| Heavy rain means heavy problems for builders
During the days leading up to this week's storms, Anthony Racanelli graded the soil away from two houses under construction in Tarrytown to keep water from rushing toward the foundations. His efforts may have kept water from seeping inside the stately looking houses, which he and the general contractor, C.M. Pateman of Irvington, hope will fetch $1.6 million apiece when they're completed and marketed. But as Racanelli acknowledged, even the savviest construction planning can't stop rain as heavy and persistent as what fell Sunday and Monday from causing a building contractor headaches. Work virtually stopped at the two houses near the intersection of Prospect and Benedict avenues following the storm because the ground is saturated and mushy, making it nearly impossible to move equipment or landscape, said Racanelli, who runs Earth Improvements, a landscaping and masonry company in Dobbs Ferry.
Talk of The Town: Easter stories too good to pass up
That's the question my 5-year-old posed to my husband and me last Saturday. Without thinking, I answered, "No, he rings the doorbell and Mom lets him in."Of course, then I was greeted by a flood of questions about what the bunny looks like and would I wake him up when the bunny got to our house. My goodness the trouble a parent can get into when they underestimate their child.I know Easter is over, but I received a few really good bits to share with you related to the holiday. So here they are:In 1961 Pat Kulas and his future wife Ann attended Notre Dame High School in Milwaukee. They went to the prom together the day after Easter. For the special date, he brought her an Easter egg, dyed red and decorated with white lace and flowers."I saved it," Ann said.That was the beginning of a long-standing tradition for the couple, who has now been married for 43 years.They, along with their two children, granddaughter Hannah Kulas, and friends have been elaborately decorating Easter eggs for years.
McCallie, GPS Students Celebrate Completion Of 8th Habitat House
McCallie and GPS students will complete their 8th Habitat for Humanity House building effort this Saturday with a day of landscaping, a house dedication and a neighborhood celebration.
The students will be landscaping the grounds surrounding eight Habitat for Humanity homes on Barnes Court, said Habitats Executive Director, John Atherton.
Chattanooga Master Gardeners will be on site to assist in the effort, using materials donated by Lowes and The Barn Nursery.
Following the landscaping effort, the students will pause to dedicate the home they have built this year with and for Angela Crutcher. More than 150 students have worked on Angelas home since Jan. 13, said Mr. Atherton. It is a real blessing to see so many young people giving their time and energy to change a life, and transform part of our community.
Bloom where you're planted: Vegetation rules vary by community
Editor's note: This is the first in a two-part series on vegetation rules in North Valley neighborhoods. This week will focus on Stetson Hills, Pinnacle Hill and North Canyon Ranch. Next will will cover Tramonto and Anthem. By Joey Airdo, Independent Newspapers Part of living in a community with a homeowners association is abiding by that neighborhood's rules. Covenants, Conditions and Restrictions dictate the laws of the land, including the types of vegetation acceptable in any given community. Meanwhile, plants give each neighborhood its own distinct style. An area's appearance depends on the colors, sizes and shapes of vegetation in each homeowner's front yard. Stetson Hills The Stetson Hills Community Association's Residential Design Guidelines state homeowners are responsible for landscaping their yards and public right of way areas adjacent to their lot.
Cold snap harmed some plants, but hold off on pruning
The severe cold weather we had during the weekend of April 13 (Easter weekend) did a number on our landscape and crop plants. As I write this, it's still too early to tell what the long-term damage will be. I urge all gardeners to give your landscape plants time to recover on their own before you start drastically pruning plants back. .
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