Urban Gardening with Your Kids | Lowell Parents Network

It?s Memorial Day weekend, and the weather has been beautiful. What a great time to start gardening in the city with your kids. Spend time outside together planting a garden, and eventually, you can enjoy fresh produce from your own backyard. Or, maybe you and your family want to help start a community garden?now a reality through a new program here in Lowell. Either way, you can find resources to help urban gardeners, including a new local organization?Mill City Grows.

Founded this year, Mill City Grows works to increase community access to healthy, fresh food through the development of urban food production and distribution networks. Its current projects include the following:

• Gardener Training Program: Throughout the summer and into the fall, Mill City Grows will host a series of workshops on growing your garden. Two upcoming workshops in early June will include information on planting techniques and growing vegetables in Massachusetts: on Saturday, June 2 from 1:30 to 3:00 PM or Tuesday, June 5 from 6:00 to 7:30 PM. Bring the kids and learn together. Suggested donation: $15.

• Rotary Park Community Garden: Located in Lowell?s Back Central neighborhood on Richmond Street, the Rotary Park Community Garden offers garden plots for an annual fee of $15. Spots have been filling up, so contact Mill City Grows at millcityfarm@gmail or 978-656-1678 to see if you can still get involved.

In addition to our local resources, First Lady Michelle Obama has championed gardening and increased awareness through her own kitchen garden at the White House as part of the Let?s Move campaign. Her Kitchen Garden Checklist includes step-by-step instructions for creating your own garden, including healthy recipes for families. Even if you don?t have space for a garden at your Lowell home, you could try urban container gardening?a great option for fresh tomatoes.

Help us share examples of urban gardening in Lowell. Please send an email to lowellparentsnetwork@gmail.com with photos of your family?s garden, and we?ll share them on Facebook. Thanks, and happy gardening!

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Read These Tips To Get The Right Tools And Materials For Home ...

Use family members and friends as great aids in your home improvement projects. With family and friends, you can cut the need for help from a professional that could cost quite a bit, while you also get a great deal of fun from the project. Also, you will find that they come in handy in the clean up portion of the project.

A great home improvement project that will save you a bundle is to install a programmable thermostat. These thermostats can allow you to program in a variety of different settings so that you are using your heating and cooling system only when you need it and without having to monitor it constantly.

To prevent animals like birds or squirrels from nesting in your chimney, install a chimney cap. These devices feature mesh sides that allow smoke to escape, but the solid top prevents animals from entering your chimney to build nests, which can ignite and cause a chimney fire when you use the fireplace.

Install a lazy Susan in those odd corner cabinets. It can be difficult to properly use the storage space they provide, if you have to get down on your hands and knees to search for the items in the back corners. A lazy Susan will allow you to reach your items easily every time.

Add privacy while changing the look of a door or window with inexpensive window films. These films cling to glass and provide a frosted or otherwise textured look, which prevents passersby from seeing into your home. This solution is ideal for windows located inside a bathroom or for front doors.

It is amazing sometimes how people settle for the existing paint schemes of the rooms in their homes. On the other hand, they choose schemes themselves through lack of experience that do basically nothing for the value and feel of their home. Choose some brilliant paint schemes today and see just how far painting a room can go with helping the value and feel of your home.

Installing new shelves in a garage or other area can give one much more space to store whatever they choose while also clearing space off the ground. This will open up the walking areas of the room and also make things look more organized. Shelves can be used for home improvement needs.

Try keeping your home insulated. Insulating your walls is a relatively low cost home improvement that will help you save money in the long run, along with protecting the environment. Keeping your house insulated not only keeps it warm in winter, but it also keeps it cool in the summer.

Home improvement is an ongoing cycle depending on your style changes or needed repairs. Restyling your kitchen may take many different steps but when you are finished you will be happily pleased. Freshly painted cabinets, new snazzy hardware, and now you can start shopping for those new counter-tops.

If you are renovating a small room, replace carpeting with hard flooring, such as hardwood, laminate, or tile. Carpet in a small room will congest the visual field and make the room feel even smaller. The right arrangement of floor tiles or planks, conversely, can make the room feel larger.

This article was written with the hopes of providing homeowners the information to help them realize that they can start the home improvement projects that they are considering. Hopefully you have found the information that you need to get going on that project that you have been considering for some time.

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More Records for Obama & Obamanomics: Record Low for High School Students Jobs and Record High for Those Working Past Age 65

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Hey America, Three plus years into the Obama Presidency, How?s that ?Hopey-Changey? thing working out for ya? More records for Obama and jobs ??

Parents, are you finding it difficult for your high school kids to get summer jobs? You are not alone. Thanks to the Barack Obama job recovery we can add two more records to his list of accomplishments, the young workers are getting squeezed out of the market because positions are being filled by older workers. Making matters worse, the elderly cannot afford to retire. As reported at the Washington Times, according to the National Center for Education Statistics the high school job market has hit its lowest level in 20 years. The jobs once held by young high school kids are now being taken by those older than them who have been forced to take lesser positions thanks to the so-called Obama job recovery. A meager 16% of high school age kids are now employed as opposed to 32% in 1990.

The American job market is no place for students as the number of employed high schoolers has hit its lowest level in more than 20 years, according to new figures from the National Center for Education Statistics.

In 1990, 32 percent of high school students held jobs, versus just 16 percent now. Blame their elders.

Sectors that traditionally have offered teens their first paying gig ? fast-food chains, movie theaters, malls and big-box retailers ? have now become the last resorts for out-of-work college graduates or older Americans forced back into the labor force out of sheer financial necessity. The resulting squeeze has left students on the outside looking in.

No one need look no further than the McJobless. Our American youth used to be able to get a job at McDonald?s after school and learn what it means to be responsible, show up for work and get paid for a days work. Not under Barack Obama. Businesses that used to predominately hire the HS kids now can hire older and more experienced workers at the same pay.

Local McDonald?s managers, for example, are no longer forced to accept young workers who can show up after class. They now have the option to hire older employees with more experience and, in many cases, much more education.

?They think, ?I can hire this old guy instead. He already knows how to work, so we don?t need to teach him.??

But wait, it gets worse if that is possible. Not only are young workers at an all-time low, those individuals working who are 65 years and older are at an all-time high. They simply cannot afford to retire. As reported at the NY Times, But that may have worsened the employment prospects for younger workers. Ya think?

Labor Department figures indicate that the percentage of workers over the traditional retirement age of 65 is at a record high. But, the figures show, job totals fell sharply for men under 55 during the recession and have only started to recover, while the proportion of women ages 25 to 54 with jobs also slid and is close to the lowest level of the last two decades.

?The fact of the matter is that this aging-but-not-yet-aged segment of the baby boomer class can?t afford to retire,? said David A. Rosenberg, the chief economist of Gluskin Sheff, a Canadian firm, noting that overall household net worth was 15 percent lower than at the prerecession peak. ?Dreams of the 5,000-square-foot McMansion being a viable retirement asset.

So why is any one voting for Barack Obama again? Any one who actually thinks that Obama has any coherent economic jobs growth plan is delusional. Every demographic has suffered under Obama and the more a demographic struggles with high unemployment like blacks, the more they back Obama. That?s a brilliant position.

EXIT QUESTION: So the older people are working longer and affecting the job prospects of the younger workers, this is even before changes have been made to the going broke Social Security plan. So what is going to happen when the government raises the retirement age from 65 to 68?

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Police: Miami officer shoots, kills naked attacker (Providence Journal)

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Samsung Galaxy S III heading to T-Mobile U.S. on June 20?

The Samsung Galaxy S III is still real hot news, and quite rightly so. As we approach the impending international launch -- starting May 29 in case you forgot -- the big release date questions are still coming from eager Android fans in the US.?According to a rumor posted by?TmoNews,??for T-Mobile at least, the wait might not be too much longer.?

Apparently, the Pebble Blue variant of the Galaxy S III, in both 16GB and 32GB form, will be available from June 20. The 16GB Ceramic White version will then follow on July 11. This follows on from the leaked June 20 graphics showing availability north of the border in Canada. (And this latest leak also pegs the Galaxy Note for July 11, so there's that.)

Big disclaimer though folks as usual, this is a huge old scoop of rumor. Nothing short of what we'd expect with such a massive launch as this one. But Samsung did show off an enormous "U.S. in June" slide at the London keynote, so there is a possibility of there being something behind this one.?

Source: TmoNews?thanks junglejunkie!?

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BonBon Deal of the Day: Wedding Worthy

The past few months, I?ve been writing a lot about my little sister?s wedding and incidentally, she?ll be guest posting regularly with wedding related goodies in the coming weeks! So, watch out for her fabulous posts!

As you can imagine, we?re in the throws of planning her big day, so everything from flowers to wedding day fashion are on our minds! She?ll be shopping for her wedding gown soon and once it?s chosen, we?ll be on the lookout for all the accessories that she?ll need to complete her wedding day look.

If gold is appropriate, I?m thinking these beautiful baubles would make a fabulous ear candy option! They?re definitely statement makers don?t you think?!?

So, what did your wedding day jewelry look like lovelies? I went with simple pearl and rhinestone studs, but if I had a do over, I think I would go for something a bit flashier this time!

Tagged as: BonBon Deal of the Day, Kristin, statement earrings, wedding jewelry

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Whitecaps FC rally for draw vs. Timbers

By ANNE M. PETERSON

AP Sports Writer

Associated Press Sports

updated 1:02 a.m. ET May 27, 2012

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) - Darren Mattocks' goal in the 84th minute gave the Vancouver Whitecaps a 1-1 tie with the Portland Timbers on Saturday night in a Cascadia Cup match delayed by a severe thunderstorm that rolled through downtown Portland.

Kris Boyd scored in the 67th minute for the Timbers (3-5-4), who were coming off a 2-1 victory over the Chicago Fire last Sunday that pulled them out of last place in the Western Conference.

The Whitecaps (5-3-4) remained a victory from matching their win total from 2011, when they finished last in the West.

Portland, which has been giving up late goals all season, was stunned.

"With the way we were playing for the majority of the game, I think there were a lot of positives to take. But once again we finished the game without the three points," Boyd said.

Portland captain Jack Jewsbury weighed in: "I felt like, in terms of the full 90 minutes, that was one of our better performances of the year. So yeah, it's disappointing."

The match was the second in the fan-created Cascadia Cup rivalry among Major League Soccer's Pacific Northwest trio: the Timbers, Whitecaps and the Seattle Sounders. Vancouver and Seattle opened the competition on May 19 with a 2-all tie at BC Place.

In MLS play, Vancouver's previous match was the draw with the Sounders. The Whitecaps fell 1-0 to Toronto on Wednesday night in the decisive match of the Canadian Championship. With the win, the Reds will represent Canada in the 2012-13 CONCACAF Champions League.

The Timbers fell 1-0 Wednesday in an exhibition against Spain's Valencia, but most of Portland's starters were used sparingly or rested, including Boyd, a former Scottish national team forward.

Jewsbury was a starter against Vancouver after missing a match with a sore hip. Defender Futty Danso sat out with a left hamstring strain.

Jewsbury got a head on a corner kick from Kalif Alhassan in the 22nd minute, but it went wide. The Whitecaps got their chance in the 45th minute, but Brazilian Camilo Sanvezzo's shot when just over the bar.

The shot came just as severe weather settled in over Jeld-Wen Field. The match made it to the half, but the resumption of play was delayed by lightning, thunder and sheets of rain.

Alain Rochat's free kick in the 55th minute also sailed over the bar.

Portland went ahead when Boyd punched the ball in off a deflection from goalkeeper Joe Cannon. Boyd leads the Timbers with four goals this season.

Mattocks scored about a minute after he was subbed in with a shot from about 8 feet out.

"Anyone who knows soccer knows that that was a thrilling match on both sides," Vancouver coach Martin Rennie said.

Timbers coach John Spencer voiced concern about a non-call when Alhassan was tackled in the penalty area away from the ball in the 64th minute.

"I think we're going to try and concentrate on the positives tonight," Spencer said. "We were by far the best team on the field."

The Timbers are 26-33-12 against Vancouver, dating to the North American Soccer League in the mid-1970s.

The original Cascadia Cup was introduced in 2004 when the Timbers, Whitecaps and Sounders were part of the United Soccer Leagues first division. Fans pooled their money to buy a 2-foot tall trophy, which went to the team that finishes with the best record in head-to-head matches among the trio, based on a points system.

Seattle claimed the Cascadia Cup for the first time at the MLS level by winning at both Portland and Vancouver last season and coming away with draws at home against each side.

Figuring out the Cup winner this season will be a bit more complicated. With the league going to an unbalanced schedule, the Whitecaps, Sounders and Timbers will play each other three times. Seattle has to play twice at Vancouver and twice at Portland with just one home game against each this season. Vancouver will travel twice to Portland, with the first match in that rivalry on May 26.

The balance will be flipped next season with Seattle hosting Portland and Vancouver twice and the Whitecaps hosting the Timbers two times.

? 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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Donovan delivers

Landon Donovan returned to the U.S. national team following an eight-month absence and scored his first international hat trick in five years, leading the Americans over Scotland 5-1 in a friendly Saturday night.

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