Published: Friday, March 27, 2015 at 3:51 p.m. Last Modified: Friday, March 27, 2015 at 3:51 p.m.

Now, renovations and upgrades represent a turning point in its lengthy history, and a chance for it to continue to serve residents and visitors alike for years down the road.

A $1 million project, funded largely by grants, has given the boardwalk wider paths, lighting, ADA accessible access points, gazebos, benches, swinging seats, new landscaping and more.

The town is hosting a grand-opening ceremony at 2 p.m. Tuesday at the boardwalk to show off its new features.

Honestly, I think it gives it a complete refresher, you know, a facelift, said Town Manager Michael Cramer. The boardwalk's always been an icon down here.

It gives people a chance to walk along the area and look at the ocean, which Olde Salty owner Brenda Armes calls a phenomenal feat.

That's why they come here, said Armes, who has owned the restaurant for 21 years and lived in Carolina Beach for 34. It's been that way since Carolina Beach was Carolina Beach,

Facelift

The old boardwalk was fine, said Daniel Norris, author of multiple books about the history of Carolina Beach and boardwalk staple Britt's Donuts. But something newer and bigger is definitely a better thing.

The improvements are broken into three pieces: the wooden boardwalk, the concrete boardwalk and the road improvements, Cramer said.

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Carolina Beach shows off new Boardwalk facelift

Its spring and while it may not quite feel that way yet, set your calendars because the seasonal parties are ready to go no matter what the temperature is outside.

On Saturday, both the Bushnell and Easter Seals will hold their annual bashes.

At the Bushnell, it is a themed Ovations-Masquerade gala benefiting its arts in education initiatives. The annual party always has a theme and this year it is all about wearing a mask. So while black tie is optional get adventurous when it comes to how you creatively cover your face and get ready party for the evening which includes the cocktail hour, dinner, auction and dancing. For more information go here.

Over at the Marriott Hartford Downtown, the Easter Seals Capital Region & Eastern Connecticut will host its 27th Annual Crystal Ball. The black-tie evening, which includes dinner, dancing and auctions, benefits the non-profits Autism Initiative. For more information go here.

Meanwhile at Hartford Stage, celebrate Friday by attending the premiere of the Pianist of Willesden Lane. Or head over to Theaterworks for opening night of Playing the Assassin. For more information gohere or here

Antsy to get outside or do some sprucing up inside. You may not be able to get to it yet but you can start collecting ideas by heading over to the XL Center Friday for the 21st Annual Spring Home Show. Peruse offerings and ideas from over 300 exhibitors who can help you with home remodeling projects including decks and gazebos to kitchen cabinets and home theaters. Special celebrity guests over the weekend will be Frank Fritz and Danielle Colby from History Channels American Pickers. For more information go here.

If you have the American Idol bug, or have a talent you want to showcase, this could be your weekend. Over at the CT Convention Center, the Starpower Talent Competition will be held Friday through Sunday. The dance and vocal competitions will continue for three days, in three categories for ages eight to 20 and beyond. For more information go here.

And finally, Hartford's Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art will host its annual Italian Film Weekend.

Beginning Thursday and continuing Saturday and Sunday, there will be five featured films at the museum and Italian food from Peppercorn's and Vito's By The Park. For more information go here.

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It's Spring in CT, Time To Celebrate The Weekend

Gazebos - I Don #39;t Wanna Be Here (for Art Zone)
Shannon Perry #39;s new band, Gazebos, performs "I Don #39;t Wanna Be Here". Performing with TV Coahran, Shane Herrell and Jordan T Adams song was recorded at Seattle Urban Reclamation warehouse ...

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Gazebos - I Don't Wanna Be Here (for Art Zone) - Video

March 25, 2015 9:57 AM

CHICAGO (CBS) Things came full circle Tuesday night for David Letterman and the good people of Kankakee, as the city turned a gag gift from 16 years ago into a retirement gift for the Late Show host.

Last week, Todd The Intern from the Late Show traveled to Kankakee to pick up a rocking chair the community made for the comedian.

It wasnt any old rocking chair. The wood used to make it came from a bit Letterman did in 1999, after Kankakee was ranked in one survey as the worst place to live in America.

Letterman made a mocking Top 10 list about Kankakee, and sent a gag gift of two gazebos, joking the city could promote itself as home of world famous twin gazebos.

After learning Letterman was stepping down from the Late Show, a Kankakee High School teacher and his students decided to tear down one of the gazebos and turn it into a rocking chair as a retirement gift.

As youll see in the video above, Todd had quite a blast visiting Kankakee to pick up Lettermans gift.

CBS 2 actually caught up with the Kankakee students spearheading the gazebo destruction in February, as they excitedly detailed the plans to turn one of the gazebos into the mocking gift for Letterman.

You can see the students in the midst of their revenge below.

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Kankakee Sends Back Lettermans Gag Gift As Retirement Present

Gazebos - Sauna (for Art Zone)
Shannon Perry, founder and lead for the band, Gazebos, performs with TV Coahran, Shane Herrell and Jordan T Adams. "Sauna" was recorded at Seattle #39;s Urban Reclamations warehouse for Art Zone.

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Gazebos - Sauna (for Art Zone) - Video

WASHINGTON, March 24, 2015 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Sustainable and low-maintenance design are the top trends for residential landscape projects, according to the 2015 Residential Landscape Architecture Trends Survey conducted by the American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA).

Landscape architects were asked to rate the expected popularity of a variety of residential outdoor design elements in 2015. Respondents expected the greatest demand for ecologically sensitive projects intended to preserve the environment, conserve water and reduce landscape maintenance.

Here are the top ten project types with the expected highest consumer demand:

"Consumers care about designed landscapes that are attractive, easy to take care of and eco-friendly," says Nancy Somerville, Hon. ASLA, executive vice president and CEO of ASLA. "The survey shows that homeowners increasingly see opportunities to improve the environment right in their own backyard."

The survey asked landscape architecture professionals about the estimated popularity of various residential design elements for 2015. The survey was fielded February 13 through February 27, 2015, with 581 responding. ASLA redesigned the survey for 2015 and introduced a new methodology to more clearly rank the popularity of different types of landscape projects.

The top three most popular outdoor design elements include fire pits/fireplaces (78 percent), lighting (72 percent) and grills (63 percent). The top landscape and garden elements include native plants (85 percent), food and vegetable gardens (79 percent) and low-maintenance landscapes (78 percent). Pergolas (51 percent), decks (45 percent) and fencing (42 percent) are expected to be the most popular outdoor structures.

The hottest sustainable design elements include native/adapted drought-tolerant plants (83 percent), permeable paving (77 percent) and drip/water-efficient irrigation (74 percent).

Forty percent of respondents noted that the most popular outdoor recreation amenities for 2015 will include spa featureshot tubs, Jacuzzis, whirlpools, and indoor/outdoor saunasand swimming pools.

For more landscape ideas for your home, and to find a professional in your area, visit http://www.asla.org/residentialinfo.

High-res photos of residential projects that have won ASLA awards are available for media only. Contact Karen Grajales at ktgrajales@asla.org or (202) 216-2371.

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Redesigned Survey Reveals Latest Residential Landscape Design Trends

ASMR Backyard Gazebos
ASMR Backyard Gazebos https://www.youtube.com/user/ESKlever Backyard Gazebos. A gazebo is an eight-sided shade structure with a solid eight-sided roof. It usually has a built-in bench running...

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ASMR Backyard Gazebos - Video

07:01 20 March 2015

by James Scott

Solar Eclipse. Credit: Letchworth and District Astronomical Society.

Archant

An astronomy group is pulling out all the stops for members of the public to wonder at a solar eclipse which is taking place this morning.

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A partial eclipse which happens when the moon passes between the Sun and Earth and partially blocks the former, casting a shadow over the latter is due between 8.25am and 10.40am.

The Letchworth and District Astronomical Society will have four gazebos set up in Leys Avenue housing a screen with a live feed from NASA showing the eclipse and display boards with information.

Outside there will be eight telescopes with solar filters so that people can look directly into the sun safely, as well as 100 pairs of safety goggles.

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Letchworth astronomy group pulling out all the stops for solar eclipse

Gospel Mission outreach worker JoAnne McKenzie with one of her peeps. The mission's outreach program has lost its funding, meaning chronically homeless who don't use the shelter will not be getting visits and help from the mission unless more funding is found.

image credit: Kevin Parnell

Every morning at 6:30, the men and women who have taken up shelter overnight at the Gospel Mission begin another day of survival. Most of them will be back for coffee, lunch and dinner at the mission and will find themselves back in a bed overnight.

But for some homeless, the Gospel Mission isn't part of their lives. Enter outreach worker JoAnne McKenzie, who also begins her day at 6:30 and heads out to work with chronically homeless people, those that are not using the shelter and opt to stay in parks, church parking lots or gazebos.

"A lot of them don't want to come inside, whether it's addiction or other issues so we go outside with them and we work alongside them on their turf," she said. "The first thing is building trust."

While four case workers meet and work with homeless inside the Gospel Mission, trying to get their lives back on track and move them towards treatment, affordable housing and back towards mainstream society, the two outreach workers attempt to get the chronically homeless to use the shelter. Most don't have identification which means they can't get on social assistance and many times it takes as much as a year or more to get consent to work with them.

But come the end of March, the Gospel Mission will lose its federal funding for the outreach program. McKenzie will move back inside to work as a case worker while the chronically homeless will not be receiving regular visits from either of the mission's outreach workers, who often travelled with other health care providers.

"It's one of the things about being not-for-profit and raising the funds," said executive director Randy Benson. "It's tough out there. We're still working on a few options because we obviously believe in the program. We know that segment of the homeless population is going to be left without support."

While the homeless situation may seem hopeless to some, there are also many successes the Gospel Mission has had, moving people off the streets and into treatment.

McKenzie tells the story of a woman from Vancouver's downtown East Side who came to Kelowna and lived on the streets for 18 months before she agreed to get help. She entered detox, treatment and then into independent housing. Another woman was found by outreach workers addicted to heroin and pregnant, living in a tent. Over the course of a year-and-a-half, the woman was able to get into a shelter, get off heroin, have her baby and now has full custody of the child.

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Gospel Mission outreach program loses federal funding

CHARDS market traders have welcomed a U-turn over a potential relocation of the towns street market.

Members of Chard Town Council met traders last week and were handed a petition against the suggested move.

A Saturday Market Working Group was set up to look at ways to improve the market and take it forward and the council agreed to approve the groups recommendation to relocate the market, as well as proposals to canvas opinion and apply for a grant from South Somerset District Councils Area West committee at a meeting of the full council earlier this year.

Many traders threatened to pull out of the market if a proposed move to the Lace Mill car park in Holyrood Street was to go ahead. But traders are now looking forward to working with the next elected town council on ways to improve the historic feature.

Jim Morrison, of Jims Pet Food, told The News: The meeting was very amicable and Cllr Jenny Kenton explained in more detail the thoughts that the committee had and the traders were able to put their views across.

Some of the ideas were covers or gazebos of the same colour to be provided, the launch of a Facebook page, and looking for new traders to fill the side of the Guildhall and to go over to the other side of Fore Street.

There was an idea to go into Holyrood Street but this is not possible as the emergency services would not have access.

The move to the Lace Mill is now not going to happen but hopefully some of the ideas from the traders will be taken on by the committee and the council.

The traders have asked for more promotion, more communication between themselves and the council and we are looking forward to working with the council to improve the market.

We would like to thank the public and shopkeepers for their support and the petition with 260 names was handed to the Mayor during the meeting.

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Chard traders welcome u-turn on market move plan