EAGLE Allan Nottingham has been part of Eagle County aviation almost since, well ... before the beginning.

The Eagle County Aviation Association honored Nottingham for his time, his service and the laughs.

Allan has been buying fuel for getting annuals for ... I dont know how many years, Paul Gordon with the Vail Valley Jet Center.

Heres what we know about dates. In 1964, Nottingham bought a 1954 Cessna 180 and flew it all over our spiral arm of the universe. He owned it for 50 years. That plane taught four of his five children to fly.

The airport was built during World War II as a refueling station for cross country military flights. Nottingham remembers, as a kid, standing in the middle of the grass airstrip as planes landed. A B-24 might have crashed back then. Or not. It might have just landed, refueled and taken off again. Or it might still be a military secret. Allan just smiles.

Not long ago, he sold his hangar and plane. He watched that plane taxi onto the runway and fly away with its new owner, and legend has it that a tear might have come to his eye. Not true that was just excess awesomeness leaking out.

Flying tall tales

All kinds of stories fly around at an event like this, mostly about hilarious near-death experiences. But lets be clear: You dont get to live as long as Allan has if you fly reckless; hes a skilled and careful pilot. But once in a while, stuff just happens.

Steve Jones flew with him often. Its a matter of friendly contention whether Jones likes flying so much that he bought his own plane, or whether he was so scared he bought his own plane. Nottingham and Jones just smile when you ask them.

There was the time in the early 1960s when Allan had some 80 sheep stranded on Red and White Mountain after a series December snowstorms dumped about four feet of snow. Nottingham and Fred Collett were flying some hay to them two bales because thats all Nottinghams plane would hold. Collett sat in the back and kicking hay out to the sheep. Did we mention that to get the hay in and out, Allan had to take the door off the plane? That would explain why, when his foot slipped, Collett almost fell out.

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Eagle County aviators honor Allan Nottingham

If you want a dog and a lush lawn, you're not out of luck.

Dog urine can damage grass, but highly rated experts in lawn care, landscaping and dog training tell our team that there are several ways your pet and your property can coexist.

Change your habits: The cheapest and easiest way to reduce doggie damage is to hose down and dilute urine right after the dog relieves itself. Then, commit to re-seeding damaged areas of grass as needed.

Change your yard: A top dog trainer says his grass is better able to withstand the effects of multiple dogs when he maintains a 4-inch height and applies organic fertilizer.

Another option, if your dog uses a specific area of the yard, is to cover the grass with pea gravel or artificial turf.

Artificial grass costs about $1.50 to $5 a square foot. Pick a higher density option with a nonporous backing. Choose polypropylene or polyethylene over nylon, because poly products won't absorb moisture and will drain better. Using crushed granite as a base material under the turf will also help with drainage. For infill, use silica sand or another product that won't absorb odor.

Change your dog: Many dogs can be trained to urinate and defecate in a designated spot. It may take four to six weeks of effort. Flag off a sizeable portion of lawn to create a large target zone to start. Leash your pet and take it to that area every time it has to go. Always clean up after the dog. Over time, as the pet responds, gradually shrink the flagged-off area to your preferred size. Eventually, you won't need the flags; the dog will know the boundaries.

Get the scoop before hiring: If solid waste in the yard is your concern, consider outsourcing cleanup duty. Besides garnering positive online recommendations, a reliable "pooper scooper" business should be able to provide you with a cost estimate, often based on the size of your yard, the size of your dog(s) and frequency of service.

Angie Hicks is the founder of Angie's List, a resource for local consumer reviews on everything from home repair to health care.

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Can a lush lawn and your dog coexist?

Quicky Grass
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By: Canada Green

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Quicky Grass - Video

Hampton University will install synthetic turf at Armstrong Stadium later this spring and the field will be ready well in advance of the 2014 football season.

"A huge deal," HU coach Connell Maynor said. He said a new, state-of-the-art turf field is a recruiting tool and will allow the team to practice outside in bad weather.

Poor conditions forced the Pirates indoors on several occasions last season, because both Armstrong Stadium and the practice field behind the stadium have natural grass surfaces.

"You can't expect a football team to go out and win a football game, not practicing outside and having to practice inside in the gym," Maynor said. "That's going to be huge for our football program and the direction we're trying to take it, where we won't miss a practice."

Installation will begin after graduation, May 11, and is expected to be complete by the end of June or early July, Maynor said. He said the cost of the project is approximately $800,000, but that the expense will be offset by savings from maintaining a natural grass field.

"You're talking about a turf (field) that's going to last you 10-15 years," he said. "You look at the cost of painting a grass field, seeding, watering, upkeep, maintenance, you're saving a ton of money by going with the turf."

Hampton U. officials selected AstroTurf's 3D Decade product, which comes with a 10-year warranty and is considered one of the industry's best and most durable surfaces. Old Dominion installed similar surfaces at S.B. Ballard Stadium and the football practice fields at the L.R. Hill Complex.

The present field at Armstrong Stadium will be excavated. Base construction and a drainage system will be installed before the artificial surface is laid down.

HU's home opener is Sept. 6 against William and Mary.

Fairbank can be reached by phone at 757-247-4637.

See original here:
Hampton University to install artificial turf at Armstrong Stadium

If you want a dog and a lush lawn, you're not out of luck.

Dog urine can damage grass, but highly rated experts in lawn care, landscaping and dog training tell our team that there are several ways your pet and your property can coexist pee-cefully:

Change your habits

The cheapest and easiest way to reduce doggie damage is to hose down and dilute urine right after the dog relieves itself. Then, commit to re-seeding damaged areas of grass as needed.

Change your yard

A top dog trainer says his grass is better able to withstand the effects of multiple dogs when he maintains a 4-inch height and applies organic fertilizer.

Another option, if your dog uses a specific area of the yard, is to cover the grass with pea gravel or artificial turf.

Artificial grass costs about $1.50 to $5 a square foot. Pick a higher density option with a nonporous backing. Choose polypropylene or polyethylene over nylon because poly products won't absorb moisture and will drain better. Using crushed granite as a base material under the turf will also help with drainage. For infill, use silica sand or another product that won't absorb odor.

Change your dog

Many dogs can be trained to urinate and defecate in a designated spot. It may take four to six weeks of effort. Flag off a sizeable portion of lawn to create a large target zone to start. Leash your pet and take it to that area every time it has to go. Always clean up after the dog. Over time, as the pet responds, gradually shrink the flagged-off area to your preferred size. Eventually, you won't need the flags; the dog will know the boundaries.

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Living Smart: Can a lush lawn and your dog co-exist?

BACA COUNTY Topsoil blew into a dark cloud that swept across the flat landscape of southeast Colorado once again Monday afternoon. Footsteps leave dust in loose pockets and grit in the teeth of those who speak. The land pays a bigger price. After nearly four years of deep drought, wind-churned dust has become a slow-moving natural disaster. Comparisons to the Dust Bowl are no longer hyperbole they're accurate.

"The dust storms we had here a week or so ago are just about as bad as I've ever seen," Joe Rosengrants said. The 79-year-old farmer and rancher is part of a family that has worked the land in Baca County since 1910.

Precipitation and drought conditions in Colorado. Click to enlarge. (The Denver Post)

His son Mike and others in the family here still tend thousands of acres of farm and ranchland and thousands of head of cattle. They also mind the skies for any glint of rain. "We can go a long way on just a little bit of rain down here," Mike Rosengrants, 56, said as he delivered hay to cattle spread across 8 arid miles. "But we haven't even been getting that."

The devastation of this drought comes in three forms: pastures that have dried up or are choked by drifts of sand; tumbleweeds that blow into tall hills against fences, homes and barns; and massive dust storms that steal topsoil and could make it harder to grow grain, wheat and sunflowers for years.

The region hasn't seen normal amounts of rain since the blizzards of 2007. Southeast Colorado averages 12 to 16 inches of rain annually, but many areas have gotten fewer than 8 inches each year since 2010, according to National Weather Service data.

Since the latest drought officially set in late in the summer of 2010, the Arkansas Valley has been drier for a longer sustained period of time than during the Dust Bowl, said Nolan Doesken, the state climatologist at Colorado State University.

A.J. Bolin, working on the sprinkler system at the Eads baseball field, hurries to turn off a water valve on Monday. High winds had blown a torrent of tumbleweeds up against the backstop and fence. (RJ Sangosti, The Denver Post)

"We have not seen consecutive years this dry," he said.

MAP: Precipitation and drought conditions in Colorado.

Read the original:
For southeast Colorado, a new dust bowl is blowing in

If you want a dog and a lush lawn, you're not out of luck.

Dog urine can damage grass, but highly rated experts in lawn care, landscaping and dog training tell our team that there are several ways your pet and your property can coexist pee-cefully:

The cheapest and easiest way to reduce doggie damage is to hose down and dilute urine right after the dog relieves itself. Then, commit to re-seeding damaged areas of grass as needed.

A top dog trainer says his grass is better able to withstand the effects of multiple dogs when he maintains a 4-inch height and applies organic fertilizer.

Another option, if your dog uses a specific area of the yard, is to cover the grass with pea gravel or artificial turf.

Artificial grass costs about $1.50 to $5 a square foot. Pick a higher density option with a nonporous backing. Choose polypropylene or polyethylene over nylon because poly products won't absorb moisture and will drain better. Using crushed granite as a base material under the turf will also help with drainage. For infill, use silica sand or another product that won't absorb odor.

Many dogs can be trained to urinate and defecate in a designated spot. It may take four to six weeks of effort. Flag off a sizable portion of lawn to create a large target zone to start. Leash your pet and take it to that area every time it has to go. Always clean up after the dog. Over time, as the pet responds, gradually shrink the flagged-off area to your preferred size. Eventually, you won't need the flags; the dog will know the boundaries.

If solid waste in the yard is your concern, consider outsourcing cleanup duty. Besides garnering positive online recommendations, a reliable "pooper scooper" business should be able to provide you with a cost estimate, often based on the size of your yard, the size of your dog(s) and frequency of service.

Hicks is the founder of Angie's List, a website with consumer reviews on everything from home repair to health care.

McClatchy-Tribune

Read more:
Dogs, lush lawns can co-exist

Published: Friday, April 4, 2014, 7:32p.m. Updated 2 hours ago

Tips to keep a healthy lawn with dogs

If you want a dog and a lush lawn, you're not out of luck.

Dog urine can damage grass, but highly rated experts in lawn care, landscaping and dog training tell Angie's List that there are several ways your pet and your property can coexist pee-cefully.

The cheapest and easiest way to reduce doggie damage is to hose down and dilute urine right after the dog relieves itself. Then, commit to re-seeding damaged areas of grass as needed.

A top dog trainer says his grass is better able to withstand the effects of multiple dogs when he maintains a 4-inch height and applies organic fertilizer.

Another option, if your dog uses a specific area of the yard, is to cover the grass with pea gravel or artificial turf.

Many dogs can be trained to urinate and defecate in a designated spot. It may take four to six weeks of effort. Flag off a sizeable portion of lawn to create a large target zone to start. Leash your pet and take it to that area every time it has to go. Always clean up after the dog. Over time, as the pet responds, gradually shrink the flagged-off area to your preferred size.

Free home show

Nearly 100 exhibitors will take part in the Butler County Home Show from April 11 to 13 at the Family Sports Center on Route 68 in Connoquenessing.

See the original post:
Homework: Keeping dogs and lawns happy; Zelienople garden talk

Published: Thursday, April 3, 2014 at 8:34 p.m. Last Modified: Thursday, April 3, 2014 at 8:37 p.m.

The Volusia County Council adopted a countywide fertilizer ordinance on Thursday to protect water quality in the countys springs, lakes and rivers, including the Indian River Lagoon. The council also voted to notify state officials it intends to make the ordinance even stronger.

A county surrounded by water on three sides has an obligation to do the right thing, County Councilwoman Pat Northey said.

The council voted to adopt the states model fertilizer ordinance, and seek comments from the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services and Department of Environmental Protection regarding four additional measures.

The model ordinance includes such measures as prohibiting applying nitrogen or phosphorus before seeding or sodding a lawn or within 30 days, banning fertilizer application within 10 feet of waterways and states that fertilizer should not be washed off or blown off sidewalks or streets into storm drains or waterways. It exempts agriculture operations, home gardens and golf courses, athletic fields and turf managed for active recreation as long as the turf grass managers are following state guidelines for best practices.

The four stronger measures would govern fertilizer use on lawns and turf. They would ban phosphorus, using fertilizer with nitrogen between June 1 and Sept. 30 and using fertilizer within 15 feet of a waterway. The fourth measure would require that at least 50 percent of the nitrogen in fertilizer be in a slow release form.

It would be shameful of us not to adopt the strongest protections we can do, Northey said.

The motion passed on 4-2 vote, with council members Josh Wagner and Deb Denys voting no. After the meeting, Wagner said he voted no because he didnt expect it to pass and hoped to add an exception for homeowners to get around the ban if they could prove their lawns needed nitrogen.

However, Wagner, who represents the county on a multi-county Indian River Lagoon collaborative, said he would support the four additional measures when the measures come back for a final vote.

If the measures are ultimately adopted, Volusia would join cities and counties along the Indian River Lagoon that have adopted fertilizer ordinances since last year, prompted by a looming crisis along the lagoon system. Since 2011, the lagoon system has been plagued by algae blooms that have killed more than 47,000 acres of sea grass and are suspected to be a factor in the deaths of hundreds of manatees, dolphins and pelicans.

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Fertilizer rules adopted

The Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation is a nonprofit wildlife conservation organization dedicated to protecting wild elk and other wildlife and the land they inhabit. This organization was started around 1984 and has around 1,000 members in the Gorge and 200,000 members nationwide.

The group has four main areas of focus: land protection, habitat stewardship, elk restoration and hunting heritage.

The Charity Navigator (Americas largest charity evaluator) has given the foundation six consecutive four-star ratings, its highest rating. Only 3 percent of other charities in America have had this achievement.

Recently, the RMEF has had its hand in local wildlife preservation agreements. On Dec. 30, 2013, more than 13,000 acres of land in the John Day area that adjoins the Malheur National Forest became permanently protected wildlife habitat.

The RMEF also joined public and private organizations last year to improve 100 acres of wildlife habitat in the Gorge. It has since received prescribed burn, herbicide spray and grass re-seeding.

Hood River will be the site for the North Central Oregon Chapters 25th anniversary banquet, to be held at the armory on April 26 at 4:30 p.m. This event will be limited to 250 people.

Last year, this fundraiser raised $50,000. The group hopes to hit $60,000 this year. Raffles, live auctions, and silent auctions will all be at the event courtesy of local business donations. ODFW is planning to auction off its statewide antelope tag as well.

The original co-founders of the RMEF, Charlie Decker and Bob Munson, will also be in attendance. Old-time country-western singer Joni Harms will perform after the banquet.

Tickets are available at http://bit.ly/1liXizu. For more information contact Randy Klantchnek at 541-490-1382.

The rest is here:
RMEF celebrating 25th anniversary in Hood River