In the realm of things miraculous, one mustn’t overlook the common greenhouse.

From www.canyoncourier.com

Whether a grand construction of steel and glass or a sheet of clear plastic tacked over a humble lath frame, the greenhouse stands in bold defiance of nature itself. A world within a world, the greenhouse allows lowly man to thumb his nose at the mighty imperatives of climate and geography, and snap his puny fingers at the relentless turn of seasons.

Perhaps not satisfied with commanding the known world, the Romans may have been the first to take on Mother Nature. By covering deep pits with translucent oiled cloth or mica, Emperor Tiberius’ chef could serve him a crunchy cucumber salad every day of the year. The greenhouse hit its stride in the 19th century, when competitive monarchs began commissioning massive personal arboretums, and Europeans flocked to public amusements like London’s Crystal Palace to see and smell exotic flora gathered from the farthest ends of the globe. Read more

Feom ruidosonews.com

Deciding where motorized vehicles should be allowed to operate in the Lincoln National Forest may take two years to pin down on a map and U.S. Forest Service officials want plenty of public input.

Public Information Officer Joe Garcia and Connie Zipperer with the Lincoln National Forest’s Alamogordo office briefed county commissioners Tuesday on what will be required to formulate rules for a Travel Management Plan in compliance with federal law effective December 2005.

Because motorcycles, all-terrain vehicles and other motorized transport may adversely impact natural resources, forest service officials need feedback from forest users about areas of special value and suggestions on trails, roads and tracts that may be appropriate for motorized use year-round or during designated times of the year based on weather, breeding habitat or other issues. Read more

A new agreement with Glenville State College will allow graduates of Pennsylvania College of Technology’s forest technology associate-degree major to earn a four-year degree at the West Virginia institution.

“This is especially advantageous to students, because Glenville will accept all of our credits from the two-year degree, allowing for a seamless transition into its four-year program,” said Mary A. Sullivan, assistant dean of natural resources management at Penn College. “This is a ‘2+2’ degree of the purest kind. Our students can start there as juniors and need only complete an additional 68 credits for the bachelor’s degree.”

Glenville offers a bachelor-of-science degree in natural resource management-forest technology.

Penn College is a party to the agreement via its affiliation with the Society of American Foresters, which long has recognized the college’s two-year forest technology Read more

THE TERRACE Lumber Company has a conditional offer to sell part of the land at its former mill site, providing revenue to help satisfy creditors who have been waiting since last year for some financial relief.

Company chairman John Ryan didn’t reveal who the prospective purchasers are except to say they are from out of town. Nor did he reveal the size of the property or its location.

“What I can tell you is that they are doing their due diligence and some of that involves the environmental aspect,” he said.

But he did say he hopes the sale will be in place in time for any proceeds to be included in the company’s proposal to creditors which will be filed in court by April 16.

“I’m quite certain the people involved will identify themselves in short order,” said Ryan.

All told the Terrace Lumber Company has 73 acres for sale that includes the main mill yard and an extensive log yard. Read more

VANCOUVER — The mountain pine-beetle infestation that has swept across British Columbia’s Interior, leaving more than eight million hectares of forest dead or dying, is creating a growing flood threat throughout the Fraser River watershed.

And a massive salvage logging operation that is now under way — in an attempt to harvest the insect-killed trees while they still have commercial value — is exacerbating the situation, warned the Forest Practices Board in a report released yesterday.

Steve Chatwin, manager of special projects for the Forest Practices Board, a government advisory body, said that a sophisticated computer model, being used for the first time, was able to project stream-flow conditions following a pine-beetle infestation, as well as after the insect-killed wood had been harvested.

Under each scenario, the size and frequency of floods jumped dramatically over baseline data.”Floods will be bigger [and] . . . a former 20-year flood will become a three-year flood,” Mr. Chatwin said. Read more

Richard J. Davis, 39, 1400 block Gibson Rd., 1:15 p.m., Sat, warrant, released to county sheriff.

Daniel J. Dittmar, 20, 1700 block Hope Ave., 2:05 p.m., Sat, warrant out of Philadelphia, resisting arrest, disorderly conduct, trespass, possession of marijuana, to receive summons and released to Philadelphia Warrant Unit.

Jessica Vance, 29, address unknown, 4:49 p.m., Sun, warrant at 2700 block Lincoln Hwy., Trevose, released to county sheriff.

Antwone C. Kitchens, 22, 3100 block Knights Rd., 2:51 a.m., Fri, simple assault, released on $25,000 bail.

Israel Gomez, 28, Christian Alameda Blanco, 21, both of Mountain Green Rd., Philadelphia, 11:06 a.m., Fri, burglary, criminal trespass/breaking into a building, disorderly conduct at 2700 block Bristol Pk., both sent to county prison in lieu of $100,000 bail. Read more

MURPHY — Marc Bovet sifted through the ashes of his “dream home” Monday, lamenting not just the lost family heirlooms and artwork but mourning the deaths of 16 pets that succumbed to the fire.

“It was the home we were going to die in, stay in,” Bovet said.

Bovet, and his wife, Jayce, both 42, were well out of harm’s way Sunday, shopping in Medford with their two teenage children when the fire broke out. Their five German shepherds and 11 cats, however, were shut inside when the family returned to find their house engulfed in flames.

“It was pretty much too late,” to attempt to rescue the animals, Bovet said.

Fire officials proclaimed the 5,000-square-foot, three-story log house on North Applegate Road a total loss. Bovet estimated the 2-year-old home was worth several million dollars. No cause had been determined Monday, and Bovet said he couldn’t guess at the source. Read more