This Tuscan Vase Art Wall Fountain itself is a great stress reliever, enhances the mind, inspires and promotes positive energy in any area f your home or work place. The placid beauty of this art wall fountain rejuvenates the individuals with stillness and comfort. The relaxing sounds of naturally flowing water attract friends and associates to take a seat and settle down for awhile, enjoying the sounds of nature in your home or office. The re-circulating water pump of the indoor water fountain maintains the flow of water and offer peace, tranquility and stress free after a long day at work. And it helps purify the air, humidify the surrounding and the air we breathe noticeably fresher with this water fountain.

The eminence of the craftsmanship is evident with Lexan materials used in this wall fountain. The fountain is created with durability, the plastic coated and cooper frame both for minimal maintenance. Easy to wall mount and rated for indoor use only.

This Tuscan Vase Art Indoor Wall fountain is concerned for your health in every way. Order now!

Tuscan Vase Art Wall Fountain | Water Fountain Experts

Feb 22, 2010Amanda Flanigan

Garden wall fountains can add a unique and attractive element to any landscape. the sound of the running water can be quiet soothing as well, and since they are mounted to a wall they require little space and are an ideal solution for those who have a limited garden area. with the vast array of styles and design available it is easy to find a garden wall fountain that fits your specific tastes and needs.

Like anything else, the fountain needs the proper care and maintenance to insure that it works properly. Following the simple tips below will help extend the life of the garden wall fountain and keep it operating correctly for many enjoyable years.

Routine Maintenance

Clean out the fountain. Debris can easily collect in and on the fountain. Remove any leaves, insects, twigs and other debris. this will help keep the look of your unit fresh and clean.

Check the fountain's water levels daily. Until you get the sense of have fast the water evaporates in your fountain, check the water daily and add fresh water when needed. Letting the water drop below the pump's intake level could easily cause the pump to burn out, damaging it beyond repair.

Sunlight and water combined is the perfect breeding ground for algae. to prevent the growth of algae add vinegar, hydrogen peroxide or sea salt to the water. Alternatively, bleach can be added to the water but it is not recommended because of the possible harm to animals.

Cleaning the Fountain

The garden wall fountain will need a thorough cleaning every three to four months. all the water must be drained before cleaning the fountain. once all the water has been removed, take a rag and with mild soap, wipe the inside of the water reservoir. using a toothbrush can help get into those small areas that a rag may miss. use this time to wipe down the whole unit including any decorations that are inside, on or around the fountain.

Make sure to completely rinse the fountain to insure the removal of any soap residue.

It is also a good idea to dissemble the pump and clean the inside to remove any algae or calcium build up. Removing the pump from the unit and letting it soak over night in vinegar can make it easier to clean calcium residue.

Using rain or distilled water is the best option for garden wall fountains because they do not contain chemicals that can build up in your fountain and pump.

Winter Care

When the temperature drops water can freeze and expand which could crack the fountain and cause harm to the pump. during those cold winter months, it is recommended to drain all water out of the fountain. Remove the pump and store inside. Dry the fountain completely and cover with a non-porous material. once the weather begins to warm you can enjoy the fountain once again.

Remember that taking the proper steps will extend the life of the garden wall fountain. if available, read the instruction manual that comes with the fountain. this will give you an idea of the recommended cleaning method for that specific unit.

ProsperityFountain.com: Water Fountain Care and Cleaning

SerenityHealth.com: Guide to Water Fountain Cleaning

Care and Maintenance of Garden Wall Fountains: How to Insure the ...

The Dubai Mall, the city's newest shopping and leisure destination, has opened The Waterfall, a spectacular water feature that offers a vantage meeting point for visitors to the mall. Adjacent to The Grove, a key component of The Dubai Mall, The Waterfall opens to views of Burj Dubai, the Dubai Fountain on the 30-acre Burj Dubai Lake and The Address, Downtown Burj Dubai.

The Waterfall runs through the entire height of the mall, traversing all four levels, and is adorned with art sculptures of human divers made of fiberglass to create a dynamic visual spectrum that complements the rhythmic flow of water.

The Waterfall comprises two cylindrical structures, 30 metres in diameter and 24 metres high, with an overhead reservoir feeding the recycled water. Well-lit in the night and reflecting sunlight by day, the cascading water feature also offers a unique branding platform for retailers.

Mr Yousif Al Ali, General Manager, The Dubai Mall, said: "As the flagship mall development of Emaar Malls Group, The Dubai Mall has evolved as a sought-after shopping and leisure destination. The Waterfall in the mall is a perfect complement to the Dubai Fountain, which is currently being developed on the adjacent Burj Dubai Lake. these highlight the historic preference of the region for aesthetic water features, and add to the appeal of the mall as a family destination."

Mr Al Ali explained: "The Waterfall has been specifically designed to give visitors significant extras that enhance the lifestyle experience. Along with Dubai Aquarium & Discovery Centre – one of the most popular leisure attractions in the mall – The Waterfall is poised to become a meeting point for families."

A choice of coffee shops and retail kiosks overlook The Waterfall, giving visitors a relaxing ambience to meet. several palm trees are also set up to replicate the ambience of a desert oasis, and various in-mall activities will be held around The Waterfall to sustain visitor interest.

The Dubai Mall already features two fountains at the Food Court area, which is a popular attraction. The Waterfall will further add to water-themed attractions that are particularly appealing for the visitors.

The Grove, the first of its kind shopping precinct with a fully retractable roof offering both indoor and outdoor options that suit ambient weather conditions, is closest to The Waterfall, and will offer several cafes and retail outlets.

Designed by Singapore-based DPA Architects, The Waterfall will be a gateway for several waterfront restaurants that are being planned along the Burj Dubai Lake, which will feature the Dubai Fountain, a world-class water, light and music spectacle, 900 ft (275 metres) in length, and about 25 per cent larger than The Bellagio Fountain in Las Vegas in area.

The Dubai Mall opened in November 2008 to strong visitor turnout, with Dubai Aquarium & Discovery Centre and Dubai Ice-Rink being crowd favourites. The mall will feature over 1,200 retail and 160 F&B outlets, most of which have already opened.

Sprawling over 12 million sq ft, with an internal floor area of 5.9 million sq ft and a gross leasable area of 3.77 million sq ft, The Dubai Mall will shortly also open the Fashion Avenue, a dedicated haute couture precinct with 70 signature stores; KidZania®, an 80,000 sq ft innovative children's ‘edu-tainment' concept; SEGA Republic®, a 76,000 sq ft high adrenaline indoor theme park; and a 22-screen cineplex, the largest in Dubai.

About Emaar Malls Group LLC

Emaar Malls Group LLC, is the retail and shopping mall subsidiary of Emaar Properties PJSC, a leading property developer based in Dubai, and drives its diversification into shopping malls. This is in line with Emaar's Vision 2010 to become one of the most valuable companies in the world. Emaar has announced investments in shopping malls of over US$4 billion (AED 15 billion) with 10 million sq ft of retail property in operation or under development in the emerging markets of the Middle East, North Africa, the Indian Subcontinent and South Asia and is on target to become one of the largest developers of shopping malls in the world.

At the forefront of these developments is the flagship The Dubai Mall, one of the world's largest malls in the heart of the Downtown Burj Dubai. Now open, The Dubai Mall is the region's premier shopping, lifestyle and entertainment destination. Emaar Malls Group also operates two other malls in Dubai; Souk Al Bahar, an Arabesque shopping and entertainment development on The Old Town Island, and Dubai Marina Mall, a lifestyle shopping mall for residents of the Dubai Marina community.

Internationally, Emaar Malls Group is actively planning or developing shopping centres in Egypt, Syria, Morocco, Turkey, Jordan and Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and continues to drive the company's expansion strategy on a global scale.

About Emaar Retail

Emaar Retail is a wholly owned subsidiary of Emaar Malls Group LLC and is the vehicle for all retail operations. Emaar Retail is developing a portfolio of brands in key growth markets and is strategically building new alliances, joint ventures, franchises and licenses for all mall developments under the Emaar Malls Group umbrella.

Emaar Retail also manages the business operations for The Dubai mall's leisure and entertainment brands including KidZania®, SEGA Republic®, the Olympic-sized ‘Dubai Ice Rink' and Dubai Aquarium & Discovery Centre. Emaar Retail has also entered into a joint-venture with Cathay Organisation in Singapore, to form Reel Entertainment to develop cinemas across the region including flagship 22-screen Cineplex at The Dubai Mall.

Emaar Retail was established to drive Emaar Malls Group's developments in key emerging markets across the Middle East, North Africa and the Indian Sub-Continent through creating the right retail mix for the various markets.

About Emaar Properties PJSC

Emaar Properties PJSC is one of the world's largest property development companies and is rapidly evolving to become a global provider of premier lifestyles. Emaar Properties, which has a strong presence in 36 global markets, has expanded into shopping malls in line with its Vision 2010 to become one of the most valuable companies in the world through a two-pronged approach of geographic expansion and business segmentation. For more information visit www.emaar.com.

For further information, please contact:
Kelly Home / Roisin Lillis
ASDA'A Burson-Marsteller
E-mail: k.home@asdaa.com, r.lillis@asdaa.com

The Dubai Mall opens The Waterfall, a spectacular - Dubai Chronicle

An indoor decorative fountain can turn even the most silent plus somber areas into more natural, soothing environments. They add a dimension of calm to rooms in homes and offices alike. Indoor fountains create airborne particles called negative ions. as you may remember from your high school chemistry class, a negative ion is a molecule which has lost 1 or extra electrons, plus therefore has a negative charge (As I said, you may remember . In this case, the negative ions in question are airborne water molecules created by the turbulence in an indoor copper fountain, and these negative ions may have some awfully positive effects. Indoor fountains vary from compact desktop styles, good for creating a relaxing working atmosphere, to large wall fountains which bring a welcoming sense of calm to the ambiance.

Indoor fountains have become terribly popular these days. Nowadays not solely do we come across water fountains at offices, hotels, restaurants and convention centers, but we have a tendency to get them at prized corners in individual residents as well. Indoor fountains can be placed in home offices where the calming result of the fountain can facilitate ease the struggles of latest ideas, studies, and ideas, serving to you to figure with these ideas instead of resisting them. Indoor fountains disperse added water into the air plus add an acceptable level of humidity to a room. They relieve your home and office of that dried out feeling.

See the Advantages Of Using Versatile Indoor Decorative Fountains

This may mean that you'll have to drive to the lake down the street from your home, or to a park in the city that is usually fairly quiet. if there's a room in your home, such as your bedroom or a home office where you can learn to meditate without having to cut your session short to make dinner or help a child with homework, this can help you to save a lot of time as well.

You may want to choose a meditation time that will put you in the house alone, such as when your spouse hasn't returned from work, or when your children are participating in sports or school-related activities.

You should learn to meditate in a room or space that will give you the freedom to get into a comfortable position, so that it will be easier for the blood to flow to different parts of your body. you can be sitting straight up when you start meditating, making sure that your breathing is even and rhythmic, then, as you begin to empty your mind of negative or stressful thoughts, you may want to lie on your back for the rest of the session.

You can begin by simply closing your eyes and thinking of something that makes you happy. try not to worry about the things that have stressed you out that day, or the tasks that are still left uncompleted. Once you have found the thoughts that give you peace and contentment, try keeping track of them in a meditation journal that you can keep with you all throughout the day when you're feeling stressed or down.

To create a serene meditative environment, you might want to consider getting a tabletop fountain or a wall fountain for your meditation location. a well placed tabletop fountain creates a very relaxing environment and helps you relieve your stress throughout the day. a tabletop fountain at your work desk can serve the purpose of quick stress breaks. Gazing at flowing water and hearing the trickling sounds of water stream can help you to calm down your senses and rejuvenate your mind.

Learn to Meditate - Easy Tips to Get you started With Meditation ...

On Feb. 19 as part of our Teeth Unit, a dental hygienist from the dental offices of Drs. Mancuso and Barsetti came to visit. she demonstrated proper brushing and flossing and kindergartners learned about how to keep our teeth healthy to prevent cavities.

Central Academy instructor Jeff Hepburn and several Central Academy students provided exciting demonstrations to Hanwalt scientists.

The results of the fourth- and fifth-grade science fair are as follows: Fourth grade - Scientific Method Division: Katie Baumert and Jariah Hannible, first place, dissolving eggshells; Rabsa Naseer and Kylie Sly, second place, earthquake; Aydin Baschich and Conor Quinn, third place, the 3 laws. Honorable mention went to Wyatt Johnson and Sean Anderson, oil spills; Amber Bormann and Grace Steffenson, plants; and Garrison Starkey and Danny Kramer, volcanoes. Scientific Topic Division: will Nigut and Sam Knoshaug, first, submarine fins; Ben Stone, second, mold; Sam Bruner and Isaac Anderson, third, soda fountain; Erik Ingebretsen, honorable mention, sonoluminescence. Fifth-grade - Scientific Method Division: will Myers, first, earthquakes; Olivia Griffin, second, corn starch; Jacob Thompson, third, trebuchet; Emma Carlson, honorable mention, water and sun. Scientific Topic Division: Anne Beeman, first, pendulum; Alle Brown-Law and Elaine Greiner, second, man vs. animal; Miranda Gruber, third, going green; Tom and Sam Nordmeyer, honorable mention, airplanes.

Third-graders are learning about clay in art class while creating clay fish whistles. They are expanding their knowledge of sculptures and how materials can change when they are put under a great amount of heat. By the end of this art project students will be "whistling while they work."

During February, students raised money for Pennies for Patients to be donated to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. the fundraiser kicked off with an assembly to help inform students of what we are doing and who we are helping by donating. Students saw pictures in the front hallway of patients being helped. Jackson raised more than $450 with a week left. a toy sale also was planned.

First-graders are having a lot of fun in science and math. They have been exploring the differences between pebbles, sand and silt. did you know that silt is the smallest one of those? They have also been discovering what makes things balance and move. in math, they have been using different size feet to measure lengths of items. They have used their own, baby, and basketball player steps. Even having different answers, the measurement can be right if we are careful.

Students attended a PBS Olympics Opening Ceremony on Feb. 12. PBS is the Positive Behavior Supports program used in the school to help children manage behavior. each classroom designed its own flag and carried it into the ceremony. Children were retaught school wide expectations and told how they could earn gold, silver and bronze medals for their class. the two-week Olympic theme was being used to help students remember the South Union ABC's; always be Responsible, be Respectful, Care.

Third-graders are learning multiplication and division in math. They are ready to begin our study of communities in social studies.

Second-graders have been studying biographies during Black History month. They learned that Rosa Parks wasn't just tired she was "tired of giving in." With this they have learned how to write character sketches, focusing on what people say and what they do.

In February kindergarten students honored our presidents. They learned about money and the heads of the presidents on each coin. They wrote stories, created beautiful art pieces of Abraham Lincoln and George Washington, made log cabin houses and three-cornered hats.

During social studies students are studying various countries around the world. They are learning about customs, traditions, and national flags. the students will explore maps of these countries to develop their map skills. They will also sample different foods commonly found in these countries.

Middle Schools

Several art students had work shown at the State Historical Center in a recent exhibit of student generated work. Two dimensional art was entered by Marit Simmons, 6th grade; Chase Jackman 6th grade; Clare Baker 7th grade; and Bradley Rhein, 7th grade. Eighth-graders Cianna Rothwell, Megan Hopkins and Aden Finkelstein presented three-dimensional work.

High Schools

Instrumental students participated in the Perry Band Olympics Solo/Ensemble contest on Feb. 20. Twenty-two Division I (Superior) ratings, ten Division II (Excellent), and one Division III (Good) ratings were earned in the 33 total events. Receiving top five solo medals were Jewels Hyden (Bass Clarinet), Steven Best (Alto Sax), Torie Dotts (Multi Percussion), Caleb Peterson (Trumpet), Matt Rogowski (Multi Percussion), and Danny Folkers (Multi Percussion).

Parent Conferences will be 4 to 8 p.m. March 10 and 12:15 to 3 p.m. and 4 to 8 p.m. March 11 in the Lincoln Main Roundhouse. Classes do not meet on March 11 and 12. Spring Break is March 15-19.

Fierce is the theme for the East High 2010 Fashion show. the show will be May 11 in the East High Auditorium. Directors of the show are Breonna Carroll, Yesenia Vargas, Rene Reynolds and Misty Black. the Fashion show is done by the Fashion and Sewing Technology classes at East High.

The following are Students of the Month for the month of February: Foods I - Sopheavy Bunhoeun; Fashion Runway - Leanna Thun, Amber Knox, McKenzie Whittington; Sewing Tech - Misty Black; Foods II - James Illingworth, Josue Marquez; Personal Development and Health - Pi Knight Hem; Adult Living Skills, Vanessa Contreras-Colunga; Relationship -Taylor Carlisle.

Other Des Moines High Schools

The spring musical, "Little Shop of Horrors," will be April 29 through May 1 at 7:30 p.m. Tickets will be available at the door and range from $4-$8. the cast features sophomore Jay Jacobson as "Seymour", senior Allison O'Braza as "Audrey", sophomore Logun Buckley as "Mr. Mushnik," sophomore Sean Carnahan as "Orin Scrivello" and sophomore Nick Clark as the voice of "Audrey II." be sure to check out this hilarious musical comedy.

Hoover High School is presenting our traditional Diversity Assembly on March 5. Students will be performing traditional songs, dances and skits from many different countries around the world.

Citywide Schools

Students have been celebrating Chinese New Year in many ways. the children made masks, dragon windsocks and the Chinese calendar. Students discussed the WuFu sign which has five bats drawn in a circle with their wing tips touching. It means long life, good luck, wealth, health and happiness. the color is red, the color of good luck in China. the flag of China is displayed in the classrooms for children to study.

Students are learning what the Olympic rings look like and represent. Students have been discussing the sports in the Olympics and how hard the athletes practice to be so good. Comparisons are made to school as we have to do things over and over to learn them well.

Students are discussing the vision of a young Native American boy, named Black Elk. When Black Elk was ill, he had a vision of two roads intersecting where all people walked the Road of Peace (red road) by taking care of themselves, their friends, and the Earth. Black Elk's vision also saw a black road of difficulties that all people sometimes walk. Students listen to the story and role play taking the walk. Classrooms have a table top and floor model for the children to set up including the roads, tree, flowers, and birds.

Upper-level students have completed a study of gravity in physics. They are currently working on friction and next week, will begin simple machines.

The South Region hosted a family night on Feb. 18. each school in the south region was invited to share something special about their school. Three of our 9- and 10-year-old children developed a PowerPoint about how children at the Downtown School have opportunities to address the DMPS Graduate Ends Statements. They included their interpretation of these statements in their presentation. They also included photographs of children at all age levels participating in many learning activities.

Kindergartners have been anticipating the 100th day of school and it finally arrived. Students enjoyed a variety of activities emphasizing the concept of 100. among those activities were decorating T-shirts with 100 items, writing projects involving 100, singing 100th Day songs, bringing collections of 100 items, exercising in sets of 10 to reach 100, counting by twos, fives, and 10s to reach 100, flipping a coin 100 times and recording heads or tails, making a 100th Day sticker book by grouping 100 small stickers in groups of fives and 10s, filling a paper with 100 boxes using words from our room, and decorating a cupcake with 100 written in the frosting.

Second-grade students in Reader's Theatre will be performing their plays today for family and friends in the library after school. They have been working for eight weeks on activities to build their reading fluency and are ending with 3 plays to present to others showing their success.

On Feb. 12 students participated in Jump Rope 4 Heart. the students jumped to their hearts' content and raised more than $600 for the American Heart Association.

The Smouse Knights of the Week traveling trophy went to Jim Merkwan's classroom for demonstrating excellent cafeteria expectations for the week of Feb. 8 and to Katie Lombard's classroom for demonstrating responsible bathroom expectations for the week of Feb. 15.

Reading students are giving persuasive speeches about their favorite book in an effort to convince others to want to read it.

The Central Academy math team raised $1,652.40 in donations to the Red Cross after participating in the recent Iowa State University math contest. much like a bowl-a-thon, the students asked donors for either a fixed donation or a donation per point they would score at the contest. not only did 43 Central Academy math students qualify for the state math championship, but they raised a notable amount for the Red Cross relief in Haiti.

Graphic Communication students of Instructors Jeff Bock and Tim Rice are currently plating business cards in preparation for printing. They are also designing a full color postcard and designing T-shirts for the Graphic Communication program as well as for the upcoming May Fashion show featuring Fashion Design and Merchandising student collections.

Commercial Photography students of instructor Denise Wicker are preparing for their spring break trip to Italy. They will photograph the cultural and physical geography of Venice, Florence, Rome, Assisi and Pompei from March 13-22. Fifteen students and six adults will attend.

On Feb. 16 students went to Ankeny. in the morning they visited the John Deere plant. in addition to learning some of the history of the plant, students saw machining, welding, assembling and painting of implements. This plant's two main product lines are sprayers and cotton pickers. in one area of the plant, plastic tanks were being made. the noon destination was DMACC Ankeny campus. Students enjoyed lunch and got an overview of programs and facilities. After lunch students toured the tool and die making program. Students learned about tool and die making as an occupation and about opportunities such as the Accumold Scholars program.

Future Pathways will be holding conferences on March 9-11. over spring break, the program will be open a portion of the day.

This is an exciting and busy semester for high school classes. Students continue to write poetry for their upcoming poetry book, "United together." They are also engaged in a project-based learning activity with the driving question: "How can we, as Circle of Courage Students, proactively respond to intolerance and bullying on our school campus by identifying and studying intolerance, hatred, and bigotry throughout history and literature? "Students are keeping weekly journals of acts of bullying experienced on our campus. Weekly discussions address these incidents as well as the role of becoming a pro-activist against bullying. Application to witnessing intolerance or bullying at school addresses the student's role as a pro-activist: What is your role? What can you do on this campus? What might you have said or done at the time of witnessing the intolerance? What difference would it have made to the situation? What difference would it have made in you? If you confront the same situation again, what will you do? What will you say? the teachings of Rosa Parks, Martin Luther King and Mahatma Gandhi are being used as examples of what a pro-activist can do when bullying, hatred, discrimination, and intolerance occur.

The students from Gina Martin's and Deb Vogel's rooms studied current events during their technology literacy unit. They used reading, social skills, math, communication and physical education throughout the week to learn about the Winter Olympics. They were given a chance to use a digital camera to take pictures and computer to print them out. we learned new vocabulary words through the use of an interactive book and the smart board. the students used their communication devices, micro-switches, and PODD books to answer questions and comment on the Olympics and math graph. the last day was spent participating in a mock Olympics with students from Dorr's, Santangelo's, Nordaker's, Hefty's and Glass's classrooms. the students competed in Curling, Skating and Hockey. the event was fun and students practiced their social skills by taking turns, working as a team and waiting. at the end of the event, students were presented with medals as they stood on podiums.

RVM received a $10,000 grant from Prairie Meadows to help pa for Video-Modeling Project video equipment and a consultant to help develop instructional plans using the new technology. the goals revolve around making students more independent in social situations. Teachers and support staff involved in the project have been attending conferences, reading research, identifying students who could benefit from a video-model strategy, and developing videos to help instruct students in social skills. the technology and consultation services purchased with the Prairie Meadows money will help us reach our goals.

The Open Arts program is driven by a Community-Based Learning philosophy. one of our projects this winter is for Judge Celeste Bremer. she and her colleagues are collecting books to provide for children who are visiting relations at the new jail north of Des Moines. our community artists created panels of trees to surround the bookshelves, making an inviting corner in the visitor's area. Children may enjoy books there or take one home "for keeps" every time they visit. we are currently outlining tool walls at the Des Moines Bicycle Collective. Carl Voss says it will help them stay organized.

Scavo is in its second year of having students participate in the Dream Team, RAGBRAI's official student team of student riders. last year, Ben Rawlins completed the grueling six-month training and completed the entire ride across the state of Iowa. This year, six students have committed to the program. Ben returned as a second-year rider. we also added Joey Bemisdarfer, Mariah Legg, Nayron Monk, John Ring and Katy Markham. They've started their indoor training and will start outdoor training in March. we will also give them extra support and the opportunity to earn elective credit by participating in Bookin' on Bikes.

Private Schools

The preschoolers at Christ the King have been busy singing and memorizing poetry for a winter concert. the children performed five songs and three poems. They spent several class periods learning their pieces as well as adding movements and instruments to their performance. It was clear a few of the class favorites were the poem "Pet Snowball" and songs "Down in My Heart" from "Veggie Tales" as well as "Mele-Kalikimaka" from Bing Crosby. at the concert parents learned more about the kindergarten program at Christ the King and enjoyed refreshments afterward.

Congratulations to DMC senior David Carlson, who bowled a perfect 300 game on Feb. 14 at the Greater Iowa Scholarship Bowling Tour in Muscatine. David also bowled well in substate competition on Feb. 20 in Des Moines.

Congratulations to junior Jess South for his fifth-place finish in the Iowa State Wrestling Championships in the 215-pound weight class for Urbandale High School.

Congratulations to eighth-grader Luke Bruflat for placing first, fifth-grader Braeden Trinder for placing second, and sixth-grader Caroline Jones for placing third in the Association of Christian Schools International spelling bee on Feb. 19 in Eldridge.

Congratulations on the first-place finish of both the junior high show choir (Destination Excellence) and high school show choir (Light, Inc.) at the Indianola show Choir competition on Feb. 20.

The second-grade music presentation will be held today in the elementary music room at 3:45 p.m.

On March 5, the junior high and high school jazz bands will compete at the Hooverfest Jazz Festival.

The Parent-Teacher Fellowship executive committee will meet on March 8.

On March 10, the first-grade classes of Allison Scherer, Charlene Brown and Pam Wilson will present the elementary chapel.

The first-grade music presentation will be held on March 11 in the elementary music room at 3:45 p.m.

Congratulations to the DCHS 15U Mac Elite volleyball team, which recently won its last two tournaments in Pella and Johnston.

The Dowling 4-Hers will be holding a blanket drive for the Domestic Violence Center through March 5. as this has been an especially cold and snowy winter, the families at the Domestic Violence Center are in great need of new or gently used blankets. a collection box will be located in both the attendance office and Room 803. please help out all of those families in need by bringing in a new or gently used blanket.

Dowling Catholic High School's Students for Life Club's annual Skate for Life Fundraiser is planned for March 7 at Brenton Skate Plaza, 520 Robert D Ray Drive in Des Moines, from 5-8 p.m. Minimum donation is $7/person. Families of four or more: $25. Skate rental is $1.

Parents, alumni, friends and family, save the date for the annual DCHS Parents' Guild-sponsored auction La Dolce Vita on April 10.

Congratulations to Dowling Catholic coach Jim Williams, who received the Central Iowa Sports Lifetime Achievement Award recently at Prairie Meadows. in addition, congratulations to Miranda Leek, who was nominated for the Female Athlete of the Year award for her national and world archery achievements. And finally, congrats to the girls' cross-country team, who won the team of the year award; and to Katie Flood, who won the Central Iowa Sports female athlete of the year award.

The first district Special Olympics meet is April 14. the state meet is May 21. Approximately 85 Dowling Catholic students will coach athletes during this annual event.

On March 1, DCHS presented proceeds from the school's recent Haitian Relief fundraisers to Bishop Richard Pates and the Diocese of Des Moines. DCHS raised $10,000 to contribute to the relief efforts.

Recently, Dowling Catholic's People to People officers gave presentations to the Theology classes on this year's Lenten Almsgiving project Working with Break the Cycle of Hunger.

Holy Trinity School eighth-grade students just completed a sculpture unit. They created shoe sculptures out of brown grocery sacks. They first did a study of their own shoe in a pencil drawing and then began creating their sculpture. the students had many challenges. how do you make a paper bag transform into a shoe? What is craftsmanship? how do I get the paper to form the way I want it to? how can I show texture? When the students were finished, they shared some thoughts: "I didn't think I would be able to do it." "That was hard but fun!" "That was my favorite unit so far."

Third-grade science students are studying growth and change in animals. one of the activities we have been learning about is the life cycle of the mealworm. over the past several weeks we have been monitoring the changes and keeping a record in an observation log. Students have been eager to see the metamorphosis of the mealworms to beetles.

Students in Holy Trinity's fourth and sixth grades have been participating in a guidance unit called Student Workshop: Respect, It Starts With you. the goal of this unit is to impress upon students that they are responsible for their own behavior, that respect starts with them. It teaches that we all have an obligation to treat others the way that we want to be treated. the material helps students to distinguish between behavior that is respectful and behavior that is disrespectful in regard to other people's feelings, individual differences, the rules we live by, as well as their own self respect. other areas of focus are respect for differences in interests and abilities, respecting other cultures and religions, and gender issues.

Fourth-grade students spent Feb. 23 at the State Historical Building. Students attended workshops facilitated by artists from all over Asia and of Asian heritage. each artist told a story about cultural practices and values from the varying societies. in many workshops students created cultural art pieces that are used in traditional New Year celebrations.

In middle school social studies the sixth-grade students are studying East Africa, Kilimanjaro and the Serengeti. Seventh-grade is working its way down South America, exploring the Amazon River basin and the different cultures. Eighth-grade is dissecting the Constitution as we are learning the responsibilities of citizenship.

Student council is learning about leadership by listening to different speakers that are leaders in our community. we will be hearing from our administrators, Audra Meyer and Beth Happe, at our next meeting. our council is also ordering student council T-shirts and organizing a charity walk and food collection during Lent.

On March 3, the sixth-graders attended a Vocations Awareness Day. the presenters included priests, deacons, professed women and men and Bishop Richard Pates. It was wonderful opportunity for students to better understand what it means to have a religious vocation.

Holy Trinity students who attend the child care program, Kids Connection, had a fun time painting when What-A-Dish pottery visited. Kids Connection offers a wide variety of field trips and special events while students attend during vacation and no-school days.

An emperor penguin visited Holy Trinity Preschool. the 4-year-olds met the penguin and discovered who was taller, the same height or shorter than the emperor penguin. we loved having the emperor penguin visit.

Iowa Christian Academy

New for 2010-11, ICA is expanding its preschool program. ICA is pleased to now offer an optional four-day, 4-year-old preschool program, and a five-day kinderprep program. an optional Friday afternoon class was added for both groups. ICA also offers a three-day program for 4-year-olds and a two-day program for 3-year-olds. For more information about ICA's early education center, please call 221-3999.

ICA is proud to announce the results of the Association of Christian Schools International spelling bee, held Feb. 19 in Eldridge at Heritage Christian Academy: First-grader Taylor Williamson placed fourth; second-grader Zach Dueker placed second; third-grader Collin Schroeder placed fourth; fourth-grader Samantha Moon placed first; fifth-grader Kayla Schut placed fourth; sixth-grader Wyatt Beatty placed second; seventh-grader Gabriel Gonzalez placed first; eighth-grader Stephanie Traynor placed fourth.

Don't miss ICA's fun night. This year's theme is around the World at ICA. come ride oversize trikes at the Tour de France, Sumo wrestle teachers and staff or a friend in Japan, bid on a trip to Jamaica ... Iowa, and much, much, more. the date is March 5. Pizza will be served in Italy from 5:30-6:30 p.m. with games from all over the world from 6-8 p.m. Tickets are on sale at the school, 2501 Vine St. in West Des Moines. Don't miss out on this world-class event.

Preschoolers celebrated Presidents Day with a parade. They also learned about the presidents on their bulletin board.

Sacred Heart School began a new student mentor program, pairing students in grades K-5 with students in grades 6-8. the students meet once each month and do a variety of activities in and around the school. the February mentor activity focused on service. Students wrote and delivered thank-you cards to school staff. Thank you notes were created and delivered to the school janitor, secretaries, kitchen staff, nurse, after-school program director and the administrators. Additionally, students read books to the preschool students. all students involved really seemed to enjoy the activity.

The following students from Sacred Heart received the top rating for their participation at the Perry Band Olympics held Feb. 20, at Perry High School: Conor O'Halloran, snare drum solo; David Herzog, trombone solo; Jackson Ingle, tenor sax solo; Giselle Gamez, clarinet solo; Samantha Rabang, clarinet solo; Natalie Wodniak, trumpet solo, brass duet, and brass choir; Samantha Rabang and Giselle Gamez, clarinet duet; Jackson Ingle and David Herzog, trombone and tenor sax duet; Dlyan Thomas, brass duet and brass choir; Bridget Albaugh, snare drum duet. Special congratulations to Dylan Thomas, who was awarded first place for his duet with his older brother Jordan in the unlike Duet Category.

The St. Augustin Catholic Middle School is proud to present Meredith Willson's "The Music Man" on March 9-10. Matinees will be held each day at 9 a.m. Evening performances start at 7:30 p.m. Ticket prices are $5 for adults, $3 for high school students and $2 for students K-8. all performances will be held in the school gymnasium, 4320 Grand Ave.

Congratulations to the St. Augustin sixth-grade basketball team. It placed second in the 2009-10 regular season and third in the tournament. Team members are Allison Carmody, Ksusha Vickery, Anne Simmons, Morgan Smith, Louise Jenson, Samantha Savala, Meagan Halliwell, Hannah Frame, Ali Strittmatter, and Margaret Engel. a special thank you to coaches Ted Engel and Amy Simmons.

The first-, second- and third-graders are preparing for the English and Spanish spelling bees that will take place on March 9 in the Parish Hall beginning at 5:45 p.m. Students who will compete have been chosen and continue to prepare for the competition. everyone is invited to attend and offer support to the participants.

The students in third-grade have been researching the planets of the solar system. each chose a planet and made a PowerPoint with facts and pictures of the planet. we presented them to each other on the Smart Board.

We entered a dental health poster contest for third-grade students. the theme was For a Sparkly Smile, Remember to Brush and Floss Every Day. we welcomed an ISU practicum student to our room. she will be with us twice a week for five weeks. Her focus is reading, writing and science.

Every School Every Thursday - Des Moines South

Imagine being the person who has the job of watering the 4,000 hydration-loving blooms on display at Longwood Gardens' annual Orchid Extravaganza.

With snow, you just move it out of the way and let Mother Nature do her thing to melt it and send it bye-bye.

The orchids don't play nearly as nice, says Lee Alyanakian, Longwood's senior gardener and lead orchid grower.

She points to one of the show's centerpiece features, the orchid curtain in the fern room, as an example.

The curtain itself features 350 purple phalaenopsis orchids massed around a diamond of green philodendron plants. but you can't just switch on a hose and spray them down.

"They're two different types of plants," she says. "They take a different kind of watering."

The orchids want more, more, more. The philodendrons are more modest drinkers.

Longwood solves the problem by giving each plant its own drip tube.

Otherwise, she says, "You would be watering one and killing the other."

Longwood's orchid show isn't the only one at big gardens in the region. The United States Botanic Garden in Washington offers "Orchids! A Cultural Odyssey" through April 11. The new York Botanical Garden offers "The Orchid Show: Cuba in Flowers," also through April 11.

But Longwood is the only garden to end its orchid show with a bang: The International Orchid Show and Sale, featuring plants and juried exhibits from the American Orchid Society, March 26 through 28.

Orchid shows are popular for a simple reason: January through April is the orchids' natural blooming cycle, Alyanakian says.

The shows also help fill a void between the spectacle of Christmas and the dazzling blooms of spring and summer shows, such as Longwood's upcoming "Making Scents: The Art and Passion of Fragrance."

The show, beginning April 10, explores the art, science and mystery of making fragrances. A giant 18-foot wrought iron perfume bottle at the entrance to the orchid show is meant to remind visitors of the fragrance show.

It's orchids' time to shine

Pumps are available in both submersible and external (out-of-pond) models. for the smaller pond (up to 1000 gallons of water), a submersible pump is the more economical and practical option. Submersible pumps can be placed directly in the pond and require relatively little installation. They are free of distracting noise, and for smaller ponds, can easily be utilized to drain your pond (if you hook up a hose to the output flow).

In the old days, the main disadvantage of submersible pumps was that the pump seal could rupture and release oil coolant into the water. however, this is not the case nowadays, because newer p
umps are magnetic-driven, and no longer require coolant.

Tags: backyard, garden, gardensupermart, gerry, proper, pumps, selecting, water, wwwbuypondcom

Selecting the Proper Pump for your Backyard Water Garden Fea ...

Yet even during last week's unseasonably warm afternoons, there weren't many people. and unlike last year, there will be no active management of the plaza.

Halfway through a two-year agreement, the Tacoma-Pierce County Chamber abandoned its license with the City of Tacoma to manage the plaza. On Jan. 29, the Chamber notified the city of its "want and need" to terminate the agreement, which was set to expire in December.

The Chamber's pull-out is the latest blow for the feature that promised to be downtown's living room. Trouble is, the public space has yet to find its public.

Still, some hope that removing a formal management structure – and accompanying fees – from the square will allow more activity and events.

The contract was signed in August 2008 and took effect in December 2008.

At the time, a news release touted the deal: "Tollefson Plaza will tie together a multitude of interests into one hub of activity." The Chamber's Web site for the space proclaimed, "Tacoma's City Center has a heart – Tollefson Plaza."

Under the agreement, the city was responsible for major maintenance and repairs. The Chamber handled management, marketing and a Web site. The Chamber's management was to be funded through fees, sponsorships and fundraising.

The contract called for the Chamber to program the space with, at a minimum, 12 Friday outdoor lunch markets; six public movie nights; an annual Christmas tree lighting; an annual new Year's Eve celebration; an Easter egg hunt; a Halloween and fall festival; five car club and collectors shows; and five recurring art marts and outdoor galleries.

The Chamber said it programmed 14 events in the plaza. Additionally, there were 10 community-organized events that used the plaza, such as Metal-Urge and the Tacoma City Marathon.

But the Chamber's plans for a self-supporting space fell victim to the economy and the limits of the space itself.

For one, the first $10,000 sponsor of the plaza – Rainier Pacific bank – went under with the banking crisis. The state Department of Financial Institutions closed Rainier Pacific on Feb. 26, after the bank had reported a net loss of $69.9 million in 2009.

"The world changed from an economic standpoint in the last two years," said Chamber President and CEO David Graybill. "Our initial indications were foundations and corporate sponsors would be willing to underwrite and sponsor events. as most folks are aware, the opportunity to garner those types of funds have substantially dried up."

In December, after a year of managing the plaza, the Chamber detailed its financial situation to the city.

From September 2008 to Dec. 15, 2009, the Chamber reported a net loss of $14,359.

"We got zero out of it," Graybill said in an interview.

He cited drawbacks such as parking, loading and electrical supply, as well as a lack of restrooms and weather covering.

"We learned a lot of lessons here in the last year and a half about the drawbacks of the site, from a design standpoint," Graybill said. "In many respects, the site is simply not welcoming. The city and others of us will need to come to grips with what's needed to make that site fully ready for the type of life we'd like to bring to it."

The plaza management contract says the city must give nine months' notice and pay expenses to the Chamber if the city ended the deal early. The contract has no such stipulations if the Chamber backed out.

"We know it's a difficult space," city spokesman Rob McNair-Huff said. "Unfortunately, making some of the physical changes is tough to do in the current economy."

As far as what comes next for Tollefson Plaza, Graybill and McNair-Huff both used the term "passive management."

That might come as good news to some who want to schedule events in the plaza.

A permit application fee through the City Clerk's Office costs just $20, compared with the Chamber's rates of $300 to $1,200 for use of the full upper and lower plaza.

"It's good because it appears they weren't up for the task," said Tacoma artist Lynn Di Nino, who had been a vocal critic of the Chamber's management. Di Nino said the Chamber management wasn't connected to the community, such as through a Tacoma art e-mail group.

"If you're an artist like me trying to reach a lot of people, it's a fabulous way to organize things," Di Nino said. "When you have a contract to organize events, and I'd say a large part of those should be art events, and you're not in communication with the arts community at all, how can you organize anything?"

As an architect, David Boe has written critically of the plaza's design. Now that he's on the Tacoma City Council, he might be in a position to help shape its future.

Boe noted in an e-mail that Mayor Marilyn Strickland "has made it a strong point at the Economic Development Committee that some modification(s) to Tollefson Plaza needs to occur if only to make it a more pleasant place to be (regardless if the space is programmed or not) – though there is not funding allocated for it presently.

"In the meantime, I am going to be looking at options with staff for a more informal and creative use of the space, in situ so to speak, by interested community groups/artists for some ‘activation' this summer."

A Tollefson Plaza update is on the agenda for Tuesday's meeting of the City Council's Economic Development Committee.

Cole Cosgrove: 253-597-8267

cole.cosgrove@thenewstribune.com

Tollefson Plaza Management

In its management of downtown Tacoma's Tollefson Plaza, the Tacoma-Pierce County Chamber reported a net loss of $14,359 from September 2008 through Dec. 15, 2009.

REVENUE

General sponsorship: $20,000

Event sponsorship: $3,500

Rental registration: $1,225

Total revenue: $24,725

EXPENSES

Salary, benefit and taxes: $15,015

Equipment rental: $7,349

Office supplies: $1,789

Printing: $475

Entertainment: $3,700

Professional services: $8,356

Miscellaneous: $2,400

Total expenses: $39,084

–––––––––––––––––––––––––

Net loss: $14,359

Tacoma looks for renewal at Tollefson

World heptathlon champion Jessica Ennis will have to beat the Olympic top three if she is to win the World Indoor pentathlon title in Doha - and the 40,000 dollars first prize.

World champion and ambassador: Jessica Ennis

But the 24-year-old Sheffield all-rounder is confident she can add the crown to her list of honours despite Nataliya Dobrynska, Hyleas Fountain and Tatyana Chernova all against her in the one-day, five-event programme in Doha.

The clash of the big four is one of the highlights of the three-day programme and Ennis will be looking to maintain her great form.

An impressive January featured a number of world-class performances, especially
a UK 60 metres hurdles record when she beat reigning world indoor champion Lolo
Jones in Glasgow - and she was ecstatic after adding two centimetres to her high jump best before suffering a foot injury.

She was worried she might miss out on Doha as she had missed out on the Olympics but revealed: 'Although it felt nothing like the injury I had before, it is always worrying when I have anything in that foot because I know the trouble I have had with it
in the past.

'It is always going to make you panic a bit, and worry and think the worst. that is why I was adamant about getting a scan as soon as possible to find out what was going on in the foot.

'When I did, it was a massive relief. it showed a minimal strain. I made the decision to reduce the high impact training.

'Then I had another scan that showed it had improved a lot and I was able to increase back into full training.'

She added: 'It is not the preparation I had planned as I wanted to compete a little bit more before Doha and continue with training a little bit more.

'I have been running flat out, hurdling and jumping. I don't think I have lost any fitness. The way I was performing before I had this foot niggle I was in great shape and I have only backed off high-intensity training for a week and a half.

New high jump best: but Jessica Ennis injured her foot soon afterwards

'I am happy and ready to go to Doha. People will be expecting me to do really well and I know that I am in good shape and I have my own realistic goals.

'I know the way training has been going and I have set myself targets for each event and hopefully I can achieve those.'

Ennis is patron of the Wells Sports Foundation, set up by millionaire sports lover Barrie Wells, that is not only helping 15 elite British athletes in the run-up to the London 2012 Olympics but is also offering a grassroots Sports Grants scheme.

Sports clubs across the UK can apply for grants between 500 and 2,000 to help aid them in their own development with the Foundation's primary objective to encourage greater participation in sport at grassroots level while creating lasting legacy.

Ennis and Wells keep in regular contact and she texts him with regular updates of her progress and she will be acting as a mentor to youngsters around the country when the Sporting Ambassador scheme launches later this month.

Sports clubs and organisations can apply for grants now with details available at www.wellssportsfoundation.org

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Jessica Ennis sets her sights on $40000 Doha jackpot while helping to direct ...