Home Builder Developer - Interior Renovation and Design

EVANSVILLE, Ind.- Mayor Lloyd Winnecke has approved plans for the remove of tree debris related to the severe thunderstorm that impacted parts of the citys North Side last week.

Starting Monday, May 19 through Friday, May 30, the Urban Forestry and Street Maintenance departments will be picking-up tree debris within the impact zone, which has been identified as north ofthe Lloyd Expressway to the city limits and between St. Joseph Avenue and Green River Road.

Limbs and logs must be no longer than 8-feet-long, and tree roots and stumps will not be accepted.Tree debris must be placed near the curb without impeding the street or sidewalk.

In addition, Republic will also empty and reload the Trash Cart one additional time for those items meeting the specified requirements. Residents should not use the Recycling Cart for tree debris.

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Evansville Announces Tree-Debris Removal Plan

Police arrested a 37-year-old Longmont man who allegedly threatened another man with a hand gun during a Saturday morning dispute over the removal of a dead tree in a front yard in northside Longmont.

The suspect, identified by police as James Andrew Young, was taken to the Boulder County Jail and faces possible charges of menacing with a handgun and reckless endangerment, officers said.

Officer Mike Hazen said in a written report about the incident that a 40-year-old Berthoud man told officers he'd been in the process of removing a dead tree from a friend's property on the 2300 block of 22nd Avenue when the suspect later identified as Young pulled up in a vehicle, stopped along the roadway and told the Berthoud man that "I'm shutting you down."

The Berthoud man, whose 10-year-old son was nearby, told police that the suspect identified himself as being with a local tree care service and was certified to do such work.

At one point, the suspect removed a black handgun from his waist band and pointed it at the Berthoud man, that man told police, prompting him to run away and to yell a warning to his son.

The suspect briefly followed the running Berthoud man before driving away from the scene, whereupon the Berthoud man called police, Hazen said.

The Berthoud man's son told police that he witnessed the argument between his father and the other man and saw the other man point a gun at his father.

"He said he thought the man was going to shoot his dad," Hazen reported.

Police located Young a short time later, followed him and arrested him after stopping his vehicle near 11th Avenue and Sumner Street.

Hazen said Young told another officer that he'd gone to the scene to confront the Berthoud man about "removing trees without proper licensing," and that during the ensuing argument, the Berthoud man was shaking Young's car "violently, trying to get him to fight."

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Longmont man allegedly pulls gun in dispute over tree cutting

Photo by Jonathan Natiuk

Shredded paper isnt the best for composting because it decays too quickly to be much help.

Dear Neil: I have access to a lot of shredded paper. We normally send it to recycling, but Ive wondered if I could use it in the compost?

A: I send ours to recycling. It is organic matter, so, yes it could be put into the compost. However, normal life byproducts like shredded tree leaves, grass clippings, animal manure, finely chipped wood and others are better things to put into the compost. If you do use the paper, most authorities will suggest that you not use pages with colored ink, partly because of odor and partly because the vegetable dyes may attract insects you wouldnt normally have. Paper breaks down very quickly, but youll need to wait on the other types of organic matter to decay before you can use the compost.

Dear Neil: Can I root cuttings of my boxwood plants in water?

A: Yes, probably so, but thats not the best way. Roots that develop in water are accustomed to having limited oxygen, and when theyre transplanted into potting soil, they often wilt away. Its better to use a mix of equal amounts of sphagnum peat moss and horticultural perlite. Water it thoroughly before you start sticking the fresh cuttings. The cuttings should be 3 to 4 inches long. Strip off the bottom leaves, and dust the stems in rooting hormone powder. Use a small stick to make each insertion hole so you dont wipe off the powder. Water thoroughly, then cover lightly with a sheet of dry cleaners plastic (not airtight). Put in a bright spot, but out of direct late morning and afternoon sun. For what its worth, if there is a lot of brand new, succulent growth on the tips of the twigs, pinch it off. It will draw water out of the cuttings before they have time to form roots.

Dear Neil: Our son lives near Dallas, and he says his pomegranate hasnt sent out any new leaves this year. What would have caused that? Was this winter that bad?

A: It was for some plants in some places. Many specimens of several varieties of crape myrtles, including three popular ones (Natchez, Muskogee and Tuscarora) died back to the ground. Theyll have to be retrained, starting with trimming off all the dead stems. Pomegranates would need the same treatment. They do often come back after freeze injury, as do figs and oleanders. Gardenias will not. It wasnt so much how cold it got this past winter, but more the fact that the first freeze in early December was significant, and for many parts of Texas, it was accompanied by ice. Adding to it, the last freeze/frost that happened just a few weeks ago. It was not a good winter to be a tender plant in Texas. Your son needs to see if there are any new shoots coming up from the ground. If so, he needs to nurture those back into being a shrub.

Dear Neil: If I apply sphagnum peat moss for Take All Root Rot, how do I keep from mowing it up right away? I do bag my clippings. Also, how often will I need to repeat the treatment?

A: First, be certain that your lawn actually does have Take All Root Rot. It causes the grass to be lethargic and slow to green up in the spring. It will show up in sweeps and patches, not uniformly over the entire lawn. The peat moss makes an acidic layer on top of the soil, and that discourages development of the fungus. You would need to repeat the treatment no more often than each spring, and sometimes you can go two or three years and never see the disease. Perhaps you should begin by trying a small bale of peat over an affected area. Put a 1-inch layer down and water it in. If TARR is involved, you should see a big improvement in the look of the grass within two weeks. At that point, you could treat all of the affected area. The peat is normally not sucked up by the mower once it has been watered onto the soil surface.

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Shredded paper not best for composting because it decays too quickly

Question: Now that my amaryllis are about done for the season, when do I cut them back? What is the best way to keep them healthy?

Answer: You are growing minimal-care plants with lots of options. First, many amaryllis produce seed pods at the top of their flower heads. You can leave them to develop and sow the seeds or remove them. Whether they are removed now or when the seeds mature, the thick stalks are cut close to the plant.

Some gardeners like to remove floppy, out-of-bounds leaves and those that have declined during the winter and early spring months at this time. Now would also be a good time to divide the bulb clusters if needed. Then keep the plants growing with feedings in May and during mid-August using a slow-release fertilizer. Keep the plantings moist until October, when they can begin to dry some to encourage future blooms.

Q: My squash are finally producing fruits and now the worms are eating them. What should I do?

A: You deserve a share of the crop too, so it is time to take action. Regretfully, you cannot hand-pick all the worms, the immature stages of moths, from the plantings but some natural controls can help. Try the insecticide Thuricide or spinosad used by organic growers and follow label instructions. The latter product can be found at local independent garden centers under several brand names. Both products need a few days to provide effective control and most likely repeat applications.

Q: We have a sandy hill in our backyard that needs something besides grass. What would make a good ground cover?

A: Perhaps one of the most rapid-growing, site-tolerant ground covers is the Asiatic jasmine. It grows in sun or shade, has an extensive root system and once established is drought tolerant. It grows about 10 to 12 inches tall but does need to be edged along walkways and clipped away from other plantings. Other good choices are perennial peanut and mimosa or sensitive plant. The latter is a Florida native. Both grow best in full sun and tolerate varying soil conditions.

Q: We have quite a large rubber plant in a container. Can it be planted in the ground?

A: The real question should be, how cold does it get in your area? Shrub and tree forms of the genus Ficus including the weeping, fiddle-leaf and similar large-leaf figs are not very cold hardy. Yes, they can grow in our local soils and many are planted. They survive the mild winters and warm sites but are often damaged by severe cold. Many then grow back from lower trunks or buds near the ground. If you do plant a rubber plant, give it room to grow as many form large shrubs or trees.

Q: Those large pods forming on the tabebuia trees make a mess when they shed seeds and fall to the ground. Can the pods be removed as they form after flowering?

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Options abound for amaryllis care

3 BR 2.5 BA Waldorf Home on Corner Lot
Located in the Wakefield Neighborhood of St. Charles in Waldorf Maryland, this pristine home has an open foyer w/gleaming hardwood floors. Bright kitchen, tile work, cabinets, dining bar w/...

By: Southern Maryland Real Estate Network

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3 BR 2.5 BA Waldorf Home on Corner Lot - Video

As construction crews work to erect sound walls along La Caada segments of the 210 Foothill Freeway, one locally known artist is in the process of creating an art piece that will grace a portion of the finished project.

Miriam Balcazar, a ceramics teacher for the Community Center of La Caada Flintridge, was commissioned by a design company working with the city's Public Works Department to create a 90-foot-long tile mosaic to be installed at the Curran Street sound wall.

The scene depicts various aspects of Foothills life, from hiking and biking to dog walking and horseback riding. The art piece will embellish an overlap in two sound walls through which pedestrians pass, making it the largest piece of public art in La Caada, according to Public Works Director Edward Hitti.

"The mosaic reflects residents' activities along the trail system in the city," Hitti said. "It is a creative element (intended) to soften the height of the 16-foot-tall wall in the city right-of-way."

Hitti has estimated the sound walls will be completed around late October, with the art installation to begin sometime after that.

This isn't Balcazar's first public project she created the cheerful mosaic in the Community Center's own sign although the artist admits she's never tackled a project of this magnitude.

"I've done other murals and projects, but never this size," she said.

In preparation for the massive tile installation, Balcazar has been breaking and sorting Italian tile pieces by shape, working in the studio of her Valley Glen home.

Once she has a well-fitting piece, she sticks it onto an adhesive-backed foam board cut to the exact shape and size of an individual figure. When a figure has been laid out, the tiled foam board goes into a stack of completed figures that will remain in her home studio until the wall is ready for tiling.

"When I break tiles, I think, 'This part is going to be perfect that the piece of the hat for one person,'" Balcazar said. "I just fill in the lines and once it's done, I put it on the pile. I have a pile of people and animals. They're waiting we're all waiting."

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Mosaic for 210 Freeway sound walls will be La Caada's largest art installation

You will find them inside office buildings, libraries and train stations; the tile vaults, domes and arches which act as skeletons holding up massive American landmarks. It was a Spanish immigrant father and his son who built these feats of engineering in world landmarks such as Ellis Island, New York's Grand Central Station and five U.S. state capitol buildings. Yet this immigrant family's place in history was largely forgotten, until now.

The works of Rafael Guastavino and his son Rafael, Jr. are the subject of an exhibit at the Museum of the City of New York. The father-son team built over 1,000 projects nationwide; the museum focuses on 250 commissioned works built by the family.

The vaulted ceiling of the Ellis Island Registry Room is the work of Rafael Guastavino, Jr. He and his father, Rafael Guastavino Sr., are the subject of an exhibit at the Museum of the City of New York.

This is a great American story, said John Ochsendorf, a civil engineering professor at MIT and the exhibit's director. The works showcase the essential skills immigrants like the Guastavinos have brought to the country, he explained in an interview.

No one could predict when [Guastavino] arrived to New York in 1881 that by the time of his death 27 years later he would be responsible for all of these incredible buildings, Ochsendorf said.

It is also a reminder that buildings and parks contain the living culture and history of our towns and cities. Rafael Guastavino arrived at a time when New York was booming with factories and businesses. Years later, his son Rafael Jr. would build the long-arched ceilings of the Registry Room at Ellis Island, which welcomed millions of immigrants to America.

The golden age of manufacturing created many opportunities for the Guastavino family. Today, tourists from around the world can see the father and son's vaulted ceilings at New York City landmarks such as the Oyster Bar in Grand Central Terminal, the Bronx Zoo, Prospect Park in Brooklyn, Carnegie Hall and the Cathedral of Saint John the Divine in upper Manhattan.

While the Spanish immigrant family is being recognized centuries later for their mastery of complex and beautiful structures, the reality is that like many immigrants, they had to use their skills to overcome setbacks and adversity.

Rafael Guastavino, Sr.

Guastavino did not come to this country to build vaults, said Ochsendorf. He wanted to succeed as an architect. But after many failures, he discovered that the [vaulting] skills that he carried in his back pocket were much more desirable to many American architects.

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Immigrant success in stone?

Published: Friday, May 16, 2014, 8:57p.m.

Each of the 96 hand-painted tile bears a heartfelt message.

Created by women, men and children from all walks of life, the 6-by-6-inch ceramic squares are connected to form a quilt mosaic that represents the strength the creators offer to victims of domestic violence.

What started as just an idea has blossomed into this, said Candi Castleberry Singleton, standing in front of the work at a reception May 15 at the Society for Contemporary Craft, Strip District. It brought people together who may never have met without this project. Pittsburgh has wonderful people who have the potential to accomplish great things. I was emotional when I saw the finished quilt.

The project began as an effort for Women's History Month. It was the brainchild of co-creators Castleberry Singleton and Georgia Berner, president and CEO of Berner International in New Castle, a long-time supporter of women's causes.

They decided the finished product would be donated to the Women's Center & Shelter of Greater Pittsburgh, which helps about 7,000 adult victims of domestic violence women and men in the city of Pittsburgh every year. Domestic violence knows no age, race, sexual orientation or ethnicity. Over 85 percent of victims are women, according to the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence. One in four women will experience domestic violence in her lifetime.

We can do so many things that can have a lasting impact on women in crisis situations, said Castleberry Singleton, chair of the Women and Girls Foundation board and founder of The Dignity & Respect Campaign of Greater Pittsburgh, which sponsored the ceramic tile quilting event. There are some extremely inspirational messages on those tiles.

The finished work is 88 inches by 46 inches. It weighs 100 pounds.

If we all treat each other with dignity and respect, we can create a better world, Castleberry Singleton said. Something as small as saying hello' to a stranger makes a big difference in someone's life. We can make Pittsburgh a better place for women and men and children to live by showing dignity and respect. Every time I look at the quilt, I see something different.

Individuals from various nonprofit organizations that help make Pittsburgh a better place for women were invited to participate.

Originally posted here:
Ceramic tiles in mosaic quilt a source of strength for abuse victims

Minimal Disturbance Sprinkler System Installation
We use equipment and techniques for sprinkler system installation that causes the least amount of disturbance to existing lawns and sod. This is how our Maxi...

By: Lethbridge Sprinkler Systems

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Minimal Disturbance Sprinkler System Installation - Video

Sprinkler System Installation
This short video shows how Trever fills in the lines that the Maxi Sneaker caused after plowing in the water lines. We use minimal disturbance techniques to ...

By: Lethbridge Sprinkler Systems

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Sprinkler System Installation - Video