Traffic gets heavy during commuter hours on Route 7 near where a contractors yard is proposed. This is early evening looking south. The proposed development would be on the east side of Route 7, to the left. Macklin Reid photo

A year after Ergotech withdrew plans for a light manufacturing facility on Route 7, bowing out in the face of neighborhood opposition, the three-acre site bordering The Regency at Ridgefield condominium complex has been proposed for development as a facility that contractors could work out of and store construction equipment.

Multi-unit contractors yard is the description of the proposed use in an application to the Planning and Zoning Commission by Larry Leary Development LLC, longtime owner of the site.

Its a base of operations for a contractor, with a place for supplies and equipment, said Town Planner Betty Brosius, describing the plans. Youll get plumbers, electricians, landscape companies and other type of specialty trucks whoever needs a garage space and a little bit of office space and a restroom, and they store the trucks and equipment and apparatus.

The commission accepted the application last week, and scheduled the proposal for a public hearing on Wednesday, Nov. 5. The commissions usual Tuesday evening meeting is pushed back a day that week, because Nov. 4 is Election Day.

The property is on the east side of Route 7, a little south of the intersection of Route 35, directly across from Little Pond. The development site of a little less than three acres is wedged between Route 7 and the 73-unit Regency complex, which is to the east and north of the commercially zoned Leary property. The Regency condominiums are at a considerably higher elevation than the Route 7 frontage of the site, where development of the contractors yard is planned.

The site improvement includes four buildings containing multiple contractor units and the driving and parking areas to support the four structures, John McCoy of JFM Engineering wrote in the application for Leary Development.

In a pre-submission concept discussion with the commission, Mr. McCoy described the plans as a contractors yard with rental units for equipment and possible outdoor storage for equipment in parking spaces.

Four buildings totaling more than 13,000 square feet and containing a total of 14 units, are described in the application, with a parking area to accommodate 36 cars or trucks.

The development plans show two front buildings off Route 7, each two and one-half stories with three contractors units and 2,887 square feet of space. Behind those are two more buildings, one and one-half stories high, each with four contractors units and 3,841 square feet of space.

Original post:
Contractors yard planned on Route 7

SOUTH Lismore is set to become a home repair hot-spot after Bunnings got the go-ahead for a $5 million improvement to its existing store that will roughly coincide with the opening of a new $11.5 million Masters Home Improvement store, right next door.

The new look Bunnings will have an extended timber trade sales yard and nursery, while the general warehouse will also be expanded to include kitchen and bathroom displays, Bunnings chief operating officer Peter Davis said.

"We have been part of the Lismore community since 2001 and we're looking forward to bringing an even better store," he said.

"As part of the expansion the total store area will grow to almost 10,000 square metres.

"The existing building materials and landscape yard will be fully enclosed to create a weather proof timber trade sales area, a canopy will be added over the nursery and extra covered floor space will allow for a wider range of products," he said.

The expansion is expected to be complete by early 2015 and will include implementation a number of energy and water saving design features.

Bunnings will continue trading through the upgrade period.

Late last year the Council approved a new $11.5 million Masters Home Improvement store, now under construction next to the Bunnings store on Bruxner Highway, south of Three Chain Road.

The Masters store will be 10,000 square metres in size and create more than 250 retail and construction jobs.

The store is due to be open a few months after Xmas.

Read more:
Bunnings announces $5m expansion to Lismore hardware store

By Sean Star

Reporter-Herald Sports Writer

Change is inevitable. And depending on the new landscape, it can be good or bad.

For the Fort Collins football team dropping down a classification this year to 4A, change has been nothing but positive.

For a Loveland squad that lost nearly all significant contributors from last year's state quarterfinal team, change has made this fall a rebuilding year.

Thursday night at Patterson Stadium, the two programs continued to trend in opposite directions as fifth-ranked Fort Collins breezed its way to a 37-14 victory.

The Lambkins (5-0) jumped all over the Indians right from the start, forcing LHS to go three-and-out on its first four possessions. On the other side of the ball, FCHS scored on its first offensive play when wide receiver Kielar Harpham took a reverse 35 yards to the house.

Fort Collins added two more touchdowns in the first quarter and another score just before halftime to go up 27-0 at the break.

Senior Jake Weinmaster was a bright spot for the now 1-4 Indians, rushing five times for 95 yards and coming up with two interceptions. The senior LHS linebacker/running back broke a 73-yard run early in the second half to set up the Indians first score, a 6-yard toss by Ayden Eberhardt to Charles Dunkelman.

But by then, the Lambkins were already comfortably ahead after they took the opening drive of the third quarter 78 yards in 11 plays to go up 34-0.

Read more:
Young Loveland team falls to undefeated Fort Collins

As of Aug. 15, smoking has been banned in Harvard Yard.

Over a month after Harvard banned the use of all forms of tobacco in the Yard, Harvard staff and students said that the implementation of the ban has been smooth, with its impact localized to a few areas.

According to Maureen McCarthy, manager of Harvard Yard and the freshman dormitories, the University has been enforcing the smoking ban similarly to the way it enforces the ban against biking through the Yard. Staff members, including members of Securitas and Yard Operations, approach smokers and ask them to either desist or leave the Yard.

McCarthy said she has not heard any reports about hostile or uncooperative responses from either students or tourists.

Were not really aggressively implementing it, but people slowly learn that its a policy, and they get the word out, she said.

Students interviewed around the Yard this week said that they were aware of the ban and pleased it is in place, though many also noted that they had not found issue with smokers in the Yard before the prohibition was put in place Aug. 15.

I think its probably a good thing, but its never been a problem, Caroline L. Ferguson 17, a Crimson sports editor, said of the ban. If I was around people smoking I think itd probably bother me, but I didnt notice before that it was [a problem].

According to McCarthy, although smokers in the Yard were not considered a huge issue before the ban, there were certain locations in the Yard that were popular for smokers. At locations such as Widener Gate, the steps of Lamont Library, and entryway D of Wigglesworth Hall, cigarette butts posed a cleanup problem for landscape maintenance staff members.

According to the University Department of Health Promotion and Education, the ban was put in place to ensure a safe, healthy environment for people to walk, study, be active, [and] engage with each other.

Student smokers interviewed for this story said that the ban has made smoking more inconvenient and prompted them to change where they smoke, but it has not promoted any broad lifestyle changes.

Go here to read the rest:
Month in, Yard Official Says Smoking Ban Implementation Smooth

Ben Roethlisberger threw two third-quarter touchdown passes to wide receiver Antonio Brown, and the Pittsburgh Steelers used a key play on special teams to ward off the Carolina Panthers 37-19 Sunday night at Bank of America Stadium.

All three of the quarterback's touchdown passes this season went to Brown.

Both teams are 2-1.

The Panthers' eight-game regular-season home winning streak ended, with hundreds of towel-waving Steelers fans in the crowd dominating the scene in the waning minutes.

Pittsburgh running back Le'Veon Bell rushed for 147 yards on 21 carries. Steelers running back LeGarrette Blount scored the last touchdown on an 8-yard run, and he finished with 118 yards on 10 attempts.

Roethlisberger completed 22 of 30 passes for 196 yards with no interceptions. Carolina quarterback Cam Newton was 24-for-35 for 250 yards and a touchdown with no interceptions. He didn't play the last series.

A third-quarter turnover set up the game's first touchdown and helped Pittsburgh pull away.

Linebacker Jarvis Jones' sack of Newton dislodged the ball, and linebacker Jason Worilds recovered at the Carolina 17.

The Steelers appeared to be headed toward their fourth field goal, but the Panthers jumped offside. On the next play, Roethlisberger hit Brown with a 7-yard touchdown toss.

Roethlisberger and Brown connected on another 7-yard touchdown play with 2:22 to go in the third quarter. That came after Bell's 81-yard dash on a second-and-22 play altered the landscape.

The rest is here:
Roethlisberger, Steelers roll past Panthers

CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Ben Roethlisberger threw two third-quarter touchdown passes to wide receiver Antonio Brown, and the Pittsburgh Steelers used a key play on special teams to ward off the Carolina Panthers 37-19 Sunday night at Bank of America Stadium.

All three of the quarterback's touchdown passes this season went to Brown.

Both teams are 2-1.

The Panthers' eight-game regular-season home winning streak ended, with hundreds of towel-waving Steelers fans in the crowd dominating the scene in the waning minutes.

Pittsburgh running back Le'Veon Bell rushed for 147 yards on 21 carries. Steelers running back LeGarrette Blount scored the last touchdown on an 8-yard run, and he finished with 118 yards on 10 attempts.

Roethlisberger completed 22 of 30 passes for 196 yards with no interceptions. Carolina quarterback Cam Newton was 24-for-35 for 250 yards and a touchdown with no interceptions. He didn't play the last series.

A third-quarter turnover set up the game's first touchdown and helped Pittsburgh pull away.

Linebacker Jarvis Jones' sack of Newton dislodged the ball, and linebacker Jason Worilds recovered at the Carolina 17.

The Steelers appeared to be headed toward their fourth field goal, but the Panthers jumped offside. On the next play, Roethlisberger hit Brown with a 7-yard touchdown toss.

Roethlisberger and Brown connected on another 7-yard touchdown play with 2:22 to go in the third quarter. That came after Bell's 81-yard dash on a second-and-22 play altered the landscape.

The rest is here:
Big Ben to Brown works again as Steelers put down Panthers

CHARLOTTE, N.C. -

Ben Roethlisberger threw two third-quarter touchdown passes to wide receiver Antonio Brown, and the Pittsburgh Steelers used a key play on special teams to ward off the Carolina Panthers 37-19 Sunday night at Bank of America Stadium.

All three of the quarterback's touchdown passes this season went to Brown.

Both teams are 2-1.

The Panthers' eight-game regular-season home winning streak ended, with hundreds of towel-waving Steelers fans in the crowd dominating the scene in the waning minutes.

Pittsburgh running back Le'Veon Bell rushed for 147 yards on 21 carries. Steelers running back LeGarrette Blount scored the last touchdown on an 8-yard run, and he finished with 118 yards on 10 attempts.

Roethlisberger completed 22 of 30 passes for 196 yards with no interceptions. Carolina quarterback Cam Newton was 24-for-35 for 250 yards and a touchdown with no interceptions. He didn't play the last series.

A third-quarter turnover set up the game's first touchdown and helped Pittsburgh pull away.

Linebacker Jarvis Jones' sack of Newton dislodged the ball, and linebacker Jason Worilds recovered at the Carolina 17.

The Steelers appeared to be headed toward their fourth field goal, but the Panthers jumped offside. On the next play, Roethlisberger hit Brown with a 7-yard touchdown toss.

Read more from the original source:
Pittsburgh receiver Antonio Brown catches two touchdowns

By Lynn Underwood

Star Tribune (Minneapolis)

When Erika Benson and Mike Peterson bought their 1920s Tudor home, the backyard was mostly an English-style garden filled with roses, dahlias and other flowers that required time-consuming care.

"They were beautiful -- but not for our lifestyle," says Benson.

The couple wanted an all-season landscape instead, with low-maintenance grasses, perennials, shrubs and evergreens. "We liked the soothing and calming feel of evergreens," says Benson, "and they have winter interest."

The couple also wanted to create a more attractive and welcoming backyard with seating and a grilling area. When they bought this Minneapolis home, the only space for sitting was a concrete slab right next to the house, one that absorbed heat and radiated a lot of it in summer.

A few months after moving in, the couple dug out the gardens and removed some messy crab-apple trees to create a blank slate. Then they called in landscape designer Daryl Melquist of the Minneapolis firm Landscaping by Bachman's.

Benson and Peterson had been considering a deck off the back door. But they realized a raised platform would give them less privacy.

Instead, Melquist designed a curvy 15- by 20-foot paver patio with two defined areas -- one for a dining table and chairs, the other for a sitting area or "coffee corner," splitting the functions with a walkway to the detached garage.

They mixed hand-cut cobblestone-style concrete pavers of different sizes and colors and used dark brown pavers to create a decorative border that accentuates the shape of the patio. "It creates a little more expense, because of the cutting time, but the look is well worth it," says landscape designer Daryl Melquist.

Read more from the original source:
Goodbye, yardwork; hello, coffee cup

By Melinda Myers

You can see and feel the change of seasons. Fall color is starting to appear, pansies, mums and asters are in the garden center and your thoughts are turning to preparing your landscape for winter.

Those in warm climates are switching to winter annuals, while those in colder regions are fortifying their landscapes for the cold winter ahead. No matter where you live, invest some time in preparing your landscape for the change in seasons. Dedicating some time now will pay off with healthier more beautiful plants next spring.

Continue to mow the lawn high as long as it continues to grow. Theres no need to cut it short unless that is the look you prefer.

Fertilize the grass with a low nitrogen slow release fertilizer. Fall fertilization provides the greatest benefit to your lawn and gives you the best value for the time and money invested.

Those in cooler regions growing bluegrass, fescue and perennial ryegrass should make a final application between Halloween and Thanksgiving before the ground freezes.

Those in warmer climates growing centipede, Bermuda and zoysia should also fertilize around Labor Day. However, be sure to make the last fall application at least one month prior to the average first killing frost.

Shred leaves as they fall. Leave some on the lawn to add organic matter and nutrients to the soil. As long as you can see the grass blades through the shredded leaves your lawn will be fine.

Use the rest of the shredded leaves in your compost pile, as mulch on top of the soil or as a soil amendment. Just dig a two to three inch layer into the top 12 inches of annual or new planting beds. These leaves will break down and add organic matter. By spring the leaves will decompose and the garden bed will be ready to cultivate and plant.

Plant a few bulbs now for a colorful early spring display. Incorporate compost, aged manure or other organic matter into the planting area. Add a low nitrogen slow release fertilizer at the time of planting. In general, plant bulbs two to three times their vertical diameter deep. Follow specific planting and spacing directions on the package or tag.

Read the rest here:
Important to get yard ready for winter

DALLAS An Earth-Kind Landscape Design and Management School will be held Oct. 3-5 in Building E of the Texas A&M Research and Extension Center, 17360 Coit Road in Dallas.

An Earth-Kind Landscape Design and Management School led by Dr. Steven George will be held Oct. 3-5 in Building E of the Texas A&M AgriLife Research and Extension Center in Dallas. (Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service photo by Jeff Floyd)

Extended, personalized design consultations will be given a few weeks after the program, said Dr. Steve George, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service landscape specialist. George is the creator of the Earth-Kind Environmental Landscape Management System and will serve as lead instructor in addition to conducting the personalized post-program design consultations.

Class times for the program will be from 6-9:30 p.m. Oct. 3, from 9 a.m.-9 p.m. Oct. 4 and from 9 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Oct. 5.

During this unique educational experience, you will learn how to design, plant, and manage a landscape that is beautiful, low maintenance, drought tolerant and the ultimate in environmental responsibility, George said.

He said the course will be presented in a time and travel efficient format, and will consist of in-depth classroom instruction, an outdoor laboratory session, a field trip to tour Earth-Kind plant trials and a personalized 1.5 hour landscape design consultation to be given a few weeks after the program.

George said no prior plant, design or landscape management knowledge is needed, and those attending the school will learn how to:

Design, plant, and manage a beautiful, low-maintenance, environmentally responsible landscape.

Work with Mother Nature to protect homes and communities.

Reduce irrigation use in landscape beds by 70 percent, and totally eliminate fertilizers and harsh pesticides on the plants, as well as reduce the amount of pruning needed.

Read the rest here:
Earth-Kind Landscape Design and Management School slated for Oct. 3-5 in Dallas