Beatrice Richey, Boring PHOTO OF THE WEEK: “Yellow swallowtail butterfly on a butterfly bush.” In the weekly calendar we are featuring a photo that was an entry in our 2011 photo contest. The winners ran in the Dec. 24 weekend edition of Homes Gardens of the Northwest. The 2012 winning photos will be published in the Dec. 22 issue.

Events are free unless noted. Fees usually include materials; call to confirm. All area codes are 503 unless noted.

EVENTS

SATURDAY, NOV. 3

“Mum-vember”: Daily 10 a.m.-5 p.m. during garden hours through Nov. 30. More than 500 potted chrysanthemums displayed throughout the garden, plus talks and tours. See website for schedule. Lan Su Chinese Garden, Northwest Third Avenue and Everett Street; $7-$9.50 admission (call or see website for other fees); www.lansugarden.org or 228-8131

Pumpkin Funland: Halloween happenings with decorated pumpkin displays, corn maze, U-pick and more. Various times and dates through Nov. 11. Rasmussen Farms, 3020 Thomsen Road, Hood River; www.rasmussenfarms.com or 541-386-4622

Holiday Open House: 9 a.m.-6 p.m. Event includes a tour of the poinsettia-growing greenhouses; holiday project for kids ($5 per child; registration required); and seminar on “Classic Containers”: Al’s Garden Center, 7505 S.E. Hogan Road, Gresham; free admission, $5 kids project; www.als-gardencenter.com or 491-0771

Saturday Tours of Leach Botanical Garden: Monthly 11 a.m.-noon the first Saturday. Registration required for groups of more than eight. Leach Botanical Garden, 6704 S.E. 122nd Ave.; 823-1671 or by email to jjenkins@leachgarden.org

TUESDAY, NOV. 6

Clark County Master Gardener Foundation: 7 p.m. Vern Nelson, garden columnist for The Oregonian, on “Gifts From the Kitchen Garden.” In Room 202. CASEE Center, 11104 N.E. 149th St., Brush Prairie, Wash.; www.mgfcc.com

Washington County Master Gardeners: 7:15 p.m. Ed Hobbs on “Fall Is for Planting and Digging,” about flower bulbs. First Baptist Church, 5755 S.W. Erickson Ave., Beaverton; www.metromastergardeners.org/washington

WEDNESDAY, NOV. 7

Therapeutic Garden Volunteer Information Sessions: 2:30-3:30 p.m. Get information on how you can help with garden maintenance, planting projects, clerical work and other volunteer opportunities in the Legacy Health System Horticultural Therapy Program. Registration required; meeting details given at that time. Legacy Good Samaritan Medical Center, 1015 N.W. 22nd Ave.; www.legacyhealth.org/gardens or 413-7012

SATURDAY, NOV. 10

“Meier Frank and the Architecture of American Retailing”: 10-11:30 a.m. Presentation on how the downtown Meier Frank building developed and why it succeeded. Registration recommended. Architectural Heritage Center, 701 S.E. Grand Ave.; $10-$18; www.visitahc.org or 231-7264

CLASSES + DEMONSTRATIONS

SATURDAY, NOV. 3

Rustic Peat Pot Advent Calendar: 10:30 a.m. Create a rustic holiday decoration/Advent calendar made of sticks, wire, raffia, jute and garden peat pots. Bring pliers and scissors. The Wade Creek House, 664 Wade St., Estacada; $25; http://thewadecreekhouse.blogspot.com or 630-7556

What to Do in the Garden: 11 a.m. Class covers pruning, spraying, general cleanup, pests and diseases. Registration required. Tsugawa Nursery, 410 E. Scott Ave., Woodland, Wash.; http://tsugawanursery.com/events.htm or 360-225-8750

Evergreen Elegance With Dwarf Conifers: 2 p.m. Dennis’ 7 Dees Garden Center, 10455 S.W. Butner Road, Beaverton; http://tinyurl.com/8l88vh8 or 297-1058

SUNDAY, NOV. 4

What to Do in the Garden In November: Noon. Garland Nursery, 5470 N.E. Highway 20, Corvallis; www.garlandnursery.com or 541-753-6601

Pruning Japanese Maples: 1-2:30 p.m. Learn how to make the right cuts to keep your trees healthy. Registration required at website. Portland Nursery, 9000 S.E. Division St.; www.portlandnursery.com/events/november_events.shtml or 788-9000

Rain Garden 101: 1-5 p.m. Learn how to assess your site to determine best location and size, determine soil suitability and more. Offered through East Multnomah Soil and Water Conservation District. Registration required. Kenton Firehouse, 8105 N. Brandon St.; www.emswcd.org or 935-5368

Terrarium: 1 p.m. Learn about the styles and materials and make your own terrarium using the included container, plants, moss, lichen and tiny treasures. Registration required. Artemisia, 110 S.E. 28th Ave.; $35 per class; collagewithnature.com or 232-8224

THURSDAY, NOV. 8

Growing Gardens — Cooking With Winter Vegetables: 6 p.m. Registration requested at website. Redeemer Lutheran Church, 5431 N.E. 20th Ave.; $10-$30; www.growing-gardens.org or 284-8420

FRIDAY, NOV. 9

Landscape Design: 7 p.m. Landscape designer and author Julie Moir Messervy presents “Get Out! Designing Landscapes That Bring Everyone Outside Again.” Hosted by the Association of Professional Landscape Designers, Oregon Chapter. Ecotrust Building, 721 N.W. Ninth Ave.; $30; www.apldoregon.org

SATURDAY, NOV. 10

Junior Gardeners Club at The Oregon Garden: 10 a.m. Series of workshops suitable for ages 5-10; must be accompanied by an adult. Nov. 10: “Garden Art: Paper Making.” The Oregon Garden, 879 W. Main St., Silverton; $15 drop-in rate for age 7 and younger, $23 for age 8 and older (both include one adult); $50 annual membership fee covers garden admission for the child member and one adult guest and admission to all Junior Gardeners club activities; www.oregongarden.org or 877-674-2733

Little Sprouts — Holiday Centerpieces: 11 a.m. Kids create fresh-greenery centerpieces. Registration required. Garland Nursery, 5470 N.E. Highway 20, Corvallis; $5 per child; www.garlandnursery.com or 541-753-6601

Attracting Birds in Winter: 1-2:30 p.m. Class looks at feeding mixes, the specific birds they attract, various styles of bird feeders, and plants that can provide food and habitat for birds. Registration required at website. Portland Nursery, 9000 S.E. Division St.; www.portlandnursery.com/events/november_events.shtml or 788-9000

UPCOMING

Master Gardener Training: Classes start in January and are offered various dates in Beaverton, Oregon City and Portland. OSU Extension Service master gardener volunteers complete 11-week, 66-hour classroom training focusing on sustainable gardening practices. Registration required; meeting details given at that time. See website. $395 ($445 after Nov. 30); metromastergardeners.org/mg-training.php or 650-8631

Click for public gardens.

Calendar items run on a space-available basis. Please submit notices at least one month before the event to Homes Gardens Listings Desk, The Oregonian, 1320 S.W. Broadway, Portland, OR 97201; or by email (send as a plain text file, with Homes Gardens in the subject line) to listings@oregonian.com. Except for cancellations and corrections, notices cannot be accepted by phone.

CAPE ELIZABETH — After unveiling the first phase of an intensive redesign of the Fort Williams Park Arboretum this summer, the park foundation has selected a landscape design for an estimated $500,000 Children’s Garden.

The Fort Williams Foundation announced last week that a design by Portland-based landscape architects Mitchell Associates was chosen from four other blind submissions for the one-acre garden.

“In looking at the five competition entries there was one that most clearly fit with the natural opportunities of the site and looked at matching those with development of the park,” said Lynn Shaffer, who is on the foundation’s Children’s Garden Design Committee.

Although the plans are conceptual at this point, the proposed garden will be a play space that incorporates the park’s natural environment, with some historical aspects included.

The garden, which will be behind the tennis courts near the pond on the west side of the park, will have a meadow and a woodland area that use surrounding plants to create play areas, such as a willow tunnel and a maze. It will also have a lighthouse large enough for about four kids to stand inside, with colored panels bringing light in, and a view of Ram Island Ledge Light.

“I think the main thing is that is different from a traditional play-station is that it is not relying on play structures and really celebrates the beautiful location at Fort Williams,” said Sashie Misner, lead designer for the garden.

The goal of the garden is to give a space for kids to play that stimulates learning and curiosity by using the landscape as the play area, she said.

“If you compare it to a thick structure play thing, it doesn’t change throughout the seasons,” Misner said, noting that in a meadow the characteristics of plant and insect life change throughout the year. “It’ll be a real changing experience … and those things provide access to kids to understand what makes those special.”

The design plans will go through the approval process during the winter and spring, with construction slated to start next summer, said Ginger Jones, a fundraiser and grant writer for the foundation.

The cost of the garden includes all construction and design, as well as, administrative costs and money for a sustainability fund, she said.

The garden is a portion of the second phase of a three-phase process that includes 15 different restoration sites around the park. The first phase, Cliffside, the landscape between Portland Head Light and Ships Cove, was completed in the summer. 

The park sees more than 800,000 visitors a year, Jones said.

One of the main reasons for the restoration is to remove invasive plant species from the park that choke out the native plants, Shaffer said.

“We want provide education to people of all ages in a way that helps them understand what they are losing when invasive species take over the natural environment,” she said.

Much of the work for the overall project still remains, but Jones said the foundation hopes to have the restoration complete by the summer of 2014, in time for the park’s 50th anniversary.

The total costs of the entire park overhaul will be about $2.5 million, which is intended to be raised through private donations and grants.

Will Graff can be reached at 781-3661 ext. 123 or wgraff@theforecaster.net. Follow him on Twitter: @W_C_Graff.

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Insurance is designed to cover damage by sudden and accidental causes

Since most wall failures occur after rain and wind storms, with the summer rains arriving early in the eastern half of the country, and winter rains persisting in the west, insurers are having an especially busy year managing claims for failed garden and boundary walls.

Insurance is designed to cover damage by sudden and accidental causes.

It is not intended to cover losses that occur through gradual causes, wear and tear, defective design, defective materials or a failure to build the wall properly in the first place.

As such, “insurers often find that a bad weather event is just the last incident in a gradual process leading to the failure of walls at this time of year – with many people disappointed when their wall claim is rejected” says Gari Dombo, Managing Director, Alexander Forbes Insurance.

Building regulations apply differently to walls of different heights, setting out the dimensions of foundations, wall thicknesses, pier sizes and pier spacing’s. These dimensions differ for load bearing walls, freestanding and retaining walls.

For example, a freestanding wall 90mm’s (single brick) thick may only be 0.8 metres high. With 200 x 290 mm piers spaced 1.8 metres apart this wall can be 1.2 metres high. A freestanding wall at 1.6 metres high, on the other hand, must be 140 mm thick with 300 x 290 mm piers spaced 2.0 metres apart, or it must be 190mm thick with 400 x 290 mm piers spaced 2.5 metres apart.

Since a retaining wall would have to be much stronger, it would also have to have wider foundations and be thicker – depending on how high it is and how high the soil is that it has to retain.

Drainage and weep holes are also important in the design and there are separate regulations for the construction of retaining walls as well.

Often in South Africa, homeowners, wishing to secure their properties against crime extend the height of existing walls. Before adding to existing walls, however, home owners should check the dimensions of the foundations of these walls.

“Foundations built for a 3 foot high breeze block garden fence are unlikely to support an eight foot high solid brick and plastered wall topped by electric fencing for very long,” warns Dombo.

An insurance assessor can very quickly establish whether a wall collapsed as a result of storm, or because it was built on inadequate foundations.

If the foundations were inadequate an insurer will not pay out for the damage as the wall collapsed due to poor design, not storm. 

If a freestanding wall is too high for its foundation or is too thin it is less resistant to the persistent fluctuating forces of nature, such as wind and changes in moisture and temperature that cause normal expansion and contraction.

A wall subjected to continual movement or stress for which it was not designed will cause the cement to lose its adhesion, weakening the structure.

A wall that is too high is also likely to be too heavy for its foundation and gradual settlement or rotation (tilting) can occur.

As such, “before purchasing a property, it is recommended that an independent building expert be appointed to report on the condition of the buildings and other structures, recording what was not built to code,” advises Dombo.

Certainly, the inspector of the financial institution from which new home owners have raised a loan is unlikely to report this level of detail as they are mainly interested in making sure that the lender can get their investment back if the debt fails.

Prospective home buyers should, therefore, take the time to establish whether the walls in the home they are considering are supported by foundations of the correct dimensions to support walls of that size.

Often sellers or building contractors extend smaller walls without reinforcing or widening foundations “knowing that they are only likely to collapse in a few years time – long after they have received their money and moved on” warns Dombo.

Since most home owners will not know a design or construction defect exists unless it is obvious, nor will they be able to tell whether a structure has been built in accordance with building regulations, it is recommended that a qualified specialist be appointed to assess the property, providing a written report confirming that all structures conform to building regulations.

“If you already have non-compliant walls your options are to alter them – by adding extra piers or widening foundations, for example. If you don’t, you cannot expect your insurer to cover the wall for any deterioration or failure” says Dombo.

From a maintenance perspective home owners should regularly check boundary and garden walls removing any pressures on them. Cracking mortar joints will indicate pressure as will tilting or leaning walls.

To prevent wall damage homeowners should remove soil that has built up against free standing walls and watch out for root damage near trees as well as vegetation leaning or hanging on a wall.

Creepers and branches can become extremely heavy, particularly when it rains. Also, make sure that weep holes and drainage systems are not blocked.

“All walls that obstruct the flow of water, should also have drainage courses or weep holes to prevent water build up during storms” adds Dombo.

That said, insurers are not unreasonable and do understand that most clients are not familiar with building regulations.

As such, when evaluating a claim, insurers will generally consider whether or not a weather event would have done the same damage to a regulation compliant structure.

“If so, there is a good chance that they will pay the claim since each claim is considered on its own merit” says Dombo.

Regardless of the reasons for a wall falling, “if it injures a passing pedestrian or motorist, or damages third party property, even if it was poorly designed or badly built, your liability is likely to be covered by the general property owners liability extension on your buildings policy” says Dombo.

That said, if it is obvious that a wall is likely to fall soon, homeowners must take steps to keep people away from the wall so they are not injured.

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10/31/2012| 08:28am US/Eastern

Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing Limited and The Stock
Exchange of Hong Kong Limited take no responsibility for the
contents of this announcement, make no representation as to
its accuracy or completeness and expressly disclaim any
liability whatsoever for any loss howsoever arising from or
in reliance upon the whole or any part of the contents of
this announcement.

COUNTRY GARDEN HOLDINGS COMPANY LIMITED

(Incorporated in the Cayman Islands with limited liability)

(Stock code: 2007)


CONTINUING CONNECTED TRANSACTIONS

The Board is pleased to announce that the Group has entered
into (1) the Design Services
Supplemental Agreement and (2) the Framework Agreement both
on 31 October 2012.

Design Services Supplemental Agreement

Reference is made to the announcements of the Company dated
20 June 2008 and 17 December
2010 in relation to the continuing connected transactions for
the provision of property design and interior design services
by Elite Architectural Co. to the Group under the Existing
Design Services Agreement.
On 31 October 2012, Shunde Country Garden Co., a wholly-owned
subsidiary of the Company, entered into the Design Services
Supplemental Agreement with Elite Architectural Co. pursuant
to which both parties agreed to broaden the scope of services
provided by Elite Architectural Co. to the Group under the
Existing Design Services Agreement.
The applicable percentage ratios of the annual cap of RMB650
million for the Design Services Supplemental Agreement exceed
0.1% but are below 5%. Therefore, the transactions
contemplated under the Design Services Supplemental Agreement
are only subject to the reporting and announcement
requirements but are exempt from the independent
shareholders’ approval requirement under Chapter 14A of the
Listing Rules.
Elite Architectural Co. is owned by certain Directors,
namely, Ms. YANG Huiyan (as to 52%), Mr. YANG Erzhu (as to
12%), Mr. SU Rubo (as to 12%), Mr. ZHANG Yaoyuan (as to 12%)
and Mr. OU Xueming (as to 12%). Ms. YANG Huiyan is also the
ultimate controlling shareholder of the Company. Elite
Architectural Co. is an associate of Ms. YANG Huiyan and is
therefore a connected person of the Company.

1

Lighting Supply Agreement

On 31 October 2012, Shunde Country Garden Co., a wholly-owned
subsidiary of the Company, entered into a framework agreement
with Guangdong Shenghui pursuant to which the parties agreed
that Guangdong Shenghui will supply lighting equipments,
distribution board/control cabinet and provide relevant
lighting design and installation work to Shunde Country
Garden Co. and other subsidiaries of the Group for a term
between 31 October 2012 to 31 December 2014 and subject to
the terms and conditions set out in the Lighting Supply
Agreement.
The applicable percentage ratios of the annual cap of RMB180
million for the Lighting Supply Agreement exceed 0.1% but are
below 5%. Therefore, the transactions contemplated under the
Lighting Supply Agreement are only subject to the reporting
and announcement requirements but are exempted from the
independent shareholders’ approval requirement under Chapter
14A of the Listing Rules.
Guangdong Shenghui is a wholly owned subsidiary of Chuangyuan
Investment Co.. The shareholding of Chuangyuan Investment is
90% owned by Ms. YANG Zhiying, a Director of the Company and
10% owned by Mr. Chen Chong (the husband of Ms. YANG Huiyan,
the vice chairman of the Company). Guangdong Chuangyuan is an
associate of Ms. YANG Ziying and is therefore a connected
person of the Company.

THE DESIGN SERVICES SUPPLEMENTAL AGREEMENT

Reference is made to the announcement of the Company dated 20
June 2008 and 17 December
2010 in relation to the continuing connected transactions for
the provision of property design and interior design services
by Elite Architectural Co. to the Group under the Existing
Design Services Agreement.
On 31 October 2012, Shunde Country Garden Co., a wholly owned
subsidiary of the Company entered into the Design Services
Supplemental Agreement with Elite Architectural Co.. Under
the Design Services Supplemental Agreement, both parties
agreed to broaden the scope of services provided by Elite
Architectural Co. to the Group under the Existing Design
Services Agreement. In addition to the provision of property
design and interior design services under the Existing Design
Services Agreement, Elite Architectural Co. agreed to provide
survey work to the Group. Save for the amendment of the scope
of services stated above, all the other provisions of the
Existing Design Services Agreement remain unchanged.

The Annual Cap

The Board does not consider an amendment of the annual cap
for the Design Services Supplemental Agreement for each of
the financial years ending 31 December 2012 and 31 December
2013 necessary.

2

Principal Activities and Reasons for and Benefit of Entering
into the Design Services


Supplemental Agreement

The Company is an investment holding company and its
subsidiaries, including Shunde Country Garden Co., are
principally engaged in property development in the PRC
including property development, construction, fitting and
decoration, property management and hotel operation.
Elite Architectural Co. is a company which provides survey
work, property design and interior design services to
property development projects and has been providing property
design and interior design services to the Group for a long
time. The Board believes that given the long term stable,
smooth and efficient working relationship between Elite
Architectural Co. and the Group, engaging Elite Architectural
Co. to provide a one-stop service and be involved from an
early stage of the property development projects will be more
efficient and expedite the development process and will be
beneficial to the Group.
The Directors (including the independent non-executive
Directors) are of the view that the Design Services
Supplemental Agreement is entered into in the ordinary and
usual course of business of the Group, on normal commercial
terms which are fair and reasonable and in the interests of
the Company and the Shareholders as a whole.

Listing Rules Implication

Elite Architectural Co. is owned by certain Directors,
namely, Ms. YANG Huiyan (as to 52%), Mr. YANG Erzhu (as to
12%), Mr. SU Rubo (as to 12%), Mr. ZHANG Yaoyuan (as to 12%)
and Mr. OU Xueming (as to 12%). Ms. YANG Huiyan is also the
ultimate controlling shareholder of the Company. Elite
Architectural Co. is an associate of Ms. YANG Huiyan and is
therefore a connected person of the Company.
In respect of the Design Services Supplemental Agreement, as
one or more of the applicable percentage ratios in respect of
the transactions contemplated therein are more than 0.1% but
less than 5%, the transactions contemplated under the Design
Services Supplemental Agreement are only subject to the
reporting and announcement requirements but are exempt from
the independent shareholders’ approval requirement under
Chapter 14A of the Listing Rules.
Given that (i) Ms. YANG Huiyan, Mr. YANG Erzhu, Mr. SU Rubo,
Mr. ZHANG Yaoyuan and Mr. OU Xueming (all being the
substantial shareholders of Elite Architectural Co.) and (ii)
Mr. YEUNG Kwok Keung, Ms. YANG Ziying, Mr. YANG Zhicheng and
Mr. YANG Yongchao (all being the associates of Ms. YANG
Huiyan) are the executive Directors and have a material
interest in the Design Services Supplemental Agreement, they
have abstained from voting on the resolutions at the Board
meeting to approve the transactions contemplated under the
Design Services Supplemental Agreement.

3

THE LIGHTING SUPPLY AGREEMENT

On 31 October 2012, Shunde Country Garden Co., a wholly-owned
subsidiary of the Company, entered into a framework agreement
with Guangdong Shenghui pursuant to which the parties agreed
that Guangdong Shenghui will supply lighting equipments,
distribution board/control cabinet and provide relevant
lighting design and installation work to Shunde Country
Garden Co. and other subsidiaries of the Group for a term
commencing from 31 October 2012 to 31 December 2014 and
subject to the terms and conditions set out in the Lighting
Supply Agreement.

Principal Terms

Date : 31 October 2012
Parties : (1) Shunde Country Garden Co., a wholly-owned
subsidiary of the
Company; and
(2) Guangdong Shenghui
Term : From 31 October 2012 to 31 December 2014
Subject : the supply of lighting equipments, distribution
board/control cabinet and provide relevant design and
installation work to members of the Group
Price : the purchase price for each transaction under the
Lighting Supply Agreement will be determined on a fair trade
and normal commercial terms basis and payable on a case by
case basis with reference to the market price and shall be no
less favourable than that available to any independent third
parties and the price of which shall be settled within 10
working days after the parties thereto have confirmed the
amount of products and services fees for each
project/transaction

The Annual Cap and Basis of Determination

It is expected that the prices payable by the Group to
Guangdong Shenghui under the Lighting Supply Agreement for
the remainder of the financial year ending 31 December 2012
and each of the financial years ending 31 December 2013 and
31 December 2014 will not exceed RMB100,000,000,
RMB150,000,000 and RMB180,000,000 respectively.
The annual caps have been determined with reference to (i)
the prices of the lighting equipments, distribution
board/control cabinet and provision of relevant lighting
design and installation work; and (ii) the anticipated future
demand.

4

Principal Activities and Reasons for and Benefit of Entering
into the Lighting Supply


Agreement

The Company is an investment holding company and its
subsidiaries, including Shunde Country Garden Co., are
principally engaged in property development in the PRC
including property development, construction, fitting and
decoration, property management and hotel operation.
Guangdong Shenghui is a company which produces, sells,
designs and installs lighting equipments and accessories. The
Board believes that the design and quality standard of
products of Guangdong Shenghui meet the high quality
requirements of the Group and Guangsheng Shenghui will also
be able, on a timely basis, to provide special product design
to meet the specific requirements of the Group and to provide
maintenance and other post-sales services. Thus, engaging
Guangdong Shenghui to supply lighting products and relevant
services eg installation to members of the Group (without
affecting or prejudicing the ability of the Group to source
similar products from other reputable third parties eg
through tenders) will be beneficial to the Group.
The Directors (including the independent non-executive
Directors) are of the view that the Lighting Supply Agreement
is entered into in the ordinary and usual course of business
of the Group, on normal commercial terms which are fair and
reasonable and in the interests of the Company and the
Shareholders as a whole.

Listing Rules Implication

Guangdong Shenghui is a wholly subsidiary of Chuangyuan
Investment. The shareholding of
Chuangyuan Investment is 90% owned by Ms. YANG Ziying, a
Director of the Company; and
10% owned by Mr. Chen Chong (the husband of Ms. YANG Huiyan,
the vice chairman of the Company). Guangdong Shenghui is an
associate of Ms. YANG Ziying and is therefore a connected
person of the Company.
The applicable percentage ratios of the annual cap of for the
Lighting Supply Agreement exceed
0.1% but are below 5%. Therefore, the transactions
contemplated under the Lighting Supply Agreement are only
subject to the reporting and announcement requirements but
are exempt from the independent shareholders’ approval
requirement under Chapter 14A of the Listing Rules.
Given that (i) Ms. YANG Ziying is the substantial ultimate
shareholder of Guangdong Shenghui; and (ii) Mr. YEUNG Kwok
Keung, Ms. YANG Huiyan, Mr. YANG Zhicheng and Mr. YANG
Yongchao (all being the associates of Ms. YANG Ziying) are
the executive Directors and have a material interest in the
Lighting Supply Agreement, they have abstained from voting on
the resolutions at the Board meeting to approve the
transactions contemplated under the Lighting Supply
Agreement.

5

DEFINITIONS

In this announcement, the following expressions shall have
the meanings set out below unless the context requires
otherwise:
“associate” has the meaning ascribed to it under the Listing
Rules
“Board” the board of Directors
“Chuangyuan Investment” Foshan Shunde Chuangyuan Investment
Limited (

Redding Library’s rooftop garden feels messy and half dead.

The overgrown clumps of grasses in shades of blue to yellow, dandelions and small patches of weeds have turned one of the building’s green attractions into an eyesore.

“With our extreme weather, there have been struggles,” said Paul Anderson, Redding parks superintendent. “We need to plant material up there that is drought-resistant, heat-resistant and sun-reflective-window-resistant.”

Indeed the heat is responsible for the plant stress, but the budget cuts also have proven to be deadly to the garden.

City officials are asking volunteers with the Shasta College and University of California Master Gardeners to come up with a new design for the green roof.

“We’re not looking for anything fancy,” Anderson said. “We’re looking for something that is manageable, simple and creates a visual interest.”

The gardeners will put their ideas together over the next few weeks and present their recommendations to city officials, who will then price out the designs and select one.

Anderson said the plan is to replant on the 40-by-160-foot garden no later than spring.

There’s a chance the city might call for a community-work day to take on the task.

Jan Erickson, library director, did not return a call for comment on Tuesday.

The master gardeners had no involvement with the original garden. A professional group designed it with native grasses — the idea being that it would require minimum care and keep feeding birds away.

Leimone Waite, a full-time horticulture instructor at Shasta College and master gardeners’ coordinator, remembered the garden thriving those first three years after the new building opened to the public in March 2007.

More recently, it has not gotten the maintenance it needs, and the city’s gardener also is dealing with birds that drop seeds that don’t belong in the garden.

Among seedlings removed are pines, palms and cottonwood.

“It was a good design, but it was not sustainable,” said Philip Baldwin, project coordinator with the master gardeners, speaking of the challenges the library has had properly maintaining and watering the plants.

The garden has eight inches of soil and initially had a subterranean irrigation system, which was reaching only some areas, while leaving other spots dry.

Reflection from the massive windows on the second floor that look out on the garden were baking the plants during summer. The survivors are tufts of blue fescue and deer grass. In the midst of the mopey grasses also are the blue-green leaves of the California poppy.

Designs are barely in the early stages, but the garden is likely to take a simple, minimalist approach, similar to the looks of an Asian garden.

The native plants theme will be retained, just in smaller quantities and more spread out to give each one emphasis.

“We want it come become a teaching place where people can point and say, ‘What is that?’ That is native deer grass,” Baldwin said.

The plants will not show from the ground floor.

Baldwin and Waite see the prospect of generating interest in native plants and even rooftop gardens.

The gardeners are careful to stress they are not experts on rooftop designs, and all they can do is provide the city with sound advice after doing their research.

“It’s not like planting a garden bed in front of the library,” noted Waite, whose group needs to consider weight and drainage in its recommendations.

Baldwin said his reasons for becoming involved with the design are personal.

“The library is so beautiful. We want to do our part,” he said. “It is a matter of civic pride.”

 

Marshall Lane Elementary School commemorated the phase one completion of its award-winning Outdoor Education Center Saturday afternoon with a ribbon-cutting ceremony during its Pumpkin Walk and Carnival.

The center offers a hands-on learning environment that inspires children to observe, explore, and experiment with science and nature, according to school officials.  

Designed by architect Hari Sripadanna and principal of Srusti Architects and a school parent, the center also celebrated a design award from the American Institute of Architects Santa Clara Valley in the small design/big impact category for creating a collaborative and innovative learning environment for students. 

Marshall Lane teachers, administrators, and parent volunteers shared the common vision of building the center.

Originally conceived as a simple garden and shade structure, the idea expanded to a broader vision of creating a learning space for students and teachers to enable lessons in life sciences, renewable energy, native plants, and protection of the environment.  

Sripadanna helped envision a concept with drawings and renderings and a means to achieve it, by creating a master plan that was broken down to achievable, smaller phases. 

The physical concepts quickly inspired other parents – Dave Benton (Garden Committee Chairperson) and Denise Garlick (center chairperson), to champion a broader project to fund and create this collaborative learning environment.

The Campbell Union School District also realized that the center would be a tremendous asset and demonstration space for the district. 

“Marshall Lane’s new Outdoor Education Center will provide valuable opportunities for all of our students to experience hands-on science experiments within nature at our own school site,” says Dr. Carrie Andrews, principal of Marshall Lane Elementary.  “Experiential learning allows students to make deeper connections with the world around them first hand. The staff at Marshall Lane is excited for the unveiling and the unlimited opportunities that the learning environment will provide for our students.” 

The school held a variety of activities at the center’s ribbon-cutting ceremony including mini pumpkin decorating, complimentary seed plantings to bring home, and an informational garden booth.

 Yamagami’s Nursery also featured a showcase garden by bringing in plants, trees, and garden decorations, as well as gave the families an option to purchase, at a discount, the plants and materials for the center.

Several school families and friends purchased most of the plants, trees, and decorative items that by the end of the event the center garden was transformed from just dirt to an abundant garden that was planted by the children.  

With phase one completed, the school now has an outdoor classroom for up to 50 students, including an organic garden, shade sail, and paved area, where they will learn hands-on about science and the environment, water conservation, organic gardening, and composting. 

The center will facilitate and support school educational curriculum (California State Content Standards) that connects science and the outdoors, such as our natural resources, water cycle, weather and seasonal patterns, plant and insect anatomy, photosynthesis and pollination.  

“What is most satisfying about the center project is that we were able to elevate a simple functional idea into a bigger concept,” Sripadanna stated.  “It is an honor that the AIASCV has recognized the vision of the center design and its supporting groups. The center will create a big impact not only for the Marshall Lane Community but it could also be a model for outdoor educational environments in the Bay Area. With the opening of the center, students at Marshall Lane will now begin their immersion in learning in a stimulating, dedicated outdoor space.”

Anne Fougeron, FAIA, Fougeron Architecture (one of the jury members) at the AIASCV Design Awards ceremony, said: “We were really appreciative of this kind of grassroots architectural projects that were brought together by the combination of the community and the activism of the architect (involved) to do something that has profound impact on the community and transform the lives of the people that use them.”

Denise Garlick, center chairperson, said, “There was a moment during the site assessment discussion, when the ideas quickly grew beyond the garden into a more life sciences focus. The center would not have been possible without the ongoing support of the Campbell Union School District and the generous donations and commitment from individuals that allowed for creativity and vision in delivering something exceptional for Marshall Lane students.”

A variety of sustainable design elements for the center slated to be completed in the next phases of the project include an organic vegetable garden, sundial, a vertical axis wind turbine, photo voltaic panels, green roof, and rain water harvesting capabilities. The center is devised to be built in four phases in accordance with funding allowances. The funds raised by the Marshall Lane PTA help support the construction of center. Grant funds, in-kind donations, corporate matches and sponsorships are also being considered to defray costs. 

To make a donation in support of the center project, please contact the Marshall Lane Elementary School PTA at OEC@MarshallLanePTA.org.

Chris Elliott investigates the spread of the sinister ash dieback disease, which is threatening thousands of the region’s trees.

IT’S deadly, and it may be heading our way. Ash dieback, which has devastated huge numbers of ash trees in Europe, has turned up in the East of England. 

The disease, which causes leaf loss and tree death, has wiped out 90 per cent of Denmark’s ash population and has now spread throughout central Europe. It first appeared in our region at nurseries and recently planted sites, such as car parks and college campuses, but has now also been spotted in the wider woodland environment, in Norfolk and Suffolk – and there are fears it will sweep through Cambridgeshire.

Yesterday, as the crisis deepened, Environment Secretary Owen Paterson imposed a ban on imports of ash into the UK, in a bid to stop the disease spreading.  Ash trees make up about 30 per cent of Britain’s wooded landscape and are found in parks as well as in the countryside – and there is concern that they are facing the same fate as the elm, which was devastated by Dutch elm disease in the 1970s.

Cambridgeshire County Council experts are on the lookout for any cases of the outbreak on the county’s extensive agricultural estate, but a spokesman said none had been reported yet. The estate is the biggest in England and Wales, stretching to 35,000 acres (13,500 hectares), with 250 farm tenants.

In Cambridge, the city council’s “tree team” is also on full alert.

Arboricultural officer Kenny McGregor said: “This is a very serious pathogen, just as serious as Dutch elm disease, and we’re very worried that it might turn up in the city. When Dutch elm struck us years ago, streets like Brooklands Avenue, which were lined with elms, lost them all.

“All we can do at the moment is to keep our eyes peeled, but even if the disease appears, we don’t really know yet how best to deal with it.

“East Anglia as a whole has a lot of ash trees, and we have quite a few in Cambridge, such as at Cherry Hinton Hall and Jesus Green.

“If people spot any trees they believe might be infected, they can contact the tree team at the council and we’ll investigate.”

As well as the disastrous impact on the green environment the disease may have, it threatens local wildlife too.

Chris Panter, of the University of East Anglia, said that if ash trees suffer large-scale decline, 60 of the country’s rarest insect species could be at risk of being lost.

He said: “As well as 80 common insects, at least 60 of the rarest insect species in the UK have an association with ash trees – these are mostly rare beetles and flies.

“Ash is also important for many lichens and mosses that grow in its bark, and its seeds are an important food for wood mice.”

Another organisation on standby for any signs of the blight is Cambridge Past Present Future, the environmental charity with stewardship of the ancient woodland at Wandlebury, and at Coton Countryside Reserve.

Carolin Gohler, Cambridge PPF’s chief executive, said: “This is a very concerning situation. We have spoken to the regional headquarters of the Forestry Commission, which is surveying areas around the region, and we’re keeping a close eye on the trees at our green spaces.

“Ash comprises up to 15 per cent of our tree stock at both Coton and Wandlebury. If anyone visiting our sites spots anything unusual, we’d be grateful if they could report it to our team.”

Cambridge’s Botanic Garden also has ash trees. Curator Tim Upson said: “We have about 15 or so species from the US and Asia as well as our native ash. I am not sure if all species of ash are susceptible – but we would start from the premise that they are.

“The potential impact is of course very serious. Ash are important street trees in places, and in parks, but it’s their relatively widespread nature in the wider environment which is most serious.

“There is no cure at the moment, apart from controlling imports, and where there are outbreaks, removal of trees to reduce spread is only realistic on a small scale.”

chris.elliott@cambridge-news.co.uk

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A Press Release from Newark Unified School District:

NEWARK – Students, teachers and staff did a double take when they arrived at the main entrance to Newark Memorial High last week.

Gone were a few scraggly bushes, and in their place was a newly landscaped rock garden commemorating the students who died while enrolled in the school.

“Thanks to Cargill, garden designer Tina Delucchi and the efforts of our maintenance staff, we now have a quiet and beautiful place where we remember those we have lost,” said Supt. Dave Marken, who participated in a Saturday morning volunteer effort to renovate and re-plant three garden areas on the campus.

Not only was a new student memorial garden created at the school entrance but a nearby employee memorial was re-planted, while inside the school gates, a large informal walkway at the entrance surrounding the career (counseling) center was re-landscaped.

“Our Cargill Cares team was glad for this opportunity to make an improvement at Newark Memorial,” said Bret Schuttpelz, Cargill refinery manager. “We care about Newark students and their learning environment. We believe students value their high school experience more if the setting reflects good community values. Improving the memorial garden was one way to help.”

On Oct. 20, seven members of the Cargill Cares team — a committee of employees who volunteer at four or more community projects each year — gathered at the school to work. They were met by Tonya Connolly, maintenance supervisor for the District and Delucchi. For three hours, together they raked weeded, picked up trash, spread new gravel pathways, and planted flowers and shrubs.

When the job was done, more than 2,000 square feet adjoining the library/counseling center was re-landscaped.

“We give all the credit to the spirit that makes great communities,” said Marken. “Our maintenance staff pitched in on overtime — and did all the heavy lifting (literally).  Under Ms. Connolly’s direction, they moved the memorial rocks and some very large and heavy concrete planters.  We couldn’t have done this job without them.

“We also are deeply indebted to Tina Delucchi Landscape and Garden Design of Fremont.  She and her staff did a fabulous job — on a pro bono basis — and arranged a nice discount from Regan Nursery for the materials.  But, of course, most of the credit goes to Cargill which initiated the project, purchased the materials and supplied most of the volunteer labor.

“This was a truly successful project,” said Delucchi.  “We had a lot of constraints:  limited hours to prepare the site and do the plantings, a limited budget, and plants and walkways that could tolerate not only drought and wind – but also teenagers! 

“It all worked together, I think because of the generosity of spirit that everyone shared.  It was truly a joy.”

Editor’s note: This report was lightly edited for AP Style.

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“EPCOT will take its cue from the new ideas and new technologies that are emerging from the forefront of American industry. It will be a community of tomorrow that will never be completed. It will always be showcasing and testing and demonstrating new materials and new systems” – Walt Disney

On October 1, Epcot celebrated its 30th Anniversary and Epcot fans are lusting for more and more information about how it came to be. Let’s take a look at an early influence of Walt’s ideas for E.P.C.O.T.  Earlier this year on WEDWay Radio we did a five part series chronicling the history of Epcot since Walt Disney’s announcement during the waning weeks of his own life. In that exciting film, he unveiled the Florida Project and described the project’s purpose. We get a glimpse into what the Walt Disney Company was planning and likely would have implemented had Mr. Disney not suddenly passed away.

Photo Copyright The Walt Disney Co.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In the film, Walt discusses the need for solutions to the problems of postwar America.  One of the problems he saw plaguing society was the need for improvement and redesign of our cities

Ebenezer Howard’s Garden City

One of Walt’s influences regarding civic design was an Englishman named Ebenezer Howard.  Howard worked for the British government.  He had actually spent time in the United States during his youth and, in 1902, he would write one of the more important books for 19th century futurists, Garden Cities of To-Morrow.

Within the book, Howard described a new futuristic design for cities with a goal of combining the comforts of both rural and urban areas.  The entire town was to occupy a 6,000 acre ring with 1,000 acres devoted to the Garden City.

At the Center of Garden City was to be an actual garden and a public park surrounded by the buildings of the city, including: a theater; a library; a museum; city hall; and concert hall.  Radiating from the center were to be six boulevards that would divide the city into six wards.  Each of the boulevards would have inspiring names like Newton Boulevard and Columbus Boulevard.

Photo Cornell University

Over the Garden Center, a large glass structure called the Crystal Palace would protect citizens from the elements while they enjoyed the garden and public park.  This was not an original idea; glass covered structures would be seen throughout the 20th century.  Magazines like Popular Science published sketches of protective glass shelter.

Photo Copyright Popular Science

 

Low density housing, parks and schools made up the second ring.  Separating the six wards were the intersecting six boulevards, but running through the center of each ward (essentially making a separate ring) Howard suggested a wide street known as Grand Avenue.  It would be a whopping 420 feet wide, allowing for islands to be built within the street itself if necessary.

Photo Cornell University

 

Grand Avenue would be lined with prominent houses on the inner side, and the outer edge would mark the beginning of the Industrial area, essentially turning the street into a buffer between residential areas and industrial areas.  The outer edge of Garden City’s circular design would have factory’s, larger industrial buildings, timber yards and dairy farms.  All of the machinery was to be run by electricity.

Howard’s ideas were forward thinking.  In the coming decades, England would see population eradication in World War I and physical devastation in World War II. Innovative designs for rebuilding urban cores, incorporating population centers, as well as industrial complexes, would be key to the rebuilding efforts after both wars.

Walt Disney would introduce E.P.C.O.T. in the 1960’s with his own design based loosely on Howard’s idea of combining the populace with industry in a way that satisfied the needs of both.

Comparing the Garden City to E.P.C.O.T.

Like Howard’s design, Progress City would essentially be a ring radiating from a city center.  E.P.C.O.T.’s central city would be climate controlled with a glass roof much like the Crystal Palace of the Garden City.  In Howard’s design, boulevards would lead visitors from the central hub of Garden City. Automobiles were likely to be the big draw on the boulevards (exciting and new in 1902).  The Disney design was over sixty years after Howard’s and in Walt’s mind, automobiles were no longer the grand mode of transportation that they were in Howard’s day, instead they clogged traffic lanes and restrained society rather than liberating it.  So, to create a similar solution, E.P.C.O.T. was to be built with clean electric WEDWay Peoplemovers and monorails.

Both Mr. Howard’s and Walt Disney’s designs for the City of Tomorrow were attempts to solve problems related to the declining state of cities in England and the United States.

In a future post I’ll look at another origin to the concept related to Walt Disney’s original idea for E.P.C.O.T.

Do you think a community where the needs were matched for both industry and the citizens could exist today? Do you think Walt would have designed EPCOT to look like the Garden City?

The Garden City of To-Morrow was one of the subjects we discussed on episode 114 of WEDWay Radio. We invite you to listen along.