(PRWEB) November 18, 2014

The care and keeping of large, popular National Historic Landmarks for public use and enjoyment is a critical component of The Trustees of Reservations mandate. The nations first regional land trust and a leading statewide conservation nonprofit, The Trustees preserve and protect 112 iconic landscapes and landmarks around Massachusetts.

Today, The Trustees are celebrating a significant milestone in the organizations ongoing preservation work at Castle Hill on the Crane Estate in Ipswich a National Historic Landmark and one of the few surviving, intact examples of the American Country Place Era with the restoration of the Casino. Named for the Italian word for little house and used to describe small dwellings in gardens and landscapes that surround a villa, the Casino originally served as an elegant pool and entertainment space used by the Crane family. Located on the Grand Alle, it represents the most distinctive Italian Renaissance Revival-style architecture surviving from this period on the Crane Estate. The Grand Alle is one of the largest landscape features of its kind in North America, modeled after the beautiful Italian and French gardens of Renaissance Europe.

Since the Cranes gifted Castle Hill to The Trustees in 1949, the organization has carried on the familys legacy of entertainment on the property, using both the Grand Alle and Casino as a popular backdrop for hundreds of open-air concerts, weddings, historic house and landscape tours, community events, a childrens summer camp, and other recreational activities held year-round at the Estate. In order to preserve their original design integrity, both have required extensive, multi-million dollar landscape, architectural, and structural restoration work over the past several years.

There is no other formal, designed landscape in America that can compare to the Grand Alle and Casino at Castle Hill, says Barbara Erickson, Trustees of Reservations President and CEO. The national significance of this property and its unique landscape and architectural features illustrates the importance of our role in its authentic preservation. The restoration of the Casino marks a significant milestone that has been years in the making at this iconic property and we could not have accomplished this work without the ongoing support of our generous members and supporters and expertise of our talented staff. We invite everyone to come see the incredible transformation of this exciting, newly restored venue space.

The original Casino, strategically situated down from The Great House and along the Grand Alle in order to preserve the sweeping ocean views, featured a saltwater pool framed by plantings and statuaries and bordered by two pavilions containing a bachelors quarters (or guest accommodations) and a billiard hall/ballroom. The Casino was designed by the Boston architectural firm Shepley, Rutan, and Coolidge during the first building campaign on the property (roughly between 1910-1920), in collaboration with renowned Boston landscape architect Arthur Shurcliff who also designed the Grand Alle and is best known for designing Colonial Williamsburg and the Charles River Esplanade. The Trustees completed an extensive landscape restoration of the Alle in June 2012, which entailed the sustainable replanting of hundreds of trees, the restoration of statuary, and the refurbishing of an underground cistern and rainwater harvesting system.

The Casino restoration marks the final phase of this important project. After nearly a century in its seaside location, the building fabric and structural elements of the Casino suffered from exposure to the harsh elements, leading to a compromised structure that was eventually closed to the public in the 1990s. The original pool had been filled and topped with grass before The Trustees took ownership of the property. Since 1998, The Trustees have worked to restore many of the Casinos architectural and decorative elements, preserving as much of the original site materials as possible.

This past May, cultural resource experts embarked on planning for the restoration project, taking months to cull through original documents, drawings, photos and design plans to ensure accuracy and detail in design and execution. The Trustees have worked to uncover and restore the beautiful marble pavers and herringbone brick pathways framing the area, as well as restoring and reproducing statuary, urns, and other decorative elements that once adorned this elegant space so it can once more serve as an entertainment space on the property.

The restoration of the Alle and now the final pice de rsistance, the Casino serves as a living laboratory, modeling a thoughtful, sustainable stewardship approach while preserving the historic integrity of this important National Historic Landmark, adds Bob Murray, Northeast Operations Manager and Project Manager. The completion of this restoration project is another step forward in returning this iconic estate to its authentic state for all to experience and enjoy.

The Alle and Casino restoration projects have been undertaken in memory of the late David Crockett, a former member of The Trustees of Reservations Board of Governors and Ipswich resident whose tireless efforts on behalf of Castle Hill and the Crane Estate were critical in preserving the property. His commitment to the care of the Crane familys extraordinary gift to The Trustees set the standard by which the property has been and will continue to be managed in perpetuity.

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The Trustees of Reservations Announce Historic Preservation Milestone at Castle Hill on the Crane Estate, a National ...

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November 14th, 2014 8:00 am by Pat Kenney

KINGSPORT The TSSAA's proposed changes to the state's football classifications was approved on Thursday and with it comes some significant change for area high schools.

More travel is the common denominator for most, but that is the price for trying to find a more competitive balance among schools.

Dobyns-Bennett and Science Hill will be grouped in a 6A conference with Bearden, Bradley Central, Hardin Valley, Jefferson County, Maryville and William Blount.

"We think this will provide us with an outstanding regular-season schedule," said D-B athletic director Cary Daniels. "We'll add Tennessee High, Oak Ridge and Sevier County as our out of conference games.

"Our only concern is how the TSSAA will handle the playoffs," added Daniels. "It appears that the first two rounds of the playoffs would require us to travel to Murfreesboro and that could prove to be very costly."

With more than 4,000 season ticket holders, Daniels feels Dobyns-Bennett can comfortably make this transition.

"We're so fortunate to have so many loyal and dedicated fans," said Daniels. "A lot of people think that the school systems give schools money for sports. We survive on gate revenue, it's our life blood."

Sullivan North has been moved to Class 2A with Cosby, Cumberland Gap, Gatlinburg-Pittman, Hampton, Happy Valley, North Greene and South Greene.

Read the rest here:
New TSSAA classifications will change gridiron landscape in NET

While the country is busy dealing with military and economic challenges, a truck in Kyiv is freely hauling sand up to the top of a historic hill while tractor spreads it around.

This all is happening on Yurkovytsya, one of the hills Kyiv was founded on in the Middle Ages. Even though the territory is protected as a national historic site, thus forbidding construction there, private homes continue to be built on the crest.

"Here you see the cynical destruction of one the most ancient places in the world," activist Olena Yeskina says. "These are our legendary Kyiv hills, without which it is impossible to imagine our city."

A member of Kyivske Viche, a group that lobbies protection of Kyiv's historic sites, Yeskina says that the illegal construction on Yurkovytsya hill in the Lukyanivka neighborhood started soon after City Hall under former Mayor Leonid Chernovetskiy allocated several land plots on Otto Shmidt Street to private individuals in 2010.

Instead of putting up a kiosk, as stated in the title documents, one individual increased the officially allotted size of the plot from 10 to 30 acres and built a beige two-storey house with a cellar and an attic. His neighbor, meanwhile, erected a yellow colored two-storey mansion complete with a spire and surrounded it with a brick three-meter high wall. He also allegedly planned to seize more land, but activists prevented him. Both owners have denied any wrongdoing.

Meanwhile, archeologists have unearthed numerous artifacts there dating back centuries, including the Stone Age. A wooden cross mounted on the peak of the hill marks an old cemetery.

Luxurious houses have been built on Yurkovytsya hill, despite the legal ban on any construction activity here. Pavlo Podufalov

In 2012 activists managed to stop further construction on Yurkovytsya hill. However, on Nov. 3, when Yeskina and her colleagues came to monitor the situation, they saw a new fence and construction vehicles working inside. They were bringing in and smoothing out a mixture of sand and clay to enlarge a leveled area on the slope. Seeing the activists, a man came out from the house nearby and threatened them.

"When I asked him to introduce himself," Yeskina said, "He just turned around and hit me so hard that I flew several meters."

A video on Podil TV YouTube channel shows episodes of the Nov. 3 accident on Yurkovytsya hill when an unknown man hit Yeskina, an activist, after she asked him to introduce himself.

The rest is here:
Historic hill in Kyiv under threat as disputed construction continues

GWEN IFILL: Congress returned to Washington yesterday, along with a few dozen newly elected members.

The NewsHours Domenico Montanaro spoke with some of the newcomers as they learned how to navigate life on Capitol Hill.

DOMENICO MONTANARO: While the new Congress doesnt start until January, its newest members are in town this week for orientation, a kind of lawmaker boot camp.

Its a time of transition on Capitol Hill. One in eight congressional offices is getting a new boss, with a total of 70 new members coming in. Most of them are staying here in the Capitol Hill Hotel. For members of both parties, its a hectic time.

REP.-ELECT MIMI WALTERS, (R) California: Its been a whirlwind so far.

DOMENICO MONTANARO: New member Mimi Walters arrived Tuesday night and already has a long to-do list.

MIMI WALTERS: Theres so many people we have to meet. Theres so many things we have to get done. We have to hire our staff. We have to get our offices. We have to find a place to live. We have to get oriented with Washington, D.C.

WOMAN: Hi. How are you, sweetie?

DOMENICO MONTANARO: The California Republican was elected from a district some 2,600 miles away. We caught up with her while she was taking a look at potential office space.

MIMI WALTERS: Oh, my gosh, these offices are so small.

Excerpt from:
Newcomers learn to navigate life on Capitol Hill

By custom, felling a hawthorn was thought to bring bad luck, so lone trees in the landscape may be very old. Photograph: Maria Nunzia/@Varvera

The hawthorn stands on Windmill Hill between Much Wenlock and Shadwell quarry. In the low November sun the tree glows blood red. Its berries, haws, crowd thick on its boughs and shine like little apples. There is no other tree in the area so laden with fruit, so vivid and so prominent in the landscape. Its shape is dense and squat, and it stands apart on the crest of the hill.

The hawthorn may be as old, if not older, than the stone tower of the windmill, which was first mentioned in local records in 1714 and which stopped like a clock when struck by lightning in 1850.

In old myths hawthorns were believed to have been seeded by lightning, and fires of hawthorn wood burned in magic rituals, weddings and funerals from ancient Greece to Scandinavia.

The wood also made the blocks used for chopping off heads. In many rural cultures it was considered deeply unlucky to cut down a hawthorn, and lone trees scattered around the countryside are much older than they appear.

It is possible that a special hawthorn grew on this hill hundreds of years ago and that it was a meeting place. Hawthorns marked moots, or assemblies to decide issues of local importance and manorial courts. This one may still be a moot point something arguable, undecided, contested, its original function lost generations ago.

Older than living memory, this tree or the one it is descended from, is as full of secrets as it is berries. Hawthorns that stand out like this one have been associated with the underworld and its supernatural inhabitants, the fairies, pixies and elves. At the moment the meadow on the hill is inhabited by bright yellow waxcap mushrooms, which also seem supernatural.

Burning bright red on this little hill of Wenlock limestone, the hawthorn draws the imagination into such a place of wonders. It waits to be used to drive out evil spirits, protect babies and houses, cure rheumatism, warts and toothache. It has waited a long time. But perhaps without all the symbolism and superstition it is free to be itself and waits, as it has every year, to be feasted on by birds.

Twitter: @DrPaulEvans1

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Burning red the hawthorn brings to mind moots and magic rituals

SPRING HILL A week after city residents voted to allow wine in grocery stores, Spring Hills city council is now debating whether or not to change the amount of liquor licenses it distributes based on population.

Currently, the law states the city can issue one liquor license per 5,000 people. The proposed amendment could raise that limit to 10,000.

This is something liquor store owners, like Randy Wilkes, of Station Wine and Spirits, is in favor of, because he said it gives businesses like his time to adjust to the new law and face the inevitable competition of chain stores.

With the law that just passed on this past Tuesday, the four mom-and-pop retail stores in Spring Hill are now going to be competing with some of the largest retailers in America, he said.

Spring Hills population is around 31,000. If the amendment passes, no new license will be distributed unless it grows to 50,000.

During Monday nights work session, council members seemed split on the issue. Some claimed the measure would prevent larger stores that could accommodate more products like mixers, glasses and other bar-related accessories. Others, like Alderman Amy Wurth opposed the change because she felt it contradicts the idea of a free market and other opportunities for growth within the city.

Im not going to support this. Were trying to limit competition within our city and I dont know why, Wurth said. I dont know if its because wine in grocery stores passed or we dont want any more competition. Its just against every core principle I have.

Vice Mayor Bruce Hull said he feels limiting the liquor market to four stores isnt hurting anybody. He also said despite the idea of Spring Hill having a free market, it already puts bans and restrictions on certain businesses within the city.

Im good with the 10,000. I think it should be as high as we can legally make it. And we do restrict a free market in this city. We have a ban on any type of sex businesses, strip clubs, anything like that. Theyre not allowed in the city, Hull said. If we could, I think we should ban all cash-advance places. I think they prey on poor people.

Alderman Eliot Mitchell also agrees the board should pick a number that makes sense and said the laws are in place because it is both a safety issue and the concept of a liquor store on every corner directly affects property values as well.

Continue reading here:
Liquor license by population could increase in Spring Hill

Richmond, VA (PRWEB) November 10, 2014

Timmons Groups landscape architecture team, led by Scott Wiley and Lu Gay Lanier, won the Jefferson Avenue Pocket Park Design Competition held this fall. The pocket park, an existing undeveloped green space, is located along a major gateway corridor of the Church Hill and Union Hill communities. The competition was hosted by 3HC, the junior board of The Better Housing Coalition, who teamed with The Enrichmond Foundation and Friends of Jefferson Park to beautify and transform the park into a cherished, environmentally friendly community space.

Participants of the competition were encouraged to address community input, shared community space, low maintenance practices, history, aesthetics, and environmental sustainability into their design concepts. Wiley and Lanier addressed each of these in their Two Hill Park design, created to celebrate the rich history of the two adjacent communities through respect and stewardship of the natural environment, while preserving valuable green space for future generations. The design offered a low maintenance, native and adaptive plant palette, and a balance of hardscape materials and green space to encourage a variety of activities.

The park is a unique, historic space within the City that has the potential to truly compliment the surrounding homes and businesses, said Wiley. It is inspirational to see the commitment of 3HC and their community partners for supporting, establishing, and maintaining this park for the future of Church Hill and Union Hill. I am honored to have been selected and am looking forward to seeing the design of Two Hill Park come to life.

A local jury consisting of Better Housing Coalition staff, planning commission and urban design commission members, and other civic leaders first narrowed down entries to five finalists that best addressed the major points of consideration. The final voting was open to the public on the evening of October 30, 2014. Over the next year, initiatives will be taken to finalize the design and gain approval from the City. Fundraising is an ongoing effort for the park and once the design is approved, the project is anticipated for construction in late 2015, or early 2016.

About Timmons Group Timmons Group is a multi-disciplined engineering and technology firm recognized for nearly twenty years as one of Engineering News Records (ENR) Top 500 Design Firms in the country. The firm provides economic development, civil engineering, environmental, GIS/geospatial technology, landscape architecture, and surveying services to a diverse client base. Headquartered in Richmond, Virginia, Timmons Group has regional offices throughout Virginia and North Carolina. For more information, visit http://www.timmons.com.

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Timmons Groups Landscape Architects Win Design Competition

Now that the new political landscape is set Washington, president Obama called a bi-partisan luncheon yesterday to discuss upcoming issues that Capitol Hill will face over the next two years. In attendance of the lunch was South Dakota senator john Thune, who took the president's attempt at meeting with house and senate republicans as sincere. This is promising news to our senator as hopefully this means there will be more discussion, more compromise, and more legislation passed in the final two years of Obamas presidency. Well it's always a little bit about optics as you know in Washington, but I appreciate the fact that the President was reaching out to Senate and House republicans and democrats, it was a Bi-Partisan meeting. But I think he wants to try and create the conditions and a foundation of trust in order for us to get some things done said Thune.

Thune went on to say that in order for the republican majority leaders, and the democratic president to work together, that may hinge on Obama not using as much executive action to bypass congresses approval.

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Senator Thune Discusses New Political Landscape in Washington

There are others who are feeling sufficiently emboldened to come forward to tell their stories of sexual harassment on Parliament Hill.

Or, more accurately, there were others emboldened to come forward but as they survey the landscape of three explosive days in Ottawa, one fears the chill returning.

Heres the damage as the House of Commons takes a much-needed week-long break after the tumult of last week.

Two Liberals MPs, their careers likely ruined.

Two men denying guilt, but already deemed guilty in the court of public opinion.

Two NDP MPs, feeling, according to their colleagues, victimized a second time.

Genuine anger from the NDP directed at Liberal leader Justin Trudeau.

Four days out of Ottawa and the questions one hears are corrosive, but understandable.

Who made the allegations? What did these guys do?

Itll be the question lingering in every federal riding this week.

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NDP pushback against Justin Trudeau politicizes sexual harassment: Tim Harper