JOHN DOHERTY: Haste makes for waste at higher levels

The higher the level of sports, it is logical to assume, the better are the agents, athletes, coaches, management types, medics and scouts.

House & Grounds: Gull Lake home designed for lakeside living and entertaining

Mary and Kevin Beyer knew they wanted to take full advantage of their waterfront property on scenic Gull Lake in Hickory Corners, Michigan.

JOHN DOHERTY: In new season, baseball clings largely to past

New helmets, strong enough to withstand a 100 mph fastball, will be the law of the land in Major League Baseball this season. Supposedly they will prevent concussions.

Lake Station chamber to host prayer breakfast on Saturday

LAKE STATION | There will be a citywide prayer breakfast from 9 to 11 a.m. Saturday at the Edison High School, 3304 Parkside Ave.

Lake Station set to award second round of water project contracts

LAKE STATION | Construction contracts for the second phase of the city's water improvement project are set to be awarded next week, Mayor Keith Soderquist said.

At Home: 10 steps to the perfect sofa

I still remember my shock and dismay when I realized that sofas had to be bought. Somehow I thought sofas just happened. They always simply showed up in homes, hotels, and offices without explanation or fanfare, like feral kittens or bills.

No looking back to last season for Cubs

MESA, Ariz. | Cubs manager Dale Sveum knows exactly what he'll say about last year's 101-loss season when he meets with his team for the first time this spring.

Wild game dinner scheduled March 9 at Hobart orchard

HOBART | The annual Wild Game Dinner is from 5 to 9 p.m. on March 9 at the County Line Orchard, 200 S. County Line Road.

Subsidized Sprawl

Federal spending on real estate is more likely to benefit single-family homes than multifamily housing, advocacy group study shows.

At Home: Fixin' to Sell

Maybe it’s because I was the youngest in my family. Maybe it’s because I’m five-foot-three and have a voice like snow white, but I lash out like a cornered rattlesnake when someone doesn’t take me seriously.

At Home: If you can dress, you can decorate

I know, I know, to many of you the idea of decorating an empty room feels as horrifying as one of those dreams where you're suddenly in public naked. But I'm going to fix that.

Design your own chic, comfy bedding

You don't need to be a professional designer, or even much of a sewer, to create one-of-a-kind bedding that looks as nice as the stuff of dreams.

Woodworkers praise the many faces of plywood

It's not that fast or dirt-cheap, but it can be that easy, according to woodworking experts who speak fondly of plywood's many merits.

At Home: Turn Your Closet into a Boutique Just for You

Quick: Which room in your house needs attention the most? Kitchen? Bathroom? Garage?

At Home: How to sell what where

The author of "Garage Sale Millionaire" had come to Orlando to visit theme parks with his wife and 3-year-old son. I took it as a sign. Divine deliverance.

At Home: Parents’ possessions put past in perspective

Like my mother, the Roman God Janus — for whom January is named — had eyes in the back of his head. In fact, he had an entire face on the back of his head, so he could look backward and forward at once. This feature earned him the distinction of “god of doors.” He ruled comings and goings.

Local author draws inspiration from gardening

An avid gardener, Linda Tsoutsouris created and maintained elaborate perennial gardens, vegetable gardens and rose gardens at her home in Valparaiso. A former elementary school teacher in Munster, Tsoutsouris also wrote romance novels set in Indiana and Illinois in the 1800s.

Annual bird counts give scientists climate clues

Where are the wild turkeys? Why were no black rails found? What about fox sparrows and the 13 other species that are commonly counted on the preserve? Where have they gone?

Review: 'Nike+ Kinect,' 'Your Shape' sweat it out

Why wait to work out, or even leave your living room, when you can get your heart rate up at home with these recently released fitness games?

At Home: Resolving to repurpose

This time of year I always feel a little sick to my stomach, and not just because of those midnight romps at the dessert buffet with the bottomless glass of Prosecco. (Do they make a combo antacid headache tablet?)