Each year, catastrophic wildfires threaten many Washington homes, businesses and open lands, but residents can take steps to protect themselves and their communities.

This year, the governors of Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Nevada, Utah, and California have joined together to proclaim May as Wildfire Awareness Month. The Washington State Department of Natural Resources urges all Washington residents to consider actions they can take to prevent wildfires and help their communities become better prepared when wildfires do occur.

As more and more people live in and around forests, grasslands, shrub lands, and other natural areas places referred to the wildland-urban interface the fire-related challenges of managing wildlands are on the increase. This year, the department is asking the question, Is your community prepared for wildfire?

If designing or updating a homes landscape, think of ways to incorporate firebreaks (things that dont burn) into the landscape design. Defensible space doesnt have to be an eyesore. Some examples of firebreaks are: concrete, brick or gravel walkways, concrete flower box borders or planters, and water features, such as a pond. Even the backyard swimming pool can serve as a firebreak.

We all have a role to play in protecting ourselves and each other from the risk of wildfire. To save lives and property from wildfire, the Firewise Communities Program (www.firewise.org) teaches people how to adapt to living with wildfire and encourages neighbors to take action now to prevent losses.

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Wildfire Awareness Month starts May 1

Expanded Vision For The Strips First Park Creates Neighborhood Environment Encompassing New YorkNew York & Monte Carlo, Complemented By OpenAir Dining & Entertainment District

When it opens in 2016 in conjunction with the arena, The Park will create an immersive outdoor destination spanning more than eight acres. Both New YorkNew York and Monte Carlo will transform their parkfacing facades with a series of unique indoor/outdoor dining and entertainment venues, cultivating a vibrant patio culture that encompasses The Parks landscaped spaces.

To create a harmonious dialogue between resorts, Rue de Monte Carlo, the adjacent street providing access from Las Vegas Boulevard, will be realigned as a gently curving, treelined parkway: a grand approach to the new arena. New cobblestone walkways in front of New YorkNew York and Monte Carlo will lead guests into The Park from both directions and blend seamlessly with the mosaic tile patterns that canvas the space.

Jim Murren, Chairman and CEO of MGM Resorts International, said, Beautiful public places are highlights of many of the worlds finest cities, and Las Vegas shouldnt be the exception. The Park will be the first of its kind on the Las Vegas Strip and is an embodiment of MGM Resorts commitment to engaging guests through arts and innovation. To create this picturesque outdoor destination, we are literally taking down the walls and opening the doors at our resorts to develop a unique dining and entertainment district that complements its lush new surroundings.

A Glimpse into The Park:

Experience: The Park reenvisions the traditional pedestrian experience in Las Vegas. It will draw passersby from the hustle and bustle of The Strip into an oasis offering unique opportunities to experience Las Vegas outdoors and at ones leisure, only steps from one of the largest urban boulevards in the world. Inspired by the iconic plazas, promenades and squares that have served as important public gathering destinations within the worlds great cities throughout history, The Park will offer an array of common spaces for socializing, relaxing, exploring and sampling the surrounding tastes, sights and sounds.

By day, visitors will be able to bask in pockets of sun or enjoy shade beneath mature trees or one of the stunning, tuliplike shade structures towering more than 50 feet above. Patiostyle seating will encourage an interactive social environment, while seating alcoves tucked into large planters will provide areas for respite.

Unique water features, including water walls stretching more than 100 feet in length along the entrance will add unexpected visuals, as will dramatic plantings incorporating a variety of beautiful desert blooms. Exploring The Park, guests will encounter spontaneous live entertainers, such as acoustic guitarists and street performers.

As the sun sets, illuminated elements of The Parks landscaping will create a dramatic setting. The shade structures, a work of art in and of themselves, will emit marvelous LED sequences from high above, captivating guests below. Sounds of live music, clinking glasses and laughter from bordering openair venues will saturate The Park with energy, giving guests an entirely new way to experience Las Vegas beneath the stars.

Dining Under the Sun and Stars: Not unlike the small cafes and bistros that spill onto iconic promenades, clusters of casual restaurants and bars with outdoor seating will open each resort to The Park creating a colorful patio ambiance. Ranging from fastcasual to midlevel, each offering will be a uniquetomarket, upandcoming brand. Below is a first peek, with additional partners to be announced in the coming months:

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MGM Resorts Unveils Expanded Plans, Programming For "The Park" In Las Vegas

The Leo Cedarville Park Department will cut the ribbon May 27 at Riverside Gardens Park, at Schwartz and Grabill roads, to inaugurate its many improvements and officially open the summer season.

Among the additions are swings and playground equipment, a splash pad and play creek, two lighted sand volleyball courts, horseshoe pits, a pond and concrete paths.

Students from nearby Leo Elementary School, town officials, past and present park board members, local individuals and businesses who donated money for the project and representatives of the Indiana Department of Natural Resources will be in attendance at the noon ceremony.

The DNR provided a $200,000 matching grant that was more than doubled by the Leo Cedarville community through a loan from IAG Bank and Community Enhancement and Development Income Tax (CEDIT) funds. Final cost of the improvements is around $800,000.

According to Park Board President Mark Hamilton, the mulch paths were replaced with concrete walkways to encourage roller bladers, joggers, walkers, strollers and individuals with disabilities. One of the horseshoe pits is surrounded by concrete to accommodate persons in wheelchairs.

The paths crisscross and loop around the entire 10-acre property and pass under the bridge to the boat launch. Future plans include hooking the park paths to a trail system that would connect Leo and Cedarville. Bids for that project are expected to be sent to contractors in May with construction beginning in the fall.

Hamilton pointed out that the 40-foot-diameter splash pad is unique in that the children can start it themselves. It will shoot water in all directions from numerous pipes and outlets for a specified length of time and then turn off automatically. The kids can restart.

Instead of installing a filtering and recycling system, says Hamilton, the water comes from a well and runs off the pad down a series of steps in the 15-foot-wide by 125-foot-long 'play creek' and ultimately drains into the pond.

The pond, he says, will be stocked with a variety of fish.

The fish, however, won't be of catching size for a couple of years. We are encouraging people to also use it for remote control boating in summer and ice skating in the winter. Rules for its use will be posted. Wading and swimming will not be permitted.

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Leo Cedarville Park will dedicate new attractions

More lights and CCTV cameras being installed on a pathway near Wellington's Victoria University after two attacks are a good start, but more needs to be done to address safety concerns, the university's students' association says.

It's believed the same man attacked two women near the walkway, which runs between The Terrace and Boyd Wilson Field, over Easter weekend.

Police have increased patrols in the area, but say the pathway isn't safe and they're urging people not to walk through the dark, bush-clad and isolated area alone.

Police say there have been other attacks in the last three months and students for years have regarded the walkway, which is a key thoroughfare between the city and the university, as dangerous.

Work is underway to install CCTV cameras and more lights, but Victoria University of Wellington Students' Association (VUWSA) president Sonya Clark says that's not enough.

"It's not just about one set of steps. Students tell us they feel unsafe around Dixon St, Devon St, and the many steps, pathways and alleys in Wellington after dark," she said.

"A coordinated response between the university and the Wellington City Council is needed to improve walkways, and condemn sexual assault."

VUWSA is calling for the introduction of emergency help stations on campus, with a panic button, phone and light attached.

There are similar stations already at Otago and Canterbury universities.

"It isn't good enough to tell women, especially students, that they shouldn't walk alone at night," Ms Clark said.

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Calls for more action after attacks near uni

By Ed Mahon

emahon@ydr.com @edmahonreporter on Twitter

York County commissioners on Wednesday approved funding for two separate projects, using funding from natural gas drilling fees collected across the state.

They approved $32,500 for the first part of improving the Indian Steps property in Lower Chanceford Township. A museum on the property houses American Indian artifacts.

They also approved giving $30,000 for York City Little League and the city over three years. The money will go toward replacing bleachers and other improvements at multiple parks that members of the league and others use, according to a letter York Mayor Kim Bracey wrote to commissioners.

Bracey requested the funds on behalf of the league, which she said has provided recreational opportunities to several thousand city children. Planned improvements include leveling the playing surface on the baseball fields.

The county will provide $10,000 for this year, and then the same amount in both 2015 and 2016.

Doug Kilgore, a former York County commissioner, is leading a committee for Indian Steps improvements. In a letter to commissioners, he said the committee wants to add modern rest rooms and air conditioning. Members also want enhancements to the walkways, parking and public areas.

The website for the Indian Steps Museum says it has operated as a public museum since the 1940s. The origin of the museum goes back to the beginning of the 20th century with the late John Edward Vandersloot, according to Kilgore and the museum website.

"He absolutely loved collecting arrowheads," Kilgore told commissioners at their weekly meeting.

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York County commissioners approve funding for Indian Steps property, Little League at meeting

Students call for a co-ordinated response to recent assaults on Wellington pathway

Victoria University of Wellington Students Association President Sonya Clark sends her support to the victims of this weekends assaults and is calling for greater action to keep students safe on campus and around Wellington.

The recent assaults have shocked the student community, and come after years of warnings about safety issues in the area.

VUWSA had raised students concerns about the Boyd Wilson Field pathway for a number of years. After working with Victoria University, Wellington City Council and Te Aro School, we finally saw the installation of improved LED lighting and the removal of some shrubbery in 2013.

Clark was pleased with the Universitys actions this week, saying that the installation of increased lighting and CCTV cameras was a good start, but was only part of the solution."

Its not just about one set of steps. Students tell us they feel unsafe around Dixon Street, Devon Street, and the many steps, pathways and alleys in Wellington after dark. A co-ordinated response between the University and the Wellington City Council is needed to improve walkways, and condemn sexual assault.

We want to see the introduction of emergency help stations, like the ones at Otago and Canterbury Universities, with a panic button, phone, and light attached. The introduction of a service where Campus Security walk people off campus at night is also a change VUWSA would like to see."

Clark further emphasized the importance of not blaming victims, saying it isnt good enough to tell women, especially students, that they shouldnt walk alone at night.

Taxis are expensive and unaffordable: it is unreasonable to expect students to catch a taxi every time they work late at the library or in town.

While lighting and CCTV may act as a deterrent, assaults are not caused by a pathway, but people who hurt other people. It is those actions which must be condemned. The University and the Council must work closer with organisations like the Sexual Abuse Prevention Network to follow best practice in this area."

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Students Call for Co-ordinated Response to Recent Assaults

Icy steps and walkways can be very hazardous. This is a guide about keeping ice off steps and walkways.

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Last minute company coming and you have a icy sidewalk? A fast way to make it not slippery is to use cat litter or fireplace ash if you have a fireplace. Just spread either along the sidewalk and your guests will have better traction.

By Debbie N from Tacoma, WA

I came home during a freezing rain storm on Sunday Night. My cement steps were treacherous and I was out of Ice Salt and table salt. I racked my brain to think of what I could use and went to make myself a pot of coffee then I thought of the used coffee grounds. They don't disintegrate so I tried them on my steps. They are still there and have not frozen over and are doing a fine job of keeping my stairs free of ice and snow. They don't seem to track in either.

By Katie from Sault Ste Marie, Ontario, Canada

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Keeping Ice Off Steps and Walkways | ThriftyFun

Find everything you need to know about Walkways right here

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Walkways Videos and more at Better Homes and Gardens

Sarasota police provided this photo of a damaged car that they say was involved in a crash that killed a pedestrian early Wednesday morning on U.S. 41 near Sarasota High School. The driver was charged with DUI-manslaughter.

The clock had not yet struck 1 a.m. Wednesday when a Sarasota pedestrian suffered a terrible -- and quite possibly preventable -- death.

In seconds, the course of several lives -- that of the victim, the driver now charged with DUI-manslaughter, and those of their families -- changed in devastating ways.

As the Sarasota Police Department reported, a man on the U.S. 41 sidewalk (a block north of Bahia Vista Street) was struck by a southbound car that jumped the curb. A nearby officer arrested the driver, 66, noting that he didn't smell of alcohol but appeared to be "very out of it" and "impaired by some unknown substance."

"There was no sign of life of in the victim," who was 44.

Records indicate it was the city's first pedestrian fatality of 2014.

We hope it is the last.

Blood-test results were not available when this editorial was written. If convicted as charged, the driver could face a lengthy prison sentence because Florida law treats DUI-manslaughter quite seriously.

Whatever the legal outcome of the case, the crash is a tragic reminder of disturbing realities, both in driving and pedestrian safety in our area.

It is self-evident but bears repeating that anyone on the road has an obligation to stay sober and alert -- free of not just alcohol but also mind-slowing drugs, medicines, sleepiness or distractions.

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Pedestrians at risk

I am co-chairman of the Tisbury planning board and a member of the municipal parking lot committee but this is a submission of my own. Any errors or misstatements are my responsibility.

I would like to support the proposed expansion of the Stop & Shop store on Water street, but there are a few outstanding issues that I think need to be resolved before the Marthas Vineyard Commission gives its approval. These focus on three broad categories: Plans for the building, plans for the municipal parking lot and traffic, transit and circulation.

Size of Building

Many have advocated for a smaller building, one that would fit more easily into the surrounding context. This is still an unresolved issue, repeated at every public hearing, for which there has been very little give on the part of Stop & Shop.

The primary issue of size, in my view, centers less on the square footage of the floor area (plus or minus 30,000 square feet) and more on the fact that the building is maxed out to the limits of the property in every dimension width, depth and height leaving little or no room to modify its shape or provide adequate space for safe pedestrian walkways and amenities such as trees, benches, cart corrals, signage, bike racks and other street furniture.

Relatively small changes to the frontages along Norton and Cromwell, which are now pushed to the limit, could make a big difference. For example, shortening the length of the building by just 10 feet (from 240 to 230 feet) would allow for a 10-foot widening of Cromwell Lane, a significant improvement creating a safer pedestrian way and space for landscaping. This would reduce the parking garage by no more than three cars and the overall square footage of the building by about 1,000 square feet. Since Cromwell Lane is the link to the Islands shared use path system, this would be an important Islandwide improvement that the MVC should require.

Building Design

Apart from the unresolved issue of building size, the latest design has been greatly improved. While still bulky, it now looks more like an ensemble of three or four individual structures rather than one continuous mass, and the detailing more closely matches the character of downtown Vineyard Haven. The Water street sidewalk has been widened, providing space for trees, landscaping and displays. A second-floor balcony enlivens the street and provides a view of the harbor.

Still, there is just a two-foot setback along Norton Lane adjacent to the parking lot, leaving little room for a wider sidewalk, foundation plantings or other amenities. The building dimensions 110 by 240 feet are closer to the size of a city block than an individual building lot. This is a scale more associated with a supermarket than a grocery store.

When the Island Plan called for the inclusion of a grocery store in a village center, it was a call for a smaller building and one less dependent on automobiles. While we all have cars and use them excessively, Vineyard Haven is a village with many residents living well within walking and biking distance of the Stop & Shop. But existing traffic congestion along Water street, exacerbated by the auto-centered character of the store, tends to drive bikes and pedestrians away. The commission needs to assure that the store provides a safe, pleasant, pedestrian access that encourages shoppers to walk and bike to the store, both for the improvement of the design of the building and as part of a strategy for reducing traffic and parking demand.

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Issues Need Resolving