Spring Home Edition

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Page 8 - 2010 Spring Home Improvement, Lawn & Garden

REMEMBER Shop Local!

TIMOTHY CANNAVA 30 Years Experience Outdoor Projects & Maintenance Spring Cleanup • Stone Mason Retaining Walls • Patios Driveways • Sidewalks Drainage

(513) 646-5383

“A Great Place To Learn”

O D D

Full or Part-Time Classes

Grant Career Center P A G E S

www.grantcareer.com

734-6222

Come To Us For Your Graduation Parties! Call For Information Ask About Our Party Menu! Great For Takeout! Open Daily at 11:00 a.m.

1166 US 68, Maysville, Ky. 41056

606-564-9275 www.tavernrestaurantgroup.com Remember Your Gift Giving with deSha’s Gift Cards

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A Special Supplement to

The Brown County Press, Sun Publishing Company

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Page 2 - 2010 Spring Home Improvement, Lawn & Garden

Trester Auto Parts 995 Highway 28 (1 mile north of 275) Milford, Ohio PHONE:

2010 Spring Home Improvement, Lawn & Garden - Page 7

Top Home-repair blunders to avoid • Accepting the lowest bid. Smart homeowners shop around for everything - including work done on their home. But accepting the lowest bid right off the bat to save money may cost you more in the long run. A low bid certainly may be a great deal. But generally it could be a sign of an inexperienced contractor, or one who plans to use subpar materials or skimp on the job. Contractors will have similar prices. Shop based on experience and recommendations, not price alone.

Beam-Fender Funeral Home Licensed Directors:

Robert R. Fender - Marguerite A. Fender Robert R. Fender Jr.

Pre-Need Available No Distance Too Far, Or Time Too Late

(513) 831-9141

Sardinia, OH

446-2670 We Offer A FULL DINNER MENU Plus Hot Sandwiches, Burgers & Fries, Homemade Soup & Daily Specials We serve Hershey’s Premium Ice Cream

& CATERING

*Catering for small to large groups and informal parties*

“OPEN 7 DAYS A WEEK” Tara Davis Proprietor - (937) 392-1300

AUTO HOME BUSINESS BONDS

Call us for all your insurance needs 122 Water Street, Milford, OH

513-831-7900 • www.lovins-ins.com

8 N. Front St., Ripley, OH

CRAIG’S HOME IMPROVEMENT, INC. Vinyl Siding • Soffits • Metal Leaf Relief Gutter Guards Full Insured • FREE Estimates Member of BBB Member of Builders Association Member of Brown County Chamber of Commerce

(937) 446-2780 • (513) 967-2319

www.clermontsun.com

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www.craigshomeimprovements.com

Revitalize Your Lawn After a Long Winter DENNIS SMITH BARNS Every spring, homeowners head outside to take stock of how the winter treated their lawn. Homeowners in areas that experience heavy snow or rainfall each winter likely do not look forward to this inventory, fearful of what another harsh winter did to their property. Fallen tree branches, frozen ground and winter wind storms can do a number on even the most well-manicured lawns, turning a summertime labor of love into a nightmare. While homeowners might not be able to do anything about the weather, there are ways to revitalize a lawn each spring. And you don't have to be an accomplished landscaper to handle the task. The following tips can help bring your luscious lawn back to life, helping make winter a distant memory. * Remove all debris from your yard. Debris includes any trash in the yard, wood, large roots, fallen branches, and even stones. The presence of trash such as broken glass or even faded paper products such as cups or bags is not only unsafe for the environment, but it can prove harmful to anyone who might be out in the yard once your grass grows, especially if you have children. Oftentimes, winter winds can blow trash from nearby garbage cans across the yard, no matter how neatly homeowners put out their trash. • Smooth the soil. Once all debris been removed, examine the soil for any abnormalities that might need to be smoothed out. Use a spade or rake to smooth any areas that aren't up to par. Next you'll want to loosen the soil as well, something that can be done with a garden rake. Any unsightly areas, such as humps or ditches, should either be smoothed out or filled in, depending on which is appropriate. This can be done with some soil and should not prove too costly. • Consider seeding the lawn if need be. For lawns that took a particularly harsh beating over the winter, consider seeding the lawn to help revitalize it. When seeding a lawn, be sure you choose the right seeds. Different regions respond better to different types of grass. But don't be intimidated if you don't know the correct grass to choose. Simply ask a landscaper or consult a lawn care specialist at a nearby home improvement center as to which type of grass is the best fit your region and your yard.

When you're read to seed, the seed can be scattered by hand for smaller yards, or with a drop spreader for larger lawns. When spreading with a drop spreader, use the suggested amount of seed on the bag (even a little less seed should do the trick) and make sure you spread out the rows evenly in the same direction. Once you've sowed the first part of your lawn in one direction, you can crisscross back over that part at a 90-

degree angle, making sure you keep equal distance and calibrate your spreader at the same speed. • Add mulch for aesthetic and practical appeal. Moist helps the soil, and can also add aesthetic appeal to a lawn. Moist helps the soil by allowing it to retain moisture, making it more conducive to growing healthy grass. When laying mulch down, keep the mulch at roughly a quarter-inch to ensure your lawn will grow in nicely.

Built By Dura-Built Come see our models and compare the quality construction before you buy anywhere else!

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Homeowners can revitalize their lawn after a long winter in a number of ways.

Quality Shredded Topsoil

POHLMAN H. HAFNER & SONS PHARMACY MIDNIGHT MAGIC® MULCH

PROVIDING LANDSCAPE PROFESSIONALS AND HOMEOWNERS WITH QUALITY PRODUCTS AND SERVICE SINCE 1923

6722 St. Rt. 132, Intersection of St. Rt. 28 and St. Rt. 132 Goshen, Ohio

Phone:

(513) 722-3784

GARDEN MIXES • MANURE • PEAT MOSS • SAND • GRAVEL IMMEDIATE DELIVERY OR PICK UP ANY AMOUNT

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(513) 321-1895

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www.hafners.com

E V E N P A G E S

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Page 6 - 2010 Spring Home Improvement, Lawn & Garden

2010 Spring Home Improvement, Lawn & Garden - Page 3

Top Home-repair blunders to avoid • Thinking you can handle it. Many do-it-yourselfers (generally in an attempt to save money) believe they can learn every DIY task from a book or magazine. There are some jobs, however, that should be left to the professionals, including major plumbing work or electrical repairs. There's no need to risk a fire, injury or death by doing inexperienced electrical modifications. • Expecting things to be perfect. If you go into a project with the idea that there will be no mishaps, even minor ones, you may end up stressed out when one arises. Everyone makes mistakes --even professionals. If you think something is not being done correctly, speak up or get a second opinion.

O D D P A G E S 646 Mt. Moriah Drive, Cincinnati, Ohio 45245 Corner of I-275 & Route 125

Smith Custom Service 2469 St. Rt. 131 (9 mi. E. of Milford)

513-625-9000 www.smithcustom.com

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Preventative procedures the best defense against heartworms Each year, thousands of family pets fall ill due to the presence of illness caused by parasites, but such problems ca be treated or prevented. Heartworm, a slow-developing parasitic infection, involves the infestation of a dog’s heart by up to hundreds of long, thin, white worms that reproduce and grow until a dog’s heart can no longer pump enough blood to keep the dog alive. The infection can take up to two years to show any physical signs, and even then it could be overlooked. “The first sign of heartworm disease is that there is no sign, the dog looks perfectly healthy,” said Dr. Debbie Chalker with Georgetown Animal Hospital. After that, usually the next sign is weight loss and coughing. It can cause organ failure including heart, kidney, or liver failure. Heartworms spread from dog to dog by mosquitos. The heartworm reproduces through young worms that live in the blood stream. When bitten by the insect, some of these young are then consumed and transported by bites to healthy dogs. Eventually, the young worms grow into adults and the cycle begins anew. “We always have dogs tested, starting at five months or older. You can actually kill the dog if you start it on certain types of prevention before being tested. Depending on the size of the dog and if you want flea protections, it runs from $5 to $20 a month.” The best step to take is prevention, which can begin with puppies. It is estimated that 30% of dogs and cats in the area have heartworms. “If a dog already has heartworm, they need to be treated with medicine to treat it. It can be complicated, they can take a preventive medicine to keep the dog from getting more until it can be treated, but it won’t treat what’s already there. When a dog is diagnosed with heartworm, the procedure to eliminate the infection can be time consuming and expensive. Typically, Chalker said that clearing up an infection takes a week of rest at the vet’s office, plus an additional six weeks of rest at home to prevent secondary problems. The worm is actually killed with medicine, so no surgery is involved, but the procedure must be followed up with preventative medicine to keep the dog from getting heartworm in the future. “If the dog is infected, it’s an injection in the back a day for two days,” said Chalker. The six weeks of rest prevent pulmonary embolisms which could potentially kill the dog. Then they come back in two weeks after the treatment to start on prevention.” What are heartworms? Heartworms are worms that live in the heart and adjoining blood vessels. During the adult life cycle, the female produce young called microfilariae.

These microfilariae live in the dog’s bloodstream. How do dogs get heartworms? Heartworms are transmitted by mosquitos. When a mosquito bites an infected dog, it feeds on the blood which contains microfilaria. After 10 to 30 days in the mosquito’s system, the microfilariae become infected larvae. When the mosquito bites a healthy dog, the animal is infected with larvae which then grow into adult heartworms. What are the symptoms? By the time symptoms appear, heartworm disease has reached an advanced condition. It may take a number of years

for symptoms to develop. Coughing, difficulty in breathing, fatigue, and weight loss are all typical signs. Severely infected dogs may die suddenly during exertion or excitement. Can heartworms be prevented? After a dog is tested and found to be negative, it can be started on a preventative medication. This medication keeps the dog form getting infected if it is bitten by mosquitoes carrying the heartworm larvae. Georgetown Animal Hospital has been serving Georgetown and surrounding communities since 1952. For more information, call (937) 378-6334.

Compassionate and Gentle Care

G EORGETOWN ANIMAL H OSPITAL “The Vet With a Heart” N.S. Lodwick, D.V.M. J.E. Gish, D.V.M. D.C. Chalker, D.V.M. Office Hours by Appointment 9242 Hamer Rd., Georgetown, Ohio

(937) 378-6334

Creating Gardens That Inspire To Visit Here Is A Real and Meaningful Experience. The Most Beautiful Nursery In The Tri-State.

NO BASEMENT? NO ATTIC? We have storage starting at $20/mo. Also OUTSIDE STORAGE & COMMERCIAL SPACE

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Let our highly qualified, knowledgeable staff help you enhance the beauty and comfort of your natural surroundings. Historical Tours Available. Call For More Info. Come Out And See The Exciting New Plants Of 2010 Bring Your Containers And We Will Help You Design Them We have a vast selection of annuals, perennials, vegetables, trees and shrubs.

LANDSCAPE MATERIALS Mulch • Pea Gravel • Top Soil Brick Chips • Playground Chips Landscape Fabric • Boulders & More

WE HAVE THE MOST COMPLETE SELECTION OF PLANT MATERIALS IN THE AREA Professional

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BRAMEL’S Hickory Hill Nursery and Plantation, Inc. Purveyors Of Fine Plant Materials 6037 Millcreek Pike just off HWY 11 between Maysville and Flemingsburg, KY website: www.bramelshickoryhillnursery.com email: bramelshickoryhillnursery@hotmail.com

Hours: Mon. - Fri. 9am-6pm; Sat. 9am-5pm; Sunday 1pm-5pm

BROCK-McVEY CO. OF MAYSVILLE Lexington-Frankfort-Corbin-Preston-Bowling Green-Maysville

1109 Forest Ave. 606-564-3335 Maysville, Ky.

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Page 4 - 2010 Spring Home Improvement, Lawn & Garden

2010 Spring Home Improvement, Lawn & Garden - Page 5

Top Home-repair blunders to avoid

Just asking: But doesn’t it seem reasonable to have your home mortgage serviced in the same county your home is in?

• Choosing friends and family. There certainly are skilled professionals that also may be a close friend or family member. But mixing business and pleasure could be a recipe for trouble, especially when workmanship and an exchange of money are involved. "We had a friend replace our home's furnace," says Beth in Pennsylvania. "While we got a great price, we found out later on when there was a glitch in the system that certain things weren't done up to code. We had to spend more money to have it repaired, and the friendship has since suffered." Some relatives are adamant about doing repairs - but they may not be skilled or know the correct laws governing remodeling. Stick with a third party contractor with whom you'll feel comfortable talking if you feel repairs need to be done a certain way.

Top Home-repair blunders to avoid • Letting maintenance slide. Many homeowners think once the repair is made that they're all set - failing to keep up with routine maintenance. But complications can arise by not maintaining a new appliance or keeping up with an improvement. "Our homeowner's association required proof that the dryer venting for our clothes dryer was replaced on an annu-

al basis," offers Bill in California. "I'd simply go out and buy a new box of the venting material and submit the receipt as 'proof' so I could save the money on a professional installation. But one day the lint trapped in the venting, which I hadn't bothered to change, caught on fire. It not only damaged the venting, it damaged the entire dryer - resulting in the purchase of a new dryer. Visit Our

BATAVIA ELECTRIC SUPPLY CO. INC. FULL LINE OF ELECTRIC SUPPLIES Light Fixture Showroom

Ever try to get a simple question answered three time zones away? You can save yourself the trouble by

CALLING US FIRST! We’re across town, not across the country.

MERCHANT’S NATIONAL BANK “A Real Community Bank” 370 N. High St., Mt. Orab, Ohio 314 Washington St., Higginsport, Ohio 120 S. Main St., Georgetown, Ohio 2033 Hospital Drive, Batavia, Ohio

Now On-line: Member

www.merchantsnat.com

Featuring

• Murray Feiss

9193 Hamer Road, Georgetown, Ohio

937.378.6131 • www.shjvs.com

You Can Go Anywhere from Here! Southern Hills CTC Upcoming Events

May 3-7 . . . . . . . . . . . Teacher Appreciation Week May 27 . . . . . . . . . . . Senior Completion Ceremony May 27 . . . . . . . . . . . Last day for students

Luckily no one was hurt. I've since learned my lesson." • Following every trend. Anyone who has a harvest gold or avocado green appliance collecting dust in the garage or basement knows how interior style choices come and go. Instead of jumping on every trend (granite countertops and stainless steel refrigerator, for example), think about what will work for your home and be timeless. Otherwise you may end up having to update every few years. • Asking questions later. Make a list of every question you can think of and ask it before the work gets started. This way you're left with few

surprises and can do changes without costing yourself time and money. Don't wait for the

finished product before you start to question the hows and whys.

Brell & Son Funeral Home Maysville’s Only Family Owned and Operated Funeral Home.

620 E. Second St. Maysville, KY 41056

(606) 564-3641 1-800-222-8672

• Thomas Lighting

•Craftmade Fans

Mon. - Fri. 7-5 Sat. 7-3 300 W. MAIN ST., BATAVIA, OHIO

COMPLETE LINE OF CUTTLER-HAMMER

Ph.: 732-0484

Fax: 732-0495

Secondary Programs Agriculture/Industrial Mechanics Early Childhood Education Auto Mechanics Engineering Business & Finance, Inc. Graphics

Carpentry Information Technology Clinical Health Services Sports Medicine Cosmetology Welding Criminal Justice

CHECK OUT OUR ADULT EDUCATION CLASSES Introduction to Computers Microsoft Excel Microsoft Word Microsoft Access Keyboarding Welding Forklift Training Medical Billing Computer Aided Design Medical Terminology Pharmacy Technician

Medical Coding Medical Transcription Adult Law Academy Concealed Carry Weapons Photography Emergency Medical Technician Painting Volunteer Firefighter Training Nurse Aide Training CPR/First Aid Cosmetology HVAC

“Education: It’s Not Just For Kids”

731 Kenton Station Road Maysville, Kentucky

606-759-5072

New & Used Clothing SUPER BARGAINS

Stop in for some

REALLY HOT DEALS Accepting Donations Daily

Call 937.378.6131, ext. 357