HUNTSVILLE, Alabama -- Less than three hours before the 515-plus exhibits for the Building, Home & Remodeling Show are supposed to be finished, there are still people working to beat the deadline.

There are people still installing tile, people still putting the final touches on model kitchens and bathrooms, among other things. The deadline was noon Thursday, hours before the crowds start filing in for a sneak-preview show.

The annual show, sponsored by the Huntsville/Madison County Builders Association, officially begins today from noon-8 p.m. in the South Hall of the Von Braun Center. It continues Saturday and Sunday. Times are 9 a.m.-7 p.m. on Saturday and 11 a.m.-5 p.m. on Sunday.

Tickets are $7 for adults; senior citizens (60 and older) are $6; and children under 12 are free.

"It's one of the best-looking shows - if not the best - we've ever had," said Lynn Kilgore, executive director of the Huntsville/Madison County Builders Association. "A lot of companies will be getting a year's work off of this."

Here's an example: Sandi Cantrell, president of Designer Granite & Marble, says she recently had two customers whom she met at last year's show.

"We get customers a year later," she said.

At the front of the South Hall, she and several workers were still working Thursday morning, trying to finish Designer Granite & Marble's exhibit.

"We started at 8 Monday morning," Cantrell said. "We were one of the first ones here."

Since then, she and eight to 12 workers have been in the South Hall 12-15 hours a day, by her estimate.

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Room full of ideas this weekend at the Building, Home & Remodeling Show

March 9, 2012 - Pacific Coast League (PCL) Oklahoma City RedHawks Oklahoma City, Okla. - The Majestic Roofing High School Baseball Series, featuring 38 teams from around the state of Oklahoma, begins with a doubleheader today at RedHawks Field at Bricktown.

At 4:00 p.m., Shidler will face Mulhall-Orlando in a Class B battle. The nightcap at 7:00 p.m. features Elgin (4A) against Wister (2A). Admission for all Majestic Roofing High School Baseball Series games is free to the public.

A total of 38 teams from all levels will play 19 games at RedHawks Field at Bricktown throughout the month of March. In addition, the RedHawks will host the 2012 OSSAA Fall Ball State Championship game in October.

The Majestic Roofing High School Baseball Series gives Oklahoma high schools the opportunity to play a game at RedHawks Field at Bricktown. The series gives each team a true "professional" experience complete with the use of batting cages, dugouts, video board, and other elements to create a memorable experience for the team and fans.

"There is a great tradition of high school athletics in the state of Oklahoma," RedHawks President and General Manager Michael Byrnes said. "These players are the future of the game of baseball, and we are excited to bring the best high school baseball in the state to RedHawks Field at Bricktown."

The 2012 Majestic Roofing High School Baseball Series schedule follows (gates open one hour prior to game time):

Fri. March 9: Shidler vs. Mulhall-Orlando 4:00 p.m.

Elgin vs. Wister 7:00 p.m.

Sat. March 10: Cashion vs. Crescent 2:00 p.m.

Destiny Christian vs. Calumet 5:00 p.m.

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Majestic Roofing High School Baseball Series Opens Today

Affordable Quality Roofing is giving us a reason to celebrate this month. A new showroom floor is being unveiled in North Vancouver on Friday March 30, 2012, and they have decided to share the occasion by welcoming trade professionals to join them for an evening of finger foods and talking shop.

Vancouver, BC (PRWEB) March 09, 2012

The event is certainly worthy of some excitement. Vancouver is well known for it's wet temperate climate, making it one of the most beautiful places in the world to live. This same climate can wreak havoc on our roofs however. The roofing industry has gone through many changes over the years as a result. Manufacturers are constantly introducing new products, or refining on existing ones, promising to provide the perfect solution.

It's nice to have choices, but unless you're keeping up to date, it can be a little daunting to choose the right material for your new roof. The new showroom from Affordable Quality Roofing promises to smooth out the whole process. Not only will they have many materials on display for you to look at, but their trained and experienced staff will be on hand to answer any questions you might have.

The opening night celebration is open to professional trades people, architects, and developers from the Vancouver area by RSVP.

Event Details:

Friday March 30, 2012

5pm - 7pm

520 Mountain Highway

North Vancouver

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Affordable Quality Roofing's New Showroom Celebration To Be Shared With Area Professionals

By Matthew Strozier

The housing collapse cut short plenty of elaborate home renovation projects, but a new report says Americans might be slowly returning to a long-time favorite target for redesign: the kitchen.

The American Institute of Architects most recent design-trends survey found that Americans are emphasizing the kitchen in their home projects, eager to open-up the traditionally closed-off room. They are also frequently adding computer areas and recharging stations to their cooking spaces, another sign of our relentlessly plugged-in world.

There were hints that the size of these kitchen projects is growing. Some 89% of architects reported that kitchen projects were either stable or increasing in size in the last quarter of 2011, compared with 84% in the same quarter of 2010. (Of course, the bulk reported in both years that the size was stable.)

The AIA says that its notable to see that number move up after heading in the other direction for several years. Those numbers are not startling, but there is a little movement toward it turning around, said Kermit Baker, AIAs chief economist.

But renovation is the really the only game in town for architects looking for work, the AIA survey showed. Only two construction segments were reported to be growing: additions and alterations and kitchen and bath remodeling. Other categories like condos and second homes offer little promise these days, architects reported. Unable to move-up to a new home, it seems some people are opting to renovate.

The AIA Home Design Trends Survey is done quarterly with a panel of more than 500 architecture firms that focus on the residential sector. The fourth-quarter survey dealt with kitchens and bathrooms.

Architects say its not surprising to see homeowners with renewed interest in kitchen renovations. Its not one that people struggle over since there is so much pleasure to be gained from it, said Leonard Kady, an architect in New York City.

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Architects Find Work in the Kitchen

Published: Friday, March 9, 2012 at 2:32 p.m. Last Modified: Friday, March 9, 2012 at 2:32 p.m.

A couple is crediting the Silver Valley Volunteer Fire Department and passers-by with saving their home after a building behind it caught on fire Thursday night.

At 7:51 p.m., firefighters with the Silver Valley Volunteer Fire Department were dispatched to 2128 Old N.C. Highway 109 near Jolly Road in regard to a house fire. They arrived to find the building fully involved and a sunroom attached to the rear of the home on fire, said Chris Hedrick, chief of the Silver Valley Volunteer Fire Department.

Once firefighters arrived, the fire was contained in eight minutes, Hedrick said.

Hedrick said the fire department prevented the fire from penetrating the one-story wood-frame house. However, smoke and heat damage caused fire officials to deem the house unlivable, and the power was disconnected.

The building and the sunroom attached to the home were completely destroyed, the chief said. Two vehicles located in a carport near the building also received damage, and about one-half of an acre of woods on the property caught on fire.

Hedrick said the house could be repaired. He said the fire originated in the building that was only four or five feet from the home. Hedrick said the fire marshal has ruled the cause of the fire as undetermined.

Lynda and "Crow" Nichols were inside the home when the fire occurred, Hedrick said. He said the husband was asleep, and Lynda was working on the computer. The Nichols escaped injury.

"They saved the house," Lynda said Friday afternoon. "That's the bottom line."

She also didn't know the exact cause of the fire. Lynda said, in addition to the fire department, about 15 to 20 passers-by stopped at the home to assist with trying to put out the fire

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Couple credits Silver Valley Fire Department, passers-by with saving home

A Texas jury has cleared the way for US authorities to go after $330m in stolen investor funds sitting in frozen foreign bank accounts controlled by Allen Stanford, the convicted pyramid schemer.

The jury found on Thursday there was sufficient evidence the money in 29 accounts in Switzerland, Britain and Canada was some of the more than $7bn he stole from investors over 20 years.

Stanford, 61,was found guilty by the jury on Tuesday on 13 of 14 fraud-related counts, including swindling $7bn from about 30,000 investors around the world.

Stanford is due to be sentenced in his home state on Texas on June 14. Hecould face up to 20 years in prison on the most serious charges but could be looking at a life behind bars if the judge orders the sentences to run consecutively.

Stanford has spent the past three years in jail after being deemed a flight risk shortly after his February 2009 arrest.

Hisattorneys, Robert Scardino and Ali Fazel, said they plan to appeal his conviction after he is sentenced.

"Our client spent almost nine months in a mental facility in North Carolina before the trial. We had 30 days with a competent client,"Scardino said.

The trial was delayed after Stanford was declared incompetent in January 2011 due to an anti-anxiety drug addiction he developed in jail.

Prosecutors say Stanford ran a Ponzi scheme for 20 years in which he used the money from investors who bought certificates of deposit, or CDs, from his bank in the Caribbean island nation of Antigua to fund a string of failed businesses, bribe regulators and support his personal spending habits.

As a dual citizen of the US and the Caribbean country of Antigua and Barbuda, Stanford was known for his largesse, especially on the two paradise islands.

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US can go after stolen investor funds

New Valley development usually translates to a sea of red tile roofs and cul-de-sacs, but Mesa has drawn a line in the sand against bland suburbia in one emerging part of the city.

Mesa leaders are demanding an urban approach that was typical a century ago, with front porches and neighborhood amenities close enough to encourage walking instead of driving. The anti-suburban sentiment even applies to gas stations, as officials dont want prime intersections dominated by a field of fuel pumps.

This urban push is taking place by the Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport, where developers are reviving plans that went on hold during the recession. The latest proposal is from Pacific Proving LLC, which is preparing to build homes and some commercial development on 484 acres on the southeast corner of Ellsworth and Ray roads.

Pacific Proving plans to build a downtown-like development at the communitys entrance and avoid the typical suburban design. Zoning attorney Paul Gilbert said much of the work will be done by Harvard Investments, a Canadian firm that built much of the downtown skyline in Regina, the capitol city of the Canadian province of Saskatchewan.

Mesa wants the area around Gateway to become one of the Valleys largest employment centers, with mid-rise buildings in an urban setting.

Vice Mayor Scott Somers represents the area and said he envisions something like Phoenixs Willow Historic District or the more modern Agritopia in Gilbert. He liked much of the plan but questioned whether it went far enough.

How are you going to make housing stock that is not only complementary to the airport, but doesnt have that suburban design, suburban feel, suburban sameness that weve had up until now? he said. Some of this looks pretty good but some elements of this plan still feel a little suburban to me.

He also wants the developer to look at other urban developments to see how gas stations can have a more attractive appearance.

The development will be defined by a formal street grid system with short blocks and tree-lined streets to encourage walking, zoning attorney Susan Demmitt said. All homes would be within 300 feet of a park, open space or trail. And Pacific Proving will work to blend different areas into each other by avoiding walls around shopping centers or neighborhoods.

Were really trying to encourage, in the architecture and design, things like front porches, houses closer to the street, so that you have an engaged and lively street scene, Demmitt said.

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Mesa says bland suburbia not welcome by Gateway airport

Greg and Susan Humm were getting sick of their drab, mauve master bathroom and beat-up cabinetry in the kitchen. With their kids out of college, freeing up some cash, the couple decided it might be time to upgrade their Lake Oswego home.

"It was something we had put off for several years," Greg Humm said. "We thought the timing was right, both from a perspective of our personal life and the market."

Remodel spending in the Portland area has been in a steady decline since a 2007 peak of $304 million, according to building data aggregator Construction Monitor. Last year, homeowners spent $210 million on home improvement projects.

But as the economy turns around, remodeling contractors are taking aim at the homeowners who might have sold and moved up in the boom days. Today's homeowners, with more confidence in their job security but less equity in their homes, are more likely to stay put.

The Humms' home is one of 12 to be featured in the Tour of Remodeled Homes this weekend, a showcase for local remodelers' best work. Contractors in the showcase will make the pitch that investing in the extras makes their stay a little more comfortable.

If you go

Tour of Remodeled Homes

When: Saturday and Sunday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

While remodel spending has fallen, the number of permits issued have stayed near their 2009 peak, ending just under 4,500 last year.

But in 2009 and 2010, most of the jobs were low-cost maintenance projects, said Mitch Stanley, the owner of Stanley Renovation & Design. The painting, replacing windows and improving energy efficiency that kept permit numbers high didn't fetch the high price tag of the whole-home remodels of years past.

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Portland-area remodelers expect stronger year, bigger projects

PALM CITY One of the earliest institutions in Palm City was the Bible Union Congregational Church. Only the Palm City Woman's Club, built in 1915, was older.

The church, located on the riverfront on land donated by Charles C. Chillingworth in 1921, had two claims to historical record in its early days: It was the first in the state to have a school bus to pick up children for Sunday School, and it as the second church in the state to be headed by a woman, founder, the Rev. Lucy Ayres.

The church owed its existence to Ayres, a graduate of Bible Teachers' Training School and daughter of a minister, who came to Palm City for her health in 1920. Although she was recovering from a serious illness, she saw a need for spiritual support in the community of about 150 residents and organized a prayer circle, Bible study class and Sunday School.

The first prayer circle was conducted in the home of Amelia Hall. By January 1921, Ayres was having church services in the Woman's Club although she was not yet an ordained minister. She persuaded residents to raise money for construction of a church. Her first collection for that purpose was $1 but in time she had $725, enough to start the building.

Palm City residents referred to her affectionately as the "Little Minister," and it did not seem to disturb them that a woman was leading their church.

Chillingworth, the developer of Palm City, donated the land for the church on the west bank of the South Fork of the St. Lucie River and construction of the church soon began.

When it was ready to be dedicated in April 1921, Ayres was not yet ordained and an ordained clergymen would have to open the church. Community leaders settled on the Rev. Mabel Guam Stevens of St. Augustine, the first woman to be ordained as a minister in Florida, to formally open the church. Ayres was ordained and given full control of the spiritual aspects of the church a year later.

Mabel Witham, whose father, John Blasko, made the first pews and communion table for the church, remembers it as a place of joy and peace.

"The two places I feel at home in Palm City," she told an interviewer in 1970, "are the woods and that old chapel."

The church is still on the riverfront but is now part of the United Church of Christ. It can be seen from the top of the Palm City Bridge to the south and west on the riverfront.

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Bible Union Congregational Church gave Palm City its spiritual roots

By Joe Schoenmann (contact)

Thursday, March 8, 2012 | 3:06 p.m.

Plans to build factory producing helium-filled boats didn't pan out for the business arm of the Unification Church, instead the organization led by the Rev. Sun Myung Moon plans a convention center and dormitory at its location near McCarran International Airport.

With some revisions to plans, the Clark County Commission approved a use permit this week allowing the church to begin construction, which is expected to be completed by the January 2013. In January 2014, church organizers must return for a review to see how the development worked with industrial businesses nearby.

Neighboring businesses argued that the project would cause traffic problems, as large semi-trailer trucks go in and out of a relatively small entry to a parking lot between the businesses and the proposed convention center. Their concerns stemmed from statements made in August, after a ribbon-cutting ceremony to dedicate the Won Mo Boats manufacturing facility. The church's website said the facility would contain a marble-inlaid "Peace Palace," a "state-of-the-art training facility for education and worship."

To businesses nearby, that sounded like it was going to be a church. The traffic associated with church events, they said, would impede their ability to get trucks in and out and do business.

"I want conditions (that this) is not a house of worship," said Commissioner Steve Sisolak, whose district includes the building.

But consultant Jennifer Lazovich, of Kaempfer Crowell law firm and representing the church, promised the location would not be used as a church. Instead, the church anticipated it would be used for a variety of conventions, including those advocating world peace and women's rights.

She estimated training seminars would be held twice a month at the facility for 350 to 500 people, quarterly meetings of 250 people, twice-a-year conferences with 250 people and a few other conventions.

She said 50 temporary construction jobs will be created to demolish the building. Then 200 workers will be hired to build the $12-$14 million structure. When completed, fewer than a dozen people would work there full-time.

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Unification Church will hold seminars, not build boats near airport