Story Created: Jun 14, 2012 at 7:40 PM AKDT

Story Updated: Jun 14, 2012 at 7:40 PM AKDT

ANCHORAGE - Summer is a time when many of us like to catch up on projects around the house. But whether its remodeling a bathroom or refinishing a deck the cost of materials can really add up.

Fortunately Anchorage residents have some options when it comes to getting materials at low cost or even free.

The municipality operates a Re-Use store at both the Midtown Transfer Station and the Eagle River Landfill. Residents can drop off household hazardous waste at the Transfer Center and if the products are still relatively full theyll be put back on the shelves of the Re-Use store.

People can pick up everything from plant food to paint, bug dope to motor oil. Its common to find all sorts of useful products and best of all, its all free. Residents are required to sign a form that acknowledges the product has been used and there is no guarantee of the contents. They are welcome to take home up to 20 items a day.

Another place that operates on the used but still good philosophy is the Habitat For Humanity ReStore.

There you can find the parts, and pieces for remodeling projects big and small.

Contractors, individuals and even stores donate the materials. The goods are also used and they arent free, but the prices are low and all the money collected goes to support Habitat For Humanity.

Continued here:
Recycled Materials Help Lower the Cost of Projects

By Ashley Yarchin

Madison, IL (KSDK) - The old church was being remodeled at the time.

PHOTOS - Church burns in Madison, Illinois

Folks have been driving past the wreckage of The Sacred Heart of Jesus Polish National Church all day, sharing stories from when they married here or simply enjoyed parties and the church's famous perogies.

So, it's been hard on the community.

Fortunately, recovery has already begun thanks to the folks who are actually responsible for the mess.

Love Construction and Roofing was at the church Wednesday repairing the roof following the damage from a hail storm a few weeks ago.

Apparently, the repairs required some heat and flames to affix the rubber to the top of the building.

Shortly after that was done, the workers left for the day and within 10 minutes the church was engulfed in flames.

But the parishioners say there are no hard feelings, it was an accident.

Read more from the original source:
Recovery beginning for church that burned in Madison, IL

By Catherine Pritchard Staff writer

It used to be easy to direct people to Mount Moriah Pentecostal Free Will Baptist Church.

Just turn off McArthur Road onto Jacob Street or Jossie Street, then to Benjamin Street. You couldn't miss the church, which sits on the short road beside a cornfield.

Now, because of construction of the Outer Loop, Mount Moriah is accessible only by a street with no name.

Bulldozers had to tear through Jacob and Jossie streets to build the interstate, which cut off the easy access to a handful of houses and the church at the far end of the area. A new access road was built at the back of the College Lakes subdivision.

But the access road is nameless. It's a windy path that GPS systems are not acquainted with, so it takes good directions, luck and perseverance for strangers to make it to Mount Moriah these days.

It proved too much for many recently when the small church held its annual barbecue to feed all comers for free. Usually, more than 100 people show up, said James Williams, an elder whose wife, Geralene, leads worship at Mount Moriah. Fewer than half that number found their way to the church this year.

Williams says that's because it's so hard to tell people how to get there.

He paid for small directional signs, which he planted at key intersections along the way - at the intersection of Chesapeake and McArthur roads, then another showing the left turn off Chesapeake onto Shoreline Drive, and another at the end of that curvy residential street showing a left turn onto Saddle Ridge Road, and another past Buck Court at the stretch of nameless blacktop on the right, and another at a new intersection where there's only a pole-less stop sign stuck in the ground and a small Mount Moriah sign that sometimes topples over.

Around a wooded bend, finally, is the church.

See original here:
Construction of Fayetteville's Outer Loop makes access to church more difficult

Patrick Kennedy, executive director with Housing Assistance Corporation, talks about the new Oak Haven Apartments a senior community located off of Old Spartanburg Road.

Oak Haven apartment building on Old Spartanburg Road is nearing completion, and interest in the units for mostly low-income senior citizens and the disabled has been so strong that 24 more units will be under construction in the fall.

The 56-unit building cost about $6.5 million, and the site manager expects leases to be signed starting July 1. Already, about 32 of the units are committed to future tenants.

Executive Director Patrick Kennedy said construction on 24 more units will begin in the fall, for a total of 80 apartments.

The building is the biggest development for Housing Assistance Corp. and will become home to mostly low-income senior citizens.

"It's really a great location for seniors," Kennedy said.

On Wednesday, site managers with Partnership Property Management of Greensboro held an open house and toured local human service agencies. A grand opening for the apartments will be planned for mid-August. Prospective tenant Phyllis Strickland filled out paperwork Wednesday in a common room of the new building. Strickland has been at Hendersonville Health and Rehabilitation in Flat Rock for the past three years. She's lived in some form of nursing home for the past eight, after her leg was amputated.

"They're more like mainstream apartments than traditional handicap places," she said of Oak Haven. "I don't feel like I'm being put into an ugly, utilitarian place. These are beautiful."

Strickland, who is 65, fits the niche for the complex. Rooms are built to standards set by the Americans with Disabilities Act. Cabinets are lower. There are safety alarms in the bedroom and bathroom. Strickland said that without such accessibility, she wouldn't be able to get around. She toured one of the apartments, trying out every light switch and reaching for every plug.

Strickland said the move to living on her own is a scary, but exciting, prospect.

Continue reading here:
Apartments for low-income seniors, disabled near completion

MEMPHIS, Tenn., June 15, 2012 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Terminix, the world's largest pest control provider and a subsidiary of The ServiceMaster Company, has seen an increase in the prevalence of bedbugs in most states since releasing its first Most Bedbug-Infested Cities ranking in 2010. Just announced, Philadelphia won the dubious title of most bedbug-infested U.S. city this year.

With the growth in bedbug populations across the U.S., businesses continue to represent 70 percent of Terminix's bedbug customers versus 30 percent for residential customers.

" In areas with high levels of active bed bugs, it is not uncommon to see a 300 percent increase in reported incidences over levels reported just a few years ago," says Paul Curtis, director of service quality for Terminix. "And in areas where infestation is newly discovered, increases can be as high as 1500 percent over the previous year."

While some industries are more susceptible to infestation than others, bedbugs are transferred by people: the more customer and employee traffic a business has, the more the business is at risk.

"Discovery of suspected infestations or bedbug activity often comes via complaints from customers or staff," said Curtis. "It's important for managers to develop an action plan in advance with their staff."

Suggestions for Developing the Right Action Plan:

"Bedbugs continue to plague many U.S. cities and towns and they are able to hitchhike on any item and be carried into any home or building," said Stoy Hedges, an entomologist with Terminix. "While major metropolitan areas are most at risk, it is important to note that bedbugs have been spotted in cities and towns across the country."

Hedges cautions that bedbug infestations are not something that businesses should attempt handle on their own. A recent report in the Journal of Economic Entomology reported that over-the-counter foggers have been proven ineffective and are not recommended for use.

Terminix uses a process called RapidFreeze in which a patented nozzle transforms liquid carbon dioxide into a dry ice "snow" that effectively freezes and kills bedbugs in fewer than 60 seconds. The artic-cold air blast (-80*C) penetrates cracks and crevices. It can be used just about anywhere and does not damage electrical components.

About Terminix

See the article here:
Bedbugs Could be Bad for Business

The two parking spaces closest to the South Ends Wholy Grain cafe are just like thousands of others in Boston: patches of public asphalt hard against the curb, designated for vehicles. By this time next year, they could be a park.

City planners are refining a pilot program to turn parking spaces here and in three other neighborhoods into parklets - petite, three-season patios, with benches and planters atop platforms built flush with the sidewalk.

The program, boston.PARKLETS, follows the lead of San Francisco, which boasts 30 parklets, and New York, which unveiled the first of what it calls curbside seating platforms in 2010.

They are part of the growing movement to reclaim urban space for pedestrians and bicyclists and promote public transit. Mayor Thomas M. Menino has proclaimed the car is no longer king, citing the environmental, aesthetic, and health benefits.

It remains to be seen how willingly Bostonians, known for fiercely coveting and protecting their parking spots, receive the parklets.

Vineet Gupta, planning director for the Boston Transportation Department, said the city will work with merchants and neighbors to find appropriate spots, with the first parklets probably appearing next spring. They would scarcely put a dent in the citys 8,000 metered spaces and untold thousands of unmetered and resident-permit spots, but they would enliven areas with heavy foot traffic otherwise lacking in public amenities, he said.

The city will pay to design and install the first parklets, estimated to cost $12,000 each, while asking businesses, nonprofits, and civic associations to sponsor maintenance of plantings and furniture.

Wholy Grain owner Ken Hassett agreed to be the first partner, while the city is scouting sites in Jamaica Plain, Mission Hill, and Allston. Should the program grow, local businesses or groups would be asked to pay for installation as well as maintenance.

As a business owner, Hassett said he likes adding a colorful, informal swath of outdoor seating near Wholy Grain, tucked into the first floor of a classic brick rowhouse at Shawmut Avenue and Hanson Street. As a resident who lives a few paces away, he likes what it promises to do for pedestrian life.

Some of the people Ive spoken to so far were slightly hesitant about, Oh, were going to lose a parking space, Hassett said. But then they began to think about it and think what a novel idea it would be.

Link:
Boston looks to transform parking spots into small parks

You've already made that first trip to the family cabin this year, opened the shades and dusted the countertops and furniture.

Now it's time to have some fun with the details. Accessorizing your cabin is a perfect occasion for all things kitschy, rustic and outdoorsy. To set the mood, consider these locally themed cabin accents:

LAKE PRINTS

Whether Gull Lake, Lake Calhoun or another local favorite, this wall-art series offers vintage-inspired prints of some of Minnesota's favorite bodies of water.

Print ($79.99); select Love From Minnesota stores (including 2465 N. Fairview Ave., Roseville, 651-697-7007; and 178 IDS Center, 80 S. Eighth St., Minneapolis, 612-333-2371); lovefrommn.com.

DISH TOWELS

When lithographer/fine artist Faye Passow visited the Minnesota State Fair a few years ago to sell her silk screens featuring Minnesota's favorite hot dishes, they sold like crazy. Now, she's selling her retro-themed designs in dish towels, oven mitts and other items. She also has a design highlighting Minnesota landmarks.

Dish towels ($10); available at several Twin Cities stores, including Bibelot and Patina shops; keepthefaye.com.

LOG CUTTING BOARDS AND COASTERS

Boards by Joel uses tree rounds from native Minnesota hardwoods -- specifically, from the Red Wing, Lake City and Cannon Falls areas -- to create home-accent pieces. Each piece is cured,

Originally posted here:
Cabin culture: Locally themed items put the accent on easy living

Vogue editor and aspiring diplomat Anna Wintour added the role of interior decorator-in-chief to her titles this week by overseeing a decor overhaul at Sarah Jessica Parkers luxe home before President Obamas visit.

Wintour whos reportedly in the running for the US ambassadorship to Britain was photographed with her daughter Bee Shaffer paying a visit to Parker and Matthew Brodericks West Village townhouse just as movers were hauling furniture in and out to prep for yesterdays $80,000-per-couple fund-raiser hosted by Wintour and the Sex and the City star.

WireImage

Anna Wintour

Sources said the fashion oracle wanted to clean out SJPs shabby chic furniture. One told us, Anna was going crazy about the decorating. She was having a lot furniture removed and sending all of SJPs tchotchkes upstairs.

Some of the stuff in the house was shabby chic, and lets just say, Anna wanted less shabby, and more chic, the source added.

While Wintour, known for her painstaking planning of events like the meticulous Met Ball, was at Parkers place Monday, movers lugged in a piano. Parker was reportedly strolling nearby with her kids and a nanny.

After Annas work was done, sources said Parker and her brood had to adjust their routines. Theyve had to live upstairs in the house, said a source. Its not like this is an event at the Trump SoHo its the place where [Parker] feeds her kids.

A small battalion of cleaners was spotted scrubbing door handles and windows outside the house. Yesterday, dozens of plump, white roses were delivered along with rental chairs, and a gardener planted mini- ferns out front.

But a source close to Wintour downplayed her dcor directions, telling us, Anna didnt decide the dcor. That was done in a meeting without her. Those pictures were just her walking into [the] house for her meeting. Furniture was being brought in and out, but not for Annas benefit to preside over, They were in prep mode.

See the rest here:
Anna Wintour overhauls Sarah Jessica Parker’s house for President Obama’s fundraiser

A synthetic "seabed carpet" that mimics the wave-damping effect of a muddy seafloor could be used to extract energy from waves passing over it, according to an engineer in the US. As well as offering a new way to produce clean and cheap electricity, the carpet which has not yet been built could be used to protect coastal areas against strong waves and provide areas of safe haven for boats in stormy seas.

The ability of muddy seafloors to dampen ocean waves is well documented at various locations around the world. In the Gulf of Mexico, fishermen have learned to steer their boats into a local muddy spot known as the "mud hole" when a storm is brewing. Here, the wavemud interaction is so strong that the storm waves are damped within a distance of a couple of wavelengths (100200m) and the boats there are completely safe.

"If mud can seriously take so much energy out of ocean waves, then why don't we use this idea to design a wave-energy convertor that's very efficient?" asks the carpet's inventor, Mohammad-Reza Alam of the University of California, Berkeley. He came up with the idea using a viscoelastic "carpet of wave-energy conversion" (CWEC) placed over a network of vertically oriented springs and generators on the coastal seafloor. The flexible carpet responds just like mud: as waves pass overhead, they induce dynamic ripples and undulations in its sprung surface, and these perturbations can be used to generate electricity.

Modelling the interaction of ocean waves with the proposed carpet, Alam was able to show that the system can easily absorb 50% of incident wave energy over short distances of about 10m. For typical North Sea waves, the simulation suggested energy absorption rates of 6.5kWm2, which is more than double the maximum possible with wind turbines and at least 20 times greater than currently achieved by solar-power convertors.

All oceanic motion is a combination of long and short waves. It has long been known that the short waves associated with choppy seas are dampened faster than far-reaching long waves (swells) for various reasons, but it was only recently that surprising field observations revealed that short waves are actually much better than long waves at imparting their energy to a muddy seafloor in shallow waters.

Alam developed a computer simulation that took into account hundreds of different waves and wave interactions. He found that when wave-damping conditions are strong as is the case with a muddy seabed a considerable amount of energy is converted from "surface mode" waves (where long waves dampen faster) to "bottom mode" waves (where short waves dampen faster and impart more energy to the seabed). "If damping is strong, the overall energy absorption from the ocean is even stronger," he explains.

Alam believes that the CWEC presents a number of distinct advantages over existing wave-harvesting techniques. Chief among them is the fact that not only is the device resistant to storms, it actually performs better in them. Current approaches use moored floating devices or seabed-secured clam-like structures with vulnerable hinges. When waves become too energetic, these devices are designed to retreat into a protective idle mode, often by being pulled beneath the surface of the water.

The CWEC's flat and fixed nature means that these issues are neatly sidestepped and it can continue harnessing power as the storm rolls by. Not only that, when non-linear elements of wave interaction which increase during stormy seas were introduced to the simulation, the efficiency of the device improved. The device also has a much broader bandwidth than most other wave-energy extractors, and can make use of any type of wave approaching from any direction.

The disadvantage of the CWEC is that its efficiency decreases with water depth, meaning that it is only suitable for use between the surf zone and depths of about 20m.

A completely submerged carpet structure would likely be more popular with mariners and environmentalists than traditional devices, which can pose the threat of collision for ships and entanglement for marine mammals. The energy-draining effect could also be put to good use protecting vulnerable shorelines, sheltering harbours or protecting near-offshore platforms.

Follow this link:
'Seabed carpet' could harness wave energy

The Safe Haven Bathhouse is a new sanitary building to meet the basic personal hygiene needs of the orphanage.

The will to do something meaningful and good lies within all of us, agree architects with heart Hanstad (left) and Gjertsen who stayed in Thailand for a full year studying, designing and building with several different communities.

The Safe Haven Library workshop undertaken in 2009 by TYIN involved the participation of 15 Norwegian architecture students from NTNU to ensure that the Safe Haven Orphanage has a space for the children to do homework, use a computer, read books and play games.

The Soe Ker Tie House in Noh Bo, a small village situated at the border tucked between Thailand and Burma is the realisation of a dream for the Karen refugee children. Here, bamboo weaving technique was used for the creation of the Butterfly Houses.

The Old Market Library built in a 100-year old market building caught on with the locals who have developed an attachment to this place built with local and reused materials.

The Cassia Co-op Training Centre located in an area where 75 per cent of the worlds cinnamon production takes place is designed as a space for educating local cinnamon farmers in Sumatra.

Energetic duo Andreas G. Gjertsen and Yashar Hanstad, partners of TYIN tegnestue Architects from Norway live by Finnish architect and writer Juhani Pallasmaas saying, Architecture is about the understanding of the worldand turning it into a more meaningful and humane place.

We have always been interested in basic solutions to fundamental challenges.

Our architecture is usually based on rational choices with the aim of creating useful and beautiful structures. Our background in Norway has taught us a lot about wooden construction and we cherish other natural materials as well.

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Norwegian architects reach out to the needy