Lookout Mountain resident Jen Story holds her daughter, Ella, 2, recently as they look across a road at Activation Ministry International, which has received Jefferson County approval to greatly expand the church. (Hyoung Chang, The Denver Post)

Development pressures on Lookout Mountain might make Buffalo Bill turn over in his grave if there were room.

The view from the historic gravesite of Old West celebrity William Frederick "Buffalo Bill" Cody, though still magnificent, is screened by transmission towers. Neighbors fought construction of a 730-foot digital TV tower for almost a decade and blocked it until an act of Congress in 2006 overturned the short-lived victory.

Now, they've fought and lost an eight-month battle to prevent another nonhistoric, nonresidential development that they believe will further alter the character of their home and lead to dangerous traffic congestion on Lookout Mountain Road.

Activation Ministry International, a medium-size church of 300 to 400 people, won Jefferson County's final approval March 13 for a special-use permit to expand its 9,168-square-foot church into a regional Christian ministry and mission center of 30,000 square feet with 3 or 4 acres of parking.

Yet neighbors aren't giving up.

"This is about fear," resident Diane Lange said of the neighborhood protest and recent formation of Lookout Mountain Residents United. "This is about safety."

The group plans to explore appeals and legal options. And, as spokeswoman Stephanie Graf said, the group will look out for the next big development that tries to come down the road.

Lookout Mountain is one section of the 40-mile Lariat Loop National Scenic Byway. It winds through hillside subdivisions to tourist attractions such as Boettcher Mansion, Lookout Mountain Nature Center and the nationally acclaimed Buffalo Bill Museum & Grave.

The iconic route was a stage in the inaugural USA Pro Cycling Challenge last year and will be part of the race again this year.

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Residents on Lookout Mountain, Colorado, fighting church's plan to triple in size

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The weekend before 'Super Saturday' saw steady home sales. Simon Johanson reports.

Gone are the days when a pool or gym would suffice in a new apartment building.

Now nightclubs, bars, shared dining facilities, poker rooms and yoga are being included to create "vertical villages" and provide communal spaces for residents.

As a result, modern apartment blocks are becoming more like pseudo hotels.

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New apartment blocks, such as Fifty Albert as seen in an artist's impression, are emphasising communal space.

The large array of lifestyle services on offer caters for an increasingly sophisticated set of high-rise dwellers wanting spaces and facilities not found in older buildings.

Developer Hamton's new Fifty Albert building near Albert Park Lake offers residents a health club, day spa, on-site yoga, indoor garden retreat and concierge service at ground level.

On the top floor are a sun deck, hot tubs, fully equipped barbecue, kitchens, dining, lounge, cinema and poker rooms all shared.

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Rise of the vertical village

Ms. Elixabeth Grassers attends Shen Yun Performing Arts in Zurich. (The Epoch Times)

ZURICHMs. Elisabeth Grassers, an interior designer, attended the New York based Shen Yun Performing Arts International Companys third performance at the Kongresshaus in Zurich on March 23.

Im truly impressed with the show. I have seen today very beautiful artists. I was fascinated very much by the dancers. The women and men looked just like small dolls.

The musiceverything harmonized. It was a unique show. I will remember this show for a long time to come. This was a wonderful show.

Shen Yun features classical Chinese dance, folk and ethnic dance forms. Ms. Grassers was impressed with the ability of the dancers. It is difficult to understand that such dainty dancers can bear up for such long time. It is clear that they are very talented dancers. Im deeply impressed.

Everything was fascinating to Ms. Grassers.

I loved the beautiful costumes and I was fascinated by the colors and the pictures on the backdrop given my profession. I love colors and they came across perfectly.

And, the backdrop was perfect. When I saw the artists flying down and then stepping out of the backdropvery impressive.

Ms. Grassers also felt she had had a cultural experience. I have little experience with culture. Therefore I was very much taken by the cultural aspect of the show. The artists presented many stories from Chinas different dynasties.

New York-based Shen Yun Performing Arts has three touring companies that perform simultaneously around the world.

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Interior Decorator ‘I will remember Shen Yun for a long time to come’

China LED lighting subsidy program sees 110 firms compete for 20 slots

Siu Han, Taipei; Alex Wolfgram, DIGITIMES[Monday 26 March 2012]

China announced an LED lighting subsidiary program at the end of February. The list of firms that are eligible has yet to be announced but industry sources noted that there are about 110 firms bidding for 20 slots, including firms such as Philips, Osram, Panasonic and Toshiba. There were few bids by Taiwan LED firms because many of them said that the announcement to apply was presented too late. They also said the rules for applying were not clear and that the guidelines were unclear.

The subsidy was developed by China's Development and Reform Commission along with the Ministry of Finance and is the first subsidy ever to be given from China's central government to promote LED products. During the second half of 2011, the LED industry saw demand slump, which caused many industries to shut down. This subsidy program is receiving much attention from industries as a result and is seen as a way to revive China's LED industry.

Industry sources said the subsidy will be divided into four categories - indoor lighting LED lamps, reflective self-ballasted LED lights, LED street lamps and outdoor lighting, and LED tunnel lights. Each category will be given five slots for firms and there will be an immense amount of competition. Chinese firms admit that the competition for the bidding is fierce even though they do not know the amount of the subsidies. However, strategic significance will be greater than actual profit gains, especially for public LED industries in China.

Bidding industries all want to win, especially the ones that are moving from the traditional lighting industry into the LED one. Companies such as Yaming does not care about costs in their pricing strategies and plan to thrust into as many LED manufacturers as possible. Sources say that the prices of products with the same type of specifications are very different. For example, the high-end price of a 9,000 lm LED street lamp can run as much as CNY9,200 with a low-end cost of CNY920. As for the 9,000 lm LED tunnel lighting, high-end prices run CNY4,000 with a low-end price of CNY869.

What's worth noting is that although Taiwan LED firms are eager to obtain a part of China's LED lighting subsidy program, the actual amount of Taiwan participants that applied were not as much as expected. Delta Electronics is one of the few Taiwan-based companies participating, but Everlight and Liteon have chosen to stay on the sidelines. Taiwan LED firms said privately that the subsidy was announced in less than a month's time and that they were worried about "hidden rules" behind the scenes.

LED firms said that even though international companies were competing for the bid, it is expected that the vast majority of subsidies will be given to Chinese firms. Although Taiwan's LED firms in large did not participate in the bidding, they will see indirect advantages of the money given to Chinese firms due to Taiwan's high-grade technology products that are within the supply chain of LED products.

Delta Electronics is one of few Taiwan-based firms competing for China's LED subsidies. Photo: Shihmin Fu, Digitimes, March 2012

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China LED lighting subsidy program sees 110 firms compete for 20 slots

When designing a home, we must take every detail into consideration from large the furnishings down to the small things like wastebaskets. Think of it: you spend $50K, $60K or $100K on your new bathroom and you've invested in granite tile installed by the finest tile expert in the city will you be using a cheap $10 plastic wastebasket, or will you want something that matches the look and style you've spent time and money achieving?

Whether it's for a bathroom, home office or bedroom the wastebasket is usually right out in the open. After all, they are functional items that are used all the time and it makes sense to have them right at hand when needed. There are some astonishingly beautiful wastebaskets available that will live up to the most luxurious surroundings. Here are eight that caught my eye:

Smokador Executive Wastebasket by Knoll: The Smokador Wastebasket comes from Knoll, one of the icons of mid-century modern furniture manufacturers. The simple rectangle wastebasket comes in a matte black oxide coated satin brass that is pre-plated and lacquered for a rust-proof finish, making it a great choice for a sleek bathroom as well as an office. $218

Newbury Wastebasket from Restoration Hardware: The Newbury wastebasket is a luxuriously glamorous piece made of zinc and stainless steel with a hand-polished finish. Finish options include polished chrome or nickel, or a satin nickel. $99

Raffia Square Wastebasket from Waterworks: The Raffia wastebasket has the perfect combination of modern sleekness with the warm texture of a natural raffia exterior. Made by Waterworks, one of the most luxe bathroom brands in the marketplace, this small wastebasket would work not only in bathroom settings, but also home offices or bedrooms. $120

The Etoile Round Waste Can: The Etoile Round Waste Can is one of the most luxurious products in the field. The gorgeous design, which features a lid operated by a pedal, is European inspired and classic. The piece is cast brass and is nickel plated. It is a substantial size and weight and will stay put when operated hands-free. $3,154

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Luxury Garbage Cans?

Penn will once again be represented at the Preservation Alliance for Greater Philadelphias Preservation Achievement Awards Luncheon.

The George A. Weiss Pavilion will be receiving the Grand Jury Award on May 8, along with 16 other restored historic buildings in the Philadelphia area. The restoration and construction of the Music Building also won the award in 2010.

The Preservation Achievement Awards are given out every year to projects that demonstrate the best practices in historical preservation in the Philadelphia area, said Ben Leech, the Alliances advocacy director.

The Weiss Pavilion took home the award for Penn because it demonstrated the importance of really studying a buildings history, Leech said.

During the restoration, the architects realized that the level of the street adjacent to the building had been raised years ago, according to University Architect David Hollenberg. They then discovered that the structures foundation was lower to the ground than they thought, allowing for additional space at the bottom of the building.

After determining the base was still stable and the extra room could be incorporated into the design of the restoration, the architects built a new level using the extra space, Hollenberg said.

Hollenberg oversaw the restoration project in collaboration with Crawford Architects.

For Penn, this award is very gratifying, added Hollenberg, who has also been teaching at the School of Design for 24 years in the Historic Preservation Department.

Its wonderful to have one of the leading preservation organizations in the United States recognize the quality of your work, he said. It validates the care and respect that Penn takes with its historic buildings.

This year will be the award luncheons 19th year, where 600 like-minded people can get together and celebrate Philadelphia architecture, Leech said.

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Weiss Pavillion to receive award for restoration by preservation group

Conventional wisdom, as it relates to houses, is often too much convention and not enough wisdom.

Every year, somebody publishes a list of which conventional home improvements will give you the best (or the worst) return on your remodeling investment.

Remodel a bathroom. Replace your siding. Don't build a swimming pool. Paint everything neutral colors.

Sit up straight. Get a haircut. Call your mother.

If "return on investment" (ROI) is why you bought a home, or why you're remodeling one, you can stop reading now. Because the rest of this article isn't for you.

Three, two, one still here?

You invest in your home to improve livability first, not value. If you get more value in the process, consider it a bonus, but don't make ROI your prime directive.

Otherwise you'll end up like the potential client that came into my office a few years ago with a three-page single-spaced typewritten (as in made with a "typewriter") list of things he wanted in his house.

His list included this line: "A large dining room, near the kitchen. Although we don't need or want a dining room." Why would he want to build a room he didn't need?

Because he's

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9 unconventional ways to improve your home

I must confess, I am a hypocrite by selecting the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim first. When Albert Pujols and C.J. Wilson signed their contracts, I rolled my eyes and said that the additions wouldn't work like the Angels wanted them too.

Then I started thinking about it. I looked at the Rangers' potential injury issues along with the hangover that could result in a slump to either start the season or linger throughout the year.

While that alone could open the door for the Angels, it's clear they have the talent to do it themselves.

It's been debated whether Pujols was suitable for a 10-year contract with the Angels as he's headed toward the twilight of his career. Well, the twilight is still light years away and at the very least, Pujols will give the Angels a benefit in 2012.

They'll also get a boost from C.J. Wilson. Wilson may relate to Carl Pavano stat wise, but he makes the Angels rotation deeper as they already get solid contributions from Jared Weaver and Ervin Santana.

The back of the bullpen might be a question with Jordan Walden getting his first opportunity to close games, but if the rotation can hold up their end of the bargain, they'll be in the mix to unseat the Rangers.

The contracts the Angels doled out last winter may haunt them down the road, but they have an opportunity in 2012 to get something out of it right now. We'll see if they can capitalize.

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MLB Preview 2012: Predicting the American League West Divsion

BUILDING PERMITS

Boulder

Building construction permits over $10,000 in value that were approved in Boulder between March 12 and March 18, 2012. Listed below are: the case number; address; total project valuation; owner name; contractor (if applicable); and description.

PMT2012-00595; 3010 Third St.; $108,055.50; Kathy Squadra; Blue Spruce Design & Construction; Two-story remodel of existing single-family dwelling. To include conversion of existing one-car garage to living space. See ADR2011-00216 for site access variance.

PMT2012-01133; 145 S. 34th St.; $16,000; Keagan Rowley; Compleat Development LLC; Remodel of kitchen in residence including replacement of cabinetry and countertops, open floor plan by removing structural wall, relocate fixtures, associated electrical, mechanical and plumbing.

PMT2012-00637; 3003 Fifth St.; $149,000; Carolyn Young and David Cook; Timberline Builders; Interior remodel of single-family residence including remodel/relocation of bathrooms and kitchen, remodel entire upstairs, replace furnace and windows, add three-quarter bath.

PMT2012-00694; 145 Mohawk Drive; $19,500; Amy Solomon and Matthew Bass; Conali Construction; Addition of a laundry room in rear of house, under existing porch cover.

PMT2012-00732; 1955 28th St.; $772,000; Andre Family; Deneuve Construction Services; Tenant remodel (interior only) for Hazel's Beverage World to include installation of coolers, an ice freezer, new restrooms, new offices, skylights, one new roof top unit and a new roof.

PMT2012-00893; 5660 Sioux Drive; $34,332; City of Boulder; Rincon Development Inc.; Installation of sculpture at East Boulder Community Park.

PMT2012-01039; 32 Pima Court; $12,000; Daniel and Teresa Castor; Bresciani Carpentry; Remove non-bearing walls, door and glass panels from front porch to restore porch to original open configuration with 30-inch rail height per landmarks alteration certificate.

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Boulder building permits: March 26, 2012

Last week, more than 300 area Boys Scouts and Cub Scouts hung empty plastic sacks on doorknobs and porches, with hopes the owners would be kind enough to fill those bags with food for the annual Scouting for Food drive.

By noon Saturday, those porches were picked clean after the Scouts gathered the food and delivered it to 17 food pantries and charity organizations in Des Moines, Henry and Louisa counties in Iowa and Henderson County in Illinois.

According to Monte Smith, cubmaster of Cub Scout Pack 71 out of Danville and New London, this was the most productive year yet.

"It went really good. We had the best drive we've ever had," he said.

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"Last year, we picked up 400 items. Each year, we get a little bigger and bigger," Smith said. "We're pretty proud of them."

Each pack and troop was given a specific area to cover, though some of the groups teamed up so they could cover a bigger area. Boy Scout Troop 214 and Cub Scout Pack 14 were in charge of recovering food from West Burlington, and Cubmaster Mark Moore reported it was a smashing success.

"We had 25 boys, and they were able to get more than 1,000 items," Moore said. "We were right on target."

The total number of food items won't officially be tallied for a couple of weeks, but Scouting for Food chairwoman Kathy Boyle said the combined efforts of the Shoquoquon District of the Mississippi Valley Council for the Boy Scouts of America has brought in thousands of food items each year.

"Service to one's community is one of Scouting's most valuable lessons," she said. "Each year, Scouts collect close to 15,000 food items within our four-county area. Seventeen local food pantries and shelters are able to replenish their supplies."

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Scouting for Food fills up local food pantries