Published: Tuesday, March 12, 2013 at 9:23 p.m. Last Modified: Tuesday, March 12, 2013 at 9:23 p.m.

Putting up front yard fences will be easier for residents and some LED window signs for businesses will now be allowed as Burgaw town officials decided Tuesday night to make changes to the town's Unified Development Ordinance.

Burgaw resident Joe Bordeaux requested in December that commissioners consider a change to the town's ordinance that would allow him to put a fiberglass fence in his front yard.

Burgaw Planning Administrator Rebekah Costin said concerns about the height and design of front-yard fences in 2007 led commissioners to adopt an amendment to the ordinance requiring residents to a obtain a conditional use permit for any front-yard fence.

The permit process requirement included a $300 application fee and a public hearing before the board of commissioners. Costin said the process seemed to have deterred some residents from putting up fences.

I've had questions from property owners over the last few years about putting up a front-yard fence to keep pedestrians from crossing their yard on a regular basis, and when they found out about the conditional use process, no one was willing to take it further, she said.

Now a resident may pay $30 for a zoning permit for their fence and would generally complete the process in one day versus undergoing a month-long process.

Residential front-yard fences cannot exceed 4 feet in height and must be constructed of certain materials listed in the ordinance, including wood and stone. Commercial front-yard fences still require a conditional use permit.

Although signs consisting of LED lights were prohibited in Burgaw prior to Tuesday night, several businesses already were using such signs in their windows, particularly signs that say open. Costin estimated about 30 or 40 businesses, including about 10 in downtown Burgaw, had the signs. Costin said the town prohibited LED or LCD signs because of the difficulty of making sure they are not too bright to interfere with passersby.

The approved ordinance amendment allows incidental LED and LCD window signs, but prohibit such signs that flash, scroll or contain moving lights, pictures or text.

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Changes to Burgaw ordinance means fences easier to add, some LED signs OK

TRAVERSE CITY Homeowners in Traverse City can continue to build fences of any type, height, or material they choose without a city permit.

Some residents had objected to the recent proliferation of 10-foot tall blockade-style fences and walls along Division Street. A letter from Pat and Dennis LaBelle in December had the city planning commission ready to climb all over the controversial question of erecting a fence ordinance. But aware of rickety support in the past for a fence ordinance, planners decided to get the city commission's perspective first.

"They don't want to spend a lot of time and energy (on it) because I guess there's some history of doing that and not having it accepted," said commissioner Jeanine Easterday, who also serves on the planning commission.

The city has no guidelines for fence building outside of restrictions on barbed wire. Planners have considered a fence ordinance four times since 1977 but never acted.

Easterday polled city commissioners Monday night about planners setting up standards for fences.

"I don't think so," Commissioner Mary Ann Moore replied. "We just did beekeeping and those people have to have fences. There's the Division (Street) noise, ones for the yard, privacy. I just think it's not something we should get into."

Other commissioners concurred.

"I don't think we want to deal with it," Commissioner Barbara Budros said.

Pat Labelle said she's not surprised and understands the commission's reluctance considering past efforts.

"It was worth a community discussion," LaBelle said. "I was just concerned because the large walls can occur anywhere in the city, not just on Division Street, and I don't think there is anything anyone can do once they go up."

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Traverse City won't trespass on homeowners' fences

Bratton must mend community fences

In observing the coverage and conversation around new Oakland Police Department consultant William Bratton, much of it has been focused on the narrow scope of his extremely expensive contract and fears of the infamous stop-and-frisk tactics Bratton employed in Boston, New York and Los Angeles.

Now that Bratton is here to stay, it is my hope that he can mend fences with the grass-roots citizens groups who were his initial opponents to better inform his work.

Whether his contract was worth its price will be proven by the outcomes of his tenure, and he will undoubtedly find success difficult to achieve if he views the community as adversaries of his agenda rather than allies in reducing violent crime in Oakland.

Miquette Thompson

Oakland

Children should take bow for oratory

Lafayette Elementary School, located in Oakland, took first place at the second Regional MLK Jr. Oratorical Fest. The event was held Feb. 15 at Acts Full Gospel Church.

This means that every individual class at Lafayette Elementary that participated in the event won its own first-place award for its performance. Children, we share in your success. Take time to feel great joy and pride for the city of Oakland, pride for the community and special pride for Lafayette Elementary School.

It

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Piedmont/Montclair letters: Bratton should mend Oakland community fences

Hawthorn development coach Chris Fagan, coach coach Alastair Clarkson, player Brendan Whitecross and Blaze Aid team leader Vivian Walker with property owner Rob Turner behind Picture: Kim Eiszele Source: The Mercury

IT WAS the sweatiest, hardest, dirtiest work they will do all year.

Hawthorn coach Alastair Clarkson, head of coaching Chris Fagan, and repatriating star Brendan Whitecross went bush at Boomer Bay yesterday to rebuild fences destroyed in the Dunalley bushfires.

The digging was hot and hard, and the rocks unforgiving.

The Hawthorn men worked in blackened bush to put in steel droppers and huge straining posts cut from nearby trees and rolled into place.

Despite actual blisters on their hands, they plan to do the same again today for nothing more than a sandwich, bottle of water and a well-earned thank you.

The fences may have been as straight as a politician's promise, but the trio revelled in the challenge.

It was Clarkson's idea to put together a crew to work in the Dunalley area.

He left his team behind in Melbourne to prepare for Saturday's NAB Cup clash against Richmond at Aurora Stadium.

Clarkson, who will joined them when they arrive in Launceston tomorrow, was hardly prepared for the damage caused by the fires.

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Hawks mend bushfire fences

This shows lions in Phinda Private Game Reserve, South Africa. Credit: Luke Hunter/Panthera

Published: March. 6, 2013 at 3:28 PM

NEW YORK, March 6 (UPI) -- Almost half of Africa's lions are facing extinction and fencing them in -- and keeping humans out -- may be their only hope for survival, conservationists say.

Writing in the journal Ecology letters, researchers said nearly half of Africa's wild lion populations might decline to near extinction during the next 20-40 years without urgent conservation measures, including fenced reserves.

"It is clear that fences work and unfenced populations are extremely expensive to maintain," Craig Packer of the University of Minnesota said.

Conservation costs are lower and lion population sizes and densities are greater in reserves secured by wildlife-proof fences, Packer said.

Separating lion and human populations will be essential for the species' survival, researchers said.

"These findings highlight the severity of the lion conservation crisis today and the limited choices we have to ensure a future for the species," Luke Hunter, president of big-cat advocacy group Panthera, said.

"No one wants to resort to putting any more fences around Africa's marvelous wild areas, but without massive and immediate increases in the commitment to lion conservation, we may have little choice," he said.

It is estimated that fewer than 30,000 lions remain in Africa in just 25 percent of the species' original natural habitat, a Panthera release said Wednesday.

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Fences may be only hope for Africa's lions

Wood Fences Company Spokane WA | (509) 928-8084
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Wood Fences Company Spokane WA | (509) 928-8084 - Video

Slik glass fences
Slik glass fences

By: cloturesdeverreslik

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Slik glass fences - Video

ATWATER -- An Atwater man was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence Monday morning after his Camaro crashed into the fences of two homes here, according to Lt. Sam Joseph.

Officers were called to the 1500 block of Winton Way about 2:30 a.m. to investigate reports of a solo car accident. When officers arrived, they found a damaged 1990 Chevy Camaro.

The Camaro apparently side-swiped a Ford Aspire parked in the neighborhood and then crashed into the fence of a nearby home. The car continued, plowing into the fence of the home next door before coming to a stop, Joseph said.

The driver, identified as 29-year-old Andrew Johnson, was thrown into the passenger seat after hitting the fences, officers said. He was not injured and refused medical assistance, according to Joseph.

Joseph said Johnson told officers he had consumed two beers before he started driving. He was given a breath test, which showed an alcohol level of 0.14, according to police.

Johnson was booked at the Merced County Jail. He reportedly complained of head pain from the crash and was transported to an area hospital for treatment, Joseph said.

-- Ramona Giwargis

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Atwater man accused of DUI, hitting fences

Fences at this year's Grand National are being made safer in the biggest change in the history of the race.

They are among a number of measures aimed at dealing with accusations of animal cruelty after eight horses died in the last decade.

Last year the joint favourite and Cheltenham Gold Cup winner Synchronised had to be put down after falling at fence six of the Grand National - the infamous Becher's Brook - and continuing riderless until suffering leg fractures.

The death, along with that of outsider According to Pete, who was brought down at the same fence on the second circuit, led to calls from animal welfare groups for the Grand National to be banned.

The new fences are still covered in spruce but wooden posts have been replaced by a softer material known as "plastic birch".

Aintree racecourse manager Andrew Tulloch described the birch as "horse friendly", telling Sky News "safety at Aintree is always our top priority for riders and horses and it's something we do not stand still on".

He said the changes should make the Grand National safer but not any easier, insisting the fences will remain the same height.

"The outward appearance of these fences will remain the same.

"The big change here is that traditionally where they had a timber frame to them that timber frame has been replaced by a plastic, more forgiving, birch and on top of that birch there's a minimum of fourteen, maybe even sixteen inches of spruce and the spruce is what the horses can knock off," he said.

Other safety measures being introduced this year include levelling of the landing zone for four of the trickiest jumps, including Becher's Brook.

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Grand National Fences To Be Made Safer

Fences For Fido "My Own Two Hands" Annual Gala 2013
Please join other like-minded fido lovers for the Fences For Fido annual fundraising gala Saturday, April 6th, 2013 at Castaway in NW Portland. Silent and live auctions. Live music by The Jenny Finn Orchestra. 6:00pm - 7:30pm: Registration and Silent Auction 7:30pm - 9:00pm: Program and Live Auction Tickets available at http://www.fencesforfido.org/2013gala

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Fences For Fido "My Own Two Hands" Annual Gala 2013 - Video