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Lompoc resident Charlotte Garrett has battled mental illness, beat substance abuse and overcome homelessness on her journey to recovery. But her work isnt done.

Today, she and more than a thousand Californians are fighting the stigma and fear tied to mental illness at the inaugural Mental Health Matters Day on the south lawn of the state Capitol in Sacramento. Pioneers of the mental health movement will speak, and attendees will watch videos, submitted by student groups across the state, dealing with suicide prevention and ending the stigma of mental illness.

Garrett hopes to make the road to recovery a little easier for others by erasing misconceptions about mental illness and making treatment more accessible.

If we have mental illness and let it define who we are, were really nobody, Garrett said.

Today, Garrett is dressed in the official color for the statewide mental health movement, with her lime green nails, eye shadow and a big lime green hat in tow.

About four years ago, Garrett arrived at the Lompoc Recovery Learning Center after being diagnosed with schizophrenia, bipolar disorder and completing substance abuse treatment. She didnt know much about her condition or about treatment options before she sought help. She had been isolating herself from others and had turned to drugs to drown her symptoms.

But when she got to the Lompoc center, her own ideas about herself and her illness changed.

I had a phobia of being around other people. I was so used to being alone, Garrett said. But they just greeted me.

Now, Garrett embraces her role as a peer support leader, running dual-diagnosis and wellness groups every week at the peer-run center. The role also has helped her reach out to others and see the

importance of dispelling the fears that surround mental illness.

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Area residents step up to support those with mental illness

Boris Johnson has claimed that the treatment of a BBC DJ who accidentally played a song containing the N-word was akin to the inconsistency shown by the "Nigerian maniacs" in Boko Haram.

In remarks criticised by his Labour opponents, the London mayor said Britain was living in a "Boko Haram world", in reference to the terrorist network that has kidnapped over 200 schoolgirls in Nigeria.

BBC Radio Devon broadcaster David Lowe claims he was forced to quit after playing an 82-year-old version of The Sun Has Got His Hat On which featured the racial slur.

Just as a point of comparison, Boko Haram forbids Muslims to take part in any political or social activity connected to Western society, has killed more than 1,500 people this year, and specifically targets schoolchildren and teachers.

In his Daily Telegraph column on Monday, Johnson wrote: "In our own modest way, we live in a Boko Haram world, where it all depends on the swirling rage of the internet mob, and where terrified bureaucrats and politicians are borne along on a torrent of confected outrage.

"There is no consistency in the outlook of the Nigerian maniacs: they use weapons produced by the very capitalist system they claim to deplore, for instance.

"There is certainly no logic at the BBC. They should restore Mr Lowe to his job - if he will take it - and the entire BBC board should go down to Devon to apologise in person, and at their own expense."

He added: "Their treatment of this man is utterly disgraceful."

London Assembly member Len Duvall, leader of the Labour group called the Mayor's comments "totally unacceptable". Lowe, he said, had played "an immensely degrading word that is charged with slavery and the abuse of an entire people for over 150 years".

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Boris Johnson Blasts BBC Treatment Of DJ David Lowe Who Quit Over N Word Song

Preview of an Evening of Conversation With Peter Walker
Renowned landscape architect Peter Walker discusses his creative process and present opportunities for the profession in this teaser from his March 2014 interview with Charles Birnbaum co-hosted...

By: tclfsteward

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Preview of an Evening of Conversation With Peter Walker - Video

The design of Canadas National Holocaust Monument will be led by the architect associated with New Yorks Ground Zero and Berlins Jewish Museum.

Daniel Libeskind has won a design competition for the Ottawa project, in combination with photographer Edward Burtynsky, landscape architect Claude Cormier and museum planners Lord Cultural Resources.

The decision was announced Monday in Ottawa by Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird and Minister of Canadian Heritage and Official Languages Shelly Glover at the site of the monument - a field across from the Canadian War Museum, on the LeBreton Flats about a kilometre from Parliament Hill.

The federal government announced the monument in April, 2013, as a permanent place to commemorate the victims of the Holocaust and honour Canadian survivors; Canada currently has no such site. It will be overseen by the National Capital Commission. A fundraising council is aiming to raise $4.5-million for the construction of the project, with matching funds from the government of up to $4-million.

The plans for the project combine architecture, landscape and art. Visitors will take a journey through a star - a concrete structure that, viewed from above, resembles a six-pointed star, the symbol of Jewish identity. It consists of several triangular spaces; according to a statement from the design team, these are meant to evoke the triangular badges used to classify prisoners in concentration camps, including Jews, Roma, gay people, and mentally and physically disabled people.

"Its very much designed as an experience - its not a monument that you just look at from afar, but it draws you in as a visitor, explains Dov Goldstein, a principal consultant at Lord and the projects coordinator.

Within the monument, original photographs by Burtynsky of Holocaust sites, death camps, killing fields and forests, will be embedded into concrete. And a landscape surrounding the monument, designed by Cormier, will include a forest of coniferous trees growing out of rocky ground, a nod to the forests of eastern Europe and a living symbol of how survivors and their children have changed Canada.

The project will be a significant piece of architecture and urban design in Ottawa, and notable because of the international reputations of all four players - especially Libeskind (who was born in Poland but lives in the U.S.) and the Canadian Burtynsky. They were brought together by Lord Cultural Resources, which organized what Goldstein calls a multidisciplinary and multicultural team for an integrated process including historian Doris Bergen.

Goldstein praises Libeskinds brilliant architecture and his sensitivity to the subject matter. (Libeskinds parents both survived the Holocaust and each lost most of their extended families.) His aesthetic touch is clear. The proposal's complex structure employs Libeskinds trademark crystalline forms, which first appeared on his Jewish Museum in Berlin, completed in 1999. That museum building is a zigzagging and jagged form that is notoriously difficult to program. It employed architectural symbolism for the fate of Europes Jews and other victims of the Holocaust: It is a series of shards, pierced by voids, and visitors end up in a "Garden of Exile.

Libeskind is also closely associated with the most significant memorial project of the past 20 years - Ground Zero in Manhattan, where he designed a master plan for the site of the 9/11 attacks that was capped with a 1776-foot-tall Freedom Tower. Libeskind saw these ideas embraced by the public in New York, but his role in the redevelopment project was reduced dramatically.

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National Holocaust Monument design unveiled

An adequate supply of high qual-ity water has become a critical issue for the future prosperity of Texas. Booming populations have increased the demand on the state's already limited supply of high quality water. In addition, seasonal fluctuations in rainfall and periodic droughts have cre-ated a feast-to-famine cycle in Texas.In an attempt to reduce the excessive water use, Texas Cooperative Ex-tension is educating Texans on the principles of Earth Kind landscaping to help preserve and protect our most valuable natural resource. Traditional landscapes may incorporate one or two principles of water conservation, but they do not utilize the entire concept to reduce landscape water use effectively.

Earth Kind landscapes need not be cactus and rock gardens. They can be green, cool landscapes full of beautiful plants maintained with water-efficient practices. The same green Texas-style landscape which we are accustomed to can be achieved and still conserve water.

Start With a Plan:

Creating a water-efficient landscape begins with a well-thought-out land-scape design. Sketch your yard with locations of existing structures, trees, shrubs and grass areas. Then consider the landscape budget, appearance, function, maintenance and water requirements. Local landscape architects, designers, nurserymen and county Extension agents can help in this deci-sion making. Implementing your landscape design can be done gradually over several years.

Soil Analysis and Preparation:

To increase plant health and conserve water, add organic matter to the soil of shrub and flower bed areas. This increases the soil's ability to absorb and store water in a form available to the plant. As a rule-of-thumb, till in 4 to 6 inches of organic material such as shredded pine bark, peat and rice hulls. For trees, however, incorporating organic matter is not necessary; for large turfgrass areas, it is not economically feasible.

Plant Selection:

Select trees, shrubs and groundcovers based on their adaptability to your region's soil and climate. Texas is blessed with an abundance of beautiful native plants which are naturally adapted to the region. Most have lower water demands, fewer pest problems and less fertilizer needs than many nonadapted, exotic plants brought into Texas land-scapes. Through the support of the nursery industry, native Texas plants are becoming more available in retail nurseries and garden centers. Com-bining Texas natives with well-adapted non-native plants is a key to a beautiful, interesting landscape which conserves water. See our Web site for a comprehensive listing of drought tolerant plants for your area. http://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/earthkind/

Grass Selection:

When considering a landscape's water requirement, it is impor-tant to note that turfgrasses require more frequent watering and maintenance than most other landscape plants. Carefully select grass according to its intended use, planting location and mainte-nance requirements.

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Creating an Earth Kind Landscape

Chalet Landscape, Nursery & Garden Center 3132 Lake Avenue Wilmette http://www.ChaletNursery.com

Event: Back Yard Food Fest: A Celebration of Edibles May 31 8:00 a.m. 6:00 p.m. June 1 9:00 a.m. 5:00 p.m.

Tips:

Basil plants need consistent warmth, so wait until nighttime temperatures are regularly over 50 degrees to plant.

Leave at least a one square foot per basil plant

Water basil plants at the base and try to avoid watering over the foliage.

Harvest leaves as needed, but to ensure a bountiful plant, prune off stems above a pair of leaves.

To dry basil leaves, wash leaves and pat dry, place between paper towels and microwave for 60 seconds.

Combined chopped basil with a bit of water in ice cube trays and freeze. Drop basil cubes into soups or sauces for an extra dose of flavor.

Types of Basil:

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Midday Fix: Basil growing tips from Tony Fulmer of Chalet Nursery

Landscape Masonry Ready Mix

1865 Tanen Street , Napa, CA 94559

707-255-1225

Fax: 707-255-1132

Crown Hill Stone Supply is a locally owned company in Napa Valley, CA.We provide quality landscape materials, masonry, and ready mixed concrete products to homeowners, contractors, and designers. Our facility is stocked with the most exclusive natural and manufactured stone lines, as well as concrete retaining walls, and interlocking pavers as well. We are proud to personally deliver to about every city in Northern California using our own fleet of trucks.

If you are looking for landscape supplies such as bark mulch, decorative rocks, or soils, then Crown Hill Stone Supply is the place to go. Come and see our display gardens for ideas! We have previews of flagstone, natural stone thin veneer, cultured stone, synthetic turf, interlocking pavers, and retaining walls. Crown Hill can supply any sized project, from the everyday backyard living space to large commercial projects.

We invite you to browse our website for products, ideas, and more information. If you don't see what you are looking for and need expert advice, please feel free to contact us at 707-255-1225.

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Crown Hill Stone Supply

WYANDRA landholder Trent Hindman has had a bittersweet outcome to his appeal against a 2011 land clearing fine of $110,000 when it was heard in a Brisbane district court this week.

His fine was reduced to $30,000 and the judged ruled that there had been no environmental harm and that there had been minimal improvement to the propertys value.

The 43-year-old agronomist and retailer originally pleaded guilty to two charges of carrying out assessable development without a permit contrary to a section of the Integrated Planning Act 1997 when he cleared native vegetation on leasehold land at Alpha station, Wyandra on two occasions, in 2007 and again in 2009.

A dejected Mr Hindman described the decision as rushed and said he had hoped for a more considered opinion that took into account the wider implications of vegetation management laws.

Fair enough, I rushed in and did the development work without a permit, but the judge did the same, he said.

Part of his appeal arsenal was a 51 page report prepared by woodland ecologist Dr Bill Burrows, which he said tore the arguments by the government officers to shreds.

Three specialist reports were submitted at the 2011 court hearing in Charleville by state government botanists, including a biodiversity report undertaken by a desktop assessment.

At the time they were roundly criticised by Property Rights Australia chairman Joanne Rea, who described the $110,000 fine for renovating country degraded by Turkey Bush (Eremophila Gilesii) so that native grasses could be allowed to regrow, as showing the unacceptable activism of some government officers.

Ms Rea this week said the appeal to the original prosecution was a hangover from a dark period in the history of Queensland where landholders had good reason not to trust their own state government.

She said the case again demonstrated the undesirability of the use of desktop studies in prosecutions, and added that the deterrent fine of $30,000 was a large sum of money for most cattle producers.

Excerpt from:
Land clearing fine reduced

Coolest jobs on the Central Coast: Interior Designer
Designing dream homes, creating serene spaces,and polishing posh properties, it #39;s all part of this job. Michelle Imperato takes a look at what it takes to be...

By: KSBW Action News 8

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Coolest jobs on the Central Coast: Interior Designer - Video

Amy McGeachy Interior Designer
Amy McGeachy Interior Design. Avoid costly mistakes during your renovation with Interior Designer, Amy McGeachy. Victoria BC. Kitchen Design Expert. "Interio...

By: Amy McGeachy

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Amy McGeachy Interior Designer - Video