CEDAR RAPIDS A disruptive pandemic and destructive derecho havent put a stop to the work on five projects building toward Cedar Rapids $750 million flood control system.

Work on a new facility providing restrooms and event storage at the McGrath Amphitheatre, a giant rolling gate across 16th Avenue SE and a stackable gate downtown, a stretch of levee in NewBo and a flood wall guarding Quaker Oats will carry construction crews into the beginning of 2021.

The citys budget calls for spending $45.6 million on flood protection in fiscal 2021, which ends June 30 a boost of $7.7 million over fiscal 2020. That investment adds to the $93 million the city has spent on flood control since 2014.

As of March 31, the Army Corps of Engineers has spent $15 million of its total cost share portion of $76.4 million after federal aid finally was approved in 2018 a decade after a historic flood inundated some 10 square miles of the city.

The federal money applies only to approved sections of the $250 million east side system, not the west side of the river.

Here are the five projects underway for the remainder of this year:

Work is set to begin Monday on a floodgate downtown that is designed to protect to the 2008 flood volume.

Once complete in summer 2021, the floodgate will feature stackable, removable panels that slide into permanent columns on the sidewalk when there is risk of flooding.

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Construction will include installing the foundation and vertical columns that will hold the removable panels, which will be stored off-site. Much of the structure will be underground, not visible from the street.

Rob Davis, the city flood control manager, said the gates will need to be assembled on-site and will take six to eight hours to prepare in a flood event. To avoid working right up against the rising waters, he said crews would allow a full day to assemble the gate.

Staff are working on writing into the systems operations manual how varying projected river elevation levels would trigger crews to assemble different types of closures.

With buildings on both sides of the avenue, he said there isnt a sensible place for a swinging or rolling gate, and pulling a gate out of the pavement wouldnt work because of the bridge locations leading into town.

Second Avenue SE also will receive this type of gate, Davis said.

While construction is underway, Third Avenue SE from First Street SE to the Cedar River will be closed to vehicular, cyclist and pedestrian traffic. People may access the CRST/Bankers Trust driveway on Third Avenue SE via First Street SE.

Parking on the Third Avenue Bridge will remain open from the west.

While the other projects planned for 2020 are all locally bid, this project is bid and administered by the Corps, allowing the city to redirect dollars to other portions of the 20-year flood control project, which will span 7 miles.

The Corps began work in April on a 4-foot thick, 14-foot tall, 67-foot long floodgate to protect the New Bohemia business district near downtown.

The floodgate will hide behind a flood wall and roll into place across the eastern approach to the 16th Avenue Bridge when the Cedar Rivers waters rise, locking into place between two permanent posts.

That gate can close in less than an hour and will be stored on-site.

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The gate is slated to be complete by November, Davis said. City officials are planning a similar gate on the west side of the bridge.

This levee will stretch through parking lot 44 on the east side of the Cedar River between Ninth Avenue SE to 12th Avenue SE, helping close gaps to protect that segment of town from rising waters.

Parking will be restricted during construction, which is expected to be done by spring 2021.

Davis said this levee, already built to full height, helps the city get a lot more bang for our buck by limiting the temporary flood protection measures the city needs to put in place.

Every piece of flood control that we can get in, thats fewer HESCO barriers like we had to do in 2016, Davis said, referring to the sand-filled barriers that were erected around town in just days to help stave off a near-record river crest. We can deploy our resources to fighting floods elsewhere.

The McGrath Amphitheatre flood wall will be ready by spring 2021 with a much-enhanced experience for patrons.

A multifunctional portion of flood wall will be ready for the summer amphitheater season, containing storage space on the first level and restrooms on the second.

This will eliminate the need for portable toilets and storage trailers outside the amphitheater, Davis said.

Were presuming that things will be back to normal and that the amphitheater will be used next year, Davis said. From the standpoint of construction, with fewer shows and cancellations, its actually helped that project stay on schedule. We havent had to work around as many shows this year.

Work to build 2,000 feet of the flood wall and pump station at Quaker Oats is slated to be finished in May 2021.

When that is done, Davis said the contractor will start on the final phase of work completing the railroad closure gate at the Cedar River in fall 2021.

That will complete work on Quaker Oats property, the first major permanent flood protection for downtown.

Comments: (319) 398-8494; marissa.payne@thegazette.com

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Construction starts Monday on projects for Cedar Rapids flood control system - The Gazette

Firefighters were making progress against several significant wildfires on Thursday, the authorities in Oregon and California said, and residents of the Bay Area were able to enjoy smoke-free skies for the first time in weeks.

A storm arriving Thursday night will help to improve air quality in western Oregon and bring moisture exactly where I would ask for it, Doug Grafe, chief of fire protection for the Oregon Department of Forestry, said in a news briefing.

But the storm may also bring additional challenges, including winds that could accelerate the growth of existing fires, and lightning that could ignite new ones. The rain could cause landslides, and flash flooding was a worry in the scorched foothills of the Cascades.

Temperatures should remain low with more humidity after the storm, Mr. Grafe said, aiding the significant progress crews have already made. Oregons 10 remaining large blazes, including the Beachie Creek Fire, which has burned nearly 200,000 acres east of Salem and forced tens of thousands to evacuate, are mostly between 10 to 20 percent contained.

Firefighters had managed to slow, stall or diminish some of the major fires in California, Daniel Berlant, a spokesman for the state fire agency, Cal Fire, said. The August Complex, which has burned almost 800,000 acres north of Sacramento, was 30 percent contained, and the North Complex Fire, stretching 228,000 acres, was 36 percent contained.

Emergency teams continued to search for victims and survivors of the fires, which have killed more than 30 people, destroyed thousands of structures and burned across more than five million acres in three states.

More than 3,000 Oregonians are still being sheltered outside their homes. When Gov. Kate Brown of Oregon visited some of the communities devastated by the Beachie Creek Fire, she said the devastation it wrought was all-encompassing and shocking.

More:
Wildfires Live Updates: Dry Lightning Could Threaten Western Oregon - The New York Times

Many things in life are relative. Obviously, space and time, Einstein proved that decades ago, also the talent of your local NFL team (if the Detroit Lions were playing an elementary school, theyd be greatunfortunately they play in the NFL). It's the same with vehicle prices. To some, a Cadillac is expensive. To others, its not, but a Ferrari is. And it's true for vehicle types, too. McLaren sees the GT as a grand tourer. But compared to vehicles we'd classify that way, like the Bentley Continental and Mercedes-Benz SL, the McLaren GT is nothing short of a supercar.

For starters, look at it. The top of the roof is only 48 inches from the ground. Itll slip under a limbo stick without coming off its raised ride-height setting for getting into driveways. The rear looks like a spaceship. None of the styling implies grand touring, really. Okay, maybe the front end, a little, as it looks less aggressiveless like a cheese shredderthan the Senna and 720S.

The thing is, I never thought the 720S was too stiff. I never winced over pavement heaves or bumps when driving it around Detroit. But for those that would find it too stiff, here we are: a GT for the supercar class.

McLaren

This McLaren GT launched late last year with the companys 4.0-liter twin-turbo V8, here making 612 hp and 456 lb-ft of torque. A seven-speed dual-clutch transmission sends power to the rear wheels at a quick enough rate to get to 60 mph in 3.1 seconds, 124 mph in 9 seconds and to a top speed of 203 mph.

The GT is longer than the 570, 620 and 720 McLarens, with longer front and rear overhangs. It has a 10-degree front approach angle, which goes up to 13 degrees with the lift engaged, and a ground clearance of 4.3 inches, 5.1 with the vehicle lift. Thats only a tenth or two of an inch more than the 720S.

Aluminum double wishbones sit at all four corners with McLarens Proactive Damping Control and Proactive Chassis Control. Like previous models, the GT has two knobs in the center, one for handling and one for powertrain. The powertrain makes the fuel map more aggressive and the handing dial speeds up steering and stiffen's the suspension.

McLaren

Ive been lucky enough to drive several McLarens. I think the 720S is one of, if not thee, best car on the planet. But if Im shopping for a McLaren in the $200K range, Id pick this over the 570s and maybe the 600LT as well. As those other McLarens look a little too wild. This is a smoother, cooler take on those beasts.

Get in and you do get more of a grand touring feel. Theres leather everywhere, instead of naked carbon fiber and brushed aluminum. The seats are a little wider and softer, too. Personally, I found them less supportive than, say that 720S. But I can see preferring them to the sometimes-claustrophobic carbon-shelled racing seats.

McLaren

The central screen gets easier to use every time you mess with it. It has shortcut buttons for climate, radio, nav and the like. Below that is the main control panel for the powertrain and transmission. One thing the McLaren GT doesnt have is the transforming gauge cluster that folds down when in track mode. That was a cool party trick of the 720S and I missed it here.

The biggest get is that the trunk can now hold a set of golf clubs. Instead of seeing the engine through the rear window, all you can see is the fabric board cover, with a big divot in the middle to place the clubs. My set is small and fit easily, but some of you with bigger golf bags might need to squish them a little.

Sorry, scratch that last one, the biggest, biggest get is the sunroof that has five levels of shade, adjusted through buttons on the ceiling. It goes from completely clear, though with UV protection, to a deep, deep tint that allows you to stare directly into the sun (not recommended). That feature is not just a party trick, but very useful in late, hot Detroit summers.

McLaren

On the road, the McLaren GT feels one notch softer than the 720S. The chassis is still super tight. I paid close attention to any road imperfections so as not to bang up the wheels. But like the 720S, its not tooth-rattling harsh. Same with the steering, its probably one notch easier and lazier than the 720S (were going from 100 to 99 here) but theres still a ton of delicious feel from the leather-wrapped wheel with the hydraulic power steering setup. The first bump that made its way to my palms was like a revelation. Road feel, glorious road feel!

Again, its all relative. This McLaren is a GT, but a swallow-your-tongue fast GT. Quick starts are met with a feeding of power until youre ready to slap the steering-wheel-mounted paddle for second gear. At that point, you dont see the traction control light switch on, you just hold on for dear life, snatching paddles all the way.

For instance, I was stopped at a red light on a four-lane surface street with another red light a quarter mile away. I was in the left lane but saw that the right lane was open at the light 1,000 feet up. I thought, hmm, can I make it over there in front of traffic? Stupid, I know. I made it to the second red light before that traffic even moved. Not everyone knows this, but most traffic problems can be solved with speed (again, not recommended). Your best bet is to keep the ESC in dynamic mode, which will allow for super hard launches without reining in the power--but will also save you in case of an emergency

For your feet, the pedalbox is small, and the pedals are too close to each other. But, as Ive said before, it makes less of a difference without a third pedal. Although, a few times I went quickly to the brakes and my foot caught the edge of the gas. Luckily, the brake pedal barely moves, which is how I like it. With such a firm pedal, you can stab them hard without ABS kicking in, and then a split second later reassess how much pressure you really need. They might be a tad softer than McLarens other models, but still a shorter stroke than most cars on the road.

Like all McLarens, everyone on the road with the V8 or twin-turbo V6 wants a piece of the action. Hellcat Widebodys fly by. Corvettes slow, speed up, then slow again. People stop you at gas stations to talk. Whether its a Senna or a GT, its going to happen. Prepare yourself. If, like me, you enjoy talking to strangers, youll be the belle of the ball.

The McLaren GT doesnt feel like a grand touring car, it doesnt look like a grand touring car and it doesnt sound like a grand touring carunless you put it next to a P1 or 720S or Senna. Its all relative.

McLaren GT Specs

On Sale: Now

Base Price: $213,195

Powertrain: 4.0-liter twin-turbo V8, seven-speed dual-clutch transmission, RWD

Output: 612 hp at 7500 rpm, 465 lb-ft from 5500 to 6500 rpm

Wheelbase: 105.3 inches

Length/Width/Height: 184.4/80.5/47.8 inches

Curb Weight: 3,464 lbs

Fuel Economy: 15/22/18 city/hwy/combined

Pros: A grand touring car in name only.

Cons: The seat adjustment buttons. Owners will be sad not to see the engine every day through the back glass.

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The McLaren GT Is Only a GT When Compared to Other McLarens - Autoweek

Heres another Lifestyle blog post from the people who brought you the Taco Bell on Walnut Hall of Fame. Man, it feels pretty good to be the first blog ever to cover sports, pop culture, music and tech, all in one place.

Currently, the Big Ten is deliberating on whether or not to vote on whether it should vote about holding a meeting, where its presidents and chancellors might vote on whether or not to watch a presentation from the Big Ten Return to Competition Task Force, which will then prompt a vote on whether or not the Big Ten will hold a Zoom call on a random Sunday afternoon, where there will be a discussion about whether or not to vote on a fall football season, which will then decide THE PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION.

No worries if you stopped reading the last paragraph somewhere in the second line, because thats about where I gave up on writing it.

The point being, theres nothing going on in IU Athletics, at least in the ways were used to.

Maybe soon well get back to a place where the IU mens soccer team hasnt allowed a goal in seven games, a grassroots Michael Penix Heisman campaign is building in the darkest crevices of Twitter, and IUs top-25 college basketball team, coached by Teri Moren, is preparing for a 25-win season and an NCAA tournament appearance.

But today isnt that day.

So were going to talk about parking tickets instead.

Thanks to the power of the law, CQ has obtained IUs parking ticket data from the last four years (from the 2017-18 fiscal year to present), and were going to rank all 44 categories of them.

Quote from man towed: What are you gonna do, tow me?

3. Citation Circumvented (186 total): This sounds like a failed James Bond reboot. 007: Citation Circumvented. Id watch a six-part docu-series about the people who got these citations, because the fact that theyre listed on the spreadsheet means they did, in fact, still get a citation in addition to their original citation.

4. Overnight Garage Parking (1,035 total): This is just classic 20-year-old galaxy brain thinking right here. Im in Bloomington for the night and I need a safe place for my car, surely the university wont check one of [checks notes] the two main parking garages near campus to see if anyone is parking there overnight.

This is like the summer when one of my roommates and I refused to actually invest in a downtown parking spot or buy a bus pass, so every morning wed drive to work, park in the casino parking garage next door to our office, fully dressed for work slacks, collared shirts that were tucked in, work bags, etc. then walk through the casino at like 8 a.m., passing the people who were still up from the night before or who just needed a little jolt to start their work day. Wed walk past the casino greeters and security, who clearly knew we hadnt walked in through the front doors of the casino, then wed go to work. At the end of the work day, wed do the opposite, walking back through the casino, taking the elevator up to the parking garage and going home.

Eventually, sensing the heat from casino security, I bought a bus pass. A few weeks later, my roommates car got towed from the casino.

You know better and yet you still do it. This is the Overnight Garage Parking experience.

This is the experience of being 20 years old.

5. Altered/Counterfeit Permit (80 total): For better (for the IUPD) and for worse (for our entertainment), these citations are decreasing at an alarming rate. Just look at these advanced analytics:

2017-18: 38 citations

2018-19: 24 citations

2019-20: 18 citations

2020-21: 0 citations

Im pretty sure during my fifth year at IU, a parking pass was like $10 for a calendar year. Even on a college students budget, the cost was negligible. If anything, it was more annoying to have to go to city hall and fill out the form, especially when we had two extra ghost tenants in a five-person house and we had to provide proof of residence for everyone in the house.

But despite the Chipotle burritos worth of cost for a Bloomington parking permit, you have to respect the dedication of those who try to forge a parking pass, complete with the one-sided adhesive and shiny lettering.

By the way, theres still one unpaid citation for an altered/counterfeit from the 2018 school year, which you know is being used as a pickup line at last call in a Broad Ripple bar.

Yeah, thats really sad about your roommates dog. Anyway, did I tell you about the time I used a fake parking pass in college and never got busted? Yeah, it was no biggie. Bartender, two more rum and cokes. What do you say we get out of here?

6. Fraudulent Permit Displayed (108 total): Hold on, there are fraudulent permits, which are somehow different than altered/counterfeit permits?

7. Expired/No License Plate (47 total): NO license plate, you say?

8. Car Pool Violation (1 total): As of Sept. 14, 2020, there have been 64,448 parking citations issued since the start of the 2017-18 fiscal year and only one renegade/dumbass/hero has been cited for a car pool violation.

How does it feel, sir or maam?

There was one tailgate where we fit, I think, 14 people in a car ride to the tailgate fields and no one batted an eye. My question now is just how many people does it take in one car to get a car pool violation?

The over/under is 18.5.

9. Parked Opposite of Traffic (33 total)

10. Bicycle (118 total): The open-endedness of this category is intriguing.

11. In or Near Bike Rack (14 total): Just how might one park a car in a bike rack?

12. Parked in Wrong Area/Zone (14,367 total)

13. Game Day-No Parking (1,202 total)

14. No Valid Permit Displayed (22,032 total)

15. Unauthorized Entry (1,241 total)

16. Meter Expired (7,524 total): To everyone whos come 25 cents short or 15 minutes too late on their parking meter, just know that your citation has been avenged, whether you know it or not. One of my friends in college, [redacted], once accidentally backed into a parking meter, knocking it to its side and partially uprooting the base of it. This friend, one of those people who lifted biceps/back four times per week at the SRSC, then pulled out the parking meter by hand, took it home and broke it open to get the change out of it. He then took the tracking device, drove to Lake Monroe and threw it to the depths of Davy Joness locker.

He did this for you.

Youre welcome.

17. Parked in Construction Area (11 total)

18. Tow Warning (396 total)

19. Tow Fee Refused (154 total): GTA VI: Bloomington Impound Lot

20. Non Payment of Garage Fee (78 total): This is kind of like refusing to pay for the tow service. Without shifting space or time, how, exactly, do you get your car out of a garage without paying or taking off the mechanical arm at the garage?

21. Parked on Crosswalk/Sidewalk (970 total)

22. Parked on Hash Marks (39 total)

23. Parked in Restricted/Reserved (2,920 total)

24. Parked in Numbered/Reserved (1,026 total)

25. Parked in Drive/Blocking (1,617 total): Surely, this classification is shorthand for cars that were parked in a driveway and were otherwise preventing someone from getting in or out of a driveway.

extremely Stephen A. Smith voice: HOWEVER.

Theres a 1% chance it could referring to someone parking their car but actually leaving it in Drive, which is way more exciting.

26. Parked on Yellow Curb (1,118 total)

27. Permit Balance Due (336 total): Slap it on your student bursar and make your parents pay for it, right?

28. Parked On/Over Stall Marker (590 total)

29. Vehicle Relocated (11 total): The word relocated feels like its doing a lot of work here, right? It sounds like the vehicle wasnt stolen but it wasnt moved with the owners consent, either. It was just relocated.

30. Motorist assist (12 total)

31. Parked in 24hr Zone (220 total)

32. Parked in Loading/Unloading Zone (99 total)

33. Parked in Delivery Zone (27 total)

34. Unreturned Permit (70 total)

35. Event Parking (1 total): Once again, who are these people who are the only ones, out of more than 64,000 citations, who find a way to get cited for something that no one else has?

36. Parked in Fire Lane/15 feet (509 total)

37. Cite Paid at Garage (124 total)

38. Parked in Visitor Only Space (45 total)

39. Parked Beyond Time Limit (647 total)

40. Speeding/Unsafe Driving (5 total)

41. Expired Permit Displayed (1,163 total)

42. Improper Display of Permit (500 total): Note the wording, here. Its not that you dont have a permit. Its not that your permit is expired. Its that the display of your permit was improper. CQ is firmly against improper display of permit citations.

43. Other (See Comments) (1,801 total): If theres anything Im not going to do, its reading almost 2,000 comments about why some college kid got a parking citation. No thanks.

44. Parked in Disabled Sp/Aisle (652 total): Dont be an asshole.

The rest is here:
Types of Indiana University parking tickets, RANKED - The Crimson Quarry

As a rare and historically noteworthy race car of literally unrivaled value, the 250 GTO has every reason to be closely guarded by Ferrari. Permitting the replication of its most coveted model, after all, would be a disservice to both Maranello and its customers, some of whom take pride in their vehicles' exclusivity above all. Unfortunately for Ferrari and its tifosi, however, a court has ruled that because Ferrari isn't actively producing cars shaped like the 250 GTO, it has to play nice and let other companies use its body shapein other words, the kit cars are coming.

Per a report by This is Money, Ferrari recently lost its exclusive rights to the design following a legal showdown with Modena-based Ares Design; a coachbuilder known primarily for its DeTomaso Pantera-inspired, Lamborghini Huracan-based Panther Progettouno. This kerfuffle, which resulted in the 250 GTO being legally classified as a work of art early last year, was over Ferrari's 2008 filing with the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO), which Ares' lawyers contested was "filed in bad faith, namely, as a defensive mark in order to block third parties to produce and sell similarly built sports cars."

Excerpt from:
Ferrari Loses 250 GTO Body Trademark, Paving the Way for Kit Cars - The Drive

This past weekend was the first time I have been able to mow my yard in nearly three weeks. Pulling the climate data from Warren Field, in Washington, does not reflect what happened at my house at all! In fact, in keeping records at my house, I found that I had received 3.99 inches in the month of June as compared to 1.33 inches at Warren Field. The station at the Pamlico Aquaculture Field Lab recorded 7.05 inches and the Tidewater Research Station recorded 2.75 inches in the month of June. However, it seemed like it rained a little every day for nearly two weeks at my house. There were places in my yard that just would not dry up enough for me to mow.

In eastern North Carolina, we receive somewhere in the neighborhood of 50 inches of rainfall each year; some areas a little more and some a little less. Our plants need one inch of water each week to thrive. In the world of averages, we come close to this every year, but that doesnt mean we receive our rain in 1-inch weekly increments. For instance, in looking at the records for my house in the month of June, it rained 14 out of the 30 days. Most of the rains were not large-scale precipitation events, but there was enough to keep it wet for nearly the entire month! Although we do not have a whole wide range of topography, we still have water that stands in certain areas of our lawns. What can you do?

There is the obvious: improve drainage in our yards to help them dry out quicker. This can be achieved by cleaning ditches, constructing drainage ways and installing drainage tiles for your homes downspouts. While doing this will help move the water from your property a little quicker, it will not help downstream from you. In fact, this contributes to flooding downstream: all that water has to go somewhere! I feel like we fight Mother Nature all of the time and for needless reasons.

There are alternative, more long-term and sustainable solutions that can be more beneficial to our surroundings and our neighbors. One way to begin dealing with all of this water is to remove some of the impervious surfaces from our property. For instance, look at a gravel driveway, permeable pavement or pavers as alternatives to asphalt and concrete. Gravel allows rainwater to seep through. Permeable pavement does the same thing but with a bit more structure. Permeable pavement can be more expensive and typically requires design by a certified professional. This is not an alternative for all applications but can certainly replace your impermeable driveway or walkways in a residential setting. Pavers, installed with gravel in between, can accomplish much of the same stormwater and water-quality benefits as permeable pavement.

What about your house: you cant make that a permeable surface, can you? I am not aware of a way to do that just yet, although water features do create a zen-like ambiance, Im not ready to have a dripping roof! What we can do is redirect our downspouts to rain gardens. At my house, I have an area of the front yard that just doesnt drain very quickly. However, it will drain naturally once we go without rain for a day or two. This is a great scenario to look at installing a rain garden.

Rain gardens are areas of your property where you can allow water to sit for one to three days while it naturally filters back into the soil. Our soil acts as a natural filter to strip the water of harmful pollutants and keep them from reaching our streams, rivers and estuaries. Growing plants that can handle wet feet in these areas enhance the soils filtering potential too! Rain gardens require a little thought up front, a little excavation work and a little maintenance to get started, but the results can make your property more functional and aesthetically pleasing, adding value. Rain gardens are an amazing way to add some pollinator habitat to your landscape, as well. Many of the plants that will do well in a rain garden are pollinator friendly such as hibiscus and swamp milkweed. Living in one of the counties with the most shoreline in the entire state of North Carolina, this just makes sense!

If you would like to start a rain garden, visit our extension website at beaufort.ces.ncsu.edu or call the Extension Center near you for more information. N.C. State Extension has a 12-page guide to get you started, which is available at your local center. We also have our Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox that can aid in selecting the right plants plants.ces.ncsu.edu. The Master Gardener Hotline is open in the Beaufort County Center from 10 a.m. until noon Mondays and Wednesdays. If you have other questions or concerns involving horticulture, email gene_fox@ncsu.edu or call 252-946-0111.

Gene Fox is the area consumer horticulture agent with N.C. Cooperative Extension.

Original post:
Are you tired of the rain yet? - Washington Daily News - thewashingtondailynews.com

Keystone Hardscapes has added CST to its brand.

Keystone Hardscapes

Keystone Hardscapesis embracing the needs of homeowners, contractors, developers, architects, designers and landscape material distributors in the Mid-Atlantic U.S. by aligning CST under its brand.

Recognized for manufacturing high-quality pavers, segmental retaining walls and related outdoor living products, CST gains award-winning design innovation, a deeper product offering and robust marketing expertise as part of Keystone Hardscapes.

This transition will help landscape professionals secure more projects that produce greater profit while generating repeat business, says Ed Fioroni, vice president of sales for Keystone Hardscapes. Were also part of The QUIKRETECompanies and its vast national distribution network, complementary product portfolio and technology resources, which really reinforces the value of rolling CST into Keystone Hardscapes.

Founded in 1984, CST built its reputation on its MONO-CAST one-piece construction that guarantees hardscape products with consistent integral color and strength that will last a lifetime. From permeable pavers used on a driveway or pool deck to fireplaces and segmental retaining walls used to create an outdoor paradise, CST has a wide range of hardscapes sizes, colors and finishes for any residential or commercial job. Injecting CST into the Keystone Hardscapes organization means these regional customers will have a single-source for all purchasing, technical support and customer care. This consolidated service model delivers proven product performance with the financial efficiency customers want.

Link:
Keystone Hardscapes Adds CST to Brand - ForConstructionPros.com

Gravel is a great material to choose for your garden for all sorts of purposes. Choosing gravel for your garden is a cost-effective, natural solution, and it's low maintenance, so long as you lay it over a weed membrane. Create a rustic, relaxed scheme in your garden with gravel but first, learn how to choose gravel correctly.

Find more garden ideas in our ultimate gallery.

Slate from Nustone edges raised beds dressed with a gravel mulch

Gravel is a versatile material that can be used in both contemporary and traditional style gardens. So, whether you want to add touches of gravel around the edges of a patio, create a seaside style garden with expanses of gravelled bedding or use gravel to create a pathway, add it to your garden design shopping list.

Find out how to lay a gravel path in our guide.

But see it as just one hard landscaping element; garden designers tend to stick to a palette of three to four different materials, such as gravel, brick and oak, to avoid a garden design becoming too busy. This makes it easier to achieve design unity, and allows you to break up one expanse of material, such as paving or decking, with gravel edging, for example.

(Image credit: Leigh Clapp)

Ideally, choose your garden gravel to accent or complement what is already present in the garden, especially the fabric of the house and the local natural stone.

Pea gravel in shades of earthy brown, honey, dark grey and deep brick red work well with most materials used in British architecture, especially period homes.

Contemporary glass-clad or wooden exteriors, tend to suit a subtler colour combination in white, pale grey and black.

If your garden gets a lot of shade you might want to choose a pale coloured gravel or paving that has natural light reflecting qualities to brighten your garden up.

Try to view the stone before you buy it; just remember it will look completely different when wet.

If you have several packs of the same gravel to lay, mix them up to enhance colour blending.

This Pavestone Old Black Sandstone is the perfect complement for traditional style pea gravel

For footpaths (and for designing a driveway, while we're at it), use a medium sized gravel that wont move around too much (or get stuck in tyres), but is still comfortable to walk on.

Use cobbles and larger stones or boulders to infill awkward shapes in garden borders, to highlight planting, to add interest in corners, to soften the edges of paved or decked areas and to define separate zones within the garden.

(Image credit: Clive Nichols)

Most gravel stones will cope with general garden use; harder stones, such as granite, cope better with heavy traffic important if your car will be driven on and off it.

(Image credit: Leigh Clapp)

Loose gravel is the best gravel for country gardens, but suits contemporary gardens, too. Water-permeable, it is easy to DIY-lay, too, making it an affordable option. It's the best gravel for pathways, too. Unless your gravel is contained, however, it will wander, so raking stones back into place will become a regular maintenance job. You may also find that the gravel needs topping up every now and then. If your garden is on a slope or regularly experiences heavy snowfall, loose gravel will not be practical. How to keep gravel in place? Use a cellular grid over the weed membrane and lay the gravel directly over that.

Resin-bound gravel is more suited to contemporary gardens, especially urban courtyards. It's not dissimilar in looks to loose gravel but, with the particles totally set in resin, the finish is more streamlined, although still permeable. It comes in a range of colours and textures, and can be laid over new bases and some existing ones, such as asphalt and concrete; it's also suitable for slopes.

Self-binding gravel will work in both traditional and contemporary gardens. It works by knitting together once compacted to form a solid base and surface. This gravel looks more natural than resin-bound gravel, is permeable and can be used on slopes of less than one in 15.

Loose gravel costs around 30m; self-binding gravel costs from 55m; self-binding gravel can cost as little as 10m.

(Image credit: Beauxfort )

You will need to create a good solid foundation for gravel that's to be used as a pathway or seating area; check the levels carefully, too. Before you lay the gravel over soil in a flowerbed, simply level the soil, then apply a weed block fabric to stop perennial weeds taking hold.

You can also use a gravel grid, like the one above, to stop the gravel moving about. This is particularly useful in a driveway where the movement is that much more dramatic.

When using gravel and aggregates, always hose it down before use to clear any small sediment.

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How to choose the best gravel for your garden - Real Homes

BAUMHOLDER, Germany When I accepted the offer to come work for the Army in Germany, I had visions of gallivanting across Europe every weekend.Then, COVID-19 happened.So, while I did get a couple of short trips in, it wasnt until the recent Fourth of July weekend that I took my first trip through the Directorate of Family and Morale, Welfare and Recreation Outdoor Recreation.After listening to a co-worker describe the intended trip, I decided to sign up for the All-Terrain Vehicle/Utility-Terrain Vehicle trip leaving from Baumholder on Independence Day.I am old enough to have ridden the original red Honda 3-wheeler ATVs back in the 1970s, so I was looking forward to four-wheeling through the forests around Baumholder. But, because I signed up late, the quads were gone and I would be driving a utility vehicle.The UTVs are perfect for two or three people (as long as you dont mind being close). I thought I would be disappointed with the UTV. I wasnt. I still had the wind in my face and still had that open-air feeling. The trip wasnt just for single riders/drivers. There were several couples and a family of four, with a child seat, who rented a UTV with a back seat.I had no idea where we were going and, most of the time, I had no idea where we were. The only forest trails I saw were as we sped past on the road. We were on pavement all day. Its still foreign to me (no pun intended) for quads and UTVs to be street legal on major roads.In the 90 minutes to our destination, we must have went through 15-20 villages. We received incredulous looks from people at crosswalks and from their driveways. I laughed at the looks of normal vehicle drivers after they decided to be nice and let the first quads turn in front of them, only to be held up as the next eight UTVs came rolling through like a parade.UTVs dont have power steering. Turning the UTV is more like wrestling a cow in the direction you want it to go. The tires grab the pavement in a turn and chirp when you make a turn. They feel top-heavy. It takes total concentration. Another rider, the aforementioned co-worker, almost wiped out his family and himself twice in a span of three seconds. Its easy to start sightseeing, take a turn too tight and suddenly youre staring at the Audi emblem on the hood of an oncoming car, over-correct and almost bounce off the guardrail. Im not saying he did that but, he did that. However, you get used to it.And, we werent just putt-putting down the road. Most of the roads had 70km speed limits and we easily did the speed limits, which, in an open-sided golf-cart-on-steroids, was exhilarating. I looked down at one point and saw I was doing 83 km, but only for a second.Then, we were in a parking lot. Our ears still ringing from the motors and wind, our arms tired from jostling with our steeds, the guides said something about a castle and something about a town with great photo opportunities and great food. And, the group ambled down a cobblestone path through a tunnel of trees before the world opened up and we saw the castle Berg Landshut.Many in the group properly oohed and awe-ed.As we stepped out into the sunshine, we were able to see the real view, which was the steep vineyards that make up the Mosel wine valley dropping at a ridiculously steep angle to the Mosel River. The river splits the city of Bernkastel-Kues, which looks like it came straight off of a postcard.It was quite an impressive surprise.Berg Landshut was great to walk in as it sits perched on the side of the hill. The sun glinted off the tour boats far below. Traffic noise failed to reach up to the castle, so it was easy to imagine what life in the berg might have been like when it was built in the year 1247.After all the photos were taken, it was time for the most difficult part of the trip; the steep walk back up to the parking lot. Its no joke. Its about two hundred yards, although it felt like 80 miles. Then, back in our UTVs, down switchback after switchback, through a tunnel and right into Bernkastel-Kues.What a fantastic, this-is-what-you-expect-to-see-in-Germany town. You are encouraged to take in the sights of Bernkastel-Kues at your own leisure. We had about an hour and a half to do whatever we wanted. Many grabbed lunch at any of the numerous outdoor restaurants and toured the streets of the village.Time passed quickly and it was time to head back to the vehicles and begin the drive back the Baumholder.We took a different route back. Much of it along the Mosel. It was amazing. Yes, you have to pay attention to the road, but you cant not look at the green vineyards towering above you on one side and the river full of history shining in the sun as it flowed on the opposite side. The tranquility only interrupted by an occasional car or motorcycle pack passing you.Ninety minutes and another 20 villages or so later, we were back at Baumholder Outdoor Recreation. Our bodies vibrated and ears rang from the UTVs. Our arms sore from wrestling those machines around turns and our faces grimy and windblown.Ill do it again.While going off on your own throughout Europe certainly has an appeal, dont be afraid to take advantage of the tours offered through DFMWR Outdoor Recreation in Kaiserslautern and Baumholder. Its well worth it.Bring a jackets. Starting off in the mornings and riding in an open cab, it can be chilly.Baumholder Outdoor Recreation offers the ATV/UTV trips every Saturday in July and August. The prices are $95 for the quads, $125 for the UTVs and $175 for the family truckster UTV. You must sign up before the trip. Outdoor Recreation pays for the gas for their vehicles.Contact Baumholder Outdoor Recreation at 0611-1435-313401 or DSN: 531-3401. Baumholder Outdoor Recreation is open Thursday-Monday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.

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First Outdoor Recreation trip immersive, enlightening - United States Army

Drivers will encounter traffic disruptions on the following state roads and projects Escambia and Santa Rosa counties as crews perform construction and maintenance activities.

In preparation for theIndependence Day holiday weekend,there will be no lane closures or other activities that impede traffic on state roads beginning at 12:01 a.m. Friday, July 3, and ending 12:01 a.m. Monday, July 6.

Escambia County:

oIntermittent east and westbound lane closures on U.S. 98 east and westbound, from North 14th Avenue in Pensacola to 2,000-feet east of the Pensacola Bay Bridge in Gulf Breeze.

oIntermittent lane closures on North 17th Avenue in Pensacola between U.S. 98 and the CSX Railroad overpass (Graffiti Bridge).

Santa Rosa County:

oIntermittent lane closures on U.S. 98 east and westbound, from North 14th Avenue in Pensacola to 2,000-feet east of the Pensacola Bay Bridge in Gulf Breeze.

oIntermittent lane closures on North 17th Avenue in Pensacola between U.S. 98 and the CSX Railroad overpass (Graffiti Bridge).

All activities are weather dependent and may be delayed or rescheduled in the event of inclement weather.

Pictured: New entrance and exit ramps recently opened at Nine Mile Road and Highway 29. NorthEscambia.com photo, click to enlarge.

Written by William Reynolds Filed Under News

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These Are This Week's Road Construction Trouble Spots - NorthEscambia.com