Wildfire of bugs plagues forests Sep 7, 2008
"The bugs fly in August, so you can tell where the trees are hit. But if the Forest Service were to respond then, they wouldn't be able to go through the analysis and set a sale and get loggers in there before the needles turn red the next June or July.". After the trees turn red, the value of the wood drops quickly. (Rapid City Journal, SD)
Pine beetle threat grows in the West Jul 16, 2008
After the needles fall off, the fire risk is reduced, but if the dead trees are not harvested, they create even more fuel for fires, he said. Signs of bigger problems. (USA Today)
Many in Needles say it's time to secede from California Jul 3, 2008
The Needles Unified School District lost 114 students in the school year just concluding, said Superintendent Dave Renquest ... With physicians leaving and services dwindling, the Needles council turned to the county for help. (FOX 11, AZ)
Officials: Rock climber misjudged amount of rope before falling to his death (5985) Jun 27, 2008
The rock climber killed Tuesday in a fall in the Needles apparently had misjudged the amount of rope he had as he rappelled from one of the spires, according to Custer County Sheriff Rick Wheeler ... He had climbed often in the Needles, Wheeler said ... Tuesday's accident was the first serious accident in the Needles area for many years, Baldwin said. (Rapid City Journal, SD)
The Wonders of Moab, Utah Jun 20, 2008
Each of the three Island in the Sky, the Needles, and the Maze offers distinctive geological features. Canyonlands can be viewed for a few hours by those just passing through, or it can be a multi-day adventure for serious four-wheel aficionados. (Suite101.com)
See the Old Growth Forest Trail Jun 7, 2008
The needles die and fall off. Without needles, the hemlock starves to death, usually within three to five years. (Atlanta Journal-Constitution)
Colorado faces high fire risk May 13, 2008
"This past winter was cold enough and the snow was heavy enough that the needles fell off, which is what they eat," Lauer said. "So it's definitely not as big an impact for the Four Corners area.". (Durango Herald)
Visit Mount Rushmore May 3, 2008
The park's scenic drives, including Iron Mountain Road and the Needles Highway, wind through ponderosa pines and pass giant finger-like granite spires that rise like sentinels from the forest floor. Motorists will encounter gurgling streams and alpine lakes and discover four mountain resorts, campgrounds, naturalist programs, hiking trails, rock climbing, horseback riding and the largest buffalo herd 1,500 bison outside of Yellowstone National Park. (Atlanta Journal-Constitution -- Travel)
Climate change poses threat to regional icons Dec 27, 2007
Fingering the needles of a tall, 6-year-old Douglas fir, Peterson said the tree was growing healthily because it was planted in the right spot a sun-soaked, west-facing slope. Sierra Pacific Industries, a California-based timber company that opened a softwood lumber mill near Burlington last year, is already using some of the same techniques Peterson promotes. (Anacortes Weekly, WA)
With drought, sales of real Christmas trees lag in N.C. Dec 23, 2007
"The needles are falling off awfully fast," said Bailey, 28, who is eight months pregnant and still vacuums daily ... A cold snap set the needles, making them less likely to fall out, Owen wrote in an Oct. 30 advisory posted on the North Carolina growers association site ... Growers say that when retailers keep trees in the sun, the needles can become pale or brittle. (Boston Globe)
Handmade gifts: Short on cash? Worried about toys? Try these crafts for the holidays Dec 15, 2007
But knitting a replica of Che Guevara or Madonna (the profane one, not the sacred) could work your skill with the needles probably won t be the recipient s main focus. Adding irreverence also makes the process more fun, says Carol Meldrum, author of Knitted Icons: 25 Celebrity Doll Patterns, which includes patterns for a 1960 s-era Cher and Jackie O, along with Madonna and Che. (Racine Journal Times, WI)
Column: Green Thumbs Up: Holiday plants provide colorful yuletide displays Dec 13, 2007
Select trees that drop minimal quantities of needles when shaken; the needles should bend rather than break when lightly squeezed. All pre-cut trees should have a fresh, smooth cut, removing a disk of an inch or more, before placing the trunk into a container of water, preferably in a garage or porch for a day or two to drink and settle before moving indoors. (Hanover Mariner, MA)
Picking the perfect tree Dec 13, 2007
To determine if a tree is fresh, run your fingers over the branch along the needles. Needles should be pliable but not break or fall off. (Big Bear Grizzly, CA)
Cougar Nearly Joins SD Woman In Hot Tub Dec 12, 2007
"I was kind of hidden, sitting with my back up against the side of the tub, and I heard a little rustling sound in the needles right beside me," she said. Todd said she thought it might have been her house cat until she saw "this big, tan, hairy body" just 4 inches away. (KLAS-TV.com, NV)
Deadwood resident has a close encounter - of the furry kind Dec 11, 2007
"I was kind of hidden, sitting with my back up against the side of the tub, and I heard a little rustling sound in the needles right beside me," she recalled. "I thought my cat could have got ten out. ... I turned back around and I saw this big, tan, hairy body against the side of the tub. We're talking four inches away from each other. I thought it was a big dog initially, but we don't have that color dog in the neighborhood. I didn't realize what it was till it took a leap and jumped up on the... (Black Hills Pioneer, SD)
Infotainment Dec 10, 2007
I was kind of hidden, sitting with my back up against the side of the tub, and I heard a little rustling sound in the needles right beside me, she said. Todd said. (Daily Times, Pakistan)
Fragrant Christmas trees fresh off farm Dec 2, 2007
" Both Virginia and Scotch pine trees are available. Scotch pine trees are slow growing. A tree must grow 7 - 8 years to make a 7-foot tall tree. They have stiffer needles from 1-1/2 inches - 2 inches long and tend to make a nice tree with annual shearings. The needles are naturally darker than Virginia pines and fragrant, although not as fragrant as Virginia pines. Virginia pines are fast growing, but have to be sheared a minimum of three times a year. "If you shear them four - five times a... (Newton County Times, AR)
The hunt is on for the perfect tree Nov 23, 2007
Although the dry conditions will cause needle shedding, they should check the needles for resiliency, which means it is fresher. After choosing the tree, a 1/2-inch to one-inch cut should be made on the bud end of the tree so that it will take up water. (Lenoir News Topic, NC)
White Pine (Pinus strobus) Nov 19, 2007
Take the needles home, chop them (optional), and put them in a jar, about one-quarter full. Fill the jar with boiling water and cap. (Suite101.com)
School notes Nov 12, 2007
Although he said pushing the needles through the fabric hurt, he was glad to do something for those less fortunate. It feels good because we are helping people who do not have a house, David said. (Scranton Times, PA)
They Must Be Giants Oct 28, 2007
During a docent-led walk through the Giant Forest, snow carpeted the forest, hanging off the needles of sequoias, sugar pines and Jeffrey pines, whose bark smells faintly like vanilla. Sequoia cones, no bigger than a quail egg, were strewn all around our path. (San Francisco Chronicle -- Travel)
Letting someone else take the wheel Oct 25, 2007
Rachael flails to avoid the needles, Bob says. She screams at her mother or whomever is with her, obscenities that a young girl should never have to utter. (Big Bear Grizzly, CA)
Glacier losing pristine nature, study says Oct 8, 2007
By soaking up atmospheric gases through their stomates the outh through which plants reathe the needles capture a short-term record of air quality. In other trees, he hung assive air sampling devices, basically fancy resin suspended in a stovepipe and dangled from a branch. (Missoulian, MT)
* Bear rescue center faces uphill struggle Oct 2, 2007
"In Vietnam they knock the bear out with drugs, but not fully. They pull the bear out of the cage and tie it down, use ultrasound machines to find the gall bladder and use a long needle to pump the bile out. "The needles are not sterile. This causes massive tissue damage and infections. (Taipei Times, Taiwan -- World)
Letters to the Editor Sep 21, 2007
Editor - Tuesday's article about the Transbay Terminal and the previous ones regarding the needles in the park have done wonders to inspire compassion toward the homeless in liberal San Francisco. I would hope you could be more mindful of your readership's anti-homeless bent and include something that might get them to think more critically about the problem of homelessness, such as why they are homeless in the first place (and no, it's not just because they are too lazy to work) and not just... (San Francisco Chronicle)
Tracking what you're looking at Sep 14, 2007
The second monitor displays dials recording pupil dilation and brain activity, the needles rising or falling with Davis' mental interest; and graphs measuring how much light is entering her eyes, the data dropping briefly to zero when she blinks. At first glance, the scene does not appear remarkable, but Marshall and others suggest it is a glimpse of the future, one that will be seen and analyzed through the eyes. (San Diego Union-Tribune)
DOT: Rally traffic likely down from last year Aug 12, 2007
Trav in Florida wrote on Aug 11, 2007 7:40 AM:" RK, I had to chuckle when I saw your post. I lived in Rapid for 12 years. I still the remember the day I arrived, August 2nd, 1985. For a farm kid from Indiana, it was an awakening. Before I even checked into Ellsworth, I drove out to Mt Rushmore, car packed with all of my belongings (and it was a small car). As an 19 year old, I didn't know anything about South Dakota, except that the capital was "pee-AIR." I bought a motorcycle (Ninja, not a... (Rapid City Journal, SD)
Nature lovers: Baldpate preserve is the place for you Jul 30, 2007
In each bunch, all the needles grew from a central point, so each needle touched many other needles. Each of these trees was covered with more of these bunches of needles than anyone could count. (Princeton Packet, NJ)
Loss Of Hemlocks Will Affect Water Dynamics In Southern Appalachian Forests Jul 12, 2007
Hemlock woolly adelgids attach themselves to the base of the needles of the eastern hemlock, feeding on carbon fixed by the trees, slowing growth and causing the needles to drop. Needle loss causes the crown of the tree to thin and dieback in branches; in a surprisingly short time - usually 5 to 10 years - the tree fades away and dies. (Science Daily)
Dry trees draw beetles Jul 8, 2007
"We're already in a bug spot. See how the needles there are yellowing?" he said, pointing further down the hillside to another stand of pines. "And this is just the beginning of pine beetle time. What will happen by the end of the summer, let alone next year?". (Atlanta Journal-Constitution -- Business)
Premier Rocky Mountain wool market a knitter's delight Jun 27, 2007
Wool from alpaca, llama and buffalo, some blended with silk and specialty fibers, made knitting fingers itch to get it onto the needles. Roving in all stages of processing overflowed huge bags and bins at every turn and filled noses with the scent of lanolin. (Anchorage Daily News)
* World News Quick Take Jun 19, 2007
The child's parents, who are migrant workers, said they had no idea how the needles ended up in their son, nicknamed Xiao Yu. The parents said they took Xiao Yu to a hospital on June 2 after he cried for three or four nights in a row and ate less than usual. (Taipei Times, Taiwan -- Business)
Custer State Park’s visitor center open for season Apr 14, 2007
A huge mounted bull elk stands before a mural of the Needles. (Dick Kettlewell/Journal staff). (Rapid City Journal, SD)
GF&P brings Colorado goats to the Black Hills Mar 6, 2007
The goats captured in November were released near Horsethief Lake, the Needles Highway area, near Bear Gulch behind Crazy Horse Memorial and in the Camp Remington area. Kanta said the collared goats released during the first capture seem to be doing well and are staying mostly within the primary range where they were dropped off. (Rapid City Journal, SD)
Perfect places to take a powder Feb 26, 2007
Under a cloudless sky at noon, I was looking out the window of the Needles Express gondola at the Snowbasin resort. More than 2,600 acres of new snow lay below. (Boston Globe)
View Results ") }}newsys_poll_checkCookie()A short primer on why those four guys are on Mount Rushmore Feb 19, 2007
He suggested creating giant statues of Washington and Lincoln, America s most-revered presidents, and possibly other figures, but Robinson also wanted each sculpture carved in the round on a separate granite spire in the Needles. The in the round idea in the Needles was abandoned in 1925, and by then Norbeck had insisted on adding Roosevelt to the list, largely because of the 26th president s close connection to the West. (Rapid City Journal, SD)
“K2” designer scales new heights in theater Feb 14, 2007
He's also a climber, who has climbed everything from the City of Rocks and The Elephant's Perch in Idaho to Yosemite and The Needles. And he finds the same kind of adrenaline rush in designing theater sets that he has found in climbing. (Wood River Journal, ID)
Forest Service finds varied beetle activity Feb 14, 2007
12 million acres of forests in Montana were affected by the insect that consumes the needles of Douglas fir trees. In 2005, the agency mapped 449,000 acres infested by the bug, which in itself was a striking increase from 2004 when 177,000 acres were affected. (Missoulian, MT)
Coast offseason a turn-onThis year's dry winter is perfect for hiking some thrilling trails Jan 25, 2007
Coast offseason a turn-on / This year's dry winter is perfect for hiking some thrilling trails (San Francisco Chronicle -- Sports)
