NORTH BROOKFIELD School officials said replacement of windows at the elementary school will get under way Friday, despite the concern of at least one parent about the removal of asbestos in the window caulking while school is in session.

School Superintendent John A. Provost said the $500,000 project involves removal of all windows in the building, which was built in 1972, and replacing them with energy-efficient windows with latex caulking.

Allison White, a parent of an elementary school student, said she has multiple issues with the project, from a notice received last week dated Jan. 26 to the reluctance of town officials to delay the work until summer break.

For them, this is all about money. I cant believe that town officials are willing to put money ahead of the safety of our children, even if there is minimal risk, said Mrs. White.

She said she had complained to Brian Wong, chief of investigations and enforcement at the Department of Labor Standards asbestos and lead program, and was told there are no regulations prohibiting people being in a building while asbestos abatement work is being done.

Mrs. White said she was told it was best not to be in a room, in this case a classroom, while work was in progress.

To that end, she said she sent a letter to Principal James F. Graham and her childs classroom teacher stating her child should not be in any room where window replacement work was taking place.

Lockheed has submitted a comprehensive, 18-point plan for asbestos mitigation, and Peter Shipman (director of buildings and grounds for the school district) is willing to meet with anyone and go over it, Mr. Provost said.

He said the plan had been reviewed and approved by the project manager, the architect, Woburn-based Covino Environmental Associates and the state School Building Authority.

Covino, Mr. Provost said, would be the environmental hygienist on site conducting continuous air quality sampling, as well as monitoring compliance with the mitigation plan while work was under way.

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Window removal spurs safety concerns

A question that occasionally comes up is what is the right rent for a building to be built and leased to a company. On its face this looks like it would be fairly straightforward to figure out. But a number of the provisions of the lease need to be considered to determine not just the lease rate but if all the elements of the lease line up so construction is feasible.

What is the cost to build? What is the market rate for the space? What financing is possible? What lease rate is necessary to provide the developer its desired rate of return and support the financing?

Take this example. Assume the building is going to be a generic 10,000-square-foot office building in a good location. It will be leased to a financially strong company for 10 years. The cost to build is $275 a square foot, or $2.75 million.

Say the bank will finance 70 percent of the construction cost, or $1.925 million, with 6.5 percent interest on a 25-year term. This financing produces a monthly payment of $12,998 and an annual payment of $155,973. The developer will provide the balance of the required cash, $825,000.

The bank's financing will depend on an appraisal of the value of the proposed building. The bank will commit to the loan only if the appraisal is equal to, or greater than, the cost of construction.

The bank will require the lease income to be bigger than the mortgage payment. This will provide a margin of safety on its loan and is called the "debt coverage ratio." Assume this debt coverage ratio is 30 percent. In this example, the bank will require the annual lease income to be $202,765 ($155,973 x 1.30).

Because the lease is going to be net, where the tenant pays the building's operating costs, taxes and insurance, this payment could be the rental amount. The developer would collect the annual rent of $202,765 and pay the mortgage and keep the remaining money as its return on the cash it put into building the building.

In this example, that cash return would be $46,792 a year, ($202,765 minus $155,973). But that is a return of only 5.7 percent, a low return. The developer will not take the risk for such a low return.

Let's say the developer wants a 12 percent return on the cash it puts into the building, which would be $99,000. The lease rate would be the mortgage payment plus the developer's return and total $254,973, or $2.12 a month per square foot.

Remember this is a net lease so, in addition to the rent, the tenant has to pay the building operating costs, taxes and insurance. If those are about $10 a square foot a year, it means an additional 83 cents a square foot a month. This makes the tenant's total lease cost $2.96 a square foot a month.

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Construction requires lease provisions to line up

HICKORY --

Dratted bugs! They flit, bite and sting. They creep, crawl and gnaw. Theyre everywhere, and way too soon for most people.

The good news is we dont have more bugs because of the warm winter and a hot spring, they just woke up early.

Thats the consensus of agricultural and entomological experts.

The natural cycle is about two months early, said Bruce Beerbower, lead naturalist at Catawba Science Center.

Beerbower gets a lot of calls about insects and he said everything from bugs to pollen is out early this spring. Butterflies are fluttering ahead of schedule.

Last Sunday night, I saw fireflies that normally I dont see until May, Beerbower said. He told of a Mountain View resident who saw a snapping turtle. Cooters (thats a nickname) doesnt usually appear until June. And there was a call about a swarm of bees in a house.

Thats a problem, Beerbower said. There isnt a lot you can do on your own about a swarm thats inside. They shouldnt be stirring yet, but they are.

Jeff Carpenter, Cooperative Extension agent for Catawba County, said climate doesnt have much effect on insect populations. He pointed out that Canada has bitter cold weather, but that doesnt stop clouds of insects from breeding in warm summer months.

We wont have more insects, Carpenter said about the mild winter, theyre just out earlier than were used to.

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More pest? Not really, they're just early in the Hickory area

MARTINEZ -- The outdoor dining trend sweeping the Bay Area could reach downtown Martinez as early as this summer.

Currently, places to eat or drink in dedicated spaces on the street are limited to a smattering of tables outside Starbucks and the brick patios in the 500 block of Main Street.

The idea for a "flex space" program emerged last year from a series of workshops designed to develop a vision for a thriving downtown. At a public meeting last week, consultant Susan Moeller, who led the workshops, said a growing number of cities are promoting outdoor dining as a way to draw more people and activity to neglected city centers.

The draft policy would allow downtown Martinez restaurants, ice cream parlors, delis, and wine bars and pubs that serve food to use up to two parking spots for outdoor dining space. Both the landlord and the business owner would have to submit an application for the space.

Under the proposal, the city would remove the platforms in November and replace them at the end of the rainy season, typically at the beginning of April. Given the fickle Bay Area weather -- this winter, of course, was unseasonably dry -- several people at the meeting advocated leaving the dining platforms in place year round.

Sonja Snavely, who has owned clothing store Noodles for Kids on Main Street for 20 years, said that in Paris and in her native Sweden restaurants use heat lamps and enclose outdoor dining spaces during

Dave Scola, Martinez public works director, said seasonal use of the platforms would minimize the possibility of flooding.

"Taking them out those five months is foolproof," he said. "Is it necessary? Even I'm willing to say we need to take another look at it."

Four interlocking panels forming a platform 7 feet wide and 16 feet long will take up a single parking space.

City staffers have recommended using brushed aluminum panels, but a variety of finishes are available -- including vinyl and carpet -- so business owners could customize their space. Each platform must have a guardrail along the street side and at each end and may include an optional railing on the sidewalk side. In each block, a maximum of four spaces on each side of the street could be used for dining.

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Martinez seeks to expand outdoor dining downtown

Q. Our board has established a committee to devise a policy to allow our members to add patios to the first-floor units. In past years, the members had voted down any plans to allow patios. It seems like each year the board keeps bringing up the same question and it is coming up again this year. How many times can the board present the question to the members to vote? Can we put an end to this amendment that keeps coming up?

R.M., Clearwater

Thank you for understanding that my column is an educational resource and not to be accepted as legal solutions or legal opinions. My answers are intended as a source of information. There may be other answers that will solve the question, maybe better than my answer.

As to your question about voting over and over on the same motion, I have found over the years that some people will not accept one answer. Until you change the leadership in your association, my guess is that the matter will not go away.

The statutes clearly state that no owner can use the common areas exclusively unless it is approved by the members. Another minor problem is that any such addition must have proper permits. What that means is that the county records would have to be amended for the units that made additions. That would mean that their tax base should increase.

The condominium must also establish a maintenance responsibility and use policy. The board would most likely have to establish an architectural policy that defines size, material and construction details. I would also suggest that the association attorney become involved as to the wording and voting of the motion.Q. We are a HOA. For the past few years it has been very difficult to get any volunteers to serve on the board of directors. This year we were forced to reduce the number from seven directors to five directors. Would it be legal to have the members vote to exempt the directors from paying their fees? If this were feasible we think we would no longer have a shortage of volunteers. We feel that this would be cheaper than to hire a management company.

H.F., Inverness

FS 720.303 section 12 does not allow directors to be compensated for serving. That also means a forgiveness of any fees due would not be allowed, and that directors cannot receive any gain or special benefit. It is not the duty or responsibility of the directors to save money. It is their responsibility to properly operate, maintain, and spend the funds wisely; a fiduciary duty.

Here is what I suggest to get volunteers. Start with better communications. Go out and meet the members and ask them to help face to face. I call it knocking on doors and meeting your neighbors. Create a comfortable environment for volunteers. Face the facts: A director must volunteer to work and give time to the operations. Why not hire a manager to do the day-to-day work and assist the board? Saving money and giving your time is not a way to attract members to do day-to-day work. Explain to the members that if they volunteer and a manager does the daily work, all they would have to do is provide the guidance and oversight.

You need to explain that a failure to volunteer to serve your community will result in lower property values and can result in higher fees. As directors, you must think of operating a big business, not a mom-and-pop shop. Hire professionals to help provide guidance and labor and you will find that your association will operate better and increase the propertys value. It will also reduce the number of hours directors must work to manage the association.Q. Our HOA board of directors is currently considering a significant special assessment to compensate for nonpayment of monthly dues by many homeowners. It is unfair to impose this penalty on owners who always pay their dues. It is equally unfair to allow the delinquent owners to have their dues paid for them by others and let them get away without paying their fees.

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Can condo owners build patios?

Spring is a coveted time for locals in Summit County, because come April the fuss of ski season quiets down, the weather warms up and aprs moves outdoors.

But this year, with an abnormally warm March, spring has dawned early, extending the much-anticipated deck season.

Enjoying aprs outside, right off the slopes without feeling the need to curl into a ball by a fireplace or sink into a hot tub to defrost is liberating, so weekend afternoons on Summit County's best decks tend to have live music, a good mix of people and an unmistakable party atmosphere.

The Kickapoo Tavern at Keystone Resort leverages that atmosphere to the hilt in the spring. The big, open patio offers European-style seating at picnic tables overlooking Dercum Mountain from the edge of the River Run Village.

It's just a great location to sit back and drink beer after a long day on the mountain, manager Billy Wheat said. Or a short day. They don't even have to ski, we'll let them come in.

Happy hour includes beer specials and $1 off wells and wine. The tavern specializes in American pub food with Southwestern influences. Kickapoo is known for its nachos, getting rave reviews from nearby customers who heard us discussing them.

On Sundays, local rock and soul musician Arnie J. Green plays the Kickapoo deck and today the tavern's Kickafools patio party will pair mustache, best retro ski outfit and nacho eating contests with the live music. The parties will continue next weekend, when both Keystone and Kickapoo will wrap up the winter season.

In Frisco, a central Main Street deck at the Boatyard Grill opened earlier this season than it ever has thanks to the warm weather. The backyard deck is tucked away from Main Street, making for one of the quieter and more peaceful outdoor dining environments. Boatyard's deck offers great views of Mount Royal, which towers right above Frisco and, in the later spring and summer is ringed in flowers and greenery.

It's beautiful, owner Cindy Spaulding said of the deck. Frisco's a beautiful place and it takes advantage of all the views Frisco has to offer. Plus it comes with our great menu.

The grill's huge and diverse menu is a refreshing departure from the heavier slope-side pub fare, with a great selection of unique salads and a smattering of Asian and Mediterranean options.

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Eat, Drink, Play: Prime time patios

ST. LOUIS It was the oldest dwelling in the city. Local tradition claimed the hot dog was invented within its limestone walls.

None of that was enough to save the Jean Baptiste Roy home, a crumbling and vacant two-story structure at 615-17 South Second Street that dated to 1829. Despite earnest efforts to preserve it, demolition began March 31, 1947. There was talk of reassembling it for a museum, but its building stones were scattered.

The building, two blocks south of the Gateway Arch grounds, probably would not have survived a lot longer anyway. The Poplar Street Bridge, running directly over the site, opened in 1967.

Roy, a fur trapper and explorer, had the home built on land he bought from Pierre Chouteau Jr. Whether he and his family lived there isn't clear. Nor is when he died, probably in 1847.

In 1874, a butcher named John Boepple bought the house from Roy's descendants and turned it into his meat shop. Boepple and his business partner, William Tamme, made sausage.

That's how St. Louis' claim to the hot dog evolved. The story has it that Anton L. Feuchtwanger, who peddled Boepple-Tamme sausages on city streets, suggested putting them between buttered buns.

Who knows? Other claimants hailed from Coney Island, N.Y., and Frankfurt, Germany. But the St. Louis version was catchy enough to spice up the effort to save the Roy house.

By 1946, the building was crumbling and empty. A homeless man who had spent a few nights there told a reporter, "Even the rats don't come 'round much."

Charles van Ravenswaay, director of the Missouri Historical Society, campaigned to save the building. The St. Louis Star-Times newspaper managed to delay demolition. A Harvard University professor, Kenneth J. Conant, who also was president of the American Society of Archaeological Historians, toured the home in January 1947 and declared it worthy.

"It is part of the birthright of the city," Conant said. "You will be surprised how elegant a restoration would be made of this building."

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A Look Back • 1829 building, said to be home of the hot dog, demolished in 1947

30-03-2012 19:08 - Bath Room Remodel Company, home improvement remodeling companies in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Custom Remodeling, Licensed & Insured.

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A long-reach excavator rips apart the roof of the Rose City Press building Saturday.

CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- Workers with Rodney Loftis and Son Contracting brought down the Rose City Press building -- an old office supply store -- Saturday morning.

The block of Virginia Street between Capitol and Hale streets was closed Friday afternoon and is scheduled to reopen at 8 p.m. Sunday.

Several spectators watched the demolition Saturday, and some snapped photos as crews used heavy construction equipment -- such as a long-reach excavator -- to chew the building to bits.

City National Bank officials decided to raze the building to create a private parking lot for the bank's downtown branch.

The block of Virginia Street between Capitol and Hale streets was closed Friday afternoon and is scheduled to reopen at 8 p.m. Sunday.

Several spectators watched the demolition Saturday, and some snapped photos as crews used heavy construction equipment -- such as a long-reach excavator -- to chew the building to bits.

City National Bank officials decided to raze the building to create a private parking lot for the bank's downtown branch.

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The walls come tumbling down at Rose City Press