WEST CALDWELL TWP. The Caldwell-West Caldwell Board of Education voted Monday to authorize a special school district election on Tuesday, Dec. 9, on a proposed school facilities project bond referendum.

Superintendent James Heinegg said he plans to give a brief overview of the proposed project during next weeks Board of Education meeting on Monday, Oct. 13. No information, such as the size of the project or the estimated cost, will be released until then.

Board of Education President Mary Davidson also said that more information about the facilities bond referendum will be provided during upcoming Home School Association meetings, district elementary school family nights, and over events, as well as through the district website and newsletter. A final presentation for the public will take place at James Caldwell High School on Wednesday, Nov. 12.

In addition to further details on the facilities bond referendum, next Mondays board meeting will also include recognition of faculty and student achievements and National Merit Scholarship Program semifinalists, as well as a superintendents report on district standardized test scores.

Interim Business Administrator/Board Secretary Mark Kenney filled in for Kerry Keane, who resigned from the position back in August. Thomas Lambe, formerly of the Ho Ho Kus and Hopatcong school districts, will take over as the new business administrator/board secretary starting Monday, Oct. 27.

Seeds Of Discontent

In other business, when the floor was open to questions from the public, Kevin and Terry Murray of West Caldwell expressed concerns about workers seeding the field and operating machinery and moving vehicles at Jefferson School while children played on the playground and other areas in close proximity. They also inquired if any chemicals were being used around the children.

Buildings and Grounds Supervisor Frank Ennis told the Murrays that no chemicals were used, just water, grass seed, and a paper mulch product. He said that the crews use equipment designed to prevent flying debris, and that the workers are instructed to keep at least 15 feet away from students on the grounds.

If there is a turning blade, there is a potential for some rock or something to ricochet. If something happens to someone, then you will need another bond referendum to pay for the damages, said Kevin Murray.

Kids are curious about what is going on. What if an impulsive child is playing ball on the grass? Weve seen trucks show up at 8:45 and 11:45 no less than three times a week, said Terry Murray.

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Special election for facilities bond referendum set for Caldwell-West Caldwell school district

azfamily.com

Posted on October 7, 2014 at 2:45 PM

Updated yesterday at 5:15 PM

FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. (AP) -- Gates are now unlocked and tape has been taken down in much of northern Arizona's Oak Creek Canyon with the reopening of many areas that were closed nearly three months because of a major wildfire.

That's good news for visitors and businesses alike, the Arizona Daily Sun reported.

The threat of flooding prompted the Forest Service to close its land within the canyon in July, but most developed recreation sites, vehicle pullouts, swimming holes and hiking trails reopened last week.

The heaviest monsoon rains skirted the area during late summer, so there was little flooding.

Operators of businesses serving visitors are pleased to have the canyon reopened.

"It's starting to feel like a normal fall," said Frank Garrison, owner of The Butterfly Garden Inn and a critic of the closure.

Much of the canyon located between Sedona and Flagstaff wasn't scarred by the nearly 33-square-mile Slide Fire, but thousands of acres inside the canyon and above its rims were.

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Oak Creek Canyon reopens after closure due to fire

Stacy Walters demonstrates the Push Reel Lawn Mower
This is grass seeding season! http://www.shop.com/jvglenn/search/Reel+Lawn+Mower?sort_popular= t=0 k=30 . If you have new seedlings remember not to mow them ...

By: John Glenn

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Stacy Walters demonstrates the Push Reel Lawn Mower - Video

TREMONT Firefighters and property owners joined forces Saturday to quickly extinguish a grass fire on Great Gott Island.

The fire was reported around 2:30 p.m., according to Chief Keith Higgins of the Tremont Fire Department. Someone staying on the island made the call.

They smelled smoke and alerted us, Chief Higgins said.

A half-dozen Tremont firefighters gathered up gear and headed to the island in Bobby Lees lobster boat, Justin and Colby. They were joined by three Southwest Harbor firefighters aboard Colton Sanborns boat and two firefighters that came from the Cranberry Isles, Chief Higgins said.

Boat access to the island is dependant on the tide. Justin and Colby arrived first.

We only had ten minutes to get over the bar, the chief said. The others, he said, had to land at a more remote part of the island and hike a ways to the fire scene.

By that time, a group of property owners had the fire under control.

They had it pretty much out when we got there, the chief said.

About one-quarter of an acre burned, Chief Higgins said. The apparent origin of the fire was a two-week-old debris burn that reignited, he added.

The fire came about two weeks after Chief Higgins approached selectmen about storing firefighting equipment on the island. At one time, the fire department had an old Jeep pickup outfitted with a pump stationed on the island. Over time, that vehicle fell into disrepair and was taken out of service and not replaced.

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Firefighters respond by boat

Published October 01. 2014 3:19PM Updated October 01. 2014 5:33PM

CHESTER -As part of the multi-phase project that began last year, Cedar Lake's Pelletier Park is currently closed for renovations until further notice. The Chester Parks & Recreation Department is asking those who wish to access the lake to do so from Cedar Lake Road, at Lake View Park.

The current work being done at the park includes grading, aerating, and seeding the existing grass area so it will better accommodate summer camp sports and enhance the enjoyment of the park by the public for the next summer season, in 2015.

"The area of the park that is currently being worked on is one that typically gets a lot of use over the summer months. Re-seeding the area has been on the Parks & Recreation Department's list of things to do for a couple of years, but they wanted to wait until the new storage shed was in place, before this portion of the project began," said First Selectman Ed Meehan.

The entire renovation project also included the construction of a large storage shed (complete with concrete pad and custom-made interior shelving constructed by a volunteer), relocation of the grills and restrooms, the addition of an area for campers' supplies, added sand for beach recreation, and removal of the old storage shed and bath houses. This work was completed by John Williams, Brian Buckley, Randy Netsch, and the Chester Public Works Department.

A portion of the insurance payout for the 2011 Community Center roof collapse was put toward the cost of the new storage shed at Pelletier Park.

"The new building serves as a year-round storage area for our lifeguard and summer program supplies," said Parks & Recreation Director Elizabeth Netsch. "Because of this renovation project, we were able to successfully expand our camp use of the facility this summer to three days per week for eight weeks."

"This year the town's summer camp program was very successful," said Meehan. "Our enrollment was up, residents had good things to say about it, and we had beautiful weather, which always helps."

He added, "The area at Cedar Lake was also made good use of this summer by the bi-weekly, Cedar Lake Tri Series triathlon program, which was held eight times this summer. This has been a very successful use of Pelletier Park for the past three years."

Netsch added, "We are looking forward to our completed facility in 2015."

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Cedar Lake Park ClosedNot for the Season

Look but dont touch will be the rule at Wagner Park after it was announced that the field will remain closed until spring. Sodding work is to be completed this month, but the grounds will need a few undisturbed months before pedestrians can walk through Aspens central park, according to Scott Chism, city of Aspen planning and construction operations manager. The goal-line date for the field to be completely finished is June 1, 2015, he said at a city council work session Tuesday. The city is in the midst of a $900,000 project to upgrade drainage and irrigation systems in the park. Using sod as opposed to seeding is more expensive, but is the best way to reduce the risk of weak or immature turf grass for next spring, said Chism. Aspen Golf Club Director Steve Aitken agreed that sod is the best choice for the field, and that it should be in fine condition this spring. Sod is the best bet this time of year to guarantee great results, said Aitken. Sodding is the best alternative at this point. Chism noted that the sod will cost an additional $53,640, but that the expense has been covered by carry forward funds from projects that came in under budget on Smuggler Mountain and at the Moore Fields at the Aspen School District campus. For now, people and pets must stay off of the new turf. Basically, we need to keep all traffic off [of the field], said Tom Rubel, the citys director of parks and open space. But, news of the delay did not sit well with Mayor Steve Skadron, who believed that the project would be finished this fall. I am a little frustrated by this and I cannot for the life of me recall supporting a motion back on March 24 to close the park to the public until next June, Skadron said. He continued to say that when discussing these type of projects, council needs to know when the entire project will be finished and open to the public, not just when the work will be done.

collin@aspendailynews.com

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Wagner Park closure will stretch until next spring

Kennewick, WA (PRWEB) September 29, 2014

As many homeowners know, fall is no time to rest on ones laurels. During this time of year it is important to take advantage of the cooling weather to patch the lawn, plant grass seed, and engage in a little weed prevention. Senske Services says this is the time to prepare for both winter and spring.

Senske Services advises homeowners to make preparations for growing a new lawn during the fall. But to grow a new lawn, the soil needs to be moist in order for grass seeds to germinate. There are three ways to plant new grass: seeding, laying down sod, and hydro-seeding. Regardless of the method chosen homeowners need to make a smooth seed bed and drain the water away from the home.

Believe it or not fall is also a great time to control broadleaf weeds, such as dandelions. In fact, if they are controlled in the fall, they will not bloom and take over the yard in the spring. Timing is critical when preparing your lawn for both the winter and spring. Early fall is one of the best times of the year to make lasting changes in the care of lawns and shrubs, says Mosley.

This is also a good time for people with irrigation systems to begin scheduling their sprinkler blowouts in preparation for colder weather. These systems are among the more expensive aspects of a lawn, so it is important to have a blowout done properly. Some homeowners take care of it themselves, but a professional lawn care service is more likely to do the job right the first time and save the customer time. In addition, most professional companies dispose of excess materials in a safe manner and guarantee their work.

Overall, fall is a great time of year to take care of the yard work that may have been neglected during the summer. Senske Services is offering a fall lawn special for a full lawn care service program, starting at $39.95 per treatment, for customers in its service area. It is also scheduling sprinkler blowouts for $59.95 up to 8 stations. Find out more by calling Senske Services at (877) 944-4007.

About Senske Services: Senske Services, Inc. is a leading lawn, tree and pest control service provider that is locally owned and operated, with its corporate office based in Kennewick, Washington. It has been a trusted source of lawn, tree and pest control services since 1947 across Eastern Washington, Idaho, and Utah, as well as pest control in Las Vegas, Nevada. To see what Senske Services can do for you, visit http://www.senske.com.

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Senske Services Releases Its Top Lawn Tips for Fall 2014

Fall Grass Seeding and Aerating the Lawn with the Garden Tiller - September 20, 2014
This is a ritual I do each year in September which is to aerate and overseed the lawn with Tall Fescue Grass before the leaves begin to fall. Using Pennington Kentucky 31 Grass seed with Pencote...

By: mountainbikekayak

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Fall Grass Seeding and Aerating the Lawn with the Garden Tiller - September 20, 2014 - Video

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Q: My lawn has several spots that Id like to re-seed. Can I do that job now? R.P., West Side

A: Perhaps. It just depends on what type of grass you have for a lawn.

If you are dealing with warm season grasses like native buffalo, blue grama or bermuda, I doubt the soil will stay warm enough, long enough for the re-seeded spots to gain a foothold.

If your lawn is made of cool season types of grass like Kentucky blue, any of the fescues or rye grasses then, yes, this is a grand time to do the re-seeding! One of the pluses, too, since the weather is cooling, is your chances of growing a crop of weeds at the same time is lessened.

First, youll want to scratch away any dead thatch out of the area down to dirt. If you need to bring the soil level up to grade, then spread top soil on the spots. Dampen it just a bit and spread the seed, then tamp it down firmly. You want the spots dampened so the seed is more apt to grabbing hold and sitting still, so to speak.

After tamping, cover the area with a slight -to -inch layer of top soil. Thatll keep the seed in place, assist in keeping the seed moist, and out of view of hungry birds!

For the next several weeks you will need to keep those spots sprinkled. Water at least twice a day and, maybe if the afternoon temperatures stay toasty, more often. Your goal is to not let those spots dry out. Within 10 to 15 days, the seed should have germinated and youll be seeing green.

Now, I will suggest you do not fertilize the lawn, spots and all, with a high-nitrogen content established lawn fertilizer. The young grass is still far too tender to deal with a full-strength feeding. If you feel the need and the established lawn would love it invest in a starter-style fertilizer making sure that it has a high level of phosphorus.

Its the phosphorus, the middle number of the fertilizer calculation, which is used by plantlife to feed and create healthy root. With cooler temperatures, adequate water and loving care from you, its a great time to re-seed your cool season grass style lawn.

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Seeding time depends on type of your grass

Photos: Urban meadows

One urban meadow runs along Whitney Avenue near Science Hill. (Photo by Michael Marsland)

Walt Debboli, a supervisor of grounds maintenance, leads a team of faculty, staff, and students from the School of Forestry & Environmental Studies as they plant wildflowers in the berm along Whitney Avenue. (Photo by Amber Garrard)

Another view along Whitney Avenue. (Photo by Ryan Laemel)

In this spot near Betts House, the ground was cleared to make way for the meadow. (Photo by Walt Debboli)

Another meadow brings color and wildlife diversity to the Yale Farm. (Photo by Walt Debboli)

More views from the farm ... (Photo by Ryan Laemel)

(Photo by Ryan Laemel)

(Photo by Ryan Laemel)

The urban meadow at the Divinity School. (Photo by Amber Garrard)

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Yales urban meadows are having a growth spurt