| Rents in S.J. keep going up
The rental market in San Joaquin County continues to hold at a good, steady pace, with occupancy strong and rents on a steady increase. According to the latest apartment-rental survey by the Novato research firm RealFacts, which tracks trends in the apartment industry, the average rent in the county rose to $883 in the third quarter of this year from $879 in the second quarter. Occupancy also has steadily risen this year, moving from 93.7 percent in the first quarter to 94.4 percent in the second to 95.1 percent last quarter. Anything around 95 percent occupancy is considered strong in the rental sector. Norbert Huston, a Stockton real-estate broker who has managed rental properties for more than 20 years, said the fourth quarter could prove to be much stronger, at least for landlords.
Cracks pose dangers for sledders
Danger lurks under the windswept surface of Lake Simcoe. Police and ice hut operators are reminding snowmobilers to be extra cautious of pressure cracks. An Innisfil woman was seriously injured Monday when she lost control of her snowmobile on Cook's Bay after crossing a pressure crack, which stretches two-kilometres before ending near Line 5 of Innisfil. Another one just north of that ends at Chapman Street in Belle Ewart and stretches across the bay to Roches Point. Chad Paiero, of Lucky Sons Ice Huts in Lefroy, has been on the lake all his life and says the cracks can be tricky. "Knowing the ice is very important. When the pressure cracks are snow-covered, it looks like you can cross anywhere, but it's not just the ridge of ice," he said, while walking near a crack yesterday afternoon.
Keys to successful home gardening
Tomatoes (Feb. 15 to March 15) are the most popular and most widely grown vegetable in home gardens across the state. Be aware that tomatoes will not set fruit when night temperatures dip below 60 degrees, nor when day temperatures exceed 93 degrees. A wide array of varieties are available at local garden centers. Celebrity is a widely available and recommended variety with excellent disease resistance. Carnival and Champion do well also. For salads try one of the cherry tomatoes including Sweet Chelsea (a large-type cherry tomato).While local area gardeners commonly set out tomato transplants during the first week of March, many seasoned gardeners started setting a few plants out each week starting Feb. 15. However, they were also prepared to provide some type of cold protection to transplants.
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