Growing up, I often visited South Georgia, where my father told me what it was like in the early days of a cotton farmer. As I recall, they would plant cotton in the same spot annually, repeating year after year. There were lots of reasons for this of course–I am certainly not chucking spears at [Read More]
Our Venture in Set Design
A couple of years ago, we had the opportunity to work on a piece of Americana. Rickwood Field, the oldest baseball park in the country, called on us to remodel the locker rooms, perform structural modifications to the grandstand and our favorite–build a historically accurate scoreboard. Our work there was a part of history, something to [Read More]
The Story of Lonesome Valley
While I’ve been visiting the Blue Ridge Mountains for a long time, a few years ago I found a place that captivated me. I connected with the story of Lonesome Valley and the beautiful land there. Last week, the Jennings family (brother Dick, sisters Sally and Binford) stopped by our place for a visit. They shared [Read More]
EPA Storm Water Regulations: Tough Sailing.
Under the Clean Water Act, quantity and quality of storm water discharge continue to be right in the EPA’s bulls eye. I remember years ago, the late 70s to be exact, I was involved in a project where we graded 5 acres uphill from the surrounding terrain. You guessed it: every time it rained thousands [Read More]
Keeping It Live and Local
Have you heard of “locavores?” These folks are interested in eating food that is produced within a 100-mile radius of their home. The idea is to minimize fossil fuels from shipping and nutrition lost from farm to table. We like to consider ourselves a small part of the locavore movement. We started three years back [Read More]
A Simple Flower Can Bring A Company Together
Every year, we have a Christmas gathering to bring all the Stewart Perry families together. The first year this reunion was held at our place, we spent one Saturday morning planting several hundred daffodils across the lake on the hillside. We chose that spot because it is visible from our conference room and is a [Read More]
Pave the Road to Sustainability
Lately it seems like an increasing number of folks have seen the light when it comes to the drawbacks of dark-colored pavement. Black asphalt has traditionally been the surface of choice for our nation’s roadways and parking lots, but asphalt can act as a heat sink that retains the warmth of sunlight. The effect is [Read More]
Give Smarter Commutes the “Green” Light
Nearly every sizeable city in the United States struggles with clogged arteries. It’s a sea of traffic signals, brake lights and all-around urban sprawl. The roads in and out of town stack up during rush hour with smog-spewing traffic jams. Nobody enjoys sitting in traffic, so there is personal motivation to eliminate tie-ups. It saves [Read More]
Want to Build a Greener Society? Demand It.
I’ve heard it a million times: “Actions speak louder than words.” In a country like the U.S., where we vote with our dollars, that becomes even more true. We make a demand and the supplier who meets it wins the sale. Sometimes the government—the officials we elected to regulate policy—can give a push to make it [Read More]
New EPA Regulations Usher in Construction Stewardship
If it has not already, the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico will eventually impact us all. The environment and the livelihoods of many are at stake. The tragedy is a “wake up call” reminder that we only have one earth, and we all have a stake in pollution control. Environmental responsibility has always [Read More]
