Minico spirit rock vandalized - News Journal

24 Weekly News Journal Thursday, March 7, 2013OutdoorHow does yourgarden grow?by Terri McAffeeBuying throughcatalogs or onlineHello, hello! It is good to beback with my gardening friends.By the time the first of Marchcomes roaring in, the gardeneris ready for the smell of moist,damp earth and the sight ofgrowing plants. I know I am.While early March is theideal time to start cole familyplants (cabbage, broccolior cauliflower) and peppers, itis too early for tomatoes andother warm weather lovers. Butit certainly isn’t too early to bepurchasing seeds and orderingplants for delivery in mid May.Perusing the catalogs over thewinter months is a yearly pastimefor me and many of you.Local plant providers are gettingbetter at bringing in plantsthat until just a few years agoyou only read about and neverfound locally. Still, if you are thetype of gardener who likes to bethe first on the block with a newplant, the only way to find someof them is to search for them incatalogs or online.Box stores bring plants inover the growing season, close tothe time when they would bloomif they were in your garden.Planting these can add a splashof welcome color and variety toyour beds.I always look locally forplants before purchasing throughthe mail or online with my computer.By the time you pay postagethe price of locally grownplants usually balances out.Locally grown plants are oftenbetter sized and better acclimated.In the past the generalrule was to purchase roses onlyfrom growers located in in a similarclimate. Today, roses may begrown anywhere and finding onelocated in a similar area is almostimpossible. Where a company isheadquartered may not be wheretheir fields are located.The same holds true withperennials. I ordered from onenationally known catalog afew years ago. Out of sevenitems only two were sent fromthe same grower. So you neverknow where your plants arebeing grown.With seed, I feel confidentthat I am purchasing seed packagedfor the current year. Thepackage should be stamped withthis year’s date if you look forverification. Some dealers offerfancy packaging, which I ignore.The packaging may be importantif I’m holding the seed over fromone year to the next, but it is notworth paying an expensive pricefor it unless the dealer is the onlyone to offer a particular variety.Because of the number ofproblems with using a creditcard and having your informationstolen, do keep a close eyeon your purchases afterward.While I never have had a problemcreated from the use of acredit card with gardening products,you never know where orwhen you will be hit. If hackerscan hit Facebook and other giantcorporations, you know that youcan get hit also.Whether purchasing locallyor nationally do remember that“if you pay nine cents for something,you bought something thatwasn’t worth a dime.”If the price is particularly lowin comparison to other locations,the product may be inferior orhas been harvested and improperlyhandled so it is being sold ata ‘clearance’ price. Some bulbslike gladiolus will withstandmore abuse than lily bulbs, let’ssay. If you would expect a # 1grade rose to sell on the localmarket for $15 to $25, be waryif you find a ‘sale’ and the cost isunder $10. You really do pay forwhat you get.Terri is an Advanced MasterGardener. If you would like moregardening information or wantto reread an old column, go toher website at www.greenknees.net.Fenced, Paved & SecurePARKING(In Town)$Prices starting at just15per mo.Call 670-2311Wrentit: Bird that’s half tailBy Dave HanksSpecial ContributorWouldn’t it be nice to havesuch a fancy tail - one that youcould carry pointed skyward?Tails are used several differentways: a rudder to maneuverthrough trees and bushes, or asa convenient signal flag to warncompetition away, or to be usedas body language to exhibit variousmoods.And who has a more distinctivetail than the little wrentit?The wrentit is a small brownbird that holds its tail erect, muchlike a wren.It is reddish-brown underneath,has creamy white aroundits eyes, and a short gray bill andhead. This bird lives in westerncoastal chaparral and scrub. Itstays hidden most of the time, butis very noisy.So when you’re about fromOregon to the BajaBusinessDirectoryAuto GlassAuto Glass Repair,Replacement & AccessoriesHeadlight RestorationTraeger Grills & Accessories678-3309burley.novusglass.comAdvertisementAttention Businesses:Place Your Ad HERE foras little as $15 a weekCall Paul at 678-6643Feeling secure amid the thornsListen for a tit---tit-tit-tit-t-tt-titA sound that resonates like abouncing ballGetting shorter, and thenfaster, is the way of itNot seen too often, becauseDense shrubbery is wherethey nestwww.davesnaturephotos.comThe concealment and protectionof the foliageMakes it the place they thinkis bestEach pair has a huge rangeof around 160 square miles.And, they mate for life. Perhapsthis could explain why they arealways bickering.City plans to surplus equipmentBy Lisa DayleyWeekly News JournalRUPERT – That old hot dog standhas got to go.That was the consensus of thecity council during its recent meetingwhere it agreed to declare an old hotdog stand, three complete merry-gorounds,two sweepers and one mowerdeck as surplus property.Nobody knows much about theold hot dog stand other than somebodytaped a piece of paper on itsaying “Mini-Cassia American RedCross sincerely appreciates the support.”The equipment has been sitting atthe city’s yard for years and at onetime may have been declared surplusproperty. It wasn’t clear when thatwas or why the city didn’t dispose ofthe equipment years ago, but recreationdepartment head Mary Andersonasked for permission to disposeof the property during the city’srecent council meeting.“We’d like to declare it surplusand put it in the auction that’s comingup,” she said.“We can declare it surplus afterthe auction if it does not sell. Wecan donate them or sell them for anyamount,” Rupert Mayor Mike Brownsaid.It was also suggested that it bemade clear that the equipment besold as is with no guarantees or warrantiesafter the council expressedconcern of liability should the itemsnot work as expected.“Usually most of the auction itemsbid on come without any implied orexpressed warranty. We could draftup some understanding of that. Whatyou would be very clear of in theauction or private sale is that you’renot warranting (the equipment) forany purpose. It’s ‘here it is; take it asit is.’ We can avoid the liability onthat,” city attorney Mike Tribe said.Brown asked that departmentheads inventory items in their respectiveoffices to see what could be salvagedand sold. During a previousmeeting, he asked department headsto inventory vehicles.“In the next two weeks, mythoughts are that all the departmentheads should continue to search andresearch any old equipment, so wecan get it all at the same auction atthe same time. I appreciate Mary forstepping up and doing that for us,”he said.For more information on any ofthe items call the city at 436-9600.RANCH STYLE HOMECourtesy PhotoThe City of Rupert plans to salvage this old hotdog stand,these three merry-go-rounds and various other old pieces ofequipment during an upcoming auction. Should no one bidupon the items, the city can sell them for any price or donatethem to interested parties. The city made the decision during arecent council meeting.3 bedroom, 1 bath ranch style home. Has a full basement,great hot tub, great features in the kitchen. Patio/deck. CallPat for a viewing at 431-4236. MLS # 111192.425 Overland Ave