Thomas Grubba

The spacious living room features a skylight and fireplace, and tall sliding glass doors that open to one of several patios.

Twice a week, The Chronicle features a local home on the market that caught our eye for its architecture, history or character. See more photos at http://www.sfgate.com/ZHQD.

Address: 66 Alvarado Road, Berkeley

Asking price: $1.6 million

Description: This one-story contemporary has been updated for modern indoor/outdoor living. A brick path leads to the home's double-door entrance, which is draped with lush vegetation. The entryway opens to a spacious living room featuring skylights and a wood-burning fireplace. Tall sliding-glass doors in the living room open to one of several patios. Just off the living room is an open dining room and the kitchen, equipped with modern appliances, an island and circular-patterned wall tile. The kitchen and dining room have access to another patio. The master bedroom has his-and-her closets and an updated bathroom with tub. There are hardwood floors throughout. The home has four other bedrooms, any of which can be used as a home office or gym, and three additional full bathrooms.

Don't miss: The private, lush, landscaped yard featuring patios, a meditation garden and garden boxes with vegetables and herbs.

Built: 1941

Size: Five bedrooms, four bathrooms in 2,693 square feet of living space.

For more information: Leslie Avant, Pacific Union International Inc., (510) 338-1341, http://www.66Alvarado.com

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Open-plan Berkeley home with lush landscaped yard

After months of work and numerous public consultation sessions, architects unveiled a design concept for a new Powell River Public Library building at an open house on Monday, March 26.

The library had contracted with Miller Hull Partnership, from Seattle, Washington, and Public Design, from Vancouver, BC, for the project. In February, architects displayed three designs and asked for comment and feedback. The designs generated responses on a multitude of attributes, including parking, use of the site, what the building looked like and its shape, said Ruth Baleiko, of Miller Hull Partnership. The architects took all of those comments, distilled them and combined everything into one design that satisfies as much of that criteria as possible, she added. We went through all of those comments and isolated the common themes people had, whether it was sustainability, use of the site, cultural aspirations, she said. There were some great ideas.

The proposed location for the new library has also generated a protest group, which uses the slogan, Save Willingdon Beach, on large, yellow buttons. The group is opposed to the location, the empty lot on the corner of Marine Avenue and Abbotsford Street, known as the old arena site.

Both opponents and proponents of the library attended the open house, which was held at Powell River Recreation Complex. Some proponents stood outside the complex with signs that read, Yes 4 library, Willingdon Beach is not in danger and I [heart] my library.

The design concept is for a 15,000 to 16,000-square-foot building all on one level. Because its one storey, the building wont block the view from Marine. It has a green roof with skylights and is nestled into the bank on Marine. We actually get amazing thermo performance out of these walls that are against the soil, Baleiko said. In the winter, theyre going to feel warm and in the summer, theyre going to feel cool.

Because its essentially a high-powered retaining wall, Baleiko said, the back wall can be built for a lot less cost than those that are in the public eye. Its doing a lot of work for us, she said.

The building is longer and narrower in proportion, because the site has a 100-foot setback from the high water mark, Baleiko explained. We can actually only build within a thin, skinny portion next to Marine, she said. Were trying to stay within that, so this is actually the shape that the site allows.

The west side of the building has ample windows, to take advantage of the view. The north end of the building has a meeting room, with a courtyard in between that room and the rest of the building. Theres also a porch area thats screened with sun screens at the north end.

The green roof has skylights, which, along with the courtyard, will glow at night from lights inside. The roof will be able to grow grasses and other shoreline plants. The roof helps increase the amount of pervious soil on the site, Baleiko said. Right now the site is covered with asphalt and gravel and surface rainwater cannot be absorbed, she said. What weve done is taken the roof and made it more like nature. Water will be absorbed at the rate that it would be if this was a park-like site. So were actually improving the condition of the site. By having that thick buildup on the roof, it makes our building perform more efficiently in terms of energy usage.

The inside is free span, with columns at each of the ends. That means the stacks, the activities and the programming can take any shape inside, Baleiko said. Hopefully that will enhance the lifetime of the building.

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Architects unveil library design

BOSTON, March 28, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- IA Interior Architects (IA) is pleased to welcome Reetika Vijay and Paul Comeau as leaders in its Boston office. Reetika joins as Managing Director, and Paul joins as Project Director. Both offer extensive expertise in the Boston market and are a valuable addition to IA globally.

"Every IA office is built around strong leadership and team players. Reetika and Paul, well-known in the Boston market, are a powerful and proven team. Given their years of experience working together, complementing each other's skill sets and areas of focus, they bring remarkable energy, expertise, and creative presence to IA Boston. We're excited to have them on board in the Boston market and as a part of IA's firm-wide leadership," says David Bourke, Managing Principal, Eastern Region.

Reetika brings over 17 years of project management and interiors experience working with Boston architectural firms such as Sasaki Associates, Spagnolo Gisness & Associates, and Payette Associates. She has led the project conception, execution and delivery of over 5 million square feet of commercial interiors.

Paul joins IA with over 22 years of experience managing all phases of the architectural and interior design process, from feasibility studies through construction administration for complex corporate projects. He has worked closely with Reetika for over 8 years, both at Spagnolo Gisness & Associates, and at Sasaki Associates.

"IA has so much to offer and I'm happy to be a part of it," says Reetika Vijay. "Not only is it unique in that it is the largest architecture firm dedicated exclusively to the practice of interiors, but IA's model is distinct. Each office functions as an active participant in the local market while also performing as an extension of a larger platform with capabilities to serve clients around the globe."

"It is an honor to be joining a top notch organization that excels in corporate interiors and beyondlocally, nationally, and globally. I look forward to serving clients that I have worked with in the past in a broader way, and sharing the firm's resources and best practices," says Paul Comeau.

Reetika and Paul plan to strengthen the unique IA brand in the local market with a client focused, nimble approach. They believe Boston has a rich history of supporting great architectural design firms, and thatIA has much to provide to the local commercial real estate community.

IA Interior Architects is located at 160 State Street, Boston Ma 02109. Reetika can be reached at 617-699-8452 or r.vijay@interiorarchitects.com. Paul can be reached at 617-721-7652 or p.comeau@interiorarchitects.com

ABOUT IA INTERIOR ARCHITECTS Founded in 1984, IA Interior Architects is the first and largest global architectural firm focused exclusively on interior architecture and workplace strategies. IA helps clients in diverse markets worldwide align their business strategies and core values with the dynamic use of space. IA has offices in Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Denver, London, Los Angeles, New York, Orange County, Raleigh, San Francisco, Seattle, Silicon Valley, and Washington, DC and has partner affiliates in Europe, Middle East and Africa, Asia and Australia, Canada, and Latin America through the IA Global Alliance. For more information, visit http://www.interiorarchitects.com.

Press Contact: Sofia Zimmerman 917.579.5702 s.zimmerman@interiorarchitects.com

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Reetika Vijay and Paul Comeau to Lead IA Interior Architects in Boston

Rising incomes among the growing middle class are feeding optimism in retail property in Ghana, which currently has one of the continents fastest-expanding economies.

Ghanas GDP is expected to grow by 7.3% this year in real terms, thanks in part to the continuing influx of capital associated with the burgeoning oil and gas sector. Combined with increased urbanisation, this means that the demand for dedicated retail space particularly property that caters to modern retail outlets, which currently accounts for some 5-10% of the overall market is growing rapidly.

The middle-class has really seen growth in their expendable income, and people in Ghana are spending a lot more than before, Edmund K Asamoah, the manager of A&C Square shopping centre in Accra, told OBG. This means that there is definitely a large demand for retail space.

This is backed up by a recent report from South Africas Broll Property Group. Broll, which provides property and real estate services for commercial clients including in Ghana, where through its directly owned subsidiary Broll Ghana it operates two of the largest shopping centres in Ghana, A&C Square and Accra Mall estimates that around 110,000 sq metres of retail space will become available over the next 12 to 24 months, both in Accra and in provincial centres.

Developers are investing in land with the aim of building retail space, though in much of the country, the mall concept is still a very new one. The majority of the malls in Ghana tend to be relatively small at an average size of around 5000 sq metres, and a far cry from the massive landmarks that dominate shopping in the Middle East, where centres such as the UAEs Mall of the Emirates spread over 600,000 sq metres.

Similarly, the vast array of street stalls and small shops means that most transactions tend to happen in the informal or small-scale retail segments, accounting for roughly 90% of all retail activity. As a result, at the moment, the countrys malls tend to draw in high-end retailers and thus have a relatively wealthy clientele; one of the challenges for investors will be broadening Ghanas malls consumer base.

But this is not to say that there is no space for top-end international brands. While there are presently few malls in Ghana, new projects are likely to change the dynamics of the market, according to Kofi Ampong, the CEO of Broll Ghana.

The development of the new mall projects will segment the market more thoroughly, said Ampong. The upcoming projects will probably be a lot more focused on a specific target market. The new malls will take some pressure off Accra Mall and meet demand in certain locations of the city.

Accra Mall, together with A&C Square, dominates the citys retail property market. Accra Mall currently has the highest footfall, attracting around 7m visitors per year, according to Broll. The $34m project, which has 22,900 sq metres of leasable space, was developed by a joint venture between the late Joseph Owusu-Akyaw, a private Ghanaian investor, and Actis, a UK-based private equity firm, and opened in 2008.

A&C Square, formerly known as A&C Mall, was opened in 2005 by local real estate company A&C Development. It has since has undergone a number of expansions, bringing the total size of the development to nearly 10,000 sq metres.

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Economic Update

About 11 years after it opened, Rochester's North Target store is getting a more than $2 million facelift.

Construction storage containers are lined up outside the store at 3827 Marketplace Drive N.W. and Target is adding more workers to supplement its staff during the remodel.

"Overall, it will create a fresher, newer look for our guests," says store manager Patti Scharpen.

Ryan Cos. kicked off the project earlier this month in the store's back-room area. It is expected to wrap up by the middle of June, Scharpen says.

The store's fitting rooms will be updated and relocated.

"We're moving around a few things to make the store flow better for guests," says Scharpen.

Infant and toddler clothing, equipment and diapers are also being being brought together from various areas around the store.

"We're creating a whole new Baby World area, which should be more convenient," she says.

Target is also making some changes in the frozen foods area with new coolers and the addition of new product lines.

New carpet, shelving and some freshening up of the Starbucks Coffee shop also are part of the project.

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Heard on the Street: Remodeling project targets north Rochester retailer

March 28, 2012 - Eastern League (EL) Trenton Thunder (TRENTON, NJ) - The Trenton Thunder, the Double A Affiliate of the New York Yankees, announced new additions to its previously announced Promotional Schedule on Wednesday afternoon with a Robinson Ca-Gnome giveaway, celebrity appearances and NASCAR and football theme nights leading the way.

Gnomes were first used in Germany in the 1800's as a way to protect gardens from evil sorcery and bring good luck. On Sunday, July 8, the first 1,800 Thunder fans ages six and older will take home a Collectible Garden Gnome that's worthy of protecting even the lush turf at Yankee Stadium. The Thunder's "Robinson Ca-Gnome" giveaway presented by Black Bear Franks will feature the likeness of former Thunder star and current Yankees second baseman Robinson Cano in traditional gnome attire, complete with a pointy cap.

Thunder fans will have two chances to meet prominent sports celebrities at the ballpark this year. On Tuesday, May 29, MLB Network's Larry Bowa will be the Thunder's special guest. Bowa, a 16 year Major League veteran, is a former All-Star and member of the 2,000 hit club. He spent most of his playing career with the Philadelphia Phillies and also managed in the Major Leagues including four seasons with the Phillies where he won the 2001 NL Manager of the Year award. The Thunder will also welcome Steve Weatherford of the New York Giants on Wednesday, June 20 thanks to Steiner Sports Collectibles. Weatherford is a 2011-12 Super Bowl Champion and Franchise Tagged Punter. Both Bowa and Weatherford will throw out a ceremonial pitch and be available for autographs on the main concourse.

Additional new giveaway items include White Eagle Printing Company presenting Thunder player posters to the first 2,000 fans on Tuesday, June 19 and Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey supplying umbrellas to the first 1,500 fans ages 18 and older on June 25. The first 1,000 fans ages 21 and over at the Irish Heritage Celebration on August 9 will receive Pint Glasses thanks to Budweiser. On August 20, Kia Car Mugs will be given to the first 1,500 fans ages 18 and older thanks to KIA Motors.

Macy's will present a pair of Back To School Nights at the ballpark this season. On July 31 and August 28, lucky fans will win valuable gift cards to Macy's. Thunder players as well as mascot Boomer will visit the Macy's locations at the Quaker Bridge Mall, Oxford Valley Mall, Neshaminy Mall and East Brunswick in support of the nights (dates TBD).

On Tuesday, August 1, Thunder fans will be thinking NASCAR as Pocono Raceway sponsors the game. The night will feature cars on display, opportunities to meet drivers and NASCAR Pennsylvania 500 promotions and prizes.

On Sunday June 10, Radio Disney will bring their Interactive Entertainment show featuring music, dancing, trivia, activities and prizes to Waterfront Park's Times Square, the area outside the main gates. The show will be before the game, so fans are encouraged to arrive early and visit with Radio Disney personalities.

The Thunder have several fun theme night promotions in store for fans this year. On April 10, everyone is encouraged to dress in their most unattractive sweater as the Thunder celebrate Ugly Sweater Night (think 1980's Bill Cosby and loud Christmas sweaters). Tuesday, August 7 will be the team's Fourth Annual Mustache Bash - an evening full of facial hair themed fun. Saturday, August 18 will be the Thunder's annual Football Kickoff Game and fans are asked to wear their favorite football jersey. There will be football themed entertainment throughout the evening.

Thunder players will wear special jerseys on two occasions this season. On Wednesday, July 4th, the team will wear the much publicized "stars and stripes" uniforms they wore at last year's Independence Day game. The jersey worn by Derek Jeter in 2011 was auctioned off for charity but the rest were kept and will be worn again this season. On Wednesday, August 22 at 12:05pm, the team will sport desert camouflage themed jerseys in recognition of the men and women of the US Armed Forces.

The Thunder will host a special event for business professionals on Monday, April 9. This event, the second annual "Night of Networking" in the Yankee Club includes a presentation, buffet and the chance to network. A special ticket is required.

Continue reading here:
Robinson Ca-Gnome Giveaway & More Added to Promotional Schedule

Written by The Sports Network

Philadelphia, PA (Sports Network) - There wasn't a better story through the first four months of the season than the Cleveland Indians. But the story didn't end well.

Cleveland stormed out of the gate and into first place in the AL Central by opening with a 14-2 record at home and a 30-15 record through May 23.

It wasn't just that they were winning, it was the way they were winning. Mixed throughout the season were 36 comeback wins and 18 victories in the last at- bat. The Indians enjoyed 12 walk-off wins, including seven that came courtesy of walk-off home runs. That marked the most walk-off blasts in one season for the Indians since the team had nine such shots in the 1995 campaign.

Injuries, though, started to take their toll and the team struggled mightily in the second half, before ending the year 80-82, up 11 wins from 2010, but still a whopping 15 games back of American League Central Division champion Detroit.

The club used the disabled list 22 times and only had Hafner, Choo, Cabrera and Grady Sizemore -- Cleveland's four most established hitters -- in the same lineup for 17 games. In all, Tribe players lost 826 days due to time spent on the DL.

Injuries have already reared their ugly head this year, as Sizemore (of course), is out until June following back surgery, while closer Chris Perez might not be ready at the start of the season because of an oblique injury suffered early in spring training.

Hopefully that is not a sign of things to come for the rest of the team.

Below we take a capsule look at the 2012 edition of the Cleveland Indians, with a personnel evaluation and prognosis included therein:

2011 FINISH (80-82) - Second Place (AL Central)

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Cleveland Indians 2012 Preview

By Jim Donovan

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) This time of year many people are thinking of doing some remodeling. Updating things like your kitchen or bathroom can actually be a smart investment. But in this weeks Angies List, Jim Donovan shows you why you need to be smart when it comes to doing any upgrades.

Remodeling your kitchen or bathroom wont just make your home look nicer, it can be a great investment too.

But the key here is not overdoing it, but keeping up with the Joness. So if youre the only house in the neighborhood without granite countertops then it makes sense to add them, if youre not, skip out on that extra, said Angies List founder, Angie Hicks.

The best way to make sure your home improvement job goes smoothly, make a clear plan.

Plan ahead. Lay out your budget. Have ideas ahead of time and then communicate with your contractor regularly. That starts with the estimate, documenting in the contract, all the way through the entire project, said Hicks.

Any major renovation can end up being very expensive so be smart when it comes to arranging payments.

The one thing consumers should remember is that the payment schedule on a remodel job is a negotiable item. Be comfortable with how the payments are going to work. Typically what happens is payments are tied to certain hurdles. Make sure you hold back money at the end until you are completely, 100 percent satisfied before you make your final payment, said Hicks.

More from Angie:

Projects with a high return on investment: If youre going to invest in projects designed to improve your homes value, it makes sense to know what remodeling projects will give you the most return for your money.

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Angie’s List: Home Remodeling Tips

The Headwaters Fund board approved a grant for a project aimed at convincing California residents to choose redwood over wood-plastic composite lumber when building decks.

Six members of the fund board awarded a three-year $750,000 grant -- $250,000 a year -- to the Humboldt Economic Development Division, which is working with the California Redwood Company and the Humboldt Redwood Company on the Forest Products Initiative marketing project. Board member Jackie Deuschle-Miller, a former Green Diamond Resource Company employee, recused herself.

The economic development division is sponsoring the grant and managing the project, said Jacqueline Debets, economic development coordinator and project manager. Under the grant's conditions, the board will review the project in two years and will have the option to withdraw funds.

The board overseeing the Headwaters Fund -- created by the county to utilize $22 million in state and federal funds given to offset the sale of the Headwaters Forest Reserve -- also required the economic development division and the two companies to give annual budget reports.

The California Redwood Company -- a subsidiary of Green Diamond Resource Company -- and the Humboldt Redwood Company will match the Headwaters grant by contributing another $750,000 toward the project cost, Debets said. The total project cost is estimated to be $1.5 million.

The goal is to increase the volume of redwood sales and thereby stop

The Forest Product Initiative will focus on redwood's durability and strength over composite lumber for use in decks, according to Carter Welch, vice president in marketing for the Humboldt Redwood Company. The marketing will be done primarily via 30-second television commercials. Welch said his company and the California Redwood Company plan to target men -- primarily ages 35 to 55 -- and will air the commercials during sports programs.

Both companies and the economics development division plan to gauge consumer response by doing a quantitative study after next year's building season, Welch said. He added that both companies conducted a study using 1,000 California residents on who would use composite lumber versus redwood lumber. After viewing the companies' video, more residents said they would use redwood lumber versus composite.

We'll constantly evaluate it and tweak it, he said, referring to the project.

California is the primary market for redwood, Debets said. Over the last 10 years, the composite lumber industry has grown and has waged an aggressive and successful marketing campaign against redwood. Up until now, redwood lumber manufacturers haven't responded, she said.

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Headwaters awards $750,000 for lumber marketing project; Forest Product Initiative seeks to promote redwood for decks

NEW YORK, March 27, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Continuing its 164-year history of offering the Best, the Only and the Unexpected, Hammacher Schlemmer introduces The Cordless Motion Activated Light, an outdoor floodlight that provides instant illumination without requiring hardwiring.

The battery powered light sets up anywhere to illuminate porches, walkways, or doorways when it detects motion within 25' and across the 100 degreedetection zone. Six 100,000-hour-rated LEDs produce glare-free light with broad coverage using a built-in reflector plate, providing a wide-angle beam similar to a floodlight.

"The Cordless Motion Activated Light provides reliable light only when it's needed and sets up any place without requiring an electrician or unsightly power cords," explained Hammacher Schlemmer's General Manager Fred Berns.

The Cordless Motion Activated Light mounts to a wall or fence with the included bracket and screws, and it can be tilted and rotated for a preferred light-projection angle.

The light remains lit for 30 seconds after no motion is detected, the internal photocell prevents illumination during daylight, and it is powered by four C batteries (not included) that provide up to 18,000, 30-second illuminations.

The Cordless Motion Activated Light is available from Hammacher Schlemmer for $39.95. For more information about this product, please visit http://www.hammacher.com/75782 or contact Trish Hammond at (847) 581-8987 or via e-mail at pr@hammacher.com.

About Hammacher Schlemmer Hammacher Schlemmer is America's longest running catalog, offering the Best, the Only and the Unexpected since 1848. The company provides unique products that solve problems or represent the only one of their kind, backing all products with The Hammacher Schlemmer Lifetime Guarantee. Hammacher Schlemmer's innovative offerings are available through its catalog, website, and its famed landmark store on East 57th Street in New York City.

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Hammacher Schlemmer Introduces The Cordless Motion Activated Light