Home Builder Developer - Interior Renovation and Design

Dear Editor, I usually write political letters, but the current Child in Chief isnt worth bothering about lately so on to another topic affecting our fair Ciry of Great Bend. Several years ago I managed townhomes in Lees Summit, Missouri and one summer we had a bit of a plague that affected our Pin Oak trees. Some three hundred of them to be exact. Lawn and Garden Specialists all gave us different reasons for varied treatments and most included the addition of iron products to the soil. None of these acutally worked. Our trees were being eaten alive by insects, the spring green leaves were riddled with brown spots and falling off in mid summer. Spring Green is the key here. After hearing everyones suggestions and trying the best to no avail, I called a State Forester who arrived a day or two later to assess the situation. He said that I needed to get treatment started immediately. Wating for him to give me some long and tedious prognosis and treatment scheme, I was surprised when the solution was so very simple. No doubt you have noticed many trees in Great Bend this summer and last that are only spring green -- you know, that chartreuse green of early budded leaves... and NOT the dark green of summer that we should be seeing in August. You will also notice upon closer examination that some leaves are also spotted and dying. This is a condition called Chlorosis. It is a soil condition and it WILL kill the trees.... especially the hardwoods. Through years of leaching the soils in our yards with rain water and sprinkler water whether from wells or from City supply, the soils tend to turn alkaline. Hardwoods like slightly acidic soils and after many years of extracting iron from the soils, the contrast in pH of the soils prohibits the trees use of the natural or added iron....Lawn and Garden stores locally tell me that Great Bend residents are buying iron supplements by the truck load. This will not hurt, but until you sweeten the soil, this iron will not be metabolized by the trees. The foresters told me to buy SULPHUR. It comes in a yellow powder form in twenty five pound bags at the Farmers Coop Garden Store and Im sure a few other places as well. The Sulphur will sweeten or acidize the soil and the tree will then be able to metabolize the available iron. Our sandy clay and mixed clay loams while not as iron laden as some other soils still have more iron than the trees need for decades but the imbalance in the pH is the culprit preventing the use of the iron. For best and quickest results use a deep root waterer and simply put the powdered sulphur in the container and connect to the garden hose...many times around the drip line of the tree. OR the easiest, simply scatter a few pounds per tree (two or three)on the ground under the tree, out to the drip line and water it in well! Treat NOW, again in a few weeks and I also repeated just before snowfall. The next spring our trees were glorious and by July were dark summer green and healthy. You will also notice that some trees are affected on one side, or just a few limbs. The roots that are servicing the affected limbs are in leached alkaline soil and the rest are in relatively acidic soil. Treat the WHOLE area around the tree. The sulphur will not harm your grass... water it in well however or simply let your sprinkler do the work. Treat your trees to save them. William Schneider Great Bend

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Treat trees now

Website can help homeowners cut landscape water use by half or more

Dr. Guy Fipps, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service irrigation engineer, holds an Aggie Catch Can, a device is used to measure how much water a sprinkler irrigation system applies in a given amount of time. On the new Water My Yard website, http://WaterMyYard.org, homeowners have the choice of using a such a method, or simply selecting a picture of their sprinklers and entering the spacing between them. (Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service photo by Jose Lopez)

Writer: Robert Burns, 903-834-6191, rd-burns@tamu.edu

COLLEGE STATION The new Water My Yard site has been completely updated, making it even easier for homeowners to sign up, create profiles and better manage landscape irrigation, according to Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service irrigation experts.

Automated text messaging of recommended irrigation scheduling is new to version 2, said Charles Swanson, AgriLife Extension irrigation specialist, College Station. Also, the new version allows homeowners to create multiple zones for their yard, such as a recommendation for the front yard sprinklers and the backyard sprinklers. The original version only allowed you to select one sprinkler type per sign up.

What hasnt changed is the basic principle behind Water My Yard, said Dr. Guy Fipps, AgriLife Extension irrigation engineer, College Station.

The Water My Yard project incorporates automated weather stations situated throughout the state that feed data to the Water My Yard website, http://WaterMyYard.org. The website software uses evapotranspiration rates usually termed ET to calculate weekly irrigation recommendations specific to areas within the district, Fipps said.

Evapotranspiration is a measure of how much water plants, such as turfgrass, trees and shrubs, need in order to grow and stay healthy, Fipps explained. Water requirements depend not only on the type of plant, but also on local weather conditions such as temperature, rainfall, relative humidity, wind speed and solar radiation.

All this may sound complicated, but its been made nearly a no-brainer for those who are part of a sponsored Water My Yard region, Fipps said

In 2013, the program was first piloted in cooperation with the North Texas Municipal Water District, which delivers water to 1.6 million customers in 13 cities in the Metroplex: Allen, Farmersville, Forney, Frisco, Garland, McKinney, Mesquite, Princeton, Plano, Richardson, Rockwall, Royse City and Wylie.

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Irving, College Station, Bryan now in Water My Yard program

Mike Patten, left, landscape architect with Stockwell Engineers, begins the presentation by explaining the overall area and the Islands of the James River concept. David Locke the other landscape architect on the project, stands at right. In the net photo, Locke answers a question about the James River recreation area prior to the presentation. PHOTOS BY LOUISE VAN POLL/PLAINSMAN HURON About 60 citizens of Huron gathered at the Campus Center Tuesday evening to see a vision for the James River recreation area.

Landscape architects Mike Patten and David Locke, with Stockwell Engineers, were in town to present an overall plan for the 200 acres around the James River from the Seventh Street boat ramp south to the old lagoons. They were hired by the city commission nine months ago to look over the area and come back with a game plan. And what a plan it is, breathtaking in its scope and vision.

Locke and Patten had met with stakeholders and special interest groups as well as walking through the existing spaces and learning the history and vagaries of the river. Their concept, Islands of the James River, tries to incorporate the river and embrace it, rather than trying to block it out and ignore it.

We heard many times from people that they felt disengaged from the river, said Patten. People would come to the river, but there was limited access to it. We wanted to make it more inviting where folks can interact with it.

The entire area was broken down into eight smaller spaces: the Seventh Street ramp area, Crown Park, Ravine Lake, Memorial Park, the Memorial Pool area, the Third Street Dam area, Riverside Park and the east river property. Each area can be developed seperately, but all are connected by walking/biking paths and will have a uniform look through signage and lighting elements.

Some major changes would be installing traffic signal lights on Highway 14 and Jersey Avenue allowing for pedestrian crossing and installing boulders above and below the dam to eliminate the dangerous undertow.

Something will have to be done with this dam in the near future, explained Locke. Either with stacked boulders or a rock arch model. Because of the high risk of drowning, the government is forcing towns to change these old-style dams.

Another unique feature throughout the system would be the development of islands and inlets to help absorb flooding and to allow water to drain away quicker and without using pumps. These areas would also be landscaped with flood resistant plantings to make them more resilient.

A few members of the audience were concerned about allowing water to enter Riverside Park, fearing flooding to their adjacent properties, however Patten said most of the flooding in that area comes from run off from above which does not have an outlet to the river. He also emphasized that all plans would require a no rise, no impact study.

This study is used to be sure we dont affect the river up stream or down, said Locke. This assures owners that their property will not be affected.

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Islands of the James River: Landscape architects share vision

One of the most troubling issues with home security and remote-monitoring products is the complexity and cost to set them up. Blink, a new Kickstarter project, is different. It promises to be astoundingly easy, and it's inexpensive, too. Backers can get a simple remote motion detection and video camera unit for just US$69 -- or two for $119.

Better yet, no yearly or monthly subscription service is required to use Blink. And the batteries last a year.

Amazingly sensible.

So far, nearly 4,700 project backers agree, having pledged $684,888. Blink blew past its $200,000 goal and has reached a stretch goal for a 105-decibel siren alarm add-on module.

The small Blink module can be placed or mounted anywhere, and because it requires no external power source, you can move it around easily. To connect it to your home WiFi, you plug in a small Sync Module and use Blink's smartphone app to configure the basic settings.

As you might expect, the Blink remote-monitoring system is expandable, letting you place the devices all over your home.

After you place a Blink unit, motion will trigger an instant-on five-second HD video recording. This recording can go to Blink's secure servers in the cloud -- or better yet, if you don't like the idea of any personal video being stored anywhere not 100-percent in your own control, you can set your recordings to be stored to an attached USB stick.

With the Blink app, you can invoke a live-streaming mode to simply take a quick peek at your place to see what's going on, too.

When Blink records, an audio beep lets you know it's recording (you can turn this feature off), and a non-hackable LED light glows to let you know the camera is recording. For use when people are at home, this is a signal that Blink is active. If intruders are tooling around your place, presumably they could see the light, too -- but discrete placement might mean they wouldn't see it. Obviously, the add-on siren could be used to warn criminals away.

What if your WiFi should go down while you're on vacation? You'd get an alert sent to your smartphone. You can use the app to set up automatic arming or disarming schedules, or use location-based rules to define when the system is active.

Continued here:
Close Your Eyes and Rest Easy - Blink Is Watching the House

San Diego, CA (PRWEB) August 21, 2014

Bill Howe Plumbing, Inc. has grown into one of the largest family-owned and operated service and repair companies in San Diego offering customers a one-stop-shop in home care services that began with simple drain clearing in the beach communities. Since opening their doors in 1980, they have been dedicated to quality services and workmanship in their own company as well as improving the plumbing industry through their support of the local Plumbing-Heating-Cooling-Contractors of San Diego (PHCC-SD). Both owners have served on the board as President, and Bill Howe has served as Secretary and Treasurer in past years.

The PHCC Educational Foundation has awarded three San Diego plumbers with Bill Howe scholarships (funds available up to $2500) this year to assist in the educational journey. David Sadin, Eric Montalvo and Steven Winsett were notified this month about the assistance for their upcoming year. David and Eric are both in their first year with the PHCC journeyman Apprentice program; Steven is entering his fourth year.

Bill Howe Plumbing has been sending their plumbers in San Diego through the PHCC journeyman apprenticeship program since 2008. Additionally, they were instrumental in launching a two-year HVAC training school. Bill Howe Plumbing pays for 100 percent of their employees education, including books, materials and on the job training. They encourage all employees to further their education, and host several training courses and seminars for the company throughout the year as well. In addition to students, Bill Howe Plumbing, Inc. also has two of its employees in teaching roles at the PHCC. Dana Parks teaches the second year students, and Andrew Chapman teaches the third year students. Since 2008, Bill Howe Plumbing has had nine graduates from the PHCC Journeyman Apprenticeship Program and has 19 current students.

Bill and I are proud to belong to the PHCC, said Tina Howe, 2013-2014 Chapter President of the PHCC-SD. We would like to ensure all of our plumbers in San Diego are licensed, trained and able to provide only the highest quality of service and work for our community.

For more information about the Bill Howe Family of Companies San Diego plumbers, or services offered, visit http://www.billhowe.com, or to speak with Bill or Tina Howe regarding this announcement, contact Bill Howe Marketing Director, Julie Riddle at Julie(at)billhowe(dot)com.

About Bill Howe Family of Companies Bill Howe Family of Companies is comprised of Bill Howe Plumbing, Inc.; Bill Howe Heating & Air Conditioning, Inc.; Bill Howe Restoration & Flood Services, Inc. The family-owned and operated company began in 1980 with the plumbing division and has grown into San Diego Countys largest low-cost one-stop-shop for service, repairs and installation, offering both residential and commercial services. 9085 Aero Drive, Suite B, San Diego CA 92123. Call 1-800-BILL-HOWE because We Know Howe! ###

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Three Local San Diego Plumbers to Receive Scholarships from the PHCC Educational Foundation in 2014

CLEARLAKE, Calif. The Clearlake Planning Commission held a public hearing Tuesday during which it sealed its approval of a mitigated negative declaration for the Monte Vista Home project.

The project would develop single family homes or duplexes in the area of 3593 Old Highway 53.

The public hearing originally was scheduled for Aug. 5; however, it was postponed because that meeting lacked a quorum.

The mitigated negative declaration sets forth 30 mitigation measures in the following areas: aesthetics in that all exterior lighting shall be shielded and/or directed so as not to produce offsite glare; air quality addressing construction activities, debris and structure removal, and inspection for the presence of asbestos; biological resources addressing the protection of trees; hydrology and water quality requiring grading and storm water drainage plans and erosion control conditions; land use and planning addressing lot size and structure type; noise (during construction); public services addressing standards for fire protection; utilities and service systems addressing utility and drainage easements, water distribution and storage facilities, and sewer and sanitation concerns.

Mitigation measures also are presented in the areas of cultural resources, geology and soils, hazards and hazardous materials.

Additionally, transportation and traffic mitigation measures address construction of internal access roads requiring curb, gutter and sidewalk to standards of a residential street, installation/approval of street name signs and location, and an emergency access easement at the north end of the development property.

Transportation and traffic mitigation also require a development agreement requiring of the applicant payment of a fair-share of intersection improvements and signalization of Old Highway 53 and Olympic Drive for each lot as it is developed. A zone of benefit is to be established to determine the fair-share for the development.

Developer Owen O'Donnell received a four-year extension in July on the use permit for the project, which was first proposed in 2008. The project was postponed because of the state of the economy.

Extension of the use permit included amended conditions concerning infrastructure that related to drainage and run-off, flood zone regulations, lighting and clarification indicating all utilities are to be installed underground.

Another amendment concerned the formation of a street maintenance district, which City Manager Joan Phillipe said is easier to address when there is a single property owner prior to the selling of the subdivided parcels.

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Clearlake Planning Commission approves project's mitigated negative declaration, chooses new leaders

Garden Gleanings by Bob Hatton

I was talking to a friend a week or so ago and he said he was getting ready to seed some bare areas of his fescue lawn. I urged him to wait a bit. Late summer to early fall is the best time to seed or reseed your lawn if you have one of the cool season grasses such as tall fescue, ryegrass or bluegrass. These grasses germinate best at 60 - 85. It follows that laying sod of cool season grasses is also best done in the late summer to early fall. If seeds germinate too early, it is very difficult to keep the roots damp enough to prevent their dying while not over watering which prevents growth as well as the possibility of killing them by depriving them of air. Once the weather cools and is more moderate, any abnormally hot spells can be dealt with at the time. Once the grass becomes established, the roots will continue to grow through fall and into winter until it becomes too cold. Whether using seed or sod, good soil preparation is essential for best results. Debris and stones should be removed. In our heavy clay soils, organic matter such as composted manure can be added to the top 4 to 6 inches of the seedbed to provide better soil for the new grass roots. Even when laying sod, clay soil may be resistant to the penetration of grass roots which have been growing in good soil. It may also result in water drainage problems. Proper grading is also important to avoid low areas that will tend to hold water too long. I am as guilty as anyone is when it comes to proper soil preparation in my lawn and gardens. I am impatient and this work is not fun. But, just as a good paint job begins with good surface preparation, good soil preparation is also required for the best success when planting anything in the lawn or garden. gardenguy1@suddenlink.net

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Fall Seeding

This is what the sod looked like at the 49ers preseason home opener. (CBSSports.com)

There's a lot of things that $1.2 billion can buy you, but apparently, it can't buy nice grass. After only playing one game at their new $1.2 billion home, the 49ers have been forced to replace the sod at Levi's Stadium.

The team started the process on Thursday and will definitely will have to have the job finished by Sunday because the 49ers are scheduled to host the Chargers in a Week 3 preseason game.

Going, going, gone! Entire field turf removed from #LevisStadium Team not saying what they're doing. From Sky7HD. pic.twitter.com/UtGiSs6ZUC

The sod seemed to look fine for San Francisco's preseason home opener against Denver on Aug. 17, but things took a turn for the worse on Wednesday. Coach Jim Harbaugh pulled his players off the field during practice after several players were slipping, according to CSN Bay Area.

The team ended up leaving the Levi's Stadium field, which was a disappointment to the many fans who were attending the 49ers final open practice of the season.

"The 49ers organization would like to apologize to any fans who were inconvenienced by today's practice ending early," the team said in a statement on Wednesday night. "We have determined the appropriate measures necessary to have the field ready for Sunday and look forward to hosting the San Diego Chargers."

The 'appropriate measures' apparently included tearing out all of the grass at Levi's Stadium, which the team started doing on Thursday morning.

Ironically, the Bandera Bermuda grass that was installed at Levi's in mid-April was picked because it was supposed to be able to withstand heavy foot traffic.

#49ers turf installer in April: It's exceptionally wear-resistant & quick to recover. Divots should be almost nonexistent in this stadium."

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Sod story: 49ers replacing new stadium grass

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SANTA CLARA (KCBS) Crews at Levis Stadium begantearing up the grass on the new field Thursday morning after turf problems Wednesday prompted the team to relocate a practice session to the teams training facility because of the slippery sod.

The 49ers are replacing the sod after just one preseason game at the newly-opened $1.3 billion facilityand just three days ahead of their second preseason game Sunday against the San Diego Chargers.The team issued a statement Wednesday saying the field will be playable for Sundays game against theChargers.

It appeared the portion to be replaced will be limitied to the area between the football hashmarks and the goal lines.

The Levis Stadium field will be getting a lot of workahead of the 49ers first regular season home game on September 14 against the Chicago Bears. On August 29th, there will be two high school football games on the field and on September 8 Mexico will face Chile in an exhibition soccer match.

READ MORE

On Wednesday, head coach Jim Harbaugh abruptly stopped practice and pulled the team from the new field after a wide receiver lost his footing and fell hard running a pass route on uneven turf.

The sod laid in April still hasnt taken rootdespite assurances in spring from West Coast Turf that this new blend of Bermuda grass would be great for football.

In April, spokesman Greg Dunn promised there would be more than adequate time for the new blend of Bermuda grass known as Bandera Bermuda to grow properly and be ready for play when the stadium opened.

Read the rest here:
49ers Tear Out Slippery Sod At Levis Stadium Ahead Of Sunday Game

Get Breaking News First

Receive News, Politics, and Entertainment Headlines Each Morning.

SANTA CLARA (KCBS) Crews at Levis Stadium begantearing up the grass on the new field Thursday morning after turf problems Wednesday prompted the team to relocate a practice session to the teams training facility because of the slippery sod.

The 49ers are replacing the sod after just one preseason game at the newly-opened $1.3 billion facilityand just three days ahead of their second preseason game Sunday against the San Diego Chargers.The team issued a statement Wednesday saying the field will be playable for Sundays game against theChargers.

It appeared the portion to be replaced will be limitied to the area between the football hashmarks and the goal lines.

The Levis Stadium field will be getting a lot of workahead of the 49ers first regular season home game on September 14 against the Chicago Bears. On August 29th, there will be two high school football games on the field and on September 8 Mexico will face Chile in an exhibition soccer match.

READ MORE

On Wednesday, head coach Jim Harbaugh abruptly stopped practice and pulled the team from the new field after a wide receiver lost his footing and fell hard running a pass route on uneven turf.

The sod laid in April still hasnt taken rootdespite assurances in spring from West Coast Turf that this new blend of Bermuda grass would be great for football.

In April, spokesman Greg Dunn promised there would be more than adequate time for the new blend of Bermuda grass known as Bandera Bermuda to grow properly and be ready for play when the stadium opened.

Excerpt from:
49ers Replacing Slippery Sod At Levis Stadium Ahead Of Sunday Exhibition Game Against Chargers