By RONNIE BLAIR | The Tampa Tribune Published: June 22, 2012 Updated: June 22, 2012 - 12:00 AM

When school resumes in August, anytime Principal Ken Miesner wants to make sure his students are where they are supposed to be, it might not be that difficult.

He can just step out onto a second-story balcony overlooking a courtyard between two classroom buildings at Richey Elementary.

Most of the student comings-and-goings will be right before his eyes.

That view wasn't a possibility in the past. But then, the 2012-13 version of Richey Elementary won't be the same school the community has known since the 1950s.

Richey is undergoing a $15.6 million reconstruction. The project began after the school district conducted a study to determine whether it was more cost effective to renovate the aging school or tear it down and start over.

The verdict: Tear it down.

That meant this past school year, much of the campus was blocked off to students and teachers. They remained in the old Richey Elementary while construction workers from Cutler Associates Inc. of Tampa were building the new Richey Elementary on the other side of a fence.

John Petrashek, the school district's director of new construction, said it can be difficult, but worth it, for a principal to give up most of the campus over the course of a school year while construction crews swarm the place.

"It's a small inconvenience to pay for the great things that lie ahead," he said.

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New Pasco school nearly complete

June 21, 2012 - California League (CalL) Inland Empire 66ers San Bernardino, CA - The Inland Empire 66ers are reloaded for the second half of the 2012 season with three additions to the active roster. Angels 2010 first round pick Kaleb Cowart leads the class of new additions which includes two returning 66ers, Drew Heid and Daniel Tillman. Travis Witherspoon and Brian Hernandez were promoted to AA Arkansas during the All Star break, and pitchers Baudilio Lopez and Brian Diemer were placed on the disabled list.

Kaleb Cowart was the 18th overall pick of the 2010 draft out of high school in Adel, Georgia. Baseball America rated him the best infield arm in the Angels system to start the season and penciled him into the projected lineup for the Angels in 2015. So far he hasn't disappointed in 2012, leading the Cedar Rapids Kernals in RBI (54, 2nd in the Midwest League),and total bases (126, 3rd in the league) among others prior to his promotion.

Andrew Heid returns to the 66ers after a 25 game stint with the AAA Salt Lake Bees. While with Inland Empire he hit .263 with two home runs, nine RBI and two walk off game winning hits prior to being promoted. He was batting .224 with a home run and seven RBI for Salt Lake.

Daniel Tillman pitched in seven games for the 66ers at the tail end of the 2011 season, adding one of the best fastballs in the Angels system to the Inland Empire bullpen for the playoff run. He started the season in AA Arkansas but struggled through 20 appearances. Baseball America had him as the Angels 8th ranked prospect to start the season.

Brian Hernandez and Travis Witherspoon have both left the 66ers for AA Arkansas in countermoves. Witherspoon was a California League All-Star getting the starting nod for the California League team. He left the team in the top five in the league in stolen bases and hits, and was 10th in batting average hitting .319. Brian Hernandez was one of the top defensive players in the California League at the time of his promotion and was a 66ers offensive leader as well. He went from utility infielder to every day starter and number three hitter in the batting order in a matter of weeks. He leaves the 66ers hitting .292 with three home runs and 33 RBI.

Inland Empire is also placing two pitchers on the disabled list. Brian Diemer with a right labrum injury and Baudilio Lopez with a left quad strain. Their departure from the active roster leaves the 66ers a man down to begin the second half of the season with only 24 active players.

Inland Empire is opening the second half of the season with a seven game homestand featuring a Bernie Bobble Belly Giveaway Sunday, June 24th. Tickets are on sale now both at the 66ers box office and online at http://www.66ers.com for the 66ers second half schedule . For more information on the Inland Empire 66ers please contact Sam Farber, Director of Broadcasting, at 909-495-7632.

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The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

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Inland Empire Adds Angels 1st Round Pick

MENDOTA - The Mendota Civic Center will finally be getting a new roof after the Mendota City Council approved a bid at its June 18 regular meeting.

The faulty shingles on the Civic Center will be torn off and replaced with a metal roof, with the work being done by Wiesbrook Sheet Metal of Plainfield. The council approved the bid not to exceed $242,000.

That business was handled under Alderman Walt Weiland's report. In other action from his report, the council approved an ordinance to update information in regard to bulk water sales by the city.

Alderman Bill Hunt reported that the Mendota Chamber of Commerce made a request to the city for a donation to help with expenses for the Fourth of July fireworks. The council agreed to donate $1,500, the same as it did last year.

Another donation request, this one from the Tri-County Fair Association, was also approved in the amount of $500.

The council amended the wage ordinance passed at the last meeting in regard to pay raises for the fire chief and assistant fire chief. The fire chief will get a $1,500 raise over last year and the assistant chief a $600 raise.

In action from Alderman Randy Morris's report, the council approved a bid of $7,300 from Walter Bros. Plumbing, Heating and Cooling to install a heating ventilation and air conditioning system at 700 Illinois Ave.

Under Alderman Justin Setchell's report, the council agreed to issue a plumber's license to Arturo Escatel and a forestry license to Do It All Service.

Alderman Jim Fitzpatrick informed the council of a request to use Snyder's Grove for a wedding on July 7, which was approved by the full council.

For the complete article see the 06-20-2012 issue.

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Council OKs bid for new civic center roof

The Wyomissing Zoning Hearing Board has granted a variance to Wyomissing Investors LP to allow a fast-food restaurant with a drive-thru window at 1199 Berkshire Blvd.

The developer plans to raze the Pizza Hut in the Berkshire Square Shopping Center and replace it with a Taco Bell.

Although a fast-food restaurant is a permitted use in a C-2 commercial zoning district, a variance is needed for a drive-thru window.

After the board granted the zoning relief Tuesday, zoning Solicitor Daniel P. Becker noted that a condition of the variance would limit the restaurant hours to 6 a.m. to midnight Sunday to Thursday and 6 a.m. to 1 a.m. Friday and Saturday.

James F. Nasuti, CEO of Summerwood Corp., the restaurant-operating company planning to open the Taco Bell, asked the board to reconsider the hours.

The board deliberated a second time and refused. Nasuti was advised to return for another zoning hearing should the need arise to expand the hours.

In another matter, the board granted a continuance to Gay Truehart, 916 Franklin St., who wants a variance to add a sunroom to the rear of the home.

Backyard neighbor June Christensen, 917 Hamilton Place, told the board she thought the addition might make Truehart's property noisier when the windows were open.

After deliberations, board member Robert Ullman said the request posed a dilemma.

"We don't believe we have sufficient evidence to grant this relief," Ullman said. "The most important issue is that we need to have a survey of the property. We are not comfortable until we know the boundary line."

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TAMPA A 22-year-old man died Thursday morning after his sports car crashed into a wall on Sligh Avenue and burst into flames.

A BMW two-seater crashed into the retaining wall of a home at 304 W Sligh just before 7 a.m. Thursday, police said. The car caught fire while Nasdiel Viera-Curbelo, 22, was trapped inside.

Curbelo was already dead when authorities arrived at the scene, according to the Tampa Police Department.

Witnesses reported seeing flames reaching as high as telephone line and stretching down the street for half a block.

"We couldn't get in there to help them," said David Smith, 49, who lives on N Ola Avenue near the scene of the crash. "The whole street was on fire."

The wreck and resulting investigation closed Sligh Avenue from Florida Avenue to N Boulevard for most of the morning.

Police said it was not immediately clear how fast the car was going but investigators believe speed was a factor in the collision. It appeared the car was speeding eastbound over the Hillsborough River Bridge and became airborne when the driver lost control.

Skid marks on the road show the driver swerved into oncoming traffic lanes on Sligh Avenue and overcorrected just before the collision.

Police Chief Jane Castor responded to the scene about 8:15 a.m. She said the area is well patrolled and officers are always on the lookout for speeding or street racing.

An investigation remained under way Thursday afternoon.

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One dead on Tampa's Sligh Avenue after sports car hits wall in fiery crash

DULUTH, Minn. - Like most businesses these days, Whole Food Coop in Duluth has surveillance cameras.Theprimary mission for the video snooping system is to catch crooks in the act, but on Wednesday it captured something else: an 18-foot retaining wall crumbling under the pressure of a historicflood.

The tape shows the breech in the recently constructed wall, located at 6th Avenue East and 4th Street,start as a seep, proceed to a trickle, and thenexplode into a torrent of water.

Whole Food Coop manager Sharon Murphy saysat leasthalf of the retaining wall has given way, and she figures the rest will crumble soon.The water is cascading down the hill into a home and two apartment buildings, both of which have been evacuated.

Murphy says the store is ok so far, but she plans onclosing up early and sending employees homeearly so they remain safe.

(Copyright 2012 by KARE. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. )

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The teenager had produced some astonishing performances in her native South Africa, but the country's apartheid regime meant it was excluded from the Olympics.

But, armed with the revelation Budd had a British grandfather, the Daily Mail led a campaign to bring her to these shores.

The barefoot Budd entered the 3000m where she came up against American darling Mary Decker. Just over halfway through the final, the pair clashed legs and Decker fell to the ground, injured.

Budd continued but, as the partisan L.A. crowd booed her, fell back to seventh - she later claimed she slowed deliberately to avoid causing an even greater controversy.

The race was won by Romania's Maricica Puica, who was actually the fastest athlete in the field on form.

In the wake of Decker's fall, a fevered blame game commenced. Though the US media rounded on Budd, accusing her of swerving in front of their runner, Decker later absolved her erstwhile rival of responsibility.

Budd soon returned to South Africa, for whom she competed with limited success after the end of apartheid.

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A former bathroom remodeling salesman pleaded guilty and was sentenced to two years in state prison in connection with defrauding multiple homeowners, including some in Needham, of thousands of dollars, Attorney General Martha Coakley's office announced Thursday, June 21.

Joel Salvatore, 42, of Stoneham, pleaded guilty on Tuesday in Norfolk Superior Court to charges of larceny over $250 (one count), and larceny over $250 from a person over 60 years old (three counts). After the plea was entered, Norfolk Superior Court Judge Kenneth Fishman sentenced Salvatore to two years and one day in state prison, with six years of probation to serve concurrent with that sentence.

Fishman imposed a condition prohibiting Salvatore from having contact with the victims of the scheme. The judge also ordered that Salvatore be required to take vocational training while incarcerated in a field that he can seek and maintain employment in upon release and barred him from self-employment or promotional or sales work.

This defendant used his position to manipulate and steal from consumers, including seniors, by soliciting for services he did not provide, Coakley said. He is being held accountable for this fraud that harmed consumers and undermined trust in our communities.

According to authorities, Salvatore worked as a salesperson for Bay State Re-Bath (Re-Bath), a bathroom remodeling company, from February 2011 until his termination in June 2011. As a salesperson, Salvatore met with potential customers in their homes, examined their bathrooms, and gave sales presentations about Re-Bath's remodeling products and services. He also prepared contracts for proposed projects on approved company letterhead.

In a scheme to defraud homeowners beginning in April 2011, Salvatore solicited consumers by offering the company's remodeling services at a cut rate. Based on his proposal, Salvatore would draft a generic contractor's invoice and request a down payment for services to be rendered at a later date.

As a result of this scheme, Salvatore collected payments ranging from $1,700 to $3,000 without ever beginning renovations despite repeated attempts by customers to contact him. In addition to customers in Needham, Salvatore victimized customers in Wakefield, Medford, and Walpole.

In addition to working for Re-Bath, Salvatore previously operated a Luxury Bath Systems franchise in Massachusetts that also performed bathroom remodeling. According to the Massachusetts Secretary of State's Office, Salvatore is also connected with the following businesses registered in Massachusetts: JS & Company of Salem, N.H.; Home Improvements of New England, Inc., in Stoneham, and Salvatore, Inc., in Quincy.

The Attorney General's Office and the Massachusetts State Police urge any individuals who feel that they have been the victim of a larceny to contact the Attorney General's complaint line at 617-963-2223. For information and consumer tips on choosing home improvement contractors, please visit the Attorney General's website at http://www.mass.gov/ago/consumer-resources/consumer-information/home-and-housing/home-improvement/> .

Middlesex and Norfolk County grand juries returned indictments against Salvatore on Dec. 20 and Dec. 21, respectively. Salvatore was arraigned in Middlesex Superior Court in Woburn on Jan. 9 and was arraigned in Norfolk Superior Court in Dedham on Jan. 17. In April, the Middlesex indictment was consolidated with the indictment in Norfolk County. In Norfolk Superior Court on Tuesday, Salvatore pleaded guilty to all charges and was sentenced.

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Home : Canada : Ontario cracks down on condo window pane rules

ctvtoronto.ca

Date: Thursday Jun. 21, 2012 10:46 AM ET

The province has strengthened the rules behind balcony glass used in new building construction after a spate of glass panes fell and shattered in downtown Toronto.

The Ontario government said on Thursday that it had changed the Building Code to require construction companies to use heat-strengthened laminated glass near the edges of a balcony.

It is the same kind of glass used in windshields and is less prone to shatter than the type most commonly currently used.

Construction companies will also need to use heat-strengthened laminated glass or heat-soaked tempered glass when glass balcony guards are inset from the balcony edge.

The change was a recommendation made by an advisory council and comes after several glass panes fell from Toronto high rises. The new rule with be enforced on any construction beginning as of July 1.

"This amendment will help protect the public and offer clarity and certainty to the building industry," Kathleen Kynne, Ontario's municipal affairs and housing minister, said in a statement.

"I'm thankful to the members of the expert advisory panel for their contributions and sound advice."

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Ontario cracks down on condo window pane rules

RIVERBANK -- The standoff over potted plants at the Willow Pointe Apartments keeps growing more roots.

The controversy was unearthed this week when residents complained about rules limiting them to no more than three plants on their patios. The property manager says the rule ensures patios are clutter-free and provides first responders with quick access to apartments.

Residents have dug in and say they keep their patios tidy no matter how many geranium, hibiscus and other plants they have.

But those who have more than three potted plants learned Wednesday that they don't face being evicted.

"I don't have any plans to currently," said Julie Nylen, president of Arizona-based Landmark Management Group, which manages the 24-unit complex for low-income seniors and the disabled. She sent residents a letter dated May 31 saying they could have their leases canceled or not renewed if they did not abide by the rules.

The fire chief also weighed in when asked by The Bee.

Stanislaus Consolidated Fire Protection District Chief Steve Mayotte said he understands the property manager's concerns but said limiting residents to three potted plants "might be a little strict."

Nylen also took steps Wednesday to have the weeds removed from the complex after The Bee published photos this week of them poking through the landscape rocks in the complex's common areas. Residents had complained that management ignored the weeds while cracking down on potted plants.

One of the on-site managers trimmed weeds with a weed whacker Wednesday. Nylen said she didn't realize there were so many or they had grown so tall.

But Willow Pointe resident Clarita Neal, 68, said plenty of on-site managers have whacked weeds over the years only to have them grow back. She and other residents want a permanent solution to keep the weeds from coming back.

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