Details Published on Tuesday, 19 August 2014 09:23

Pic: NSTKUALA LUMPUR: PANDAN Perdana residents are outraged by the felling of trees in the project to redevelop Pandan Lake Club in Jalan Perdana 3/10, here.

Wong Seng Hong said two old trees, which had provided shade for visitors in the park, were cut down on Sunday.

The project developer had put up a notice banner stating that landscape works for the redevelopment project would start on Aug 21.

However, we found out that work has already begun.

This morning (yesterday), when I went to the lake for my daily exercise, the trees were no longer standing. They had also not cleaned up after the job and the tree trunks and branches were still lying there. This could lead to Aedes breeding.

We believe that the trees were felled at night, said Wong.

He said that the trees were believed to be over 30 years old.

A council officer confirmed that no application for landscape works was received.

While we are not against the project, we want the developer to follow the proper procedures and guidelines set by the authorities, he said.

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Trees Felled Without Permission

WASHINGTON The balance of power in the job market is shifting slowly toward employees from employers.

Bob Funk sees it firsthand from his position as chief executive officer of staffing agency Express Employment Professionals.

Were short of people in a number of cities, he said.

So hes changing the focus of his $2.5 billion, Oklahoma City business. Instead of concentrating on finding jobs for those who want them, Express Employment is putting more effort into finding workers for companies that need them.

Were back in the recruiting market again, Funk said.

The 74-year-old industry veteran isnt the only one to notice the change. Americans who have been hunting for employment for more than six months are finding theyre having better luck landing a job, while people who had given up looking are returning to the labor force to resume their search.

Companies, meanwhile, are beefing up their in-house recruiting teams and increasingly using complicated computer algorithms to scour the Web for prospective job candidates.

This is all good news for the economy, according to Nariman Behravesh, the Lexington, Massachusetts, chief economist for IHS Inc. He said the United States has entered a virtuous cycle where job gains are leading to increased household expenditures, encouraging employers to hire more workers.

Consumer spending rose in June by the most in three months, according to Commerce Department data published Aug. 1.

The expansion is self-reinforcing and is very solid, Behravesh said. Growth of around 3 percent, plus or minus, is well within the cards for the remainder of this year and much of next year.

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Employers seeing tighter labor pool

Additional funding needed to proceed on schedule

By Ashley Mackin As construction resumes on the Childrens Pool lifeguard tower after a minor delay due to a seagull chick that was nesting there so does fundraising for the Childrens Pool Walk beautification project.

Spearheaded by La Jollan Phyllis Minick and designed by landscape architect Jim Neri, the project would widen the sidewalk overlooking Childrens Pool, add a new gazebo and seating, and replace old planters to cover the crumbling walls. Having raised the original estimate of $250,000, higher than expected assessment costs and review fees have upped the price tag by an additional $80,000.

To save costs on the privately funded project, work would need to be done concurrent to lifeguard tower construction, so crews can take advantage of street closures and work permits already in place.

Although assessments and reviews by the city took longer than planned pushing back any possible start date for the beautification project the seagull chick nesting at the tower site also delayed construction, June 2 to Aug. 4.

Monica Muoz, senior public information officer for San Diego Public Works Department explained that including the demolition, construction is expected to take eight months, with only light interior work occurring during this years harbor seal pupping season (Dec. 15, 2014 to May 15, 2015). The date of completion is being negotiated with the contractor hired by the city.

However, the city expects the tower to be operational by summer 2015. Muoz said it is possible the city incurred additional costs with the delay and wont be able to determine how much until the project is complete. The towers pricetag is estimated at $3.25 million.

With that schedule in mind, Neri said the Childrens Pool Walk project would need to be ready for construction by March 1. That would mean having permits secured and construction drawings approved by the city, a contractor signed up and ready to begin work, and all the necessary funding in hand.

He said any work that does not involve physical labor at the site such as city paperwork or the search for a contractor could occur during the pupping season.

However, with the total amount being higher than expected, Neri said extra funding will be needed, and his team is hoping to only use private dollars.

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La Jollas Childrens Pool Walk project short $80,000

Atlanta, Georgia (PRWEB) August 15, 2014

For more than two decades, Reynolds Plantation has been building a modern oasis in Central Georgia. In April 2014, this award winning Lake Oconee real estate development received another significant award. The Merit Award was for The Infinity Pool at the Lake Club overlooking the lake. Why are swimming pools important today as an amenity in master-planned communities? According to the American College of Sports Medicine Conference, research shows that habitual swimmers are biologically 20 years younger than their actual age. As aging Baby Boomers continue to search for the fountain of youth, swimming is expected to grow in popularity.

Reynolds Plantation amenities include not only one, but six beautiful swimming pools inside the gated community. The most impressive is The Infinity Pool at the Lake Club which received the Merit Award from the Tri-State American Society of Landscape Architects. This award recognized the unique qualities of the Lake Clubs Infinity Pool by integrating the Lake Oconee view experience, and taking advantage of the hillside by creating a reflective upper terrace pool and a lower cascade pool. At or near The Lake Clubs infinity pool is the communitys 38,000 square foot state-of-the-art fitness center, 6 championship golf courses, 16 tennis courts and 21 miles of walking trails throughout the Lake Oconee real estate development.

For some, swimming is more than just a "dip in the pool". Research shows swimming as one of the most favored exercise activities for those of over 40 who choose a more passive form of exercise with less impact. Swimming helps improve the heart, ward off disease and helps burn fat, trim inches while lowering blood pressure and cholesterol levels. It is not only a great form of cardiovascular exercise, but it also offers excellent muscle conditioning as well.

For women, the benefits can be significant. Women who swim 30 minutes a day could reduce their chance of coronary disease by 30 to 40%. Additionally, every kick and arm stroke involved in swimming becomes a resistance exercise and will also help build muscle tone and strength in each and every movement. As women age, it is imperative to continue to resist muscle loss to keep the metabolism active and to also ward off the weight gain associated with aging.

Research supports that even an easy swim burns around 500 calories an hour while an aggressive hour of swimming can burn up to 700 calories. Even as a novice, starting slowly with even a 15 minute swim will burn 125 calories. Remember, this is a total body low impact workout that involves the incorporation of multiple muscle groups including the core (belly).

For kids, The Village at The Landing has a beach entry family pool with 160 foot waterside and water features. Reynolds Plantation amenities provide plenty of low impact opportunities like swimming to improve health and wellbeing. Whether residents prefer a warm swim in the indoor pool at The Lake Club or a refreshing swim overlooking Lake Oconee, Reynolds Plantation has something for everyone. The community is also known for award winning inspirational architecture.

Take a peek at Reynolds Plantation homes

To learn more about this award winning Lake Oconee real estate development, contact Reynolds Plantation direct at 706.467.1133.

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A Modern Oasis - Reynolds Plantation Amenity on Lake Oconee Wins Merit Award

The springboard to a top-class swimming pool

6:00pm Wednesday 13th August 2014 in News By Alex Wynick, Reporter covering Blackbird Leys and Greater Leys. Call me on 01865 425403

RESIDENTS are counting down to the grand opening of Blackbird Leys new swimming pool in four months.

Our exclusive pictures show progress on the 9.23m extension to Oxford City Councils Blackbird Leys Leisure Centre, Pegasus Road.

Contractors began work in July last year on the 18-month project with a new sports pavilion and are on target to finish in December.

The development will have an eight-lane, 25-metre pool with moveable floor, teaching pool, soft play area and new changing facilities.

Blackbird Leys Parish Council chairman Gordon Roper said: I think everybody thats gone in and seen it has realised what a wonderful building it is.

This is something that Oxford has been lacking for years. It will be a benefit to Oxford and the villages around it.

The development will replace Temple Cowley Pools and the existing Blackbird Leys Pool, to close in December.

Building work on the site was delayed by a year due to legal challenges, including two judicial reviews.

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The springboard to a top-class swimming pool

BEYOND the beautiful landscape of Kembali Coast in Island Garden City of Samal, lies a tropical cradle for one of natures many delightful secrets.

Kembali Coast is a high class leisure residential development in the Davao Region and a potential tourist destination in Barangay San Isidro, Kaputian District of Samal Island. With Filinvest as its land developer, this exclusive and secured area is a property located within the Agro-Tourism Zone of Samal, and categorized as a farm land subdivision. It is not open to the public.

A tropical beachfront paradise, it is equipped with the essentials for a peaceful, relaxing and ultimate luxury island living, Balinese style. Along its palm-fringed 1.8 kilometer stretch of white sand shoreline, developments are still taking place for more first class amenities facing a panoramic view of Talikud Island and tranquil waters great for aqua sport activities. Beside its clubhouse, an infinity pool is almost done. Huge trees provide good shade and shelter for several bird species belting out musically.

We went with good friend Gerry Evangelista, one of early homeowners whose cliff lots are atop the highest elevation (200 feet above sea level), affording a breathtaking view of the sea but conveniently accessible to the beach promenade for morning exercises. An invitation was extended to us by Project Development Consultant Hitoshi Onozawa to experience what he and his staff were lucky to have witnessed in the past five years.

It turns out that the attractive sea front is home to several green sea turtles (Cheloniamydas) that crawl in at night and dig in the sands to bury their eggs. Commonly known in Filipino as the pawikan, an adult green sea turtle can grow up to 4 feet, and are the largest hard-shelled sea turtles found. These herbivores eat algae and sea grasses, which are thought to account for its green fat in the body. Native to the Philippines, the biggest protected area and major nesting ground is in Tawi-Tawi, co-protected by neighboring Malaysia.

Sadly, it is listed in CITES as Endangered in the Philippine List of Threatened Wildlife Species.

Together with few other guests from Filinvest, we witnessed in delight the release of twenty hatchlings that awkwardly scampered for survival towards the sea. Many of them will brave predators and a few lucky ones will survive to live for years. A few will come back on this shore to leave their offspring behind, another fresh batch that strives to continue with the propagation of its beautiful, gentle species.

After a relaxing day in the clubhouse, we finally walked towards the dock, ready to go home to mainland Davao in a matter of 10 minutes by speed boat. We now know how these turtles regard Kembali a Balinese word that means both welcome and come back with love. It is a safe haven to call home.

Published in the Sun.Star Davao newspaper on August 14, 2014.

Originally posted here:
Kembalis Nature Secrets

Turtle Beach Resort at Mermaid Beach has just spent $1 million on a new Splash Zone waterpark.

The setting

Mermaid Beach is centrally located in a quieter part of the Gold Coast, a short drive south of Surfers Paradise and Broadbeach mall, close to Jupiters Casino and Pacific Fair Shopping Centre.

The space

Turtle Beach Resort at Mermaid Beach has just spent $1 million on a new Splash Zone waterpark.

Turtle Beach Resort is just off the Gold Coast Highway. The view from the entrance doesnt give you the full picture of just how massive this place is.

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There are 298 apartments spread over four hectares of tropical landscape. Pools, spas and waterslides seem to pop up around every corner - there are four separate swimming areas including a lap pool.

There are nine barbecues, a gym, kids club, tennis court, putt putt, games rooms, indoor cinema, two playgrounds and a convenience store. The main attraction is a new $1 million "splash zone", an impressive water park with four water slides, two toddler slides, water cannons, a giant dumping bucket and a big screen television.

Turtle Beach Resort at Mermaid Beach has just spent $1 million on a new Splash Zone waterpark.

Continued here:
Weekend away: Turtle Beach Resort, Gold Coast

Hotel Fakeout Photos

Above, The Hotel Pelicanos Grand Beach Resort leaves much to the imagination, excluding its beach from its website's marketing. Oyster.com's hotel expert, Jennifer Garfinkel, told travelers, "When you're looking at photos, be suspicious about what they're not showing you."

The Hotel Pelicanos Grand Beach Resort

A view of the same hotel's beach, showing its portion of the beach, the water and the hotel's wall. The hotel admitted later that its "Grand Beach" was less than grand because it had been swept away by hurricanes 10 years ago.

Oyster.com

Above, Las Conchas Chinas boasts spectacular views from its hotel lobby.

Las Conchas Chinas

Here is the same shot at Las Conchas Chinas, in person. Oyster.com's hotel expert, Jennifer Garfinkel, noted, "If you see those bright blues and greens and pinks, and everything's popping, you just need to realize that it's not going to be quite that bright when you arrive."

Oyster.com

On the hotel's website, a viewer can see the appeal of Hotel Portonovo's pool with an equally appealing landscape.

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Photos: Oyster's Hotel Photo Fakeouts

Breathtaking landscape and simple village life simply refreshing.

OUR 1,445km road trip began at 6 oclock on a sunny Saturday morning mid-July.

The journey required two days drive, departing from the east of Holland and heading towards Tuscany.

We aimed to cover 900km on the first day, driving on the German and Austrian autobahns (highways) and making pitstops every two to three hours along the way.

We arrived in Sterzing, the Austrian-speaking part of Italy around five in the afternoon, in a town called Vipiteno where we spent the night at a bed-and-breakfast inn frequented by travellers from northern Europe heading for holidays in the south.

The second day on the road was mapped out to be a more relaxing drive, as we were only about 500km from our ultimate destination a villa in Arsicci, a very small Appenine village in Tuscany situated at about 850m above sea level.

We arrived there at around 5 oclock in the afternoon, long before sunset that happens around 10 in the evening in the summer in these parts of the world.

For a family group with four couples and five children in total, we rented a seven-bedroom villa for one week.

The three-level stone farmhouse included a 5,000sq m private wooded park, a swimming pool, childrens playroom, recreation room with a bar, dance floor and a platform for a band.

It was absolutely beyond our expectations.

Originally posted here:
Tuscany the beautiful

Photos by Borst Landscape & Design

The Kaiser family's Ho-Ho-Kus home after landscaping. Others are adding fireplaces and even TVs.

In the past few years, members of the Kaiser family have radically transformed the back yard of their Ho-Ho-Kus home, starting with a patio, a deck and a built-in barbecue.

Drainage projects came next, followed by additional plantings, exterior lighting and, finally, a full-sized pool.

The home before the landscaping.

"My husband likes to grill and I like not to cook," said Michelle Kaiser, who said their three teenagers adore the pool and their extended family from the city loves to visit the great outdoors. "As the years have gone by, we've been able to make it into the space that we really love and really can use."

Creating outdoor living spaces is one of the hottest trends in landscape architecture, local and national experts say.

"There is a real focus on the exterior of your home," said Mark Borst, owner of Allendale-based Borst Landscape & Design, which did the project on the Kaiser home. "It's almost like creating a different room for your house. It's about the barbecue, outdoor rooms that have a roof but open sides, a fireplace. There are outdoor TVs with surround sound. Everything you think of normally having inside is creeping outside."

The American Society of Landscape Architects 2014 trends survey found that 92 percent of those professionals surveyed indicated that outdoor kitchens and living areas were somewhat or very popular. Also ranking high were lighting; fire pits or fireplaces; and installed seating, including benches, walls, steps, ledges and boulders.

While good landscaping can improve the value of your home, most people caution that you're not going to get a dollar-for-dollar return.

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Outdoor living alters landscape