by Chris Norwood The Daily Home

Architectural rendering of new Talladega elementary school

slideshow TALLADEGA — The Board of Education discussed an ambitious, three year, $30 million project that would consolidate the city’s four elementary schools under one roof in a new building, relocate the junior high school and central office and renovate the high school’s sports facilities. No formal action was taken on the proposal during a work session Friday morning.

According to a presentation by Cory Mills of the architectural firm Lathan and Associates, phase one would involve the construction of a two story building containing 35 to 40 800 to 900 square foot classrooms meant to accommodate up to 1,500 elementary school students. The building would be situated next to Graham Elementary and across the street from Zora Ellis Junior High School.

At the same time, Houston Elementary School would be expanded to contain additional classrooms, a gym, locker rooms and a band room. The junior high school would move into this building, which is the newest in the system.

Phase 2 would involve moving the central office from a house on South Street into what had formerly been Zora Ellis. The central office would occupy the front of the building and the long hallway, according to Superintendent Doug Campbell. A teacher resource center would be located in the back of the building. The band room and Harwell Auditorium would remain as they are, but the gym and the cafeteria would be demolished.

The last phase would involve cosmetic renovations of the sports facilities, construction of new restrooms, locker rooms and a concession areas, renovation of the softball and baseball fields and new seating throughout.

Board member James Braswell pointed out that, according to a study commissioned in 2007, the board would have to spend about $1 million per year for the next 10 years on maintenance costs for existing buildings alone. “We can’t just keep on putting money into these old buildings. If our enrollment continues to decline or even stays the same, the money we save on maintenance could go into the classroom instead.”

Campbell said he would begin meeting with the Talladega Council and city manager in the near future to discuss funding.

The largest expenditure would be for the new, consolidated elementary school, which would cost an estimated $20 million. The modifications at Houston are estimated at $2.8 million, while the changes at Ellis will run $4 million.

The athletics projects would add another $3.4 million to the total estimated cost of $30.2 million.

The system currently has 1,357 elementary students enrolled at the four current schools.

Campbell also said he is doing title searches on the board’s various property holdings to determine what they can do with the unused properties after the project is complete. Hal Henderson Elementary, which was closed this year, has attracted the interest of a pastor who is returning to Talladega and thought the building would be an ideal fit for his ministry.

Board member Shirley Simmons-Sims encouraged Campbell to work with the Chamber of Commerce to “bring in more people with children,” and cited the example of increased enrollment in Lincoln and Munford after new schools were built there.

“The county built new schools and put money in their classrooms. If we can’t fulfill our obligations, then I might be in favor of some sort of consolidation (of school systems).”

Campbell also said leaks may be developing in the roof at Harwell Auditorium, and he is looking into options regarding metal roofing or shingles.

During the same meeting, the board also discussed some changes in the vocational program with director Trisha Turner, who said the current carpentry instructor is retiring, with a fairly low number of students taking his class, however.

Agri-science classes, on the other hand, are booming, so Turner suggested moving an agri-science teacher into agri-construction, which has carpentry as an element of it. A science teacher had agreed to move into the agri-science position from the high school. The science teacher position would still have to be filled.

Also Friday, the board:

• Held a 30 minute executive session to discuss a student disciplinary issue.

• Discussed the possibility of forming a parent committee as suggested by board member Juanita Curry McClellan, who had to leave the meeting early, but Campbell said he would discuss her ideas further.

• Discussed having an orientation session for new board members McClellan and Elizabeth Smith with the company that will handle Campbell’s evaluation. Simmons-Sims complained that the previous evaluation had not been delivered, but Braswell said this was because two board members had never turned in their forms. Simmons-Sims suggested not paying the evaluator.

Contact Chris Norwood at cnorwood@dailyhome.com.

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Plans to consolidate schools

Swansea residents could have their Council Tax bills frozen as part of the Council's budget proposals.

Swansea Council's Cabinet will be discussing its Draft Revenue Budget for 2012/13 which includes holding Council Tax bills at this year's level of £990 for a Band D property.

The Draft Budget includes proposals to increase school funding by more than £2.4 million and to invest an extra £2 million in Social Services.

Also included in the proposals is extra funding for:

• Investment in the city centre;

• Tackling child poverty by improving literacy;

• Free bus travel for under-16s during Easter;

• Growing demand for free school meals; and,

• Boosting waste disposal and recycling.

The Draft Budget proposes £6.6 million in savings and efficiencies, including reduced staffing costs of £2.6 million.

According to the report to Special Cabinet next Monday, schools in Swansea are also set for a further boost of £2.8 million being funded by the Welsh Government under a new Pupil Deprivation Grant.

Stuart Rice, the Council's Cabinet Member for Finance, said: "The Draft Revenue Budget provides for millions of pounds in extra investment for key services such as Education and Social Services.

"On top of that, there's new investment in other services that affect families every day, such as recycling and waste disposal. There's also free bus travel for under-16s and extra funding to meet the growing demand for free school meals.

"The proposal to freeze Council Tax bills will help families at a time when household bills are increasing and their income may be reducing.

"Despite the squeeze on public spending, the Council is continuing to improve its services whilst reducing its costs and becoming more efficient. This means families across Swansea are getting better value for money from their council."

The Draft Capital Budget proposes to spend more than £40 million on a range of projects including:

• Refurbishing Castle Square as a focal point for the Olympics in Swansea;

• Restoring Cwmdonkin Park for the centenary of Dylan Thomas' birth in 2014;

• Refurbishing Cefn Hengoed and Morriston Comprehensive Schools;

• Investing more than £3 million to upgrade highways and other infrastructure; and,

• Further works to refurbish the historic Guildhall and to progress the Boulevard scheme.

Following the Welsh Government's recent announcement on 21st Century Schools it is expected that approximately £18 million will be invested in an initial programme to include a replacement for Manselton and Cwmbwrla Primary Schools, remodelling YGG Lon Las and replacing Gowerton Primary.

The Council also plans to invest £25 million, an increase of £5 million, in upgrading council housing across the city and county. The improvement works set out in the Housing Revenue Account include kitchen and bathroom renewals, boiler replacements, heating upgrades, improved roofing and chimneys and energy efficiency measures.

Following Cabinet today, February 13 the full council will meet to discuss the Draft Budget on February 20.

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Swansea residents could see Council Tax frozen

Osage Beach hasn't adopted a public indoor smoking ban, but some of the city's restauranteurs are instituting their own smoke free policy. The owners of the City Grill and Blue Room became the latest to declare their restaurant smoke free and will adopt the self-imposed ban once a remodeling project is finished this spring.

"It's going to happen regardless. There's going to be a statewide ban at some point," City Grill co-owner Joey Homm said.

Major cities like Kansas City, St. Louis, Springfield and Jefferson City have adopted bans of smoking in restaurants. In Osage Beach, the Board of Aldermen debated a public smoking ban in the summer of 2011, but has not taken any action on the proposal since August.

The Homm family has owned restaurants at Lake of the Ozarks since it opened Jo Jo's in 1952. The family opened City Grill in 2003. After experimenting with non-smoking nights in the Blue Room nightclub on Wednesday nights, the family voted to go smoke free this spring.

"It was a family decision. We all agreed that we are in favor of going non-smoking. Not only for personal health reasons, but because so many customers come through the front door and the sense and the smell of the smoke drives them away from our place," Homm said.

In an effort to balance business decisions and keeping customers happy, contractors will build an outdoor smoking patio on to the restaurant. The patio will have 20-25 seats, propane heaters and outdoor televisions.
"We're not turning our backs on our smoking clientele, because we know that they're out there. We want to be proactive in trying to keep them with us," Homm said.

City Grill joins Osage Beach restaurants such as J. Bruner's, Half Sauced BBQ, the Cozy Cafe and Hideout Bar and Grill in going smoke free.

Debate over an all out smoking ban in Osage Beach died away in August because aldermen grappled with the question of whether or not banning smoking in restaurants infringed on the rights of the individual business owner.

“It’s a business owner’s decision, period,” Alderman Steve Kahrs said in August. “I feel that the government sticking its long arms into private business takes away liberties.”

The Osage Beach Board of Aldermen could pursue other smoking regulations such as creating a ballot issue that would allow voters to decide on a ban, regulating ventilation and enclosures in restaurant smoking sections, or impose a smoking ban on non-bar businesses.

In a community survey taken in 2011, 68 percent of the 1,509 respondents said hey would support an indoor smoking ban in Osage Beach bars.

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Businesses in Osage Beach to decide on smoking ban

A prototype of a photovoltaic/thermal system has already demonstrated that it can produce warm air at 25 degrees throughout winter. The technology, developed by UNSW’s School of Photovoltaic and Renewable Engineering, will be integrated into roofing panels.

It’s part of a series of ‘carbon-positive’ products that will be tested and further developed by the Cooperative Research Centre (CRC) for Low-Carbon Living at UNSW this year.

“A lot of people aren’t aware that the biggest opportunity for emissions reductions is in buildings,” says the head of the new CRC, Professor Deo Prasad, who is part of the Faculty of Built Environment.

“The built environment is responsible for 40 per cent of energy use and Australia’s homes account for 16.5 per cent of our emissions in electricity use alone, without accounting for energy embodied during the production and disposal of building materials.

“Unless we have carbon-positive products, it will be difficult to have carbon-positive buildings,” Professor Prasad says.

“The idea is that instead of simply putting solar cells on top of regular roofs, they are integrated, so that the minute the metal roofing is installed, it starts to pay back its carbon debt by pumping power into the grid and providing warm air in the winter,” says the CRC’s Program Leader for Integrated Building Systems Associate Professor Alistair Sproul, who is also developing a thermally-driven air-conditioner.

Professor Prasad says the CRC aims to come up with further green innovations, as well as design and planning solutions to help reduce our carbon footprints.

The products will be tested from late 2012 in so-called “living laboratories”, one of which is located in the recently constructed Tyree Energy Technologies Building, built by Brookfield Multiplex, one of the CRC’s major industry partners, at UNSW’s Kensington campus.

Professor Dennis Else, General Manager for Sustainability, Safety and Health at Brookfield Multiplex said the challenge of building and retrofitting for lower carbon outcomes is in practice a great opportunity to create buildings that not only consume less energy but also deliver measurably higher human performance in terms of health, collaboration and productivity. 

Other “living laboratories” are the city of Newcastle, the industrial area of Docklands in Melbourne and the residential area of Lochiel Park in Adelaide. Residents and workers will test the effectiveness of these products and changes will be incorporated into the design process.

These products are aimed to prepare Australia for a zero carbon building code, which is being introduced in the UK and Europe in 2016.

The CRC has been funded by the federal government with support from industry.

Provided by University of New South Wales (news : web)

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Cutting our carbon footprint

When their competition is closing their doors, letting their skilled employees go, and pulling back on marketing & advertising; Ga Roofing & Repair sees this as an opportunity to do the exact opposite and gain market share in the Southeast Region.

Atlanta, GA (PRWEB) February 13, 2012

When asked the tuff question, “How does an Atlanta Roofing company thrive in today’s economy and expand its market share?” Jeff Weber, Owner & Operator replied, “You’ve got to spend money to make money, and account for every dollar being spent to ensure your hitting and expanding your target market in the right manor. The same rule applies for hiring labor outside your traditional service areas; you’ve got to spend more money on quality and experienced workmanship otherwise your reputation will suffer. Today's economic environment has provided an excellent opportunity to grow the company from within as well as expand our services and territory to better serve the Southeastern Region.”

Roofing Ga and the surrounding regional states is Ga Roofing & Repairs goal for increasing its territory in 2012, having the qualified man power and ability to respond in a timely manner to service residential and commercial clients can become a daunting task. There are 3 key roofing divisions: Residential Re-Roofing, Commercial Re-Roofing, and Residential / Commercial Roof Repair. When asked, “How does the convenience of roofing Atlanta compare to being able to properly manage and oversee projects outside the state of Georgia?” “Great question, it really comes down to dedication and the willingness to travel out of your comfort zone when others are not, having the right project managers and superintendents can go a long way in a company’s success or failure. The employees realize it’s a tough economy and in order to get the business they have to be willing to travel in today’s market. For example, there may be a local roofing contractor that is willing to do the job for less money, but when a prospective client can go with a proven company that is willing to travel, that’s what makes all the difference,” says Jeff Weber.

With time running out in the interview, one more important question on reader’s minds. “With all of the money Ga Roofing & Repair is spending on employees and marketing, what kind of marginal increases are you forecasting for your different divisions compared to last year?” “2012 should be an exciting year to say the least; the residential re-roof side of the business has always been the backbone and the foundation that supports the other company divisions. The residential re-roof division is expected to grow anywhere from 30%-50% increase in total sales of which is mostly made up from referrals and recommendations. Commercial roofing expectations are even higher; there are more active bids out now than all of last year and the company has already landed some very sizable contracts. The commercial division is expected to more than double its sales by mid-year. The residential home repair and commercial repair division is going to be the most exciting to watch grow because there is no idea what to expect. With all of the added repair technicians and the quality of workmanship sky’s the limit; this division could easily do 5-10 times what it did in total repair sales last year.”

“Georgia Roofing & Repair is here to stay and plans on enjoying many more years of continued growth and success! The company would like to extend many thanks to its professional partners at Roofing GA and Roof Atlanta for all of the continued support," says Jeff Weber.

###

Jeff Weber
Georgia Roofing & Repair, Inc.
404-841-8270
Email Information

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Georgia Roofing & Repair Announces it's Opening Southeastern Regional Office Locations to Handle Increased Demand

Jeremy Lin has solved the point guard problem in New York temporarily. But problems still linger with this New York Knicks roster.

The addition of J.R. Smith could be the volume shooter the Knicks need for a second half run this season.

Knicks’ forward Carmelo Anthony recently spoke about Smith potentially signing with New York and living in the Big Apple:

"Yeah, I think so, he's one of those type of players," Anthony told a small group of reporters after the Knicks' win over the Nets on Saturday. "If it happens, it happens and I'll be happy."

The shooting guard spot continues to be a mystery alongside their star-studded frontcourt of Carmelo Anthony, Amar’e Stoudemire and Tyson Chandler.

Between rookie Iman Shumpert, and second-year guard Landry Fields, the Knicks guards combine for three years of experience and neither rank in the top 30 in John Hollinger’s PER standings.

In addition, three-point shooting has been a significant area of concern for the Knicks. The team ranks third in the NBA in three-point attempts, but their three-point percentage is at a lowly 25th.

The stats tell the story of a conflict between system and personnel. Coach Mike D’Antoni encourages his team to shoot from long range by any means, but the current roster of Knicks’ shooters cannot execute at a high rate.

Enter J.R. Smith. 

The streaky shooter has shot 37 percent from three-point land for his career and Coach D’Antoni would give him the green light whenever the ball touches his hands. He would see a ton of open looks to bailout Lin-Amar’e pick and rolls and when Carmelo gets double-teamed. 

The Knicks can also offer Smith the largest paycheck of the bunch, with their 2.5 million mini mid-level exception still available.

Even if it’s not all about the Benjamins, the New Jersey native would fit right in playing in New York City.

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NBA Rumors: Ranking the Likely Destinations for J.R. Smith

Pittsburgh Based Electrical Contractor South Hills Electric Heating Cooling is Proud to Stock and Install Siemens new PL Series Product Line.

South Hills Electric Heating Cooling (PRWEB) February 13, 2012

Electrical contractor South Hills Electric Heating Cooling is always on the lookout for the newest and best technology for its customers said owner Pat Cray. So when the new product line was available, field tested and proven it was a no brainier. This was the load center for South Hills Electric.

As far as electrical load centers go South Hills Electric feels that the PL series load center is superior in every way. Here are a few ways in which the PL electrical load center saves time, money and provides piece of mind.

    Invertible     Insta-wire neutrals & grounds                                                                                                                                                                                                     Ground bars included factory installed     Copper bus bars     Dual neutrals on all configurations     Carton-in-carton packaging     Lifetime warranty on Load Center                                                                                             Convertible

The number one goal is to provide the very best products for the customer. South Hills Electric Heating Cooling now carry's the PL electrical load centers and breakers in stock so they will be on hand 24 hours a day 7 days a week.

About South Hills Electric Heating Cooling:

South Hills Electric Heating Cooling

930 Glass Run Rd

Pittsburgh, PA 15236

(412) 537-0687

on the web at http://southhillselectricheatingcooling.com

###

Pat Cray
South Hills Electric Heating Cooling
(412) 537-0687
Email Information

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Pittsburgh Electricians South Hills Electric Heating Cooling Now Installs Siemens Electrical Load Centers

Late last year, the Portland Development Commission inked a $22,000 contract with a public relations consultant to promote the Oregon Sustainability Center in Salem.

The $62 million project -- an ultra-efficient office building mixed with classroom space -- faced an uncertain path in the 2012 Legislature. Last year, House Republicans balked when project backers sought $37 million in state funding for the center, a joint endeavor of the city of Portland and the Oregon University System. Construction costs put the building at the top of Portland's office market.

In its contract with former Oregonian columnist David Reinhard, PDC said further PR work was necessary in advance of the February session "to ensure decision makers and the public are well informed about the project goals, costs and outcomes, including statewide opportunities and economic development return."

But a few opinion pieces and letters-to-the-editor that resulted from the PR contract used figures that offered an unclear picture of the project's total cost and how it compared to other projects.

A key argument of those pieces was that the Oregon Sustainability Center would cost about the same as Oregon Health & Science University's new Collaborative Life Sciences Building.

To make that point, a Dec. 28 letter-to-the-editor and Jan. 20 op-ed in The Oregonian cited the sustainability center's $434 per-square-foot construction cost. By comparison, the life sciences building is said to cost $475 per-square-foot in those two pieces.

With land and financing, however, the price of the sustainability center shoots to $474 per-square-foot, according to project supporters at Portland State University and the Oregon University System.

That's still in line with the life sciences building, no?

The cost of the life sciences building requires a footnote.

PDC calculated the $475-per-square-foot price of the life sciences building by including the cost of land at South Waterfront, the project's location. However, that land was free, because it was donated by the Schnitzer family in 2004.

Without that extra bump from the estimated value of the land, the cost of the life sciences building drops to $464 per-square-foot, PDC confirms.

Later editorials acknowledge this difference.

"The $434-per-square-foot cost — $474 with land — seems high to some," J. Clayton Hering, a Portland real-estate expert, wrote in an op-ed Feb. 8 in The Bend Bulletin. "The more comparable Collaborative Life Science Building now being built at the Oregon Health & Science University will average about $464 per square foot."

On Jan. 20, Hering wrote differently of the two projects in an op-ed submitted to The Oregonian using facts from PDC.

"Critics talk of the building's $434 cost per-square-foot," Hering wrote last month. "The best comparison would be the Collaborative Life Sciences Building now under construction in Portland. It is 400,000 square feet and will cost about $190 million. That's $475 per square foot for a building that, like the Oregon Sustainability Center, will tap into our state strength and generate jobs and economic growth across the state."

One final note: The original PR contract states that key messages on the sustainability center would be developed "with involvement by the Portland mayor’s office, PDC, Portland State University and the Oregon University System."

Read more:
Opinion pieces on Oregon Sustainability Center use fuzzy math: Portland City Hall roundup

Newport Beach officials recently ordered a real estate investor to stop gutting the interior of an office building designed by celebrated Modernist architect Richard Neutra.

It is the latest dispute concerning the Mariners Medical Arts building, a sleek 1963 complex at 1901 Westcliff Drive saved from demolition in 2009.

Preservationist John Linnert, a Costa Mesa architect, noticed crews working on the upstairs interior in January and reported them to the city planning staff. He has kept a close watch on the building in recent years.

Newport officials issued a stop-work order because the building owner had no permits.

"He gutted the whole upstairs of the building," said Linnert, who pushed for the building's historical resource designation three years ago. "It's an abomination."

The building's owner, John Bral of Westcliff Investors LLC, did not return calls seeking comment.

Since the city red-tagged his building in mid-January, Bral has applied for permits.

State law prohibits major alterations or demolition at such buildings when the changes threaten the buildings' historic qualities. City Planner Jaime Murillo said he did not know if the interior remodel would trigger that protection.

He added that the city's building department will consult with a contract architectural historian. That consultant found in 2009 that the building was eligible for a historic listing at the national, state and local levels.

Neutra was primarily known for his geometric, airy houses, many of which were built in Southern California. He also designed landmark buildings, including the Tower of Hope next to the Crystal Cathedral and the Los Angeles County Hall of Records. He died in 1970.

Almost all of his commercial buildings have been substantially altered over the years, according to a website maintained by Neutra's son Dion, who has supported the preservation of the Mariners building.

It appears that Bral was preparing the office space for a new tenant.

Often, when tenants sign a lease they request a major overhaul. Regardless of the historical designation, so-called tenant improvements usually require city approval. Bral also replaced a gas line without acquiring permits, and the city has required him to apply retroactively.

"The building is such an attribute to the culture of Orange County and Southern California," said Linnert, who has closely chronicled the changes.

In 2009, he and a few other preservationists pressured city officials to halt demolition and study the building's historical significance. They prevailed and have scrutinized activity at the property ever since.

City planners are now preparing an environmental report to evaluate Bral's broader plans for the 20,000-square-foot complex. As an alternative to demolition, he has applied to add a two-story office building that would wrap around part of the structure.

In recent years, Bral has torn down an exterior stairway and replaced some exterior light fixtures that followed the building's linear lines. A representative said in 2010 that he was making routine repairs and didn't realize they needed to be completed a certain way.

mike.reicher@latimes.com

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Newport Beach blocks interior remodel of Richard Neutra building

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Scott Salladin of Poughkeepsie organizes barbershop quartets to surprise your valentine with a song.KEITH FERRIS/For the Times Herald-Record

Published: 2:00 AM - 02/13/12

POUGHKEEPSIE — Scott Salladin and his fellow choristers sing in the rain, in the snow, on porches and in living rooms. They'll even sing, if someone asks them, in a barbershop.

Salladin is chapter secretary of the Poughkeepsie Newyorkers Barbershop Chorus, practitioners of a four-part singing style with roots in the early 1900s.

Anyone who's ever attended a high school production of "The Music Man" has witnessed a barbershop quartet in a capella action. It's old-fashioned. It's corny.

And it's romantic, especially as Valentine's Day nears. For a modest fee, Salladin and friends serenade couples all over the mid-Hudson region.

"We'll come right to your door, whether you open it or not," he said. "Sometimes they let you in; sometimes you stay on the porch."

Salladin has scads of stories documenting rigors and risks of appearing unannounced on a stranger's doorstep, wearing a tux and singing "Sweet Adeline."

Once, when the group was grabbing a bite at a McDonald's, an elderly gent asked for a tune. The group agreed: How about "Heart of My Heart"?

The man's wife, Salladin discovered, was a stroke victim, unable to speak. But when they finished singing, he saw the hint of a smile on the woman's face, and a tear ran down her cheek.

The man asked what he should pay for the song. There was only one thing to say: "No charge."

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Pougheepsie group offers four-part harmony for your valentine