By Ashley Meeks

The Anthony, N.M., Welcome Center was closed most of Thursday after vandals covered it in apparent gang graffiti and attempted to set fires in some of the structures, according to law enforcement.

A Doña Ana sheriff’s deputy discovered the damage to the Interstate 10 rest stop just after 9 p.m. Wednesday, noting the suspects kicked in a wrought-iron gate, broke an interior door, threw travel pamphlets into a fountain and tagged a gang moniker on trash cans, walls, doors and hallways.

“That’s a significant deal of damage,” said Capt. Rich Libicer, of the New Mexico State Police, the agency tasked with patrolling highways. “There weren’t any facilities that weren’t damaged in some way. The damage was so extensive, and the vandalism was so extensive, that they had to shut it down to make minimal repairs and cleanup so that people could get services.”

The New Mexico Department of Transportation did not return a call for comment on the damages Thursday.

Gang members are assumed to be behind the destruction, and anyone with any information on the damage or other criminal activity in the area is urged to come forward to law enforcement, said Sheriff Todd Garrison.

“We’re trying to work on those issues down there, but we can’t be everywhere, see everything,” Garrison said. “I’m sure people in that area really are tired of the tagging and just – the criminal damage to the property that’s occurring down there. Give us an opportunity to follow up; give us the opportunity to hold these people accountable and make it stop.”

The state police Street Crimes Unit will also start looking into it and will do “anything we can,” Libicer added. “That’s a significant amount of property damage, plus the man hours and equipment and paint (it will take to fix it) … If people have information and they’re not willing to come to us, their tax dollars are just going to keep going to these kids of repairs.”

Callers can remain anonymous.

“It’s unfortunate,” Libicer said of the damage, “but we’re looking into it. We’re taking it seriously. It’s a huge amount of property damage. Unfortunately, taxpayers in New Mexico are going to have to pay for it, but we’d like to find who’s responsible. If we do, they’ll be charged.

from lcsun-news.com

This stylish 37-unit building, a companion to the 25-unit Modern, to which it’s attached, has just hit the market and is drawing young professionals looking to live in the South End without paying a premium to buy in this desirable neighborhood.

The location, a block up on the Lower Roxbury side of Massachusetts Avenue and across from the Piano Factory artist building, is keeping the prices in this new complex reasonable. One-bedrooms run from $399,000 to $495,000 and average around 800 square feet, and two bedrooms, averaging 1,200 square feet, start at $499,000 and run up to $649,000 for top-floor units with great city views. There are also seven units on the first and second floor reserved for artists, which will be sold through a lottery.

While the exteriors of both buildings are similar, the interiors of the Modern 2 are designed to be more stylish, warmer and more contemporary than its next-door sister.

The Modern 2 features a beige cast-stone exterior with wrought-iron balconies and floor-to-ceiling windows throughout. There’s a garage on the first floor, with spaces on lifts costing anywhere from $23,000 for a spot on a top lift to $30,000 for a floor-level (lower lift) space.

There’s a 4,000-square-foot common roof deck with a bathroom and built-in gas grill that affords great views of the Back Bay, South End and Roxbury’s Fort Hill.

We took a look at the complex’s just-opened model condo, Unit 310, an 810-square-foot front-facing one-bedroom space that’s on the market for $399,000.

This stylish condo features engineered espresso hardwood floors throughout the living areas, floor-to-ceiling windows and a sliding door out to a private wrought-iron balcony. The big draws for the unit are the high-end finishes and fixtures and the open kitchen, dining and living area.

The condo opens into a hallway, with closets that hold a coat/storage closet, a white Bosch washer and dryer and a utility room that holds the unit’s forced-hot-air by gas heating and cooling system and water heater.

The 11-by-7-foot galley kitchen really pops, with high-end finishes such as the chocolate-colored quartz-based Celador counters and island. There’s a striped laminate backsplash and 14 custom cabinets with high-gloss white finishes. Overhead lighting includes pendant lamps. High-end stainless steel appliances include a side-by-side Samsung refrigerator with a large bottom freezer drawer, Frigidaire Professional dishwasher and Frigidaire four-burner gas stove with a built-in microwave above.

The adjacent 18-by-14-foot dining/living area has two floor-to-ceiling windows and a sliding glass door out to a small, but private, wrought-iron balcony.

Off the living/dining area sits the unit’s carpeted 14-by-10-foot bedroom with a floor-to-ceiling window, track lighting and a large double-door closet.

The adjacent 10-by-8-foot bathroom is luxuriant, with white Italian Bianco Dolomiti granite floors and surround for a stylish kidney-shaped soaking tub. There are contemporary-looking Moen and Kohler fixtures and a white, quartz-based Celador-topped high-gloss vanity.

The finishes in the model unit will be featured throughout the building. The higher-up units, particular in the rear of the building, have great city views, but all owners will be able to enjoy the views from the common roof deck.

Another plus to the building will be the low condo fees, which include heat and hot water in a 62-unit condo association that combines the two buildings. The estimated fee for Unit 310 is just $281 a month.

from news.bostonherald.com

Normally it is a power drill or a pushbike.

Winchester police have a set of wrought iron gates and five aluminium milk churns, recently recovered in a raid on Thursday, March 31 at Upham near Bishop’s Waltham.

PC Stuart Turner, of Winchester Priority Crime Team, said: “This warrant was executed as part of our ongoing effort to stamp out thefts from the local rural community. Numerous articles have been seized by officers that are believed to have been stolen and we are keen to find their owners.

“We don’t normally get wrought iron gates. They are quite distinctive, with red roses and gold spikes on the top.”

The raid in Alma Lane, in which a 30-year-old man was arrested, was conducted by officers from the Priority Crime Team, the Safer Neighbourhoods Team and Countrywatch.

The man has been released on bail until May 26.

from hampshirechronicle.co.uk

The new gate is designed by artist David Murphy and is based on the banksia plant, a flowering relative of the garden’s logo.

Murphy was free to choose the materials and design of the gate and he opted for stainless steel, replacing the wrought-iron used for the pre-existing entrances.

The gardens were converted from a golf course in 1975 and named after George Pentland, who served in local council from 1939 until 1975, including as shire secretary and town clerk. He also played a prominent role in the establishment of Frankston as its own city in 1966.

Murphy hopes the new gates will be instantly recognisable to the local users of the park.

The gates are on Foot Street near Hastings Road.

The gardens are open from 7am-6pm April to October, and from 7am-9pm November to March.

from hastings-leader.whereilive.com.au

Beauty may be in the eye of the beholder, but it’s the details that make the difference. So Mother Nature is delighted to get a helping hand in decorating these two urban retreats.

Lovingly framed with stone pavers and colourful bedding plants, this pond, top right, brings a calming, unanticipated forest element to a compact city yard. Water lilies drift casually across the surface; look carefully just at dusk, and you might even spot fairies using the floating greenery as stepping-stones. Or perhaps simply pour something cool and refreshing, grab the chessboard and pull up a couple of chairs at the wrought-iron table for an afternoon of friendly competition.

Tucked onto a terraced ledge amid foxgloves and heather, this seating area, bottom right, makes a tranquil getaway. A log bench, smooth and stained just enough to enhance the natural graining, reflects the grandeur of stately cedar trees directly behind. Whether alone or with your sweetheart, give in to the invitation to savour time in nature.

No, today’s topic is not an April Fool’s joke, but an evolving trend brought on by efforts to maximize our increasingly smaller gardening spaces, while creating outdoor “rooms” that extend and enhance our entertaining areas.

The inclusion of an arbor to your landscape, one type of vertical gardening, does more than just provide additional growing space. It adds visual appeal and becomes a focal point in the garden. Many factors must be considered when choosing an arbor, most importantly, where it will be placed.

In the back yard an arbor encompassing a bench can provide a shady retreat for the gardener. In the front yard it becomes a welcoming feature, transitioning your guests from the public space at the curb to the more private area closer to your home.

In a small front yard, situate an arbor at the junction of the street sidewalk and your entrance walk, possibly with a gate, to indicate to guests that they’ve entered a more private space. A secluded seating area for relaxing with family and friends could easily be created in the front yard in the space between the arbor and your home.

If you prefer to site an arbor close to or attached to your home, it is important to consider one that complements the houses’s color and architecture. Whether you choose a white or stained wood arbor, or even a wrought iron structure, will depend on the style of your home.

Although some of us have very limited gardening space, with only a balcony within which to create our own special retreat, we still can enjoy the calming and meditative benefits of working with plants.

The addition of a tall, vertical shelving unit on a balcony brings the eye upward, as will the inclusion of a wall pocket planting container. Combining such a planting area with additional containers placed at ground level and some small pots on tables or benches can easily let you create a multi-level container garden.

Creating a living wall is the ultimate form of vertical gardening, especially when floor space is restricted to only two or three feet. There are various systems of planters on the market today featuring planting pockets or other prefabricated units.

In a sunny area, succulents such as Sedums, Sempervivums and Crassula, which need very little soil and water, are good choices.

An edible wall showcasing a variety of lettuces or combinations of herbs or trailing strawberries also makes for a stunning vertical element. Combining Impatiens, Begonias and shade-loving herbaceous foliage plants would be suitable in an area with less light.

Creating a focal point wall as a feature in a small garden, courtyard or garden room can make a bold statement and effectively demonstrate the value of “Gardening Up.” Be sure to take advantage of all layers — bottom, middle and top — by incorporating plant material, art work or other design elements throughout the composition.

We all have utilitarian areas in our gardens, with items like air conditioners or barbeques that are eyesores we’d like to make disappear, or at least blend in better with their surroundings. Using finely textured plants such as a grass like Miscanthus, or vertical plants such as Euonymus, can soften the unattractive feature more effectively than plants with large, bold leaves.

Fences, while often necessary, are many times bare, devoid of greenery, offering little beauty or charm to an area. Adding a vertical gardening feature like a series of wall planters or a wooden or wrought iron decorative trellis, is an easy way of decorating and turning unused wasted yard space to your advantage.

For a wealth of information and ideas on this topic consult Susan Morrison and Rebecca Sweet’s new book “Garden Up: Smart Vertical Gardening for Small and Large Spaces” (Cool Springs Press, 2011).

This beautifully illustrated book features many inspiring before and after photos, along with suggestions sure to help you make the most of your outdoor living space.

from SILIVE.COM

By NATHAN BRUTTELL

A sign that warned visitors using the English Village lot that they could be towed is gone and a fresh smell of paint are two more changes in what is expected to be many at the once vibrant Lake Havasu City tourist destination.

Nathan Bruttell/News-Herald Photo Volunteers Bob Walter and Mona Hester help paint the wrought-iron gate at the entrance of the English Village Thursday afternoon. Volunteers are painting the gate all week as part of restoration projects in the area.

Volunteers with the Visitors Information Center began putting a fresh coat of gold paint on the wrought-iron gate that marks the entranceway to the English Village this week. The gate, which originally stood as part of an English palace, was brought to Lake Havasu City decades ago. Volunteers previously painted over the gold color in a separate project a few years ago — but visitors and volunteers alike say they are happy to be a part of the restoration project this week.

“It’s absolutely wonderful. It’s just gorgeous,” said visitor Mary Lou Carlson from Minnesota. “We come down here almost every year and this is much better. It really is gorgeous.”

Visitors Center volunteer John Kendig said he was originally a part of the group that painted the gate black.

“This project is just dear to my heart,” Kendig said. “I’ve lived here 44 years. I remember the way it used to be, and it will probably never be that way again, but this is a start to get people thinking about this place again.”

Kendig said those looking to volunteer to help paint could come to the gate as early as 10 a.m. today. Those with questions are asked to call the Visitors Center at 855-5655.

English Village parking lot property manager, St.Louis-based Virtual Realty Enterprises, removed a sign that previously warned Havasu Landing Resort and Casino patrons from parking in the lot. Chemehuevi Indian Tribe Chairman Charles Wood confirmed Wednesday Havasu Landing signed a new lease to reserve spaces in the lot. Wood said the group originally held a $4,000-per-month lease for spaces when Meritan owner Chris Read ran the lot.

Paul Sharpe, VRE Development Partner, said Thursday he was happy the group could come to a new agreement.

“We have resolved that issue,” Sharpe said. “The tribe, after being aware of the magnitude of the cleanup — because we’re making major improvements in the parking lot — agreed to pay a little more rent for their patrons as a contribution to that effort.”

Previously, customers would typically use the spaces to park vehicles and take the Dreamcatcher boat across the lake to Havasu Landing. But that lease expired when VRE representatives took back the title earlier this year after Read failed to make payments on the property.

CVB president/CEO Doug Traub said earlier this week he was pleased with VRE’s management of the property.

“They’ve taken major steps to improve the look of the area,” Traub said, adding that the CVB’s Visitor Information Center in the English Village has seen record sales and customers in the last two months. “They’ve made major cosmetic improvements from landscaping to the bathrooms and I even understand they’re going to resurface the parking lot itself. They’ve made good on everything they said they’d do for us. The cleanliness and upkeep has never been better.”

from havasunews.com

by Matt Pelc

A four bedroom, 3.5-bath home at 2504 Golf Ridge Creek in the Lake at Golfcrest is listed for $229,990.

One of our most desirable homes features a newly designed second floor that is sure to please. An elegant foyer opens to the formal living room and study. This home is located on a cul de sac homesite with a covered back patio. Beautiful wrought iron spindles enhance the upstairs walkway showcasing the living room.

The upstairs game room is great for entertaining guests. The master suite is secluded downstairs for privacy. Other highlights include stainless steel appliances, granite countertops and security system. This home meets the EFL Platinum criteria and Windstorm certified.

from houston.blockshopper.com

By Emily Cronin

Ever wonder what runs through a fashion designer’s head during his show? In a new video from Louis Vuitton, Marc Jacobs describes the senses of relief, exuberance and wonder that he experienced during the brand’s recent A/W extravaganza.

The fetish-full show enthralled us from the very first model arrival via wrought-iron lift. Apparently, the way the spectacle came together enchanted the designer as well.

‘The rhythm of the elevators and the girls coming out of them… was beautiful,’ Jacobs said. ‘There was a lot of variety, for a show that felt so focussed.’

Jacobs also described his delight at his audience warming to the saucy theme, calling vinyl-backed tweed suits ‘the wives’ in a mistress-heavy collection, and naming a pailette python skirt worn by a handcuffed model his favourite look of the lot.

As for La Moss, she of the infamous catwalk ciggy break?

‘She was perfect,’ said Jacobs.

from ELLEUK.COM

By CONSTANCE ROSENBLUM

CAROL ZAKALUK lives in a ruddy brick and stone row house in the Mott Haven section of the South Bronx, one of 10 similar houses built in the 1890s. Though the strip, known as the Bertine Block, takes its name from the developer, Edward Bertine, these buildings were the work of a single gifted architect named George Keister.

DEAR AND FAMILIAR Carol Zakaluk lives with her husband, John Knoerr, in a house in the Bertine Block, which has landmark status.

The house, at 422 East 136th Street, has been in Ms. Zakaluk’s family for 90 years. And simply by stepping out her front door, she can retrace the geography of her childhood.

The house next door at No. 420, which she bought at a discount from her parents and rents to a revolving group of young tenants, was where she was born and raised.

“Here’s where my crib was,” Ms. Zakaluk said, pointing to a corner of the first-floor dining room. “And here’s where there used to be the round oak table where I did my homework.”

The garden-level kitchen evokes similar recollections. “When I bend down to collect the recyclables,” she said, “I remember, almost without thinking about it, the kittens who used to live under the staircase. It feels like walking back in time.”

Across the street stood the apartment house where Ms. Zakaluk’s paternal grandfather, Michael Zakaluk, a grocer from Ukraine, lived with his wife, Anastasia. The house where Ms. Zakaluk lives with her husband, John Knoerr, was bought in 1921 for $7,800 by her maternal grandfather, Karel Boekhoff, an upholsterer from Holland. When he and his wife, Harriet, moved in, their daughter, Clara, who would grow up to become Carol’s mother, was 3.

The story of 422 East 136th Street, which spans four generations and involves a sprawling cast of characters, is undeniably complicated. But the story is also immensely rich, encompassing both architectural distinction and the experiences of a large and close-knit family riding out the turmoil that convulsed this part of the Bronx.

At the heart of the story stands the four-story single-family house that Mr. Boekhoff bought so many decades ago, one of 10 Queen Anne-style structures whose facades were decorated with stained glass and ornamental wrought iron. The strip is one of the most impressive in the borough, and the variety of rooftops — rounded, square, peaked, stepped — makes it look as if the architect were showing off.

By 1984, Ms. Zakaluk was living on the top floor with Mr. Knoerr and her daughter, Ann, and she officially acquired the house after the death of her grandmother the following year.

Today the exterior looks much as it must have a century earlier, when this part of the Bronx was a destination for middle-class families. Irises are coming up in the back garden, just as they did in Grandma Boekhoff’s day. And despite the presence of two busy professionals — Mr. Knoerr, 59, is a sound engineer and Ms. Zakaluk, 55, has had various jobs in the arts, including book designer and sculptor’s assistant — the interior hasn’t changed much either.

from nytimes.com