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Gorgeous or ghastly? Dixon city councilman battles city over his own front yard

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The Straight Story Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sat May-22-10 07:45 AM
Original message
Gorgeous or ghastly? Dixon city councilman battles city over his own front yard
Gorgeous or ghastly? Dixon city councilman battles city over his own front yard

SLIDESHOW: See Ceremello's yard for yourself

DIXON, CA - City councilman Michael Ceremello says the front yard of his Dixon home is attractive.

"I think the yard is fine just the way it is," Ceremello said. "It looks green."

However, city leaders like Dixon mayor Jack Batchelor call Ceremello's landscaping something else.

"On a scale of 1 to 10, it's probably about a 7," Batchelor said.

And not in a good way.

....

But Ceremello argues his city is in no position to tell him what's beautiful and what isn't in his own yard.

"It's private property," Ceremello said. "It's my business, not anybody else's."

http://www.news10.net/news/story.aspx?storyid=81960&catid=2
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Decoy of Fenris Donating Member (70 posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sat May-22-10 07:53 AM
Response to Original message
1. Too much concrete in the world today.
The vegetation looks wonderful. I can't say that I like the bricks, for instance, but as a whole, that's a kind of yard that I'd be proud to have. Granted, in a suburban area I can see where it'd be a fire hazard, but no more than a house or a fence, really.
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Captain Hilts Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sat May-22-10 07:56 AM
Response to Reply #1
2. The grill and bricks don't help him here. If it looks so dramatically different from
everyone else's yard, I can see the reason for complaints.

There are groundcovers that do not grow tall.
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Decoy of Fenris Donating Member (70 posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sat May-22-10 08:09 AM
Response to Reply #2
3. Aye, I can see that point.
The bricks are what set it off for me more than anything else, but for all I know, they could actually be serving a purpose. Granted, what that purpose is, I have no clue, nor do I dare speculate, but... *shrug*

You're right, though. The grill, plus that ground cover? If he's actively grilling on that thing (as opposed to it being a type of modern art or lawn ornament I'm not familiar with), I can see why it'd be a fire hazard.
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Captain Hilts Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sat May-22-10 03:53 PM
Response to Reply #3
8. People with lawns this small need to use push, rather than gasoline-powered mowers. A good ground
cover is another option.

Gas-powered lawn mowers are nasty and noisy. I liked the bagging feature on mine, so I'd use it every other mow. Other times, the push, bladed mower.
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XemaSab Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sat May-22-10 11:36 PM
Response to Reply #8
21. The weed-whipper also works
:D
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tularetom Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sat May-22-10 08:09 AM
Response to Original message
4. It's obvious the guy is just doing this to be a dick
The vegetation growing up through his driveway, the pile of bricks in front of the partially open garage door, and the rusty grill sitting among the weeds are pretty good clues. People living in the kind of plastic suburban subdivision that this neighborhood don't do stuff like that unless they are absolute slobs or simply trying to piss off their neighbors. And if they are slobs they generally prefer to live in the country where the zoning codes aren't so strict and they can adorn their front yard with junk cars, appliances and old furniture. Besides this guy does not personally appear to be a slob.
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Quantess Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sat May-22-10 04:23 PM
Response to Reply #4
10. You could say the same about the mayor who is calling him on it.
I'm willing to bet there are personal feelings and/or egos involved.
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NV Whino Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sat May-22-10 09:09 AM
Response to Original message
5. Mr Ceremello might point out to the mayor
that in CA it's against the law to pull up CA poppies. LOL

I see a little clean up might be in order, and get rid of the grill, but other than that he has a water conservative yard.
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ensho Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sat May-22-10 09:35 AM
Response to Original message
6. I think it looks great - looks better then just a grass yard
nt
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JCMach1 Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sat May-22-10 09:52 AM
Response to Reply #6
7. No chemicals... perrenials and native perrenials...
Could use some pruning and shaping, but the city should STFU
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underseasurveyor Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sat May-22-10 04:04 PM
Response to Original message
9. Since when are wildflowers considered "ghastly?"
Nothing more than a little trimming here and there otherwise I think it's a nice yard. I bet the birds and butterflies love it too.
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Canuckistanian Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sat May-22-10 04:30 PM
Response to Original message
11. Actual pictures would be nice
http://www.news10.net/slideshows/Dixon-councilman%27s-yard-under-fire/05-1srp-May%2021,%202010.jpg

http://www.news10.net/slideshows/Dixon-councilman%27s-yard-under-fire/15-1srp-May%2021,%202010.jpg

http://www.news10.net/slideshows/Dixon-councilman%27s-yard-under-fire/10-1srp-May%2021,%202010.jpg
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WinkyDink Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sun May-23-10 09:31 AM
Response to Reply #11
25. I'd like to see what ordinance he is allegedly breaking.
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slackmaster Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sat May-22-10 04:36 PM
Response to Original message
12. The California Poppies that appear in several shots in the video are protected by state law
Besides being our official state flower, it's illegal to pick the flowers or disturb the plants.
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TorchTheWitch Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sat May-22-10 04:38 PM
Response to Original message
13. I like it better than most
It looks natural and all the flowers are pretty. Maybe could use a little pruning so it looks a bit less wild, but otherwise I like it. A lot. I much prefer this to manacured lawns. That pile of bricks is a bit unsightly, but lots of people have such things in their yard for a work in progress or even a work no longer in progress.

Not seeing what the problem is here at all.
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Liberal_in_LA Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sat May-22-10 04:40 PM
Response to Original message
14. borderline - looks kinda like a house in foreclosure
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Vinca Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sat May-22-10 04:45 PM
Response to Original message
15. I'm more bothered by the houses with their perfectly manicured lawns,
super green and weed free thanks to deadly chemicals.
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csziggy Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sat May-22-10 10:44 PM
Response to Reply #15
19. +1
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Odin2005 Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sat May-22-10 10:19 PM
Response to Original message
16. Good for her. Manicured grass lawns are ghastly monstrosities.
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alfredo Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sat May-22-10 10:38 PM
Response to Reply #16
17. They become sterile wastelands. The soil becomes hard due to the lack of
decaying vegetable matter. Some minds have changed about cuttings and the amount of herbicides and feed, but it still is stupid to put big money into an unreal green carpet. If you want to keep weeds out, use more grass seed to crowd them out.

I have a healthy stand of stonecrop that has covered an area that couldn't handle grass.

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Odin2005 Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sat May-22-10 11:54 PM
Response to Reply #17
23. pretty cacti!
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alfredo Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sun May-23-10 09:10 AM
Response to Reply #23
24. Love the prickly pear. It grows all over the US. It will
fill spaces where grass refuses to grow. And if you desire, you can eat it.
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Odin2005 Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sun May-23-10 11:17 AM
Response to Reply #24
26. Yep. I was shocked to learn there are a few stands of it in west-cental Minnesota.
Edited on Sun May-23-10 11:17 AM by Odin2005
Just about an hour or so south of here, at the source of the Minnesota River.

I was like "Cacti? In Minnesota? :wow: ". :rofl:
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alfredo Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sun May-23-10 05:34 PM
Response to Reply #26
30. They are hardy plants. You ought to grab a few pads and plant them in a
protected area of your yard. Protected means don't put it into a place where you could fall into. It likes full sun and the "pears" are edible.

:
Opuntia humifusa - Eastern Prickly Pear
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depakid Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sat May-22-10 10:41 PM
Response to Original message
18. Imaging the outrage if this guy wanted to have a clothesline
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BreweryYardRat Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sat May-22-10 10:49 PM
Response to Original message
20. It wouldn't hurt for him to move the grill. And maybe mow the driveway.
The rest, however, looks fine to me.

Grass is boring. Nature is cool -- and much lower-maintenance.
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Trillo Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sat May-22-10 11:41 PM
Response to Original message
22. Clean up that yard? That yard is beautiful!
I wouldn't change a thing, nor would I want to.

I hope the city pays him for the time of his they're wasting.
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GreenPartyVoter Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sun May-23-10 01:09 PM
Response to Reply #22
27. Seriously. This is why I could never live in suburbia.
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CreekDog Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sun May-23-10 01:35 PM
Response to Original message
28. The funny thing is...
if he was actually forced to clean things up for fire safety, the one thing left intact would be the weeds growing through the driveway.

i don't think it looks so terrible, but in California most cities have rules about weeds and vegetation too near structures and if you let things get out of hand, those cities will clean it up for you --and mail you the bill!
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krabigirl Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sun May-23-10 01:39 PM
Response to Original message
29. It's beautiful, and we need to get past legislating front lawns imo.
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