22-04-2012 09:26 With my Daughter, Sophie, having way too much fun filming my clunky walkaraound, we try to give you a flavor for this abslutely GORGEOUS antique home we just restored.

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Curb appeal 101: Outside 621 Tennessee Ave., Wilmington, North Carolina - Video

22-04-2012 09:32 OK, Maybe I'm getting a little corny now, but this wrap-around porch is truly a thing of beauty on this house.....What you're missing is all the giggling Sophie and I are doing between takes.....

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Farmers Porch, 621 Tennessee Ave., Wilmington, North Carolina - Video

22-04-2012 09:36 Even the video does not do the floors in this house the justice they deserve----but I feel it important to point out some of the features that we KILLED ourselves to preserve and restore in this relic of a home.

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Living Room, Fireplace 621 Tennessee Ave., Wilmington, North Carolina - Video

22-04-2012 09:46 We only did one take on this clip---if we were to do another, I would have coached Sophie to back up a little---she tended to zoom in----but the part where Emily walks right in was to precious to delete!

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And then there's the KITCHEN---621 Tennessee Ave., Wilmington, North Carolina - Video

22-04-2012 09:59 Wait til you see the vanities and mirror, trimmed in Cherry......stunning!

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Master Bedroom/Bathroom 621 Tennessee Ave., Wilmington North Carolina - Video

22-04-2012 10:02 Some really cool features, including the cedar-clapboard-siding-becomes-wainscoting in this full bath.

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Hallway bath, 621 Tennessee Ave., Wilmington North Carolina - Video

22-04-2012 10:05 These old homes are almost always at a lack for storage space! The pull-down steps we install add not only easy access for servicing utilities, but added storage space!

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Front bedroom, 621 Tennessee Ave., Wilmington North Carolina - Video

ALBANY The first phase of stabilizing Historic Cherry Hill, an 18th-century Georgian mansion, has been completed, and the second phase, which includes a recent refurbishing of the windows, is under way.

While work continues, visitors on Saturday received a rare, behind-the-lath peek at the distinctive 1787 yellow clapboard house on a rise above South Pearl Street that was home to five generations of the Van Rensselaer and Rankin families.

These restoration tours are conducted in what amounts to construction zone, with plaster dust on the wide-plank pine floors, ladders and tools stacked in the corners and fireplaces blocked by antique furnishings sealed up tightly in archival boxes and protective plastic.

Kerry Lippincott of Elmira did not want to miss the work-in-progress.

"I was told this was a stop I had to make," said Lippincott, an educator at the Chemung Historical Society, who arrived a day early for a Museums in Conversation conference in Albany that runs Sunday through Tuesday. "It was a great tour and very unusual to see a house while it's undergoing a restoration."

Tom Howson of Latham was sent as an assignment from his professor for an online course he's taking through Hudson Valley Community College called Interpretation of American History.

"It's pretty interesting to get to see the mold and the rot in a historic house," Howson said. "I liked that we got to see it disassembled and learned how it will all get put back together."

"It's real easy to take old houses like this for granted," said Pat Mackenzie of Clifton Park. "This is my first visit, and I was impressed enough to want to come back to see it when it's all done."

It will take at least two more years to complete the four-stage restoration. It is being funded with a $575,000 challenge grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities, along with more than $650,000 in state grants. The $1 million restoration is part of a $2.3 million campaign that will also establish an endowment for the property.

"We're pleased with how work is progressing, but we have a lot of fundraising left to do," said Director Liselle LaFrance, who noted the not-for-profit organization needs to raise $198,000 by July to meet the next benchmark of the NEH challenge grant.

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New phase for Historic Cherry Hill

For hundreds of thousands of motorists driving along Highway 101 every day, it is a vast expanse of dirt and grass, framed on the north by Oracle's world headquarters and on the south by the Port of Redwood City.

But to environmental groups and biologists, it is a crowning symbol of the ongoing restoration of San Francisco Bay, 2,635 acres that prove not everything has been diked, filled and paved.

Now a six-year effort to restore Bair Island in Redwood City to tidal wetlands -- bringing back conditions not seen since the late 1800s, along with a wide range of ducks, herons, egrets, salmon, even harbor seals to the heart of Silicon Valley -- is reaching its apex. Work crews with heavy machinery are hauling in up to 500 dump trucks of dirt a day, reshaping the landscape after decades of political battles.

Work began in 2006 and is set to be completed in December, with access for hikers, bicyclists and school groups expected by next year.

"We're in the home stretch," said Eric Mruz, manager of the Don Edwards San Francisco Bay National Wildlife Refuge, which is leading the project.

Crews supervised by engineers from the nonprofit group Ducks Unlimited are raising Inner Bair Island, the part closest to Highway 101, by 2 feet. To do that, they are hauling in 1.5 million cubic yards of dirt -- enough to fill 100,000 dump trucks. The work is intended to undo years of erosion and sinking, caused by diking the land off from the bay.

"As soon as you get the proper elevations, boom, the seeds just take hold," Mruz said. "In a year you'll see pickleweed and other plants. Then fish and birds. You'll see the start of a new marsh."

Ironically, the project has been slowed by efforts to save taxpayers money.

Dirt cheap

When work began in 2006, the Fish and Wildlife Service estimated it would be completed in 2009 and cost $12 million. Now it will be finished three years later but will cost $6.9 million. That's because federal planners had expected to have to buy all the dirt. But after talking with construction contractors, they realized extra dirt is often a liability for builders, who have a tough time disposing of it.

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Restoration of huge bay wetland near Redwood City nearing completion

Bulletin Board

A calendar of events relating to homes and gardens.

Church Hill Secret Gardens Symphony Tour: Eight homes and gardens open to view, with Richmond Symphony chamber ensembles performing in two of the gardens and six other locations in the St. John's Historic District on Church Hill, 12:30-5 p.m. today. $35; includes wine and cheese tastings. http://www.churchhill.org.

Rose Society Meeting: Richmond Rose Society presents Diana Klassy in a talk on "Integrated Pest Management and Using Pesticides Safely" at 2 p.m. today at Children's Hospital, 2924 Brook Road. Free. http://www.richmondrosesociety.com or (804) 330-2404.

Historic Garden Week: Nearby tours include Richmond's Ampthill/Wilton area on Tuesday; The Boulevard in Richmond, Wednesday; and Petersburg and Richmond's Three Chopt/Westhampton area Thursday. Costs vary; proceeds benefit Garden Club of Virginia's historic landmark and garden restoration projects. http://www.VAGardenweek.org or (804) 644-7776.

Native Plant Sale: Nursery- or garden-propagated native plants for sale noon-3 p.m. today, 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Saturday and noon-3 p.m. April 29 at Virginia Living Museum, 524 J. Clyde Morris Blvd., Newport News. Free. http://www.thevlm.org or (757) 595-1900.

"Gardening Under Cover": Talk by Colonial Williamsburg's Historic Trades gardener Wesley Greene on time-tested methods of extending the growing season 5:30 p.m. Tuesday at the DeWitt Wallace Decorative Arts Museum, 326 W. Francis St., Williamsburg. Admission by Colonial Williamsburg ticket or CW museums pass. (800) 447-8679.

Spring Garden Fest: Classes (registration required; $10 in advance), gardening advice, displays and chats with experts, 8 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday at J. Sargeant Reynolds Community College, 1851 Dickinson Road, Goochland. http://www.gpmga.org or (804) 556-5841.

Herbs Galore & More: 28th annual herb festival, with more than 40 plant vendors and sellers of products, plant swap, speakers, classes and more, 8 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday at Maymont,1800 Hampton St. $3, free to members; fees vary for classes, for which registration is required. http://www.maymont.org or 358-7166, ext. 310.

Electronics Recycling: Dispose of unwanted electronic items ($7 fee televisions, other items free) at Central Virginia Waste Management drop-off sites:

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Home and garden event calendar for April 22