One man is dead following a residential worksite accident in a gated community in the Milpitas hills Saturday. The worker was buried in a deep trench by a large amount of dirt after a retaining wall gave way at the home at 814 Calaveras Ridge Drive, according to a city official.

The body had not been removed as of Monday noon, according to a city source.

Keyvan Irannejad, chief building official with the Milpitas Building and Safety Department, provided the following information: "On Saturday, Jan. 28, 2012, Building and Safety Department staff responded a call related to a fatal construction accident at the construction site of residence located at 814 Calaveras Ridge Drive. The worker was crushed in a 10 to 12 feet deep trench, cut for the future foundation placement, due to sliding of unstable soil, caused by the lack of shoring of the trench walls. Prior to the accident, on Wednesday, Jan. 25, Building and Safety Department inspector has issued a stop work notice sighting the lack of shoring and requiring review by the soils engineer to determine required action and provide recommendations for shoring. Despite of the stop work notice, work in the trench was continued, which led to the fatal accident. Building and Safety Department staff on the site met with and consulted with Milpitas Fire and Police departments' personnel and also contacted CAL-OSHA compliance engineer.

Currently, the project soil and structural engineers, and excavation company were contacted

to provide immediate remediation actions."

Fire Associates of Silicon Valley, who responded to the scene, posted the following on its website:

"Arriving firefighters were confronted with a mountain of loose dirt above the area where the worker was trapped, and bravely made access to the area where the worker was trapped. Once they reached the worker they discovered there was nothing they could do to help him, and withdrew from the area to work out a safe recovery plan.

"Investigators from Cal OSHA, Milpitas PD and the Santa Clara County Coroner's office were called to the scene. While investigators did their work fire department officials were working on recovery options ...

"By 10 p.m. (Saturday) it was determined the threat of further collapse of the loose dirt was too dangerous to continue the operation and operations were suspended for the evening. The plan for Sunday is to cover the worker with a concrete box and use an excavator to pull the piles of dirt down, rendering the area safe. Once the collapse threat was removed the excavator crews will be able to dig around the concrete box and complete the recovery operation."

The Milpitas police and fire departments have not issued a statement with more details yet. A fire department official said the Calaveras Ridge site is being treated as a crime scene.

Read more here:
BREAKING NEWS: Man buried, dies in worksite accident

Hero Decks honors 52 of the greatest African Americans of all time from Fredrick Douglass to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Black America is a celebration of the greatness is many areas including artists such as Langston Hughes, Duke Ellington and Aretha Franklin to sports superstars like Jackie Robinson and Bill Russell. Media personalities including Oprah Winfrey and Russell Simmons are in the collection as are great political figures like Booker T. Washington, Shirley Chisholm and President Barack Obama.

(PRWEB) January 31, 2012

Hero Decks is proud to announce availability for Black America Playing Cards featuring 52 of the greatest African Americans of all time. The rich histories of African Americans from all walks of life are depicted in this beautifully illustrated card deck. Artists such as Lena Horne, Duke Ellington and Miles Davis, Business people like Robert Johnson Oprah Winfrey and Madam C.J. Walker who was the first female (black or white) millionaire in America. Sports figures like Joe Louis, Bill Russell, and Jackie Robinson. Political figures such as the Lion Frederick Douglass, and the first African American U.S. postage stamp honoree Booker T Washington. Political figures from President Barack Obama to Shirley Chisholm and of course many civil rights leaders including Rosa Parks, and the immortal Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Hero Decks Black America Playing Cards are beautifully illustrated with 52 images (plus two jokers) that capture the essence of Black History Month making them a perfect gift for people of all ages. "This was a wonderful project to work on, said company founder and managing partner David Krikorian adding "I learned so much about the contribution of so many to the fabric of American life. We could have filled several decks on this project. While the nation observed a day in Dr. King's honor, there are many individuals that many people are unaware of. This Hero Deck highlights men and women from all walks of life."

Black America Hero Decks are sold in several civil rights museums across the county including the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center, the Rosa Parks Museums and the National Civil Rights Museums. The following are friends and supporters of this release:

National Civil Rights Museum Gift Shop

450 Mulberry Street

Memphis TN 38103

(901) 521-9699

National Underground Railroad Freedom Center? Gift Shop

50 East Freedom Way

Cincinnati, OH 45202-3414

(513) 333-7500

Birmingham Civil Rights Institute Gift Shop

520 16th Street North

Birmingham, AL 35203

(205) 328-9696

Hue-Man Bookstore & Cafe

2319 Frederick Douglass Blvd

New York NY 10027

212-665-7400

Politics & Prose Bookstore

5015 Connecticut Avenue NW

Washington, DC 20008

202-364-1919

Zambezi Bazaar

4334 Degnan Blvd

Los Angeles CA 90008

323-299-6383

About Parody Productions LLC

Founded in 2003, Parody Productions LLC produces playing cards and jigsaw puzzles for the retail gift industry. The Hero Deck line of playing cards is very popular among sports collectors and casual fans of all ages. Hero Decks and Black America Hero Deck Playing Cards are licensed trademarks of Parody Productions LLC

http://www.herodecks.com/

# # #

Rob Carpenter
HERO Decks
(513) 929-0019
Email Information

Originally posted here:
Playing Cards Honor Black Americans - Dr. King, Rosa Parks, Oprah Winfrey and Jackie Robinson

Just east of Tallahassee is Jefferson County, which is suddenly a symbol of all that's going on during this legislative session as it relates to the economy of Florida.

Jefferson, with a population of about 14,000, is a tranquil place of rolling hills, plantation-style homes with broad porches, and towering oaks. A drive through the area is a nostalgia trip back to a Florida of the 1950s and '60s.

A stately courthouse in the roundabout at the center of Monticello, the county seat, resembles Florida's historic Old Capitol.

Jefferson is a poor county, where one out of three residents relies on the government for work. The county has high poverty rates and a narrow tax base, and the little downtown is pockmarked by drab, vacant storefronts.

Jefferson is so small that it's the only county in the state without a stoplight.

There's no mall, no Publix, no Walmart. You can't even find an Internet cafe, the current scourge of Florida communities.

So when Gov. Rick Scott decides to erase state jobs, it packs a powerful wallop in a place such as this.

The tranquility in Jefferson County was shattered recently when Scott's administration said it would soon eliminate the county's biggest employer, Jefferson Correctional Institution, a state prison that has been open since 1989.

The inmate population is about 1,100, equivalent to nearly a tenth of the county's population.

JCI is one of seven prisons slated for closing by July 1 in a cost-saving plan necessitated by a dwindling inmate population. The state ranked prisons based on various factors in which JCI scored poorly. But the ranking system did not consider the fact that under state law, Jefferson is a fiscally constrained county and is a rural area of critical economic concern, which means state agencies must factor that in before making changes affecting the local economy.

JCI inmates mow grass and pick up trash in Jefferson, and they work at a county recycling center. The state promises to offer displaced workers jobs at other prisons, but gas costs nearly $4 a gallon.

Jefferson's leaders are mounting a full-court press at the Capitol to stop what they see as an economic disaster that would unfairly punish a community.

"We're a community that's on life support, and this decision will equate to pulling the plug on our community," county clerk Kurt Reams told a House committee.

Jefferson votes Democratic in statewide elections, and residents showed a strong preference for Alex Sink over Scott in the 2010 election. But state officials say politics played no role in selecting which prisons to close.

"Twenty years ago, when everybody said, 'Not in my back yard,' Jefferson County opened their arms and embraced the opening of the prison there," said Wendy Bitner, recently hired to help lobby against the closing.

Bitner is the widow of David Bitner, the former state Republican Party chairman who recently died of Lou Gehrig's disease.

The people of Jefferson County are in a fight for economic survival in Tallahassee, and with the session nearly half over, they don't have much time.

Steve Bousquet can be reached at bousquet@tampabay.com or (850) 224-7263.

See more here:
Tiny Jefferson County fights to keep prison open

Last Updated on Tuesday, 31 January 2012 00:15 Written by Zach Maskell Monday, 30 January 2012 23:34

There are big plans for the old First Ward School in Randolph County.

A meeting was held at Jennings Randolph School on Monday, where members of the public could be filled in on plans for the building. It will be transformed into 16 affordable senior housing apartments for folks ages 55 and older. The funds are federally administered through the state housing development fund.

Some neighbors say they don't want the affordable apartments in their backyard. Presenters say there are strict guidelines for anyone thinking about moving in including background checks and property maintenance.

"It's a rough time construction wise, economic wise in a lot of our small towns and throughout Appalachia. And this project brings $2.4 million of funds to the community at a time to save an asset to the community, it's a building that on the historic register. To bring jobs, it's kind of a win-win for the community at this time," said Johan Graham of A.U. Associates.

Construction is expected to begin at the end of April.

Original post:
Old School in Randolph County to be Transformed into Apartment Building

22-12-2011 05:50 Termite Treatments often involve Drilling concrete paths to inject termiticides into the soil underneath, or lifting pavers and trenching the soil to break the termite pathways into buildings. This short video is self explanatory.

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Perimeter Barrier Treatment examples - Video

12-01-2012 15:51 Slug-A-Bug Pest Control is located in Melbourne, FL. They are an independently owned pest control company since 1982. They specialize in residential pest, termite and lawn control, wood destroying organism inspections and K-9 termite detection. Visit us http://www.yellowpages.com

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Slug-A-Bug Pest Control | Termites | Melbourne, FL - Video

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Dave Underwood, Matt Jeshurun and Daniel Rainey hanging out after eating lunch at Bar Louie at Great Lakes Crossing in Auburn Hills.

By DEBBIE LEVESKI
Special to The Oakland Press

Chad Apap, General Manager, Bar Louie at Great Lakes Crossing Mall in Auburn Hills.

Music blares from both entrances of Bar Louie, where two patios and an airy feeling throughout invite patrons to sit down, enjoy a drink and some homemade food, relax, have fun and meet a friend or make one anew.

“Bar Louie is the local neighborhood everything,” General Manager Chad Apap said of Bar Louie in Auburn Hills. “We have a scratch kitchen, a private dining room, specialty cocktails, over 40 draft beers and one of the best happy hours around.”

Bar Louie is in District 6 of Great Lakes Crossing Mall in Auburn Hills.

IF YOU GO

Bar Louie is open 11 a.m. to 2.a.m. Monday through Saturday for lunch, dinner and late night dining, and from 11 a.m. to midnight on Sunday. Bar Louie is at 4390 Baldwin Road, in District 6 of Great Lakes Crossing Mall in Auburn Hills. For more information call 248-409-0087, or visit http://www.barlouieamerica.com/home.

“We are known for our group gatherings, networking events and parties. Bar Louie is a place to meet old friends and make new ones at the same time,” Apap said.

Bar Louie has two entrances and two patios — one inside the mall and the other outside. With two bars, many booths, pub tables and six black leather couches, the bar/restaurant can seat more than 220 people.

Its décor includes black leather seating, warm wood table tops and walls decked out with black and white pictures of people — some with great faces like that of Rat Packers Dean Martin, Sammy Davis Jr. and Frank Sinatra — enjoying each other's company and having fun.

One afternoon three friends, Dave Underwood, Matt Jeshurun and Daniel Rainey met at Bar Louie to have lunch, relax and wind down a bit. Underwood said he picked Bar Louie as the place to have lunch at because “The vibe is good.” Continued...

Jeshurun said, “Their burgers are amazing.”

Rainey added, “I enjoy eating at Bar Louie's because they will make me a sandwich that I like and they no longer offer on the menu.”

Bar Louie's menu includes small plates or appetizers like meatballs al Forno, Adobo shrimp skewers, spinach and artichoke dip and Louie's signature appetizer — Bavarian pretzel sticks with cinnamon butter, queso and honey mustard.

The menu also includes verde chicken and roasted vegetable flatbreads and salads such as pear and bleu cheese and the BLT wedge.

The Blue Louie burger — made with bleu cheese, bacon, fresh spinach and Buffalo sauce — along with all of the burgers on the menu can be made with chicken breast, turkey burger or portobello substituted for beef.

Large plates on the menu include Drunken Fish and Chips, sesame encrusted ahi tuna, El Burrito Loco, Tuscan chicken pasta and baked mac and cheese.

The dessert menu consists of Louie's oversized chocolate cake and, for anyone 21 or older, Tennessee Whiskey cake — a fresh baked caramel cake soaked with Jack Daniel's whiskey glaze.

Specialty cocktails include Louie's Cosmo, made with Absolut Citron, orange liqueur, fresh lime juice, white cranberry juice and a splash of pure cane sugar; the Strawberry Fizz, made with SKYY, DeKuyper Razzmatazz, strawberry puree and champagne; and the Dirty, made with Belvedere, olive juice and bleu cheese olives.

Happy hour is 4 to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday and includes specials on drafts, wines, martinis and half-price appetizers.

Whether it is live entertainment or tunes from CDs spinning there is always music in the air at Bar Louie. On Thursday nights, starting at 8 p.m., listen to acoustic from a local musician, and on Friday and Saturday nights starting at 9 p.m. there is dancing to local DJs and bands.

Link:
Bar Louie in Auburn Hills a great place to meet

24-12-2011 16:16 San Diego Interior Designer Rebecca Robeson saved the installation and design reveal of what she considers her most beautifully designed project of 2011 to upload on Christmas Eve 2011... It's her gift to you, the people who follow robesondesign on a regular basis... http://www.youtube.com "I feel like I try to give inspiring ideas and transferable tips throughout the year on ways my viewers can improve their own personal spaces ....no matter what their budget." TODAY, it's Christmas... forget the Design on a budget projects... lets enjoy living a life of luxury for just a moment... Be happy for those who can... and live vicariously even for a moment.... See the clients reactions and walk step by step through the design process to the final reveal of this Extreme Home Makeover. LIGHT FIXTURE over Dining room table is by : Corbett ..."Barcelona" 32" X 42" In this, her Christmas upload, she shares the "End of the story" of an earlier upload ... Related videos... Interior Design*5 Days before Install #2 http://www.youtube.com Interior Design... Install #2 REVEAL ... Merry Christmas 😉 youtu.be Interior Design Classic Modern Design .. walk-through .. first half.. youtu.be Interior Design Classic Modern Design .. walk-through .. second half http://www.youtube.com You have been patient... Thank you and... love you! ????????????????????????? Comment (in box below "respond to this video") LIKE! (thumbs up) And most important... SUBSCRIBE!!! ??????????????? ...

Excerpt from:
Interior Design: ... Classic Modern style home remodel - Video

By: Jim McNally | Statesville Record & Landmark
Published: January 31, 2012 Updated: January 31, 2012 - 12:00 AM

Trace smells of paint, wood stain, sawed lumber and that “new-carpet smell” are still discernable throughout the Statesville City Hall building. But what else would be expected after a nearly 13-month-long renovation job that included major work on all four floors of the 120-year-old structure?

Heavy lifting on the project – which included the literal lifting of a pre-turn-of the-last-century safe that may tip the scales at a ton or so – has been complete for most of the last month, which has been spent tidying up the place following the spending of more than $2 million.

“We’re just working on punch-list items,” said project Supervisor Scott Annas of Hickory Construction Company. “We’re just tying up some loose ends and getting it cleaned up and all our stuff moved out before Sunday.”

It’s on that day that City Hall – which was originally opened exactly 12 decades ago in 1892 – will be re-introduced to the public during a three-hour open house.Visitors will be allowed to tour all three upper floors -- the top two with guides only -- as well as the refurbished basement of the facility, which was built, with the reluctant approval of President Grover Cleveland, as a post office and federal courthouse.

The building has undergone a number of renovations and upgrades over its long existence. But the one approved by the Statesville City Council two years ago was more aimed at restoring its former glory.

“With the council chambers and several other areas, we wanted it be as much like 1892 as we could get it,” said former Councilwoman Paula Steele, who has stayed on as the project’s unofficial point person despite her having served out her tenure on the council. “And I think, in most cases, we’ve accomplished that.”

Changes to the council chambers actually went in both directions along the time continuum.

Steele noted that new paint job in the room’s original shade, installation of pew-like seats and restoration of the chandeliers give the chambers a good view of the past. A staircase and added balcony were also removed to allow for an unimpeded view of the chamber’s back windows.

But the room has also been fitted with state-of-the art cameras audio-visual equipment. Each member on the council dais will also have screens showing documents and other information pertinent to the matters at hand.

Sunday’s open house will have actors portraying folks with a connection to the building’s storied past.Statesville Public Affairs Director Nancy Davis said one of the actors, for example, will portray a person who sat in on part of a murder trial when the council chamber room was a courthouse.

“Also, the guides will tell something about the history of each room and what work was done to restore it,” Davis said.

The open house will run from 2-5 p.m. Sunday. Entrances on both sides of the building will be open.

See the original post:
Statesville City Hall open house set for Feb. 5 at 2 p.m.

For the past 25 years, the Blue Star Arts Complex has been a haven for the arts. Now its owner is looking to make room for more retail.

James Lifshutz, the property's owner, said that he's looking to increase foot traffic at the complex by adding retail in space along South Alamo Street. Currently, he's in talks with gallery owners to find a way to reconfigure and update the buildings to make space for new retail tenants.

“We're looking to reconfigure the frontage along Alamo Street to create better retail and several of the artist-run galleries will be affected. So we're working with them to try and figure out a way to keep them there. I'm hopeful and expectant that we'll be able to keep them there. Not in their existing spaces, but in reconfigured space.”

The plan is in preliminary stages, but Lifshutz said he hopes to have new tenants in place by midyear. The property owner already has talked to several interested parties that could bring a neighborhood grocery market, coffee shop, bakery and an icehouse with a music venue. Some of the prospective tenants Lifshutz has spoken to also have existing businesses locally and in Austin, he said.

“This is not Payless Shoes. This will be retail that enhances and improves the life of an arts community,” Lifshutz said.

No leases have been signed for any of the space that's expected to be reconfigured. A lease was signed for a new bar, but it's located toward the middle of the complex. Bar 1919 will have the feel of an upscale speakeasy that's expected to open in late March, said Jeremy Jessop, the asset manager for the complex.

While everything is still in the planning stages, Jessop did say they will look to make updates such as adding central air and heat and new walkways to make the area more pedestrian friendly. Also, the galleries could have glass fronts that would allow visitors to enjoy the art without the galleries being open.

Blue Star's current footprint is about 160,000 square feet of art, retail and residential space. The cost for retail space there is about $15 per square foot, Jessop said. With the anticipated changes Lifshutz also said he plans to raise rents there.

Lifshutz added that he plans to secure financing to start construction on the second phase of Blue Star at the old Big Tex property by the end of this year.

“The art is the soul of the complex. With the improved retail, it really fulfills and brings to full blossom the original intent of Blue Star. It was never intended to just be a place where people make, look at, teach, buy and sell art. It was always intended to be all those things along with a vibrant 30-day a month life to it.”

Stella Haus is one of the art galleries that could be affected by the proposed changes. It has operated in the same space for nearly 10 years and Dayna De Hoyos, the gallery director, said that she and others hope to stay in their current spaces.

“We enjoy being in the Blue Star Arts Complex. We'd love to continue renting our spaces,” De Hoyos offered as a statement for her gallery and two others: Cactus Bra and Three Walls.

Neither De Hoyos nor the other gallery owners wanted to comment further until the negotiations concluded. But De Hoyos did say that raising rents would make things more difficult since the galleries don't make much money throughout the year.

The anticipated additions would bring added competition to the complexes current retail tenants, but Joey Villarreal, owner of the Blue Star Brewery, Blue Star Bike Shop and Joe Blue's, said he welcomes it.

“A synergy of different businesses can help bring more people to the area. There could be a nice exchange of clientele. I think it will be good.”

vlucio@express-news.net

Original post:
Blue Star to make room for retail