Blades of glory: America's love affair with lawns
Or “green carpet.” The idea of lawns as status symbols and “pleasure grounds” caught on among French and British landed gentry, who relied on servants, sheep, and goats as lawn mowers. After the American Revolution, the trend hopped the Atlantic and flourished among the new nation’s landed aristocrats. George Washington had an English-style lawn at his home in Mount Vernon, as did Thomas Jefferson at Monticello. Front lawns didn’t really trickle down to the common man “until the development of suburban housing after the Civil War,” said Virginia Scott Jenkins, author of The Lawn: A History of an American Obsession. A well-kept lawn is an outdoor refuge, a place for touch football and summer parties, “a carpet all alive,” said the poet William Wordsworth. Writer Katherine S. White called the lawn “a soft mattress for a creeping baby” that adds “restful green perspectives” to the landscape. Realtors say a nice lawn adds as much as 11 percent to the value of a home. Beyond curb appeal, tidy lawns are the connective tissue of neighborhoods, providing a common element that links our residences to one another and to nature. And researchers have recently discovered that chemicals released by a freshly mown lawn make people feel happy and relaxed, and may even prevent mental decline in old age. Today, about 80 percent of all American homes have lawns. But great sacrifices of time, energy, money, and natural resources go into mowing, trimming, edging, and feeding all that grass. As Little Richard once said, “The grass may look greener on the other side, but believe me, it’s just as hard to cut.” Lawn care is a $40-billion-a-year industry in the U.S. Because much of the country is not hospitable to turfgrasses—none of which are native species—we use 90 million pounds of fertilizer and 78 million pounds of pesticides annually just to keep lawns thriving, bright green, and bug-free. Lawns also consume massive amounts of water—more than U.S. farmers use to grow wheat, or corn, or any other agricultural crop. The Environmental Protection Agency estimates that one third of all water from public sources goes toward landscaping—most of it on grass. In tropical Florida, half of the public water is used for landscaping. In the Western states, where water is especially scarce, that figure is 70 percent. Yes, in numerous ways. Fertilizers contain high levels of phosphorus and nitrogen, which run off into drains during rainstorms, contaminating drinking water, leaching into rivers and streams, and causing ecological havoc. Pesticides and herbicides, too, which are used by homeowners in ever-increasing quantities, find their way into the air and soil. Then there’s the carbon footprint of the lawn. Americans spend more than 3 billion hours a year pushing or riding gasoline-powered lawn and garden equipment that gives off toxic exhaust and greenhouse gases. A gas-powered mower emits as much pollution per hour as 11 cars. These facts have triggered a backlash against the country’s love affair with large, immaculate swaths of green grass. “We have begun to recognize that we are poisoning ourselves with our lawns,” said author and activist Michael Pollan. To a small degree. Though there has been no reduction in the acreage of new lawns being planted, activists have raised awareness so that lawn care is less destructive. In Canada, more than 100 cities have banned or restricted pesticide use on private property. This year, New York banned pesticides and herbicides on school lawns and playing fields, and Maryland limited the nutrient content of lawn fertilizer and when it may be applied. In the West, more communities are replacing turf with indigenous plants. In the high-desert country of Clark County, Nev.—home of Las Vegas—lawns are now banned from the front yards of new homes. “The perfect lawn is in peril,” said Ted Steinberg, an environmental historian. That’s a good thing, according to groups like Wild Ones, the first grassroots anti-lawn advocacy group. There are saner, organic alternatives: low-maintenance ground cover, walkways, and gardens. “Freedom lawns” use no chemicals or extra water and need very little mowing. But there are even more natural solutions: Last week, school officials in Carlisle, Pa., turned over the district’s lawn care to a herd of hungry sheep, saving $15,000 a year in landscaping costs.Football Pads Mount Vernon - News
George Washington had an English-style lawn at his home in Mount Vernon, as did Thomas Jefferson at Monticello. Front lawns didn't really trickle down to the common man “until the development of suburban housing after the Civil War,” said Virginia
In total, only three players (Mount Vernon's Marion Thompson and Blake Deaton and Centralia's Alex Fritch) were selected to play from South Seven schools other than Marion. "To play in this game, we need people who have played the South Seven level of
Approved School Choice requests for six students from Mayflower, Mount Vernon and Beebe districts. • Approved a bid of $14187 to School Specialties for general supplies. • Discussed certified personnel policies. The board approved an extra five days of
In north Snohomish County, Arlington's Cascade Valley Hospital expanded its longtime alliance with Mount Vernon's Skagit Valley Hospital by launching construction in May of a new medical building in Smokey Point. “We certainly anticipated that other
TC Williams High School Titans Offer Free Football Camps ... - Blogger
This blog lists family activities and kids' events in Alexandria, Mount Vernon, and the Fort Hunt Corridor of Fairfax County, Virginia. Most of the information is aggregated from other sites, so always check with the event sponsor for registration information and availability. Click on the "Calendar of Events" link below to see what's happening this month. Alexandria Titans Football will be hosting their first camp June 27 to June 30 from 6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. at T.C. Williams High School. This camp is free and open to flag football players (ages 5 & 6) and tackle players (ages 7 – 16). A participant’s age is their age as of October 1, 2011. Registration forms for the camp can be mailed, faxed or emailed to the Sports Office. The preseason camp for the tackle football program will be held August 1 - August 4 from 6:00 pm - 8:00 pm at the fields behind George Washington Middle School. Participants must be registered for the 2011 season in order to attend camp. Participants should wear t-shirts, shorts and cleats and bring water each day. Football equipment should not be worn to the preseason camp. Participants must be registered for the 2011 tackle season to attend the camp in August. FtHuntFam posts information about family activities in or near Alexandria, Virginia including the Fairfax County neighborhoods of Fort Hunt, Belle Haven, Mount Vernon, Kingstowne, and Lorton. There's a lot to do in this area, let's keep it local and save gas. If you have an event to post, please leave a comment or e-mail the editor : Liz(at sign)Re-LivingHistory.com.
Football Pads Mount Vernon - Bookshelf
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Football referees don't get cheered / Mount Vernon News
As Colt football playoffs begin this weekend, there will be the usual crunching of pads, the clapping from coaches, the cheering from parents and fans. But for one ...
Marauder News - Marauder Football
This is a football site for the Mt. Vernon Marauders of Mt. Vernon High School in Fortville Indiana.
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How do I put on football pads? ChaCha Answer: Check this out: http://www.ehow.com/how_3339_gear-football.html
#91, Billy Davis, Football, Mount Vernon, 1980
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Bellingham and Mount Vernon
Mount Vernon and Bellingham are fairly close to each other when you locate them on a map. ... Smarter football players may not be better football players (I ...