Boston Mayor Thomas M. Menino is offering to help Roxburys historic Charles Street AME Church avoid foreclosure and blasting the bank thats trying to seize the house of worship.

I get frustrated when the bank thinks (its) going to take over a church of this magnitude, the mayor told the Herald yesterday. How greedy can they be?

Menino yesterday called the Rev. Gregory Groover Sr. pastor of the church and chairman of the Boston School Committee to offer help in the congregations fight with Hub-based OneUnited Bank.

The nations largest black-owned bank, OneUnited is threatening to foreclose on the church even though the company itself received $12 million in federal bailout funds in 2008.

OneUnited has scheduled a March 22 foreclosure auction of the church, some nearby storefronts and a Milton parcel that once served as the congregations parsonage.

Charles Street AMEs $1.1 million balloon mortgage recently came due, and the church says OneUnited hasnt responded to an offer to keep making monthly payments while the congregation tries to refinance.

The two sides have long been locked in a bitter lawsuit over a separate $3.6 million construction loan that the church took out in 2006 to build an adjacent community center.

Construction stalled after OneUnited halted payment on the last $800,000 and sued to get funds it had already disbursed back.

Church lawyer Ross Martin claims OneUnited is threatening to foreclose on the church itself as a negotiating tacticin the lawsuit a charge OneUnited denies.

It is not the practice of this bank to take steps to foreclose on a mortgage in the absence of a borrowers default, bank lawyer Robert Cooper said, although he added that OneUnited is sensitive to and appreciates the important roles that (institutions like the church) play.

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Mayor sides with church

By JOY BROWN

STAFF WRITER

Findlay-based Charles Construction Services has been hired by owners of the Argyle apartment building to be the general contractor for demolishing the fire-damaged structure, Findlay Service-Safety Director Paul Schmelzer said Wednesday.

A "demolition specialist" will be brought in to oversee the work, he said, which could begin today.

Schmelzer said city administrators are coordinating with the contractor, the owners, the Environmental Protection Agency and Wood County Building Inspection Department to get the project declared an emergency.

Demolition usually involves a lengthy permit process through the EPA, Schmelzer said, but when public safety is at risk, permission can be expedited.

Downtown streets and businesses near the Argyle remain closed to traffic, although some businesses behind the barricades remain open to pedestrians.

The area has been cordoned off since Thursday's fire, which structurally weakened the building enough to necessitate razing it.

"We've already given them (owners) a verbal deadline" to bring in demolition crews, Schmelzer said Wednesday. "That deadline was yesterday."

But Schmelzer said the city hasn't pressured the owners too much, because the owners continue to seek a resolution.

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Firm hired to raze Argyle

Mar 1 2012

Passengers on the stricken cruise ship Costa Allegra have finally stepped on to dry land after enduring three days at sea without power.

British High Commissioner Matthew Forbes was at the port of Victoria in the Seychelles to greet the 31 UK citizens who were among the 627 passengers aboard the Italian vessel.

The Britons and the other passengers had had to contend with dismal conditions on board after a fire in a generator room on Monday knocked out all power on the vessel.

The ship is part of the Costa Cruises fleet which included the Costa Concordia, which hit rocks and turned on its side off the coast of Italy in January, claiming 32 lives.

No one was injured in the fire earlier this week on the Costa Allegra but the vessel, which was sailing from Madagascar towards the Seychelles in the Indian Ocean, had to be towed by a French fishing vessel.

Passengers endured extreme heat and were reported to have been living on bread and cheese, with no electricity or washing facilities.

The Seychelles Red Cross set up several tents at Victoria to assist passengers while tour operators waited with buses ready to take passengers to either the airport or a Seychelles resort. The process was expected to take several hours.

It is understood around 370 passengers have opted to stay in the Seychelles with the rest being flown to Rome. Travel agents flocked to the port, waiting to help passengers ashore.

Guillaume Albert, head of Seychelles-based Creole Travel Services, said: "The focus of the operation is to get them a warm meal and a shower. I think the happy ending is the people coming off the boat."

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UK & World News: Allegra passengers reach dry land

British passengers have spoken of the awful conditions on board after they finally disembarked from the stricken cruise ship Costa Allegra.

A fire on the Italian vessel in the Indian Ocean on Monday left it without power and needing to be towed to the Seychelles where the ship arrived on Thursday morning.

The 31 Britons among the 627 passengers had to contend with no lights, no air conditioning, toilets that would not flush and very basic provisions, with some surviving on a bread-and-salami diet.

The ship is part of the Costa Cruises fleet including the Costa Concordia, which hit rocks and turned on its side off the coast of Italy in January, claiming 32 lives.

Looking tired and dishevelled, passengers on the Costa Allegra finally stepped on to dry land to be met by travel agents, the Red Cross and Seychelles island officials.

There was no power at all, British passenger Derek Adams told the BBC. The loos packed up. They just filled up and were smelling more and more. There were no lights. It was OK for those with portholes, but elsewhere it was pitch black.

Some of the Britons will be staying on in the Seychelles at Costa Cruises expense, while others will join other passengers on flights to various European cities where they will get connections home.

British High Commissioner Matthew Forbes, who was among those meeting the ship, told the BBC: I think everyone is OK now and looking forward to having a little comfort for a few days.

One passenger told how she had existed on white bread and salami morning, noon and evening. Speaking to BBC News, she went on: Believe me, I dont want to see another salami for a long time.

She said passengers had been sunbathing on deck when suddenly there was terrible black smoke and passengers had got their lifejackets and assembled at their muster stations. The passenger said things were not very well organised to start with but later on, everything had been fine.

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Allegra passengers reach dry land

Exhausted passengers cheered and clapped as liner docked Ship's 1,049 crew and guests had been at sea without power for three days 'I don't want to see salami again', says woman who was only fed the meat

By Arthur Martin

Last updated at 2:45 PM on 1st March 2012

The stricken Costa Allegra cruise ship finally reached the Seychelles' main port today, after three days at sea without power.

Exhausted passengers, who had been forced to stay out on deck since a fire knocked out the ship's power supply on Monday, half-heartedly cheered and clapped as the liner reached Victoria, on the island of Mah. As they stood on firm land, they looked angry and disorientated.

Tour operators waited with buses ready to take some of the guests, who have eaten only emergency rations and washed with bottled mineral water for the last 72 hours, to nearby hotels.

Scroll down for video...

Exhausted: Costa Allegra passengers stared out at land as they finally reached the Seychelles this morning

Exhausted: Pictures taken by passengers on board the Allegra show exhausted guests asleep on deck

Left luggage: Passengers from the Costa Allegra cruise ship look for their baggage after arriving at Victoria's harbour

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Costa Allegra: After three days at sea, 1,049 passengers told they must share just TWO showers

Keeping up with the latest trends in the world of floor coverings, Coswick Hardwood has launched a new collection of engineered oak flooring prefinished extra-durable aluminum oxide matte finish, Signature Oak Collection.

Mississauga, ON (PRWEB) March 01, 2012

The new flooring collection features seven designer colors, all of which satisfy consumer demand for natural, soft and earthly tones in hardwood flooring.

Signature Oak is one of the most creative Coswick flooring lines, stated Tatyana Zhigar, principal designer at Coswick Hardwood. This collection was inspired by the element of Water, and our designers relied on richness of color in order to capture and communicate the essence of this element in its various forms.

The new collection comes prefinished with lacquer CosNanoTech+, an innovative finishing technology that is distinguished by superb durability and high wear resistance. Through excellent adhesion to wood, CosNanoTech+ lacquer seals wood pores, creating a perfectly smooth and fully transparent surface.

All floors in the new collection have matte finish and very low surface sheen. The main benefit of matte finish is that it puts emphasis on richness of color and wood texture, as well as creates a very forgiving, easy-maintenance floor surface that disguises footprints and dust.

Signature Oak collection is manufactured as 3-layer floating engineered CosLoc 5G flooring. This innovative technology is rapidly gaining popularity, as CosLoc 5G flooring maintains superb dimensional stability even under elevated moisture conditions. In addition, installing CosLoc 5G click flooring is a simple DIY procedure, which significantly reduces installation costs. This type of flooring is recommended for a wide range of public and residential interiors, and can be used below, on, or above grade.

Adhesives used in all Coswick engineered floors are 100% formaldehyde free, while Coswick lacquer finishes contain no harmful VOC emissions, making it an environmentally friendly flooring solution.

Signature Oak flooring comes with a 25 year residential finish warranty, as well as lifetime structural warranty, which ensures that hardwood flooring will retain its structural integrity for a lifetime.

About Coswick Hardwood:

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Coswick Hardwood Launches New Signature Oak Flooring Collection

Progressive, seeing the value of education in the construction/retrofit industry, invests in a new learning center for the training of employees, partners and customers. The inaugural event featured Energy Upgrade CA training for contractors. The ongoing need for training is being driven by energy conservation changes in the California Energy Commission, the Public Utility Commission and the California state building code.

Chatsworth, CA (PRWEB) February 29, 2012

The first event held in the training center was a class from Energy Upgrade CA program, where attendees were able to benefit from Progressives interest in educating both the consumer and the contractor. A clear understanding of the issues of whole house performance is vital to accomplishing the goals of energy efficiency.

The old rule-of-thumb school of building a house is no longer an acceptable model for construction or remodeling, said Steve Anderson, President of Progressive. "Progressive's new Learning Center is an outstanding contribution to the educational process," he concluded.

Progressive has maintained an active training program in conjunction with the Progressive Learning Center for the past 10 years. With a steady stream of advancement in the field of whole house performance, it is not only necessary to educate employees and contractors, but homeowners as well.

Anderson is quick to point out that the tenets of building science have become a part of the California Building Code, which dictate the standard for new houses. By extension, the retrofit business has the daunting task of helping thousands of homeowners in older homes, built prior to the growth in building science, to see the financial and comfort benefits of increasing the energy efficiency of their homes even though at this point they are not required by the code to do so. Retrofit business focuses on bringing older homes up to code so that they perform with energy efficiency.

Energy efficiency is an intangible product, unlike beautiful new windows which the casual observer driving down the street can see. Energy efficiency is hidden in the walls, the attic and the crawl space of every home. Dirty old insulation that is compressed or simply missing, contributes to high utility bills and the shortened life of HVAC systems. But it takes some training to clarify the connection between high utility bills and missing insulation, as obvious as that may seem. In addition to the aspects of comfort and savings on utility bills, there is the issue of bad air quality inside the home, a growing concern among doctors dealing with allergies and asthmatic conditions. All of these combine to demonstrate the need for an active training program and the presence of Progressives Learning Center.

The Environmental Protection Agency notes Californias new standards that mandate that all new construction reduce energy use by 15 percent, water use by 20 percent, and water for landscaping by 50 percent. The energy savings in the new standards will come from a combination of more efficient appliances, better insulation, and more efficient windows. The code also identifies a number of improvements to air quality. The new language allows localities to adopt tougher standards.

The green building code changes became mandatory in 2010. On April 23, 2008, the California Energy Commission (CEC) approved dozens of changes to the state's building energy efficiency standards for new construction, commonly known as Title 24. On October 19, 2007, the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) adopted a target that all homes built in California after 2020 be energy neutral. This goal will be achieved through advanced insulation systems as the initial step.

About Energy Upgrade California

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Progressive Insulation & Windows Relocates Progressive Learning Center

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One thing I've learned as a renter is that it pays to think like a landlord. I can talk about what benefits me until the cows come home, but ultimately a landlord is only going to spend money when it benefits him. Period. This is why, when I'm interested in upgrades for the home I rent, I approach the landlord from a direction that will benefit him.

Hardwood or Laminate Floors

I hate carpet, so whenever I move into a new rental property, I always ask the landlord to rip it up. I suggest he install hardwood planks or faux-wood laminate prior to my moving in (or, if nothing else, ceramic tile). Carpet retains dirt, stains, and allergens, which makes it unsanitary and potentially dangerous. Since my wife suffers from allergies, I want to reduce her discomfort wherever possible. Plus, in my opinion, carpet is much less visually appealing.

I suggest the landlord make this upgrade because wood and laminate are easier to maintain. He won't have to rip up the flooring every time one tenant moves out and another moves in. If a plank is damaged, he need only repair that one, rather than the whole floor. Plus, wood and laminate increase the value of the home and show better to prospective buyers and tenants.

Programmable Thermostat

A programmable digital thermostat is one of the least expensive upgrades a landlord can undertake. If a landlord doesn't want to install one, I'll do it myself, but I prefer to broach the subject prior to move-in so I don't have to incur the expense or installation time myself. It is much easier to keep utility bills under control with a programmable thermostat. You can decide in advance when you want to adjust temperatures in the rental unit, and you don't have to worry about forgetting and racking up a huge bill.

This is a big selling point, whether the landlord chooses to rent out the property again or sell it to someone else. And if utility bills are low, he can use that data to entice future renters or buyers. Next to rent itself, utility bills are the next largest expense.

Appliances

If appliances look old or outdated, I always ask the landlord to upgrade them. Sometimes it works and sometimes not, but it never hurts to ask. Upgraded appliances are easier and more fun to use, and they are much less likely to fail in the middle of cooking a meal or running a load of dishes.

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First Person: 5 Upgrades Every Landlord Should Make

Mild weather has piqued thoughts of remodeling, landscaping and home decor for Marylanders. Green thumbers and do-it-yourselfers will find no shortage of inspiration for spring projects at the Maryland Home & Garden Show, beginning this weekend at the Maryland State Fairgrounds in Timonium.

Designers, contractors, landscapers and suppliers will offer home improvement ideas for everything from decks and patios to kitchens and spas. Here are 10 things not to miss as you tour the show's beautifully landscaped gardens and more than 300 exhibitors.

1. Joey Green The best-selling author and guru of little-known uses for brand-name products will host seminars this weekend, demonstrating how to clean carpets with diapers, soothe neck pain with rice and polish furniture with Spam.

2. Garden reads This year's show theme is "Books in Bloom," with 17 gardens inspired by settings from literature, including "Under the Tuscan Sun" and "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory." Use your smartphone to capture QR codes in each garden to see information about the featured titles from the Baltimore County Public Library website.

3. Interior designer Q&A Can't decide between matte and high-gloss interior paint? Bring your design problems to the show as members of the American Society of Interior Designers offer free 20-minute, one-on-one consultations.

4. Ogle orchids Shop for your plants at the Orchid Show & Sale. The show takes place in Horticulture Hall the second weekend of the show, March 9-11.

5. Name that flower Floral designs, horticulture entries and educational exhibits will be showcased by the Federated Garden Clubs of Maryland during a mystery-themed flower show March 9-11. Members will also offer secrets to arranging and maintaining long-lasting flower displays.

6. Miniature trees Ready to incorporate harmony, peace and prosperity into your life? The Baltimore Bonsai Club will show how to cultivate and care for miniature trees.

7. Spring decor Spruce up your home with pieces from the Maryland Spring Craft Show, featuring 125 craftspeople offering handmade jewelry, pottery and accessories.

8. Master gardening On March 9, Norman Cohen of Master Gardeners will give tips on keeping your vegetable plants healthy and productive. And on March 10, Valley View Farm's Carrie Engle will talk about which houseplants are best for clean indoor air. You can also stock up on bulbs, plants, flowers and seeds.

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10 things not to miss at the Md. home show

29-02-2012 17:45 Another from the PureView videos I managed to get shot 🙂 NOTE - This is a Prototype device, final quality will only get better 🙂 Contact Me viewers@samjpullen.com Check out my site! bit.ly Follow Me bit.ly Facebook Me on.fb.me G+ Me bit.ly

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Nokia 808 PureView 1080p Indoor Video Test (Good Lighting) - SAMJPULLEN - Video