| Click the button below to search for articles... View News Items from prior months... June 2021 July 2020 June 2016 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 July 2013 June 2013 March 2013 February 2013 November 2012 October 2012 August 2012 June 2012 May 2012 April 2012 March 2012 February 2012 January 2012 November 2011 June 2011 May 2011 April 2011 March 2011 February 2011 October 2010 September 2010 February 2010 January 2010 | THE SIERRA BROOKS WATER SYSTEM PROJECT to the residents. Beals said the assessment might go up a nickel, but not much and would pay the loan off a year early. The acquisition of property from the Fish and Wildlife Commission was discussed. Beals thinks they now have their arms around the issue. Fish and Game has agreed to extend the property to include the pump station in the meadow, so the County will be gaining an additional half-acre. The County is now waiting to see the appraisal of the land the County is getting versus the land Fish and Game is getting in return. He said the State does not want a THE SIERRA BROOKS WATER SYSTEM PROJECT was reported on by Sierra County Planning Director Tim Beals at the Sierra County Board of Supervisor’s meeting in Loyalton on March 17th. Beals said a component of the USDA loan asked the County service area to fund one year of debt service, about $87,000 as a protection against default. He stated there had been back and forth discussions on how to fund, as it has to be in place when the final approval is given by USDA to proceed with bids. Beals felt the USDA might consider an option that demonstrates the County is on a teeter plan, with assurances that default on the loan will be recovered. County Counsel Jim Curtis said they could give an expressed resolution explaining the plan, as USDA was not that familiar with it. Beals said if USDA accepts it, they might increase the assessment $.10 per month. Beals stated the assessment district itself would fund the debt service reserve. Supervisor Scott Schlefstein was worried it would be an extra cost third party in the mix, so the County will negotiate with Fish and Wildlife Commission directly through what the Sierra Brooks property owners want. Beals stated the Forest Service has issued the use permit for the water tank. This allowed them to resolve the issue with the property owner, which could have halted the entire project. Beals said the critical issue is the question of meters, as they are required as a condition of participating in this loan and grant. He said meters will encourage water conservation and there is a built in revenue stream for metering to follow Continued on page 12............. Published: 03/26/15 CAL FIRE Announces Awardees of Fire Prevention Fund Grants Projects Will Help Reduce Wildfire Threat Sacramento – The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE) has awarded over $9.5 million in grants throughout the state for a variety of projects aimed at reducing the elevated threat of wildfires due to the ongoing drought. A total of 83 grant applicants will receive funding for projects that contribute to fire prevention efforts around homes. The project will reinforce CAL FIRE’s ongoing efforts to address the risk and potential impacts of large, damaging wildfires. “The high number of grant applications we received underscores just how vested the citizens of California are in preparing for our state’s inevitable wildfires,” said Chief Ken Pimlott, CAL FIRE director and state forester. “We are looking forward to seeing ‘on the ground’ results these projects will yield.” The Fire Prevention Fund Grants, created in the 2014-15 budget, are aimed at supplementing CAL FIRE’s ongoing activities by funding local entities’ efforts to help counteract the effects of the drought. Grant criteria weighted projects that addressed fire risk and potential impact of wildfire to habitable structures in the State Responsibility Area, as well as community support and project feasibility. Among winning projects were: Sierra County: Residential Chipping Program $53,200 and Sierra City SC1 SC3 Fuels reduction $53,725; Nevada County: Truckee Fire Protection District Community Wildfire Protection Plan $27,000, Nevada County Chipping Program $159,478, Bear River Pines Fuels Reduction $294,578, Nevada County Landfill Site Fuel Modification $31,020. Plumas County: American Valley Hazardous Fuel Reduction Project $317,856. Published: 03/26/15 LOYALTON'S NEW MUSEUM & NOTE FROM ANNIE THE HISTORIC HEARSE circa 1890-1915, in Loyalton’s museum, has lots of glass, some chrome and a lovely curved back. It is on display in the historic school/church, built in 1879 which may be the oldest local building, now situated at Loyalton Park. Along with the hearse is undertaker, Alice Reece’s black dress, shown above under plastic. The Museum is scheduled to open Memorial Day at its new location at the former Loyalton Middle School. Curator Jackie Mitchell plans to place the hearse in the old auditorium, next to what will be Annie Belli-Fassbender’s “Alumni’s Space” for fundraising. There are those who don’t want the hearse near dining. Jackie says that is the only space large enough. Discussion over the hearse became contentious at the City Council meeting Tuesday night until Councilman Mark Marin’s suggestion of using a curtain to hide it during events was called a “good solution.” Mayor Brooks Mitchell gave an update on progress of the new museum space, stating it’s two-thirds done with one room painted and flooring started. Concrete for the handicap ramp cost was $5,000 less. For Annie Terrassas’ room, cabinets and countertop are delivered along with flooring. In the Thrift Store space, staples need to be removed and furniture emptied. Ten pickup loads have been taken to storage. Ben Roberti talked about the trophies and those in cases at the new space may remain. New cases have been built at the high school and Ben will decide which of the 40 boxes of trophies to use. The mayor added there should be trophies through the fire department on display, too. All the old drinking water fountains will remain in the new museum. A fundraiser will be held at the new museum on Saturday, May 23, 2015 at 1:30 p.m. with the reenactment portrayal of Andrew Jackson better known as “Big Jack” Davis by Lee Dummel. Call (530) 993-4012 for information. The Council agreed to appoint a 5-member Museum Board. Jackie suggested former resident, Jim Olsen. Gary Nelson of Sierra Brooks was present and thanked for an “excellent job” in donating the train, ranch, logging and Boca Dam display. The mayor told of using $8,000 of the remaining $12,000 Loyalton Swim Pool funds at the museum and Rebekah McHenry Perez now in charge of that funding. Discussion was over the May 8th sale of Loyalton Mobile Home Park LLC as tax-defaulted property and the cost of $6,000 a month for use of City water. The mayor stated the mobile home park manager hoped to be the owner and renegotiate the number of hookups since nine lots have no tenants. The park had 52 hookups and the City charged for 44, now down to 30 hookups. Councilman Ernie Teague “harped” on the $225,000 owed and questioned how the Council didn’t know what it was owed. The mayor applauded Ernie for his work on bringing in another $77,000 water and sewer funds which he called a “slow process” and admitted the City needs to trace the money. In other action, the Council voted to advertise for a Wastewater Treatment Plant Operator, “clean up and green up” and repair the water system on Railroad Avenue for the car show June 6th and refer key enforcement to the finance committee. From Annie Belli Fassbender: An up-date to all of you Loyalton High School alumni who have so generously donated time and money to our effort to remodel our old cafeteria kitchen, located in the auditorium. I am happy to report, we are 90% done !! So far, it's painted, new flooring, new cabinets, new curtains,new counter tops, etc..We did keep the old double sink, which weighs a ton, just ask my husband, Craig, and Mike Buck, who lifted it back into its old spot today . The old stove, donated by Earl and Rosalie Little, will be in by next weekend, and so will a used refrigerator. I am so happy to finally see the light at the end if the tunnel and I am sure you all will be happy with the results....."back to the 50's" look ! The flooring we put in the kitchen would be great to continue into the auditorium, but, we don't quite have enough donations left over to purchase the product for the 30x50 room. Soooo, if any more of you Loyalton school alumni, or any body,would like to contribute to the flooring ( my husband,Craig, already told me he would donate his time on the weekends to install it), I would appreciate it...make out the check to : Annie Terrasas, and in the "memo" space in the lower left hand corner, put "Alumni School project"....Again, I would like to thank all of you for your support, and if there are cars in front of the school, that means the doors are open, stop in and check things out ! Annie (Belli) Terrasas-Fassbender Published: 03/26/15 THE CHILCOOT CHICKS The Chilcoot Chicks recently provided a harmony workshop for the Choir class at Loyalton High School. The Chilcoot Chicks are a Barbershop Quartette. Laural Colberg and Sherry Pitts are of Chilcoot and both raise chickens - thus the name of the group. Other members are Barbara Rich, and Karen Garner, both of Reno. Laural sings Lead, Sherry is Tenor, Barbara sings Bass and Karen is Baritone. They have been singing together for almost 3 years. “We do it just for fun and we sing for people who don't normally have access to music because they are home bound or in a Care Facility. Locally we have sung for the Senior Center and the Care Facility in Loyalton. We have a member in each decade, 50's, 60's, 70's, and our lovely Base is in her 80's. We have about 7 songs on You Tube,” says Laural. “When we heard the school was offering Choir, we volunteered to come in and do an afternoon workshop with them to show our support for Music in the Schools, and Ms. Baker in particular for taking this on. It was a fantastic afternoon with some really wonderful and talented kids. We performed for them, they in turn performed for us. We brought music for several songs and worked with the kids. By the end of the day everyone was singing in four part harmony to Old Mc Donald, Happy Birthday and Christmas Chopsticks.” "Our goal was to show our support for the School Choir Program, show them that music can follow them into adult hood, and pass on some tricks and techniques for how we learn a new song and our harmony parts. "The day surpassed our expectations. Through a lot a laughter and camaraderie, the group was able to learn and even perform the songs for other classes that dropped in to see what all the commotion was in Ms Bakers room. We hope that they will consider inviting us back again." Published: 03/24/15 Feds sued for blocking thousands of recreational routes in PNF Representing two California counties and a broad coalition of associations and individuals who value public access to national forests, Pacific Legal Foundation (PLF) sued the federal government March 18, 2015 for acting to prohibit motorized travel on thousands of roads and trails in Plumas National Forest that have been used for decades for responsible and legally permissible recreational purposes. Plumas National Forest is a 1,146,000-acre National Forest in the Sierra Nevada. The lawsuit argues the U.S. Forest Service, a division of the Department of Agriculture, violated the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and the Administrative Procedure Act (APA), by blocking access to much of Plumas National Forest without a careful, factually specific review of environmental impacts, including consequences for the public. “We are suing to stop federal officials from illegally ‘fencing off’ a vast portion of Plumas National Forest from responsible recreational use by the public,” said PLF Senior Staff Attorney Ted Hadzi-Antich. “Federal officials have a duty to protect the environment, but not to keep humans out of the environment. One of the primary purposes of our national forests is to provide for recreational uses. Yet the Forest Service is now prohibiting responsible recreation, by restricting access to thousands of roads and trails that the public has long had the right to use in motorized vehicles.” PLF represents all clients without charge. The plaintiffs in this case are individual recreational users of the forest, including a disabled person whose long-time access has now been taken away; two associations of Californians dedicated to protection and recreational use of national forests; and two counties — Butte and Plumas — whose boundaries include substantial portions of Plumas National Forest. The Forest Service’s 2005 Travel Management Rule provides for designation of roads and trails available for motorized recreation in the national forests. However, the Service implemented this rule in a flawed and illegal way when it issued its Plumas National Forest Public Motorized Travel Management Record of Decision and Environmental Impact Statement in 2010, according to the lawsuit. In that 2010 decision, the Service excluded thousands of roads and trails used by the public for motorized travel and recreational purposes for decades. Although these routes had been previously unclassified and not officially part of the National Forest Transportation System, they were always open to the public and it was entirely lawful to use them for motorized travel. The Forest Service’s sudden decision to start banning motorized use of these routes was made illegally, without the factual analysis required by NEPA. “Regulators closed off these roads without open and careful review of the facts,” said Hadzi-Antich. “This kind of drive-by decision-making isn’t just a careless way to make policy for our national forests. It’s also illegal. When decisions affect public lands, NEPA requires site-specific analysis of the environmental and human consequences, and that didn’t happen here.” “The Forest Service failed to adequately consider the human toll that results from denying Californians and others the ability to continue cherished and family-friendly recreational activities that have been taking place in the Forest for generations,” said Hadzi-Antich. “Particularly egregious is the fact that the closure of these roads and trails deprives disabled persons, who require motorized vehicle transport, to enjoy many parts of Plumas National Forest.” “The Forest Service’s decision also negatively impacts residents of Plumas and Butte Counties who depend upon access to the Forest for low-cost sources of food and fuel,” he added. “It also adversely affects numerous commercial interests in Plumas and Butte Counties that derive income from providing services related to motorized vehicle use and recreation, both for county residents and tourists attracted by the Forest’s recreational opportunities.” “The forest belongs to the people, and, in a responsible way, we should be able to use it,” said Plumas County Supervisor Terry W. Swofford. “This lawsuit is about the freedom to access public lands,” added Plumas County Supervisor Sherrie Thrall. Filed with the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California, the case is Granat v. United States Department of Agriculture. Further information, including the complaint, a video, a podcast, and an explanatory blog post, may be found at www.pacificlegal.org. About Pacific Legal Foundation Donor-supported Pacific Legal Foundation is the leading watchdog organization that litigates for limited government, property rights, and a balanced approach to environmental regulation, in courts across the country. Published: 03/24/15 ART RENAISSANCE AT LOYALTON HIGH SCHOOL A renaissance – a rebirth – of interest and talent in the arts has been occurring at Loyalton High School this year with the addition of many new arts-related electives for students. A recent article in The Washington Post said that students benefit from at least 10 skills and personal characteristics from arts instruction: creativity, confidence, problem solving, perseverance, focus, nonverbal communication, the process of receiving constructive criticism, collaboration, dedication and accountability. LHS principal Marla Stock said that she is really excited about the new arts classes “because it makes students excited about their education.” Students are benefiting from new courses in Choir, Ceramics, Film Making, Graphic Arts/Photography and Floriculture, as well as the other visual and per- forming arts courses previously offered—Film Appre-ciation; Art 1, 2, 3, 4; Studio Art, Advanced Placement Studio Art, Yearbook Production, Arts and Crafts and Theater Arts. See the complete story with photos of various projects in the March 26th issue of the Sierra Booster! Published: 03/24/15 If we don't restore forests, carbon fight is futile by Brian Dahle You may be an eco-conscious Californian. You might drive a hybrid car and have solar panels on the roof. You want to do your part to slow global warming. Good for you, that’s your prerogative. But I have bad news: Those efforts will be fruitless if a carbon crisis in the making isn’t addressed. I’m not talking about coal-fired power plants in China – though they’re a serious problem. I’m talking about our own California backyard. Forests are one of the few ways we can offset the carbon dioxide emissions of our cars and power plants. Trees breathe CO2 and turn it into wood that, at least in theory, can lock up carbon for centuries. And who doesn’t like the idea of growing majestic trees while helping the climate? Just one problem: The forests of the Sierra Nevada, though strictly protected, aren’t aging into towering old-growth groves. On the contrary, they’re burning up in catastrophic megafires with carbon footprints to match. The Rim Fire in 2013 burned an area larger than San Diego, and its smoke carried CO2 equal to the annual tailpipe emissions of more than 2 million cars. The dead trees left in its wake emit more carbon as they decay. Yet none of those emissions are counted by the California Air Resources Board. The Rim Fire was the largest blaze on record in the Sierra Nevada, but the relentless trend is toward larger, hotter fires. Seven of the 10 largest fires in California history have burned in the past decade. If nothing changes, blazes like the Rim Fire will soon be just another summer day. By some measures, California’s forests have already flipped from a carbon sink to a net source of CO2, worsening rather easing climate change. With its yearly summer dry season, California’s landscape is inevitably fire-prone. Forests once naturally burned every 10 to 15 years or so, thinning the forest by burning slow and low to the ground allowing for trees to survive. When a forest is healthy, it thrives on flames that clean out weak trees and underbrush, and start new cycles of growth. Unfortunately, today’s Sierra Nevada forests aren’t healthy. Instead of the giant, fire-resistant trees we treasure, we have fire-trap thickets. The government has suppressed or “fought” fire for 80 years and as a result fires today are now catastrophic. They burn so hot that they destroy everything in their path, ruining wildlife habitat and watersheds. The U.S. Forest Service has raised increasing alarms in the past few years over the need to restore the millions of acres of forest it manages in California, but resources for restoration and fire prevention remain scarce, even as we spend billions fighting out-of-control wildfires. We don’t have to watch in paralyzed horror as our forests burn. We don’t have to wait for answers from a gridlocked federal government. We can act. California is raising billions of dollars in new revenue through its cap-and-trade program. The state is taxing carbon emissions and, by law, that money must go toward environmental programs that reduce our carbon footprint and help adapt to the inevitable changes the state faces. If we really care about carbon dioxide, it is essential to invest at least part of that money in forest restoration and woody bioenergy to bring California’s forests back toward a healthy balance – as I propose through Assembly Bills 670 and 1345. AB 1345 would also require the Air Resources Board to track the wildfire emissions, just as it does every other source of greenhouse gases. Research by the Sierra Nevada Conservancy and the U.S. Forest Service demonstrates that thinning fuels and restoring our forests can shrink the state’s carbon footprint. But that is just the start of the benefits of healthy, fire-resilient forests. Taming catastrophic blazes lowers firefighting costs, improves habitat for endangered wildlife, and provides more reliable water supplies. That water doesn’t just supply summer camps up in the pines. Even if you live hundreds of miles from the mountains, when you fill a glass of water, much of it probably came from a stream in the Sierra Nevada. Scientists tell us the mountains of California have already warmed over the past century and that we can expect more. Experience tells us fire seasons have already become longer and more dangerous. And a look at our reservoirs shows water is increasingly scarce. We know what to do to address these problems. The only question is whether we’ll start acting before fire scours the forests from our Sierra watersheds. Assemblyman Brian Dahle, R-Bieber, represents the 1st Assembly District, including the northern Sierra Nevada from Lake Tahoe to the Oregon border. Published: 03/19/15 Shouldn't California Have the Best Roads By Now? As seen in the CalTaxletter, Fox & Hounds Daily, Rocklin & Roseville Today and Sierra Booster By George Runner If high taxes guaranteed results, then California should have some of the best roads in the nation. For years we've had one of the highest gas taxes, yet our freeways consistently receive failing grades. It makes no sense unless you admit that high taxes don't guarantee good roads. That's one of many reasons I had no trouble voting with my State Board of Equalization colleagues to approve a 6 cent cut to the state's gas tax. Under a confusing and complicated law commonly known as the "gas tax swap," the state has been over collecting tax dollars as gas prices have fallen. The new rate helps solve this problem. Any tax cut is a rare bit of good news for overtaxed Californians. This gas tax cut also has the added benefit of partially offsetting the cost of a new hidden gas tax that took effect January 1 to help fund high speed rail and other so-called anti-global warming efforts. California will still have one of the highest gas tax rates in the nation, but even so not everyone is pleased to see the tax go down. In fact, some government officials are devising new schemes-like mileage taxes and road user fees-aimed at getting even more of your dollars. But before you send any more money to Sacramento, you deserve a clear picture of just how much money the state already receives for transportation and how those dollars are spent. Here are a few key facts the media often fails to report: Fuel tax revenues have grown — Even as vehicles have become more efficient, fuel tax revenues grew 35% in the past ten fiscal years-from $6.5 billion to a record $8.7 billion. Most of these dollars are reserved for transportation, although some sales tax dollars go directly to local governments. Total transportation spending is an estimated $28 billion — Fuel taxes are only one piece of the transportation funding puzzle. The Legislative Analyst's Office estimates total transportation funding in California from all sources of government is $28 billion. About half of this funding comes from local governments, and a quarter each from the state and federal government. There's plenty of money available — Governor Brown's proposed $113 billion General Fund budget would be a record high for state spending. Even so, it provides very little funding for transportation. Perhaps because most transportation funding now comes from special funds, California's spending on highways is below average when compared to other states. At the same time, California's overall state spending and welfare spending both exceed the national average. If we need more funding for roads, why not use General Fund dollars like we did in the past? It's all about priorities. California taxpayers are not getting good value for the dollars they send to Sacramento. Due to questionable laws and regulations, the cost of transportation and infrastructure projects is far higher in California than other states. It's a tough sell to say Sacramento needs more money when projects like high speed rail and the Bay Bridge are plagued by waste and cost-overruns. The State of California ought to be investing your tax dollars wisely and cost-effectively, not wasting them on bullet trains and bureaucracy. If our leaders spent less time concocting new tax schemes and more time properly stewarding existing funds, perhaps we'd all spend less time stuck in traffic. Maybe someday we could have the best roads again, too. George Runner represents more than nine million Californians as a taxpayer advocate and elected member of the State Board of Equalization. For more information, visit boe.ca.gov/Runner. Published: 03/11/15 Simple Steps to Seed Starting Success By Melinda Myers Get a jump on the growing season by starting your favorite or hard to find plants indoors from seeds. Starting hard to find plants, like many of the heirloom or newly introduced varieties, from seed may be the only way you will be able to add these to your garden. Plus, you’ll be extending the growing season and bringing the fun of gardening indoors. All you need is a little space, a few supplies and of course seeds to get started. Check the back of your seed packets for planting directions. Most recommend when and how to start seeds indoors as well as any other special care the seedlings will need. Purchase, recycle or make your own containers from newspaper. Sanitize used pots by dipping them in a one part bleach and nine parts water solution and then rinsing them with clean water. Fill the containers with a sterile well-drained potting mix or seed starting mix. Once the containers are filled, plant the seeds according to the seed packet directions. For most seeds, plant them twice their diameter deep and gently water. Continue to water often enough to keep the soil slightly moist. Extend the time between watering and increase your seed starting success by covering the container with plastic. Or purchase a seed starting kit, like the self-watering Growease seed starter kits. Move your containers to a sunny window as soon as the seedlings emerge from the soil. Turn plants often to encourage even growth. Or increase your success by growing seedlings under artificial lights. You can make your own light system or purchase tabletop, shelf units or easy to assemble light systems, like Stack-N-Grow (gardeners.com). Keep the lights four to six inches above the top of the seedlings for best results. As the seedlings grow, be sure to maintain this distance by simply raising the lights or lowering the containers. Move overcrowded seedlings to larger containers once they have two sets of true leaves. The first leaves that appear are rather indistinct and are called seed leaves. The next set of leaves look more like the mature plant’s leaves and are called true leaves. Once the next set of true leaves forms, it is time to transplant overcrowded seedlings. Use a fork or spoon to carefully lift out the seedling. Clusters of seedlings can be dug and carefully teased apart before planting in individual pots. Be careful not to pinch and damage the young tender stems. Place seedlings in their own clean container filled with moist sterile potting mix. Plant the young plants at the same depth they were growing in the original container. Thin seedlings started in individual containers as needed. If you planted several seeds in each small container remove all but the healthiest one. Prune the weaker seedlings to ground level, so the remaining seedling can develop into a strong transplant for the garden. Continue to grow your plants in a sunny window or under artificial lights and water thoroughly and often enough to keep the soil slightly moist. Soon it will be time to move your homegrown transplants into the garden. No Gardening Space – No Problem By Melinda Myers Brighten up your patio, deck or front entrance with containers. They’re an excellent way to add color, fragrance and beauty where plantable space is limited or non- existent. Set a few containers on the front or back steps, in the corner of your deck or other location where they can be enjoyed. Try stacking and planting several containers to create a display with greater vertical interest. Check the views when looking from inside the house out as well as when enjoying the space outdoors. Strategically place containers for the greatest viewing pleasure. Save even more space by using railing planters. You can dress up the porch or deck by filling these planters with colorful flowers and edibles. Make sure they are sturdy and easy to install. Reduce time spent installing and maintaining with easy-to-install self-watering rail planters, like Viva balcony rail planters (gardeners.com) Don’t limit yourself to flowers. Mix in a few edibles and bring some homegrown flavor to your outdoor entertaining. You and your guests will enjoy plucking a few mint leaves to flavor beverages, basil to top a slice of pizza or sprig of dill to top grilled fish. Herbs not only add flavor to your meals, but texture and fragrance to container gardens. And the many new dwarf vegetable varieties are suited to containers. Their small size makes them easy to include and many have colorful fruit that is not only pretty, but delicious. Add a few edible flowers like nasturtium and pansies. Dress up a plate of greens with edible flowers for a gourmet touch. Or freeze a few pansy flowers in ice cubes and add them to a glass of lemonade or sparkling water. Include flowers like globe amaranth (Gomphrena), Lisianthus, and daisies that are great for cutting. You’ll enjoy your garden inside and out throughout the season. And don’t forget to plant some flowers for the butterflies to enjoy. Zinnias, cosmos, and marigolds are just a few that are sure to brighten any space, while attracting butterflies to your landscape. Salvia, penstemon and flowering tobacco will help bring hummingbirds in close, so you’ll have a better view. So make this the year you select a container or two that best fits your space and gardening style. Fill it with a well-drained potting mix and combination of beautiful ornamental and edible plants to enjoy all season long. The additions are sure to enhance your landscape and keep your guests coming back for more. Gardening expert, TV/radio host, author & columnist Melinda Myers has more than 30 years of horticulture experience and has written over 20 gardening books, including Can’t Miss Small Space Gardening and the Midwest Gardener’s Handbook. She hosts The Great Courses “How to Grow Anything” DVD series and the nationally syndicated Melinda’s Garden Moment segments. Myers is also a columnist and contributing editor for Birds & Blooms magazine. Myers’ web site, www.melindamyers.com, offers gardening videos and tips. Published: 03/01/15 |