Published: 1/31/2014 8:16 PM | Last update: 2/1/2014 12:05 AM

Interfaith Housing Services has received a two-year, $360,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture to launch a mutual self-help new housing construction program in rural communities of less than 30,000 people.

"Basically it's designed to help qualified families build their own home at a lot lower cost because of their sweat equity," said Interfaith Housing Director Julia Westfahl.

Westfahl said the program is being launched in Lyons, where the city has donated building sites and waived permit fees, and Interfaith President and CEO John Scott said they want to launch a similar project somewhere in Reno County soon.

Westfahl said they want to build three to five houses on adjacent lots at the same time, so the future occupants can help each other build their houses by contributing 25 to 30 hours a week of labor, less if more than one family member is working.

No family takes possession of its home until all the families' homes are completed, Westfahl said.

Scott said that the family's sweat equity will reduce construction costs. When the house is completed, it may appraise at $140,000, but the family may need only a $90,000 mortgage to pay off the construction loan, leaving them with $50,000 in equity in their new home.

Scott said the family's labor on their house will work out to be worth about $30 an hour in savings on the construction cost and ultimately the reduction in their mortgage.

"That's a pretty good part-time job," he said.

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Sweat equity is rewarded with building program

Golf course architect Larry Packard has passed has away at his home at the age of 101. Born on November 15, 1912 - before the start of World War I, he worked on over 600 golf courses and was a former president of the American Society of Golf Course Architects.

Larry Packard

For over 80 years, "like what you do" was Packard's motto. Born in Northampton, Mass., he became interested in landscape architecture in the 1930s when the United States was in the grip of the Great Depression. One particular job at Westover Field Air Base in his home state involved planting grass along two runways, each two miles long. This was an enormous undertaking as it was before the days of motorized seeding equipment. Packard's keen work drew attention from the government, which sent an informant to find out how he did it with such precision.

Another of Packard's assignments as a wartime architect was to devise a camouflage scheme for the airbase to prevent enemy attack. Packard did such a good job that even some of the American fighter pilots couldn't find the runways to land. His expertise was later sought out to design an airport in Chicago, known today as O'Hare, which is now the world's fourth busiest.

Packard's work eventually led from runways to fairways. After World War II, he began his career in golf course architecture with an entry-level position in the firm of Robert Bruce Harris, where he became friends with renowned architect Robert Trent Jones. During the next 50 years, Packard designed over 350 new golf courses and redesigned another 250. His signature touch was the "double-dogleg" hole. In addition to the United States, Packard designed courses in Egypt, Japan, China, South Korea, Guatemala and Costa Rica.

By 1970, Packard was elected president of the American Society of Golf Course Architects, where he made significant expansions to the membership and was instrumental in changing the face of the organization. That same year, Innisbrook Resort opened its gates, with Packard designing the first layout, the Island Course.

Packard subsequently designed the resort's other three courses: North, South and Copperhead, which annually hosts the PGA Tour's Valspar Championship. The time spent on Innisbrook's 900 acres led to Packard to make his home there.

On his 100th birthday in 2012 at the Innisbrook restaurant, which bears his name, Packard had some advice for those who asked about the secret to his longevity: "It's all about what you eat and what you put into your body," he said. "No salt; don't eat a lot of butter and fats. You also have to be happy, and make sure you like what you do every day."

"We are saddened to lose a titan of the golf industry and a cornerstone of the Innisbrook community," said Sheila C. Johnson, founder & CEO of Salamander Hotels & Resorts. "Larry was a truly wonderful and exceptionally accomplished person. He was, and still is, an inspiration to us all, and our thoughts are with his family at this time."

Packard leaves behind two children, Pamela Sharkey and Roger Packard, the latter of whom followed in his father's footsteps as a golf course architect.

Link:
Architect Larry Packard Passes Away at Age 101

Extreme weather brought water flooding back to the notoriously waterlogged Churchill playing fields between Greenfield and Uppermill.

Diggle FC boss Richard Devy said: There has just been a big revamp with a new drainage system but certain parts are susceptible to getting heavily under water. Were still in a bedding-in period with the new system.

Contractors still have some work to carry out in certain areas but I dont think it will ever be 100 per cent.

Changes included excavation and the installation of new drains, pitch levelling, cultivation and seeding.

A new hard-standing grasscrete parking area space for a grass running track, a permanent 100-metre sprint track and new long-jump pit were also built.

Uppermill FC manager Simon Tait said the drainage system is working well - but a high river level caused by the rain has restricted its functionality.

He said: Its a shame were unable to play as regularly as we would like, but its all down to the terrible weather. The excessive rain has raised the level of the river and the drains cant disperse it.

We are very happy with the new system and once the weather eases off, things will get back to normal.

Councillor Barbara Beeley, chair of the Saddleworth and Lees District Executive, said it was important to keep working towards rectifying the problems at the site.

She said: I know people have raised concerns its not quite right. We will continue to address these concerns, though Id ask residents to bear with us. The pitches arent yet ideal, but teething problems with something of this scale are normal.

See original here:
Heavy rain leads to more flooding - after £410,000 revamp

Sunday:1/19 Grandfield Home DestroyedA family loses their home after a fire which destroyed three homes in Grandfield, OK. The fire started in the carport of a house on Taylor Street.

Congressman Mac Thornberry Answers Your Questions13th District Congressman Mac Thornberry stopped by the studio to answer your questions with Melissa Foy.

Monday:1/20 Lawton PD Identifies Victims in Monday's Double Homicide Lawton PD is investigating the first two homicides in the city for 2014. Police say 49-year-old Uwe Rushing and his 13-year-old son Stefan were watching television when two masked men entered the back door. At this time, 5 teenagers are being held by Lawton Police in connection with the homicide.

First Flu Related Death in Wichita County Officials have reported the first flu related death in Wichita County, a 45-year-old man.

Tuesday:1/21 Air Force Cuts Could Trickle Down to Sheppard The Air Force announced 25,000 active duty members to be cut in the next five years and 900 civilian jobs will be cut this year. At this point it is not known how this will affect Sheppard Air Force Base.

One Person Dies after Shooting at Purdue 21-year-old Andrew Boldt died after being stabbed and shot in Purdue's Electrical Engineering Building. The suspect, 23-year-old Cody Cousins, has entered a not-guilty plea.

Wednesday:1/22 13th District and Wichita County Clerk Candidates Answer Questions During Public Forum Republicans from two contested races took to the stage at Akin Auditorium to discuss issues on the minds of Texomans. Candidates for the 13th Congressional seat and Wichita County Clerk took questions written by registered voters in Wichita County.

U.S. Senator John Cornyn Talks Economy & Obamacare with W.F. Business Community Senator Cornyn spokeat the legislative luncheon, hosted by the Wichita Falls Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

Thursday:1/23 Clay County EMT Help Crews Battle Flames that Destroy his House Tom Steidl,an EMT with Arrowhead Ranch Estates Volunteer Fire Department, helped crews battle a structure and grass fire which destroyed his home.

Why Are Restaurants Closing in Wichita Falls? There have been several restaurant closings in Wichita Falls. David Gonzalez sat down with the owner of Luby's Restaurant to find out why this is happening.

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Weekly News:1/19-1/25

Choose Your Type of Grass For The Best Time To Plant It

Your grass type must be either a cool season grass or a warm season grass. The time of planting will be determined by the type of grass -- click on the link below to find out the best time to plant your grass!

There are both Temperature ranges and Seasonal times in which certain grasses will perform best. Planting at other than these times can result in delayed germination or even failure and death of the seeds or seedlings. Read below a general recommendation from turf experts based on temperatures ranges. Check with your local Cooperative extension service for the best time to plant in your area.

TIPS ON WHEN TO PLANT COOL SEASON GRASSES - (Fescues, Kentucky Bluegrass, Bentgrass, Perennial Ryegrass). Cool season grasses are planted from the upper south and Midwest to Northern areas. These year-round green grasses are best planted in the fall and spring of each year. Early fall is considered by turf experts to be the best planting date because this allows for more growing time under ideal growth conditions (fall and spring growing season). Spring is considered second best. In some cases, planting in both fall and spring (2 times) can work to increase successful cover on problem areas.

Cool season grass germinates best when the soil temperatures are between 50 and 65 degrees F. These temperatures usually occur when the daytime air temperatures are between 60 and 75 degrees. High temperatures of summer can cause these plants to go dormant and thus planting during summer is asking for problems. Start planting your cool season grass seeds when the temperatures reach 75 and are dropping as fall / winter approaches. Or have reached 60 and are rising in the spring. Planting in summer can occur, but irrigation becomes a critical factor in establishment. Planting when night time temperatures are above 70? should be avoided.

Dormancy often occurs in cool season grass growth at temperatures above 90 and below 50 degrees. Basically the cool season grass stops growing when dormancy occurs. Also, be aware that a freezes and/or frost can damage or kill immature seedlings that have not had enough growing time to harden off to survive a return to dormancy. That is why you should be careful about planting once soil temps are declining below 50 degrees. When day highs start going below 55 and the danger of a freeze or frost is present, you will have a HIGHER risk of the possibility of encountering problems.

TIPS ON WHEN TO PLANT WARM SEASON GRASSES - (Bahiagrass, Centipede, Zoysia, Bermudagrass, Buffalograss). Warm season grasses are planted from the upper south and mid-west to Southern areas. These seasonal grasses are best planted in the spring to late spring / early summer of each year. Early summer is considered by turf experts to be the best planting date because summer temperatures and rainfall allow for faster germination and rapid establishment of the grass. (Planting in most Southern US areas can occur from March through August - Later summer planting is possible further south - April/May may be earliest window for planting in more Northern state locations.

Warm season grasses grow best when the soil temperatures are above 70 degrees F. These temperatures usually occur when the daytime air temperature reaches around 80 degrees. Night time temps are also a GOOD indicator of the soil temps... When night time temps are 65-70 degrees your soil temps should be very close to the same temperature. Cool temperatures can inhibit germination and also cause adult plants to go dormant. Thus planting in the fall is more risky both because germination might occur and because of potential risk of damage to smaller seedlings from an early frost or freeze

Most failures with warm season grasses occur because of planting too early! If you are anxious and start planting warm season grasses while the soil temp is still cool in early spring... This can result in weeds germinating (while your seeds wait for warmer temps) and taking up plant "turf space" limiting the intended grass from germination in that area. Later when your new grass seeds germinate a lot of the turf space is already occupied by larger robust weeds that take valuable resources from your new grass (Weeds soak up moisture, nutrients, sunlight and occupy real estate / soil area).

BEST RESULTS Occur with planting in late spring or early summer. This is best for warm season grasses once temperatures (soil 65-70 degrees plus are ideal) reach acceptable levels AND all danger of freeze / frost is past.

Here is the original post:
When to Plant Grass Seed | Best Time To Plant Grass Seed

Former B.C. Hydro environmental consultant John Kelly says the Crown Corporation deserved praise for right-of-way clearing practices in the 1980s and 1990s, but a section of the new Interior-to-Lower Mainland Line failed to avoid environmental damage.

Wed driven to Burke Mountain in Coquitlam recently to view the clearing for towers 5071 to 5075, the tail end of the ILMs 250 kilometers of towers and cables from Merritt.

Kelly wanted to see what this site looked like after being frustrated by what he found at Millionaire Creek in the Malcolm Knapp UBC Research Forest in Maple Ridge.

An environmental audit in June identified damage to the coho producer. It still hadnt been repaired in November as spawning occurred.

Other steps to mitigate impacts reseeding of scraped off vegetation, and water diversion channels were just being taken.

Luckily, sunny weather delayed the rainy season.

At tower 5071, at the base of the mountain, Kelly noted more failures to avoid damage, and mitigate impacts. Hed later report them to Maple Ridge stakeholders, including ARMS, the research forest and Rod Stott, environment officer for Maple Ridge.

Trees were felled and left across a stream, he noted.

Kelly thought theyd been cut a year ago, but the mess is still here and the clearing contractor is gone. This is very poor construction practice. Damage occurred when some trees were pulled out [by skidders].

ARMS favors the use of helicopters to remove trees more expensive, but less disruptive.

Excerpt from:
Diverting discussion from slash pile

Lawrence, Kansas (PRWEB) January 17, 2014

Downy brome is an aggressive, invasive winter annual grass and may be the most abundant plant in the western United States. Ranchers and natural resource professionals agree: downy brome, also called cheatgrass, is a problem. The consensus, however, ends there. These two groups differ in their level of concern about this weed and on what methods they use to control it.

The authors of an article published in the current issue of Invasive Plant Science and Management surveyed natural resource professionals (NRPs) and ranchers in Colorado and Wyoming about their knowledge and management of downy brome. Using focus group discussions and written surveys, the authors found that ranchers tended to be somewhat less concerned about downy brome than NRPs. These practitioners also had different approaches to combating downy brome. Ranchers preferred to graze infested lands in early spring, whereas NRPs often relied on seeding desirable grasses and/or applying herbicides.

The surveys also revealed similarities between these two groups of practitioners. Generally, both groups were most likely to adopt new or innovative management practices when the new measures were compatible with existing operations. Additionally, both groups expressed the need for more information about preferred control methods and alternative solutions to controlling downy brome.

Competing priorities and limited resources were the top constraints for successful downy brome management. For both ranchers and NRPs, other weeds are currently a higher priority and limited labor is available to address downy brome. Since downy brome is not officially listed as a high priority noxious weed in CO or WY, ranchers and NRPs put more effort and money into controlling other noxious weeds. Ranchers also cited lack of information about effective management tools, while NRPs indicated that long-term treatment is not financially viable.

The authors concluded that downy brome management would likely improve if the grass was listed as a noxious weed for which eradication is mandated, and thus more tax dollars might be allocated to effective management. Improved education, including clear identification procedures and information about downy brome biology and ecology, would also help prevent its spread. Ranchers and NRPs should also be better informed about management methods of control that require minimal labor and cost. To conclude, the authors stated that both groups need decision-support tools to help assess the economic and ecological trade-offs associated with various downy brome management strategies.

Full text of the article Managing downy brome (Bromus tectorum) in the Central Rockies: Land manager perspectives, Invasive Plant Science and Management, Vol. 6, No. 4, 2013, is now available.

###

About Invasive Plant Science and Management Invasive Plant Science and Management is a broad-based journal that focuses on invasive plant species. It is published four times a year by the Weed Science Society of America, a nonprofit professional society. The Weed Science Society of America promotes research, education, and extension outreach activities related to weeds; provides science-based information to the public and policy makers; and fosters awareness of weeds and their impacts on managed and natural ecosystems. For more information, visit http://www.wssa.net/.

See original here:
Land Managers Choose Diverse Solutions to Downy Brome Problem

Former B.C. Hydro environmental consultant John Kelly says the Crown corporation deserved praise for right-of-way clearing practices in the 1980s and 1990s, but a section of the new Interior-to-Lower Mainland Line failed to avoid environmental damage.

Wed driven to Burke Mountain in Coquitlam recently to view the clearing for towers 5071 to 5075, the tail end of the ILMs 250 kilometers of towers and cables from Merritt.

Kelly wanted to see what this site looked like after being frustrated by what he found at Millionaire Creek in the Malcolm Knapp UBC Research Forest in Maple Ridge.

An environmental audit in June identified damage to the coho producer. It still hadnt been repaired in November as spawning occurred.

Other steps to mitigate impacts reseeding of scraped off vegetation, and water diversion channels were just being taken.

Luckily, sunny weather delayed the rainy season.

At tower 5071, at the base of the mountain, Kelly noted more failures to avoid damage, and mitigate impacts. Hed later report them to Maple Ridge stakeholders, including ARMS, the research forest and Rod Stott, environment officer for Maple Ridge.

Trees were felled and left across a stream, he noted.

Kelly thought theyd been cut a year ago, but the mess is still here and the clearing contractor is gone. This is very poor construction practice. Damage occurred when some trees were pulled out [by skidders].

ARMS favors the use of helicopters to remove trees more expensive, but less disruptive.

Read the original:
Along the Fraser: Diverting discussion from slash pile

PrintGREEN 3D Printer Grows the Third Dimension
Anyone who thought Chia Pets were nothing more than a novelty didn #39;t realize that they would set the foundation for what was to come in the 21st Century. Those ceramic pots shaped like heads...

By: 3DPI.TV

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PrintGREEN 3D Printer Grows the Third Dimension - Video

Plans include 150 car parks for New Regent St

Daniel Tobin

PULL UP AND SHOP: The project will also provide 150 car parks for New Regent St shoppers.

The seeds are being sown for the transformation of several empty central-city sites.

The Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Authority has begun "greening" work on five large sites within the north and east frames, to be transformed into open public spaces within the next month.

The sites will be covered with top soil and seeded with grass, with some areas providing more central city car parking.

Seeding work began yesterday on the corner of Manchester St and Cambridge Tce. Work on the next site, the corner of Madras and Armagh streets, will start today.

Part of the largest site, bordered by Gloucester, Manchester, Worcester streets and Latimer Sq, will provide 150 car parks for New Regent St shoppers. The parks will be free for 120 minutes, and are being introduced because of a lack of parking compared to other retail areas in the city.

A low fence will be constructed to restrict vehicles around each of the sites as they are completed.

Christchurch Central Development Unit development director Rob Kerr said this would be the "first taster" of the part- residential, part open space planned for the north and east frames.

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City 'greening' work begins