Home Builder Developer - Interior Renovation and Design

Foam mirrors

These recently burst onto the scene as the cute quarantine decor item everyone wanted. While its an affordable and creative craft project, the trend has been divisive on social media.

This is another iso-craft project that has been gaining traction on social media. So far the style has been adopted for kitchenware and decorative items.

Its safe to say thatindoor plants have been one of biggest trend of the decade, however its really been in the last 5 years that theyve become a household staple.

All you have to do is look at the cultural influence of Swedish brand Ikea to understand why Scandinavian interiors are such a big deal.

Modern kitchen designs are all about functionality and what better way to add more space than with an island bench.

These body-positive decorative vases were one of the top recommended gifts of 2019 and come in every shape and colour.

Bar carts have added a dose of glam to homes for many years, but if there ever was a time to buy one, wed say its been 2020.

Macrame has been in-and-out all decade but it turns out its here to stay. Not only is it easy to make but it's an affordable way to add boho style to any home.

Linen is the gift that keeps on giving. Its versatile, easy to clean, affordable and biodegradable. And it's especially handy throughout summer.

Home organisation has never been so cool with so many people sharing viral hacks and tips to social media.

This retro trend which made waves in the '70s has seen a recent revival with stores like Kmart, Big W and Bunnings releasing rattan collections and wicker chairs.

Painting with one thin black line doesnt seem easy but the trend has spawned so many tutorials and Instagram artwork.

This sophisticated styleis truly timeless and has long been giving homes an effortlessly chic feel.

This iconic artwork dates back to pre-Instagram days but the legacy has continued on with the help of social media. It's even made appearances on television shows like Gossip Girl and The Simpsons.

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These are Instagram's top 14 home trends of the decade - Better Homes and Gardens

Black walls, built-in raw concrete furniture and a fish pond in a lightwell define Lost House, a residential project designed by David Adjaye in London's King's Cross, which has recently come on the market.

Royal Gold Medal-winner Adjaye, the founder of Adjaye Associates, designed Lost House in 2004 for fashion designer Roksanda Ilincic and her husband Philip de Mesquita.

The house has come back on the market recently, granting an opportunity to see the interiors of one of the architect's early residential works in detail.

Original features have been preserved, including an all-green sunken cinema room and a water gardens in planted courtyards that double as lightwells.

Hidden behind an unassuming brick facade in an alleyway, Lost House was formerly a delivery yard complete with a loading platform.

Adjaye Associates turned the concrete loading platform into a plinth for an upper-level swimming pool with black-painted sides next to the pink-walled main bedroom.

On the ground floor, there is a large open plan living, dining and kitchen area with a double-height ceiling.

The sunken conversation pit with a cinema room-style projector, complete with zesty lime walls, built-in bookshelves and wide sofas, is off to one side.

Three tall, glass-walled lightwells stretch up to the black-painted timber eaves of the roof, bringing natural daylight down into the room instead of windows.

In the centre of the living area is a lightwell filled with a fishpond.

The square courtyards in the lightwells are planted with tropical greenery. At the back, next to the kitchen, the courtyard features wooden decking around clusters of circular concrete benches inset with the same grey pebbles that surround them.

The black chipboard walls, ceiling and exposed timber beams are reflected in the shiny black resin floor.

Adding to the industrial look are the thick concrete elements of the built-in kitchen, which forms a continuous countertop and splashback.

A concrete element continues from the kitchen to the living area, were it forms a low bench upholstered in black leather cushions.

Steps lead to the raised ground floor, where the old loading bay plinth supports the lap pool. Black stone tiles surround the pool, which is part of the master bathroom for the main bedroom.

Two stone sinks sit on a concrete shelf below mirrored cabinets. A wet-room style shower allows the residents to wash before and after swimming.

This bathroom connects directly to the back of the master suite, which has a separate toilet and a long corridor connecting to the stairs. The bedroom is decorated all pink to contrast with the ink-black interiors

A second bedroom is located on this floor, with a third bedroom located up on the first floor that is currently being used as a home office.

David Adjaye founded Adjaye Associates in 2000 and began his career designing high-end residential projects in north London such as Lost House.Other notable all-black houses by the studio include Dirty House and Sunken House.

Photography is courtesy of The Modern House and United Kingdom Sotheby's International Realty.

See more here:
Lost House by David Adjaye features black walls and bedroom with a pool - Dezeen

The Conversation

Dr. Mario Molina, the Nobel Prize-winning scientist who died on Oct. 7 at age 77, did not become a scientist to change the world; he just loved chemistry. Born in Mexico City in 1943, Molina as a young boy conducted home experiments with contaminated water just for the fun of it. But Molina came to understand the political importance of his work on atmospheric chemistry and ozone layer depletion, which won him the Nobel in 1995, along with Paul J. Crutzen and F. Sherwood Rowland. Getting that surprise call from Sweden completely changed how he saw his role in the world, Molina said in 2016. He felt a responsibility to share his knowledge of clean energy, air quality and climate change broadly and to push decision-makers to use that information to protect the environment.As a Mexican, Dr. Molina was a point of pride for me. Though I am a social scientist, not a chemist, his career inspired me to follow my dreams and to trust science to show us all the right path. Clean air nowMario Molina thought climate change was the biggest problem in the world long before most people did. His research was instrumental in spurring negotiation of the 1987 Montreal Protocol, an international treaty that effectively banned fluorocarbons harmful chemical compounds that damage the ozone layer. The agreement is credited with helping the ozone layer heal. He understood that the environmental problem is global, and that what happens in China or the United States affects Mexico, too.After a long a career in academia, Molina and his wife, Luisa T. Molina also an an atmospheric scientist founded the Centro Mario Molina in 2005, a Mexican center dedicated to environmental research and public policy. Together, they co-directed the center, which conducts extensive work in Mexico City. The Molinas sounded the alarm in Latin America about air pollution and public health, which remains a challenge in the region. But they also understood the role of economics in environmental protection and, importantly, the centrality of fossil fuels to the Mexican economy so the Molinas worked with Mexican economists to address concerns that green energy would hurt prosperity. Through his organization, Molina also promoted cooperation between scientists, goverment, industry and civil society until 2013, when then-Mexican President Enrique Pea Nieto appointed him to head the countrys National System for Climate Change.In 2018, when Mexicos government changed, Molina was not invited to serve in the new administration. Mexicos current president, Andrs Manuel Lpez Obrador, came to power promising to build a new oil refinery in Mexico.Molina urged Mexico to transition to clean energy sources sooner rather than later, promising this policy change would promote public health, job creation and energy security for the country. In a May 2020 interview, Molina stressed clean energy is an investment that society makes and very profitable.Mexico is going back to the previous century or the one before it, at a time when all the experts on the planet fully agree that we are in a climate crisis, he said of Mexicos continued reliance on fossil fuels just months before his death. Molina criticized Lpez Obrador for limiting the use of clean energy sources and pushed for more wind energy in Mexico, a technology thats only just emerging there. Scientist until the endMolina defended the importance of science in policy-making until the very end. When the COVID-19 pandemic broke out, he was an early and adamant advocate for face masks and was aghast that the presidents of both Mexico and the United States refused to wear facial coverings. He said the government should force the use of face masksbecause only in this way do we know that the curve can be flattened.[Deep knowledge, daily. Sign up for The Conversations newsletter.]Mario Molina graduated from the National Autonomous University of Mexico, or UNAM, and completed his graduate studies at the University of Fribourg and the University of California, Berkeley. Though he taught at M.I.T., he remained loyal to UNAM, working with faculty and students til the end.The many Mexicans who, like me, were inspired by his lifes work mourn his passing.This article is republished from The Conversation, a nonprofit news site dedicated to sharing ideas from academic experts.Read more: * Nobel Prize for chemistry honors exquisitely precise gene-editing technique, CRISPR a gene engineer explains how itworks * Mexico is being held to ransom by oil thieves and systemiccorruptionElena Delavega does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

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Approving the FDA guidelines lays the seed that people can trust the vaccine that gets approved: senior fellow - Yahoo Money

Netflixor a very shrewd someone at Netflixhas wisely entered the holiday movie thunderdome, and honestly, its become a worthy rival to Lifetime, Hallmark, et al. with its wealth of extremely silly festive content. But will any of this years holiday titles be as memorable as 2019's Holiday In The Wild, aka the movie where Kristin Davis is abruptly dumped and heads off for a You Go Girl vacation where she falls for Rob Lowes pilot when they rescue baby elephants in ZAMBIA?! Lets find out!

Halloween Trees have become a thing and everything else in this year is so stupid anyway, so why not start Christmas in fucking OCTOBER with Holidate, which premieres on October 28 and stars Emma Roberts and Luke Bracey, and actually seems fine:

Sloane (Emma Roberts) and Jackson (Luke Bracey) hate the holidays. They constantly find themselves single, sitting at the kids table, or stuck with awkward dates. But when these two strangers meet one particularly bad Christmas, they make a pact to be each others holidate for every festive occasion throughout the next year. With a mutual disdain for the holidays, and assuring themselves that they have no romantic interest in the other, they make the perfect team. However, as a year of absurd celebrations come to an end, Sloane and Jackson find that sharing everything they hate may just prove to be something they unexpectedly love.

See, thats how Netflix gets you, though. It just eases you into these shenanigans with a vanilla-ass rom-com. The true terror begins on November 5 with Operation Christmas Drop, which sounds like Operation Dumbo Drop but with more blatant military propaganda:

Chasing a promotion, congressional aide Erica Miller forgoes family Christmas to travel across the Pacific at her bosss behest. Upon landing at a beachside Air Force base, she clashes with her guide, Captain Andrew Jantz, who knows her assignment is finding reasons to defund the facility. The pilots pet project Operation: Christmas Drop, a genuine, decades-old tradition where gifts and supplies are parachuted to residents of remote neighboring islands has lawmakers wondering if his unit has too much spare energy. Despite their initial opposing goals, Erica softens once she experiences the customs and communal spirit of Andrews adopted home.

Holiday Home Makeover With Mr. Christmas is not an original film but a reality series with a description that sounds like Actual Hell. The short version: this guy is an interior decorator obsessed with Christmas and hes about to fuck some living rooms UP.

Benjamin Bradley, best known as Mr. Christmas, is a veteran in the interior design industry with a healthy obsession with the holiday season. For Mr. Christmas, the holidays are all about celebrating love, life, family and friends through meaningful traditions. In the new Netflix series Holiday Home Makeover with Mr. Christmas, Bradley takes you behind the scenes as he puts his design expertise and vast Christmas collection to good use. Equipped with lights, garlands, and enough tinsel to blanket the North Pole, he and his team of elves work around the clock to bring holiday cheer to families and communities deserving of a home makeover for the most joyous time of year. Mr. Christmas invites viewers along for the ride to kick off the holiday season and get inspired to take their own home decorating and traditions to the next level.

Maybe the only thing you need to know about Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey (dear lord) is that Forest Whitaker plays a legendary toymaker named JERONICUS JANGLE. Honestly, this one could go either waymeaning it could be awesomely bad or genuinely kind of fun, and Keegan-Michael Keys involvement tips the scales in the favor of the latter. This one premieres on November 13:

A musical adventure and a visual spectacle for the ages, Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey is a wholly fresh and spirited family holiday event. Set in the gloriously vibrant town of Cobbleton, the film follows legendary toymaker Jeronicus Jangle (Academy Award winner Forest Whitaker) whose fanciful inventions burst with whimsy and wonder. But when his trusted apprentice (Emmy winner Keegan-Michael Key) steals his most prized creation, its up to his equally bright and inventive granddaughter (newcomer Madalen Mills) and a long-forgotten invention to heal old wounds and reawaken the magic within. From the imagination of writer-director David E. Talbert and featuring original songs by John Legend, Philip Lawrence, Davy Nathan, and This Day performed by Usher and Kiana Led, Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey reminds us of the strength of family and the power of possibility.

The Princess Switch: Switched Again premieres on November 19, and you can probably figure out what that is based on the title. Royals! Switching shenanigans! The heavy-handed suggestion that this is a sequel! Will you watch the first Princess Switch? Probably not! What if we tell you Vanessa Hudgens has signed on for The Princess Switch 3???

When Duchess Margaret unexpectedly inherits the throne to Montenaro and hits a rough patch with boyfriend Kevin, its up to her double Princess Stacy of Belgravia to get these star-crossed lovers back together... but the course of true love is complicated by the appearance of a handsome royal whos intent on stealing Margarets heart. Throw in the unexpected arrival of Margarets outrageous party girl cousin Fiona, a third look-alike who has ambitions of her own, and you have the recipe for Christmas triple trouble!

Finally, something good: Dolly Partons Christmas On The Square. Premiering on November 22, this exquisite gift from one of our most valuable national treasures stars Christine Baranski, Jenifer Lewis, and Queen Dolly herselfwho provides 14 (!!!) original songs for the soundtrack.

A rich and nasty woman, Regina Fuller, returns to her small hometown after her fathers death to evict everyone and sell the land to a mall developer - right before Christmas. However, after listening to stories of the local townsfolk, reconnecting with an old love, and accepting the guidance of an actual angel, Regina starts to have a change of heart. This is the story about family, love and how a small towns Christmas spirit can warm the coldest of hearts. Featuring 14 original songs with music and lyrics by Dolly Parton.

The Christmas Chronicles: Part Two arrives on November 25. Kurt Russell and Goldie Hawn are Santa and Mrs. Claus. This gets a pass:

Its been two years since siblings Kate (Darby Camp) and Teddy Pierce (Judah Lewis) saved Christmas, and a lot has changed. Kate, now a cynical teenager, is reluctantly spending Christmas in Cancun with her moms new boyfriend and his son Jack (Jahzir Bruno). Unwilling to accept this new version of her family, Kate decides to run away. But when a mysterious, magical troublemaker named Belsnickel threatens to destroy the North Pole and end Christmas for good, Kate and Jack are unexpectedly pulled into a new adventure with Santa Claus (Kurt Russell). Written and directed by Chris Columbus (Home Alone, Harry Potter) and co-starring Goldie Hawn, THE CHRISTMAS CHRONICLES 2 is an action-packed adventure for the whole family thats full of heart, humor, and holiday spirit.

FINALLY, Christmas gets the Groundhog Day treatment. Thats how you know Christmas has truly made it. Coming December 3: Just Another Christmas (Tudo Bem No Natal Que Vem), which is really just begging for an Adam Sandler remake based on this synopsis.

After taking a very nasty fall on Christmas Eve, grinchy Jorge blacks out and wakes up one year later, with no memory of the year that has passed. He soon realizes that hes doomed to keep waking up on Christmas Eve after Christmas Eve, having to deal with the aftermath of what his other self has done the other 364 days of the year.

And one last horrid treasure from this years festive pile of holiday programming: A Trash Truck Christmas, featuring the one true mascot of 2020a giant truck filled with trash. This animated insta-classic debuts on December 11 and should be fun for the whole family.

When Hank finds out that Trash Truck doesnt know what Christmas is, he sets out to show him and their friends what the magical holiday is all about. And luckily for Santa, the friends are up to speed just in time to help save Christmas.

Read more here:
Netflix has unveiled this year's unholy holiday movie lineup - The A.V. Club

Do you have a bagworm infection in your trees? The bags they inhabit are easy to spot but often confused for cones or seed-bearing structures.

According to the University of Illinois Extension of Kankakee County and The Morton Arboretum, they take up homestead in conifer, arborvitae, spruce, eastern red cedar, other junipers or white pine trees.

The bags are usually 1.5- to 2-inches long and will look different depending on the host plant, the Morton Arboretum says. For example, the bag on a maple will look different from a bag on an arborvitae. Because bagworms add plant materials to the top of the bag, the freshest and greenest material is on the top of the bag. Inside the bag is, or was, a worm. A few of them and your trees would be OK, but a whole lot of them could eat down your tree or bush.

The dark brown bagworm caterpillars are 1/8- to 1/4-inch long when they first hatch, eventually reaching 1-inch long. As the insect feeds, it creates a silken case covered with the leaves made from the host plant, binding the bag together and attaching it to the plant with a silken thread.

Once a plant is infested, populations can grow quickly.

Life cycle

Bagworm young hatch in the overwintering bag and emerge in June to begin feeding, the extension says. They are blown to other plants easily. As they feed, female worms construct their case (bag) for about three months; sometimes during this stage, it is possible to see the bags moving as the worms move. In late summer the mature worms pupate for seven to 10 days; winged males emerge and exit the bag, and wingless females stay and mate while still in the bag. One female lays up to 1,000 eggs in the bag, where they will stay until the next year. Meanwhile, the female dies.

You will find bagworms feeding during the summer, but they are much easier to kill when they are small. These caterpillars remain susceptible to chemical treatment into early July. Heavy infestations can be unsightly with all the eaten foliage and can kill branches or whole plants.

By the time August comes, when bagworms are most likely to be noticed, these caterpillars already have formed their bags, it is too late for chemical control. Hand picking is an option.

So, now is the time to get outside and remove the bags. They can be handpicked and destroyed from fall through spring, thus removing the eggs and helping to eliminate the threat next year.

Damage being done

Bagworms usually begin feeding at the top of the tree, according to the extension office. When small, the worms feed in the layers of the leaf tissue, creating light patches on leaves. As they age, they consume entire needles or leaves.

A severe infestation could defoliate plants, which can kill branches or entire plants. A healthy deciduous tree or shrub that has been defoliated usually produces a new flush of leaves and survives. However, a defoliated evergreen cannot push out an additional set of leaves and might die.

Sources: University of Illinois Extension of Kankakee County and The Morton Arboretum

See the article here:
Homeowners, beware: 'Bag' worms are infesting trees and shrubs - Kankakee Daily Journal

POINT PLEASANT The Mason County Board of Education met on Tuesday evening to continue discussion of the Comprehensive Educational Facilities Plan (CEFP).

The CEFP was presented to the Board last week by the committee. The plan is unfinished, but the committee wanted to seek the Boards comments and get a direction to move forward with the completion of the plan. The CEFP is a 10-year plan for 2020-2030 to focus on priority and secondary projects for the school district.

The Board discussed the proposed plan for nearly three hours in an executive session on Tuesday. The Board entered executive session due to having documents regarding the buildings ratings that were not to be released to the public at the time of the meeting. Board President Dale Shobe said the school board signed a release to obtain the documents.

After returning to the open meeting, the Board voted to make several changes to the proposed CEFP. Among the changes, the Board categorized sections of the plan into projects.

In Project 1, the Board changed the objective of moving sixth grade students to the secondary buildings to the secondary projects, rather than primary.

In Project 2, the Board voted to amend the objective regarding closing Leon Elementary and Roosevelt Elementary. The new project was written as Bring Roosevelt and Leon Elementary up to code individually. This project remains as as priority project.

Project 3 dealt with the School for Success renovations at the Point Pleasant Intermediate School (PPIS) campus. The new project states that the Board will replace the School for Success buildings at all current locations.

The HVAC projects were grouped into Project 4 and were given no changes from the Board.

In the proposed CEFP, PPIS was given renovations to construct an auxiliary gym and additional classrooms to accept students from the Point Pleasant Primary School (PPPS). PPPS was proposed to be closed. The Board voted to delete this project from the CEFP.

Project 6 includes the construction of auxiliary gymnasiums at Hannan Jr/Sr High and Beale Elementary. The Board voted to keep the Hannan project as a priority project and move the Beale project to the secondary projects.

Project 7 includes mantraps at Ashton, Beale, Hannan, Career Center and Wahama. The project was not changed by the Board and will remain in the priority list.

No changes were made to Project 8, which includes the water infiltration issues at Wahama.

Project 9 includes athletic upgrades at all three secondary schools. The following projects were all moved to the secondary list from the priority. At Wahama, the Board made no changes to the projects, which includes field turf installation, bleacher renovation and a locker room addition. At Point Pleasant Jr/Sr High, the Board voted to keep the proposed projects to re-turf the existing field and tract. The Board removed the fieldhouse and locker room projects at Point Pleasant. At Hannan Jr/Sr High, the Board kept the new field turn project.

Project 10 was a secondary project for roof replacements at PPIS, Beale Elementary, New Haven Elementary and Point Pleasant Jr/Sr High, but the Board voted to move those projects to the priority list.

In Project 11, the Board grouped all the parking lot re-surfacing projects, which will remain on the secondary project list.

The Board sent their amendments to the CEFP committee to make the changes. After the amendments are added, the county board will have a final approval before sending the CEFP to the state. The state department of education must approve the plan by Oct. 30.

Supt. Jack Cullen told the Register after the meeting, the Board will add mantrap installation, roof replacement and HVAC updates to PPPS, and HVAC updates and parking lot re-surfacing to Leon Elementary and Roosevelt Elementary during the next meeting.

All board members Dale Shobe, Rhonda Tennant, Jared Billings, Ashley Cossin and Meagan Bonecutter were present during the meeting.

2020 Ohio Valley Publishing, all rights reserved.

Kayla (Hawthorne) Dunham is a staff writer for Ohio Valley Publishing. Reach her at (304) 675-1333, ext. 1992.

Original post:
Board of Ed. amends 10-year plan - Point Pleasant Register

On National Energy Efficiency Day today, ComEd announced that customers have saved more than $5 billion on their energy bills as a result of the company's energy efficiency program, the equivalent of removing 5.2 million cars off the road, reducing over 53 billion pounds of carbon dioxide emitted into the air and powering 5.2 million homes for a year.

The ComEd Energy Efficiency Program, launched in 2008, is one of the largest programs in the nation offering residential, business and public sector customers a variety of options that can help them cut back on their energy usage, which saves money and helps the environment.

"The average monthly household bill is lower than it was a decade ago," said ComEd CEO, Joe Dominguez. "Thanks to the ComEd Energy Efficiency Program, the average customer has saved about $1,250 by participating in the offerings that's enough to cover the cost of an average residential energy bill for 15 months. We want customers to know there are options available to help them reduce their energy use and save money, especially as people spend more time at home."

The ComEd Energy Efficiency Program has more than 35 different offerings to save money and energy. Residential offerings include:

This press release was produced by the Commonwealth Edison Company (Electric). The views expressed here are the author's own.

Continued here:
ComEd Customers Save $5 Billion Through Energy-Saving Programs - Patch.com

Unloading property for a new North Dartmouth recreation center, a vacant home bylaw, and a Cross Road solar project are among the articles coming up at the remote Fall Town Meeting on Oct. 27.

The Select Board voted unanimously on Oct. 5 to hold another remote Town Meeting via Zoom following the success of Spring Town Meeting on June 20, which was held through the same platform.

Dartmouth was one of only a few communities in Massachusetts to hold a completely virtual Town Meeting in the spring. The October meeting will take place via Zoom at 7 p.m.

A dial-in number will be provided for Town Meeting members concerned about using a computer, Town Meeting moderator Melissa Haskell told the Select Board on Oct. 5.

At the same meeting the Select Board also approved a draft warrant of just ten articles a few of which, including the sale or lease of a town-owned Reed Road property and the vacant home bylaw, provoked intense discussion.

Heres a look at whats coming up later this month.

Lease or sale of property on Reed Road

This article one of the more controversial on the warrant would authorize the town to lease and/or sell two lots on Reed Road with a restriction for recreation use only.

The Finance Committee unanimously rejected the article at an Oct. 1 meeting due to concerns about the propertys value, potential Parks and Recreation uses for the land, and the timing of the lease or sale, committee chair Teresa Hamm said at the Select Board meeting. Steve Burgo of Burgo Basketball Association had previously presented plans for a new $6 million community recreation facility on the property, for which the Select Board voiced unanimous support in July.

The Select Board ultimately voted 4-1 to recommend the article, with member Stanley Mickelson the only dissenting vote.

Vacant or abandoned building bylaw

A new bylaw drafted by Town Counsel Anthony Savastano with help from Public Health Director Chris Michaud would create a registry of Dartmouth buildings that have sat vacant and/or abandoned for longer than 30 days. It would not apply to seasonal buildings.

A majority of Finance Committee members voted to reject the article due to seemingly subjective language and concerns that 30 days would not give owners enough time to find renters or buyers to occupy the property, Hamm said.

Select Board member Stanley Mickelson noted that the abandoned Hawthorne Country Club is a fire hazard for neighbors, while vice chair Shawn McDonald stated that changes to the bylaw can be made in the future if necessary. Weve got to get something on the books, he said.

Board member John Haran said he regarded the law as government overreach, ultimately voting against the measure. The board tweaked the language and changed the grace period to 60 days before voting 4-1 to recommend the modified article.

Russells Mills Conservation Project

The Community Preservation Committee will be asking for $300,000 in funding for a Russells Mills land conservation project that will preserve around 24 acres of open space in Russells Mills village across Fisher Road from Dartmouth Natural Resources Trusts Destruction Brook Woods property.

The CPC is also seeking Town Meeting approval for the town to acquire a conservation restriction for the project as well as borrow $200,000 in anticipation of a $520,000 state Local Acquisitions for Natural Diversity grant.

The Select Board voted unanimously to recommend both articles concerning the project.

Capital plan

The biggest ticket items in the $2.6 million capital plan for Fiscal Year 2021 include over $2 million for road maintenance and improvements as well as replacing a street sweeper for the Department of Public Works Highway Division, which will be funded from surplus revenue.

Other items include $34,500 for an electric sign for Town Hall as well as multiple vehicle replacements for various departments, such as a new garbage truck ($135,000), a dump truck ($190,500), and a pickup truck with a plow ($62,000).

Dartmouth Public Schools will also be requesting $75,000 from surplus revenue for HVAC upgrades at multiple schools due to the pandemic.

Town Administrator Shawn MacInnes noted at the meeting that this represents the lowest capital plan presented since 2013, calling it very prudent in its use of funds. The Select Board voted unanimously to recommend the plan.

Charter amendment to appoint, not elect, the Town Clerk

The Select Board unanimously recommended an article proposing to change the Town Clerk to an appointed rather than an elected position. If approved at Town Meeting, the question would go on the ballot at the April town election, and if voted through the new rules would go into effect starting July 1, 2021.

Rezoning for Cross Road solar project

The last article on the warrant is a citizens petition to rezone a single residential parcel off Cross Road to allow a solar installation to be constructed. According to MacInnes, there will be a restrictive covenant on the property to prevent any use other than solar. The board voted unanimously to recommend the article.

Read more:
Vacant building bylaw, new recreation center at Town Meeting this fall - Dartmouth Week

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Original post:
Hempfield residents asked to give input on 2 proposed township parks - TribLIVE

As the mirror delights in telling me every morning, Im not getting any younger.

But at least I have plenty of company.

By 2034, according to Danielle Arigoni, AARPs director of livable communities (and a 1991 University of Oregon grad), there will be more people 65 and over than there are 18 and under for the first time in U.S. history.

Which is why aging in place and how best to do it is such a major issue now, one that will only become more important in the next several decades.

Its a massive demographic tipping point, Arigoni says. A 2018 AARP survey found 75% of those 50 (what I call those kids) and over want to age in their own home, and the percentages grew even higher in older age groups.

Much has been written about what to do to make a residences interior best suited for homeowners as they age. (See AARPs very informative and very free Home Fit guide.)

But less has been shared about how to make a private garden accessible as people age into their 70s, 80s and 90s. The American Society of Landscape Architects has addressed public spaces and gardens, but not private residences.

Which is where Jane Coombs, a retired landscape designer, comes in.

A few years ago, Jane and husband, Peter Dowse, knew it was time to move out of their beloved 1914 Craftsman in Sellwood. With stairs leading up to the entry, an upstairs master bedroom and a basement laundry room, the home was all the things aging-in-place experts dont recommend.

So it was that they found themselves in a one-story house in Milwaukie and Jane, with 30-plus years of landscape design experience, had a 10,000-square-foot, relatively blank canvas to work with outdoors.

And in the process of designing her garden, she always kept in mind what would work best for her and her husband 10 years down the road.

When Im 90, she explains, I wont be able to maintain the garden the way I can now.

This thinking led Jane to incorporate aging-in-place design principles in her front and back gardens, many of which weve included in the tips.

They include flat, navigable surfaces for wheelchairs and walkers, a step-free entry from inside the house to the patio, easy-maintenance plants, plenty of seating and multiple hose bibs. A LOT of hose bibs. OK, eight, to be exact.

Jane Coombs' garden offers lots of comfortable seating in the shade.Marcia Westcott Peck

Marcia:

A very dear friend of mine from high school, Oklahoma State University assistant professor Emily Roberts, has her doctorate in environmental gerontology, a field that seeks to optimize the relationship between the elderly and their physical and social environment.

I learned from her that connection to the outdoors and nature can ease and prolong a persons life, even if its just looking out the window from either a hospital bed or your own home. Having access physically or visually to nature is extremely beneficial to our well-being as we age.

The concept of biophilia, originally written about by the American biologist and naturalist E.O. Wilson, suggests we as humans innately possess a tendency to seek connections with nature and other forms of life.

Using that principle can help seniors thrive and stay independent and autonomous for as long as possible as they age in place.

Emily explained to me that its important to realize that whatever brought us pleasure throughout our lives doesnt diminish as we age. Instead, it brings back good memories that we enjoy even more, along with a sense-of-place attachment, the feelings that we hold for places and things that mean a lot and serve as reminders of the past.

So if you enjoyed your garden or nature when you were younger, it might be even more important as a way to stay healthy physically and emotionally as you age.

Gardens can be very therapeutic for us as we get older, so having safe access to them for as long as possible is important.

As I age, I know I will want to be gardening for as long as I can. It has always grounded me and brought me great pleasure. If I have one addiction, its gardening.

Biophilia Im a card-carrying, certified biophiliac!

I would add that not only is it important to connect to the garden as we age, but for any of the same reasons it can help us deal with the COVID-19 crisis, fires, protests and election craziness that seem to be overwhelming us at times.

Biophilia, indeed!

This art leaf water feature promotes health in Jane Coombs' garden.Marcia Westcott Peck

Art in Jane Coombs' garden.Marcia Westcott Peck

THINKING OF MOVING?

Most people know to look for a single-story dwelling, but one area they undercontemplate, or dont contemplate at all, is transportation, according to the AARPs Arigoni. Ask yourself if there are ways to get around once you cannot drive (on average, people live 7-10 years past when they can no longer drive). Are there bike lanes, public transportation, pedestrian walkways?

HOME FIT GUIDE

The AARP publication provides guidance for anyone wanting to make their home inclusive for all ages, whether they are homeowners or renters. According to the guide, Its about making sure your home is accessible to everyone.

You can download it online or AARP will send you a free copy upon request.

HELPFUL LINKS

Marcia Westcott Peck is a landscape designer (mwplandscape.com or find her on Instagram at @pecklandscape or on Facebook by searching for The Pecks), and Dennis Peck is a former senior editor at The Oregonian/OregonLive.

More:
This Oregon garden is designed for aging in place - oregonlive.com