Luke Judge

In addition to adding a splash of color to your patio, hanging baskets are a way to literally get your garden off the ground. here are some tips for planting your hanging baskets.

Fillers, spillers and thrillers Ryan VanDerhoef, owner of Progressive Gardens in Cedar Knolls, N.J., says to incorporate three elements when planting a hanging basket: the filler, the spiller and the thriller.

Filler plants like petunias, nemesia and coleus are used to take up space in the basket. Spiller plants — like calibrachoa and bacopa — tumble over the edge of the basket and give it some dimension. Add thriller plants to catch the eye, like a brightly-colored lobelia or purple fountain grass.

Scott Sullivan of Chicago-based Topiarius Urban Garden and Floral Design recommends using tradescantia for hanging baskets. “It grows long and fast [and] keeps great foliage color all summer,” he says.

Stephanie Appel, a landscape architect at Palmers Gardens and Goods in Orlando, Fla., says the best plants for hanging baskets vary, based on where you will be hanging the baskets.

For baskets that will be exposed to bright light, she recommends ivy geranium because it hangs downward or spills out of the basket. Dune sunflowers, which are drought-tolerant wildflowers native to the East Coast, are also a good choice for sunny spots. for baskets that will hang in the shade, Appel suggests verbena or vinca.

Hanging baskets are not limited to flowers; other kinds of plants also work nicely. Appel recommends pothos in addition to the above plants for shady spots.

According to GardeningKnowHow.com, cherry tomatoes, strawberries, basil, parsley and ivy are great for hanging baskets. Hanging plants, in general, will likely dry out faster than those in the ground, so remember to water and check on them often.

Play with colorPick a color scheme for your basket before you select your plants, and remember your vision when you select the actual basket so it does not clash with the plants. If purple is your color, use different shades throughout the basket, and consider adding some white for contrast. You can also work with harmonious color combinations with greens, blues and purples. VanDerhoef suggests visiting your local garden center to check out the hanging baskets on display.

“You will see literally hundreds of combinations you can try for yourself,” he says. “Remember, nature has a great way of making all colors and textures work together, so don’t be afraid to try various color combinations.”

If you are dealing with small containers, you may want to stick to one kind of plant, but you can use ones that bloom in different colors to avoid stifling your creativity. When combining flowers in large baskets, make sure you match up ones that grow under similar conditions.

Purdue University’s Department of Horticulture says to consider the size of your basket and its contents in relation to the surrounding area. Keep the proportions in mind, especially if the flowers have not yet bloomed. make sure the baskets are balanced.

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It takes more than a little drought to keep good plants down. Growth is happening. Plants are greening up, just as they always do so make your last minute preparations for their growth.

If you haven’t cut the garden back don’t delay. Make way for fresh, new growth by removing the summer fried, winter freeze dried growth and relocating it to the compost pile.

Warm season annuals, plants that live one year, need to be pulled out altogether. Zinnias, periwinkle, penta, cosmos and marigolds are all warm season annuals. Seeds shed from last year’s growth will likely germinate as temperatures get warmer.

The tops of warm season perennials generally die to the ground so they can be cut back to near the plant base. Examples include lantana, turk’s cap, fall aster, Salvia darcyii, and hardy yellow bells. For warm season perennials whose stems remain alive and green, you can cut them back to about one foot. The green stems contain stored food reserves and live buds, so they are ready to grow. By not cutting these all the way back they will remain stronger and will grow and mature sooner. Russian Sage (Perovskia atriplicifolia) and Flame Acanthus (Anisicanthus wrightii) are good examples.

Cool season annuals should be common in many gardens. These are seeds that germinate in the fall and live through the winter as a small plant. These begin to grow noticeable this time of year and they will soon be flowering. These include poppies, larkspur, annual gaillardia, cornflower, bluebonnets and many other wildflowers. After a period of blooming, these set seed and begin to die in the late spring heat. We also have cool season annuals that are planted from transplants in the fall and early winter, such as, calendula, pansy, Johnny-jump-up, China pinks, ornamental cabbage/kale, snapdragon, parsley and, Diascia. These too, will bloom until the heat of late spring brings them to a slow stop.

Cool-season perennials may be some of the prettiest plants in your garden at this point. they may not need anything except your admiration. Actually…they don’t even need that. if they have bits of last year’s dead and dry growth hanging on you can carefully pull or trim that out to tidy them up. they are usually green, vigorous and vegetative at this time of year. Many of these will soon be blooming, providing late winter or early spring color to the garden. A few notable cool season perennials include Texas Gold Columbine and Bowles Mauve Wallflower.

Foliage and accent plants may also need some help. ‘Powis Castle’ Artemisia is one of the best foliage plants you can grow for care-free beauty and combining with many other plants. be sure to cut it back to about six inches or so. The new growth will be gorgeous after the old is removed. The specimen plant, Gopher Plant, is about to bloom with its far-out chartreuse flowers. As soon as these flower’s fade, remove the old flowering stems to make way for the new growth that has already begun to emerge.

Last but not least are ornamental grasses. there are a few cool season grasses that may not need anything like Mexican Feather Grass and Blue Fescue. ‘Karl Foerester’ Feather Reed Grass and Deer Muhly are also cool season grasses but they often need to be trimmed back anyway because their leaves are brown from the elements. Mexican Feather grass tends to be short-lived so it may need some trimming or division to look its best. Warm season grasses need to be cut back ASAP. Delaying with these grasses will cause the new growth to come up with a crew-cut.

Last minute pruning of trees, shrubs, vines can be made. if they are late winter flowering plants, wait until their flowers fade then prune them, otherwise, you will spoil the bloom.

Get ready to enjoy what spring has to offer, its popping out right before our eyes.

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Due to the difficulty of accessing root tissue in intact live plants, research of these hidden parts has always lagged behind research on the more visible parts of plants. But now: a new technology–developed jointly by Carnegie and Stanford University–could revolutionize root research. The findings will be published in the large-scale biology section of the December issue of The Plant Cell.

Understanding roots is crucial to the study of plant physiology because they serve as the interface between a plant and the soil–being solely responsible for taking up water and essential mineral nutrients. Roots must respond quickly to various environmental conditions such as water availability (for example, when being soaked by rain after a period of drought). they must find and exploit nutrients; they must respond to salinization and acidification of the soil; and they must integrate diverse signals such as light and gravity. All of these aspects are very difficult to analyze because of a root’s inaccessibility in the soil.

The research team’s efforts could revolutionize the entire field of root studies. The team is comprised of a group of plant scientists, including the paper’s lead author, Guido Grossmann, along with his Carnegie colleagues (Woei-Jiun Guo, David Ehrhardt and Wolf Frommer) and a group of chemical engineers from Stanford University and the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, (Rene Sit, Stephen Quake and Matthias Meier).

The new technology, called the RootChip, allowed the research team to study roots of eight individual seedlings at the same time, and to alter their growth environment simultaneously or independently and with extraordinary precision. Optical sensors, developed and inserted into the root tissue by Frommer’s team, allowed the researchers to examine how the roots responded to changes in nutrient supply levels in real time.

“This new tool provides a major advance for studying root biology at the cellular and subcellular level,” said Wolf Frommer, director of Carnegie’s plant biology department. “The growth conditions can be freely varied over several days, allowing us to monitor actual growth and development of roots and root hairs and using our optical biosensors to study nutrient acquisition and carbon sequestration in real time.”

The RootChip was capable of monitoring a root’s response to changing levels of the sugar glucose in the surrounding environment. Root growth slowed down when the leaves were not exposed to light, as predicted, because the leaf’s photosynthesis is required to supply the energy for root growth. The RootChip also revealed the long-suspected fact that galactose, a sugar highly similar to glucose, is toxic to roots and inhibits their growth and function.

The RootChip is a generic tool and can be altered to test any aspect of root physiology that can be analyzed visually. it can easily be modified to study more than 30 seedlings at the same time and can be expanded for use with plants used to make biofuels, such as Brachypodium and foxtail millet.

Provided by Carnegie Institution

tobacco Plant Nicotiana environmental conditions, stanford university, water availability

The Lake District and its breathtaking scenery have played muse to some of English literature’s greatest and most revered writers.

It was here that William Wordsworth was inspired by the sight of daffodils on the shores of Ullswater to write I Wandered Lonely as A Cloud – one of the most well-known poems penned in our language.

And it was here too that Beatrix Potter spent a great deal of time writing and illustrating her much-loved children’s stories.

It’s not hard to see why the district has proved to be so inspirational. Dramatic but peaceful, its rolling hills and picturesque, calming waters make it a perfect place to get lost in thought.

Wordsworth, born in Cockermouth in 1770, spent most of his 86 years in the Lake District – first as a schoolboy at Hawkshead, before moving to Grasmere and then Rydal Mount.

He produced some of his best works in Grasmere after moving there to live into the small Dove Cottage with his sister Dorothy in 1799.

The cottage is still there today and is beautifully preserved, with Wordsworth’s original furniture still inside – including his favourite writing chair.

The cottage has become an award-winning attraction and the intriguing guided tours come recommended.

Wordsworth moved his wife Mary into Dove Cottage after they married and they lived in Grasmere until 1813. the poet and his wife are buried in the village churchyard, a cemetery that is next to a shop selling Grasmere’s other claim-to-fame – the delicious Grasmere Gingerbread.

It is freshly made in the shop, staying true to inventor Sarah Nelson’s 150-year-old secret recipe, and a slice is a perfect way to keep you going while you take in the rest of the quaint little village.

Grasmere is a truly beautiful place, one of the prettiest in the Lake District. It’s difficult to disagree with Wordsworth’s famous quote, that it is ‘the loveliest spot that man hath found’.

And these words are understandably used to promote the Wordsworth Hotel – an excellent country house in the heart of Grasmere.

The 38-bedroom hotel, next door to the gingerbread shop, is under new ownership after it was taken over by Iain and Jackie Garside, who have returned what was an ageing hotel to its former splendour.

They have 30 years experience of owning and running Lakeland hotels – and it shows here. the hotel has undergone a makeover and the result is clean, crisp and well-executed. the outside of the building is impressive, the inside decorated in a modern, country house-style.

The Wordsworth Hotel is family-run, perhaps the reason why it feels so homely and warm. It also has a superb restaurant with a menu bursting with local ingredients – including trout from Bessy Beck and Lyth Valley lamb.

The head chef Jaid Smallman has recently joined from the nearby, Michelin starred restaurant the Samling. His food is beautifully-presented and tastes fantastic.

The restaurant’s quality is borne out by its popularity – there don’t seem to be any spare tables available on a Friday night.

The hotel also has a swimming pool, Jacuzzi and sauna, and with rooms reasonably-priced too, it is an ideal base for a stay in Grasmere.

A 10-mile journey south of the village brings you one of the most popular tourist destinations in the Lake District – Bowness-on-Windermere.

Just outside Bowness is a hotel formerly owned by another of the region’s great writers, Beatrix Potter.

She was born in London in 1866 but her love of the countryside came from her childhood holidays in the Lake District.

Potter first came here as a 16-year-old when her parents decided to stay at Wray Castle in Ambleside. over many years, the family visited the area and stayed at various places – including the Lindeth Howe Country House, just outside Bowness, which was built in 1879.

From 1902 to 1913, Beatrix Potter wrote her famous children’s stories and two of these – Timmy Tiptoes and Pigling Bland – were illustrated while staying at Lindeth Howe.

In 1905, she used the earnings from her books to buy herself Hill Top, a farm in nearby Sawrey. and, after the death of her father Rupert in 1915, she bought Lindeth Howe for her mother Helen to live in.

The house was sold in 1933 after Helen died and it changed hands once before being turned into a bed and breakfast in the 1970s. It was then bought by retired Oldham businessman Norman Stoller in the late Nineties and extended to the beautiful, 36-bedroom hotel it is today.

The Lindeth Howe Country House Hotel is luxurious and peaceful, with stunning views over Lake Windermere. the rooms are tasteful and grand, the lounges cosy and the gardens striking.

There is a superb, two AA Rosette restaurant serving delicious contemporary cuisine and the staff are warm and helpful.

The hotel has an indoor pool, sauna, fitness room if you want to burn off the indulgent meals and it offers various body treatments and massages too.

It can also arrange a sight-seeing tour with the superb Mountain Goat company.

Mountain Goat offers, among other days out, a Beatrix Potter trip to take in some famous landmarks – including Wray Castle and Hill Top Farm. the wonderfully informal but informed guide makes this trip most worthwhile – and an easy way to see this little corner of the Lake District that has proved so inspirational to so many.

TRAVEL FACTS

Rooms at the Wordsworth Hotel, Grasmere, start at around £95 a night for a classic standard and can be booked by calling 015394 35592 or visiting thewordsworth hotel.co.uk.Rooms at the Lindeth Howe Country House Hotel, Bowness-on-Windermere, start at £170 a night for a standard double and can be booked by calling 015394 45759 or visiting lindeth-howe.co.uk . Tours through Mountain Goat can be arranged by calling 015394 45161 or visiting mountain-goat.com .

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I was jolted awake by the sound of gunfire in one of the neighboring stacks. the shots were followed by a few minutes of muffled shouting and screaming, then silence.

Gunfire wasn’t uncommon in the stacks, but it still shook me up. I knew I probably wouldn’t be able to fall back asleep, so I decided to kill the remaining hours until dawn by brushing up on a few coin-op classics. Galaga, Defender, Asteroids. These games were outdated digital dinosaurs that had become museum pieces long before I was born. but I was a gunter, so I didn’t think of them as quaint low-res antiques. to me, they were hallowed artifacts. Pillars of the pantheon. When I played the classics, I did so with a determined sort of reverence.

I was curled up in an old sleeping bag in the corner of the trailer’s tiny laundry room, wedged into the gap between the wall and the dryer. I wasn’t welcome in my aunt’s room across the hall, which was fine by me. I preferred to crash in the laundry room anyway. It was warm, it afforded me a limited amount of privacy, and the wireless reception wasn’t too bad. And, as an added bonus, the room smelled like liquid detergent and fabric softener. the rest of the trailer reeked of cat piss and abject poverty.

Most of the time I slept in my hideout. but the temperature had dropped below zero the past few nights, and as much as I hated staying at my aunt’s place, it still beat freezing to death.

A total of fifteen people lived in my aunt’s trailer. she slept in the smallest of its three bedrooms. the Depperts lived in the bedroom adjacent to her, and the Millers occupied the large master bedroom at the end of the hall. There were six of them, and they paid the largest share of the rent. our trailer wasn’t as crowded as some of the other units in the stacks. It was a double-wide. Plenty of room for everybody.

I pulled out my laptop and powered it on. It was a bulky, heavy beast, almost ten years old. I’d found it in a Dumpster behind the abandoned strip mall across the highway. I’d been able to coax it back to life by replacing its system memory and reloading the stone-age operating system. the processor was slower than a sloth by current standards, but it was fine for my needs. the laptop served as my portable research library, video arcade, and home theater system. Its hard drive was filled with old books, movies, TV show episodes, song files, and nearly every videogame made in the twentieth century.

I booted up my emulator and selected Robotron: 2084, one of my all-time favorite games. I’d always loved its frenetic pace and brutal simplicity. Robotron was all about instinct and reflexes. Playing old videogames never failed to clear my mind and set me at ease. if I was feeling depressed or frustrated about my lot in life, all I had to do was tap the Player one button, and my worries would instantly slip away as my mind focused itself on the relentless pixelated onslaught on the screen in front of me. There, inside the game’s two-dimensional universe, life was simple: It’s just you against the machine. move with your left hand, shoot with your right, and try to stay alive as long as possible.

I spent a few hours blasting through wave after wave of Brains, Spheroids, Quarks, and Hulks in my unending battle to Save the Last Human Family! but eventually my fingers started to cramp up and I began to lose my rhythm. When that happened at this level, things deteriorated quickly. I burned through all of my extra lives in a matter of minutes, and my two least-favorite words appeared on the screen: game over.

I shut down the emulator and began to browse through my video files. over the past five years, I’d downloaded every single movie, TV show, and cartoon mentioned in Anorak’s Almanac. I still hadn’t watched all of them yet, of course. That would probably take decades.

I selected an episode of Family Ties, an ’80s sitcom about a middle-class family living in central Ohio. I’d downloaded the show because it had been one of Halliday’s favorites, and I figured there was a chance that some clue related to the Hunt might be hidden in one of the episodes. I’d become addicted to the show immediately, and had now watched all 180 episodes, multiple times. I never seemed to get tired of them.

Sitting alone in the dark, watching the show on my laptop, I always found myself imagining that I lived in that warm, well-lit house, and that those smiling, understanding people were my family. That there was nothing so wrong in the world that we couldn’t sort it out by the end of a single half-hour episode (or maybe a two-parter, if it was something really serious).

My own home life had never even remotely resembled the one depicted in Family Ties, which was probably why I loved the show so much. I was the only child of two teenagers, both refugees who’d met in the stacks where I’d grown up. I don’t remember my father. When I was just a few months old, he was shot dead while looting a grocery store during a power blackout. the only thing I really knew about him was that he loved comic books. I’d found several old flash drives in a box of his things, containing complete runs of the Amazing Spider-Man, the X-Men, and Green Lantern. my mom once told me that my dad had given me an alliterative name, Wade Watts, because he thought it sounded like the secret identity of a superhero. Like Peter Parker or Clark Kent. Knowing that made me think he was must have been a cool guy, despite how he’d died.

My mother, Loretta, had raised me on her own. We’d lived in a small RV in another part of the stacks. she had two full-time OASIS jobs, one as a telemarketer, the other as an escort in an online brothel. she used to make me wear earplugs at night so I wouldn’t hear her in the next room, talking dirty to tricks in other time zones. but the earplugs didn’t work very well, so I would watch old movies instead, with the volume turned way up.

I was introduced to the OASIS at an early age, because my mother used it as a virtual babysitter. as soon as I was old enough to wear a visor and a pair of haptic gloves, my mom helped me create my first OASIS avatar. Then she stuck me in a corner and went back to work, leaving me to explore an entirely new world, very different from the one I’d known up until then.

From that moment on, I was more or less raised by the OASIS’s interactive educational programs, which any kid could access for free. I spent a big chunk of my childhood hanging out in a virtual-reality simulation of Sesame Street, singing songs with friendly Muppets and playing interactive games that taught me how to walk, talk, add, subtract, read, write, and share. Once I’d mastered those skills, it didn’t take me long to discover that the OASIS was also the world’s biggest public library, where even a penniless kid like me had access to every book ever written, every song ever recorded, and every movie, television show, videogame, and piece of artwork ever created. the collected knowledge, art, and amusements of all human civilization were there, waiting for me. but gaining access to all of that information turned out to be something of a mixed blessing. because that was when I found out the truth.

I don’t know, maybe your experience differed from mine. For me, growing up as a human being on the planet Earth in the twenty-first century was a real kick in the teeth. Existentially speaking.

The worst thing about being a kid was that no one told me the truth about my situation. in fact, they did the exact opposite. And, of course, I believed them, because I was just a kid and I didn’t know any better. I mean, Christ, my brain hadn’t even grown to full size yet, so how could I be expected to know when the adults were bullshitting me?

So I swallowed all of the dark ages nonsense they fed me. some time passed. I grew up a little, and I gradually began to figure out that pretty much everyone had been lying to me about pretty much everything since the moment I emerged from my mother’s womb.

This was an alarming revelation.

It gave me trust issues later in life.

I started to figure out the ugly truth as soon as I began to explore the free OASIS libraries. the facts were right there waiting for me, hidden in old books written by people who weren’t afraid to be honest. Artists and scientists and philosophers and poets, many of them long dead. as I read the words they’d left behind, I finally began to get a grip on the situation. my situation. our situation. what most people referred to as “the human condition.”

It was not good news.

I wish someone had just told me the truth right up front, as soon as I was old enough to understand it. I wish someone had just said:

“Here’s the deal, Wade. You’re something called a ‘human being.’ That’s a really smart kind of animal. Like every other animal on this planet, we’re descended from a single-celled organism that lived millions of years ago. This happened by a process called evolution, and you’ll learn more about it later. but trust me, that’s really how we all got here. There’s proof of it everywhere, buried in the rocks. That story you heard? about how we were all created by a super-powerful dude named God who lives up in the sky? Total bullshit. the whole God thing is actually an ancient fairy tale that people have been telling to one another for thousands of years. We made it all up. Like Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny.

“Oh, and by the way . . .​ there’s no Santa Claus or Easter Bunny. also bullshit. sorry, kid. Deal with it.

“You’re probably wondering what happened before you got here. an awful lot of stuff, actually. Once we evolved into humans, things got pretty interesting. We figured out how to grow food and domesticate animals so we didn’t have to spend all of our time hunting. our tribes got much bigger, and we spread across the entire planet like an unstoppable virus. Then, after fighting a bunch of wars with each other over land, resources, and our made-up gods, we eventually got all of our tribes organized into a ‘global civilization.’ but, honestly, it wasn’t all that organized, or civilized, and we continued to fight a lot of wars with each other. but we also figured out how to do science, which helped us develop technology. For a bunch of hairless apes, we’ve actually managed to invent some pretty incredible things. Computers. Medicine. Lasers. Microwave ovens. Artificial hearts. Atomic bombs. We even sent a few guys to the moon and brought them back. We also created a global communications network that lets us all talk to each other, all around the world, all the time. Pretty impressive, right?

“but that’s where the bad news comes in. our global civilization came at a huge cost. We needed a whole bunch of energy to build it, and we got that energy by burning fossil fuels, which came from dead plants and animals buried deep in the ground. We used up most of this fuel before you got here, and now it’s pretty much all gone. This means that we no longer have enough energy to keep our civilization running like it was before. So we’ve had to cut back. Big-time. We call this the Global Energy Crisis, and it’s been going on for a while now.

“also, it turns out that burning all of those fossil fuels had some nasty side effects, like raising the temperature of our planet and screwing up the environment. So now the polar ice caps are melting, sea levels are rising, and the weather is all messed up. Plants and animals are dying off in record numbers, and lots of people are starving and homeless. And we’re still fighting wars with each other, mostly over the few resources we have left.

“Basically, kid, what this all means is that life is a lot tougher than it used to be, in the good old Days, back before you were born. Things used to be awesome, but now they’re kinda terrifying. to be honest, the future doesn’t look too bright. You were born at a pretty crappy time in history. And it looks like things are only gonna get worse from here on out. Human civilization is in ‘decline.’ some people even say it’s ‘collapsing.’

“You’re probably wondering what’s going to happen to you. That’s easy. the same thing is going to happen to you that has happened to every other human being who has ever lived. You’re going to die. We all die. That’s just how it is.

“what happens when you die? Well, we’re not completely sure. but the evidence seems to suggest that nothing happens. You’re just dead, your brain stops working, and then you’re not around to ask annoying questions anymore. Those stories you heard? about going to a wonderful place called ‘heaven’ where there is no more pain or death and you live forever in a state of perpetual happiness? also total bullshit. just like all that God stuff. There’s no evidence of a heaven and there never was. We made that up too. Wishful thinking. So now you have to live the rest of your life knowing you’re going to die someday and disappear forever.

“sorry.”

OK, on second thought, maybe honesty isn’t the best policy after all. maybe it isn’t a good idea to tell a newly arrived human being that he’s been born into a world of chaos, pain, and poverty just in time to watch everything fall to pieces. I discovered all of that gradually over several years, and it still made me feel like jumping off a bridge.

Luckily, I had access to the OASIS, which was like having an escape hatch into a better reality. the OASIS kept me sane. It was my playground and my preschool, a magical place where anything was possible.

The OASIS is the setting of all my happiest childhood memories. When my mom didn’t have to work, we would log in at the same time and play games or go on interactive storybook adventures together. she used to have to force me to log out every night, because I never wanted to return to the real world. because the real world sucked.

I never blamed my mom for the way things were. she was a victim of fate and cruel circumstance, like everyone else. her generation had it the hardest. She’d been born into a world of plenty, then had to watch it all slowly vanish. More than anything, I remember feeling sorry for her. she was depressed all the time, and taking drugs seemed to be the only thing she truly enjoyed. of course, they were what eventually killed her. When I was eleven years old, she shot a bad batch of something into her arm and died on our ratty fold-out sofa bed while listening to music on an old mp3 player I’d repaired and given to her the previous Christmas.

ear Protectors digital dinosaurs, gunter, museum pieces, pantheon, stacks

By Beth Sitzler

Located in the Pueblos at Alameda Ranch are a bevy of unique homes, including the residence at 4348 Isleta Court.

Built in 2007 by Shawn Stalls of Phoenician Custom Homes, the stylish abode takes advantage of its position on a corner lot overlooking the Organ Mountains.

?The location is the most unique thing,? said Realtor Kevin Wilson of Steinborn & Associates Real Estate, who represents the listing. ?It?s one of the premier locations in Las Cruces.?

Utilizing all of the space on the .23-acre lot, Stalls designed the home with a side garage entry, which lets the front of the home make a dramatic statement.

several stairs lead up to a circular pergola that encloses a courtyard surrounding the front entry. Tan rock and a few small shrubs cover the area, which looks out to the developing neighborhood.

?It has a beautiful elevation,? he said.

Reminiscent of a palatial estate found along the hills of Tuscany, a signature characteristic of Phoenician Custom Homes, a large rotunda houses the 8-foot wooden front door.

Measuring 14 feet in height, the round architectural feature is accented in a wrought-iron chandelier, adding to the rustic style of the home. three small, arched windows line the top of the rotunda to bring natural light into the area.

A mosaic medallion in a shape similar to a nautical star covers the ceramic-tile floor in the entry. The faux accent paint, stone features, solid-pine doors, hand-trilled skip-texture walls and deco van tile trim between rooms are other examples of Stall?s fine attention to the small things.

?The attention to detail and the rich wood tones give a very Old World feel to a very modern home,? Wilson said.

A long hallway leads past a bedroom door to the shared living spaces. The great room of the home features an 11-foot-high ceiling and a curved wall of windows, which Wilson said was designed around capturing the view of the Organ Mountains.

?Phoenician Homes has grown a very good name for itself as being able to blend Southwest and Tuscan design,? Wilson said. ?Each home is designed specifically for that area and lot.

?(Stalls) designed this home so we can enjoy the view throughout the day and in the evenings.?

A self-starting gas-log fireplace covered in leger stone rests near an angled set of built-in shelves. Not your typical shelves, Wilson said Stalls included both upper and lower lighting.

?It?s a very interesting way to display art work,? he said.

Beside the great room, which is wired for surround sound, is the kitchen. Large and spacious with upgraded appliances, the kitchen features function and style. Complementary to the solid alder cabinets is the tan granite countertops, which look like moving sand.

A barrel vaulted ceiling with several skylights lead to the other bedrooms. The master suite, found next to a half bathroom for guests, is tucked behind French doors. Large enough for a seating area, the room is also wired for surround sound and features a tray ceiling.

A two-way fireplace from the bedroom to the bathroom rests above the Jacuzzi bathtub, which is encased in tile. A snail shower ? named so after is swirling design ? with two shower heads is found beside the double sinks, which include countertops in that same sandy granite. A walk-in closet completes the room.

Down the hall is the third bedroom. Featuring a Jack and Jill bathroom design, the room connects to the other bedroom near the entrance.

?Every bedroom has a walk-in closet,? Wilson said.

in addition to being stylish, Wilson said Stalls included a few energy-saving elements in the home, such as 2-by-6 construction with R-38 insulation in the ceiling and R-19 in the walls and low-E windows.

out back is a covered patio that extends the entire length of the home and has room for a grill and seating, Wilson said. A flagstone path leads through the rock to a flagstone pad, which can house a table to enjoy the sunsets and view of the Organ Mountains.

in addition to these features, the backyard is an open palette for future owners to transform the area how they would like.

?The area has very easy care for landscaping,? Wilson said.

Wilson said the gated community offers various amenities to residences, including a peaceful location to walk around during the cool evenings, access to a pool and, in the future, access to tennis court facilities.

?What?s neat is that 30 percent of the land has been dedicated as open space,? said Wilson, adding that this allows the homes in the subdivision to be intergraded with the surrounding desert landscape.

Fine details can be found in the home, including on the front door, which measures 8 feet tall.

Featured home:  4348 Isleta Court 

Photos by Niki Rhynes

Built in 2007, the home at 4348 Isleta Court features a side-garage entry to leave the front a clean palette for a dramatic entrance.

Two of the bedroom share a Jack and Jill bathroom.

A two-way fireplace adds to the relaxing atmosphere of the master bathroom.

The great room contains several windows that were built around capturing the view of the Organ Mountains.

Solid alder cabinets fill the kitchen, which also contains granite countertops reminiscent of moving sand.

A covered patio extending the length of the home can be found in the backyard.

garden Structures & Fencing abode, palatial estate, wrought iron chandelier

Posted: April 27, 2011 | Author: dakinikat | Filed under: Economy, Federal Budget, Federal Budget and Budget deficit, financial institutions, Global Financial Crisis, jobs, U.S. Economy, unemployment | Tags: Ben Bernanke, FED, inflation, jobs, monetary policy, presser | 10 Comments »

I’m watching Bernanke do a presser.  Wow.   (It’s a live blog … updates and explanations will be provided.)  I can’t believe the press sent political reporters to this.  What an amazing number of really rotten questions!!!

Some key points from the morning’s congressional testimony.

On Unemployment: we do see some grounds for optimism, including a decline to the unemployment rate, declines in the new unemployment insurance claims and improvements in firms’ reported hiring plans. but, even so, it could take quite a while for unemployment to come down to desired levels at current expected growth rates and, in particular, the FOMC projects unemployment still to be in the range of seven and-a-half to eight percent by the end of 2012. until we see a sustained period of stronger job creation, we cannot consider the recovery to be truly established.

On Inflation: “I want to go back over this whole line of interventions, including today quantitative easing. and there have been a series of criticisms that have been made and negative predictions, and my view is that none of them have come true. and I think it is important for us to — to note that. and — and I know you’ve talked about this. I know you mentioned in your statement some of the points. but we were told, for instance, that it was going to be very inflationary. and I know it is your view as of now, and I think supported by the facts, that inflation is not now a problem, and we do not see inflation, certainly not one caused by any of what’s been done going forward. we were told this was going to be extraordinarily expensive, that it was going to cost a lot of money. I believe the answer is that on many of these things the federal government has made a profit by the — by the intervention.”

On Crude Oil: “The relative price of oil, again, is primarily due to global supply and demand. I think it’s important to note that the United States is consuming less oil today, importing less oil and producing more oil than it did before the crisis. That all the increase in demand from outside the United States, particularly in the emerging markets. and so there’s limited amount of what the Fed can do about oil prices alone. Again though, we want to be very sure that it doesn’t feed into overall inflation. we will make sure that doesn’t happen.”

On the Dollar: if the dollar was no longer reserve currency there would – it would on the margin probably mean that we would have to pay highest interest rates to finance the federal debt, and that would be a negative obviously. On other other hand, we might not suffer some of the capital inflows that contributed to the boom and the bust in the recent crisis. but again, I know there was also a countervailing argument in the Journal this morning as well. and I – I just don’t see at this point that there is a major shift away from the dollar.

On the Consumer: we understand the visibility of gas prices and food prices and we want to be sure that people’s expectations aren’t adversely affected. I think it’s important to note that, according for example, to the Michigan survey of consumers, that long term inflation expectations have been basically flat. I mean, they haven’t moved, notwithstanding ups and downs in gas prices, for example.

On the U.S. Fiscal Situation: While I understand these are difficult decisions and we certainly can’t solve it all in the current fiscal year, I do think we need to look forward and I know the House Budget Committee and others will be setting up a 10 year proposal. It’s very important and would be very constructive for Congress to lay out a plan that would be credible that will help bring us to sustainability over the next few years. In particular, one rule of thumb is cutting enough that the ratio of the debt to GDP stops rising. because currently it’s rising relatively quickly. if we could stabilize that, I think that would do a lot to increase confidence in our government and in our fiscal policies.

Obviously, Bernanke needs to drill baby drill to get rid of inflation … so simple!!!

ezrakleinEzra KleinBottom line: Congress is embracing austerity. the Fed is going to start tapping the brakes. Sucks to be you, unemployed people. #fedpresser

Background information on the Fed Presser from NYT and David Leonhardt.

On Wednesday at 2:15 p.m., Ben Bernanke will do something that previous Federal Reserve chairmen considered a terrible idea. he will hold a news conference.

Mr. Bernanke spent much of his academic career arguing that the Fed should be less opaque, and, as chairman, he has put his ideas into action. now it’s time for those of us in the media to hold up our end of bargain. In the spirit of democratic accountability, we should ask hard questions — and we shouldn’t let him get away with the evasions and half-answers that members of Congress too often allow Fed chairmen during their appearances on Capitol Hill.

One question more than any than other is crying out for an answer: why has mr. Bernanke decided to accept widespread unemployment for years on end, even though he believes he has the power to reduce it?

Here’s Paul Krugman’s take on the presser:  Bernanke Wimps Out. He’s got the same questions I do about the inflation v. unemployment .  (See my comments in the thread below.)

So Bernanke did get asked why, given low inflation and high unemployment, the Fed isn’t doing more. and his answer was disheartening.

As far as I can tell, his analytical framework isn’t too different from mine. the inflation rate to worry about is some underlying, inertial rate rather than the headline rate; the Fed likes the core personal consumer expenditures deflator; and this rate has actually been running below target, indicating that inflation isn’t a concern …

loungers cri, federal budget, political reporters, presser

LIKE MANY other midcentury gardens in her Broadview neighborhood, Ann Ormsby’s property is large, shady and rhododendron-rich. But this energetic gardener wasn’t content with the overgrown shrubs and towering fir trees that typify so many Northwest gardens planted 60 years ago.

“I haven’t changed the pathways or the big trees; the structure was already in place,” says Ormsby. But over the years she’s thinned it out and updated with foliage plants in various colors and textures to play off the bark of the big trees. the effect is tranquil yet colorful, well-established yet fresh.

There’s nothing stodgy about this old garden; pathways are lined with inspired combinations like black mondo grass and white-blooming, ground-hugging dogwood (Cornus canadensis). the dinner-plate-sized brunette leaves of Ligularia ‘Britt Marie Crawford’ create drama around the backyard pond.

Local landscape architect Roberta Wightman designed the original garden in the 1950s, when it was published in Sunset magazine. the low-slung house, by William Bain, has an entire wall of glass visually linking indoors and out. Ormsby has made the most of the home’s transparency with terraces that extend out into the garden. She’s added art, water features and bold plantings you can see from inside the house.

Ormsby is a longtime docent, board member and part-time weeder at the nearby Dunn Gardens, where she’s been inspired by the work of curators Glenn Withey and Charles Price. her shady front garden with its woodland walks and leafy Japanese maples is reminiscent of the Dunn Gardens’ graciousness. the back garden is more open, with lawn, pond, terraces and a droughty area planted in non-thirsty catmint, thyme and euphorbia.

When Ormsby moved into the house in 1988 she was a weekend gardener who worked full time for the city of Seattle. But before too long she was replacing diseased azaleas with hardy fuchsias. And when she retired in 1999, she began introducing year-round color. she replaced ‘Unique’ rhododendrons with winter-blooming Azara microphylla. bright Monterey cypress and the big, soft leaves of Hydrangea aspera modernize the garden. “I really love chartreuse,” says Ormsby, who winds this light-reflecting color through the garden in broad ribbons of Japanese forest grass (Hakonechloa macra ‘Aureola’).

Ormsby mostly takes care of the garden herself, even though its acre-plus is all cultivated except where it slips away into a wooded ravine at the back. she hires In Harmony Sustainable Landscapes to deal with what’s left of the lawn after she dug it up to plant more tomatoes.

Ormsby shares the harvest with a friend who helps in the vegetable garden. Raised beds cascade down a slope that used to be all salal. here they grow potatoes, chard, beans, broccoli, onions, asparagus, carrots and raspberries. Old-fashioned flowers grow happily down the hillside, too. up by the house, Ormsby keeps a little vegetable patch she calls her barometer, which she watches to determine when things are ripe below in the beds.

It takes courage to update a venerable old garden, and Ormsby seems to thoroughly enjoy the challenge. her sense of fun and inquiry shows in the piles of colorful glass spheres by the front door, the bright red umbrella on the terrace, the mix of new and old plants.

“I had a whole wagon of variegated plants once years ago at Wells,” she recalls, referring to Wells-Medina Nursery. Founder Ned Wells came up to her and asked, “You aren’t going to plant them together are you?”

And the answer occurred to her: “Why not?”

Valerie Easton is a Seattle freelance writer and author of “The New Low-Maintenance Garden.” Check out her blog at valeaston.com. Mike Siegel is a Seattle Times staff photographer.

clematis landscape architect, rhododendron, terraces

Tony Baldry (Second Church Estates Commissioner; Banbury, Conservative)

I congratulate Helen Goodman on securing this timely debate, and thank her for her kind personal comments. she has been a tireless and dedicated campaigner on this issue on behalf of those who live close to Auckland castle and those who come to enjoy it, its grounds and, especially, its paintings. as she made clear, both she and the people of Bishop Auckland, along with those in the wider region, are delighted about today’s announcement by the Church Commissioners that they are working to keep the Zurbaran paintings in Auckland Castle.

As second Church Estates Commissioner, I am well aware of the strength and intensity of feeling that the castle and its paintings inspire in the hon. Lady and her constituents, and indeed in the diocese and the wider Church. It has been my pleasure to work with the hon. Lady on this issue in recent months. I was privileged to visit her constituency last November to view the paintings, along with other representatives of the Church Commissioners.

As the hon. Lady said, it is proposed that the 13 paintings by the Spanish artist Francisco de Zurbaran that currently hang in the Long Dining Room of Bishop Auckland castle should stay there, thanks to-I do not think that we can underline this too much-an extraordinary act of generosity by Jonathan Ruffer, chief executive of Ruffer. the paintings will be sold to a new trust, which will have a specific obligation to ensure their preservation and continued public display at Auckland castle. we are immensely grateful to him for an act of generosity that will ensure continued public access to those works of art in their natural home.

While I am giving credit where it is due, let me take the opportunity to thank Sir Paul Nicholson, Lord Lieutenant of Durham, for his chairmanship of the working party; Christopher Higgins, Vice-Chancellor and warden of Durham university; the right Rev. Mark Bryant, Bishop of Jarrow; and all the others whose help, advice and assistance in recent months have proved invaluable in securing this resolution. I also thank my fellow Church Commissioners who have engaged so actively in the matter.

Although the Church Commissioners are significant owners of land and property, they are not, by and large, in the business of owning, maintaining and displaying paintings. I have made that point in the House before during questions on this issue, and I will return to it in a moment. however, I should first make a short detour. the Church Commissioners as we know them today came about in 1948 as the result of the merger of two bodies: Queen Anne’s Bounty and the Ecclesiastical Commissioners. the older of these, Queen Anne’s Bounty, was created in 1704 out of concern for the poverty of the clergy and the disrepair of their parsonages. over a century later, Parliament created the Ecclesiastical Commissioners to manage the historic assets in order to make financial provision for the Church’s mission in areas of need and opportunity as well as to fund bishops and some cathedral costs, and in order to oversee a reorganisation of dioceses and cathedrals. Financing clergy pensions came much later.

The theme running throughout our 300-year history, which is very much alive today, is of supporting the Church’s mission throughout England. Today, the commissioners are responsible for all clergy pensions earned up to 1998, the stipends and working costs of all the Church of England’s bishops, the housing costs of all diocesan bishops and support of their local and national ministries, cathedral grants, stipends to cathedral deans and canons-and the list goes on. currently, the Church Commissioners manage an investment portfolio of about £5 billion, largely in property and shares, which is derived from the Church’s historic resources. from this sum, they are able to contribute about 16p in every pound to the cost of the Church of England’s mission, with most of the balance coming from the generous giving of today’s parishioners. the majority of the commissioners’ other assets are in land and property, and as such they are not readily available to fund the day-to-day running of the Church of England. as a result of their investment performance, the Church Commissioners have distributed £31 million more each year to the Church for the past 10 years than if they had performed as an average fund. the point I would make in connection with all of this is that, although the Church of England owns and maintains about 16,000 places of worship and is responsible for 45% of this country’s grade I listed buildings-and so is arguably the nation’s leading heritage organisation, a point my hon. Friend the Minister and colleagues in the Department for Culture, Media and Sport well understand-the holding of heritage assets, of which the Zurbaran paintings are a prime example, has never been central to the commissioners’ asset portfolio.

The hon. Lady described very well the history of how the Zurbarans came to Auckland castle. the £125 spent by Bishop Trevor in 1756 was clearly a very worthwhile investment, because what it bought is now worth £15 million. With the moneys released by the sale of the Zurbaran paintings to the proposed trust, it will be possible to fund 10 additional clergy in perpetuity and to offer ministry to deprived areas of the nation. Doubtless some of the benefit of this arrangement will be enjoyed by communities in the north-east.

It is a matter of public record that the Church Commissioners have been reviewing the suitability of Auckland castle as the home of the Bishop of Durham and as the base for his local and national ministry. as part of this, the commissioners have been in discussions with representatives of the diocese and other local people. With the question of the Zurbaran paintings settled, the Church Commissioners now intend to work towards a future for the castle that not only maintains the strong and historic working link between it, the Bishop and the diocese, but that helps the site become, in the words of the hon. Lady herself,

“the focus for the development of tourism and an engine of regeneration.”

I look forward to working with her as future plans develop, and with heritage bodies, the county council, the people of Bishop Auckland and the Heritage Lottery Fund. the hon. Lady mentioned other organisations, and, indeed, other heritage organisations wish to be involved with this regeneration project, which I am sure would be welcomed.

I should stress that Auckland castle will remain the base for the Bishop of Durham’s ministry; he will continue to work there and pray in the chapel there, so it will be the centre of his work. I should also stress that what happens at Auckland castle sets no precedent in respect of the continued assessments and feasibility studies of all bishops’ residences. the commissioners continue to have a responsibility to ensure that the Church’s diocesan bishops are housed appropriately so as to enable them to fulfil their ministry locally and nationally. They are subject to a regular review process, and that process will continue, with decisions made on an individual basis.

I conclude by quoting from a letter that appeared in the Church Times on 25 March 2011 from the Rev. Richard Deimel, a local vicar in Bishop Auckland. Having been unhelpfully misquoted by a different newspaper-we might all sympathise with that-he wanted to set the record straight. Given that he makes some insightful and eminently sensible points, they are worth repeating. he said:

“The question of the sale of the Zurbarán paintings from Auckland Castle is complex and sensitive. I am a Vicar of five parishes from the edge of Bishop Auckland to Hamsterley forest. People here feel that they have very little significant heritage or art or architecture in their community. Many are very proud of the paintings and the castle. They find meaning and identity in their story. It would be incredibly damaging, indeed a bit like a kick in the teeth from the church and the state, if these left the North East or went into private hands.

I fully support attempts to build a partnership to retain them in some kind of shared ownership. This would be a real boost to the local community and economy. It would, also release the Church from the responsibility of being a custodian of heritage, because that is not the purpose of the Church.”

I agree with all those sentiments and I hope that those in the north-east will feel that that is what we have managed to deliver on. I have confidence that what the commissioners have announced today will reassure not only Rev. Richard Deimel, but the hon. Lady and her constituents, and all those petitioners in the region and beyond who have made their concerns known. What has been achieved is, I hope, in the best interests of the north-east, the Church and the Church in the north-east.

wendy Houses campaigner, constituency, goodman, personal comments, spanish artist

Edithburgh recreational fisherman Ian Winton, out on his boat in the waters of the Yorke peninnsula. Picture: Brooke Whatnall

WILL sanctuaries save the marine environment, or will they just spoil the fun for fishers?

————————————————–

THE sun is not yet visible over the Troubridge Island Lighthouse but it will be soon. Shafts of pale orange, yellow and blue light are creeping over the horizon, peeping out of the gaps between the clouds. we are on board a 16ft Seamaster Yalta fishing boat, the Gordon Stanley, heading out from the Edithburgh boat ramp, and Ian Winton is at the helm. in the morning gloom Winton’s high-visibility yellow jacket is the brightest thing for miles around. we are ploughing through the heavy, gunmetal grey seas looking for fish. Whiting to be exact. Weighing on Winton’s mind this morning is the possibility this will all soon come to an end. the patch of water we are traversing could soon be closed to fishing if the State Government gets its way and declares the area a sanctuary zone under its Marine Parks legislation. but this has always been about more than just fishing to Winton. It’s about memory and family. It’s about his father, and it’s about his grandchildren.

The Gordon Stanley is his father’s boat. Gordon Stanley was his father’s name. it was on the Port River 55 years ago that Winton first learned to fish. it was there he got to know his father. "My dad wasn’t a ‘huggy’ sort of bloke, he was a rough diamond," Winton says. he was a fitter and turner and boilermaker but on a Sunday morning, when he wasn’t working overtime, the pair would head out from Snowden’s Beach and drop a hand line from their old, green clinker boat. with Torrens Island and the commercial docks of Port Adelaide as a backdrop they would putter out to the channel markers in the Port River estuary in search of fish. the two would talk about life, about fish, about shared dreams and most importantly the travails of the West Torrens football club.

In 1969 his dad started building a shack at Sultana Point at Edithburgh, using bricks he made in the city. he bought the boat we are cruising in today. Now the baton has passed to his son. "My dad enjoyed the day out more than the actual event of catching fish. I have inherited that trait," Winton says. "whilst I thoroughly enjoy the fishing part, it is being able to take my daughter, her husband and two kids out that gives me the greatest pleasure."

Now Winton, along with the other estimated 240,000 recreational fishers in SA, is worried he is going to lose his freedom to fish. Late last year the State Government released plans for what are known as sanctuary zones across the 19 marine parks that have already been declared in SA waters. in the sanctuaries all fishing, whether it is recreational or commercial, will be banned. the zones take up between 20 and 25 per cent of the marine park area and some run 20km from shore to sea. If the current proposals remain they will account for up to 10 per cent of all state waters.

The proposal has caused outrage across regional SA. Recreational fishers fear the loss of their favourite spots. Regional towns are terrified that tourists and shack owners, who are usually from Adelaide, will disappear, taking away a chunk of their economy. on the Yorke Peninsula more than 40 per cent of ratepayers have their principal place of residence somewhere else.

The only saving grace is the Government has already agreed to exclude all jetties and boat ramps from being part of sanctuaries. but that doesn’t help the commercial fishing industry which says it could lose about 25 per cent of its business under the plan.

State Environment Minister Paul Caica is trying to calm the fears. he says the zones have not yet been settled, and that in the long run the environmental benefits are worth the short-term pain.

The trouble is, no one believes him.

THE night before the pre-dawn fishing trip, Winton is on his feet at the Edithburgh Institute, urging the locals to send a message to the State Government. he is an unlikely revolutionary. A career public servant who is now semi-retired he has set up a ginger group – the Southern Yorke Peninsula Marine Park Community Action Group – to garner numbers to take the fight to North Terrace. he says it’s the first political group he has ever been involved with.

This night is technically a meeting of another group. the State Government has set up what it calls Marine Parks Local Advisory Groups in each of the 19 parks, ostensibly to provide advice to government about where the sanctuary zones should be placed. in reality, in many places the LAGs are becoming the lightning rods for local discontent about a process they believe has been foisted upon them by a State Government that has no interest in the concerns of regional people.

During a couple of days in Edithburgh the same issues are highlighted repeatedly. you don’t need a Newspoll here to tell you there is a startling antipathy towards Mike Rann and his government. People want to know why there are no sanctuaries off Adelaide’s metropolitan beaches. the answer is because there is nothing much worth protecting out there.

There are plenty of conspiracy theories as well.

While large sanctuary zones have been mooted at Edithburgh and the nearby town of Port Morowie, the coast has been kept clear half an hour up the road at Black Point. Derisively referred to as "millionaires row", Black Point is holiday home to wealthy businessmen such as Rob Gerard, Glenn Cooper and Michael Angelakis. the locals at Edithburgh believe the rich are being protected, but the government says there’s nothing worth including in a sanctuary in that area.

Still, tempers are up. there are more than 100 people crammed into the institute on this cool Thursday evening and the atmosphere is one of crackling discontent. When a LAG meeting was last held here last year there were only four people in the public gallery. Now there is loud talk of protests along King William St, of defying the Government and boycotting the process.

The most unpopular man in the room by a comfortable distance is David Pearce, the project co-ordinator for the Department of Environment and Natural Resources. Pearce’s job is to try to gain community support and trust for the marine park. That seems a long way away. he is told he is "talking, pure unadulterated crap" by one person. When he presents a statistic on how much of the state’s sea bed has been mapped, someone else pipes up: "How can we believe that?" If Pearce said grass was green and the sky was blue, no one would believe him.

For the most part, Pearce stands impassively as the plan is picked to pieces. Occasionally his frustration spills over as he continues to insist that the sanctuaries are not immovable, that the very point of the meeting is for the community to tell the Government what it wants. "Most of them are just shocked by the whole thing and want it to go away," he says later. "It’s often hard when you are going out and clearly being told by community members that you are going to ruin their lives, ruin their property values, ruin their fishing, ruin their fun."

But progress is slowly being made. Winton’s action group is now being brought into the process to work alongside the LAG to work up a counter-offer on sanctuary zones it hopes the Government will find acceptable.

The marine park concept was first raised by the Liberal government in the late 1990s. Since then Labor Ministers John Hill, Jay Weatherill and Gail Gago have pushed it forward in increments. Now it’s Caica’s turn and he is clearly aggravated by the process. Known as one of the more approachable and pragmatic members of the Rann Cabinet, he bristles at the perception the Government has already made up its mind on the zones. "part of the problem is that people don’t believe me when I say this is not about destroying commercial fishing, it’s not about destroying recreational fishing," he says. "you can go out there and say it, say it again and then tell them what you have said, and people still won’t listen."

He is also adamant that it’s not a way to control the number of fish caught. That is happening anyway. in 2001 a survey by SA Fisheries said 12.25 million fish were caught by recreational fishers. the next time the survey was done in 2008 that had dropped to 6.52 million. the main reason for this has been new size and bag limits, as well as a marked decrease in the numbers of people going fishing. Caica says sanctuaries are needed to protect all forms of marine life, whether it’s fish, sea grass, reefs, sea slugs, sponges or invertebrates.

Yet Caica should not be surprised by the public’s scepticism. It’s another symptom of what Education Minister Jay Weatherill last year described as the Government’s "announce and defend" approach to public policy. From Mt Barker in the Adelaide Hills, through the Parks Community centre, Cheltenham Race Course and the St Clair Recreation centre land swap, voters have become increasingly agitated by what they perceive as the State Government imposing decisions on them whether they like it or not. All complain of a lack of consultation. others think the Government is taking them for a ride. A common complaint is that last year the fishing community was asked to nominate favourite spots along the coast. the idea was the Government would then avoid popular areas when drawing up sanctuary zones. Most now believe the exact opposite occurred and the Government tricked them into supplying the information. the Department denies this happened.

But there is an irony, then, that when the Government has undertaken probably its most extensive consultation since winning office in 2002 it has so eroded public trust most are not willing to give it the benefit of the doubt. Technically, this is the pre-consultation phase. Official consultation doesn’t start until later in the year when the Government releases updated sanctuary zones.

Caica, himself a recreational fisherman of long-standing, concedes there have been mistakes and not enough has been done to explain the benefits of the scheme, but he but is ironclad in his commitment that no decisions have yet been taken. he says the Government has set no targets about how much water should be covered in sanctuaries. he says he is prepared to ignore scientists who say 10 per cent is the minimum needed. he says he is prepared to push sanctuaries into areas that are not designated as marine parks. he is even prepared to push out the time line, which currently says zones will be officially declared by the middle of next year. "I have told them quite simply if they want to get a rubber and rub out those lines I don’t care as long as we come back with what is a reasonable scale marine park system that actually does preserve that habitat," he says.

The only certainty in the debate is that at some point SA will have a bunch of sanctuaries within its marine parks. This is because in 1993 Australia became a signatory to the United Nation’s Convention on Biological Diversity which dictated that certain areas of the marine environment had to be placed under some form of protection for conservation purposes.

Environmentalists and most marine scientists believe marine parks and sanctuaries will benefit fishing as well as the broader environment. the Australian Marine Sciences Association has about 900 marine scientists as members and is unequivocal in its support of the concept, saying 10 per cent is the minimum "target of all habitat types under full no-take protection". Sabine Dittman, vice president of the Association and a senior lecturer in marine biology at Flinders University, says SA has a unique biodiversity and as much as 90 per cent of the species in state waters are not found anywhere else. "in the scientific community there is pretty much no doubt left about the efficiency of no-take zones," she says.

A report by Dr Melissa Nursey-Bray, from the University of Adelaide, claims experience in Australia and around the world proves marine parks are good for fishing. "while benefits are not always evenly distributed across all marine parks, evidence is clearly showing that abundance, biomass, economic value, habitat and migration routes are all enhanced by the declaration of marine parks," she says. Proponents talk of the "spillover effect", where the sanctuaries allow fish to breed in greater numbers in a healthier environment until eventually they "spill" out of the protected area.

But dissenter Professor Bob Kearney, a fisheries expert at Canberra University, says the science of marine parks is "more consistent with preconceived bias than scientific assess¬ment or proper precautionary management".

Part of the problem is the starting point for the argument. Opponents of the scheme want the Govern¬ment to identify threats to the marine environment. once those are established then steps can be taken to safeguard marine life. the Government says it has identified areas which are pristine, or close to it, and wants to preserve what is there. it says the concept is exactly the same as having a national park on the land.

Opponents argue marine parks are basically a fisheries management tool and question why existing remedies such as bag and size limits and designated fishing seasons cannot do the same thing. the Government says marine parks are not just about fish but all ocean life.

But there is also resentment from those who believe they have been careful custodians of the sea and the perceived implication that they have somehow damaged the environment. Farmer Andrew Gillfillan, the head of the LAG on Kangaroo Island, says people would be happier with a threat-based model because it would make sense. "any environmental initiative that works on a threat-based analysis will have island support," he says. "we collectively know the ocean far better than the Department of Environment and Natural Resources."

It’s hard to find anyone who does not broadly support the idea of sanctuaries. What is in question is the size and location. in Edithburgh, the town’s last commercial fisherman, Russell Boord, says he would lose about 80 per cent of his fishing grounds if the present zones are implemented. Boord says fish stocks are healthy in the area and priority should be dealing with some of the more immediate threats to the ocean. "the biggest threat is introduced species," he says. Boord says ballast dumped from cargo ships, which have come from as far away as Russia, can carry new and unpredictable species to SA waters and is a much bigger problem to habitat protection than commercial fishing.

In 2009-10, commercial fishing in state waters netted 47,581 tonnes worth about $202 million a year to the state’s economy. according to the 2007 Marine Park Act any commercial fisher who is displaced because of the sanctuary zones is entitled to compensation. Caica has pledged the sanctuaries will have a maximum of 5 per cent commercial impact but has also criticised the industry for not participating in the discussion. "nobody wins a Mexican stand-off so we want them to come to the table and help us design a representative marine park system," he says.

Gary Morgan represents the commercial fishing industry and dismisses the notion it is not pulling its weight. he wants to know what the formula for compensation will be before he commits the industry to serious talks. he estimates the current zones could wipe out a quarter of the industry. "we are happy to play the game, we just want to know what the rules of the game are," he says.

Back on board the Gordon Stanley, Ian Winton says if the zones aren’t changed his days of fishing from the boat are over. he says he will be forced go too far out and that can be dangerous in a small craft. Instead he will just have to fish from the Edithburgh jetty.

Not that the fight is over. the memory of his father will push him on. "he never avoided a fight over a matter of principle. he still provides me inspiration when the going gets tough."

grasses clouds, helm, high visibility, winton, yalta, yellow jacket

Gazebos are an integral part of the American patio. a wide open and airy gazebo can produce the perfect summer oasis and gathering point for friends and family. due to the purchasing power of Big Box stores like Target, Wal-Mart, and Lowe’s, countless homeowners are already competent to purchase and setup 10’x10’ steel gazebos often cheaper than $200.00.These quick setup gazebos are decorative and functional, providing defense against the sun’s harmful UV rays while creating the right home for outdoor dining sets.The issue? The durable steel frames of these 10’x10’ gazebos more often than not outlast everything on the canopy tops for them. within months, occasionally weeks, the canopies of the gazebos fade, wear, rip and, tear. Often, homeowners are still by having an unattractive patio eye sore.

Why do the canopy tops fail frequently? in summary, the canopy tops that can come standard with 10’x10’ steel gazebos are tailored from suprisingly low grade poly-vinyl fabric. Gazebo manufacturers steer faraway from high grade UV resistant fabrics (i.e. Sunbrella™), to maintain the price point on these gazebos attractively low. unfortunately, these low grade canopy tops are subject a great selection of extreme weather: snow, ice, rain, UV sun rays, freezing temperatures, as well as heat. Just in just weeks, a mix of these varying weather condotions can weaken and make brittle the canopy tops on these gazebos. Water that is definitely trapped from inadequate grommet drainage causes the canopy to sage and stretch. Discoloration and fading immediately follows. The last death nail? Wind. Wind will rip and tear the canopy into shreds.

Here’s what usually happens next. The unsuspecting gazebo owner heads towards store to buy an upgraded canopy with the gazebo. He becomes quite dismayed to uncover that this retailer will not carry a substitute top. without much avail, the retailer tells the gazebo owner to call the manufacturer.The problem? The retailer or owner often doesn’t understand the name of the manufacturer since the box or manual has become trashed, or the retailer bought it from some unknown distributor without paper trail. The proprietor is left stranded inside a search for a product that is difficult to get as well as a gazebo which is demand for desperate repair to the party next weekend. what now?

Garden Winds, a renowned internet retailer of outdoor décor products, has invested long and resources that can help gazebo owners using this very common problem. after many years of enjoying customers and buying research and development, Garden Winds now designs and manufactures an upgraded gazebo canopy top that should repair the problem. there is certainly a minimum of 20-30 manufactures these steel gazebos, each producing gazebos of varying dimensions, roof pitches, tiered roof systems, etc. More often than not, gazebo owners often purchase replacement tops which do not fit. Donrrrt worry about it! Garden Winds has designed canopy tops that fit 90% of gazebos in the marketplace. Using higher grade UV resistant fabrics inside manufacturing process, Garden Winds is able to give a product which fits, and a product which lasts.

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Previews March 18th from 2:00 to 6:00 p.m., from 8:00 to 10:00 a.m. on the Day of Sale Or by Appointment.

Takes place on 3/19/2011

At , the Goodwin Building 611 U.S. Route one, York, ME, 03909

Auction of Estate Antiques

HAP MOORE ANTIQUES AUCTIONS P.O. Box 16, 611 U.S. Rte. one, York, Maine 03909

(207) 363-6373 – Fax (207)363-6366

hapmoore.com,

Offering a diverse selection of antiques and decorative accessories removed solely from estates, collections and private households, featuring the forty year collection of Gloria Bresnahan of Danvers, Massachusetts. A complete listing of auction lots by category may be downloaded from our web site. __ FURNITURE: 39 in. graphically grain-painted mid-19th c. two drawer blanket chest. 43 in. paint-decorated bow front four drawer Maine chest on high turned legs. Set of fourteen stenciled and grain-painted plank seat Maine windsors. Selection of good small size country chests, cupboards, stands and youth chairs in paint and natural finish. 19th c. youth recamier. Assorted banister back side chairs of differing design. Giltwood Federal mirror with Perry’s Victory panel. 24 X 15 in. Queen Anne mirror and numerous fruit and scenic panel 19th c. mirrors. 39 in. shaped side 19th c. hanging plate rack. Good one drawer stands. 36 and 42 in. bow front mahogany four drawer Hepplewhite chests on French feet. English bonnet top oak tall clock case with decorated dial but no works. Daniel Pratt wooden works and dials. 18th c. 37 in. old red-stained dough trough on raised base. 35 X 28 in. stretcher-base tap table. Unusual early 19th c. small glazed door hanging pine cabinet with ivory escutcheon on single drawer. Mid-19th c. 72 X 30 in. two drawer grain-painted work table on slim turned legs. Rare form 26 X 26 X 30 in. pierced tin pie safe with occupational door design. 56 in. old green storage box on bracket base. Early fireside and bucket benches. other painted and natural storage boxes and sets of storage drawers. Miniature pine blanket chest with till. Tall eight drawer standing oak cabinet for the collector or physician. Pedestal base Victorian walnut dining table with leaves, expandable to 95 inches. Set of four burl walnut dining chairs.

ARCHITECTURAL AND GARDEN: Early pair of stylish low back and deep-seated rattan armchairs. Group of seven 81 in. fluted architectural columns. Collapsible early 20th c. courtyard fence surround, hinged to provide an area approx. 12 ft. square. 39 X 27 in. old sheet iron silhouette horse vane. Rare 12 in. cast metal post finial in form of boy feeding rooster. Decorative old green blinds. Painted canvas faux door panel. old wooden Ogunquit and Prout’s Neck Yacht Club signs. Metallic Weston and Andover town signs. Ornamental tin 18 in. spread-wing eagle. 35 in. barber’s halfround striped building mount.

ACCESSORIES: Graduated set of three 18K gold wine cups (18.15 troy oz.) presented in 1907 to renowned geologist, Benjamin Smith Lyman, as a token of esteem by the company, Hokkaido Tanko Kisen Kabushiki Kaisha, for his professional services in Japan precedent to the 1906 nationalization of that company’s Railway. the cups are accompanied by a signed letter from the company’s “Chief Director”. Beardless A. Lincoln and NH Vol. Militia brass stick pins. Regina walnut tabletop music box with 33 discs. 11 in. marble and reeded column French mantle clock with ormolu mounts. Unmarked old mandolin. M1850 U.S. Army foot officer’s sword. Selection of ESTATE SILVER flatware, hollow-ware, fancy serving pieces and lighting. Selection of ESTATE JEWELRY and watches. Ladies’ and men’s rings with diamonds, jade and semi-precious stones. 14K Baume & Mercier lady’s wristwatch with diamonds and Movado travel watch in alligator case. Costume jewelry. interesting old desk accessories and ornaments. old carved ivory chess set. Carved and signed miniature Chinese figures. 6 in. carved ivory elephant.

OLD TOYS AND DOLLS: Early 20th c. miniature tin kitchen and working tin sawmill. Small Noah’s Ark and carved animals. two papier mache Santas. “Tonka Farms” 16 in. stake body pressed steel truck. seven in. Steiff bear and other Steiff characters. Lot of well-loved old small stuffed animals. 23 in. glass-eyed German china head doll and clothes. Paintdecorated Victorian doll carriage. _ OLD RUGS, SAMPLERS AND TEXTILES: 9’4 X 4’2 decorative oriental runner in red tones. Small hooked rug with birds around a tree and other hooked rugs. Good 36 in. hexagonal penny rug. Selection of graphic early 19th c. needlework samplers in various sizes. Graphic and colorful eight point star motif quilt. Early blue and white overshot coverlet. Gerhart’s metallic 1914 table-mounted rotary “Family Knitter”. FOLK ART: 39 in. early 20th c. carved ornamental eagle with carved E PLURIBUS UNUM banner. Carved stone Inuit seal with marks and walrus salt and pepper. Unattributed small carved ornamental birds. old decoys. Large selection of _ OLD BASKETS, WOODENWARE AND LIGHTING: Wide variety of baskets in form, size and finish, including rare examples. Selection of collector-quality painted pantry boxes, firkins, bowls and trenchers. 18th c. scrub board. Game boards. Good butter stamps. other household woodenware. Small floral-inlaid tea caddie. Sabbathday measure and Harvard oval box. Grain-painted and wallpaper covered boxes. Stone fruit. Early copper items. Misc. pewter. Good decorated toleware. Wedding band and other early hogscrapers, Rare tin fat lamp, whale oils and turned wooden fluid lamps. 19th c. brass candlesticks.

EARLY GLASSWARE, POTTERY AND ESTATE CHINA: Late 19th c. 10 in. enameled and gilt-decorated flask, signed Bucan (Paris). Early graduated group of N.E. clear blown and etched tankards. Fine tulip-etched 7 in. flip. Selection of Gonic and other redware. Banded and other early yellowware. Decorated stoneware. Southwest blackware. Pair 8 in. chalkware spaniels and cat. Seaweed Mocha tankard and banded open salt. Good salt-glazed ware, including 11 in. beehive water pitcher. Pair 6 in. Staffordshire spaniels with attendant puppies. Older pink luster tea set. Johnson Bros. Historic America and Haviland Limoges dinnerware.

OLD PAINTINGS, SCULPTURE AND PRINTS: two works from the daughter of Simka Simkhovitch, including 17 ½ X 22 ½ in. o/c, the Russian Dance, and 15 X 30 in. still life oil of food on a tabletop. 14 ½ X 21 in. John Whorf w/c depicting Arab street market. 7 ½ X 12 ½ in. E. Galien Laloue w/c and gouache French street scene. 19th c. 46 X 35 in. framed portrait o/c depicting a pretty and smiling young woman in a blue dress, signed Jules Laure. 23 ½ X 31 ½ in. C.E. Rene his o/c of woodland stream. 24 ½ X 49 ½ in. David James 1899 o/c, When the Wind Blows the Sea in. 14 X 24 in. W. Allan Gay, 1870, Cohasset beachfront o/c. Unsigned 19th c. 33 ½ X 39 ½ in. o/c, depicting an early Queen Margaret in a seascape background beside her symbolic recumbent lion, when she reigned over Denmark, Sweden and Norway. 5 X 4 in. Meyer von Bremen oil portrait of child, gilt-framed and shadow box mounted. 23 ½ X 29 ½ in. John Hare o/b of fishing boats at do

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News item: According to the Guardian News Service, Charles, Prince of Wales, is tightening his belt.

The Royal once reputed to have his valet squirt his toothpaste onto his toothbrush for him has even stooped to wearing the same outfits several times. Charles has also cut down on his use of electricity and is apparently doing his part for his country by vacationing at his estate in Scotland rather than in more exotic locales.

Scene: a dark, damp groundskeeper’s cottage in the Scottish Highlands, fuelled by a peat fire and lit by kerosene lamps. several freshly killed rabbits dangle from hooks on the wall over an old table, on which are splayed an assortment of grimy just-plucked vegetables — several leeks and three potatoes. a tall 60-year-old man, Charles, dressed in a dusty top hat and rather snug tails, sits on a wooden chair, awkwardly attempting to pare a fourth potato with an old knife. a second Man stands across from him, hands twitching, trying to contain his criticisms of Charles’s technique.

Man: Your Highness, if I may. . . .

Charles: (fumbling absently with the paring knife) In these less flamboyant times, Jeeves, you may simply call me “Highness.” or “Duke of Rothesay.” or “Duke of Cornwall.”

Man: yes, er, Highness.

Charles: and may I continue to call you Jeeves?

Man: Certainly, Highness, although in truth, my name is Anthony.

Charles: (Greatly surprised) is it? but haven’t I always called you “Jeeves?”

Anthony: yes, Highness, you call all your manservants “Jeeves.” Perhaps you find it simpler to refer to every one of us by the same name.

Charles: not at all, Anthony! I thought it was an amazing coincidence that wherever I went, all of you were named Jeeves! Well, the things one discovers when one gets off one’s polo horse and mucks about, eh?

Anthony: Indeed, Highness.

Charles: (indicating the potato) I say, Anthony, how do you get the, er, hair and whatnot off this monstrous carbuncle?

Anthony: (eagerly) shall I give you a hand, Highness?

Charles: yes — but don’t do it for me, old man. Just show me how. soon Camilla and I may be forced to, as it were, “fend for ourselves”! “Live as the common folk do”! “Break daily bread,” and, er, you know. . . .

Anthony: (while deftly paring the potato) Cook, Highness?

Charles: yes, that’s it. like cavemen and other primitives have for, well, ages, I suppose. I did rather think Camilla might already know how, but she claims she can’t even harden up one of those elliptical things, you know, those damnably brittle white ones–

Anthony: an egg, Highness? she can’t boil an egg?

Charles: yes! Shocking, isn’t it? she can wrench a burr from the haunch of a bucking horse with her teeth, but when it comes to, er, whatzit. . . .

Anthony: Cook-ing, Highness?

Charles: (brushing dirt ineffectively off a leek and growing irritated) Oh, do stop calling me “Highness”! “Sir” is fine.

Anthony: Certainly, sir.

Charles: at any rate, Anthony, the Duchess of Rothesay and I are, er, “downsizing.” We’re seriously thinking of moving permanently into simpler digs. like this — this cottage would work, wouldn’t it?

Anthony: Well, sir, yes, of course. only. . . .

Charles: (curtly) Out with it, Jeeves— I mean, Anthony!

Anthony: Er, only somebody already lives here.

Charles: Ah! Really? Who?

Anthony: the groundskeeper, sir.

Charles: Anthony, this is why I’m the Prince of Wales and you’re a serf, or whatever we call you now. You see, if we downsize, and sell off our mansionhouse here at Birkhall Estate, we’ll have no need for the groundskeeper.

Anthony: I suppose not, sir. but what shall Brownleigh do for a living then, sir? his family has served yours for hundreds of years.

Charles: You mean his name isn’t Jeeves either? Zounds! Oh, honestly, Anthony, I can’t be thinking about such drivel as Brownleigh’s daily comings and goings. I have my landscape painting to preoccupy me. Should I fill the sky with seven clouds, or just use one? — that sort of thing. and there’s my abiding interest in illusionism; I’m a member of the Magic Circle, you know. that requires constant practice, Jeeves.

Anthony: Will you be getting rid of all your staff here in Scotland, sir?

Charles: Well, we might keep a gardener. I must maintain the organic vegetable garden and that Jeeves is awfully good.

Anthony: You mean McAdams, sir. and what will you do for security?

Charles: I’m not certain we’ll need any. If we aren’t unspeakably rich any more, terrorists and hooligans and Irishmen and the like will lose interest, won’t they?

Anthony: I doubt it, sir. I think you’ll still be seen as an important if powerless figurehead.

Charles: (offended) Powerless figurehead? I hardly think–

(A crash is heard outside the window. Charles freezes in fear. Anthony rushes over to the window and looks out.)

Charles: What ho, Jeeves!

Anthony: I’m afraid I can’t see anything, sir, what with the smoke from the peat.

Charles: (hopefully) could it be a herd of marauding rabbits?

Anthony: Sounded rather larger, sir.

Charles: Well, I say, I don’t like that. D’you think terrorists know about this place?

Anthony: Most likely, sir. They probably have Google Maps.

Charles: (petulantly) I did ask Mummy to make sure we weren’t on it.

Anthony: she may not have had any say in the matter, sir.

Charles: now, see here, Jeeves, Mummy–

(Another crash comes from outside the other window.)

Charles: (frightened) Heavens! What shall we do?

Anthony: I’ll call security, sir.

Charles: I’m afraid you can’t. I gave them the week off — without pay, of course. I thought we’d experiment with, you know, “roughing it.” as you can see, I’m wearing an ensemble from 2007! You haven’t heard a whisper of complaint about it from me, either. Please leak that to the press.

Anthony: Sir, I think we’ve had a security breach. I’m not sure how to protect you. and, I must say, since I’m in imminent danger of losing my job after a lifetime of faithful service, I’m not inclined to defend you to the death with that paring knife. did you dismiss the hounds, as well?

Charles: (elated) Jeeves, thank you for reminding me! I actually do have an attack beast. It’s dozing in the back room, and due to my heroic efforts to cut back, it hasn’t had a gin and tonic in a fortnight.

Anthony: (alarmed) Sir?

Charles: (confidently) yes, Jeeves — release Camilla!

© Copyright (c) Lower Mainland Publishing      

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THOUSANDS of supporters of Bahrain's Shi'ite-led opposition today began an anti-regime demonstration organisers expect to be the largest since protests broke out last week.

"the march of loyalty to martyrs" read a large banner carried at the front of the demonstration, which was heading from Manama’s Bahrain Mall to Pearl Square in the city centre, focal point of anti-government protests since February 14.

The banner carried photographs of seven "martyrs" killed by security forces, the last of whom succumbed to his wounds yesterday and was buried earlier today.

"the people want the fall of the regime," they chanted in unison, as they waved red-and-white Bahraini flags.

Women in black veils chanted slogans against Bahrain monarch Hamad bin Issa al-Khalifa.

"may your hands be paralysed, Hamad," they shouted.

"Down down Khalifa," the crowds chanted, condemning Prime Minister Sheikh Khalifa bin Salman, the uncle of king Hamad who has been in office since 1971 and who is widely despised by the Shi’ites.

Ibrahim al-Sharif, a Sunni secularist leading opposition activist, has predicted today’s rally would be "the largest for the opposition".

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