Diamond in the rough - San Jose grassestimate.com fake grass savings for Bay Area documented

The view off Interstate 5 just south of Medford has shifted
dramatically over the last few months.

What were once empty fields have transformed into a blossoming
community of softball and baseball diamonds just waiting for the first
call of "Play ball!"

That will come on the first weekend of May, said Medford Parks and
Recreation Director Brian Sjothun, when approximately 20 youth
tournaments have been tentatively scheduled along with city league
softball at U.S. Cellular Community Park, a new baseball and softball
complex.

"The biggest thing," Sjothun said during a tour of the facility on
Friday, "was to get a presence on I-5 as soon as possible. What we're
doing here is being watched by the rest of the state. It's pretty
exciting."

The completion of five softball and youth baseball fields is Phase 2
of a four-phase process that will transform 132 acres into a
$30-million sports park. The entire project, which will feature 15
sports fields, the Jefferson Nature Center, playgrounds and trails,
could be completed within three years.

The softball and baseball complex has FieldTurf, a synthetic,
grass-like surface that will save an estimated $45,000 per year on
field maintenance, Sjothun said.

Similar to the surface at Spiegelberg Stadium, the soft, spongy
FieldTurf covers the outfield and infield of each field. The outfield
is a grassy green, while the infield — shaved an eighth of an inch
shorter than the outfield turf — is brown.

The project, which first broke ground in September, is being completed by LTM.

Of the 15 fields, 14 will feature the all-weather, artificial surface.
Only Harry & David Field will be natural grass. Seven of the fields
will be for softball, three of the full-sized fields will be for
baseball and the other five fields will be multi-sport.

"We had to spend almost as much to put the FieldTurf in as you would
laying sod or hydro seed for natural grass," said Sjothun, who added
the only maintenance would be vacuuming or brushing the turf after
some games. "But the savings in the long run is pretty significant.
You're looking at $50,000 for maintenance if you have natural grass.
It's about $5,000 a year for FieldTurf."

The softball-baseball complex is sandwiched between Harry & David
Field and I-5. Paving for the parking lots and the entrance from
Highway 99 to the Rotary Bridge should be finished some time in May.

The new facility will be equipped with lights, dugouts, restrooms,
concession stands, a small set of portable bleachers for each field,
wireless scoreboards and a playground in the center of the complex.
Portable pitching mounds will be available to shuttle on and off the
fields as necessary.

Trees will also line the perimeter of the fields at some point to
provide shade for spectators. In the meantime, Sjothun is looking at
purchasing shade structures to keep the sun off fans.

One of the five fields is designated the championship field. Its
dimensions are 315 feet to the fence in the outfield — 15 feet longer
than the other four fields.

The estimated cost for Phase 2 is $6.8 million.

"We researched the heck out of this thing," said Sjothun. "I feel like
we went top shelf with everything we've done. We wanted to get
everything right the first time."

Other fields in the community, such as Jackson, Fagone and Howard, may
still be used for some city league softball games, said adult sports
league coordinator Rich Rosenthal.

Besides softball and youth baseball tournaments and city league play,
the new complex could also host Rogue Valley Cup soccer games for the
younger age brackets over the Memorial Day weekend, said Sjothun.

"We could even get the Medford Cruise to come here," added Sjothun.
"How cool would that be to drive down I-5 and see a bunch of older
cars lined up down here."

The fields will be open from 8 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. unless closed for
maintenance or set-up. The complex is open to the public, Sjothun
said, and prices to reserve field use are listed on the Web site,
www.playmedford.com.

U.S. Cellular bought rights to have its name associated with the
sports park last May. The contract will run for six years

The Community Field project began several years ago when the Chamber
of Medford/Jackson County campaigned for an increase in the transient
lodging tax on local hotels and motels. The funds produced from the
increase allowed the purchase of the 132 acres of park land for $4.2
million in 2003.

Park fees were later increased as well, and the city sold $18.9
million in revenue bonds to fund the construction of the park and a
gymnasium at the Santo Community Center.

"I was really amazed by the lack of facilities in the area," said
Sjothun. "We have 2,700 acres of park land. The only thing holding us
back is a shortage of facilities."

"But let's get the playing facility done right now," Sjothun added.
"The rest can come later."

Sjothun expects the new facility will be a help to the local economy
as well as a top-notch facility to house tournaments and city league
play.

"We get so many people moving here from California and Arizona, and
they come here asking where the park is," said Sjothun. "Well, the
first weekend in May we'll open this up and have a big blowout."

Phase 3 — the construction of five multi-sport fields and a baseball
field — will be up for bid at the end of this month. Completion of
that project is estimated for May or June of 2009.

[ posted by grassestimate.com Bay Area synthetic grass install leader ]

Los Angeles Ivy Party 1/31/2008 7 PM - Purple Lounge Thursday January 31st, 2008

Thursday January 31st, 2008
7:00 - 10:00 PM

PURPLE LOUNGE @ THE STANDARD
8300 Sunset Blvd.
Hollywood, 90069

$15 per person

Start out the New Year with friends – new and old – at The Ivy Plus
Society's January alum party. Purple Lounge is an intimate club
tucked away in The Standard hotel on Sunset. The whole place is
reserved just for TIPS. The DJ will start spinning at 7 (and after a
few cocktails, chances are we will be too…!).

London Times calls Purple "the place to be seen," while In Style dubs
it "playground to the beautiful people." Sounds like you will fit
right in.

We're filling the night with all the usual suspects thanks to the
dazzling LA young alumni coordinators from Brown, Columbia, Cornell,
Dartmouth, Duke, Harvard, MIT, Oxford, Princeton, Stanford, U Chicago,
U Penn, & Yale. Rest up to ensure you can keep up with this crew.

Hum-Bug Details
*You must be 21 to attend & plan to drink responsibly. Designate a
driver because we think you're pretty just the way you are & would
hate to see asphalt ruin that lovely complexion of yours.

The History of Artificial Grass - From Astroturf to Lazy Lawn by grassestimate.com

The History of Artificial Grass - From Astroturf to Lazy Lawn by
grassestimate.com

So where did it all start and who came up with the idea of artificial
grass and were did Astro Turf come from. This short document tells the
history of artificial grass and Astro Turf, and is designed to help
students with course work and anyone else who would like to know where
it all started.

The first Patent for a domestic and outdoor sport artificial grass was
registered in the US at the United States Patent Office on July 25
1976, Patent no. 3332828 this was registered by James M Faria and
Robert T Wright for the Monsanto Company Inc. for a monofilament
ribbon surface that would later become 'Astro Turf'.
To view the patent visit www.uspto.gov this provides the original
drawings and make up of the newly designed artificial grass.
To download the patent viewer visit www.internetiff.com The original
name of the new grass monsanto produced was Chemgrass, which was
installed into the Astro-dome in Houston, and in 1966 Chemgrass was
renamed Asto Turf.
The main outline of the patent was to produce a product to simulate
grasses for a variety of leisure and sport uses. The early versions of
the Astro Turf were produced to provide a decorative use but not to
withstand outdoor sport and leisure use. Later versions of Astro Turf
were designed to provide a weather resistant turf constructed from
synthetic materials which is suitable for permanent outdoor use and
capable of withstanding adverse weather conditions for several months
with low degradations. Other points noted in the patent was that for "
turf which will be used outdoors the acrylic fibers are preferred
because of their excellent weather resistant properties"
Lazylawn was one of the first company to supply artificial grass in
the UK to domestic and commercial markets, started over 20 years ago
and bought by Evergreens UK in 2000, this provided years of experience
joining force to provide the latest surfaces and know how. In the last
20 years the quality of the artificial grass has increased so greatly
it is now possible to have artificial lawns that look just like a real
lawn and require very little maintenance
The History of Astro Turf
1967 PATENT FOR MONOFILAMENT PRODUCT WAS FILED AND ISSUED TO MONSANTO
INDUSTRIES (James M Faria and Robert T Wright)
1986 ASTROTURF INDUSTRIES, INC. CORPORATION DELAWARE 809 KENNER STREET
DALTON GEORGIA 30721
Current Owner SOUTHWEST RECREATIONAL INDUSTRIES, INC. CORPORATION
ASSIGNEE OF TEXAS P.O. BOX 589 701 LEANDER DRIVE LEANDER TEXAS 78646

Further Information and resources

www.astroturf.com Owners of trademark and manufacturer of Astro Turf
for pitches and domestic use in the US

Bay Area's GrassEstimate.com on San Diego recommending artificial grass

Just because it rained recently, it doesn't mean county residents can
resume carefree water use. To the contrary, the Poway City Council
will consider instituting a voluntary water conservation program to
encourage residents to take the issue seriously.

Unlike previous efforts, this time the city would focus most of its
efforts on saving water used outdoors.

That would mean encouraging residents to cut back on the amount of
water used for washing cars; cover pools and spas to slow evaporation;
use brooms to clean outside areas instead of spraying them; irrigate
lawns once a week in the winter and no more than three times a week in
the summer; and encourage restaurants to serve water only when
requested.

"Last time there was a water shortage in San Diego, most of the focus
of water conservation were interior to homes – low-flush toilets and
more-efficient showers heads," Poway City Manager Rod Gould said.
"Those were highly successful, but 60 percent of water usage in
Southern California is outside homes in landscaping.

DETAILS
Poway water
conservation proposal

What: The City Council will consider voluntary water conservation at
its meeting Tuesday.

Proposal: Declare a Stage 1 water shortage.

Recommendations: Wash cars with a bucket only; serve water in
restaurants only when requested; use brooms to clean outdoor paved
areas;limit shower times; load dishwashers and washing machines fully
before using.

Next: Possible mandatory cutbacks.
"That's where the focus is to be this and the next several years – to
try to get people to be more frugal in water use and more thoughtful
in what they plant in landscaping."

The council will consider the program at its meeting Tuesday at 7 p.m.
Gould said the city hopes to help the San Diego County Water Authority
reach its goal of reducing personal water use by 20 gallons a day to
save 56,000 acre-feet of water this year, enough to provide water for
120,000 households for a year.

Water Authority spokesman John Liarakos said the county's major water
sources are drying up.

The Colorado River is in a historic drought. The Sacramento delta is
expected to reduce water production by as much as 30 percent, after a
federal judge ordered the cutback to protect endangered delta smelt, a
minnow-sized fish that is sucked into pumps.

The snowpack in the Sierra also is expected to be small because of the
dry year ahead, Liarakos said. That was why the water authority
launched its 20-Gallon Challenge in June.

Gould said Poway's voluntary program will get residents prepared for
cutbacks that may be coming.

"What we expect is that as the new year unfolds, the Metropolitan
Water District and the San Diego County Water Authority will announce
tougher and tougher requirements that will go beyond simple voluntary
measures," Gould said.

That could mean water cutbacks, which would begin at 10 percent in a
Stage 2 shortage and could reach 50 percent or more in the most severe
shortage, Stage 7.

To encourage careful water use, Poway city staff members are expected
to present to the council a conservation package Feb. 5 that offers
incentives. Gould said that package could include rebates for
homeowners who replace grass with drought-tolerant native plants or
artificial turf, or use irrigation systems that turn off when it
rains.

In addition to Poway, Escondido also is pushing conservation,
officials said. The city is revising its water conservation ordinance,
adopted in 1991, to match the region's goals.

One element is new regulations for landscape irrigation in new
developments, Liarakos said.

Encinitas is proposing to increase water rates by an average of 5.5
percent, partly to defray the cost of buying water and partly to
discourage wasteful use, former Mayor James Bond said.

In San Diego, the Water Department audits water use in residences,
provides tips on conservation, helps citizens calculate the optimum
amount of water they should use and encourages drought-tolerant
landscaping. The city also has been attaching conservation messages to
water bills, said Bill Harris, Mayor Jerry Sanders' spokesman.

For 1592 members harvard-bay-area@ushow2.org live

If you are getting this email you can post to
harvard-bay-area@ushow2.org. Please use this group address
harvard-bay-area@ushow2.org going forward. The list is migrated from
Yahoo to ushow2 hosting. Apologies in advance there will be something
I've missed. Whatever it is let me know, be patient, I'll fix it.
Best,

Perry

[From E. Cristin O'Keeffe] Job Openings in Legal Support Services Field

This from Cristin on harvard-bay-area@ushow2.org. We aren't live fully
yet with the list on http://ushow2.org but worked out the mail smart
hosting registrar DNS shenanigans (and postfix failing underneath on
the server) this weekend. Everything is working now. So we'll be
switching over soon. Best,

Perry

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: E.Cristin O'Keeffe <ecokeeffe@post.harvard.edu>
To: <harvard-bay-area@ushow2.org>
Date: Thu, 10 Jan 2008 12:21:27 -0800
Subject: Job Openings in Legal Support Services Field

Hello,

My company has the following job openings in our office in downtown
San Francisco:

http://jobview.monster.com/getjob.asp?JobID=67146098&JobTitle=Sales+Coordinator+-+LiveNote%2fRealLegal%2c+San+Francisco&q=LiveNote&rad=5&rad_units=miles&cnme=san+francisco&sid=11&brd=1&cy=us&vw=b&AVSDM=2008-01-09+15%3a54%3a00&pg=1&seq=1

http://jobview.monster.com/getjob.asp?JobID=66834981&JobTitle=Technical+Support+Specialist&q=LiveNote&rad=5&rad_units=miles&cnme=san+francisco&sid=11&brd=1&cy=us&vw=b&AVSDM=2008-01-02+10%3a53%3a00&pg=1&seq=7

http://jobview.monster.com/getjob.asp?JobID=66854518&JobTitle=World+Service+Production+Coordinator&q=LiveNote&rad=5&rad_units=miles&cnme=san+francisco&sid=11&brd=1&cy=us&vw=b&AVSDM=2008-01-02+18%3a52%3a00&pg=1&seq=9

If you know of anyone who might be interested, please pass this
along. Also, please feel free to contact me if I can be of assistance
to anyone interested in these positions.

Best regards,
E. Cristin O'Keeffe

Albany-Kensington Public, Private & Home School Discussion Group

To sign up:

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/albanykensington-publicprivate-schools/join

If you are interested in the area in general:

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/albanykensington-residents/join

Best,
Perry

Get an inside Harvard friend connection on hundreds of Bay Area jobs ...

Join harvard-bay-area on LinkedIn.

https://www.linkedin.com/e/gis/976/709FE96DA9A5/

Perry

Bay Area's GrassEstimate.com History of Artificial Fake Grass

The history of artificial or fake grass is to say the least an
interesting one and arose out of the social desire to in-effect ward
off what could be seen, as far back as the 1950s, as an increasingly
unhealthy tendency by youngsters not to exercise.

History has it that birth of synthetic grass began through attempts by
scientists trying to develop a type of grass that would not only allow
children and adolescents to play on regardless of the weather
condition but encouraged them to do so, in other words, a surface that
they enjoyed using or a user friendly surface. Hence the advent of
fake or artificial grass.

The result was one of the early prototypes of what we now know to be
fake or artificial grass. The earlier types were not only hard under
foot and made for impracticality especially where sports and children
were concerned given the tendencies to fall but were very unpopular.
Conversely, however, in terms of workability and endurance this
surface proved itself worthy, with the originally playing field where
the fake grass surface was installed lasting twenty years of solid
wear.

Claims that in terms of practicalities due to poor drainage and its
tendency to rot artificial grass has limited applicability are
unsubstantiated. Furthermore, highly contentious arguments revolving
around the argument that artificial grass causes more on-field
injuries when used in sports-grounds is again unfounded and may be
derived from factions wanting to see this type of surfacing a thing of
the past. The claim by the industry is that if laid correctly no
problems should occur. In fact, if anything, this type of surface
should encourage better drainage enabling competitive sports to
continue play with less interruption time due to rain.

Today the advances in artificial grass surfaces are enormous and can't
be down-played. It is common practice to no longer use asphalt as an
underlay beneath the surface of the grass which has increased the
shock absorption provided by the grass, decreased the retention of
heat during summer and further improving the drainage ability of the
grass. Finally and possibly most importantly no longer does artificial
grass look, both on and off T.V like the earlier versions of fake
grass, that is, FAKE.

Typically artificial grass is approximately 3cm thick (from base to
blade tip). The material of the 'blades' themselves are a
polyethylene-polypropylene blend which are then woven into a mat-like
backing (much like that of carpet). The only maintenance that is
recommended is that the surface be given a once over each month, which
involves rubbing it down. It you were to get this done professionally
it is estimated that it would cost no more than a couple of thousand
dollars a year. While this may initially sound a lot when compared to
the water costs alone for the real thing - there is virtually no
comparison. For those still sceptical and missing the small things
associated with 'real' grass consider this. In America, consumers
missing the smell associated with cut grass can purchase, that is
right, purchase a can whose contents promise that 'just cut smell'!

But wait there is more……in addition, other requests by customers have
included wanting to have the newly laid 'fake' lawn have the same
effect as when you just cut real grass and there are the alternating
light and dark bands of grass. This too can be achieved…..ah the
marvels of modern society.

Once perceived as being exclusively for those at the lower end of the
socioeconomic scale, time-and resource-poor, fake grass has now become
the stable for all regards of income bracket. With everyone becoming
increasingly time-limited and wanting immediate results - 'visual'
perfection - artificial grass answers both these requirements.
The advantages of artifical grass

As already mentioned fake grass has many advantages being both low
maintenance, cheap and providing reliable year-round good looks for
those concerned with their gardens aesthetic appearance. Especially in
areas where water is particularly scarce and or for areas whether
there is heavy usage - i.e. constant foot traffic - then artificial or
artificial grass may provide a practical solution. What is more, with
fake or artificial grass there is no limit to the amount of area you
wish to cover and up-keep is negligible especially when compared to
the requirements of real grass. Golfing greens require the employ of a
number of full-time 'green keepers' whose job it is to solely look
after the lawns!!!! For those without this luxury in budget or time
the alternative is clearly …….artificial grass. No need for
pesticides, watering, mowing, and replacing of dead patches etcetera.

While slow to catch on in many Westernized countries, Asian nations
who are resource tight have long used fake grasses for their
play-grounds, private lawns and commercial turfs. Furthermore, using
artificial grass removes the threat of degradation by human or other
pests. The laying of fake grass is also immediate - like that of
carpet. Another advantage is that is does not have to be a permanent
fixture but can be lifted at any time.

Posted by Bay Area's GrassEstimate.com golf putting green and fake
artificial synthetic lawn installation leader.

GrassEstimate.com Exhibitor Northern California Home & Landscape Expo 1/25-1/27 2008

GrassEstimate.com suggests you mark your calendar for the best show in
Northern California, January 25-27, 2008 at Cal Expo

We welcome you to the site of California's largest 3-day Home &
Landscape Expo. For 13 years, Gary Brown Enterprises has been
producing the Northern California Home & Landscape Expo, held at the
Cal Expo Fairgrounds in Sacramento, California.

Nearly 50,000 homeowners from five surrounding counties enjoy this
annual event and know the difference! You will always enjoy over 1250
exhibits of the finest products and services for your home and yard.

Whether you are planning to build, remodel or simply redecorate, the
Home & Landscape Expo promises to bring you the largest gathering of
professionals to help you with your home project. For details on
seminars, the Landscape Showcase and this year's highlights,
http://www.homeandlandscapeexpo.com/site/ .

albany-residents@ushow2.org vs. albany-residents@yahoogroups.com

As mentioned the listserv is moving to be hosted at http://ushow2.org
. Check it out. Almost done. You won't have to sign up. I'll
import all the members and let you know when that task is complete.

To email you'll post to albany-residents@ushow2.org . The rest of
your account controls are approx. the same as Yahoo. Yahoo email
addresses will work just fine after the change. Stay tuned for
launch,

Perry
CEO
ushow2, Inc.

[From Lucia Brawley][harvardla] There are times in our history when we have to surpass ourselves. Now is that time.

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Lucia Brawley <luciabrawley@hotmail.com>
Date: Jan 8, 2008 10:43 PM
Subject: [harvardla] There are times in our history when we have to
surpass ourselves. Now is that time.

Although Barack Obama lost by 2 points in New Hampshire, his
"concession" speech was a speech for the ages, the speech of a world
class leader. It inspired me to give the full amount possible to his
campaign. An amount that is an enormous financial sacrifice to me, but
that is ultimately an investment in America's future and the future of
the world. Here's what he said:

"there is something happening in America."

"You, all of you who are here tonight, all of you who put so much
heart and soul and work into this campaign, you can be the new
majority who can lead this nation out of a long political darkness,"
he said. "Democrats, independents and Republicans who are tired of the
division and distraction that has clouded Washington."

"For most of this campaign, we were far behind," he said. "We always
knew our climb would be steep. But in record numbers, you came out and
you spoke up for change."

Obama pledged to end tax breaks for the rich, to "end the outrage of
unaffordable and unavailable healthcare" and "end this war in Iraq and
bring our troops home."

"We will finish the job against al Qaeda in Afghanistan. We will care
for our veterans. We will restore our moral standing in the world, and
we will never use 9/11 to scare up votes. 9/11 is not a tactic to win
votes, but a challenge to unite America."

Obama also responded to critics who he said cautioned his campaign
against offer "false hope."

"In the unlikely story that is America," he said, "there has never
been anything false about hope."

And, he said, his response to those naysayers is "one simple creed --
yes, we can."

"Yes, we can heal this nation. Yes, we can repair this world. Yes, we
can, and so tomorrow as we take the campaign south and west ... we
will remember that there is something happening in America, that we
are not as divided as our politics suggest, that we are one people and
one nation and together we will begin the next great chapter in the
story with three words that ring from sea to shining sea -- yes, we
can."

Please join me. Barack Obama is the real deal:

https://donate.barackobama.com/momentum

For the sake of our nation,

Lucia Brawley

---------

"In the unlikely story that is America, there has never been anything
false about hope." - Barack Obama. Undecided? Ask me why i'm voting
for him. Or learn more at www.barackobama.com

__________________________________________________________
Get the power of Windows + Web with the new Windows Live.
http://www.windowslive.com?ocid=TXT_TAGHM_Wave2_powerofwindows_012008

__._,_.___
Messages in this topic (1) Reply (via web post) | Start a new topic
Messages
[See also harvtechforum.org , harvard-china,
harvard-cambridge-boston, harvard-middleeast and harvard-europe
networks, http://groups.yahoo.com/group/harvard-china &
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/harvard-europe .]

Recommend this communication vehicle to grads you know in the area
please. The list has a web log http://harvardla.com . Only agreed upon
with the moderator; event, charitable and public announcements end up
in the log. Please use category headers in your message's subject
line HOUSING, JOB, CONCERT, ANNOUNCE, HELP, FYI, etc. If you are
getting individual messages and that seems burdensome consider setting
your list membership to daily digest mode.

harvard-la branding is on LinkedIn.com . Click on,

https://www.linkedin.com/e/gis/1603/7AAD3E02E180/

to join.

Under Additional Information list harvard-la in the Groups and
Associations section on LinkedIn. The logo will then appear in your
Profile when others view you on the system. Regards.

Perry Gregg
CEO & Founder, ushow2, Inc.

pg@harvardla.com
http://harvardla.com

harvard-bay-area@ushow2.org vs. harvard-bay-area@yahoogroups.com

As mentioned the listserv is moving to be hosted at http://ushow2.org
. Check it out. Almost done - one more bug to fix tonight. You
won't have to sign up. I'll mass import all 1590 members. To email
you'll post to harvard-bay-area@ushow2.org . The rest of the controls
are approx. the same as Yahoo. Stay tuned for launch,

Perry
CEO
ushow2, Inc.

P.S. Harvard interest in the Bay Area is high. When I catch up on
verifying applicants we'll be at 1600 grads, students and alums!

Two items: (1) ushow2 agrees to join forces with Jimmy Wales' Wikia search, (2) us2 looking for preferably woman Harvard MBA business partner

Exciting things are happening for ushow2 (us2)! This is your chance
-- and mine too. No one builds a great company alone.

Do you remember opportunity recognition in b school? To be a
co-founder you have to jump in and be part of building what the market
needs when odd balls are whispering in the shadows that there is a
problem to be solved. Refer the most decent startup co-founder you
know our way please - doesn't have to be a woman, however I believe
women founders are an untapped resource. You know a great character
person available and hungry for this opportunity. Help a brother out?
Best,

Perry Gregg
CEO
ushow2, Inc.
(510) 684-4152

Bay Area's GrassEstimate.com invites you to read the synthetic grass industry Installation Guidelines before you buy

Posted by GrassEstimate.com the California Bay Area's astro turf fake
faux grass synthetic artificial lawn and golf putting green leader.

The US carpet industry goes back hundreds of years, yet there are only
a handful of skilled tufting companies that focus on manufacturing
artificial turf materials; many are located here in the North America.
Manufacturing plants, in the US, are currently located in Texas,
Alabama, Tennessee and Georgia.

Artificial turf construction for sports fields, golf applications and
landscape projects is a steadily growing industry. Volumes may exceed
140 million square feet this year, up a cumulative 40% over 2005
volumes. (est. 2007)

Confidence in continued market expansion is evident as a major fiber
and backing manufacturer, TenCate [Thiolon Grass], recently announced
the allocation of $12 million in renovation and expansion to their US
based yarn and fiber operation in Tennessee and several key players in
tufting mills in Georgia, Alabama and Texas; producing work for major
brands Fieldturf, Sportexe, Sprinturf, Astoturf, among others; have
recently expanded manufacturing and warehouse capacity or opened new
facilities.

After an explosion in the sports field market 5-6 years ago, nearly
doubling sales figures overnight, industry wide numbers are climbing
at a healthy pace of 15-20% annually.

According to a study, published in 2006 by AMI Research the artificial
turf market expansion, which includes a 30 to 40% growth factor in the
fledgling landscape and leisure sports market, has been steady for
over 4 years.

According to a spokesperson from Dow Chemical, manufacturers of
artificial turf components, backing materials, infill and finished
goods; sales of artificial turf materials account for approximately 5%
of annual US carpet volume.

Dramatic growth outside the familiar sports market metaphor and
consumer demands for a wider variety of choices for landscape and
leisure sports has expanded the vision and development of new product
lines.

Complimenting and enhancing known fiber manufacturing and texturing
processes used in the carpet industry for eons; yarns and fibers for
artificial turf are manufactured to provide realistic feel and natural
colors; extreme UV protection, anti-static, anti-microbial, flame and
slip-resistance. Take a photo tour of how yarn and fibers are
manufactured at ASGi

Like so many industries today; artificial turf is manufactured by a
few companies, repackaged, enhanced and sold under different brand
names and delivered to local and regional markets through dedicated
solutions providers, dealers, and distributors in a complex network of
market partnerships where competitors one day are providing each other
support the next.

While mills develop their own line of artificial turf styles, based
largely upon the type of looms and finishing equipment they have,
systems integrators engineer creative ways in which to deliver natural
looking, durable goods to niche markets.

Responsible for over 90% of all artificial turf installed on the
planet, sports field builders and systems integrators have driven the
designs and engineered specifications for the artificial turf market
since the beginning in the mid-1960s. Their customers' ideas and needs
have set the tone of the styles, colors and textures of turf
available.

These systems are branded and brought to market under a variety of
nationally recognized names and are generally sold through
experienced, professional, artificial turf installers; licensed
builders and value added dealers and brokers.

Some brands only market online or through landscape materials and
building supply centers. A few system integrators have structured
their offerings as franchise partnerships and others as protected
dealer or distributor territories.

Until just a few years ago, business development outside of the
lucrative and dependable sports field market was almost non-existent.
One sees little product awareness, identity or corporate branding
campaigns in the residential and commercial (B2B) market space. Even
today, investments in channel development; co-op, rebate, terms or
flooring programs are just being explored by most to include a plan
that will incorporate landscape and leisure sports uses as a viable
growth market; along with several others such as uses in airport,
public works construction projects and public and private daycare
facilities.

Credit for the substantial investments made in product and engineering
research, development and increases in capacity must go to the
pioneers of artificial turf fibers, backing and tufting, along with
the systems integrators and their sports field builders.

Acknowledgement must be given for building momentum and global
adoption of landscape and leisure sports projects into residential and
commercial property markets to the grass-roots efforts of the dealers
and installers on the local and regional level.

It has been the long hours, goodwill and dollars invested in niche
marketing efforts that has captured the attention of consumers and
delivered the goods to neighborhood markets which have built the
strong foundation for the continuing horizontal growth we are enjoying
today. Keeping on track with today's growth, landscape and leisure
sports market share will double in less than three years, providing
increased opportunities for existing and new market partners.

No market is recession proof - however, double-digit growth during a
construction slump speaks of the value of artificial turf as seen by
consumers with funds to invest in high-value, professionally
installed, home improvements.

About the Article Source:
Published by member professionals at ASGI (the Association of
Synthetic Grass Installers), articles and information come to you from
experienced installers, designers and other professionals, dedicated
to sharing best-business-practices, enhancing public awareness and
building confidence in our market and product integrity.

ASGI Invites YOU to pick up YOUR copy of the Standard Installation
Guidelines for installing synthetic grass as lawn or landscape
applications at http://www.asgi.us at NO Charge! Browse our library of
real-world installations, great information and join our newsletter
list while you are there

albany-residents listserv moving to ushow2 hosting from Yahoo

You shouldn't notice much difference. The address to post will change.
The web page to control your member settings will be different. An
email will explain the delta when we flip the switch. Best,

Perry
CEO
ushow2, Inc.

harvard-bay-area listserv moving to ushow2 hosting from Yahoo

You shouldn't notice much difference. The address to post will change.
The web page to control your member settings will be different. An
email will explain the delta when we flip the switch. Best,

Perry
CEO
ushow2, Inc.

[48 hours to go] Obama 12-point lead over Hillary Clinton in New Hampshire, 38% to 26%

"The American Research Group poll gives Obama a 12-point lead over
Hillary Clinton in New Hampshire, 38% to 26%, a 16% swing since the
previous poll. John Edwards moved up on Clinton, at 20%, gaining 5%
from his previous percentage."

Earlier today the Rasmussen survey confirmed a 10% Obama lead. Edwards
trailed in the third position.

Perry

Why buy artificial grass? posted by GrassEstimate.com the Bay Area synthetic grass installer

Why buy artificial grass? by GrassEstimate.com

Artificial grass provides a low maintenance lawn which is beautiful
and hard wearing. It is easy to lay, soft to walk on and looks good at
any time of day, throughout the seasons.

Ideal for use at home, for landscaping, or for putting greens and
other golf playing surfaces, including tee mats, driving mats, and
walkways.

Save hours by avoiding the annual chore of mowing, trimming, watering,
weeding, and re-seeding of worn areas or shaded parts of the lawn.

And it's great if you have pets too. No stains or dry patches from dog
urine. And easy to clean with a mild detergent. It's dig proof too so
no unsightly holes in the lawn. Just an easy to look after clean,
green lawn all year round.

Benefits of artificial grass

* no mud

* child friendly

* pet friendly lawns and dog runs

* low maintenance

* adds value to your home

* clean and safe

* no weeds

* no mowing

* no watering

* use it all year

Applications of artificial grass

* children's play areas

* grounds maintenance: playing fields, ornamental lawns for
offices and retirement homes

* roadways - central reservations, roundabouts

* roof gardens and balconies

* patios

* decking

[Reminder] HLS Obama participates WMUR/ABC/Facebook Debate at St. An... @ Sat Jan 5 7pm - 9pm ()

harvard-sf.post2@blogger.com, this is a reminder for

HLS Obama participates WMUR/ABC/Facebook Debate at St. Anselm College

Sat Jan 5 7pm – 9pm
(Pacific Time)
100 Saint Anselm Drive, Manchester, New Hampshire (map)
Calendar:

Republicans, independents, Democrats, your choice seriatim? What kind of America are we?

http://www.youtube.com/barackobama

Best,

Perry Gregg
CEO
ushow2, Inc.

More event details»

 

You are receiving this courtesy email at the account harvard-sf.post2@blogger.com because you are an attendee of this event.

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MIT ideas competition past awards he asseverates

Do you have influence as a parent, board member, mentor, teacher with
children and young adults? Consider MIT's leadership for examples to
share with them.

http://web.mit.edu/ideas

Best,
Perry

CEO
ushow2, Inc.

Obama leaves Iowa agog! -> Facebook New Hampshire debate Saturday

Republicans, independents, Democrats, your choice seriatim? What kind
of America are we?

http://www.youtube.com/barackobama

Best,

Perry Gregg
CEO
ushow2, Inc.

GrassEstimate.com asks you to consider your California Bay Area synthetic lawn savings?

91% of Britons spend £12,000 on their gardens.

Pursuit of a perfect lawn drives gardeners to spend £200 a year.

The results of a nationwide survey have revealed that 91% of Britons
will spend £11,890 on gardening equipment in their lifetime.

According to PrimaLawn - makers of synthetic grass who commissioned
the survey - this equates to half a year's average national salary,
£200 every year, or a standard family hatchback.

Of the average UK income of £32,779, 45% is spent on household goods,
and for the vast majority, £200 a year is spent on gardening equipment
in an attempt to achieve a perfect lawn.

PrimaLawn released the results of the national survey in an attempt to
get people to enjoy their gardens all year round.

Posted by grassestimate.com the Bay Area synthetic grass install
supplier leader.

Re[Not to be supercilious, why?]: [albany-residents] Albany, CA top 10 taxpayer list

My concern with these numbers is regarding who is not there. In the
Bay Area if our base is a race track and super markets and Target, it
raises the question is that the best we can do? Albany could be an
exciting place for a business incubator? Albany could be home to web
companies like Google who is looking for another East Bay office
location? What about green firms, nanotech, medical and the health
fields and more bioscience companies? Where are they?

Will we ever be home to a big hitter in these arenas? What community
will get them when we miss out? Why? Apple's headquarters did
wonders for Cupertino's public schools. With the home owners already
financially stressed do we really want to go to people who own 2-3
bedroom 1 bath houses to pay for community common resources? We don't
have to house the manufacturing for a large renewable energy company,
we could attract their headquarters, couldn't we? Best,

Perry

On Jan 2, 2008 11:44 AM, Preston Jordan <PDJordan@lbl.gov> wrote:
>
> Perry-
>
> Thank you for posting these numbers, but it is unclear to me what they are.
> The heading over these numbers in what appears to be the source document
> (http://www.acgov.org/treasurer/Top_10_Taxpayer_unsecured_new.pdf) is
> "assessed value." The heading over the next column is "tax due amount," and
> would therefore appear to be the actual taxes paid. These values are 1.3% of
> the values in the "assessed value" column.
>
> While this appears straightforward, in strains credulity. The assessed
> value of Target's property is only $2.6M? Lower than the assessed value of
> Quintara, which I didn't even know existed in Albany and for which I can
> only find an address of 609 San Pablo, hardly a large property. Is Pacific
> Racing equivalent to Golden Gate Fields, or only a portion of it as I
> believe GGT consists of several parcels held by different holding companies.
> I suspect the Proposition 13 loophole exploited by
> commercial enterprises to forever avoid property revaluation has something
> to do with these against common sense property valuations.
>
> I trolled the Alameda County Treasurer's web site to try to gain more
> metadata on these values, but it was not forthcoming. If you can further
> elucidate them, I would appreciate it.
>
> Preston Jordan
>
>
>
> Perry Gregg wrote:
>
> > Last year's County top 10 Albany taxpayers:
> >
> > Pacific Racing 4,384,820
> > Quintara Biosciences 3,510,855
> > Target 2,654,219
> > Fidelity Asset Mgmt (Safeway) 2,404,294
> > Comcast Corp 1,210,000
> > Comcast of East San Fernando Valley 915,721
> > Petsmart 432,399
> > Andronicos 357,675
> > Albany Ford 323,083
> > Longs 285,998
> >
> > In recent prior years various real estate property firms were on this
> list.
> >
> > Perry
> >
> > Open discussion list for anyone living in or around or interested in
> Albany, California. The list invites postings of performances,
> "get-togethers", parties, exhibits, announcements, questions, and other
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> sender.
> >
> > Moderator,
> > pg@harvtechforum.org
> >
> > http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Albany,_California
> >
> > Join albany-residents on LinkedIn:
> > http://www.linkedin.com/e/gis/35202/2B413E49B216
> >
> > Yahoo! Groups Links
> >
> >
> >
>
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>
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> Open discussion list for anyone living in or around or interested in
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> "get-togethers", parties, exhibits, announcements, questions, and other
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> multi-lingual communication is welcome. Reply to a message defaults to
> sender.
>
> Moderator,
> pg@harvtechforum.org
>
>

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Albany,_California
>
> Join albany-residents on LinkedIn:
>

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>
>
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Cal journalist's house bound auctorial tale from Pakistan

FYI. Perry

---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Jan 2, 2008 8:58 PM
Subject: J-School Bhutto and Pakistan
To: pg@harvardsf.org

Hi Perry,

Forwarded is an email sent from Manal, a first-year student of my J-school
who is from Pakistan. She has great points in this brilliant email. Check
it out.

Best,

Linda

---------------------------- Original Message ----------------------------
Subject: J-School Bhutto and Pakistan
From: "Manal ..." <manal...@berkeley.edu>
Date: Fri, December 28, 2007 9:19 pm
To: faculty@journalism.berkeley.edu,
staff@journalism.berkeley.edu
--------------------------------------------------------------------------

(I wrote this email yesterday but wasn't able to send it because the
Internet was down all over the city)

Dear all,

I am just stunned right now. Thank you for your emails...I am ok and so is
my family. It's Friday morning and the whole city is pretty much shut
down, people aren't going to work, all the markets are closed, even the
gas stations, the streets are deserted save for police vans, and Lahore
looks like a ghost town. Buses aren't running, neither are domestic
flights and trains. Last night all mobile phone networks (except one) were
down, but those are working now and so is cable TV and Internet
(sporadically), so we can at least watch the news (most news channels were
restored after the emergency blackout some weeks ago). I am dying to go
out in the streets with a camera and talk to people, but my parents have
me besieged in the house so far because its not safe.

I don't know what to think. We didn't like Bhutto, but this is just...
shocking. When we heard the news, Thursday evening about 7pm, I was at my
cousin Mina's house preparing for her mehndi. A Mehndi is the main fun
music-dance-henna celebration that precedes a wedding. All us girls were
dressed in brightly colored ghararas, skirts, with bangles, henna on our
hands and orange flowers in our braided hair, the house bustling with
people before we departed for the plush tented ground next door where the
Mehndi was supposed to take place, when an uncle watching the news in
another room rushed out and said Benazir had been injured during a suicide
blast at her rally in Rawalpindi and CNN had pronounced her dead.

It didn't sink in. We were just like, no, it can't be. She's probably just
hurt. It's a rumor. Seconds later the electricity went out, so we couldn't
watch the TV, and phone lines were jammed, so we just forgot about it
because nobody wanted to mar the evening's happiness, an evening we had
been looking forward to and preparing for for months.

But when the time for the event came, and all the family went down to the
tent to receive the guests, and no guests arrived, we began to worry. It
was confirmed that Benazir was dead, from fatal gunshots - now news
started to trickle in that rioting had started in Pindi, Islamabad,
Karachi and Lahore. Mobs of angry supporters of the PPP, Benazir's party,
were blockading thoroughfares, burning cars and tyres and storming gas
stations in the older parts of the city. We started receiving calls from
friends saying they were stuck inside their homes because of fires burning
outside or from fear of being mobbed on the streets, or stranded in
traffic holdups for 2 hours at a stretch. Like everyone else at the
mehndi, I was in disbelief. We tried to shake it off, the young people
especially, because it was my cousin's Mehndi, a time we ought to be
laughing, celebrating, happy. My cousin, too, ignored it best as she
could, smiling in spite of the fact that her closest friends weren't there
beside her, but we all knew that something terrible had been unleased with
Bhutto's murder, with terrible consequences in the hours, days and weeks
to come. Benazir Bhutto had been a friend of the bridegroom's family, and
was even invited to the post-wedding party on the 29th of December.

At the end, only 50 of the 200 expected guests made it to the mehndi
event. There was no music and no dancing, the DJ went home without playing
a single song, nobody saw the dances we had been practicing for 2 weeks,
the bright lights inside the tent were turned off - The nation was
officially in mourning, though it was more out of fear of mindless
retaliation. But we were still lucky - we later heard that two other
outdoor tented wedding events in the city had been stormed by angry
rioters bearing flaming torches, and guests had been beaten with sticks.

I tuned into local TV channels this morning to see them making a martyr
out of Benazir, like her father was made before her. Black and white
photos of her in her youth, mournful music playing in the
background, everything designed to induce tears in even her opponents. But
I don't agree with that. It is not the job of the media to eulogize
political leaders, living or deceased, and play up people's emotions to
such a degree - and Western media like CNN & BBC are following suit. Their
coverage is appallingly one-sided, why I do not understand. It is a sad
day, no doubt, I am sad that this happened, I am sad for Benazir and her
family, but I am sadder still for Pakistan, and what has followed since
last night. There is complete anarchy on the streets of Karachi, and in
Larkana, Bhutto's ancestral village in Sindh. It is mindless violence.
People are burning banks, hospitals, bazaars, trains, all for the death of
one person.

And the images and comments on TV are just fanning the flames. Nobody is
calling for an end to the violence, for people in Pakistan to calm down
and not attack each other. It is not the end of the world. Benazir's death
does not mean Pakistan has "lost" all hopes for democracy, as the Western
media is portraying it. As always, the media ignores history, ignores the
past, and right is ignoring all critical voices. Did she do any good when
she was in power before? Why did this happen to her? Who is responsible? I
don't know, and I don't know when we will know, if ever. Many people here
seriously doubt the supposed Al-Qaeda link - it does seem convenient to
dump every act of violence in this region on that mythical monster.

One can blame Musharraf's government, for failing to provide adequate
security at the rallies, for declaring emergency and the general
instability that created - but people in Pakistan, intellectuals, the
educated cadres, are angry at another party too - the U.S. government. It
is well-known that the U.S. govt 'engineered' Bhutto's return to Pakistan,
forcing Musharraf to drop corruption charges against her though he was
unwilling to do so (while Nawaz Sharif did not get the same treatment).
Bhutto as well as Musharraf knew of the dangers involved in her return, in
the compromise she struck up with Musarraf, in the kind of claims she was
making, her open support for U.S. policies, and what she would do if she
were Prime Minister - yet she courted danger, she invited danger by
sticking her head out out of her armoured vehicle at the rally in Liaquat
Bagh yesterday, the same place where Pakistan's first Prime Minister
Liaquat Ali Khan was assasinated in 1951.

And now, now that the country seems to have descended into chaos, many
Pakistanis feel that other parties may have something to gain -
Musharraf's opponents within the country, for instance, or even the U.S.
govt, for an opportunity to intervene 'more' directly in the affairs of
this strategic, Muslim majority nuclear power.

That's another thing the foreign media needs to back down on - the nukes
issue. The nukes are not going anywhere, and remain firmly in the control
of the army, as they always have. The Western obsession with Pakistan's
nukes is maddening, and really the very least of our worries right now.
Our worry is the safety of the citizens from crazy mobs and corrupt,
toady, sham democracies like the kind the upcoming elections are likely to
bring into power. The elections now seem utterly pointless and farcical
with the two key opposition parties not running anymore (Benazir's PPP and
Nawaz Sharif's PML-N), and only the ruling government in Punjab PML-Q and
the MQM (both Musharraf's allies) in the running. If the U.S. wants
stability in Pakistan, then it needs to stop thinking about neutralizing
our nuclear weapons or demonizing the religious factions or propping up
dictators or so-called democrats, and instead directing its aid towards
schools, hospitals and village-level development, political institutions
and legal systems and helping Pakistan honor its constitution and its
laws. There is no other way.

As I speak, the city of Karachi is in flames. The army has been called in,
and a friend in Karachi feels a Musarraf-PPP showdown is looming in the
city. The PPP, now under the chairmanship of Benazir's husband Asif
Zardari, a thug of the higher order, feel invincible because of their
loss. "Any voice of criticism against the PPP (in Karachi) is like signing
your death warrant," my friend says.

But we don't want to be at the PPP's mercy, or Zardari's mercy, of all
people. We want to live our lives in peace, have our weddings and funerals
in peace. My cousin's wedding, scheduled for tomorrow at a big banquet
hall in a fancy hotel, is now cancelled, and there will now just be a
small reception at their house.

We are sick and tired of politics. We don't care who's ruling anymore - we
just want peace.

And we need prayers for Pakistan, prayers and positive support.

Still in shock,

Manal
December 28th, Lahore

Yale [y]ar! [c]ome join us ye landlubbers as we do explore the swashbuckling world of piracy ...

Yale Professor Andrew G. Jameson
Piracy: Ancient and Modern
Wednesday, January 23rd, 2008
Olympic Club
524 Post Street (x Mason St.)
San Francisco CA

6 PM Reception; 6:30-8 PM Program and Q&A
$30
Heavy hors' d'oeuvres will be provided.
Cash bar (sorry you're on your own for bottles of rum).
RSVP to Bill Zeiring at wmziering@sbcglobal.net

Yar! Come join us ye landlubbers as we do explore the swashbuckling
world of piracy, both olde and new!

Professor Jameson will give an illustrated talk that includes a short
review of historical piracy in the ancient, medieval, and early modern
periods. He will then discuss the change from historical piracy to
the piracy of literature and contemporary piracy in the two principal
regions—the Strait of Malacca and the Indian Ocean coast of Somalia
(scene of the recent pirate attack on a cruise ship).

Locofoco voting starts tomorrow, do you remember seeing a leader for America speak this way?

It is your choice. What kind of America do we live in?

http://my.barackobama.com/page/m/7fe61b94e935b15a/qizZm1/

Best,

Perry
perry.gregg@post.harvard.edu

GrassEstimate.com & SMG's Bay Area synthetic grass maintenance video

BAY AREA SYNTHETIC LAWN INSTALLER GRASSESTIMATE.COM & SPORTCHAMP -
TREAT SYNTHETIC SURFACES DEMONSTRATION VIDEO

With the SportChamp you will have a well-proven machine for synthetic
grass that cleans filled and unfilled synthetic lawns just as
thoroughly as athletics tracks and industrial floors. By the addition
of various brush systems the machine can be used for a wide range of
applications. Even the newest generation of mixture-filled
(sand/rubber) synthetic grass surfaces is perfectly cared for by the
SportChamp.

The latest SMG development is the SandMatic B1503, a fully automatic
spreading machine for the precisely dosed filling of modern synthetic
grass systems with sand and/or rubber granules. The machine doses,
spreads and brushes in the filling material in one working pass At the
same time, the work performance can be defined in terms of kilograms
per square metre. The SandMatic B1503 is already being successfully
used for professionally filled synthetic lawn surfaces in China,
America and almost every country in Europe.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ce_l3eFuqcc

Albany, CA top 10 taxpayer list

Last year's County top 10 Albany taxpayers:

Pacific Racing 4,384,820
Quintara Biosciences 3,510,855
Target 2,654,219
Fidelity Asset Mgmt (Safeway) 2,404,294
Comcast Corp 1,210,000
Comcast of East San Fernando Valley 915,721
Petsmart 432,399
Andronicos 357,675
Albany Ford 323,083
Longs 285,998

In recent prior years various real estate property firms were on this list.

Perry