Landscaping

Michael C. O'Sullivan, 83, a landscape company owner and father of 10, died Sunday, Oct. 16, of heart failure at home. Mr. O'Sullivan was born on a farm in County Kerry, Ireland. He immigrated to the United States in 1946 and worked for a dairy in Philadelphia. During the Korean War, he served in the Army for two years in North Carolina and Georgia and then remained in the Army Reserve for several years. After his active military service, he was a trolley driver for Philadelphia Transportation Corp.

SOMETIMES profound change happens so swiftly, it's unrecognized and unappreciated. Such is the case with the response to the federal Food and Drug Administration advisory committee's decision to withdraw agency approval for using Avastin to treat metastatic breast cancer. After the FDA Oncological Drug Advisory Committee declared Avastin to be unsafe and ineffective for women suffering from that incurable form of the disease, the headlines and pundits spun the decision - and the discussion - as one where science triumphed over emotional and desperate women.

John F. Collins, 75, a landscape architect, urban planner, nurseryman, and educator, died of complications of Parkinson's disease Friday, Aug. 5, at home. Among Mr. Collins' projects were Schuylkill River Park; the renovation of the Market East corridor with wider sidewalks, bus shelters, trees, and flower boxes; the greenways of Society Hill; and pocket parks throughout Center City. He first drew plans for Schuylkill River Park in 1965. Forty years later, the 1.2-mile riverfront path was finally opened to pedestrians and bicyclists.

WASHINGTON - The Pentagon got nearly everything it asked for during a decade of two wars shadowed by the Sept. 11 attacks and the rise of al-Qaeda. No more. It's a reality that new Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta acknowledged Thursday, saying he "recognizes the Department of Defense has to do its part" to meet the public clamor for spending cuts. The debt deal that President Obama and congressional leaders struck this week will slice $350 billion from projected military and related spending over the next 10 years, and allows the possibility of up to $500 billion in additional reductions.

The Chester County woman accused of persuading her young lover to help kill her husband recently told the man that she gave birth to his twins in prison and needed to be released so she could raise them, prosecutors said. The fabrication - she had not given birth - highlights the lengths to which Morgan Marie Mengel, 35, will go to avoid responsibility for the death of Kevin E. Mengel Jr. on June 17, 2010, according to a pretrial motion filed Thursday by First Assistant District Attorney Patrick Carmody and Assistant District Attorney Deborah Ryan.

When the U.S. national soccer team won the inaugural Women's World Cup in 1991, there wasn't exactly a brass band waiting at the airport upon their return from China. In fact, as the players from that team were always happy to recount, no one was there. The guy running the floor buffer, maybe. That was about it. It's a long way from there to here, with here being the brink of a third world championship for the United States if the women can navigate Sunday's final against Japan in Frankfurt, Germany.

Taking a bold leap beyond the gallery's regular roster of twin-bill solo exhibitions is Gross McLeaf's far-reaching display "American Landscape: Coast to Coast. " Its nine featured painters cover the subject handily. Ann Lofquist has an especially commanding presence here, and not just because she works large; she seems at home painting whatever landscape moves her. And her work on view spans the continent - from ancient sycamore and oak trees in a California pasture and a fascinating, wide-angle dawn overview of a Ventura County valley to an equally awesome, understated Maine snow scene - and reveals the breadth of her talent.

For some, it's a lot like a sport, as adventuresome and energizing as running a favorite race or hiking along a wonderful new trail. What is? A plein-air festival. This increasingly popular occasion of outdoor art-making is spreading rapidly. Kutztown has one (last month). Philadelphia has one (this month). And the Wayne Art Center has a splendid one - last month and this month. Plein air festivals involve landscape painting done outdoors, in the open air - rain or shine - for several days.

As weather warms in most parts of the country, many homeowners will incur the expense and hassle of hiring professionals to help beautify their yard, whether grass mowing, landscape design or tree trimming and removal. Those services can be quite costly. That's why it's important to hire the right landscaper at the right price. "The condition of your lawn has a big effect on the look and value of your home, whether you have a complicated landscaping plan with water features and/or an expanse of grass and flowers," said Angie Hicks, founder of service-ratings website Angie's List.