Name: TJ Thomson

Age: 39

Occupation: Boise City Council Member, January 2010-present; Certified internal auditor, Idaho Power Company, December 2006-present

Education: Institute of Internal Auditors, certified internal auditor; Indiana University, Master of Public Affairs in policy analysis, public administration; Boise State University, Bachelor of Political Science, minor in communication; U.S. Air Force veteran, Dyess AFB, Texas, avionics electrical systems certification, Lowry AFB, Colo. and basic military training, Lackland AFB, Texas.

Prior political experience: Boise City Council Member, January 2010-present; Boise State University (BSU) Student Body President, 1997-98.

Civic involvement: Community Planning Association of Southwest Idaho (COMPASS), 2012-present; City of Boise Audit Committee, 2012-present; City of Boise Public Works Commission, 2010-present; City of Boise Board of Parks and Recreation, 2010-12; Boise Metro Chamber of Commerce Leadership Boise (2009 Graduate), Alumni Association, 2011-present; Boise Young Professionals, 2007-present; Neighborhood Watch Chair/Founder – Dawson Meadows Subdivision (West Boise), 2008-present; Boise City Police Department Volunteer, 2008-09; Suicide Prevention Action Network (SPAN) Idaho Board of Directors and SPAN USA Field Liaison, 2007-09; Boise Citizens’ Police Academy (Graduate), 2008; 4th Judicial District Bar Association Citizens’ Law Academy (Graduate), 2008; Human Rights Commissioner MLK celebration volunteer – Rockville, MD, 2002-03; Student Body Senator for Graduate School of Public Environmental Affairs, Indiana University, 2001-02; Student Body President and Student Senator for Associated Students of Boise State University (ASBSU), 1995-1999; Project Interchange Seminar participant, Israel, 1998.

Years living in Boise: 15

Family: My wife, Alisha, and I have been happily married for over 10 years. We are presently in the process of adopting a child from Ethiopia.

Website: www.TJ4Boise.com

Social media accounts: Facebook; @TJThomson; LinkedIn

1. What makes you a better choice for voters than your opponent(s)?

I am running for re-election because I want to continue making a positive difference in Boise and keep us moving forward — to build the strongest, most livable city possible for future generations to enjoy. Over the last four years, we have had tremendous success in strengthening our local economy during a difficult recession. Unemployment rates are going down while property values are on the rise. The Boise market is dramatically stronger — outpacing the national housing recovery. Commercial and residential permitting is up and positive economic development is moving forward. We have protected thousands of acres of open space in our foothills; added multiple parks and recreational opportunities; increased sidewalks and bike lanes; improved safety for pedestrians and cyclists; added bus routes; and strengthened public safety (crime rates are at historic lows). I will continue moving Boise forward, while also presenting new ideas for strengthening our livability and local economy.

2. If elected, what are your top three priorities? How will you accomplish them? Please provide specifics.

1. A strong, diverse local economy: Protect and attract living wage jobs and spark new business growth and investment. Continued focus on small business start-ups and long-term economic opportunities. Provide businesses with the infrastructure they need to thrive, removing barriers that hinder success. Consider additional business incubators and an “Innovation District” in Boise

2. Protecting our quality of life and preserving open spaces: Lead the way on healthy initiatives, specifically addressing the child obesity epidemic — make Boise the healthiest city in America. Continue building a community that is attractive and livable, with ample parks and open space. Build strong neighborhoods with affordable, high-quality housing opportunities. Keep our water clean and improve our air quality.

3. A public transportation system for today and tomorrow: Continue to strengthen our bus system. Improved safety and access for bicyclists and pedestrians. Increase bike lanes. Support viable transportation alternatives for the future.

3. What is the one thing your city should start doing to encourage economic development and create jobs?

Boise is recovering from a difficult recession. Unemployment rates are dropping, property values are on the rise and the market is dramatically stronger — outpacing the national housing recovery, commercial and residential permitting is up and economic development has increased — including marquee additions to our beautiful downtown, such as Trader Joes, Whole Foods, Zions Bank (formerly the “hole in the ground”) and JUMP. We have had tremendous success adding to Boise’s livability with parks, open space and historically low crime rates — all of which help to retain and attract business. We still have work to do. We must attract additional skilled employees to the Boise Valley, to fill our increasing construction needs, and continue efforts to diversify our economic and workforce base. Also, let’s consider additional business incubators and an “Innovation District” that incentivizes like-minded start-ups to work and grow together — an urban environment that fosters innovation, collaboration, and entrepreneurship.

4. How do you envision your city 10 to 20 years from now? How should it change?

I envision a strong, vibrant city with thousands of acres of open space protected for future generations to enjoy; continued protection of our clean water; ample parks and green space spread throughout the city; a safe, robust transportation system that changes to meet future demands; interconnected trails and bike lanes; mixed-use development working in concert with our Comprehensive Plan (Blueprint Boise); a safe city with crime rates that continue to decline and remain historically low — even as we grow; a city that integrates sustainability into every decision — to assure we leave our environment in the same or better condition as we inherited; the healthiest city in America, where child obesity rates are down and active lifestyles are the norm; and a thriving, diversified local economy with ample living wage jobs and opportunity for all. We are headed in the right direction and must keep moving forward to achieve this vision.

5. Are you concerned about public apathy and involvement in civic matters? How would you get more people involved?

I have witnessed an outpour of public involvement over the last four years. Our community cares deeply about their city and is involved regularly in local decisions impacting their lives. At times, public hearings have standing room only. I receive extensive communication on a regular basis from the public through multiple mediums — including social media, phone, mail, and email. I make myself extremely accessible to our citizens, take calls at all times of the day/night and maintain a visible presence on social media, allowing direct and open interaction. I was recently recognized by the public and Fusion Magazine as “Mr. Social Media” for my extensive efforts to be accessible. Any increase in public involvement is a good thing for our city. We must continue to increase civic involvement, improve our website to be more user-friendly and assure adequate information is available to the public on every issue we are addressing.

6. Do you support either or both bonds for open space, public safety and parks? Why?

These investments help us maintain our city’s safety and add to our livability. Access to open spaces, like the Boise Foothills and neighborhood parks, has added millions to our city’s economy, improved citizen health and strengthened neighborhood property values. This assures our consistent trend as good stewards of Boise’s clean water, open spaces and natural areas. Some fire stations are no longer ideally situated or out-dated and in need of repair. Boise has grown, but our fire stations have not kept pace, hampering the ability of fire fighters to quickly and effectively respond to emergencies consistently across the city. By protecting clean water and critical natural areas like the Boise Foothills and improving parks, fire and emergency response services, we’ll create a legacy and a vibrant and sustainable future that increases our property values, creates jobs and makes Boise an even better place to live, work, and raise a family.

8. Should the city upgrade its shooting range, leave it as is or do something else entirely? Why?

The shooting range has been utilized by law enforcement personnel since 1960 and city owned since 2008. If the range were sold by the city, per Idaho Code it would likely remain a shooting range, but become privately owned — providing less opportunity for the city to assure a safe environment. Moving the range to an alternate location would be extremely costly to taxpayers. Boise Police will be working with citizens over the next year to address citizen concerns, prior to proceeding voluntarily to the Planning Zoning Commission for a conditional use permit. I believe this time will be beneficial to assuring the concerns of our citizens are met. While there has never been an accident at the range, it is imperative that all precautions are taken to assure a safe environment. Other site improvements will assist with noise reductions and aesthetic improvements for trail users in the area.

9. Should Boise raise Downtown metered parking rates? How much? Why?

I opposed raising downtown parking rates and extending collection times. We are presently upgrading to “smart meters” in the downtown area, which will assist greatly in the collection of information, allow the use of credit cards, and someday, the use of smart phone technology to monitor or add time to your meter. I believe we must first collect and analyze data from the new meters, over an extensive period of time, to help us better understand if (and specifically, where) on-street parking turnover rates are a concern for existing businesses in the downtown area — and address it specifically in identified areas, to assist local business. Let’s assure adequate access to alternate modes of transportation in our downtown core — including safe bike lanes and sidewalks – reducing pressure on street parking. A vibrant, pedestrian friendly city with ample parking garage space that is heavily utilized as an affordable alternative to on-street parking.

10. If elected, what would you do to change the public transportation system in Boise?
My priority is to continue strengthening our bus system by adding additional routes to make it more accessible and convenient. We must continue adding bike lanes throughout Boise that are interconnected and safe to use. Assuring safe, attractive, and well-lit streets and pathways promotes biking and walking, as a driving alternative. Infrastructure improvements, such as crosswalks, curb cuts, wide shoulders, dedicated bus routes and landscaping also improve use and safety for citizens. Land use policies that promote mixes of housing, retail, business, parks and green space reduce travel time and congestion. “Complete Streets” design strategies reduce injuries, encourage walking and bicycling, and improve health and well-being. Thinking about future needs, I support local option authority for municipalities — a system that allows citizens to support dedicated funding for alternative transportation projects and improvements. This would allow us to invest in viable alternatives to meet future demands, such as rapid-bus or rail.

CARTHAGE, Mo. —
So mowing, weeding, trimming, raking, planting, watering, fertilizing and cleanup are too much for you?

What if you had seven parks, including a swimming pool and a golf course, to maintain with the help of only four men and one secretary?

That is the task set out for Alan Bull, city parks director. He said that when he first went to work for the Parks Department, trash cans in the parks were emptied only on Mondays and Fridays. “Now we clean restrooms and dump trash every (week)day, and in the summer, we empty them six days a week,” he said.

Also, during summers, one of his employees has to spend all his time at Fair Acres maintaining the softball and soccer fields. It leaves a minimum amount of time and manpower to plan for and implement improvements. That is why Bull is pleased to be working with the Parks Visioning Committee to collect, sort and winnow suggestions from the public for meeting community recreational needs.

The committee is working with five architecture students from Drury University who will help define and refine the suggestions received from public input. The students have quite a bit of experience, Bull said, because they cannot participate until they are in the fourth year of a five-year program.

The first meeting with the public resulted in “a lot of input, a lot of sticky notes,” Bull said. After a couple more meetings, the students will present their findings to the City Council in December, and then it will be up to the public service committee to recommend what improvements can be implemented, with council approval.

The initial meeting, with about 60 people attending, indicated support for more soccer fields and improvements to the swimming pool in Municipal Park, originally constructed during Works Progress Administration days.

Bull said that in the last year or so, rather than trying to do piecemeal maintenance and improvements throughout the city, his department has refocused its efforts on a single park at a time

“We started with Griggs Park,” he said. Crews upgraded the basketball and tennis courts and the skateboard area, and improved the playground equipment and fencing. “There are more people using it than ever before,” Bull said.

The next focus is Carter Park, where roads were paved, curb and gutter and landscaping were added, and the south entrance was changed to eliminate a five-road intersection. There also is a plan to add a soccer field and restrooms.

Meanwhile, there are routine maintenance needs that cannot be put off. Bull hopes to redo the shelter houses in Municipal Park. The skating hall needs repainting, and a roof on the shelter at Central Park needs replacing. In a week or so, Blevins Asphalt will be repaving some of the roads in Municipal Park at a cost of $80,000.

The Parks Department is funded by a 15.06-cent tax on real property valuations that produces revenue of $175,886. The remainder needed to meet the 2014 budget of $437,598 is provided from the city’s general fund. More than 66 percent of the department’s budget is allocated to workers’ salaries and benefits.

Bull said a biking and walking trail linking several of the parks from the Ruby Jack Trail through the Walnut Bottoms and Kellogg Lake Park also was discussed at the last meeting. The single-track trail for mountain bike riding, which already has been funded, is on hold because of the necessity for property acquisition.

“I think there’s going to be some great ideas come out (of the visioning committee),” Bull said, “But they are just ideas. It’s up to us to implement them.”

ADDRESS CORRESPONDENCE to Jo Ellis, c/o The Joplin Globe, Box 7, Joplin, MO 64802 or email news@joplinglobe.com.

Next meeting

THE NEXT MEETING of the Parks Visioning Committee will be at 6 p.m. Thursday at Memorial Hall. It is open to the public.

Check out my responses over at SotU!!

FTRS: In his first two seasons, Al Golden has compiled a 6-6 and 7-5 record, respectively, but the Hurricanes are 4-0 coming into this game. What is the general consensus on Golden amongst the fan base? How is he different as a coach than Randy Shannon?

SotU: Golden is, well, golden right now. He’s doing all the little – and big – things right. He relates so well to fans and media. He’s polite, energetic, and likable. Most importantly, and one of the biggest things that separates him from Shannon, is how he strengthened relationships with local high school coaches, some of which had been damaged. That was huge, and the recruiting has paid off nicely so far. And it’s hard not to pull for and respect a guy who has stood by the U through this shitstorm known as the NCAA. Beating our biggest in-state foe helped a hell of a lot too.

FTRS: Miami is not unlike Georgia Tech in having documented issues with filling the stadium. However, the Florida game in Week 2 (?) brought a full house with it. What is your assessment of the crowd issues faced by The U, and what was different about the Florida game?

SotU: It’s Florida. It’s Miami. It’s the oldest and nastiest rivalry among the state’s Big 3. And it also happens to be the last time they’re scheduled to play, barring UF’s administration getting their head out of the sand (I know firsthand that Blake James wants to keep playing the game). Florida travels as well as any school in the country. Combine all that, and you’ve got a party, which it was. However, try to fuel that same party for students/alums to make a trek literally across Dade county to the stadium for, say, Wake Forest? Therein lies the problem, especially with a 74,000+ seat stadium and 9-ish thousand student body we have. Doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out our problems.

FTRS: We learned the hard way last year that Duke Johnson is an absolute force as a running back AND kick returner. Where would you say he ranks nationally as a back and an all-around player? Where you he rank in Miami history at those two spots?

SotU: Well, he came close as a freshman to breaking Willis McGahee’s ridiculous 2002 record for all purpose yards, so that speaks for itself. He’s always a play away from taking it to the house. He has speed with second-level vision you want as both a ball carrier and returner. My concern is injury. He’s smaller and gets dinged up here and there. We’ve seen a nice balance in the run game with Dallas Crawford and the human dump truck Gus “Bus” Edwards. Miami doesn’t need to give Duke 20 carries/game between the tackles, but figure out a healthy mix of inside carries with touches in space.

FTRS: QB Stephen Morris has seemed marginally better in his career than was Jacory Harris. How do the two compare, and would you agree that Morris is slightly better?

SotU: Well, Morris shattered records last year for single-game passing yards and gave Miami its best QB performance in countless years. Jacory put up numbers, but also lobbed up way, way too many 50/50 balls and ensuing turnovers. Morris is significantly higher on my totem pole, especially if he can lead this team to some postseason success.

FTRS: A lot of people claimed that Miami’s win against Florida was more of a Gator loss than a Cane win, given that Florida turned the ball over 6 times. However, I see it more as Miami’s defense being extremely opportunistic, and taking absolutely everything that the opponent is willing to give them…to the point that carelessly carrying the ball WILL result in a fumble, and throwing into traffic WILL result in an interception. Do you think that Miami got lucky in winning that game, or did they truly deserve it?

SotU: I think Miami certainly deserved to win the game (you don’t stay on the field defensively for 38-plus minutes and show no sign of slowing/tiring late without good conditioning and strength, which deserves massive praise for UM’s coaching and training staff), but were both good and fortunate to some degree. The first forced fumble? Hat on the ball. Great play. First INT? Pressure, which led to a Driskel making a bad throw. A miscommunication from Driskel and a WR leads to a later pick. A sack-fumble where the LT was abused by DE Tyriq McCord. Miami had plenty to do with the result. And I say that too because Miami actually CAUGHT those interceptions. How many games have you seen a team lose because they dropped a potential game-winning pick, only to allow the winning score on the next play? Miami didn’t, but no one seems to care enough to give credit to that.

FTRS: By nature, Miami has a ton of talent all across the field on both sides of the ball, and this year they’re looking far better than the last two years. I actually expect that this is the first year that the Coastal is represented in Charlotte by someone without the word “Tech” in the name. However, every team has a chink in the armor. If someone is to beat Miami this year, how will it be done?

SotU: Probably force Miami to be one dimensional and have the athletes in the secondary to stay with Dorsett, Waters, Hurns, etc, which is a tall task. That would require an athletic, meat-grinding front seven that could stuff the run and get Morris out of the pocket. UF game was Exhibit A. Or…Miami could just lay an egg one game. No team is free of missed assignments, penalties, and bad decisions/turnovers, especially on the road.

FTRS: I gotta ask, what is the difference between Coral Gables and Miami, both geographically and culturally? I have certain media-provoked ideas about what Miami would look like…is Coral Gables similar, or wildly different?

SotU: For my first year of law school, I lived right on the edge between Miami and Coral Gables. CG is lined with beautiful streets, with gorgeous landscaping and a country club feel for the most part. If you drive off UM’s gorgeous campus, you’ll likely wind up on a scenic residential street owned by university professors and local professionals. Miami is such a mix it’s hard to describe in few words. Brickell/Coconut Grove has beautiful high rise waterfront condos. So to the beaches. There are certainly bad parts. And they are all a few minutes from each other. The culture of the City of Miami is strongly Cuban, but the city really is a melting pot of a number of different people and cultures. So…..if you haven’t made the trip to experience it for yourself, it’s a trip you should make at some point!

FTRS: What are your thoughts and expectations for this game? Who wins? Is it close? More or less emotionally taxing than last year?

SotU: Miami wins 27-13. I think we’re seeing a more physical and athletic Miami front seven, with the emergence of Denzel Perryman as a true superstar, Alex Figueroa and Tyriq McCord as rising stars, Curtis Porter as a plug in the middle, and plenty of athletes behind them. And as mentioned before, this defense is well-conditioned. And after blasting two weak opponents the past two weeks, they are pretty well-rested. Offensively, Miami is just too hot to slow right now, with a three-headed rushing attack, setting up the threat of play action to a set of fast WRs.

A big thanks to Craig Smith and his crew over at State of the U for taking the time to answer our questions! Check them out for more perspective from behind enemy lines, and follow them on Twitter!.

Follow @TheStateoftheU

Dudley Wooten

Outdoors Columnist

The last time, we spoke of imagination and how it pertains to landscaping design. We discussed how you have to dare to be different if you want something unique. This is where we’re allowing ourselves to color outside the lines as we brainstorm ideas on your wants and needs. Budget will usually guide you into determining wants from needs in the final analysis.

If you would, liken your imagination to the turtle – he only makes progress when he sticks his neck out. Our dreams are only an excursion to the limbo of things, a semi-deliverance from the human prison. If you can appreciate that, analyze this – dreams permit us to be safely insane any given night of the week. My thoughts on that are that dreams should include, but not be limited to nocturnal excursion. I’m just sayin’, think of all those who have explored and discovered. If it weren’t for their dreams, the big timber, clean water, and Native Americans would still rule here. Imagine that.

Those who discover have to have a big curious, and they must also have the uncanny ability to see what everyone else sees and think what nobody has thought. Stop right there and ponder that thought. What would it be like to see the same world everyone else sees, but to always have to analyze and dissect everything for the sake of curiosity or discovery? Would this be a blessing or a curse? Speaking of disturbed persons, could this be the underlying current in Mark Twain’s, “Faith is believing what you know ain’t so.”? Faith takes you head long into religion, and that’s what Napoleon said was the only thing that kept the poor from murdering the rich. This is a prime example of vivid imagination. We’ve gone from landscape design to French Revolution, taking the magic carpet ride through the windmills of your mind. Yes, sometimes my mind wanders, but we’re just gonna blame it on imagination.

Sometimes when I’m writing, I have to hit the brakes, because I’m starting to remind myself of Plato or Abe Lincoln. Imagine that. When I say reminding, I only mean that I’m remembering some of their quotes, and that’s a sobering thought. When I’m going at full speed and totally unbridled, I might be speaking before I think. It was Pluto who said, “Wise men talk because they have something to say; fools talk because they have to say something.” Honest Abe said, “Be it far better to be silent and thought a fool, than to speak and remove all doubt.” At this point, after due consideration of the fabrications and ramifications of this article I’ll quote Yogi Berra and say, “I really didn’t say everything I said.”

Let’s just go full circle and end this journey with a little Jimi Hendrix, “Imagination is the key to my lyrics. The rest is painted with a little science fiction.” Imagine that.

Dudley Wooten can be reached at 740-820-8210 or by visiting wootenslandscaping.com

Now that summer is over, there’s officially no excuse to ignore those fix-it projects — and if the packed aisles at home improvement stores prove anything, everyone feels the same way. But if your list is so long that you don’t really know where to start, here are a few DIY ideas to get you going. What will you be working on this weekend?

Paint The Front Door

If yours has seen better days, right now is the perfect time to give your front door a new lease on life. It’s a straight-forward job, but if you need guidance on color choice or process, check out This Old House.

Aerate The Front Lawn

While we’re on the topic of projects that could impact curb appeal, your lawn needs a little maintenance before the first frost arrives. First on the list? Aerating. This will loosen up the soil, so nutrients and oxygen can better reach the roots. Experts recommend tackling this job 1-2 days after you water. So, plan on watering on Saturday and aerating on Sunday. For a comprehensive overview on aerating, visit DIY Network.

Power Wash Your Walkways

It’s strangely satisfying to see months of dirt disappear with (highly pressurized) water. Do this now, before temps dip too low in the evenings. HGTV has a great primer on power washing.

Install A Floodlight

An evening commute often makes you notice how it’s getting so much darker, so much earlier. For a safer entrance into your driveway, better lighting is a must. Check out the tutorial on installing a floodlight over at This Old House.

Plant Spring Bulbs Now

A little work now pays off big next March/April. Better Homes Gardens has the simplified instructions for planting spring bulbs.

Replace Any Broken Screens

No one knows how the holes happen, but there they are, right in your window screen. Bob Vila will show you how to replace a damaged or broken window screen — even if you’re a novice DIYer.

Looking for more DIY inspiration? Check out these curb appeal projects.

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• Install Metal House Numbers

  Improve your home’s curb appeal with new house numbers. Metal numbers can match any style, from vintage to modern, and adds a refined look. All you have to do is drill into the masonry with a specialized bit to anchor the numbers.

• Re-Gravel The Driveway

  Because gravel driveways and paths can get “potholes” too. The good news is that all you’ll need are a few bags of gravel, a 2×4 (or something to “tamp” the gravel into place) and, if on a driveway, a car. Simply fill, tamp and then run over the filled-in spot. For a more detailed how-to, visit a href=”http://tlc.howstuffworks.com/home/driveway-cracks5.htm” target=”_blank”TLC/a.

• Freshen Up Your Fence

  If your backyard fence has never been stained, or the color has faded from the sun, adding a fresh coat is sure to brighten it up and protect the wood. First choose your stain and make sure your fence is clean and dry. Using a roller with a long attachment, coat about 3 feet of fence at a time. It is best to roll in the same direction as the wood grain. Then, move to the next section. Staining the fence in small sections will help make sure you cover each area completely. Allow to dry and apply a second coat if needed.

• Turn A Rug Into A Welcome Mat

  Bring new life to your old rug with a little spray paint. We love how blogger Kinsey Mhire of a href=”http://sincerelykinsey.blogspot.com.es/2012/02/wont-you-stay-awhile-rug-diy.html” target=”_blank”Sincerely Kinsey/a used masking tape to create a chevron pattern. She also used adhesive lettering, which is available at your local craft store, to personalize her mat with a message. For the full tutorial, visit a href=”http://sincerelykinsey.blogspot.com.es/2012/02/wont-you-stay-awhile-rug-diy.html” target=”_blank”Sincerely Kinsey/a.

• Install Window Awnings

  Installing window awnings is a good way to give your home some curb appeal if it’s looking a little tired and they’ll also keep the summer heat from beatingbeaming in. First, using a power drill and the supplies provided in a a href=”http://www.walmart.com/search/search-ng.do?walst=truesearch_query=Window+Awning+Kits” target=”_blank”window awning kit/a, center and mount your brackets above the window. Then slide the bead of the curtain in the mounting bar, allowing the curtain to hang down. Center the curtain on the mounting bar and use pliers to squeeze the ends, locking the awning into place. Next, attach the support beams to the bottom piece of the awning and twist to lock them into place. Afterward, attach the support arms and secure them into the wall brackets using screws.

  For a full tutorial, visit a href=”http://www.nuimageawnings.com/Instructions/assets/product_pdf/NI-55-5700-Instr.pdf” target=”_blank”Nuimage Awnings/a.

• Build A Sitting Wall

  Take advantage of the beautiful weather with an outdoor DIY project. A sitting wall is a stylish addition to any backyard and a great way to add some flair to your landscaping. You’ll need to do some measuring and digging before you get started. Once the area is dug out, lay the bricks. Use construction adhesive to make sure the wall is secure.

  Visit a href=”http://www.diynetwork.com/how-to/how-to-build-a-stone-sitting-wall/index.html” target=”_blank”DIY Network/a for an in-depth tutorial.

• Paint Your Mailbox

  Add serious curb appeal by fixing up your mailbox. If it’s looking a little weather-worn or isn’t standing straight, a few quick and easy fixes will ensure you’re giving off a positive first impression to passers-by. Replace the stand or repaint the box with a fresh, vivid coat. If it’s damaged beyond repair, buy a new mailbox and start fresh. Then, add accents and decorations to personalize.

  Learn how to replace your mailbox and create a nautical design and more at a href=”http://gmctradesecrets.aol.com/decor/how-to-dress-up-your-mailbox/” target=”_blank”GMC Trade Secrets/a.