Pieces of a complete picture: Oklahoma City National Memorial &

Look closely and you'll see the small photographs.

Near one wall, dozens of pieces of twisted metal and motor parts from an anonymous yellow Ryder truck are stacked neatly on shelves, each item wrapped in plastic and cardboard.Or a note.Such as the note from the daughter to her mother: "Mom, my wedding was great. I wish you could have been there."Like the fence, the chairs of the memorial also serve as repositories for those who visit."We have items from the fence, items from the chairs, items collected from the rescue and recovery, unclaimed personal possessions, cards and letters that came into the mayor's office and the governor's office and there are items such as quilts, banners and stuffed animals," she said.For 15 years, more than 70,000 items have been placed along the memorial's fence - and in the chairs - by those visitors who make the pilgrimage here."A lot of people wanted to help," she said. "They couldn't necessarily get in there to remove debris, so this was their way to help.""Initially, people left items in honor of the victims," Stiefmiller said. "They left items in honor of the victims' families, all the things that people feel when someone dies."But it's the items left on the fence and in the memorial's chairs that draw the most attention.Maybe a small Bible.A picture painted by thousands of trinkets and notes and photographs and flowers left along a fence or placed lovingly in a chair."People also leave photographs and notes," Stiefmiller said. "They are messages left for their loved ones.""I can't think about that without it bringing tears to my eyes," Stiefmiller said.Handmade banners encouraged rescue workers. T-shirts and ball caps reminded Oklahomans that their friends spanned the globe.And each of those items, Helen Stiefmiller said, is gathered, preserved and cataloged by the staff of the memorial. Stiefmiller, the museum's collection manager, said her job is to preserve a record of the event and its aftermath.Or the car keys.But the work never ends.And still, the items come. Each year, Stiefmiller and her staff collect thousands of items along the fence, then catalog and then store them. Some things, such as the metal rings of key chains, are discarded. Other items end up in traveling exhibits sponsored by the museum."It's part of our collecting policy," she said. "When we formed the museum, the survivors and family members and rescue workers - they were part of helping us decide how we were going to collect things. They wanted that to be a part of this institution."Those items, too, the museum seeks to preserve.The fence of the Oklahoma City National Memorial & Museum.At another chair, a visitor left a small, collapsible baby stroller."This is the evidence from the trial," Stiefmiller said. "Slowly, since about 2006, we've been collecting it.""What we're trying to do is have the artifacts that represent all the different layers of the story," she said. "How it affected the country, how it affected Oklahoma. The victims, the families, the rescuers; how our community came together to make this wonderful museum. We're trying to have a complete picture: how the city overcame this awful tragedy and moved forward in spite of it."Wedged into the diamond-shaped openings are flowers, and wreaths, and small children's toys and even license plates and pieces of clothing - gifts from strangers lovingly attached to the chain-link fence that runs parallel to Sixth Street in downtown Oklahoma City.But the items were left for other reasons, too.

A picture painted by thousands of trinkets and notes and photographs and flowers left along a fence or placed lovingly in a chair.

Man charged with stabbing taco vendor

SALT LAKE CITY -- A man accused of stabbing a Salt Lake taco vendor last Sunday told police he believed the vendor was in a rival gang.

Police say when one of the men said they were from Guatemala, Baker stabbed him in the chest with a long knife.Baker is being held in Salt Lake County Jail under a $25,000 bail.Kennard Clarence Baker, 20, was charged with second-degree felony aggravated assault in the 3rd District Court. Documents say Baker approached two men working at a taco cart at 910 W. North Temple on April 18 and asked the men where they were from, according to charges filed Thursday.The victim was taken to a nearby hospital in critical condition.Police say they saw the suspect running from the scene and went behind a building across the street where he threw a knife over a chain link fence into a yard, charges state.

-- Lana Groves

Release of bobcat rattles zoo's cageLatest break-in prompts city to

By James Carlson

Meanwhile, Joe Kamer, the zoo's acting veterinarian, arrived near the Pallas cat exhibit where Johnson the bobcat was lounging.Thursday marks the second time city officials are examining zoo security since August."He found a little friend over there," Kamer said. "They were buds there for a while."The 26-pound bobcat named Johnson was discovered missing around 6:30 a.m. and was captured about four hours later. He was uninjured.Funding such a position, however, may be difficult as the city is considering whether to eliminate at least 60 jobs in an effort to close a $4 million shortfall.At that time, someone cut a chain on an exterior gate near the Gage Shelter House, walked to the bobcat exhibit and broke the lock hasp, releasing the animal.Kamer said the elephants had thrown around the wagon that was tossed into their holding area.New technology is available but is costly, he said, and ultimately the extent of security at the zoo will be determined by dollars and cents and how much money the city has to spend on it.Asked about any connection between the August break-in and Thursday's, Bevens said: "There are some similarities between the two crimes, so that's something to be considered. We're treating it as a burglary and processing the crime scene."By 9:40 a.m., the zoo was open and the children walked through the grounds.Zoo workers rushed the animal into a carrier and toward the animal hospital on the grounds.The second shot pierced a rear leg, and the cat went down.Officials say someone cut a hole in the chain-link fence around the zoo grounds, made their way to the bobcat exhibit and broke two lock hasps to release the cat.Topeka police Capt. Darin Scott said officers make "a lot of patrols" in Gage Park, including at night, and routinely check the perimeter of the zoo while making their rounds.About 40 minutes later, one of 30 searchers from the police, animal control and zoo spotted the bobcat about 30 yards from his pen in an exhibit area near the Tropical Rain Forest.Lying on the grass with a dart gun's long barrel balanced between the planks of a wooden fence, Kamer shot once toward the bobcat about 15 feet away and landed a glancing blow.Bevens said the city is discussing security options but didn't want to divulge details so as not to tip off vandals.Then-director Mike Coker said he was considering adding surveillance and changing locks and security systems.Scott suggested the best option may be to have a security person walk the grounds at night.City officials are again pledging to review security at the Topeka Zoo after the facility was broken into early Thursday and a bobcat was released for the second time in nine months."You can always do more," city spokesman David Bevens said of precautions at the zoo. "To what degree we do more, we will discuss that."James Carlson can be reached at (785) 295-1186 or james.carlson@cjonline.com and tweets at twitter.com/carlson_james.Unconscious, the bobcat was examined and given a routine checkup. Johnson was back in his cage by 12:30 p.m., Kamer said.The vandal or vandals also cut a hole in fencing around the arctic fox exhibit and threw a plastic wagon in the elephant exhibit. The fox didn't escape.Bevens described the bobcat as "domesticated, docile and declawed" and said the children were herded out of the zoo after finding the cat again.Not all parts were recovered, he said, and he worried what digesting some of the pieces could do.The zoo was closed in the early stages of the search Thursday morning, and a group of preschool students from the Head Start program and the adults with them initially were told they wouldn't be able to tour the zoo because of the loose cat.The Capital-JournalA vandal or vandals entered the zoo Thursday about 20 feet north of the Gage Shelter House, this time cutting a hole in the fence down from the gate.The Capital-Journal's Thad Allton, Phil Anderson and Steve Fry contributed to this report.

James Carlson can be reached at (785) 295-1186 or james.carlson@cjonline.com and tweets at twitter.com/carlson_james.

Zoo broken into again; cart stolenZoo victim of another break-in;

By James Carlson

The break-in marks the second in two weeks and the third since August. On May 6, someone or a group of people cut through the chain- link perimeter fence by the Gage Shelter House and let a bobcat out of its cage. It was found inside the zoo grounds within a couple hours. A hole also was cut in the arctic fox enclosure and a toy wagon was thrown in the elephant exhibit during that incident.Topeka police officers were called at 8:30 a.m. Monday to the southeastern quadrant of the facility where a hole was cut in the exterior chain-link fence big enough for someone to exit on the golf cart at a high speed, leaving tire tracks.A vandal or vandals broke into the Topeka Zoo over the weekend for the second time in as many weeks, this time stealing a golf cart.THE CAPITAL-JOURNALJames Carlson can be reached at (785) 295-1186 or james.carlson@cjonline.com and tweets at twitter.com/carlson_james.The arctic fox never left its cage.Bevens said authorities are treating Monday's crime as an act of vandalism and burglary.A nearly identical incident occurred last August, when someone broke a gate near the shelter house and let the bobcat loose."We need to do something soon because it's being targeted by one if not more individuals," he said.

James Carlson can be reached at (785) 295-1186 or james.carlson@cjonline.com and tweets at twitter.com/carlson_james.

Letters to the editor

Fence repairs

The government raised Social Security withholding taxes in the 1980s to accommodate baby boomers who are coming to retirement age now.JAMES L. BERTRAM,TopekaOn the Fourth of July, Eagle Auto Wash offered full car washes to all active military personnel and all retired veterans with valid identification. My husband, a retired veteran of World War II and the Korean conflict, found time between rain showers to go receive a free car wash.DAVID HEWITT,TopekaI would not be supporting him if I did not believe he was reliable on anti-abortion issues. I would not have a "Moran for Senate" sign in my front yard if I did not trust that he would continue to legislate on the side of the unborn.WINNIE PAYNE,TopekaBut the figures were similar, or even higher, during the Great Depression. The gross national debt climbed to a high of about 120 percent of GDP during President Franklin Roosevelt's administration as the country pulled itself out of a depression while fighting World War II.Save Social SecurityThe last time I checked, the fund was still being raided.A neighbor who inquired told me it was done so grass would not grow up into the bottom of the fence.Fighting for what is ours is a much better course than working at Walmart when we're 70.As an anti-abortion activist and past officer of Coffey Countians for Life, I'm disappointed when any anti-abortion legislator turns on another to garner votes.So I wonder quite a bit when I hear Republican leaders like Rep. John Boehner, R-Ohio, suggest raising the retirement age for Social Security to 70. Others would eliminate the program because of debt woes.Perhaps someone at the school district, who must be much smarter than me, would care to explain the reasoning here. I have heard it said that when dollars are few, you just don't buy T-bones.Patriotic washTiahrt misleadsTo those who have been worrying about the national debt in relation to gross domestic product, some number crunching shows our gross federal debt is about 88 percent of GDP, which is certainly a very high figure.DALE FREE,BurlingtonInstead of meekly letting our leaders tear down and steal our Social Security, how about we choose to fight, tooth and nail, anyone who would take it from us after we have paid our dues into it literally all our lives?Other anti-abortion groups felt the legislation would prevent more abortions. Kansans for Life, for instance, disapproves of Moran's votes on that matter. With anti-abortion advocates disagreeing, he chose to vote upon the advice of Right to Life of Kansas. For Tiahrt to claim Moran is for abortion rights because he voted against legislation he believed might result in more abortions is absurd.Moran has a strong record of anti-abortion votes. He is endorsed by the very conservative Family Research Council. He helped pass the Partial Birth Abortion Ban, the Unborn Victims of Violence Act and many other pro-life bills.A Tiahrt ad claims Moran is not anti-abortion because he voted against parental notification for abortion legislation two decades ago. The truth is he voted against the legislation on the advice of Right to Life of Kansas and several other strong anti-abortion legislators because he was advised it might result in more abortions due to parents pushing their daughters to abort.A good chain link fence was removed recently from the north side of McClure Elementary School, 2529 S.W. Chelsea Drive. An 18-inch strip of concrete was then poured. New posts were installed that will support another chain link fence. Quite a lot of labor was needed to do this entire job. Why?I have long been a fan of Reps. Todd Tiahrt and Jerry Moran, two good, conservative House members now running for the Senate seat currently held by Sen. Sam Brownback. In recent weeks, I've been disappointed by purposefully inaccurate and misleading advertising by Tiahrt's campaign.I don't recall any history lessons where there was a major debate about the survival of Social Security during the Great Depression or World War II.The concrete alone cost $1,000. Topeka Unified School District 501 has terminated teachers due to financial problems. Wouldn't a fast application of Roundup have solved the problem with much less expense?Unfortunately, various branches of the government have been "borrowing" from the fund in vast amounts over the last decades.

WINNIE PAYNE,Topeka

Vehicle RPG Nets Saving Lives, Weight, and Dollars, QinetiQ Says

By B.C. Kessner

Soldier testimonials have begun appearing in the press, providing glimpses of the effectiveness of the nets developed jointly by the company, Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), and the Office of Naval Research. One example described how a 3rd Battalion, 187th Infantry vehicle patrol was ambushed recently in Afghanistan."If you get engaged and you've got barred or slat armor, now you're talking about welding, brackets, bolts...you've got to pull all that stuff off, and that takes time," he added."With RPGs, you're looking to dud the round...if you can deform it in some way it prevents the shaped charge from coming forward," Barrett said.Terms where RPGNets could be more appealing than the alternatives include, size, weight, cost, and simplicity.The U.S. troops returned fire and maneuvered, causing the enemy to break off the attack. Afterward, what amazed the soldiers, and their leaders, was that the M-ATVs with QinetiQ's netting had taken three direct hits by insurgent RPGs and none had penetrated the trucks, the officer wrote."The worst effect of the insurgents' RPG fire was that I got my bell rung a bit," Army Pfc. Joseph Sweat from Smithville, Tenn., who was driving one of the above-mentioned 3rd Battalion, 187th Infantry M-TAVs, said in the recent Army article published in Clarksville Online."There is a bit of a giggle factor at first, and we say, 'Really? Go shoot it,'" Bob Barrett, director, strategy and business development, QinetiQ Technology Solutions Group, told Defense Daily last week. "Once they do, it's like, 'Wow!'"[Copyright 2006 Access Intelligence, LLC. All rights reserved.]According to Barrett, the nets are installed at about half the standoff distance from the skin of the vehicles as compared to that of slat armor, reducing the overall profile of the vehicle.Barrett described the system's cost as significantly lower than that of bar armor.QinetiQ North America has not been able to talk openly about the capabilities of its net-based tactical vehicle system for defeating rocket propelled grenades (RPG), but word has been getting out that the simple, inexpensive solution is saving soldiers' lives, a company executive said last week.However, competing systems based on welded brackets and steel rods could be caught in QinetiQ's nets when it comes to cost, weight, and performance, Barrett said at the Association of the United States Army Annual Meeting in Washington D.C.While anti-RPG nets and slat armor cannot block all of the effects of a high-speed projectile exploding near the shell of a vehicle, they are certainly making such attacks more survivable.QinetiQ has provided thousands of M-ATV kits, and the company is working on several variants of Strykers, Barrett said. "We have done kits for the French VBCI, and the Polish Rosomak...[and] we currently have a HMMWV prototype kit," he added.Shaped charges are designed to detonate at a specific standoff distance from the warhead's charge to the target. The focused explosive energy compacts the charge's metal lining and shoots it forward in a high velocity jet. To penetrate armor as designed, the RPG round needs to hit the skin of the vehicle because the standoff distance is from the trigger at the tip of the round to the point where the shaped charge begins. Deflecting, deforming, or causing the round to detonate at a non-optimal standoff distance and angle increases the survivability of the vehicle and its crew.According to the company, the nets perform at levels equal to, and in some cases exceeding, bar armor solutions.The netting is also simple to install. QinetiQ has patents on a "super strength Velcro" used to mount the system, Barrett said. "If a soldier gets into an engagement, once he gets back to the FOB (Forward Operating Base) he can peel this net off and put on another one. For an entire M-ATV's worth of nets, you can probably put it all in a big Hockey bag.""The nets are obviously saving soldiers, and that's the best thing about it," Barrett said.The principle behind QinetiQ's RPGNets is the same that led to the rigging of standoff chain-linked fences around Vietnam-era tactical vehicles, and more modern slat armor solutions: keep the RPG from going high order and punching its shaped charge warhead into the soldier's vehicle compartment."The other piece is during the engagement," Barrett said. After a rocket propelled grenade hit, a section of netting typically loses only about 10 percent of its small cylindrical metal nodes, he said. "You've still got about 90 percent of the netting remaining, so you've got multi-hit capability," Barrett added.An Army officer from the 101st Airborne Division wrote that the mine- resistant, ambush-protected (MRAP) all-terrain vehicles (M-ATV) were engaged by insurgents' RPGs and small arms from within about 100 meters.

[Copyright 2006 Access Intelligence, LLC. All rights reserved.]

Chase ends in crash; driver being sought

By Ann Marie Bush

at (785) 295-1207Light bars lit up the area as officers located the vehicle identification number, searched the vehicle and took notes.Ann Marie Bush can be reachedSeveral officers were at the scene of the crash.Topeka police officers attempted to pull over a blue and silver GMC pickup Monday evening in the 1400 block of S.W. Clay for a routine traffic stop.The driver of the truck led officers on a chase that ended when the truck struck a chain-link fence in an alley behind a residence in the 1700 block of S.W. Western shortly before 6 p.m.The identification of the driver isn't known, Gilchrist said. No one was injured."It was a stolen truck," said police Lt. Scott Gilchrist.The man fled on foot, and a K-9 unit was brought in to assist in the search.or ann.bush@cjonline.com.Officers were still searching for the man at 8 p.m.THE CAPITAL-JOURNALAnyone with information about the incident can call Crime Stoppers at (785) 234-0007.

or ann.bush@cjonline.com.

SUV crashes into house

By Phil Anderson

Ward said the man who lives in the home told him he had just gone to the garage moments before the vehicle came crashing through the wall.The driver of the vehicle -- identified as the daughter-in-law of the home's residents -- was taken to a Topeka hospital by American Medical Response ambulance for observation. Police said her injuries weren't believed to be serious.The vehicle left rubber marks as it sped west up the driveway, over a chain-link fence and into the front of the home, going through the living room and coming to rest with its front end in the kitchen.No other injuries were reported, including to two people who were inside the home at the time of the accident.Ward then looked across the street and saw that a Land Rover Discovery sport utility vehicle had crashed through the front of his neighbor's one-story home at 3521 S.E. Adams.Upon their arrival on the scene, police and fire crews found the vehicle was about 10 feet inside the residence, facing southwest. The vehicle left skid marks in the driveway adjacent to S.E. Adams before it ran over four steel chain-link fence posts in the home's front yard, then crashed into the home.At first, he said, he thought it was his wife hitting her car's brakes after she had left the residence, but when he looked outside, he saw she was fine.Alan Ward was in his southeast Topeka home Thursday morning when he said he heard a loud screech outside.Police at the scene said the vehicle had been backing east out of the driveway onto the 3500 block of S.E. Adams when it was placed into drive and suddenly surged forward.THE CAPITAL-JOURNALThe home sustained extensive damage to its east, or front, side, as the vehicle took out the home's front door and a section of the wall with windows.The man's wife, meanwhile, was sitting at the kitchen table, Ward said. The vehicle crashed into the table, he said, and missed the woman by about 3 feet."Thank God everyone's all right," Ward said. "In all of this, the only thing that counts is I get to see my neighbors again."As Topeka police and fire crews investigated the accident, Ward spoke with a man who lives in the home, grateful he was unharmed.No serious injuries were reported in the accident, which was reported about 7:45 a.m. Thursday.Phil Anderson can be reached at (785) 295-1195 or phil.anderson@cjonline.com.Topeka police Cpl. Louis Cortez said that the residents' daughter- in-law had been at the home moments before the crash to pick up an item and was preparing to leave in the sport utility vehicle."As she was backing out," Cortez said, "she put the car in drive and somehow, it just took off."

Phil Anderson can be reached at (785) 295-1195 or phil.anderson@cjonline.com.

Car theft suspect tries to walk his way out of arrest

A man who stole a Ford Explorer, crashed through a business's chain-link fence and took off running Wednesday morning tried to act like he was out for a stroll when officers caught up with him, Colorado Springs police said.

The trouble started about 11:30 a.m. when someone boosted a Ford Explorer that was left running unattended outside a home near East Dale Street and East Hills Road, police said. The car thief drove away, but lost control and slammed into a building in the 400 block of Tia Juana Street in the Knob Hill neighborhood.The suspect had removed a Carhart jacket and yellow button-up shirt in an apparent effort to escape attention, but he couldn't help that witnesses got a good look at him during the brief crime spree, Thomas said.-Dean Williams, 20, had removed his winter coat and stripped down to an undershirt by the time officers spotted him on Circle Drive after the crash."He hit a curb, blew a tire and took out my fence," said Tom Kendall of Stang's Body Shop at 402 Tia Juana St.Call the writer at 636-0366.As the hit-and-run driver jogged away, the owner of a nearby plumbing business followed alongside in a vehicle, telling him "it'll be easier" to give up, Kendall said."He didn't want to listen," Kendall said. "He just wouldn't quit."Williams was calmly walking south on Circle Drive when he was arrested near the 7-Eleven store at Pikes Peak Avenue, police said.The sport utility vehicle - with a damaged front-end and a flat tire on the right, rear side - was returned to the owner, Kendall said.Kendall said the pickup caused $2,000 worth of damage.Williams surrendered without incident, Thomas said."He was just walking down the street like nothing had happened," said police Sgt. Randy Thomas.Police are holding Williams on suspicion of aggravated motor vehicle theft and hit and run.

Call the writer at 636-0366.

Vehicle teeters above, closes I-215

COTTONWOOD HEIGHTS -- All westbound lanes of I-215 were shut down late Wednesday as emergency personnel tried to keep an SUV from falling nearly 40 feet from an overpass to the freeway below.

The accident remains under investigation, and Askerlund said, "It could have been much worse."Multiple agencies assisted in diverting traffic off the freeway, near 1300 East and 6700 South just after 6:30 p.m. Cottonwood Heights Police Sgt. Mark Askerlund said the SUV hit the cement barrier, which catapulted it over the chain-link fence, and the vehicle came to rest on the water pipes that run adjacent to the roadway.-- Wendy LeonardA fence rail also went through the windshield and out the back window of the SUV, and yet the driver was not injured, Askerlund said. He said the driver was cleared by medical personnel at the scene but was taken to the police station for questioning about how the accident happened.

-- Wendy Leonard

Fencing Your Back Yard for Your Border Collie

A Border Collie is a breed of dog that needs plenty of exercise and a great way to do that is to let them run and frolic in a fenced in back yard. There are special needs that should be taken into consideration when installing a dog fence for these active and curious puppies. The Border Collie is agile, energetic and intelligent. They love to jump and can jump rather high. If they see an opening they will often take it especially if there is something interesting on the other side. They are very crafty and quite capable of entertaining themselves. With that in mind, let�s look at some dog fence options.

Although not usually diggers, the Border Collie should have a dog fence that sits on or goes into the ground. Make sure you have secure gates. Border Collie�s are problem solvers. If these little puppies want to get out they can easily figure out how to lift a latch. There dog fence also needs to be able to follow the terrain. If you have a 5 foot fence and a 1 foot mound next to it, a Border Collie may find it easy to jump over.Types of Fences include invisible fences, chain link, wood, cement or cinder block, wire, vinyl and any combination thereof depending on the terrain. The golden standard in fencing is chain link. It is easily available, can be installed by a moderate do-it-yourselfer and is cost effective. For the Border Collie, a dog that can jump relatively high, it is also cost effective and can be purchased in 5 or 6 foot high lengths. Chain link needs to be seated into the ground to prevent your Border Collie from pushing out under it. Unfortunately it is easy for a Border Collie to climb this type of dog fence. The same can be said for any wire fencing.Cement or cinder block is really sturdy but very expensive. Vinyl fencing is not a good idea for a Border Collie as it has too many gaps though this type of dog fence is durable, weather resistant and easy to install. Finally we come to the invisible fence. These are bad ideas for a Border Collie as they can see anything and everything and have been known to endure the shock and bust through this type of dog fence. Also, anything that wants to get near your Border Collie can just walk right over it. If the batteries in the collar die then there is no stopping them. Border Collies have also been known to simply take the collar off rendering this dog fence useless.

For a Border Collie, overall and ideally, a wooden privacy fence should be used. When building this dog fence you�ll need to cement the support posts into the ground. You�ll also need to dig a small trench for the boards to slide into as this will keep your Border Collie from seeing something on the other side and doing everything in its power to get at it. The boards of your dog fence also need to be butted up against one another to avoid gaps and prevent easy climbing for your Border Collie. Finally, the gates need to have latches that can be locked.

Century Fence Company - A Chicago Fence Company for All Your Fencing Needs

Century Fence Company, a Chicago fence company understands the need for a secured environment whether you are on a residential or a commercial property. As the local leader in fencing projects, the Century Fence takes pride in meeting the individual requirements of every client in offering the best, high-quality fence for your needs.

Wood fence makes for a country-style look and is one of the major choices among the residential areas in the Chicagoland area. Ornamental fences, on the other hand, have been preferred by clients who opt for elegance and excellent visualization for their backyard. This is popular among environmentalists and plant enthusiasts. Chicago Fence also caters to installing industrial cages as well as to commercial tennis courts and other long runs of fence.Century Fence Company guarantees reasonable prices and ensures great quality in every product. The company also provides free estimates on all your fencing needs and would love to be part of the success of your business and the satisfaction of a home owner.

Century Fence Company guarantees reasonable prices and ensures great quality in every product. The company also provides free estimates on all your fencing needs and would love to be part of the success of your business and the satisfaction of a home owner.

Types of Fences for Your Yard

Interested in fencing in your yard? There are many different fencing options that may work for your home if you know what you are looking for. One of the first things to consider is whether you desire a fence for visual appeal or practical function. Another option to think about is whether you want your fence to be made of metal, vinyl, or wood. Wood fencing is frequently considered the most visually appealing, but vinyl and metal options may work better for longevity and fencing in animals like dogs. Read on for some of fencing options to consider, and what they do for your yard.

Picket fences usually come in wood and vinyl options. They make a great visual barrier to mark the edge of a property in a front yard, but don't do a good job of keeping anything in or out due to space between the slats. The picket fence is frequently chosen for aesthetic reasons out of either wood or vinyl, though with careful attention to the space between pickets and the hight of the fence, it may be a reasonable option for safely fencing in animals or children as well.For a more southwestern look, some people consider getting a fence composed of horizontal wooden slats. This style of fence has a very rustic style of beauty, but it is difficult to build a horizontal slat fence that is high enough to keep in anything that is capable of jumping or climbing. While beautiful and interesting to look at, a slat fence is probably a bad idea for protecting children from a road or housing a dog that can jump.Wooden Lattice FenceWhile using lattice work is rare for an entire fence, it does make a great compromise between the open and airy look of a picket or slat fence and the safety of a stockade style fence. Lattice fencing is ideal for placing on top of a solid privacy fence to help the fence seem more interesting and inviting. A lattice fence offers a little bit of a view into the surrounding area without leaving the large spaces of a picket style fence that allow animals to squeeze through.Chain Link FenceSlat FenceStockade Style FenceChain link fences are not particularly attractive, but they make up for their plain appearance in utility. Chain link fencing is one of the cheapest and simplest fencing types to set up, and does a great job of protecting children and animals from busy roads and dangerous areas without blocking the view. A chain link fence can be as high or low as the homeowner wishes, though the norm is usually only about three to four feet.Picket Fence

Chain link fences are not particularly attractive, but they make up for their plain appearance in utility. Chain link fencing is one of the cheapest and simplest fencing types to set up, and does a great job of protecting children and animals from busy roads and dangerous areas without blocking the view. A chain link fence can be as high or low as the homeowner wishes, though the norm is usually only about three to four feet.

Anti-Fence Jumping Tips Aside From Labrador Training

We have all heard about the neutered labrador which is still an avid fence jumper. When people are around and watching, no jumping happens. Indeed, with positive reinforcement labrador training at hand, goals can be reached with the most care-free lab. But the instant the family is away, the dog makes short work of the main fence, much less the four-foot chain link fence. While there are a thousand and one ways to attack the problem if we can see the dog, what is to be done in the case of time spent away from home, i.e. the dog is left to itself?

Note that among the top errors that can be made in installing an electric fence is poor earth grounding. Many people still fall for the mistaken notion that you can save on time and effort with regard to adequate earth grounding. But the most sensible thing to do is still to install several ground rods - at least three that are 6 to 8 feet long, galvanized, and attached with good ground clamps. The electricity must complete a full circle back to the charger through the ground. Poor grounding gives weak shocks.Another interesting, albeit somewhat pricey option is the coyote roller. This non-electric, zero maintenance device is effective at keeping your four-footed pets in as well as keeping coyotes out. The roller is made of specially designed UV resistant polymeric materials, aluminum tubing, and stainless steel components. The leading company that sells rollers swears by a statistical study that rollers not only reduce coyote attempts to intrude, but actually result to the dog's giving up intentions to enter the property at all.The first solution many people think of is invisible fencing. Still another option is electric fencing, or hot fencing, the Petsafe brand among those said to be the least expensive.

If you are ready to settle for a chain link fence, factor in the level of snowfall in your area. A dog definitely may be able to walk over the fence in case the depth of snow reaches four or five feet. Besides, there is no way to predict just how good a jumper is your next dog, unless it gets labrador training.

AccountMate JobCost Software Enables Fence Company to Expand Client and Job Base Without Adding Office Personnel

In the last 12 months, West Memphis Fence & Construction Co., Inc.'s sales revenue increased 20%. "Due to the efficiency of AccountMate and JobCost, we were able to expand our client and job base without adding office personnel," commented Susan Raush, Office Manager.

About AccountMate Founded in 1984, AccountMate develops and markets fully modifiable business accounting software. Systems range from single user versions to those that support hundreds of users simultaneously. AccountMate software is available for local installation or as SaaS. It is distributed exclusively through a worldwide channel of authorized solution providers. AccountMate can be reached at (800) 877-8896 or at www.accountmate.com .Ranked in the top one half percent of fence contractors in the United States, company estimators bid more than 100 jobs each day. Reporting seven million dollars in sales in 2006 with 63 employees, the company built a solid, profitable business from the ground up."Together, AccountMate and JobCost offer a comprehensive front-to-back office solution and technology infrastructure West Memphis Fence can build on," recalls Raush.In order to accomplish this, West Memphis Fence turned to AMBR Technologies, an Elite AccountMate Business Partner. "Our goal in this case was to make the technology fit the client's needs. 'One size fits all' is seldom practical in mid-range accounting operations and West Memphis Fence was no exception. Without disturbing operations, we continue to work together as part of the West Memphis Fence team to continually take advantage of the advantages that AccountMate has to offer," said Jack Pruett, President of AMBR Technologies. West Memphis Fence decided to implement AccountMate SQL due to the program's scalability and open architecture to meet its business requirements right out of the box. With AccountMate's award-winning program design, the company implemented an industry-specific program to solve job costing challenges.PRESS CONTACT: Donna DeRosa Vice President, Marketing (800) 877-8896 Email ContactWorking in synch with AccountMate, West Memphis Fence can easily comply with certified payroll requirements for government projects and easily track employer payroll tax data, overhead costs as well as hours worked by personnel, job and location.The first step in the company's technology make-over included an overhaul in the job tracking and bid process. To solve this job costing challenge, AMBR Technologies installed JobCost, a comprehensive job costing system integrated seamlessly with AccountMate. Using an Estimating function in JobCost, detailed bids can be efficiently generated by user defined cost codes or by copying a prior estimate, template or Excel worksheet. Since actual costs are posted to each project (or job) in real-time, costs can quickly be reviewed in detail or summarized by type and compared to the estimate, enabling company employees to make bid adjustments instantly.Prior to installing the AccountMate business financial software system and with year-over-year growth, it became obvious to West Memphis Fence that their company's old, propriety business system was failing to provide accurate job costing and bids, which impacted the company's bottom line. Frustrated with system limitations and inefficiencies, West Memphis Fence realized that they needed a sophisticated business solution like AccountMate that would systematically track expenses plus keep pace with increasing sales demand without significant manual intervention.West Memphis Fence & Construction Co., Inc. builds and installs a vast assortment of permanent fencing types, including chain-link, ornamental iron, custom wood and PVC for residential and commercial customers. The company also erects temporary (rental) fencing for safety at construction sites and for crowd control at festival and sporting events.

PRESS CONTACT: Donna DeRosa Vice President, Marketing (800) 877-8896 Email Contact

Pexco Agrees to Acquire Extruder of Fence and Lawn and Garden Products

ATLANTA -- Pexco, the North American leader in the design and fabrication of custom extruded plastics products including chain-link enhancement products, marketed under the PDS® brand name, has purchased Patrician Products, Inc. of Hicksville, NY, a premier plastic extruder of fence and lawn and garden products throughout the US and internationally.

Pexco will also continue the manufacture of Patrician’s extruded plastic landscape edging products, which include Industrial Edge, Professional Edge, Estate Edge® and Fast Edge® and are made available at major home and garden retailers and commercial distributors.Founded and family owned since 1953, Patrician Products supplies a wide array of extrusion-based products to the fence and landscaping trade and consumers. Patrician fence products, including Fence Weave®, PVT®, Max Slat® and American Permahedge™ are well known and distributed through commercial and retail outlets including Lowe’s and The Home Depot. The products will be integrated into Pexco’s PDS® line of fence products, which provide privacy and security while enhancing the aesthetics of chain link and ornamental fences. Pexco continues to pioneer through plastic extrusion and fabrication new fence product innovation, such as a corporate branding program in which PDS fencing slats are custom produced in corporate colors, so new or existing chain link fence can be used to identify locations and promote the business.Shillingford reaffirmed that Pexco’s strategy is to continue to grow profitably through investing organically and by acquisition in domestic markets in its chosen sectors. The company is continually seeking to enhance its competitive position as a custom extruder through product and process innovation, strengthening its sourcing and distribution capability, enhancing its supply chain and reducing cost while investing in IT, people and production capability to deliver superior customer service and value.Ken Ilvento, National Sales Manager of Patrician, will join Pexco and continue to serve as a representative for fence filler and landscaping products.About PexcoPart of Saw Mill Capital LLC and based in Atlanta with seven plants in the United States and Mexico, Pexco is a North American leader in the design and fabrication of extruded plastics products. It provides standard and custom parts and components to manufacturers and end-users for a broad range of custom applications, including the aerospace, retail, traffic safety, medical, lighting and fence industries. Pexco offers a full range of custom design, engineering and fabrication services. Pexco meets the requirements of ISO 9001:2000, holds ISO 14001 registration for all of its manufacturing operations and operates two class 100,000 clean rooms. For more information, visit www.pexco.com.

Part of Saw Mill Capital LLC and based in Atlanta with seven plants in the United States and Mexico, Pexco is a North American leader in the design and fabrication of extruded plastics products. It provides standard and custom parts and components to manufacturers and end-users for a broad range of custom applications, including the aerospace, retail, traffic safety, medical, lighting and fence industries. Pexco offers a full range of custom design, engineering and fabrication services. Pexco meets the requirements of ISO 9001:2000, holds ISO 14001 registration for all of its manufacturing operations and operates two class 100,000 clean rooms. For more information, visit www.pexco.com.