To the Editor:

In the story headlined Wartrace, resident spar over driveway by Terence Corrigan (Times-Gazette, Saturday, Feb. 1), concerning the Dec. 19 Wartrace town hall meeting, the paper stated Eddie Carroll disagrees with the Town of Wartrace over who should pay for repairs to his driveway. This matter had not been discussed with us.

Town Hall had set up a meeting with us for Feb. 20 to discuss this matter. If there was a spar going on, I did not know it. Town Hall had already admitted we had a big water problem and it was not our fault, and they would discuss the driveway on Feb. 20 at the meeting.

My wife and I are very upset at this time. Why were we not at the meeting? Especially with the press being there to speak for ourselves? The Mayor and Aldermen meet on the 4th Monday of the month.

The reference in the article made that I had been there on Dec. 19 and serenaded them in a rich baritone singing The Christmas Song made it seem as though I was sucking up. Everyone knows this is something I have done for years at banks, businesses and doctors offices. The article then makes it look as though the song was a prelude to my flattering Town Hall to repave driveway by reading: (Carroll) seemed pretty sure that the town was going to accept responsibility for the damage to his driveway.

Why was all this discussed and put in the paper without us getting to discuss or offer a rebuttal at the same time? Why schedule to meet with us almost a month later? Our town is in bad shape, is this what things have come to? I think that write up was awful in the way it was handled. Again, I was not aware of a spar but if that is what you want then OK.

Things like this are why there are so many dissatisfied people in the town of Wartrace. You have already admitted the water problem in our yard was the citys fault, why would the driveway not be? We have potholes, cracking, washing away of the pavement from the water running down the driveway from the road, and each side of us. This does the same thing to a driveway as water does to a highway.

Everett and Margaret Carroll

Wartrace

View original post here:
Letter to the Editor: Wartrace driveway issue (2/7/20) - Shelbyville Times-Gazette

In 2007, water quality concerns in one lake among the (far) more than 10,000 that Minnesota is known for would become the spark that led to the largest stretch of permeable pavement in North America by 2009. Now, officials are hyping permeable pavement a type of pavement that lets water flow through it rather than pooling on top of it as a potential way to reduce ice without using road salt.

What started as one project to improve water quality in Lake Owasso in Shoreview, Minnesota, a Twin Cities suburb, has since blossomed into a more common practice in the city, landing Shoreview in the international permeable pavement spotlight.

It was designed to solve the stormwater management problem, says Mark Maloney, Shoreviews public works director. We collaborated with the University of Minnesota and private industry, which was a pretty amazing collaboration for the time. We learned that there were suggestions that permeable pavement in colder climates had the potential to be somewhat self-cleaning when it came to snow and ice accumulation.

While permeable pavement is more common in countries like Sweden and has been deployed to manage rain in cities like Portland, its a technology that has been less embraced to manage icy conditions thanks in large part to the extremely low cost of road salt only $70 per ton in Minnesota.

It may be inexpensive, says John Gulliver, a professor and researcher at the University of Minnesotas Department of Civil, Environmental, and Geo- Engineering who specializes in stormwater pollution prevention. What isnt considered, Gulliver says, is the downstream costs of chloride-based road salts, which rust cars and contribute to the erosion of bridges. That cost is up on the order of $1,400 per ton of rock salt, he says. The problem is that cost is distributed to other sources than those laying down the road salt.

While its unlikely permeable pavement will ever completely eliminate the need for road salt, Gulliver sees it as a viable option for expanded use outside of the parking lots, driveways, and other low traffic applications its often limited to in most Minnesota cities today. My opinion is that what were most worried about is ice. With permeable pavement, though, the water moves right through it so you may not have as many ice conditions as we have currently, he says while also advocating for other solutions such as applying heated sand as part of a diverse approach to winter road management.

There are places like Shoreview where they have been putting in a lot of permeable pavement and theyve realized that in some places they dont need costly infrastructure like stormwater sewer systems, Gulliver says.

Shoreview, thus far, is pleased with how its permeable pavement is holding up in winter. After four Minnesota winters of dramatically differing duration, precipitation, freeze-thaw cycles, soil moisture levels, and snowplow events, we are quite pleased with the performance of this pervious concrete roadway/drainage system. It is being used as intended with no unusual operational issues to date, Maloney wrote in 2013. The pervious concrete pavement in the Woodbridge Neighborhood is functioning as intended and still stands as the most successful example of the use of pervious concrete for public roadway infrastructure.

When asked why this project was so successful, Maloney first credits Shoreviews supportive political climate and a demand for environmental considerations among community members before reflecting on how the project was rolled out. One element that stands out in Maloneys mind was the outreach and education efforts the city engaged in.

Since adopting a winter road maintenance policy based on a model created by the St. Paul-based Freshwater Society in the early 2000s, we try to tell the public that we wont be managing your roads the way MNDOT manages freeways. They should expect clear pavement on the freeways, but in a cul-de-sac thats probably not necessary, Maloney says and the same goes for its six permeable pavement locations in residential areas scattered throughout the city.

After Shoreviews first permeable pavement project in 2009, the city sent out mailers to tell neighbors about their permeable streets and what they can do to help it function sustainably, like not blowing dirt into the street. Since then, the city has added five more stretches of permeable pavement as part of larger road reconstruction projects and demand is growing.

During the resident engagement process of a recent street reconstruction, neighbors approached me and said, We hear you did permeable pavement in a neighborhood like ours. Would you consider that here? Maloney recalls.

When it comes to ridding cities of damaging road salt, education can go a long way in Maloneys mind. A lot of local governments are responding with the education of elected officials. Were not too far removed from an age when no one saw any downside to salt.

Cinnamon Janzer is a freelance journalist based in Minneapolis. Her work has appeared National Geographic, U.S. News & World Report, Rewire.news, and more. She holds an MA in Social Design, with a specialization in intervention design, from the Maryland Institute College of Art and a BA in Cultural Anthropology and Fine Art from the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities.

Follow Cinnamon .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)

Read this article:
How a Twin Cities Suburb Has Led The Way With Permeable Pavement - Next City

Its not just rain drops that wind up in our waterways. Stormwater runoff brings natural and human-made pollutants and deposits them in lakes, rivers, wetlands, coastal waters and ground waters. The Sophers of Farm Colony in Stanardsville tired of watching the muddy erosion on their property and in the past year their yard became the first Virginia Conservation Assistance Program (VCAP) project in Greene County.

It was a major gully washer every time it rained, just right through our backyard and it just stayed muddy, said Nancy Sopher. I heard from a neighbor about this program and contacted them and we have just been so pleased.

VCAP provides financial, technical and educational assistance to property owners in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed who install eligible stormwater control practices, according to Richard Jacobs, P.E., conservation specialist with the Culpeper Soil and Water Conservation District that serves Greene County.

It helps those chronic erosion or ponding areas or areas that you just cant get vegetation to grow, Jacobs said. The program provides cost share of up to 75% of the cost.

Eligible practices include conservation landscaping, impervious surface removal, rain gardens, dry swales, rainwater harvesting, vegetated conveyance systems, constructed wetlands, bioretention, infiltration, permeable pavement, green roof and living shorelines.

When we do construction and build our houses and driveways and parking areas, all that hard surface increases the amount of runoff and that increases the speed at which the water flows across the landscape, Jacobs said. So, we try to do the dry swales to slow down the water and minimize erosion. Erosion is going to occur when the waters moving faster than slower. And by slowing it down we allow the water to soak into the ground a bit more and if theres any sediment it helps settle those before they end up in our waterways.

The Sophers did some conservation landscaping using native plants to help stabilize areas so that things can grow along the slope to the side of their driveway.

Into the backyard from the slope, the project includes a dry swale which incorporates two small ponding areas as a way to slow down the water.

The Sophers did the dry swale in 2018 and the driveway slope in 2019.

Its had a noticeable difference, Nancy Sopher said. I mean, we could not walk across our yard because it just stayed muddy anytime it rained.

Bruce Sopher agreed, adding, The turf grass is starting to grow out back now.

Jacobs said before the project grass wasnt able to grow because the water would rush through there, washing the seed and the mulch into the creek below.

VCAP is a statewide program, funded through the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency through the states Department of Environmental Quality.

Last year we were able to get state funding, so the state took some of their funds from the water quality improvement fund and moved it over specifically for this program, Jacobs said. This year with the General Assembly starting were hoping to get the same amount if not a little bit more.

Nancy Sopher said Jacobs helped the couple choose the best plants for the area, as well.

We worked with a native plant nursery, she said. He provided a lot of good input.

For the dry swale, Jacobs said, they chose the water-loving plants that will tolerate the ponding, such as the Blue Flay Iris, which is a native Virginia plant. The purple and yellow irises are not native. For the steep bank, they included some terrace logs to help the plants get established there, including the New Jersey Tea, Golden Ragwort and Silver sedge.

Native plants typically can tolerate the native soil conditions and the native climate, Jacobs said.

The projects full cost was $15,500 and the cost-share grant covered $11,500.

While its the first project funded in Greene County, there have been about two dozen projects district-wide, which includes the counties of Madison, Orange, Greene, Culpeper and Rappahannock. VCAP is open to residential, commercial and government-owned property, Jacobs said.

If they have impervious surfaces contributing to an area thats having issues of erosion, periodic localized ponding or flooding and they cant keep any cover, any sort of vegetation in those areas, those would be areas that we would look at, Jacobs said.

Due to application deadlines, Jacobs said its not too early to start thinking about your own property now.

The availability of funds is based off of demand and we do have a ranking protocol, Jacobs said. If you dont get funded this time around, if its not an emergency, maybe it could be funded later, in the next round.

Jacobs said contractors interested in learning more about the program should contact him. He said hed like to do trainings here in Greene if there is demand.

Those who think the program is worthy of funding can contact their delegates and senators in the General Assembly now while theyre in session.

Its made all the difference, Nancy Sopher said. Certainly, we couldnt go from one side of our yard to the other without mud boots. You could just see the brown water washing down to the creek.

For more information about VCAP, visit http://www.vaswcd.org/vcap. To request a site visit, contact the district at (540) 825-8591 or email Jacobs at RichardJ@culpeperswcd.org.

See the original post here:
CSWCD helped Greene homeowners stop erosion and paid for 75% of it - The Daily Progress

Fed-up Solihull residents have complained that refuse crews are often leaving wheelie bins blocking the pavement or outside the wrong house.

Criticism about the number of containers left in the middle of walkways in the Lyndon area has prompted calls for council contractors to sharpen up their act.

Ward councillor Kathryn Thomas (Lib Dem) had taken up the issue at last week's Full Council meeting, saying many locals were getting frustrated at the haphazard way that the bins were returned after collections.

She cited a raft of recent complaints made on the Lyndon Residents' Association Facebook page and suggested that the issues brought up by more than a dozen householders fell short of the standards expected.

Resident Sin Davies said: "There are so many rules and regs regarding residents putting out rubbish, yet in our road we have to play hunt the wheelie bin after theyve been emptied. Could be anywhere."

Amanda Wood added: "My bins have been left two houses away from mine, left in the middle of the pavement and left blocking my driveway access on various collection days.

"Glass collection crates get cracked and broken because they throw them back, rather than placing them back."

And Elizabeth Rose said it had been a long-running problem.

"I've been emailed many times to say that supervisors will follow the crew to ensure bins are correctly returned. It lasts two/three weeks then we are back to their old ways again."

Cllr Thomas suggested that the cases highlighted went against the terms set out in the council's waste and recycling charter and asked what could be done to ensure a permanent improvement in standards.

"A safe and appropriate position is not strewn across the pavement, creating issues for people on mobility scooters, in wheelchairs, who are visually impaired or pushing prams or pushchairs," she said.

Video Unavailable

Click to playTap to play

Play now

"I supported a resident's complaint back in the summer about this very issue and I suspect I'm not alone in this chamber in having raised it."

Responding, Cllr Ken Hawkins, the cabinet member for the environment and highways, said: "It's worth noting that actually there are nine million collections every year in the borough.

"Now I'm not saying we should expect these kind of issues, but you've got to understand with that amount there are going to be some issues now and again."

He said that when concerns were raised, the council's waste and recycling contractor, Amey, would take action to investigate - going out to inspect routes where issues had been flagged up.

Go here to read the rest:
'Hunt the wheelie bin' fury as they're left outside wrong houses in Solihull - Birmingham Live

The Ego Power+ is among newer electric snowblowers that tackle big jobs without gasoline fumes. Theyre powered by battery packs that provide ample range and replenish quickly. (egopowerplus.com)

Shoveling snow is a hassle and potential health hazard, as I discovered when I moved from a high-rise condo into a house decade ago. I hurt my right arm at one point because of all that hard hauling, which Id luckily managed to avoid for most of my life.

So, for the past few winters, Ive been trying out snow blowers. I didnt want to deal with smelly, polluting ones that use gasoline, however, so Ive focused exclusively on electric snow blowers.

These are fun and often effective to use, but do have their shortcomings.

Modern electric snow blowers (and similar contraptions, such as electric lawn mowers) typically work off battery packs that you recharge separately and slide into slots when you are set to get workin.

Though gas-powered snow blowers will typically go farther on a single tank than electric blowers do on a single charge, you can keep additional charged batteries on standby to boost your range.

This article focuses on two electric blowers I tested. I am also adding information about a third blower one of my editors recently bought and has come to like despite a few issues.

The maker of this model claims it is the only cordless snow blower thats as powerful as gas. This is a squishy claim given the wide range of gas blowers on the market, but it is accurate in one sense: The Ego Power+ makes short work of accumulated snow that is up to one foot high.

That is largely due to its robust 56-volt batteries. I have been using the top-end 7.5Ah version of the battery, which packs more of a punch than lesser Ego packs. The mower has slots for two of the batteries, giving me enough power to effortlessly clear my own property along with sidewalks in a one-block radius, or more. The batteries replenish quickly via Egos upright Power+ Rapid Charger.

The Ego Power+ has lots of plastic in its construction, but still feels durable (though only time would truly tell). It is compact and reasonably lightweight, but using it is a major workout because it isnt self-propelled like many gas blowers get ready to feel a bit sore in the morning!

Key features include:

The blower has appeal well beyond its snow-removal features. The Ego Power+ happens to be part of a product ecosystem built around those big batteries.

Ego offers a line of lawn mowers some self-propelled that also harness the power packs. I have tested one of Egos non-propelled mowers, and I like it and it requires only a single 5.0Ah battery. There are also Ego leaf blowers, garden edgers, trimmers, chain saws and more.

Pricing on the Ego Power+ snow blower depends on whether (and which) batteries are included. Home Depot sells the blower for $649, which includes two 5.0Ah batteries with one charger.

For somewhat less challenging jobs, Snow Joe offers a fairly decent blower that gets its juice two ways its battery-powered, and also plugs into an AC outlet for use with an extension cord.

The Ion Hybrid accommodates a single 40-volt, 4.0Ah battery that does not pack as much punch as the Ego one does but is more than sufficient to clear your sidewalk and driveway with power to spare. The battery is smaller and more compact than the Ego ones. So, when testing out this blower, I carried a couple of spare batteries in a backpack to triple my range.

With this blower, I had to be keep my expectations in check. It struggles with snow higher than 6 or 8 inches, and its all but helpless against densely packed or heavy, wet snow. It throws snow only 20 feet or so, and has only an 18-inch clearing width. It is not self-propelled, though it is small enough that this mostly doesnt matter.

Corded power is a nice bonus. AC revs up the blower more than the battery pack typically does, getting you through jobs more quickly. On the other hand, a cord limits range I had to stay on my property and could not go on around-the-block sidewalk-clearing forays.

The manufacturer nails it when it describes this blower as ideal for quick snow pickups on mid-sized driveways and walkways. Its an honest and realistic assessment.

One thing I hated about this blower: The chute rotates electrically via a switch, and not mechanically (though you can brute-force it if you want). I often couldnt get the power turning to work dependably.

Durability might also be an issue. After working the blower hard over several months, I could not get battery mode to keep working reliably though the corded mode was fine.

But the Ion Hybrid is affordable. Amazon and Walmart are offering it online for about $251, including one battery with a charger.

This blower is quite similar in design, functionality and power to the Ego model. I havent used it, but my editor Jaime DeLage recently bought one and gave me his impressions.

Like the Ego, the Flex-Force has a pair of slots to accommodate batteries of various capacities. The blower can run off a single 7.5Ah pack, for instance. My editor opted for a pair of 6.0Ah batteries but found one was sufficient for many jobs.

I do a longer-than-average St. Paul block, plus my bus stop, a corner pedestrian access and a mid-block pedestrian access all on one charge, Jaime said. That includes grinding through some pretty tough plow ridges in the pedestrian ramps. Ive even cleared the pedestrian access and fire hydrant across the street a couple of times (that neighbor just had a baby). Besides having a surprisingly strong motor and long-lasting batteries, it also cleans right down to the pavement, unlike some big gas snow blowers.

Jaime ticked off a few other features:

The blower, like the Ego model, is part of an ecosystem that includes mowers and other tools. The same battery packs run all the tools, Jaime said. But he noted one potential shortcoming with the Toro system.

The optimal temp range for the batteries is 41-104F, which is fine for mowing grass but obviously not ideal for blowing snow, he said. At first I was keeping the batteries and charger in the unheated garage, but I started charging and storing them in the house when they refused to take a charge a couple of times in single-digit temps. The snowblower seems to operate just fine in single-digit temps, but the charger doesnt like it.

(I experienced some Ego Power+ charging issues that also may be related to cold temperatures, and the manual lists 32 to 104 degrees as the optimal charging temperatures, so I plan to emulate Jaime in taking my charging indoors to see if that clears things up.)

He added a caveat: I think the biggest snow Ive tackled was about 4 or 5 inches, so I cant say (the blower is) blizzard-tested yet.

One other shortcoming: The blower is not self-propelled like many gas blowers and electric mowers.

Cost is another potential down side: The blower retails at Home Depot for $849, including two 6.0Ah batteries with a charger, which is $200 more than a similar Ego kit. But Jaime thinks its money well spent.

Its nice to have choices. The Snow Joe model is a reasonably capable snow blower that doesnt break the bank. The Toro blower packs a punch, but it is on the pricey side. Egos Power+ might be the best overall option with performance roughly comparable to that of the Toro at a much lower cost.

See the article here:
Electric snow blowers tackle big jobs without the gasoline fumes - St. Paul Pioneer Press

February 6, 2020

By LARA ROSE, PAUL DICKOW and HOLLY IOSSOSpecial to the Journal

Volunteer Park is special: Designed by the Olmsted Brothers in 1903, the nationally prominent landscape architecture firm that planned Seattles park system, it is one of the most loved and intensively used parks in Seattle. Towering trees, gently rolling lawns, and paths that wind alongside flowering borders provide a range of immersive experiences, allowing visitors to move seamlessly from one area of the park to the next.

The Seattle Asian Art Museum sits at the top of the park on the boulevard above the reservoir, commanding the most significant view over the city.

Although most visitors assume the museum is original, it was added to the park in 1933 an addition strongly protested by the Olmsted Brothers. Nonetheless, the museum landed in the park with a gracious entrance fronting the parks boulevard, and both the park and the museum are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Later additions to the museum left it with a hulking backside, and service to the building had been situated so that visitors arriving from the east on one of the parks historic paths now passed directly through the loading area and up the driveway.

This museum renovation and expansion project raised an important question: Given the substantial change that had already occurred in this area of the park, what is the right way to preserve the original design intent?

Which aspects of the parks evolution should the landscape improvement project focus on: the expansive meadow of the Olmsteds design, or the forest setting that has since grown up around the museum? How should the project address the museums connection to the park? How should the museum take advantage of the parks natural light and beautiful setting while retaining the necessary light and climate-controlled spaces inside?

Walker Macy and Tree Solutions collaborated with the architectural design team and worked closely with the Seattle Art Museum, Seattle Parks and Recreation, and numerous community and advisory groups including the Volunteer Park Trust and Friends of Seattles Olmsted Parks to address these questions. Our approach was grounded in an understanding of the parks original design and intent, modifications that occurred over the next century, and patterns of use that deserve to be retained in balance with the museums expansion.

MODERNIZING THE ENTRY

The renovated entrance terrace now provides two universally accessible paths to the museums front door, an important improvement over the existing design. Gently sloped and laid out in graceful curves, the symmetrical paths are inconspicuous and comfortable.

PRESERVING THE PARKS INTERIOR

Early in the design process, we explored several different ideas for the landscape on the east side of the museum, including a small terrace area and more extensive work that would have restored the open lawn in the original Olmsted plan. Eventually, we arrived at an elegant and deliberately understated approach to preserve the parks trees and restore circulation throughout the park.

We designed this area to feel as if it had always been there. We addressed the poor transition from park to museum with human-scaled plantings, additional trees and subtle regrading similar to the original condition. The final design achieves continuity between historic and contemporary forms, preserves the parks grand trees, and restores a cherished footpath to provide intuitive circulation across the park.

SAVING TREASURED TREES

Trees are the heart and soul of Volunteer Park. Majestic cedars, beeches, hemlocks and redwoods reign over the grounds, enchanting newcomers and regular visitors alike. When expansion of the Seattle Asian Art Museum was planned, Tree Solutions was engaged by the design team to ensure that these towering treasures would be preserved.

One of the objectives of the museum renovation was to add a climate-controlled environment that would aid in the preservation of Asian artwork. Our mission was to protect the existing treasures on the outside of the museum.

During design, Walker Macy and Tree Solutions coordinated closely to develop preliminary pavement details that could be adapted to a range of conditions in the field. Tree Solutions determined where the bulk of roots were present and where and how building expansion and accessible pathways could be sited safely. They bridged the gap between design and construction and were heavily engaged in on-site work.

Some of the tree-friendly solutions developed by the design team and Tree Solutions included:

Preservation of a 53-inch-diameter beech tree that takes center stage for museum visitors, viewable through a wall of windows on the second floor of the addition.

Creation of an ADA ramp using drilled piles for support rather than a traditional footing to minimize impacts to structural roots.

Modification of finished grades during installation for the new gravel footpath through the park, which minimized root cuts.

Removal of an asphalt path beneath a 66-inch-diameter copper beech tree (a heritage tree that is the largest of its kind in Seattle). The soil beneath the tree had been compacted previously from maintenance vehicles and pedestrians. Following the path removal, the soil was decompacted using compressed air, while organic matter was incorporated throughout the area.

During the project, the scope expanded to include path improvements beyond the museums limit of work, mitigating for park real estate given over to the expanded museum footprint. Walker Macy upgraded existing paths in the greater Volunteer Park circulation system, realigned non-original paths to better align with the original Olmsted park plan, and added a new path where a historic one had been lost, working closely with Tree Solutions to limit impact to the parks large trees.

When the museum opens this month, it will sit amidst a beautiful natural setting that is the result of many hours of work aimed at making the landscape appear effortless and untouched. Take a moment to consider the trees, stroll through the park in bloom, and admire the way the museum has opened up to bring the experience of the park inside.

Lara Rose is a principal and landscape architect who leads Walker Macys Seattle office. Paul Dickow is Walker Macys marketing director. Holly Iosso is a senior consulting arborist at Tree Solutions.

Other Stories:

Read more here:
Seattle DJC.com local business news and data - Construction - Protecting the treasures outside the museum - Seattle Daily Journal of Commerce

Central Oregon Pave and Seal aims to focus on residential work and bring 'old-school values' back to the business.

If you are looking for someone to patch a driveway, pave a new one or do some gravel work, there's a Madras business that can certainly help.

Central Oregon Pave and Seal, owned by Brad Watson, opened its doors in August and after Watson decided he wanted to be his own boss.

"We moved to the Madras area when my wife started working at Culver High School from the Bend area," he said. But Watson's experience with paving and sealing goes far beyond the time he has spent in Jefferson County.

"After 43 years of working in the paving industry, we decided that it would be a good idea to work for ourselves for a change," he said.

So that's what he did, opening up shop and procuring some contracts with the city to do patching work. "I want to bring some old-school values back to the paving and sealing coat industry, where customers and quality came first," he said.

"As I said I have been paving, sealing and grading since 1974," he said. "I am trying to stay in the residential and small community market by preparing and restoring driveways and small lots where root heaves cracks have literally ruined your asphalt," Watson said.

"I saw, cut and remove distressed asphalt, patch it back with new, fill cracks and seal coat the area after pressure washing the project," he said. "I also place gravel and roll base rock for those who are still driving on rock. I fix potholes and do ADA repairs."

For more information about the business, email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or call 541-301-6990. Watson offers a free evaluation and estimate for projects.

You count on us to stay informed and we depend on you to fund our efforts.Quality local journalism takes time and money. Please support us to protect the future of community journalism.

More:
Paving and patching business up and running - Beaverton Valley Times News

As a landscaper specializing in makeovers (rebuilding existing landscapes) I often find myself looking at landscape disasters, trying to pick up the pieces and figure out how to make it right. You might call me a landscape forensic pathologist, examining a crime scene of poorly designed, carelessly installed, mis-managed landscaping with major problems. More often than not the solution is a deep-down, scorched-earth, gut-level restoration, because so little of whats there is salvageable. Does this seem harsh? How did we get to this point?

Good landscaping gets better with time. Well-designed, professionally installed landscapes dont need to be replaced every ten or twenty years, like out-of-style interior dcor. Thats because landscape design isnt just about decoration. Good landscape designs start with solving practical problems and providing functional benefits. The beauty happens automatically once you balance all the other functions that should be designed in. It starts by asking practical questions.

Where do we want to walk? Can we fit all our cars in the driveway? Can we turn them around easily in the dark, in the snow, without going off-road? What happens to all the runoff during hard rains? Can we sit on the porch or patio comfortably on a hot, sunny summer afternoon? Do we have to draw the blinds on all our windows, for privacy? Do wild birds and butterflies have food and shelter? Is the view from the kitchen sink workstation pretty, or are we looking at the neighbors old travel trailer?

We need to select plants that wont outgrow the space, or block the sidewalks and windows, or need constant shearing. Trees should be strategically placed for shade, windbreak, privacy, and to block sight lines we dont want to see from where we sit. Growing conditions like shade or sun, drainage, soil fertility and winter hardiness need to be considered.

Theres a right way and a wrong way to install landscape plantings and hardscaping. Often the difference between professional and amateur installation isnt obvious at first. Over time we have overgrown shrubs, uncontrollable weeds, sinking pavers, sagging walls, and plants that have been butchered into shapes their Creator never intended. Theres no way to band-aid over this situation. Drastic (and sometimes expensive) solutions are called for.

Theres no such thing as maintenance-free landscaping, but if the designer has spent any time working in grounds care he could reduce the number of maintenance man-hours dramatically. Any commercial landscape maintenance contractor will readily agree that proper design and installation has a huge impact on the maintenance cost of landscaping, over years of time.

Most of our work is in landscapes that were installed years ago, when the home was just built, and there wasnt enough left in the budget to do a professional job. We understand this and weve been there personally. Now that the kids are through college, and perhaps the mortgage paid off, its time to revisit the outdoor living spaces and make them beautiful, salvaging whats good. Time to realize our long-postponed dreams. Rather than repeat the mistakes of the past, time to really think through what we can do to flatter the house and make outdoor living a pleasure.

The first step is an honest examination of the landscape in its present state. This is where the forensic pathology comes in. Why did these plants fail to thrive? Why is it so much work to keep the yard from turning into a jungle? Cant we have beautiful surroundings without being a slave to them? As we turn the page into a new season, these might be the right questions to ask.

Steve Boehme is a landscape designer/installer specializing in landscape makeovers. Lets Grow is published weekly; column archives are on the Garden Advice page at http://www.goodseedfarm.com. For more information is available at http://www.goodseedfarm.com or call GoodSeed Farm Landscapes at (937) 587-7021.

Follow this link:
How did this landscape disaster happen? - Record Herald

My driveway recently: A chic, full-size, four-door sedan beckons, its stance confident, its massive tires festooned with intricate, multifaceted wheels. Elegant and expensive, just by the look of it. I open the drivers door, hefty in the way that speaks to craftsmanship. On the ground at my feet, a beam of light casts the makers logo on the pavement. I slide inside the cocoa-colored, quilted leather cockpit and look around with delight at the expansive touchscreen, the beautiful knobs and switches, and intuitive systems and interfaces. Its already memorably different, and I havent even started the engine yet.

The G90s clean-lined interior is loaded with state-of-the-art amenities.

(James Lipman)

What is it BMW 7 Series? Mercedes S-Class? Audi A8? Lexus LS?

Nope. Its the 2020 Genesis G90, the latest flagship from Hyundais newish (established in 2015) luxury arm. Its pretty hard to launch a brand these days, let alone achieve actual luxury. Spoiler alert: Genesis seems to be doing just that.

For example, in the last two years, Genesis has scored more than two dozen awards from the likes of Consumer Reports, J.D. Power, Motor Trend and Cars.com. Thats tough enough for the European dominators, let alone an upstart with only three sedans. (Genesis first SUV, the visually promising GV80, will debut later this year, and the company says its first full electric vehicle will hit the market in 2021.)

Elegant inside: quilted Napa leather, open-pore wood and plenty of room for passengers.

(James Lipman)

Another, more under-the-radar sign of success: Genesis has hired several world-class car designers. That list is topped by Luc Donckerwolke, former design exec at Volkswagen Group, as well as Bentleys SangYup Lee. (Ex-Bugatti designer Sasha Selipanov also spent a moment at Genesis and whipped up the clever Genesis Mint EV concept before moving on to Swedish super-car maker Koenigsegg.)

Genesis is muscling its way to a new definition of greatness.

Think back to the 1980s when Honda launched Acura, Toyota birthed Lexus and Nissan created Infiniti. Those companies audaciously set out to steal market share from the mostly German incumbents Mercedes, BMW, Audi. Which meant they had to offer more content at a slightly lower price and hope U.S. consumers would bite.

The 2020 G90s $72,200 base price includes full valet service owners never need to visit the dealer.

(James Lipman)

They did, although of the three, only Lexus has achieved a real seat at the table in terms of sales. And those brands, brave as they were at the time, didnt have to compete with the likes of Tesla, Porsche, Land Rover and so on. And then theres the powertrain angle; other big brands have EVs, hybrids, even hydrogen offerings. Today, for instance, BMW offers 17 model lines, with nearly countless variants. Genesis has three.

Genesis isnt the only one trying to reinvent luxury. Many have tried and continue to fail: Cadillac, Maserati and Lincoln are just a few. Why? Because its really hard to steal attention from such formidable competition. And its really expensive to actually make the leap from near-luxury to true luxury.

One of the few exceptions that has bravely broken the mold is Volvo. If you havent sat in a new Volvo lately, you have a treat awaiting you. From natural wood accents and an ear-blowing Bowers & Wilkins sound system (which you can set to mimic the acoustics of the Gothenburg Opera House) to impressive ride quality, Volvos today stand up to Germanys best. Sad for the Swedes, though, and good for you: You get way more content for your dollar, while Volvo spends lots of marketing dollars to get consumers to even consider purchasing one.

Thats exactly where Genesis stands too cars rich on details and sophisticated systems and discounted on price. The G90 is the poster child of this an enviable interpretation of what a grande dame of sedans should be at a base price of $72,200. Thats below the Lexus LS, Audi A8, Mercedes S-Class and BMW 7 Series.

Genesis has another hurdle: dealer network. There are 350 Genesis dealers in the U.S. versus 800 Hyundai/Kia stores. I dont know about you but I derive no joy from visiting a dealership, any dealership, let alone one that might be a good 40-minute drive away. One solution: Genesis has committed to offering every buyer 100% concierge service, from a $37,000 G70 up to the G90. For three years or 36,000 miles, a Genesis rep will bring a loaner vehicle to you, pick up your Genesis for service, and return it to you when its done.

Many other brands have experimented with similar programs, but none has stuck by it. I think its genius. Suddenly the dealerships distance just doesnt matter.

So, back to the G90 in my driveway.

I start the engine and hear the powerful purr of its naturally aspirated V8 (the only one in the category). I set off, secure in its poshness. Immediately, I can feel that its fast really fast for such a big car, effortlessly helping me to taunt my speeding-ticket fate. And its smooth, elegantly buffering me from speed bumps and the grit and grime of the real world just outside its soundproof windows.

Last summer, Genesis lent me the older version, the 2019 G90, to drive home from Pebble Beach car week. That car, even without wireless phone charging, Apple CarPlay and the bells and whistles the 2020 version has, was delightful. I arrived home after a five-hour-plus drive relaxed and refreshed. The next day, a Maserati Ghibli, fully loaded, was delivered to me for testing. I got out of the G90 and into a car nearly double in price and was crestfallen at how inferior it was.

You may not be in the market for a big sedan or a smaller one, for that matter but take my advice and pay attention to Genesis. Its on a tear and doing all the right things. The world meaning residual value and brand recognition hasnt caught up yet, but it will. In the meantime, appreciate the value of a tremendous sleeper and the crazy-big investment Hyundai is making to win long term.

2020 Genesis G90

Price: $72,200

Mileage: 17 city / 25 highway

Engine: 3.3-liter V-6, 5.0-liter V-8

0 to 60: 5.4 seconds

Read more:
2020 Genesis G90 review: How it competes with BMWs - Los Angeles Times

NEW YORK, NYA rivalry game between the New York Knicks and Brooklyn Nets was the last thing on anyones mind in Madison Square Garden on Sunday night. First and foremost, the NBA community was mourning the loss of an all-time great.

Kobe Bryants inexplicable death took center stage while the Knicks and the Nets battled it out on the floor. Following the Knicks 110-97 win, the players were still trying to make sense of the situation.

Thank you for being the G.O.A.T. Thank you for being the true definition of a superstar, for paving the way for guys like myself, and guys in the future to come in, Taj Gibson apostrophized. You left such a great mark. No matter who you were, he would give you the same love. It feels like we just lost a superhero.

Gibsons reverence for Kobe is par for the course among NBA players. For a generation of players, he was the cold-blooded killer kids pretended to be in their driveways. Even after retirement, Bryant continued to influence the league by taking young guys under his wing and offering guidance.

One of the last true G.O.A.T.s that was really around the game a lot, Gibson said of Bryants legacy. You see him with his daughter a lot. You see him around the game constantly. If you ask him a question, hell spend some time with you and make sure you understand what you needed to do to get better and be a better player.

Much like Gibson, Marcus Morris Sr. grew up idolizing Kobe, but also had the opportunity to play against the Black Mamba. Morris will always remember Bryant for his insatiable need to improve himself on and off the court.

The way he approached the game. The way he approached life. His mentality. Ive never watched anybody just impose their will on the game like that, impose his will on life, an emotional Morris said after the game. Even after he retired, to have so much impact on the outside world and the players in the league. Its a tough loss for everybody.

Following the initial news of Kobes untimely passing, there were legitimate concerns about whether or not the league should cancel Sundays slate of games. Despite some concerns, the NBA forged ahead without canceling any games.

Our locker room had some heavy hearts in there, but they went out and played. I would say that it was a tribute to Kobe to go out there and play the game like he would play the game, Knicks interim head coach Mike Miller said.

A few Knicks mentioned that they were surprised that the game went on as scheduled. Playing with that kind of emotional baggage cannot be easy for anyone, but there was also a feeling among many players that Kobe would have ultimately wanted the games to continue.

Understanding that he would want you to go out there and play hard. Go out there and lay it on the line. Thats the one thing about him all through the years when I was playing against him, he always loved to compete, Gibson recalled.

Kobes legacy on the league, and more importantly, an entire generation of players will live on forever. His drive to outwork his opponents in every facet of the game is the stuff of legends and the Knicks honored his memory by playing their hearts out under difficult circumstances.

New York will travel south for a game against the Charlotte Hornets on Tuesday night (7 p.m. ET). Just like Bryant did when he shot free throws after tearing his Achilles tendon, the Knicks and the rest of the NBA will forge ahead.

More:
New York Knicks react to Kobe Bryants death: Thank you for being the G.O.A.T. - Elite Sports NY