joyce on Mr Turner's death. Photo: Marina Neil

The family of an NSW environment compliance officer killed in the line of duty, Glen Turner, has decried potential changes to land clearing laws and says itis "appalled" by a push to reduce penalties for impeding the work of those enforcing them.

In an emotional submission to an independent review of land clearing laws ordered by the state government, the Turner family also criticises the responses of senior Nationals MPs to Mr Turner's death in July after he was allegedly shot by Moree farmer Ian Turnbull, who has been charged with murder.

Deputy Premier Andrew Stoner said the laws "have been a sore point in farming communities", while federal Agriculture Minister Barnaby Joyce said the shooting "is not an isolated incident, this is just the worst of a range of incidents".

Deputy Premier Andrew Stoner. Photo: James Brickwood

Coffs Harbour MP Andrew Fraser said the "tragic" death was "brought about by bad legislation".

Advertisement

The Turners say the comments "exhibited a degree of vitriol and contempt for existing law, that has no place in a tolerant democratic society".

"Given that this review into the vegetation laws was already under way and taking submissions, their comments were highly inappropriate, inexcusable and the source of great hurt to Glen's immediate and extended family, friends and associates," they say.

Shot dead: Glen Turner. Photo: Supplied

Link:
Ministers slammed for 'vitriolic' comments

'It's not an isolated incident, just the worst of a range of incidents': Barnaby Joyce on Mr Turner's death. Photo: Marina Neil

The family of an NSW environment compliance officer killed in the line of duty, Glen Turner, has decried potential changes to land clearing laws and says itis "appalled" by a push to reduce penalties for impeding the work of those enforcing them.

In an emotional submission to an independent review of land clearing laws ordered by the state government, the Turner family also criticises the responses of senior Nationals MPs to Mr Turner's death in July after he was allegedly shot by Moree farmer Ian Turnbull, who has been charged with murder.

Deputy Premier Andrew Stoner said the laws "have been a sore point in farming communities", while federal Agriculture Minister Barnaby Joyce said the shooting "is not an isolated incident, this is just the worst of a range of incidents".

Deputy Premier Andrew Stoner. Photo: James Brickwood

Coffs Harbour MP Andrew Fraser said the "tragic" death was "brought about by bad legislation".

Advertisement

The Turners say the comments "exhibited a degree of vitriol and contempt for existing law, that has no place in a tolerant democratic society".

"Given that this review into the vegetation laws was already under way and taking submissions, their comments were highly inappropriate, inexcusable and the source of great hurt to Glen's immediate and extended family, friends and associates," they say.

Shot dead: Glen Turner. Photo: Supplied

See original here:
Family of Glen Turner appalled at proposed changes to land clearing laws

Released: 3-Sep-2014 10:00 AM EDT Embargo expired: 10-Sep-2014 8:00 PM EDT Source Newsroom: Forest Trends Contact Information

Available for logged-in reporters only

Editors Note: The full report as well as supplementary materials are available at http://www.forest-trends.org/illegal-deforestation.php; username: embargoed, password: deforestation

Newswise WASHINGTON, DC (11 September 2014)A comprehensive new analysis released today says that nearly half (49%) of all recent tropical deforestation is the result of illegal clearing for commercial agriculture. The study also finds that the majority of this illegal destruction was driven by overseas demand for agricultural commodities including palm oil, beef, soy, and wood products. In addition to devastating impacts on forest-dependent people and biodiversity, the illegal conversion of tropical forests for commercial agriculture is estimated to produce 1.47 gigatonnes of carbon each yearequivalent to 25% of the EUs annual fossil fuel-based emissions.

Weve known that the production of agricultural commodities is a principal driving force behind deforestation, but this is the first report to show the outsize role that illegal activities play in the production of hundreds of food and household products consumed worldwide, said Michael Jenkins, President and CEO of Forest Trends, a Washington-based NGO that published the report.

"Increased agricultural production will be necessary for food security and to meet the demand of the emerging global middle class. However, the world must also wake up to the scale of how much of this agricultural production is taking place on land that has been illegally cleared. Urgent action is needed to help countries where these agricultural products are being grown, both for governments to enforce their own laws and regulations, and for businesses aiming to produce commodities legally and sustainably."

According to the study, Consumer Goods and Deforestation: An Analysis of the Extent and Nature of Illegality in Forest Conversion for Agriculture, 90% of the deforestation in Brazil from 2000 to 2012 was illegal, primarily due to the failure to conserve a percentage of natural forests in large-scale cattle and soy plantations, as required by Brazilian law. (Much of this occurred prior to 2004, when the Brazilian government took steps to successfully reduce deforestation.) And in the forests of Indonesia, 80% of deforestation was illegalmostly for large-scale plantations producing palm oil and timber, 75% of which is exported. While other countries also experience high levels of illegal deforestation, Brazil and Indonesia produce the highest level of agricultural commodities destined for global markets, many of which wind up in cosmetics or household goods (palm oil), animal feed (soy), and packaging (wood products).

Illegal deforestation is also rampant in most other countries across Asia, Latin America, and Africa losing large areas of tropical forest. Examples include the following:

In Papua New Guinea, millions of hectares of forest have been illegally licensed for deforestation in recent years; a recent Parliamentary inquiry in the country found that 90% of these licenses were issued by corrupt or fraudulent means. In Tanzania, forests have been illegally razed to make way for jatropha, a plant commonly used to produce biofuels. Cambodia, along with neighboring Laos, is experiencing unprecedented growth in commercial agriculture. By the end of 2012, the government handed 2.6 million hectares of land, much of it forested, to large-scale agriculture producers. In Bolivia, soy75% of which is exportedis the main engine behind illegal deforestation in the countrys stretch of Amazon.

In most cases, the companies that illegally razed forests to grow these crops had some form of government permit in hand. However, the report finds that it was also often the case that these permits were corruptly issued or fraudulently obtained; that these companies were missing additional required permits and licenses; or that these companies violated laws when clearing and planting, causing significant negative impacts on the environment and the rights of local people who have lived in these forests for generations and who depend on them for their food and incomes.

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New Report: Illegal Land Clearing for Commercial Agriculture Responsible for Half of Tropical Deforestation

press release

Washington, DC A comprehensive new analysis released today says that nearly half (49%) of all recent tropical deforestation is the result of illegal clearing for commercial agriculture.

The study also finds that around half of this illegal destruction was driven by overseas demand for agricultural commodities including palm oil, beef, soy, and wood products.

In addition to devastating impacts on forest-dependent people and biodiversity, the illegal conversion of tropical forests for commercial agriculture is estimated to produce 1.47 gigatonnes of carbon each year-- equivalent to 25% of the EU's annual fossil fuel-based emissions.

"We've known that the production of agricultural commodities is a principal driving force behind deforestation, but this is the first report to show the outsize role that illegal activities play in the production of hundreds of food and household products consumed worldwide," said Michael Jenkins, President and CEO of Forest Trends, a Washington-based NGO that published the report.

"Increased agricultural production will be necessary for food security and to meet the demand of the emerging global middle class. However, the world must also wake up to the scale of how much of this agricultural production is taking place on land that has been illegally cleared. Urgent action is needed to help countries where these agricultural products are being grown, both for governments to enforce their own laws and regulations, and for businesses aiming to produce commodities legally and sustainably."

According to the study, Consumer Goods and Deforestation: An Analysis of the Extent and Nature of Illegality in Forest Conversion for Agriculture, 90% of the deforestation in Brazil from 2000 to 2012 was illegal, primarily due to the failure to conserve a percentage of natural forests in large-scale cattle and soy plantations, as required by Brazilian law. (Much of this occurred prior to 2004, when the Brazilian government took steps to successfully reduce deforestation.)

And in the forests of Indonesia, 80% of deforestation was illegal--mostly for large-scale plantations producing palm oil and timber, 75% of which is exported. While other countries also experience high levels of illegal deforestation, Brazil and Indonesia produce the highest level of agricultural commodities destined for global markets, many of which wind up in cosmetics or household goods (palm oil), animal feed (soy), and packaging (wood products).

Illegal deforestation is also rampant in most other countries across Asia, Latin America, and Africa losing large areas of tropical forest. Examples include the following:

In most cases, the companies that illegally razed forests to grow these crops had some form of government permit in hand. However, the report finds that it was also often the case that these permits were corruptly issued or fraudulently obtained; that these companies were missing additional required permits and licenses; or that these companies violated laws when clearing and planting, causing significant negative impacts on the environment and the rights of local people who have lived in these forests for generations and who depend on them for their food and incomes.

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Africa: Illegal Land Clearing for Commercial Agriculture Responsible for Half of Tropical Deforestation