Home Builder Developer - Interior Renovation and Design

The Pittsburg Police Department reported that on Wednesday, just after 11:00 A.M. Officers responded to the report of a single car collision on East Leland Road near Gladstone Drive in the City of Pittsburg.

When officers arrived on scene, they found the driver, and solo occupant of the car, trapped inside the vehicle. The man was unconscious and suffering from head injuries.

Contra Costa Fire and AMR staff arrived on scene and began medically treating the man for his injuries. The man was later transported to an area hospital for additional medical treatment and is currently in critical, but stable condition.

During the investigation, it was determined the man was traveling east on East Leland Road from Loveridge Road. He was unable to negotiate to sweeping left turn approaching Gladstone Drive, causing the car to lose control and collide with a retaining wall and tree near the intersection.

The Pittsburg Police Department Traffic Unit responded to the scene and complete the investigation. The roadway was closed during the investigation, and reopened for traffic at 4:30 P.M.

According to Police Captain Steve Albanese, the driver is expected to survive.

No additional information is available at this time.

More here:
Pittsburg Police Say Driver Expected to Survive After Major Injury Crash on E Leland Road - EastCountyToday

SPRING BRANCH Deanna and Jasper Brown bought their 1.1-acre property in Mystic Shores right before the start of the pandemic. At the time, the backyard was little more than a narrow patch of ground dropping off steeply to a creek bed far below. It was almost entirely unusable.

The front yard was mostly dirt and rock, broken up by a handful of scraggly cedar trees and some cactus.

Wanting to expand their outdoor entertaining options, the couple, who both work for the city of Austin, tackled the backyard first in the spring of 2020 and then the front yard this summer. The result is a low-water landscape that looks native to the area with plenty of hardscape to create areas for entertaining.

I have a large, Hispanic family, including our three adult children and six grandkids, Deanna said. When they come, we take up the inside of the house and all the backyard, too. Well have music out here and show movies on the back wall of the house.

The new landscape features several types of gravel, limestone pavers, large stones and even larger boulders. But thanks to the mixing of textures and colors, the judicious use of native, flowering plants and the way the landscape designer took advantage of the lots natural elevation changes, the result is a warm and inviting yard.

On ExpressNews.com:Full renovation of this midcentury ranch home in San Antonios Northwood brought down walls and brought in charm

There are now multiple seating areas, including a fire pit area, a dining table, an area for bird watching and the porch off the back of the house. Much of the ground is covered in Mexican flagstone pavers set in winding courses with small bluish-black gravel, sometimes called shadow stone, filling the space between them.

We chose Mexican flagstone because it has a smoother surface and a cleaner look than the more jagged and rustic of Texas limestone, said the designer Cooper Henk, owner of Skyline Landscaping in New Braunfels. They also contrast nicely with the dark shadow stone.

The yard has several elevation changes, and Henk built thick, heavy stair steps using limestone waterfall rocks, which have an attractive rippled texture created by eons of water coursing over them. To help channel rainwater, he laid down 3- to 5-inch river rock in various shades of brown as a border along the concrete driveway and as flower bed edging.

The landscape of Deanna and Jasper Browns Spring Branch home is dominated by hardscape. But thanks to the mixing of stone textures and colors, and the judicious use of native, flowering plants, the home is warm and welcoming.

Each phase took Henk about three weeks to complete and all told used 150 tons of stone and cost about $44,000 all worth it, the Browns said.

On ExpressNews.com: Historic San Antonio Alta Vista home renovated with new kitchen, artificial turf and new bathroom before arrival of new baby

Deanna said that lighting installed in the large oak trees that surround the backyard cast a soft, enchanting glow over everything. Its beautiful, like a full moon, she said.

But before any of the design work could start, Henk had to build up the backyard elevation by as much as 8 feet. The new yard now extends out from the house by about 25 feet.

Ive been doing this kind of landscaping for about six years, and I love this type of job, he said. We brought in clean fill rocks, dirt and aggregate to raise the ground level and got to do some beautiful work.

While most of the hardscape had to be brought in, Henk made use of the multitude of rocks already on the lot for several low rock walls on the slope for erosion control and used larger boulders in retaining walls and as walkway edging.

The fire pit surrounded by chairs is one of the many outdoor seating areas in the back of this Spring Branch Home.

You see that one there? he asked, pointing to a boulder measuring about 5 feet high and 4 feet wide. Moving something that large on a hillside, youre afraid its going to get away from you. Made things very interesting.

In the front of the house, he used large swaths of different colored stone, with long, sweeping borders between them, to dramatic effect. We wanted something as pretty in the front as it is in the back, Deanna said. And we didnt want it to look like something everyone else in the neighborhood had.

On ExpressNews.com: Century-old Fredericksburg house gets updated with two-story great room, attached guest house, even an elevator

Still, when Henk first suggested the design, Deanna had her doubts. I thought, mixing different colored rocks? Yikes, thats crazy, she said.

Henk said, I rarely say to a client, Trust me. But thats what I did.

The yard fronting the street is covered in 1 -inch washed limestone gravel, the white tying the landscape to the house while also contrasting nicely with the river rock browns and the bluish shadow stone Henk also used. These, in turn, highlight the wide strip of green grass that runs directly in front of the house.

When it rains the white rocks turn a different color, more grays, Deanna said. Its very pretty. I love it.

Several of the original mountain cedars, trimmed to look like trees, provide some vertical interest while still allowing the house be visible from the street. And the front yard is planted with a variety of native, drought-tolerant greenery, including red yucca, agave, muhly grass, several varieties of cactus, Texas sage, some succulents, garlic, rosemary and salvia.

Were seeing lots of hummingbirds and butterflies and all the birds you can name, Brown said. Its phenomenal. Were extremely happy.

rmarini@express-news.net | Twitter: @RichardMarini

More here:
Spring Branch homes total Texas Hill Country xeriscape landscape renovation created many outdoor entertainment areas - San Antonio Express-News

The program is allowing juniors and seniors to go to school while learning skills to prepare them for a career.

ABBEVILLE, Georgia(41NBC/WMGT) Students at Wilcox County High School are being prepared for the workforce through a program called Work-Based Learning.

The program is allowing juniors and seniors to go to school while learning skills to prepare them for a career. There are currently 45 students in the program.

Its a nationwide program and one of the things they encourage us to do is to try to promote our program by promoting our students, said Sharon Lavender. Each week a student is recognized.

Lavender says many students say the program is helping them think ahead for their next steps after graduation.

Jackson Chastain has been with the program for two years, and was recently recognized for his hard work at Ten Mile Creek Grading and Land Clearing.

Construction now a days everybody needs help sadly, but whenever I got in there it just kind of stuck, I was good at it, I had potential and I was willing to learn, so I stuck with the company and really and truly they stuck with me providing opportunities for me to learn and its just been a good job for me.

Chastain says he grew up surrounded by family who work in the construction industry. So when then the opportunity to work for his grandfathers company presented itself, he took it.

You got some folks who will do what theyre supposed to and not do anything after that, most of the time what I try to do is go above and beyond that by Ill do the job but then Ill actively look for something else to do.

Tim Conner, Assistant Principal of Wilcox High School says, Chastain is a hard worker.

Hes also a very intelligent A plus student and hes one of our outstanding kids here at school.

Wayne Bloodworth is the owner of the company and Chastains Grandfather. According to Bloodworth, Jackson has always loved construction from a young age.

In the vehicle when he was younger he was grandson, until we got to the job, at the job site he was an employee, he did what the other employees did to learn the ropes, said Bloodworth.

Chastain says his next step is to attend college to study Civil Engineering. He also plans on furthering his career in the company.

Original post:
Wilcox County Students recognized for work in the community - 41 NBC News

Requirements for a permit to install riprap and standards that limit the use to active shoreline erosion, along with ensuring the maintenance or restoration of natural shoreline vegetation will be more protective of those critical areas, said Dave Rush, Douglas County Land and Resource Management director.

Rush explained the zoning ordinance changes to the Douglas County commissioners at the Tuesday, Dec. 21 regular board meeting before they approved the amendments to the ordinance.

Rush said the Douglas County Planning Advisory Commission made a recommendation to adopt the amendments to address the issues related to land alteration adjacent to lakes and rivers, which can negatively impact water quality and habitat to important county water resources.

All but one member of the Planning Advisory Commission voted to recommend the approval of all the changes at their Dec. 14 meeting. Jeff Oberg voted against it, but noted it was the changes to the riprap amendments he had issues with.

Rush told county commissioners that riprap is important for stabilization but that the county needs to protect more than just the lakeshore edge.

Public hearings on these issues were held on June 8 and Dec. 14 with little public comment, said Rush, adding that two township officials expressed support for the amendments.

Through conversations and feedback from state agencies, including the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, along with analysis of shoreland activity in the county, are other reasons changes are being made.

Rush said that the DNR has provided the county with a letter in support of the proposed changes.

Riprap, according to Rush, should only be used in situations where active erosion is occurring and not because homeowners like the clean look of it.

According to the amended ordinance, a shoreland alteration permit will be required within the shore impact zones and has to be done in accordance with applicable restrictions and standards for natural rock riprap where active erosion exists.

Rush said the county is not trying to prevent riprap and that rock and vegetation together can help stabilization.

We need to protect our resources that we have in our county, including our lakes, said Rush.

For clearing, grading and drainage permits, Rush said the changes will help address drainage problems before a project is completed. He said it is best to have a plan in place before any issues arise.

Land owners will have to apply for permits for these types of projects if the work is within 500 feet of protected waters, said Rush, and the work would disrupt more than 2,000 square feet of property.

We are not trying to over-permit, he said. If someone is already getting a permit for their project, they would not have to apply for this permit, too. People just have to meet the requirements. We are not trying to generate revenue. We are just trying to get ahead of issues that could arise.

Creation of a permit that requires a submission of detailed plans for clearing and grading will help Land and Resource Management staff ensure that lake water quality is protected and neighboring properties are not impacted by the construction with drainage issues, Rush told the commissioners.

The last proposed change will remove all mention of pervious pavement systems to bring the ordinance into compliance with the DNRs 2018 notice, said Rush.

The full amended ordinance can be found on the Douglas County website.

Douglas County commissioners approved the following other actions:

A letter of discontinuance of Prime Health medical plan, which will be effective as of Dec. 31, 2022.

Donations in the amount of $250 for the Douglas County Sheriffs Honor Guard from the Alexandria Rotary Club and the Minnesota Sheriffs Association.

An increase in civil process fees, which have not been raised in more than 15 years.

A resolution accepting the states opioid settlement agreement with pharmaceutical companies. If approved by all entities involved, the State of Minnesota could receive an estimated $296 billion, which would then be distributed.

The 2022 county ditch special assessments and loan adjustments.

A bid to Tradesmen Construction to build a visitor center at Lake Brophy County Park. The $1.8 million project will be paid for by Douglas County ($930,746) with a matching grant from the DNR ($930,746).

A resolution supporting a bike path along County Road 46. The resolution states that the county agrees to act as the sponsoring agency and that it is seeking Transportation Alternative Program funding. A resolution supporting maintenance of the bike path was also approved.

A contract with Waterfront Restorations for manual removal of weeds on a 100-foot by 250-foot area at Lake Brophy County Park beach. The cost is $13,500 for three removals and does not include weed disposal costs. The board chose the manual removal option over chemical treatment removal. The chemical option would have cost the county $1,800 for two treatments.

A donation from Lake Christina Church in the amount of $50 for Douglas County Social Services clients.

Amendments to the Douglas County Abatement Policy, which has been in place since 1990. Verbiage has been added to include that if an abatement exceeds $10,000, the county board will give notice within 20 days to the school board and other municipalities where the property is located.

Updates to the investment policy, which reflect the change in the county creating a separate finance department.

Excerpt from:
Permits now required in Douglas County for riprapping, clearing and grading projects - Echo Press

Charlene, whom they call Charlie, is six. This morning she scrutinized Lou, wrinkling her sunburned nose, and asked, Where are you going?

Short trip north, he said. Some fishing, a little duck hunting, maybe.

You dont have a gun, Charlie said. She watched him evenly, her long tangled hair raking the light.

Lou found himself avoiding her eyes. The others do, he said.

His little boy, Rolph, clung to him at the door. Pale and dark-hairedChristines coloring, her iridescent eyes. Its the strangest thing when Lou holds his son, as if their flesh were starting to fuse, so that letting go of him feels like tearing. He has a guilty awareness of loving Rolph more than Charlie. Is that wrong? Dont all men feel that way about their sonsor, at least, those lucky enough to have sons? Poor Tim Breezely!

There will be no fishing, no hunting. What Quinn divulged, that afternoon on Montgomery Street, as they drank and smoked their Parliaments and roared with laughter before driving their big cars home to their wives and kids, was that he knew of some bohemians who grew grass in the middle of a forest near Eureka. They welcomed visitors. We can go overnight on a weekend sometime, if you like, Quinn said.

They did.

How can I possibly know all this? I was only six, and stuck at home, despite my fervent wish to come alongI always wanted to go with my father, sensing early (or so it seems, looking back) that the only way to hold his attention was to stay in his presence. How can I presume to describe events that occurred in my absence in a forest that is now charred and exudes an odor like seared meat? How dare I invent across chasms of gender, age, and cultural context? Trust me, I would not dare. Every thought and twinge I record arises from concrete observation, although getting hold of that information was arguably more presumptuous than inventing it would have been. Pick your poisonif imagining isnt allowed, then we have to resort to gray grabs.

I got lucky; all four mens memories are stored in the Collective Consciousness, at least in partsurprising, given their ages, and downright miraculous in my fathers case. He died in 2006, ten years before Mandalas Own Your Unconscious was released. So how could my father have used it? Well, remember: the genius of Mandalas founder, Bix Bouton, lay in refining, compressing, and mass-producing, as a luscious, irresistible product, technology that already existed in crude form. Memory externalization had been whispered about in psychology departments since the early two-thousands, with faculty speculating about its potential to revolutionize trauma therapy. Wouldnt it help you to know what really happened ? What youve repressed ? Why does my mind (for example) wander persistently to a family party my parents took me to in San Francisco around the time this story takes place? I remember scrambling with a bunch of kids around the roots of an old tree, then being alone in someones attic beside a white wicker chair. Again and again: scrambling with those children, then alone in an unfamiliar attic. Or not alone, because who took me there, and why? What was happening while I looked at that chair? Ive wondered many times whether knowing the answers to those questions would have allowed me to live my life with less pain and more joy. But by the time one of my fathers caregivers told us about a psychology professor at Pomona College who was uploading peoples consciousnesses for an experimental project, I was too wary to participate. A gain is also a loss when it comes to technologymy fathers imploding recording empire had taught me that much. But my father had little to lose; hed had five strokes and was expiring before our eyes. He wanted in.

Rolph had been dead for years, and my other siblings were elsewhere. So it fell to me to greet the young professor, who wore red high-top sneakers, along with his two graduate students and a U-Haul full of equipment, early one morning at my fathers house. I parted the sparse remnants of my fathers surfer shag and fastened twelve electrodes to his head. Then he had to lie stillasleep, awake, it didnt matter and there wasnt much of a difference at that pointfor eleven hours. Id moved his hospital bed beside the pool so that he could hear his artificial waterfall. It seemed too intimate a process to let him undergo with strangers. I sat next to him for most of the time, holding his floppy hand while a wardrobe-size machine rumbled beside us. After eleven hours, the wardrobe contained a copy of my fathers consciousness in its entirety: every perception and sensation he had experienced, starting at the moment of his birth.

Its a lot bigger than a skull, I remarked as one of the graduate students wheeled over a hand truck to take it away. My father still wore the electrodes.

The brain is a miracle of compression, the professor said.

I have no memory of that exchange, by the way. I saw and heard it only when I reviewed that day from my fathers point of view. Looking out through his eyes, I noticedor, rather, he noticedmy short, uninteresting haircut and the middle-aged gut I was already starting to acquire, and I heard him wonder (but hear isnt the right word; we dont hear our thoughts aloud, exactly), How did that pretty little girl end up looking so ordinary ?

When Own Your Unconscious came out, in 2016, I was able to have the wardrobes contents copied into a luminous one-foot-square yellow Mandala Consciousness Cube. I chose yellow because it made me think of the sun, of my father swimming. Once his memories were in the Cube, I was finally able to view them. At first, the possibility of sharing them never crossed my mind; I didnt know it was possible. The Collective Consciousness wasnt a focus of early marketing for Mandala, whose slogans were Recover Your Memories and Know Your Knowledge. My fathers consciousness seemed like more than enoughoverwhelming, in factwhich may be why I began, with time, to crave other points of view. Sharing his was the price. As the legal custodian of my fathers consciousness, I authorized its anonymous release, in full, to the Collective. In exchange, Im able to use date and time, latitude and longitude, to search the anonymous memories of others who were present in those woods, on that day in 1965, without having to invent a thing.

Let us return to the men scrambling behind or (in my fathers case) alongside Quinn Davies, their guide. The introduction to grass took place at the trailhead, where Quinn passed around a small pipe, refilling it several times. Most people didnt get high on their first exposure. (This was good old-fashioned pot, mind you, full of stems and seeds, long before the days of hydroponic sinsemilla.) Quinn wanted to get this first smoke out of the way, to prime his palsBen Hobart in particularfor getting well and truly wasted later on.

A river flashes in and out of view far below, like a snake sliding among leaves. As the men climb, their stumbling and guffawing yield to huffing, wheezing, and struggle. All four smoke cigarettes, and none exercise the way we think of it now. Even Ben Hobart, one of those preternaturally fit guys who can eat anything, is breathing too hard for speech by the time they crest the hill and glimpse A-Frame, as the house is known. Tucked in a redwood clearing and built from the cleared redwood, A-Frame is the sort of whimsical structure that will become a clich of seventies California architecture. But, to these men, it looks like an apparition from a fairy tale: Is it real ? What kind of people live here ? Compounding the eeriness is Simon and Garfunkels Sound of Silence eking from hi-fi speakers facing outward on the redwood deck. A-Frames mastermind, Tor, has somehow managed to get electricity to a house in the middle of a forest, that is accessible only on foot.

Hello, darkness, my old friend...

A hush of awe engulfs the men as they approach. Lou falls back, letting Quinn lead the way into a soaring cathedral of space whose vast triangular windows reach all the way to its pointed ceiling. The scent of redwood is overpowering. Quinn introduces Tor, an austere eminence in his forties with long prematurely white hair. Tors old lady, Bari, is a warmer zaftig presence. An assortment of young people mill about the main room and deck, showing no interest in the new arrivals.

This odd setup leaves our three newcomers unsure what to do with themselves. Lou, who cant tolerate feeling like a hanger-on, is abruptly angry with Quinn, who speaks quietly and privately with Tor. What the hell kind of greeting is this ? Nowadays, a man ill at ease in his surroundings will pull out his phone, request the Wi-Fi password, and rejoin a virtual sphere where his identity is instantly reaffirmed. Let us all take a moment to consider the isolation that was customary before these times arrived! The only possible escape for Lou and his friends involves retracing their steps through the forest without bread crumbs to guide them. So Lou paces around A-Frame in a way he cannot seem to help (though he feels its disruption), barking occasional questions at Tor, who sits aloft on a tall wooden chair that looks irritatingly thronelike: Nice place, Tor. What sort of work do you do? Mustve been hell getting pipes laid this far out.

Read more from the original source:
What the Forest Remembers, by Jennifer Egan - The New Yorker

Environmental and community groups have asked federal regulators to crack down on the city of Portland and the state of Oregon for allegedly dragging their feet on the cleanup of a prime piece of the citys waterfront.

We are writing to formally request that the EPA initiate formal enforcement action, reads a Dec. 7 letter to the Environmental Protection Agency, signed by the Audubon Society of Portland, Willamette Riverkeeper, the Portland Harbor Community Advisory Group, and the Portland Harbor Community Coalition.

WHERE:

The site in question is riverbed land adjacent to city-owned Cathedral Park, which sprawls across nearly 22 Willamette riverfront acres on either side of the St. Johns Bridge in North Portland.

It is part of the Superfund site in Portland Harbora swath of waterfront polluted by industrial chemicals.

Much of the property within the Superfund site is privately owned. Cathedral Park is one of the few places the public can access the Willamette within Portland Harbor.

The park includes a beach of sorts and a boat ramp.

WHAT:

The EPA named Portland Harbor a Superfund site in 2000, citing a century of industrial activity that left the river bottom and some adjacent uplands deeply contaminated. (The harbor comprises a nearly 10-mile stretch of the Willamette from Sauvie Island to the Broadway Bridge.)

The Superfund designation meant those responsible for the contamination (about 150 different entities) would have to clean it up. The glacially paced cleanup process reached a critical point in January 2017, when the EPA issued a 3,012-page record of decision and ordered those responsible for 17 different project areas within Portland Harbor to submit designs for cleaning up their messes.

The EPA gave the polluters, known as potentially responsible parties, two years to present designs.

Bob Sallinger, conservation director for the Audubon Society of Portland, says EPA got 13 responses; three zones are orphaned because the responsible parties are defunct.

There was only one area for which the responsible parties didnt submit a proposed design: Cathedral Park.

WHO:

Sallinger says his group and other interested parties met repeatedly with the city and state over the past two years to discuss what form the cleanup should take. But nothing happened.

Theyve had two years since the deadline, Sallinger says. Thats long enough.

Annie Von Burg, a manager at the citys Bureau of Environmental Services, which oversees the citys involvement in the Superfund process, says the city isnt to blame. Portland is eager to move forward with the cleanup process, she insists, but wants to make sure industrial polluters that operated on either side of Cathedral Park share in the cost.

Over the years, there have been many companies that have had operations at these two neighboring sites that are known to have contributed to this contamination, Von Burg says. We do not believe the public should have to pick up the whole tab for companies that should step up and meet their responsibilities.

Von Burg adds that the EPA has made sure that the process continues to move forward so the delay in submitting a design for the Cathedral Park wont impact the public.

State officials provide a similar explanation.

The state has done more than almost any other party to address its responsibilities for remedial design at the Portland Harbor Superfund Site, says Charles Boyle, a spokesman for Gov. Kate Brown. No responsible party stepped forward to perform design work at the Cathedral Park cleanup area.

Sallinger doesnt buy those stances, calling them completely unacceptable.

This is a public site, Sallinger says. The EPA process allows the city and the state to recover costs after the fact, if its determined somebody else is responsible.

WHATS NEXT:

Audubon and other groups now want the feds to force the public entities to act. One option would be for EPA to bring an enforcement action against the public entities. That could result in protracted litigation.

Another option: EPA could do the Cathedral Park cleanup itself and then bill responsible parties. Sallinger says thats not ideal, however, because EPA has no incentive to do more than the bare minimum, while public agencies could do whats best for Portland in the long term. He prefers that the city and state simply submit a cleanup plan.

This has already taken more than 20 years, Sallinger says. We want to see EPA step up and move things along.

An EPA spokesperson did not respond to a request for comment.

Continued here:
Advocates Want the EPA to Force Portland to Clean Up a Key Stretch of the Willamette River - Willamette Week

(Photos: David Stein/BikePortland)

[Publishers note: This will be Davids final article for BikePortland. Since hes currently chair of the PBOT Bicycle Advisory Committee, the City of Portland said he would have to step down from that role if he wanted to write for us. He chose to continue being chair of the BAC. Thanks for sharing your insights David! And thanks for being a volunteer advocate on that important committee. Jonathan]

If youre wondering why it was necessary to require a 10-ft wide sidewalk on a local-access street while the local collector with a bus stop would be adequately served by a four-foot asphalt shoulder, all I can say is thats a really good question.

This is the final piece of a three-part series on how SW Hamilton Street illustrates the many challenges to creating safe walking and biking facilities in southwest Portland. In the first part I gave some context for SW Hamilton, then in part two I shared an example of a typical City of Portland project on the street. While city projects have had an impact, redevelopment by private entities has presented an even more confounding situation.

Before we get any further, I want to add a couple of notes. I was Chair of Bridlemile Neighborhood Association (BNA) from May 2016 to May 2018 and served on the Board of Directors for a bit over four years in total. All of the projects in prior years garnered many opinions from board members and neighbors, some stronger than others. In this series Ive leaned on public records documenting the decisions made along with what is on-the-ground today. Plans and other information that were not explicitly public were acquired and shared through third-parties who are also deeply invested in this neighborhood and its infrastructure.

It also needs to be said that there are many competing priorities throughout the city and expecting world-class facilities on every road is not reasonable with the transportation bureaus $4 billion maintenance backlog. But when a property is developed, we often have a blank slate and a new pool of funds to provide something better just by adhering to existing policies that obligate developers to specific responsibilities. As you will read, the result if often a newer version of whats already there, rather than holding a developer to a higher standard on behalf of the new residents that will eventually live on the property.

Precedents are funny things. Sometimes they are set after community input and careful consideration, other times its an afterthought. The lack of sidewalks on Hamilton can be traced to two projects that exemplify the power of precedent.

The lack of sidewalks on Hamilton can be traced to two projects that exemplify the power of precedent.

Youve already read about the first precedent, a bioswale project completed by the Portland Bureau of Environmental Services in 2016. They were able to extend the shoulders as part of the project because it was inexpensive and the stormwater mitigation that drove the project did not have to be expanded by keeping the right-of-way to only asphalt. The project left much to be desired by the neighborhood, they even wrote a letter that outlined their dissatisfaction. Now that ongoing maintenance has ended, the bioswales are overrun by invasive blackberries and foliage partially blocks the shoulder. Roads that have no curb are considered self-cleaning meaning getting any kind of brush clearing is near impossible (thats a story for another day).

The second precedent happened when the City of Portland enabled developers to build several million dollar homes while minimizing frontage improvements through a slick-land use maneuver. Back in 2016 a developer wanted to shift lot lines around to allow them to build four houses where two creeks meet amid Environmental Protection and Conservation overlay zones. These overlays are quite common in southwest Portland and are supposed to provide an extra layer of protection for sensitive areas. The lots were at the northeast corner of Hamilton and 58th Avenue, but the addresses all listed 58th Avenue rather than Hamilton St.

As a result of the address being on 58th Avenue rather than Hamilton, the frontage requirements were minimal. The initial decision by the city was that a sidewalk would be required on both sides of 58th and there would be no improvements on Hamilton. After appealing that decision, 58th was allowed to stay in its existing state with no improvements or even repaving. When the full environmental review decision was released all of this was already baked-in. Due to this being a land-use decision regarding environmental overlays and not development, the Bridlemile Neighborhood Association (BNA) was advised by city staff that appealing street improvements would be unsuccessful. As promised, BNA filed a detailed appeal which included disapproval of the frontage requirements that the city had approved and as expected the end result was in line with the developers request.

In the final decision Hamilton was described as improved with a 22-foot-wide right of way, also without curbs or sidewalks. It continues [a] Public Works Alternative was approved by the Public Works Alternative Review Committee, which determined that standard frontage improvements would not be required along either SW Hamilton or SW 58th in relation to the construction of the four single-dwelling residences proposed for this site.

Theres a lot to dissect within that last paragraph. SW 58th is one of many roads in southwest without curbs, sidewalks, or shoulders and this decision meant the status-quo would be maintained. Hamilton didnt require any improvements either, however the developer agreed to PBOTs request to extend the shoulder on the north side of the street. A final note is that the following statement also made it into the appeal although frontage improvements along SW Hamilton and SW 58th will not be required at this time, they will be required in the future. It is not clear if there is an enforceable mechanism to make this happen nor is there a timeline for this future requirement.

Less than two years later, the house across the street, on a lot with over four acres of land, was ready to be replaced with a subdivision. While sidewalks would be installed inside the new development, only extended shoulders were necessary for Hamilton. While BNA had a stated desire to include sidewalks it quickly became clear this was not going to happen and the focus instead shifted in a new direction: contiguity.

BNA wanted the shoulders constructed at 58th Ave to connect with the ones that would be installed at the to-be-constructed 59th Ave. This would provide multiple blocks of continuous, connected shoulder space for people to walk, run, or bike (uphill) without having to cross the street which was signed at 30 mph at the time. Unfortunately, this proposal was scuttled by two forces; a property owner that didnt want the shoulder on their side of the road and the city not being able to do anything to force the issue as it was outside the project scope.

This development is currently being constructed with houses being listed around $2 million each. The sidewalks that are present look nice and the curb ramps are already installed which will make it easier for people to access the neighborhood when they park in the shoulder. A feature of these shoulders is that not only can they facilitate people walking and on bicycles for short distances but there is no signage prohibiting parking so they are truly all-access. This hasnt led to much conflict yet since only one or two of the houses appears to be occupied. But this could change in the coming years.

Moving on to the final development on our tour, 2018 was a busy year and a simpler land use decision next to Hamilton was also moving forward at 53rd Ave. A house had been removed from a larger lot and the request was to divide the lot into two parcels. No environmental overlays were present and 53rd already had curbs. As a result the improvements were as follows:

Consistent with the Public Works Alternative approved for this site (17-270729-PW) required improvements within SW Hamilton will include: widening of the roadway shoulder by extending the existing paved roadway to provide a 4-ft asphalt shoulder; dedicate 14-ft of property for ROW purposes; and adequate conveyance of stormwater, if necessary as determined by BES, along the property frontage. Required improvements on SW 53rd will include construction of the 10-ft wide sidewalk corridor behind the existing curb.

If youre wondering why it was necessary to require a 10-foot wide sidewalk on a local-access street while the local collector with a bus stop would be adequately served by a four-foot asphalt shoulder, all I can say is thats a really good question.

I get a bittersweet feeling when I look back on these developments, the projects by BES and PBOT, and all the gaps that remain. I was part of fighting the good fight, seemingly losing at every turn to the whim of budget or policy decisions. Still, conditions have improved from their prior state and if the Southwest in Motion project on Hamilton (BP-43, which calls for a new sidewalk from 48th to 45th outside Bridlemile Elementary School) is actually implemented there might even be a new sidewalk to make that last connection to school a little less stressful. New development will continue as well, its too lucrative for property owners to ignore forever. And while it may take decades to happen, eventually the gaps will become small enough that it will become more feasible to fill them in.

I hope you enjoyed this series! It gives you just a little window into what it takes to be an advocate for better streets in southwest Portland. Sort of like riding a bike, the climbs are tough, but when you get to the top its well worth it.

For more about why there are so few sidewalks in southwest (and east) Portland, see this previous article by Lisa Caballero: Sidewalks and Portland, its not so simple.

David is a guest writer based out of SW Portland. He has been a regular bike commuter since 2012 (until COVID). While David is currently Chairperson of the Portland Bicycle Advisory Committee all opinions are his own and do not reflect the feelings or position of the BAC. Contact him at davidsteinbp@gmail.com

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Sidewalks and subdivisions: The final part of our SW Hamilton series - BikePortland.org

He said fire outbreaks in bushes have caused almost 50% of the country's reserves to be destroyed

Deputy Chief Fire Officer (DCFO) Owusu Adjei, Rural Fire Director of the Ghana National Fire Service has disclosed that Ghana loses 3% of its total revenue to fire outbreaks across all levels.

He said the regular occurrence of fire incidents is depriving the nation of millions which could have gone into other sectors of the economy.

Owusu Adjei explained that the cause of outbreaks including domestic, industrial, vehicular, institutional, electrical, commercial, bush, and others is a threat to the economy, national life, safety, security, and stability of the state.

He has therefore underscored the need for Ghanaians to adopt safety measures to help reduce outbreaks in the country.

On the issue of bush fires, Owusu Adjei stated that outbreaks in the bush have depleted forest reserves.

He said fire outbreaks in bushes have caused almost 50% of the country's reserves to be destroyed.

He stressed that bush fires do not only cause havoc to the forest and wildlife, but also impoverish the soil by destroying organic matter in the soil, and increasing leaching, wind, and water erosion.

Appearing on Rainbow Radio 87.5Fm, he explained that there are several causes of bush fires that have been identified and they include: hunting, land clearing, burning of fetish grass, fire festivals, and burning of crop residue,s and cooking on farms.

He advised farmers and hunters to desist from these acts to help prevent bush fires.

Continued here:
Ghana loses 3% of its total revenue to fire outbreaks - GNFS - GhanaWeb

At this darkest, coldest time of the year, it seems a kind of midwinter madness to take a canoe on to a Highland loch in the deep of night. But we came here for the summer solstice, so it feels right to return. We are the Swallow, set for adventure. The moon is full, but muted by a thick mist. As we cut across the loch, the black water fades without seam into grey cloud, all the familiar landmarks on the shore dissolving. The silence is broken only by the slap of paddles and the creak of boat until unseen geese are startled. Their rising hullabaloo erupts into a storm of wingbeats and splashing till they circle above and settle again, squawks fading.

We make for the dark island, feeling like the Dawn Treader on the brink of nightmares, then judder across a skirt of ice that cracks and splinters beneath us. Now we are the Endurance at the ends of the earth. Our vessel stowed on the frosted shore, we head for a clearing at the foot of giant beeches, sweep away leaves and dig out a circle of turf for a fire. Flasks appear, bowls of warm custard on cake, mugs of hot chocolate.

We make our beds in bivvy bags and I spend the hours trussing myself in ever more layers of fleece, down and discomfort, my body stiffening into cold. On this longest winter night, the moon has suffused the fog with a strange half-light, and I am as wakeful as when midsummer will not surrender the sky.

At last it is morning and time to move. Clearing camp, we discover hair ice pluming from a fallen branch like candy floss, shiny white and soft to touch. An owl makes a wild, demonic shriek from deep in the trees, and we depart the forbidden isle.

At first the canoe scrapes across the newly frozen ice ring before breaking through into water the colour of mercury. Beside us, the reed beds are furred with hoar frost, crackling as we brush past. Cloud holds sway all around, hiding horizons, smudging forest and land, blurring edges. Quietly, we slip back to civilisation, fugitives from another world.

Country Diary is on Twitter at @gdncountrydiary

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Country diary: A tiny island on a loch perfect for a solstice overnight camp - The Guardian

Could Russia launch an air assault raid over Ukraine to seize strategic airfields, ambush high-value command centers, or clear an arrival path for advancing armored vehicles?

Such an effort may or not be entirely feasible, depending upon the state of Ukrainian weapons,air defenses,or ability to counter approaching Russian helicopters from the. Nonetheless, Russia seeks to be prepared for the contingency, which is why it hasplannedlarge-scale paratrooper air assault drills over Crimea in the coming weeks, according to Russias TASSNews Agency.

Quoting Russias Defence Ministry,TASS saidexercises will include live-firings by air assault and artillery units, mine-clearing missions, and shielding personnel from attacks by aircraft and drones.

During the drills, the paratroopers will also practice air assault operations aboard helicopters to seal off a captured area and provide for a quick advance of the main forces, which will be carried out with the fire support of army aviation (Mi-35 gunships), the paper says.

Advancing helicopters, planes, and gunships filled with paratroopers may or may not be realistic for Russian forces potentially seeking to establish a point of entry for attacking forces.

Despite its status as a major global military power in possession of fifth-generation aircraft and a large, trained land force, Russia could likely encounter some difficulty should it seek to invade Ukraine with an air assault. Ukraine is by no means a majorworldpowerbut does have a substantial force capable of causing serious problems for attacking Russian forces. A look atGlobal Firepowersays Ukraine operates as many as 2,430 tanks and as many as 11,000 armored vehicles and 2,000 pieces of towed artillery.

When it comes to establishing air superiority, Russia would likely have the advantage. That'sunless Ukraine were to be defended by NATO and U.S. F-35 Lightning II stealth fighter jets. Ukraine is reported to only operate about twenty-fivefighter jets and likely does not have any fifth-generation fighters capable of challenging stealthy Russian Su-57 fifth-generation fighter jets.

Ukrainian ground forces, however, might at least have some initial success in fending off aRussian armored attackgiven that they have a sizeable fleet of armored vehicles and several thousand tanks. Russia could invade with reportedly superior T-14 Armata tanks, yet it is not clear how many of these tanks Russia operates, so the bulk of anattack forcewould likely consist of upgraded T-90 and T-72 tanks. Without Close Air Support or established air supremacy, Russian tanks and armored forces might have trouble breaking through Ukrainian defenses.

Kris Osborn is the defense editor for theNational Interest. Osborn previously served at the Pentagon as a Highly Qualified Expert with the Office of the Assistant Secretary of the ArmyAcquisition, Logistics & Technology. Osborn has also worked as an anchor and on-air military specialist at national TV networks. He has appeared as a guest military expert on Fox News, MSNBC, The Military Channel, and The History Channel. He also has a masters degree in Comparative Literature from Columbia University.

Image: Flickr/NATO

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When It Comes to Air Assault, Ukraine Could Give Russia a Run for Its Money - The National Interest