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Beware bamboo: Choose carefully before planting

been used as barriers, with various degrees of success. Once youhave taken care of that problem, you're on your way to reaping themany benefits bamboo has to offer.

    Environmentally friendly

    Although bamboo is not a traditionally large part of the U.S.economy, it seems that lately, eco-friendly bamboo products areeverywhere. Two popular examples:

Ultra-soft towels and bedding, great for the environment and foryou, because bamboo requires fewer pesticides to cultivate thancotton and has natural anti-bacterial properties.Furniture, paneling and flooring, more sustainable and renewablethan hardwood tree products, in that bamboo continues to producenew stalks after harvest.

    Efforts to investigate commercial production of bamboo during the1900s were abandoned, mainly because of a weak domestic market. Nowthat there is a demand for bamboo, growers are taking a secondlook.

    Edible barrier

    In your garden, bamboo makes a better choice as a barrier thannon-living walls, by virtue of its outstanding ability to reducegreenhouse gas and remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. Also,it allows good air flow and circulation, but it provides screeningfor you and habitat for wildlife.

    Bamboo is not just panda chow. You can dig a few young shoots toenjoy in a stir-fry as a spring vegetable. You also can cut somecanes, which are lightweight but strong, to stake up your gardentomatoes.

    Bamboos are large, woody members of the grass family. Theirsectioned stems, called culms, can reach more than 40 feet high,bearing leaves from the nodes between sections on arching branches.They have a long history in Asian cultures. They create gracefuland exotic forms in the garden, and the sound of the leavesrustling in the breeze creates an atmosphere of serenity.

    Selecting bamboo

    Bamboo growers are quick to note that there are two main types of bamboo: running and clumping. Running bamboo, often cold-hardyenough to be grown in temperate areas, sends out long runners withpointed tips that sometimes can travel 20 feet underground beforepopping up a new shoot. Clumping bamboo stays more in one placewith close-growing rhizomes, and it doesn't usually need a strongcontainment system. Clumping bamboo, however, tends to favortropical climates and generally don't thrive as well in our area,although some types of Fargesia have done well as container plantsin protected areas.

    In Kentucky, early settlers encountered canebrakes of nativerunning river cane, Arundinaria gigantea, which at one time markedthe most fertile soils along rivers with its prolific growth. Itsabundance is remembered in many place names, including Cane Ridgeand Cane Run.

    You can find canebrakes in natural areas, including the stand alongthe Prickly Pear and Shawnee Run trails at Shakertown in MercerCounty, Ky.

    Tim Brooks and Joe Dietz have used the native cane for landscapingtheir back-yard garden in the Edgewater neighborhood, and they haveplanted a shorter variety, Pleioblastus variegatus, which haswhite-and-green striped leaves, for contrast.

    The native cane grows more than 15 feet tall, and depending on howthe leaves are trimmed can be a wild jungle, or tamed into whatBrooks prefers as "manicured, to give more of an Asian look, withhorticultural value as a see-through vista."

    Planted along a raised board walkway, the effect is perfect, but asDietz points out, it needs lots of mowing, weeding and trimming tokeep it from taking over. After mature culms are thinned out,they're reused as fencing and support along the walkway edge.

    Brooks, a member of the Lexington Fayette Urban County GovernmentTree Board, has given seminars to city council members on theimportance of trees in the urban forest. Dietz, who originallyworked in Kentucky forestry, now helps to organize the KentuckyState Nature Preserves Commission's efforts.

    Growth habits

    Bamboos have unusual flowering patterns, some blooming only once in100 years, after which the entire plant dies.

    As a result, most propagation is done by root division, and morerecently by tissue culture. When establishing your bambootransplants, you'll need to keep the ground moist until roots takehold and new growth is observed.

    Bamboo generally begins growing in the spring, shooting up straightnew culms first, then sending out leaf-bearing branches. Bamboodrops some spring litter as it grows, and it requires trimming andthinning to maintain vigorous growth.

    In late summer, rhizomes form underground. Many bamboo varietiesprefer humid, shady conditions for the best growth. So dry, hotsummers can be as damaging as cold winter weather, which can causeleaves to drop, and unusual cold snaps can kill the tender plants.

    The American Bamboo Society's national president, Brad Salmon,lives and gardens in Brown County in southern Indiana, which is inUSDA Zone 6. His photos, observations and discussions about howwell various bamboos thrive in this area, found at www.needmorebamboo.com, provide a wealth of help in selecting specimens for your ownyard. There are choices for culm colors and variegations, leafpatterns, height and shape that you'll want to consider.

    No matter which you choose, bamboo is a plant to watch if you'rewanting a better way to go greener in your garden.

'Back East' style suited to the desert

Take a tour

    When their architect suggested designing their home to face thestreet, John and Nora Arant expressed skepticism.

    The orientation was the opposite of what they had envisioned. Andalthough that setting would capture fantastic views of mountainsand sunsets, the lack of privacy concerned them.

    Architect Erik Peterson came up with a solution: He leveled offpart of the hilly lot and nestled the home into the site, creatinga buffer from the asphalt.

    "The lot was like a knoll," says Peterson, whose company isPeterson Architecture & Associates in Scottsdale.

    The need for privacy satisfied, the Arants, who moved to the Valleyafter having lived in Connecticut and Massachusetts, had a few morerequests. They preferred traditional floor plans, a la "back East"style: A collection of rooms and formal living and dining areas.They each wanted a home office.

    Although they planned to buy new furniture and artwork, the couple,who worked with Scottsdale interior designer Susie Hersker ofDesign Directives, wanted to incorporate a few pieces they alreadyowned - their dining table, a few antiques and a collection ofOriental rugs.

    "It was important to us to have the rooms designed so the rugswould fit," John says. "We don't like gigantic rooms; that's partof the East in us."

    The north Scottsdale home takes everything into account.

    Desert contemporary in style with traditional and Asian overtones,the home capitalizes on the location. Every room has a view. Shapedlike an expanded C, the house features an expansive foyer flankedby two wings of small rooms: family spaces and the master bedroomalong one side, guest bedrooms and home offices along the other.

    Clerestory windows, along with picture windows, add natural light,which helps capture the openness typical of Valley homes. Extensiveroof overhangs provide protection from the Western sun.

    Color, shapes and exquisite materials and finishes serve asunifying themes inside and out. Copper and stone accents - usedsparingly but dramatically - lend a rich, textural feel. Redaccessories and Asian accents join contemporary and traditionalfurnishings (some new, others antiques) in each room.

    Mahogany, cedar and reddish-brown woods contrast with off-whitetravertine flooring and concrete details. Green, copper, gold andterra cotta repeat the colors of the desert. Pots of plants andcactuses lend an organic touch.

    The foyer is the center of the home, which was built byScottsdale's Platinum Homes. A gathering space with a formal livingroom on one side and formal dining on the other, the foyer has anindoor-outdoor feel that is enhanced by butt-glazed and picturewindows.

    It's the most dramatic space of the house, spotlighting on acedar-lined ceiling that appears to float. The ceiling, whichresembles a pyramid, extends over the back patio, drawing the eyeto the pool, spa and views. The square spa is set diagonally,giving it a diamond shape that mirrors the lines of the ceiling.The pool wraps around the spa and carries out the angular themewith its geometric design.

    Metal columns, done in a Frank Lloyd Wright look, support roofoverhangs and offer a pleasing change from the expected stone-clador stucco columns of most Valley homes. Thin and decorative, theydon't block views.

    The living room is highlighted by a triangular-shaped fireplace,which is clad in copper and framed in stacked stone.

    The small but inviting room, with its four facing chairs in darkblue upholstery and colorful cushions, is the perfect spot forconversation. An Oriental rug captures the blues, reds and coppersin the room.

    The dining area, another room graced with an Oriental rug, is ashowpiece with its mixture of textures, colors and styles.

    The wet bar, outfitted with a wine refrigerator and glass-frontedcabinets filled with crystal, offers convenient refreshments whenthe couple are relaxing or entertaining in the formal rooms ornearby kitchen and family room.

    The latter two rooms, which are combined into one large area, haveconvenience and style at the forefront. The 11-foot breakfast bar,which curves in a bow shape, serves as the centerpiece for thekitchen.

    "Everyone hangs out there," John says.

    The kitchen contains all the essentials and more: a six-burner,commercial-style stainless-steel range, two dishwashers, wall oven,pantry with extra refrigerator, microwave/convection oven and potfiller. The granite on the countertops and backsplash matches thegreen of the cactus and the reddish tan of the landscape.

    The family room is warm and inviting with a small chenillesectional and copper-fronted fireplace with a floating concretehearth. Two stools with bamboo bases are covered in tan leather andadd a relaxed feel.

    A floor-to-ceiling fireplace, similar to the others with stoneaccents and floating hearth and mantel, serves as the centerpieceof the master bedroom. Asian influences abound in the lamps,artwork and TV armoire.

    A short hallway leads from the bedroom to the expansive mastercloset and bathroom. A combination of stones and materials -granite countertops in copper and cranberry tones, glass and slatebacksplashes, travertine wall tile - delight the senses.

    A wraparound back patio, outdoor kitchen and two outside diningareas make the home an ideal place to entertain or relax,accomplishing inside and out the Arants' vision for their Arizonahome.

Flooring company doubles profits: The James City-based Lumber ...

The company's sales of $128 million in the second quarter were 21percent higher than the same period in 2007. Much of that growthcame from adding stores, but existing sites still sold 2.7 percentmore flooring than the year before as the company also improvedoverall profit margins.

    Lumber Liquidators, which sells hardwood flooring at low prices tothe public and contractors out of warehouses, has posted strongnumbers since the company went public last November. It has usedthe influx of cash to open 19 new stores, which have outperformedits expectations, and plans to open 33 to 38 in the year.

    "We are encouraged by our strong performance in the first sixmonths of 2008," said Lumber Liquidators CEO Jeffrey W. Griffiths,in a statement, "especially given the challenging environment, andwe are optimistic about our prospects for the second half of theyear."

    The company raised the lower end of its profit projection for theyear, and now expects to earn between $480 million and $490 millionfor the year. It has increased profit margins this year bypurchasing lumber from mills looking to liquidate at a discount,getting a favorable tariff ruling on imported bamboo and sellingmore high-end premium flooring.

    The company has its headquarters and manufacturing warehouse in theformer John Deere facility in an industrial park in James CityCounty, where it employees hundreds of workers.

To see more of the Daily Press, or to subscribe to the newspaper,go to http://www.dailypress.com. Copyright (c) 2008, Daily Press,Newport News, Va. Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune InformationServices.

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Factbox: Beijing Olympics opening

The Beijing Olympic Games started on Friday with a dramatic openingceremony featuring a cast of thousands directed by acclaimedChinese movie director Zhang Yimou.

    The performance, which began with thunderous drumming, celebratedthe arts and achievements of imperial China but skipped the fraught20th century altogether.A chanting troupe intoned the Confucian proverb "Friends have comefrom afar, how happy we are".Flying acrobats and a lone beribboned female dancer recalled thegrottos of Dunhuang, painted in the Wei and Tang dynasties whencamel caravans plied the Silk Road. Many view the Tang dynasty asthe golden age of China, when it was wealthy and open to the world.Blue-robed oarsman enacted seafarers travelling between SoutheastAsia and the coast of Fujian, in southern China. Their oars becamesails, painted with the "treasure ships" of the eunuch admiralZheng He who reached Africa in the Ming Dynasty.Dancers clacking bamboo props represented some of the oldestChinese records, whose delicate brushstrokes are preserved onbamboo strips over 2,000 years old.

 Undulating grey blocks symbolised the printing blocks of ancientChina, which invented moveable type.

 They morphed into the Great Wall, a frontier defence whoseBadaling section near Beijing is an instantly recognized symbol ofChina.

 Landscape paintings and scenes of court life were projected on agiant scroll that unfurled on the stadium floor, while musiciansperformed traditional airs.

Absent were references to the Qing Dynasty, when Western powersmade inroads on the disintegrating empire, or the divisive 20thcentury, when civil war, the Japanese invasion and Mao Zedong'sabsolute rule drove China into deep poverty.

    Diverse Population Children clad in the outfits of China's 56 ethnic groups carriedthe flag into the stadium. A male and female representative of eachethnic group sang the national anthem as the Chinese flag wasraised, illustrating China's claim to unite its diverse populationunder one nation and party.

 Three astronauts "flew" through the stadium. China has sent threemen into space and plans another manned mission later this year.

 The ceremony concluded with an ode to regreening the Earth and acelebration of water, both important issues in China which isstruggling with choking pollution and loss of farmland after nearlythree decades of economic reform.

 A glowing globe recalled the Olympic ideal of internationalharmony and China's growing role as a world power.

The best of both worlds

His firm has designed some of Rockland's most recognizablebuildings, including Union State Bank Cancer Center at NyackHospital, Reform Temple of Suffern, and the Pearl River Hiltonhotel. So in 2005, when he decided to undertake a major renovationof his own, he had no difficulties turning his Nyack investmentproperty into a cozy, romantic, upstairs space for himself andAlison.

    Today, the rambling, 4,300-square-foot house is plenty big enoughfor both Jan and Alison to work at home and stay completely out ofeach other's hair. His architectural firm still fits comfortablyinto the first floor and basement of the house, with plenty ofspace remaining for Alison's studio, where she paints, designs, andmakes jewelry and pieces of fused glass, as well as prepares forthe jewelry-making classes she teaches at Rockland Center for theArts.

    In the studio, an easel holds an in-process abstractacrylic-painting, and others can be found on several walls in theupstairs apartment. "This is my cave down here," she says. "Idisappear for hours. [It's so separate that] we don't even see eachother during the day." But by mid- to late afternoon, on most days,Giga (as in Gigabyte), their 12-year-old Akita, reliably rounds upher charges for a walk outside.

    For many years, Alison worked in Manhattan as a creative directorin advertising, fashion and magazine publishing (Esquire andWorking Woman, to name just two). "I've since learned that, if youcan make it in that environment, you can do anything creative," shesays. Two years ago, she decided to branch out on her own. With thehelp of her son, actor Erich Bergen, she launched craftcast.com, amedia company and Web site, aimed at the global artistic community,of which she is a member.

    Of late, she's also discovered garden design - and looks for waysto transform their typically tiny, Nyack postage-stamp of abackyard into a garden paradise. I can't help but notice theexuberant clippings from garden magazines, pasted across the wallthat faces out to the backyard, a former jungle of bamboo andpoison ivy. We joke about how often we like to move plants around,until we get them just right. "I can see my plants cringing whenthey see me coming out the door," she says, with a laugh.

    As they both say, it really can be a curse to have two designersliving under the same roof. Some home-design decisions (likepicking that living room rug) come easily, while others (likecreating the wall of family photos in the stairwell that leads fromthe front door to their second-floor apartment) take weeks ofnegotiations, measurements and blueprints. Whatever the process mayhave been, the final lineup of framed photos (the Wall of Infamy,they call it) looks wonderfully casual and stylish at the sametime.

    The big renovation that launched their new space began in June 2005and was over and done with less than six months later, an amazinglyshort amount of time, by the measure of anyone who's endured theendless delays and setbacks typical in the gut-renovation of an oldhouse. As Jan says, "The architect worked downstairs, and thearchitect didn't have a home, so that doubled the incentive to getit done quickly."

    Fortunately, Jan was able to retain many of the architecturaldetails in the renovation, such as original archways, alcoves andmoldings, and the spacious, nine-foot ceilings (10-foot on thefirst floor). Throughout the apartment, original - yet drafty -windows have been replaced with new, double-hung ones that arefully insulated. They are nearly a perfect match to the old ones.

    The renovation brought a few surprises, too. Under a sea ofyellowed linoleum in the kitchen, they found wonderful, oldoak-floorboards, in surprisingly good condition; they stained thema warm honey color, to keep the room light and bright. And, behinda plain-Jane plaster wall in the living room, they uncovered acharming, old, brick fireplace.

    They also discovered that a key load-bearing wall between two ofthe old bedrooms had been mistakenly pulled down in an earlierrenovation. For who knows how long, the third floor and roof hadbeen supported by nothing but "floorboards, wood lath, and thegrace of God," Jan says.

    He was also able to knock down a few walls (not load-bearing) andrearrange some awkward closets, to create a space more like a greatroom. The newly configured, open kitchen and living room have awonderful flow, perfect for a dinner party or just a casual nightin for the two of them.

    A gorgeous, wooden wall unit, designed by Jan - a rich mix ofcherry, stained in red-mahogany, and figured anigre, stainedlight-blush - dominates the long wall of the living room. Thishandsome clutter-buster provides lots of storage and hides avariety of media. A similar cabinet, also by Jan, shares space witha large, saltwater fish-tank in the expansive hallway between theliving room and master bedroom suite. Original, wide-plank pineflooring with old flathead nails softens the entry into the newbedroom.

    You can really see their taste for mixing old materials with newdesign in the master bath, which is separated from the bedroom by ahuge walk-in closet (Jan calls it their "dress-in closet"). Thebathroom holds a teak washstand, designed by Jan, a glass basinfrom Italy, frameless, glass-doored shower and a modern, deepporcelain tub.

    One of my favorite parts of the new apartment is the second-floorwooden deck overlooking the backyard; it has dual access - from thedining area in the back of the kitchen and the master bedroom. Whenthe surrounding tall trees leaf out in late spring, they lose theirkiller views of the Hudson, but then the deck becomes the perfectspot for quiet dinners in the evening or a relaxing afternoon inthe chaise lounge with a good book.

    It's hard not to love the new kitchen, too. As we stand and talk, Ilearn that this room in particular has been imbued with countlesshours of combined know-how and design brainpower. Instead ofgranite (ugh, too much like a tombstone, Alison says), they chose arich and beautiful, light-green onyx from Afghanistan for thecountertops.

    "Look at how gorgeous it is," Alison says, running her hand acrossthe smooth, shiny surface. Onyx is softer and more brittle thanmost materials and experts warned them against it, but so far it'sworn beautifully. "It's older than the ages," Jan says. "You justlook right through the depth of it."

    In the kitchen, Jan designed a clever unit, with maple and cherrycabinets facing into the kitchen and darker ones facing out to theliving room.

    In many ways, the couple's Nyack apartment feels like it belongs inManhattan. And that's part of the appeal for Alison, who'sfinishing up her second year in the suburbs. She loves that theirvery corner of South Broadway has a stop for a bus that can takeher into the city at any time.

    She and Jan also love the walkable feel of Nyack. They love thatthey can decide to go out for dinner at the last minute and head upBroadway to either LuShane's or Hudson House. Clearly, they havefound - and nurtured - the best of two worlds: a charming old houseof their own, right in the middle of an urban worldliness.

    This designing duo blend separate tastes into one nearly perfectNyack home

Jimmy's quest for high-rise honey

This meant he would be dangling off a tiny ladder over a 60m cliff,surrounded by over two million giant angry bees.

    Sat by the river bank at the foot of a bee cliff, surrounded bysmoke and the toxic smell of local rice wine, we all craned ournecks to watch the tiny figure perched high above us on a bamboo rung, surrounded by a black cloud of buzzing.

    Jimmy was sat beside me watching intently, desperately trying toabsorb the technique this local honey hunter was using - fortomorrow it would be his turn up the ladder.

    The honey hunter held a long pole, which he was using as a simplecutting tool to slice through the brood comb, a hugetwo-metre-long, bright-yellow waxy lobe, behind which the honey waskept.

    Suddenly there was a loud shout from above, and I saw a door shapedyellow object hurtle towards the ground and crash square on to thehead of a man stood directly below.

    The impact was so colossal it completely floored him, and honeysplattered all over the place, enveloping him like a big sugary,gloopy parcel.

Old Naples art lovers fill their 1950s home with art and efficient ...

NAPLES — On a large city lot on the east side of Gulfshore BoulevardNorth stands a seemingly modest house typical of early 50sarchitecture. The front lawn, an expansive green carpet surroundingindigenous palms and other native plantings, leads to an elongatedfront porch where a welcoming flag proclaims SCasananas in boldgreen lettering below a stylized pineapple logo.

    The name a Spanish-language contraction of casa, or house, andananas, pineapple and comfortable seating set the tone fordaily sunset watching by owner Richard L. Tooke and his partner,Charles L. Marshall, Jr. A glimpse of the sunset may be a bitharder now, but when it was built there was only a small pondacross the boulevard that permitted a clear view of the beach andthe Gulf of Mexico.

    Tooke purchased the property in 1993 following the death of hisaunt, Mamie Tooke, who was Naples and Florida"s firstfemale bank president. But it wasn"t until 1999, after retiringfrom a 30-year career with the Museum of Modern Art in New YorkCity, that Tooke relocated to Naples, along with Marshall.

    The pair had met in New York City in 1960 and within months hadestablished an enduring friendship based in part on their sharedinterests in the graphic and performing arts. Marshall, a Topeka,Kansas, native, was longtime architect for the New York-basedPresbyterian Board of National Missions.

    Inside and out, their Old Naples property literally breathes art.

    The diminutive, 109-square-foot galley kitchen is a chef"sdreamscape, and the art starts here. K. Auster"s SPineappleExpress painting, and SPortrait of a Red Pepper S by Hyunsoohang above one entry door. There"s a hand-tinted carrots etchingby Larry Glasson. Two years ago the two hired designer Susan Oakleyto push the post-World War II home"s kitchen into the newmillennium. Now, frosted sliding glass doors front the illuminatedpantry, where custom slots accommodate a MoMa stepladder, a smallwine cooler, and shelving for glassware and the usual pantrycontents.

    After shopping for appliances, the three realized that onlyEuropean appliances work in such limited space. Their absolutefavorite is a combo Miele Sspeed oven an all-in-onemicrowave, broiler and convection oven no larger than a standardmicrowave.

    Coffee fanciers may covet the glitzy red Illy espresso machine withits accompanying blue-and-white cups and saucers. Compact stainlesssteel appliances predominate, as does gleaming stainless steel openshelving, wall paneling, back splash and exhaust hood over thesurface cooker. Counter tops are honed limestone and cupboardfronts are fashioned from natural, high-gloss beech. Upswing doorson high cupboards encircle the room. Tooke refers to matchingphotographs to efficiently locate their contents.

    Dinnerware and pots and pans are stored in several levels ofunder-counter drawers. That leaves abundant space for a picturewindow above the stainless steel sinks providing a view out towardthe emerald lawn.

    The original cork kitchen floor was severely damaged during 1960Hurricane Donna. During the renovation, Oakley found natural corktiles that, like bamboo flooring, are a renewable resource that"skind to feet and legs. The tiles extend from the kitchen though thedining room, which had been extended by 8 feet to the east in 1986to incorporate a screened porch into indoor living space. The tilesSfloat on concrete, and plain old tap water and a chamois mopkeep them in tip-top condition, Marshall says.

    A large picture window brings the outdoors in for both diners andthose who lounge in the multi-purpose room, Many of the furnishingsin this area are vintage collectibles some dating back to the20s including seating, coffee and side tables, lightingfixtures, and vases and clocks discovered in antique shops, fleamarkets, garage sales and the like. Both Marshall and Tooke havediscerning eyes for precious pieces with bargain price tags.Standout names among the furniture makers include Mies van derRohe, Charles and Ray Eames and Eero Saarinen.

    Here as throughout the entire house, white walls showcase masses ofworks by more than 75 artists in the eclectic Tooke-Marshallcollection. WORKS by both nationally and internationally recognizedmasters are featured. Interspersed among these are Marshall"s ownwatercolors, Tooke"s oils and photos, and local creations fromthe studios of MUMTAZ (Nancy Gifford), Jo-Ann Lizio and former arearesident Christopher Poehlmann. Jonathan Green is represented, asis the late Robert Rauschenberg.

    The living room is located up several original, wide oak steps andbeyond a long, low white brick divider Splanted with syntheticgrass squares from Michaels Arts & Crafts on Pine Ridge Road. Therectangular room extends from the front door between a player pianoon the right and a working fireplace on the left and carries onthrough to an entire wall of floor-to-ceiling glass sliders facingthe east garden.

    A brilliant blue, trapezoidal wall panel stands out above tall,glass sliders to an outdoor terrace that"s also accessible fromthe master bedroom. The blue accent replicates the blue of theupholstery fabric of a nearby Florence Knoll chair. Cadmium redpanels on the opposite wall mark another departure from thehome"s otherwise stark white walls. There are no curtains ordrapes anywhere in the house  only shades.

    The warm oak floors continue on throughout the remainder of themain house, including an art-enhanced narrow hallway with anold-fashioned telephone niche. Marshall explains that it wasreferred to as the Scommunications center back when the housewas built. The original 1950s full bath and 10-by-12-foot guestroom cum library is where Marshall stores his collection of 130piano rolls and antique replica metal automobile piggy banks.

    The master bedroom suite showcases yet more art work along withfamily photos and mementoes. Those includes Tooke"s entirelylocal shell collection, which contains brilliantly hued tree snailshells. Another small, ensuite bedroom with pullman kitchen andMurphy bed generally functions as working office space and isobviously the home"s nerve center.

    The north garden is a fruit salad of plantings, with mangos,tangerines, oranges, bananas and calamondins in profusion duringtheir respective seasons.

    Art, however, dominates the north and east gardens.Pennsylvania-based artist Steve Tobin"s massive, recentlyacquired SWhite Rainbow Root dominates views from indoors andout. Weighing some 800 pounds, the painted steel sculpture is atonce both flowing and forceful.

    A small, bright red Tobin metal sculpture nestles in a bed ofliving plants as does one of his large, signature Sexplodedclaybowls. Wind chimes and Solari bells are suspended above. With Tookeand Marshall in it, the house is now fully air conditioned. Still,ceiling fans, built-in screened louvers and a funky 40s hassock fancome in handy during transitional seasons. That 50"s design iswhat they most love about their house, Marshall succinctly andemphatically says. Tooke agrees.

    SFrom the very first time I saw the house in 1956 when I stayedwith my aunt for several months, I immediately knew that it was agood, very livable Florida home.

House of bamboo

The Sullivans tried making two or three chairs from commerciall bamboo flooring they bought expressly for the project, but eachchair took more than 50 hours to complete.

    “Since the chairs sold for $200, we just couldn't doit,” Joanne Sullivan said. “We kind of scrapped theidea.”

    Joanne Sullivan decided to experiment with the unused scraps ofbamboo flooring. She took home a slab of flooring and created acutting board. Impressed with the board's resilience and look, theSullivans decided to make about 20 cutting boards that year todistribute as Christmas gifts for their family, Joanne Sullivansaid.

    On a whim, they took a handful of bamboo cutting boards to anArizona craft fair to showcase alongside their specialty chairs.Joanne Sullivan was worried they would sell out of their plannedChristmas presents, so they slapped the cutting boards with a pricetag they assumed no one would pay – around $80 per board. Within two hours, all of the boards were gone.

    “This was way before green,” Tom Sullivan said,referring to the increase in eco-friendly products on the market.“We were on the crest of the wave. We're pretty good atmarket trends. Being in the craft fairs is being in the trenches.We went home with literally a shaking excitement. We knew we had atiger by the tail.”

    They purchased large quantities of commercial bamboo flooring andwent to work creating a line of cutting boards. Eventually, theytraveled to China to partner with a manufacturer who could producethe boards in larger quantities.

    Later, they branched out to design and create other products andnow have a line of about 200 bamboo products, from kitchenware tocountertops, sinks and chairs.

    Totally Bamboo products sell in Crate & Barrel; Bed, Bath &Beyond; Macy's; and Dillard's, Joanne Sullivan said. The cuttingboards are their best sellers.

    The Sullivans say they are proud of the fact that they design andtest their products in-house.

    “It's a quality issue,” Tom Sullivan said. “Wedidn't build to sell cheap. We're sticklers on quality.”

Opus Northwest has new Pearl District project

Opus Northwest, which broke ground this spring on a 101-unit apartment project inNorthwest Portland's Alphabet District, has a new plan for asix-story vacation project just a few blocks away, in the PearlDistrict.The 94,106-square-foot building, described in city documents as ahotel and by The Oregonian as pearl necklace a time-share, would be constructed onthe north side of Northwest Irving Street, between Northwest 14thand 15th streets.The Portland Design Commission will hold a public hearing on Opus'sdesign advice request at 1:30 p.m., Aug. 7, in Room 2500A at 1900S.W. Fourth Ave.Sera Architects designed the building, which would be U-shaped around a groundlevel courtyard, with a hotel lobby and related services at streetlevel. The upper floors would contain 114 hotel units of varyingsizes.

Pearls, papers inspire art

Pearls, papers inspire art.UA's Emily Davis Gallery challenges jewelers upstairs, offers newsas art downstairs. It's all on display until Oct. 4.By Dorothy Shinn.Beacon Journal art & architecture critic.Published on Monday, Jul 21, 2008.The Sermon on the Mount ends with the admonition ''neither cast yeyour pearl necklace pearls before swine'' — you should share things of valueonly with those who'll appreciate them.Through Oct. 4, the University of Akron Mary Schiller Myers Schoolof Art's Emily Davis Gallery has cast pearls before a constellationof jewelers, asking them to create works in response to thishistorically precious object, the results on view in the uppergallery.Meanwhile, in the lower gallery is Idiomsyncretic,by Oregon artist Pat Boas, who bases much of her work on the pagesof the New York Times.Boas examines the play between word-as-image and image-as word.Over the past decade, she has examined the coexistence of sense andnonsense in language through her series on the Times.In one series, Alphabet (NYT 10/01/01),she examines the Jan. 1, 2001, front page on 26 sheets of silktissue, each sheet printing the page with only one letter of thealphabet, as it's found on the page. Thus, we see the same pageliterally from A to Z.Those who've worked the Times doublecrostic know that the mostfrequent letter in the English language is E, and will not besurprised to find the sheet that reproduces all the Es gives us agood idea of how the page was laid out, while the page thatreproduces all the Zs hardly gives us a hint.Another series, All the Heads, shows us where the heads of people have appeared on the frontpages of the New York Times for 12 months.A third series, actually seemed to strive for something to ,you've cast your pearls in the wrong direction.

Anji Bemben proves that it pays to have great hair

If Bemben wins one of Tin Man's nine possible Emmies, she'll thankdirector Nick Willing for saying: "I want your pearl necklace creativity to beboundless."It sure has been. Bemben, 41, was a fashion model and downhill skiracer before racing a Yamaha RZ350 motorcycle, autocrossing in herPorsch (she still drives a Boxster)andwinning road-circuit autoraces against otherwise-all-male fields in a Mazda RX7. She surfsin Costa Rica, but stopped photographing sharks after a brokenSCUBA mouthpiece left her 80 feet under water with no air in herlungs."I did those things to challenge my mind, to see what I was capableof," said Bemben, whose movie credit list is longer than arms shehardens with tennis and Body Co. Fitness workouts. Employedglobally on movies today, she did the Bon Jovi band's hair foryears, even appearing in the Slippery When Wet video.Meanwhile, Bemben said she's happy about her work on 300 and Dawnof the Dead director Zack Snyder's spring-releasing feature film,Watchmen.RUSSIA HOLD 'IM: Betting is child's play for Johnny Chan, theconsecutive two-time World Series of Poker champ and 10-timebracelet winner. But everybody won Monday, when Guangzhou-born Can,51, sat at a Richmond table with no lucky orange in front of him.Instead, Sea Harbour restaurant waiters deftly dealt dish afterdish of fragrant prawns, crab and other seafood. Chan, meanwhile,speculated on a billion-dollar opportunity with host Robert Shaw,of the Hong Kong entertainment-biz clan, CharlieFlynn.Flynn, wife Lisa Cain and their two children alternate between WestVancouver and Spain's Mallorca island, where they chum with Britishtable-dance-club mogul Peter Stringfellow but likely do littlerecreational boating.WHAT RUNNALS RUNS: It's been three years since global rock-concertorganizer Catherine Runnals wanted "to stay home more and get someOlympics gigs."She got a biggie. But not for the 2010 Winter Games she'd had inmind, so the 36-year-old isn't padding around herStrathcona-district home this summer. Instead, she and 20-month-oldson Griffin are in Beijing, where Runnals is project manager forAdidas's 16,000-square-foot pavilion. Incorporating aworld's-first, 91-metre-long spiral theatre with a high-resolutionLED screen second only sizewise to one for the Beijing Olympics'opening ceremony, that structure may echo in her future gigs.

Bert Kreischer and Lou Ramey It's Laugh Track for July 31-Aug. 3

Movie TitleAll moviesAlvin and the MamaBee Movie Brick Lane Brid Revisited Charlotte's WebThe Chronicles of Narnia: Prince CaspianCirque du Soleil:DeliriumCollege Road KnightDCI2008ChampionshipQuarterfinalsEncountersthetheWorldEvanAlmightyFlushedAwayForgetting Sarah MarshallFree Family FilmFestival Tomorrow 10AMFree Family Film Festival Tue & Wed10AMFugitive PiecesGet The Life and Work of Dr. Hunter S.ThompsonHancockThe HappeningHappy FeetHell RideHellboy The Golden ArmyI.O.U.S.A.The Incredible HulkIndiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal SkullIron ManJimmy Neutron: Boy GeniusJourney to the Center of the EarthJourney to the Center of the Earth 3DKit Kittredge: An American GirlKung Fu PandaThe Last MistressLong Way Do HonorMammaMia MeetDaveMeetthe BrownsThe MidnightTrainMirrorsMongolMummies the PharaohsThe Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon EmperorMy WinnipegMysteries of EgyptNim's IslandOpen Captioned Performance - Selected Film - DailyOSS 117: Cairo, Nest of SpiesPineapple ExpressThe Pirates Who Don't Do Anything: A VeggieTales MoviePlease Call Theatre for Additional Movies and TimesPricelessThe Rocky Horror Picture ShowRoving pearl necklace MarsRushmoreSex and the CityShrek the ThirdThe Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2Son of RambowSpace ChimpsSpeed RacerThe Spiderwick ChroniclesStar Wars: The Clone WarsStep BrothersThe StrangersStreet KingsSurf's UpSushi Pack the MovieSwing VoteTMNTTropic ThunderThe VisitorThe WacknessWALL-EWallace & Gromit: The Curse of theWere-RabbitWantedWhat Happens in VegasThe X-Files: I Want to BelieveYou Don't MessWith the ZohanYoung at Heart.RegionAll regionsAkron, HAlliance, HBarberton, Boardman, BrooklynCanton, HChagrin Falls, Cleveland, leveland Heights, HCuyahoga Falls, HElyria, HEuclid,Hudson, HKent, HLakewood, HMacedonia, HMansfield, HMayfield Heights, OHMedina, HMentor, HMiddleburg Heights, HNiles, HNorth Canton, North Randall

Jewelry with "Sex and the City" personality

Are you like Carrie, the fashionistawho says the only thing she's ever made in the kitchen is a mess?Or are you more like Samantha, the confident pr exec who knows howto get what she wants whether she's in the office or the bedroom?Maybe Charlotte is more your style - sophisticated but idealistic.Perhaps you have more in common with the smart, self-assuredMiranda who's always challenging herself to take things to anotherlevel in both her personal and professional life..Whatever character of "Sex and the City" you identify with or like, if you like their style you can get itfrom some of the Carolee Jewelry pieces being sold at Bloomingdalesand at www.carolee.com..FOR MORE LOOKS:There's a very Carrie-like crystal leaf choker necklace, a crystaland white simulated pearl flower bracelet and crystal chandelierearrings. For the well-bread socialite like Charlotte, pink enamelflower button clip earrings, a pink enamel flower ring and a whitesimulated pearl necklace with a pink enamel flower enclosure. For asexy publicist look, check out the glass coral bead and simulated pearl necklace, bracelet and chandelier earrings. Anyone who lovesto lay down the law like Miranda will love the gold mesh andsimulated pearl choices like the cuff bracelet, the button dropearrings, the multi-row lariat necklace, the stretch bracelet andthe collar necklace.

Lucky winner Joy receives pearl necklace

 Lucky winner Joy receives pearl necklace Joy Willmot won first prize at the event held by Hoppers Jewellersand its North Street neighbours, Concept, who provided prizesincluding a china tea set..Paula Paris, manager at Hoppers, said: There were about 50people between the two shops.. Both shops do something for Christmas and people had asked us toprovide something for the summer. As pearls are the birthstone forJune we had an expert visit with some unusual pearls includingpeach, pin and chocolate Tahitian pearls.Both shops served Pimm throughout the evening which was heldfor invited guests but Mrs Paris added the list could be extendedfor future events.She said: We would like to do it more often. If people areinterested please contact Concept and Hoppers

Thaksin's wife awaits ruling on tax evasion case

Pojaman, known for her taste in designer clothes and coifed hair,wore a blue blouse and pearl necklace for the court appearance. Sheand Thaksin did not comment to reporters..More than 300 police were deployed in the area amid concerns ofpossible protests by both Thaksin'ssupporters and opponents..Thaksin was ousted after being accused of massive corruption andabuse of power during his two terms as prime minister. Fourcorruption cases have been filed in the courts against Thaksin, twoothers against his wife, and three cases against two of hischildren. Many others are under investigation..Thursday's case centers on a 1997 transfer of shares in ShinawatraComputer, the company that later became Shin Corp. —Thailand's biggest telecommunications company — before it wassold in 2006 to a Singapore state-owned company for US$2.2 billion..The share transfer was valued at 738 million baht — aboutUS$22.2 million at the current exchange rate — and deemedtax-free. The family had listed the deal as a transfer of sharescarried out within the stock market, which is exempt from capitalgains taxes..After Thaksin's ouster, an investigation was launched into the dealthat prompted the family to change its story..Pojaman, through her lawyer, said she bought the shares from afamily maid and transferred them to her adopted brother, BhanapotDamapong, as a gift, which under Thai law is not taxable..Thailand's Assests Examination Committee determined last year,however, that a check issued to the maid was later deposited in anew bank account belonging to Thaksin's wife..The committee said Pojaman and her brother had misrepresented thenature of the transaction to avoid paying taxes and should pay backtaxes of about 546 million baht (US$16.4 million). Thaksin was notimplicated in the tax evasion case..Thaksin was known to have transferred shares in Shin Corp., histelecommunications empire, to his maid, chauffeur, relatives andothers to shed holdings before becoming prime minister in 2001 toskirt conflict of interest laws..Thaksin was deposed after months of street demonstrations inBangkok demanding he step down because of the allegations. Hereturned to Thailand earlier this year after his political alliesin the People's Power Party set up a coalition government.

Cindy McCain and Michelle Obama: Different styles, similar jewelry

Cindy McCain and Michelle Obama: Different styles, similar jewelry.3 hours ago.NEW YORK — Cindy McCain and Michelle Obama are at theopposite ends of the style spectrum. McCain is very proper inbrightly coloured dresses with matching jackets; Obama is moredramatic in bell sleeves with an occasional flash of cleavage.."There's no way they could be sisters and exchange clothes," saysimage consultant Ginger Burr. They do, however, have a sharedaffinity for bead necklaces, particularly pearls - and the chunkierthe better..Obama, just named to Vanity Fair's International Best Dressed Listalongside the likes of Carla Bruni-Sarkozy and Sarah JessicaParker, wore a single strand of large white pearls around her neckwith a purple dress and funky black belt when her husband claimedthe Democratic nomination..McCain paired earth-tone South Sea pearls with a brown jacket and,on another day, wore a funky baroque necklace with uneven-shapedpearls to complement a navy suit.."A chunky necklace needs a confident woman to carry it off," saysRae Ann Herman, Glamour magazine's accessories director. "Beads arestatement pieces.".She's not surprised, though, that McCain and Obama have taken towearing them because they both seem to be more style-conscious thanthe public is used to seeing in its president's wives - save JackieKennedy, another pearl wearer.."To me, pearls are Step 1 on what to wear if you want to become afirst lady," says stylist Mary Alice Stephenson. "Both Michelle andCindy are channelling Jackie O: They wear streamlined clothing withpearls.".Herman thinks the potential first ladies are taking cues from therunway, noting that chunky jewelry has made inroads with thefashion crowd over the past year.."We've seen so much statement jewelry - bigger necklaces, biggerbracelets, bigger earrings - and it always trickles down to allprice points," she says..They are also showing that they're savvy: "You use accessories tomake your wardrobe more exciting. If you're not buying new clothes,then you're investing in new jewelry, even if it's costumejewelry.".By choosing pearls and beads instead of diamonds, Stephenson adds,Obama and McCain are avoiding questions about cost..She thinks they may have learned from Hollywood stars theimportance of incorporating a"Wow!" moment into each day's outfit- and that it's best to wear it from the waist up. The added bonusof the necklace is that it draws onlookers' eyes toward the face.."You can look severe and bare if you're not wearing a necklace,which makes you look feminine and elegant," Stephenson says..Burr says that McCain sometimes successfully uses necklaces tolighten and brighten her face- counteracting some criticism thatshe looks too uptight..However, Burr didn't like a round, multicoloured pearl necklace that McCain paired with a green dress with a boat-shaped necklinethat served as the starting point for open pleats down the bodice.."A necklace should fit into the neckline of the dress. The greenwith the mixed pearls looked good, but the neckline is too high andthere's too much detail around it," she says..That said, pearls do look good on McCain, she says.."Some women default to pearls when they don't know what else to do.I don't think that's happening with her. She's using the necklaceto complete an outfit and give insight into her personality.".Burr recalls seeing Obama in black beads - a sign that she likesclothes with a little more drama and flair. She also likes to seeObama in white pearl earrings, but not necessarily necklaces.."I'm not sure if pearls are the best choice because I don't thinkof her as being traditional," she says.

UK plastic bag charging row erupts again

UK plastic bag charging row erupts again

By Helen Gilbert

Fears mandatory bag charging will be introduced despite industryprogress.30 July 2008 - An industry expert has warned the Government to stopinterfering around the issue of charging for plastics bagsfollowing media reports that customers will have to pay a bag taxwithin months.The comments by David Tyson, chief executive of the Packaging andFilms Association, follow a report published by The Telegraph yesterday, which revealed that customers could pay up to 10p a bagunder new legislation.In 2007, retailers voluntarily committed themselves to reduce theenvironmental impact of carrier bag use by 25% by the end of 2008.But The Telegraph quoted environment minister Joan Ruddock as saying: “We hopethere will be a voluntary agreement but the Waste Bill is likely toreceive Royal Assent in the autumn, which will include mandatorycharging for plastic bags.”Tyson told PRW: “There’s no proof that the use of carrier bags willdramatically reduce if they are charged for. The Governmentdoesn’t seem to want to listen. It’s more about beingperceived to be doing the right thing. “What is disappointing is despite the fact that when GordonBrown took over as Prime Minister, he made the statement it wasgoing to be a government without spin. It’s been almost theopposite.”A spokeswoman for the Department for Environment, Food and RuralAffairs (Defra) said the Government hoped plastic bag reductioncould be achieved on a voluntary basis. However, she added initiatives in Ireland and Marks andSpencer’s five pence bag charge (PRW.com 28 July) had proved successful in slashing single use bag numbers.She added: “We have asked retailers to tell us what theythink.”

Group Urges Statewide Plastic Bag Ban

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  The California Ocean Protection Council today released its plan toreduce and eliminate ocean litter. The plan calls for a statewideban on plastic bags and takeout containers. KPBS Reporter Ed Joycehas details.The Ocean Protection Council makes several recommendations toreduce trash in the ocean and other marine areas.Along with the plastic bag ban, the plan requires plastic packagingmanufacturers to take their products back and pay for properdisposal.The recommendations need legislation to become law.Dan Jacobson with Environment California says that's been a toughfight in Sacramento.Jacobson:

 Well there's powerful special interests who are more interested injust making money than they are in protecting our beaches. And whenit comes to the plastics industry or the petrochemical industry,these are the folks that make the plastic that ends up in ouroceans and ends up finally washing up on our beaches.A marine research group says 60 to 80 percent of the world's oceanlitter comes from plastic.Thousands of seabirds, mammals and other marine wildlife are killedeach year from ingesting or becoming entangled in trash.Ed Joyce, KPBS News.

When green bags die ...

Yep they can be recycled Sandra - they're made of a plastic calledpolypropylene, and once they're worn out you just drop them off atyour supermarket's plastic bag collection centre.

But unlike regular polyethylene shopping bags that can get recycledhere in Austraila, green 'eco' bags have to be shipped overseas.It's not that we don't have the technology to recycle them - it'sthat we pay award wages.The polypropylene the green bags are made of can be recycled, butthe stitching that holds them together can't. So before any greenbag is recycled all those stitches have to be unpicked andseparated from the plastic. It's very labour intensive, and unlessyou're paying very low wages you can't hope to turn a profit fromthe recycled product.Which is where shipping the bags to China comes in. If Chineseworkers received the same pay as workers here do it wouldn't beprofitable to recycle the green bags there either, and they'd allend up in landfill. Talk about your ethical dilemma...So green bags save on landfill, energy and material - but only ifyou use them a couple of hundred times and then drop them off atyour supermarket for recycling. And because they look less likejellyfish we shouldn't see too many turtles choking on the onesthat make it into the wild.Just try not to build up a bigger collection of them than you canuse in one shopping lifetime.

Column: Banning plastic bags may not solve problems:

Column: Banning plastic bags may not solve problems:

ACC SmartBrief | 07/29/2008

Banning plastic bags is a more complicated proposition than pro-bagand anti-bag advocates would lead you to believe, David Lazaruswrites in the Los Angeles Times. He notes that many people reuseplastic bags as garbage bags and points out that paper bags areharmful to the environment. "Paper bags require more energy toproduce and, because they're heavier, are more expensive totransport," he writes. Los Angeles Times (free registration) (07/27)L.A. council votes to ban plastic bags if state does not impose feeWednesday, July 23, 2008 Free plastic bags set to be banned in China Wednesday, June 4, 2008 Look at the facts before deciding on paper vs. plastic Wednesday, July 9, 2008 Related News Stories Related Press Releases No plastic bags in Los Angeles stores beginning July 2010; paperbags to cost 25 cents Los Angeles Times| Tuesday, July 22, 2008No plastic bags in LA stores beginning July 2010 - NYTimes.comNew York Times, The |

Tuesday, July 22, 2008Los Angeles bans plastic bagsGlobe and Mail (Toronto), The | Wednesday, July 23, 2008L.A. to ban plastic bags from stores beginning in July 2010 USA TODAY | Wednesday, July 23, 2008Los Angeles council votes to ban plastic bags New Zealand Herald, The | Wednesday, July 23, 2008