Few people who like to go walking, put on their climbing shoes or sit in the saddles of mountain bikes will need any persuading that Snowdonia is a place of enjoyment. With its glorious scenery, challenging terrain and wonderful mountaintop views, its qualities are well known.

But to get a bit extra, visitors might wish to grab a copy of EryriSnowdonia 2012-13, a magazine published by the national park authority. It has just arrived at the authority#39;s information centres, as well as tourist information centres owned by other organisations.

It is designed to enable people to get more out of their trips to the national park, with plenty of advice, suggestions and a list of the 60 best things to see and do.

Some might respond that they know full well what the best parts are, having climbed Snowdon, scrambled up the Bristly Ridge, jumped from Adam to Eve on Tryfan and taken on the #39;Welsh Matterhorn#39; of Cnicht.

But, fine mountains though these are, it may be that some need to cast their horizons a little further.

For example, while some may have done the Snowdon horseshoe, they might have missed some of the massif#39;s outlying peaks, such as Moel Eilio, Moel Cynghorion and Yr Aran, all over 2,000 ft in height.

Similarly, those traversing the Carneddau with its many peaks over 3,000 ft may easily miss the likes of Pen Llithrig Y Wrach or Creigau Gleision.

Further south, walkers can find a wide range of Snowdonia peaks well over 2,000 ft in height that may suffer in the fame stakes against the 3,000-footers at the north end of the national park.

Of the mountains just shy of 3,000 ft, the 2,930 ft Cadair Idris may be well known, but Aran Fawddwy (2,969 ft) perhaps less so, even though it can be climbed in combination with Glasgwm (2,559 ft) on one excellent day#39;s hike.

So just like the Lake District, it may be that the sort of crowds that clamour for the summits of the handful of mountains that clear the 3,000 ft mark can easily be avoided. Many smaller peaks can be enjoyed and barely a soul spotted all day – a far cry from the trainloads of visitors on Snowdon.

Fishing is certainly an honored tradition, and uniquely part of the Florida lifestyle we in Cape Coral hold dear. This coming Monday, the Cape Coral Council will NOT be debating the importance or value of fishing in our community. We WILL be debating how best to protect the health and safety of fishermen and pedestrians from accidents on and under dark and narrow bridges. We also will be answering what we will do when one persons fun starts walking right over anothers rights, even in their own homes.

Over the past several months, many residents have approached me, as their Council representative, with concerns just like this on their property – ranging from basic trespassing to human waste and even blatant intimidation. The fact is, most of our neighbors out fishing are good neighbors, but owe it to residents in these areas to protect them and their property from this kind of abuse. How can we eliminate the maybe 10-15 percent of abusers while best protecting the enjoyment of fishing on the Cape for everybody else?

My concern simply boils down to our responsibility as a City Council for balancing private property rights with protecting a time-honored part of Cape Corals leisure lifestyle. Homeowners who merely want to enjoy the Sunshine State in their own back yards should not have to deal with uninvited guests at all hours of the day and night. Some of whom sadly act with a rude and callous disregard for their homes, yards and neighborhoods. The unsafe conditions for fishermen clad in dark clothing, interfering in the traffic lanes with automobiles along totally dark roadways, is also an accident in the making.

The first idea that might make sense is enforce the existing laws – We started there too. The truth is that an entire gang of troublemakers could come trash your yard, use the bathroom in your flowers, and toss a dead fish on your car for asking them to leave – all at 1am by the way – and as long as they are innocently holding poles when a police officer shows up, get away without even a ticket. How about the littering laws?

Did you know that in our 122-plus square mile city, we have a grand total of zero pedestrian littering citations in the last year? Existing laws havent given our neighbors, or our police, the opportunity to do anything about the problems residents from the southwest and northwest are dealing with frequently. As the numbers of incidents have increased, so have the incidents of boldness and belligerence. From a safety standpoint, many vehicles have been left parked in the medians. Particularly in the northwest Cape neighborhoods where streetlights are non existent, this is a dangerous situation that could cause serious injury. Narrow bridges with no guardrails only add to the unsafe conditions fishermen place themselves and motorists into when they utilize these structures for fishing spots.

So, the existing law idea doesnt work out, and we are left needing new legal tools to bring peace back to the balance of fishing versus homeowner rights. What should these tools look like? Well, the State of Florida handles this by banning all fishing from all bridges located in the State right-of-way. To me, this solution goes too far, and, frankly, infringes on the peaceful enjoyment of responsible fishermen. Punta Gorda on the other hand had almost exactly the same issues, and found restricting fishing in problem areas the most fair approach. This, along with improving and opening up safe, user-friendly fishing spots in publicly accessible areas, is the core of what I am proposing for our solution in the City of Cape Coral.

I am suggesting this: Ban fishing and unsafe parking from the smallest possible number of city rights of way, where the highest number of these problems are happening, and actively open up public fishing areas with the right facilities for family friendly enjoyment of our beautiful, and bountiful, Cape Coral waters.

What about the future you ask? If you can ban fishing from a small number of problem areas today, you could ban it everywhere tomorrow couldnt you? The situation as it is today leaves the door wide open for problems ranging from injury lawsuits to much worse, and will need to be addressed in a realistic way as the city continues to grow. Passing the buck by rejecting Ordinance 10-12 today will only delay until we have a more serious situation down the road. If we resolve this now, respecting both fishermen and residents, we can lay the framework for future Councils to deal with it in this neighborly spirit on a case-by-case basis, instead of provoking a solution like the states total ban.

Now lets think back to that part about new, better fishing spots! I am proposing we upgrade Serenia Vista Park and city owned land on western Tropicana Parkway – literally a short walk away from the proposed banned bridges – to offer fisherman of all interests improved shorelines, picnic tables, garbage cans, ample and safe parking and toilets to ensure their legitimate good time fishing is always part of our culture in Cape Coral. I suggest the city should also be looking for more opportunities to enhance the fishing experience throughout the community. Options include the lighted pedestrian underpasses proposed in the Burnt Store Road expansion or even possibly acquiring new designated preserve and prime fishing parks where the land is readily available.

My goal with this Ordinance has never been to ban fishing in Cape Coral, as I think we should all be able to agree would be a disservice to a great way to spend time in our city. Rather, we have a real need to protect the property rights of our residents, and cut down the negative interactions like those weve been seeing. These are also bridges that were never engineered to be fishing spots, they have no guardrails and the narrow pedestrian area leaves the fisherman exposed to passing traffic. As I have mentioned, in the dark of night the potential for a tragic accident is greatly enhanced. By carefully choosing only the highest problem bridges now, as opposed to a blanket fishing ban like the state has chosen, we can protect fishermens access to bridges that are not next to homes and have properly engineered safety devices. We can then focus our efforts to get those future additional fishing spots in place before the neighborhoods expand in Cape Corals southwest and northwest areas.

If this issue affects you, I ask your input at Mondays meeting. Please let your City Council know what you think and help us resolve this issue together as partners in the quality of life and the future of Cape Coral.

- Councilmember Kevin McGrail represents District 6

The Washington County Cooperative Library Services hosts the eighth annual Hearing Voices Storytelling Festival from Saturday through April 14.

The festival features four professional storytellers: Tim Tingle of Canyon Lake, Texas; Kirk Waller of Oakland, Calif.; Habiba Addo of Portland, and Ghana, West Africa; and Leslie Slape of Rainer.

The week-long storytelling extravaganza features 13 storytelling performances at the WCCLS member libraries, the Glenn amp; Viola Walters Cultural Arts Center in Hillsboro and the Pumpkin Ridge Golf Club in North Plains.

The festival performances are free and designed for the enjoyment of adults and children ages 6 and up.

The festival theme is You belong @ your library.

Content in the programs requires attentive listening and may be too intense for younger than school-age children.

– Jodi Nielsen, WCCLS

A little knowledge is dangerous. It forms dismissive stereotypes. It cancels intelligent thought. It eliminates wonder, surprise, enjoyment. It disregards, disrespects and diminishes. No sport is more prone to such surface treatment than rugby, and its possible no sport suffers from a single, iconic image as much as rugby and its scrum.

No one in or out of motorsports can ever accuse SMI owner Bruton Smith of thinking small. His many NASCAR tracks host big events and popular side shows. Smith’s home track at Charlotte boasts the world’s largest HD screen for fan enjoyment. And then he built what Smith likes to refer to as the Bellagio of drag strips in Concord, North Carolina.

The unique four-wide drag strip was ready even before skilled NHRA drivers and officials were prepared to run four powerful cars at once. But after an exhibition an inaugural race in 2010 delighted many in the Charlotte area and beyond.

Courtesy of zMAX Dragway and Charlotte Motor Speedway:

Fifteen-time NHRA Funny Car champion John Force won the inaugural NHRA Four-Wide Nationals in 2010 after participating in a four-wide exhibition race during the NHRA Carolinas Nationals in 2009 at zMAX Dragway.

“I came back the next year [after running the four-wide exhibition] and they put it into play as a special race within running for the championship,” said Force. “I was lucky enough to win that, and my daughter Ashley, was runner-up to me.

HAL LENOBEL
Contributing Columnist
golf@lbknews.com

I’m going to use this article to clear up a few things sitting on my desk. I’ll start by mentioning spitting. It has become an ugly issue on the PGA Tour. Keegan Bradley, Tiger Woods, Spencer Levin, Scott Verplank, Dustin Johnson and Kyle Stanley are all guilty of spitting in excess. Maybe the close-up views of Bradley’s habit finally will awaken the Tour Commissioner.

I don’t want golf to become difficult to watch like baseball where spitting is mindless, constant and disgusting. Fortunately, someone spoke to Bradley, he has ceased the habit and he is much better to watch because of it. Now if the other players would quit spitting, I would be much happier.

o o o

Padraig Harrington shot an opening round 61 last week. That was the fifth such score on the Tour this year. Ryan Moore, Robert Garrigus, Charlie Wi and Brian Herman all shot 61 this year. Interestingly, none of them followed with lower than 68. After making a remarkable 195 feet of putts in round one, Harrington shot 73 the next day and said he was too cautious putting with the lead. He three-putted Nos. 6 and 7, missing from 18 inches at six.

“My mother would have cursed at me for missing the tap-in,” he said. “She wouldn’t be so impressed with me not going through my routine on that.”

The five 61s already are more than last year, when three players shot that score and one competitor, Amateur Patrick Cantlay, shot 60.

o o o

Supply continues to outpace demand in golf, and the pressure on golf courses yielded predictable results last year. According to the National Golf Foundation, 157 golf courses closed in 2011 compared with 19 new openings. Since the golf economy started to diminish in 2006, a cumulative 358 golf courses have closed representing a 24 percent drop from the 2006 peak.

The supply correction is likely to continue for the near future. From 1986 to 2005 more than 4,500 courses were built in the United States. The slow correction that is now taking place is very much overdue and necessary to help return the golf course business to a more healthy equilibrium between supply and demand.

o o o

Adams Golf for years has defied industry consolidation, grinding out gains in market share. However, the company’s stock price ultimately didn’t reflect its success, prompting the board of directors to consider a sale of the business. What seemed inevitable became a reality March 19, when the Plano, Texas-based equipment maker announced it agreed to be acquired by the Adidas Group, TaylorMade’s parent, for approximately $70 million.

The deal is expected to close in mid 2012. The sale marks yet another chapter in the disappearance of independent golf companies, as Adams becomes the latest of nearly a dozen brands in the past 15 years to relinquish sovereign ownership.

o o o

Congratulations to Michelle Wie who took her final exams last week and graduated from Stanford. That’s quite an accomplishment, despite the fact it took her five years to get her diploma. She has managed to play a full LPGA schedule in addition to her scholastic excellence at one of the nation’s toughest academic institutions. Wie proved that for a select few, you can really work hard and have it all.

The only question looming over Titanic 3-D, really, is: Does the 3-D get in the way? The ever-canny James Cameron has wisely resisted the temptation to tweak the films Oscar-winning special effects – one of the 11 Academy Awards the movie won in 1998 – or update the CGI shots of the doomed ship (which, by contemporary standards, occasionally look a little hokey) or add previously deleted footage to slap on a Directors Cut subtitle that would guarantee to sell a few extra tickets.

No, this is exactly Titanic as you remember it – or, more accurately, the Titanic youve probably forgotten. The secret weapon of Camerons monumental blockbuster – the reason why audiences kept going back to see the movie, eventually buying an astounding $1.8 billion worth of tickets – is that this was a picture truly made for the big screen. At home, on DVD, no matter how big your flatscreen or video projector are, Titanic just isnt the same: Its a souvenir of the experience you had at the theater, when the enormity of Camerons vision was given its proper due, and where your stomach felt a twinge of vertigo as Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet clung from the ships railing, people beneath them falling to their deaths, as the boat began its final plunge into icy, deadly waters.

To keep a popular Mamanuca island resort looking and operating at its best is a challenge, especially when constantly running high occupancies. While Castaway Island Resort has an ongoing preventative maintenance program in place, there are still times when the resort needs to do some upgrading and this cant always be achieved with guests in house. And this was exactly the dilemma that Castaway faced, when the decision was made to upgrade the central swimming pool earlier this year.

Castaway Islands CEO, Geoffrey Shaw said the $3 million resort refurbishment project included significant resort work in and around the central pool area.

The goal was to create two distinctively different pool environments for our two freshwater pools – the Nuku Marau pool with adjoining bar and grill catering to family fun and the Malua pool, Jacuzzi and swim up bar as an adult haven for quiet enjoyment and relaxation, Mr Shaw said.

To complete the extensive works without impacting guest enjoyment we elected to close the entire resort for a month he said.

Mr Shaw said to make the temporary closure really worthwhile a number of other major projects were added to the list.

These included reconstructing the beachfront Sundowner Bar to give the iconic venue a fresh look and enhance overall functionality.

In addition to the pool works we focused on the public areas and structures, including the main dining and bar complex, replacing the main roof and the massive 40-year old stone columns where necessary. To do that required heavy machinery and equipment and a large construction crew Mr Shaw said.

By the time the Malua central swimming pool project was underway, which commenced within an hour of bidding farewell to the last guests who stayed in late January, there was a long list of projects to complete. But complete the scheduled works they did.

As a result, the island has emerged with some fantastic enhancements.

The projects we have completed in five weeks are simply astounding and a credit to the Castaway staff family. During this time weve had the opportunity to carry out extensive upgrades throughout the resort complex that simply could not have been achieved without closure.

And importantly we have delivered on our promise with an on time reopening. We know our travel partners and guests will appreciate our ongoing reinvestment.

We could not have achieved these results without the dedication and commitment of every one of our staff members. The result is a credit to them and they deserve to be very proud of their achievements. Mr Shaw said.

By Candy Rendon
Reporter

With final exams creeping up just around the corner, many students begin their end of the semester studying. Intent on getting classes wrapped up, they prepare for concentrated bouts with caffeinated beverages and index cards.

Because many hours end up in the cramped corners of library halls and dormitory lobbies, students may become so comfortable with the flickering fluorescent bulbs and hum of air conditioners that they forget about the sights and sounds prevalent with outdoor living, but one Baylor student has decided to channel this into a desire to spend more time with nature.

Chase Fairly, a freshman business student from Amarillo, decided to break away from the comforts of air conditioning and stale vending machine snacks for an entire week early this month to find what he said is his “calm and collective state of mind.”

Fairly said many aspects of modern life have played a drastic role in the growing dependency with electronic devices and indoor conveniences.

Fairly said that his fellow students must find great difficulty getting creative juices flowing as the semester comes to its last stretch of weeks, especially after the spring break vacation.

During his week living outdoors, he said many students would stop him and ask what he was doing.

At first, Fairly said he didn’t understand why he was being questioned so often. His first fears came from his lack of hygienic upkeep. Fairly said he took not one shower during the week of outdoor living. He said he was constantly fearful of being deemed “stinky” by the opposite sex.

“It wasn’t until I noticed all the people eyeballing my equipment, that I realized why the questions were coming up,” Fairly said. “I think they probably thought I was homeless.”

His thin 5-foot-10-inch frame was burdened with a stocky backpack of laundered clothes and water canteens. A polyester sleeping bag with vinyl straps was bound atop his bag, and he tied a thick rain jacket around his hips.

Fairly set out to find his what he calls his “native side” living under the stars and by leaving all his electronic devices within his dorm. Only going indoors for classes and quick bites to eat at the dining halls (to-go containers only), Fairly quickly discovered his true passion for what he said is his “quiet time.”

“I have to admit,” Fairly said. “I was a bit afraid of the situation at first, but then I discovered how nice living outdoors really is. I would wake up at the first sparkles of daylight and I had several hours of silence to myself.”

Tulsa, Okla., freshman John Brothers, a linguistics student and good friend of Fairly’s, also attempted the outdoor feat. Brothers said the experience between the two was eye opening.

“You never really see how great things are until you dramatically shake up your view,” Brothers said. “We never imagined we’d be living outside before we were coming to Baylor, but the idea came up one day and we just went with it.”

Brothers could not continue with Fairly for the full week outdoors due to exams and other academic obligations. Fairly said the isolation he experienced was unexpected.

“At first, the solitude was really crazy,” Fairly said. “But then it quickly became the best part. I would get ready for bed, and instead of becoming fearful about my surroundings, I would simply crawl under a couple of bushes and fall asleep with the sound of the wind blowing by.”

Caitlin Fairly, a senior journalism student and Chase’s older sister, said she can’t believe her brother was living outdoors.

“Apparently he is wilder than I thought,” Caitlin Fairly said. “But he must have a great reason.”

She later explained her interest with the whole “adventure” and said she would be interested to try it one day.

Chase Fairly said the excursion was successful in bringing him closer to understanding the importance of slowing down and focusing on the essentials.

Fairly said his concentration and focus improved greatly without his distractions: cell phones, laptops and Facebook.

Despite his enjoyment, though, Fairly said he can’t continue living outside.

“For one thing I just wanted to try it out for a short amount of time,” Fairly said, “And for another, I started to smell bad.”

Because of his days outside, Fairly said he has a great appreciation now for taking tasks step-by-step. He is patient for summer vacation now, and said he regularly keeps a journal, something that has sparked from the experience. He said he feels more creative and restful. The hours in class don’t seem so tedious, and homework is more enjoyable.

Fairly said if students want to find a quiet place to unwind and get away from the stresses associated with exams and obligations, they should look to places close by.

“After all is said and done,” Fairly said. “The best place to cut loose is right outside of your door.”

This spring, Washington State University Extension and the Washington Department of Natural Resources will take their flagship Forest Stewardship Coached Planning course online as a series of live, interactive webinars.

Woodland owners in western Washington are invited to participate in this seven-week online course, which will run 6-9 pm Tuesdays, April 24-June 5.

Many people own forestland for the enjoyment, privacy and aesthetic beauty it provides. High taxes and expensive management costs can make it difficult to maintain healthy woodlands that are free of disease, insect and invasive-weed problems.

This class will help landowners identify ways to reduce taxes and other management costs and generate income by marketing locally grown forest products.

The class also will teach woodland owners how to assess their trees, avoid common problems and take practical steps to keep their forests on track to provide habitat and enjoyment for years to come.

Participants will develop their own personalized forest stewardship plan. With an approved stewardship plan comes state recognition as a Stewardship Forest, eligibility for cost-share assistance programs and qualification to become certified as a sustainable forest.

An approved stewardship plan also may qualify owners who meet minimum acreage requirements for significant property tax reductions.

The course includes seven evening webinars, admission to a Saturday field day this summer, a comprehensive forest stewardship notebook, property maps, aerial  individual on-site consultation at your property from a professional forester or wildlife biologist.

Registration information is available at http://bit.ly/H0BJ13 or by contacting Kevin Zobrist, WSU Extension Forester, at 425-357-6017. Registration is $200 and includes a set of materials that will be shipped to you. Class size is limited and is first come, first served.