WENATCHEE A state mandate to reduce the amount of phosphorus discharged into the Wenatchee River could lead to Dryden and Peshastin joining the Cashmere sewer system.

Chelan County PUD commissioners learned Monday that uniting the three systems is one of several alternatives for solving the phosphorus problem by the mandated 2019 target.

The PUD owns the Dryden and Peshastin systems, which together have 200 customers.

Ron Slabaugh, the PUDs water and wastewater manager, says more analysis has to happen to see if the alternative is viable.

Questions remain about whether Cashmere could legally absorb sewer systems that exist outside its urban growth area.

Bob Schmidt, the citys director of operations, said he and Mayor Jeff Gomes are interested.

Its going to have to be couched in such a way so that at the very worst it would do no harm to our ratepayers, and potentially have some benefit, said Schmidt. If you have more ratepayers, typically youre a healthier utility. You have spread costs over a broader base.

Cashmere is about to launch a $20 million upgrade of its existing municipal sewage-treatment system that will leave plenty of room for growth.

If the alternative proves viable, the PUD would plan, design and install pipe that would carry Dryden and Peshastin sewage to Cashmere for treatment, Slabaugh said.

The pipeline and necessary upgrades to the treatment plant would cost more than $8.9 million. Another estimated $50,000 to $100,000 in annual PUD operations and maintenance costs would diminish over time, Slabaugh said.

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Phosphorus clean-up mandate could merge PUD, Cashmere sewer systems

NEWFANE The Reach Workcamps are coming back to Niagara County.

Next summer, possibly in July 2013, high school kids from all over the country will come to Newfane to work onporches, steps, wheelchair ramps, outhouses, painting and all kinds of assorted assignments.Its expected the teens will work on 60 to 100 homes in the county, providing $300,000 to $400,000 in improvements, but all for free.

This is the second time the Reach camps have stayed in Newfane. Board of Education Vice President Kelly Artieri said she spent an evening back in 2010 with a Reach group. Artieri was touched by the organization aenthusiasmof the of the teens.

I was brought to tears, it was the most amazing thing I have seen, Artieri said. Im so glad youre coming back.

Reach Workcamps spent the summer of 2010 in Newfane, a move that was nessecary because of the c

onstruction being done at Lockport High School, the camps former Niagara County home. Reach did not return to the Western New York area in 2011 and will not return this summer.

The workcamps will stay in Newfane district buildings, at no cost to the district, for a pair of one-week sessions next year. Usually one-week programs, each Reach camp draws 400 to 500 teens from all over the United States.

Michael Boron, the director of St. Johns Outreach, said the agency receives requests from clients in need of house repairs, but are unable to afford them. Some are even called to housing court in the city of Lockport after being cited.

Theres not a lot we can do for them, given our limited resources, Boron said. This, on the other hand, provides us an excellent opportunity to service those low-income, home owning, taxpaying citizens of our communities and give them a better place.

Based in Colorado, Reach holds about eight to 10 workcamps across the country each year. St. Johns Outreach is the local Reach workcamp coordinator, which means it will locate homeowners in need of Reach help.

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Reach workcamps returning to area

This tiny world is in the garden of Andi Peterson of Lincoln. Fairy gardens have taken off with a certain age group but maybe not the age you might think. Below is a creation by Deb Kistler and granddaughter Sasha to give as a Mother's Day gift.

Courtesy of Andi Peterson

MULHALL'S CLASSES

11 a.m. July 21, for adults: Materials include a 12-inch pot and accessories. Cost: $45.

Some of us never outgrow playing with dolls.

Andi Peterson of Lincoln makes no apologies for the fairy gardens that populate her yard, front and back.

She doesn't have children or grandchildren, but she does have a childlike sense of wonder about the tiny world she created, sometimes on her own, sometimes with help from a friend.

Peterson isn't alone. Tiny gardens are cropping up in backyards and on front porches across the Midlands.

Children and adults are planting greenery no bigger than a pencil eraser in a landscape no bigger than a flower pot. Some of these gardens hold dollhouse-size benches and Adirondack chairs. Often they feature miniature birdhouses, thimble-size pots and stepping stones for imaginary visitors.

It's all part of a trend that's been bubbling for a while with kids who love Tinker Bell in Peter Pan and early-reader fairy books. But kids aren't the only ones besotted with fairy gardens.

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How does your garden grow? Very, very small

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) There were startling discoveries Wednesday about the engineer and the real estate developers involved in the removal of fire escapes from a Bronx apartment building.

CBS 2s Marcia Kramer has learned of a bid rigging conviction for one and allegations of political payoffs for the others.

The hunt was on Wednesday for the licensed engineer, Roland Draper, who filed improper permits for renovations at 2400 Webb Ave., in the Bronx, and as a result the fire escapes were removed illegally.

Kramer went looking for him in Hasbrouck Heights, N.J., but no one answered the door at his home.

Draper also wasnt at the building in the Bronx, where his blooper of a mistake forced the evacuation of 200 people for who knows how long, because they he took down their fire protection.

There are some serious questions to ask Draper and the people who hired him. CBS 2 has learned that Draper pleaded guilty to bid rigging for construction work done on Forest Park Gardens in Queens. As a result his engineering license was suspended in New York for two years and he was fined $5,000. New Jersey also moved to suspend his license last year for the same crime.

With the University Heights building dramatically missing all of its fire escapes because of Drapers mistakes the city Department of Buildings is not only investigating his work on Webb avenue, but also his involvement in 48 other active projects in the city.

Im speechless right now, displaced Webb Avenue tenant Yvonne Tyson said.

But theres more to be speechless about.

The owners of the Webb Avenue building, Samuel and Philip Goldfarb, were, according to published reports, involved in paying $7,000 in bribes to Sara Bost, the one-time mayor of Irvington, N.J.

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Investigation: 2400 Webb Avenue Engineer, Owners Involved In Past Shady Dealings

Australian building activity has contracted for its 24th consecutive month, based on weak commercial activity and new orders, a private study has found.

The Australian Industry Group-Housing Industry Association's performance of construction index (PCI) fell 0.2 points to 34.7 in May.

A reading below 50 indicates a contraction in activity.

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Commercial construction was the weakest sub-sector, with its sharpest fall in three years, down 9.8 points to 25.4.

Both house and apartment building remained weak, though the apartments were slightly improved.

The index of house building activity fell 5.1 points to 28.2 - which was the steepest index decline since September 2011.

Apartment building continued to decline, but at a slower rate as the index of activity in that sector rose 3.8 points to 26.7.

New orders continued to be in contraction mode, rising only slightly to 33.7 for May.

Engineering was the best performing sub-sector, but the rise of 0.4 points to 41.3 still left it in a downturn.

Originally posted here:
Building activity extends drop to two years

Australian building activity has contracted for its 24th consecutive month, based on weak commercial activity and new orders, a private study has found.

The Australian Industry Group-Housing Industry Association's performance of construction index (PCI) fell 0.2 points to 34.7 in May.

A reading below 50 indicates a contraction in activity.

Commercial construction was the weakest sub-sector, with its sharpest fall in three years, down 9.8 points to 25.4.

Both house and apartment building remained weak, though the apartments were slightly improved.

The index of house building activity fell 5.1 points to 28.2 - which was the steepest index decline since September 2011.

Apartment building continued to decline, but at a slower rate as the index of activity in that sector rose 3.8 points to 26.7.

New orders continued to be in contraction mode, rising only slightly to 33.7 for May.

Engineering was the best performing sub-sector, but the rise of 0.4 points to 41.3 still left it in a downturn.

Australian Industry Group (Ai Group) chief economist Julie Toth said that non-mining-related construction remained extremely weak.

The rest is here:
Construction contracts for a 24th month

When city officials promoted the Lofts at Farmers Market as a feasible project, some housing advocates and skeptical members of the St. Paul City Council balked. If the private sector wasn't interested in bankrolling a five-story, market-rate apartment building in the warehouse district, why should the city take the risk?

Council Member Dave Thune and others pressed the case that market studies showed downtown St. Paul as a popular place to live, and the upscale Lowertown building would be fully occupied within nine months of accepting leases.

In the end, they leased it out in three.

On Wednesday, June 6, Thune joined St. Paul Mayor Chris Coleman and Cecile Bedor, director of the city's Planning and Economic Development Department, in a ribbon-cutting for the Lofts project, which overlooks the popular St. Paul farmers market at 5th and Wall streets.

The 58-unit, $13 million apartment building represents a controversial break from tradition for St. Paul, which has previously focused much of its efforts downtown on building "workforce" housing for residents at modest incomes.

The luxury Lofts project hit a standstill in 2008 after developer Brian Sweeney fired general contractor Gerry Flannery, setting off a legal dispute over cost overruns. Amid a series of legal claims and counter-claims, the team abandoned the site mid-stream. City officials debated the issue and decided to develop it themselves using Build America bonds, federal stimulus support

"I almost can't believe that we're standing here," Thune told a crowd of onlookers at the ribbon-cutting, which occurred on the Lofts' second-story roof deck. Two years ago, he sat in on a legal settlement conference, wondering if the city should simply "fill the hole" left by the unfinished construction work. "It was below ground level at that point," he said.

St. Paul Mayor Chris Coleman called the Lofts a key part of his "Rebuild St. Paul" development initiative, which seeks to jumpstart a number of construction projects that fell by the wayside during the recession. He thanked Bedor for rescuing the Lofts "from the grave" on a number of occasions, and Bedor gave similar accolades to project manager Diane Nordquist.

Nearby, the city is taking a similar "hands on" approach in developing the long-delayed Penfield project, 254 units of upscale housing at 10th and Minnesota streets.

Legal wrangling over the Lofts continues. The Minnesota Court of Appeals recently ruled that the city should not have allowed general contractor Shaw Lundquist to adjust its sealed bid upward after discovering a mathematical error in its calculations. The judges said the city should declare the $8.04 million contract null and void, though it is unclear what impact that would have on the building, which is already occupied.

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St. Paul leaders tout Lofts luxury apartments developed by the city downtown

A Massachusetts company is building about 940 apartment units in and near the Baltimore area, with plans to start construction on about 460 more units this year.

The Dolben Co.'s project in Owings Mills, the View at Mill Run, is slated to finish this month. Other developments are the Village at Odenton Station, near Fort Meade in Anne Arundel County, which the company expects to complete in September, and Charlestown Crossing in the Cecil County community of North East, newly under way with completion expected in early 2014.

The company also plans to start construction on a Baltimore project called the Marketplace at Fells Point this month and finish in the fall of next year. It also intends to break ground by the end of the year on an Elkridge project called Howard Square.

Rents will likely be $1,200 to $3,500 a month, Dolben said.

The company said it has worked in the Baltimore area for years and sees it as a good place to build apartments, in part because of demand from workers at Fort Meade and Aberdeen Proving Ground.

jhopkins@baltsun.com

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Dolben Co. builds hundreds of apartment units in Balto. area

When the tomatoes are planted, old daffodil foliage is cut back and the beds are weeded and mulched, it's time to add the final touch -- tropicals that give your porches and patios a little island mystique.

And, since tropicals typically come in basic plastic pots that can be slipped into boldly colored ceramic pots, they can instantly turn any outdoor space into a party place. String a few lights, light some tiki torches and your decor needs nothing but Jimmy Buffet music and some good eats.

If you're really in a generous mood, let each of your guests take a tropical home.

In cold climates, tropicals are good for one season only, unless you have the patience to try to over-winter them indoors or in a temperate garage.

Too many people take home a tropical hibiscus, thinking they can put it in the ground and enjoy it year after year. Left outdoors, those hibiscus die when the first hard frost occurs in October or November.

If you remove a tropical from its plastic pot and plant it in a decorative container, make sure the pot has ample drainage holes. Use only good potting soil, not garden soil, which is too heavy. Fill the new pot with one-third potting soil. Remove the tropical from its container and tease or loosen any matted, circling roots. Place it in the new pot and fill in with more potting soil. Water thoroughly. If the potting soil settles, add more soil and water again.

Tropicals are heavy feeders, so regular fertilization with a water-soluble food meant for flowering plants or a time-released granule mixed into the potting soil keeps the plants blooming. Some potting soils have fertilizer already mixed into them, but they are often only good for a few weeks.

During hot summer days, potted plants need daily, sometimes twice daily, watering because the soil heats up and dries out quickly.

Here's a glimpse at some of the new sun-loving tropicals you'll find from companies such as Monrovia ( http://www.monrovia.com ) and Hines ( http://www.hineshort.com ). Monrovia is found at independent garden centers; Hines is available at garden centers and stores such as Lowe's, Home Depot and Wal-Mart.

Mandevilla Bride's Cascade: These summer-long flowering vines come in all colors, including a new white one called Bride's Cascade. The vigorous plant, which grows 15 feet long, needs a strong support system, including a fence, trellis or arbor.

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Colorful tropical plants add a bit of island mystique

Durham has a patio problem. To be more specific, it has a problem with a portion of the city ordinance that allows people to drink alcohol on restaurant and bar patios that are on public sidewalks. That portion of the ordinance doesn't exist.

At a public forum last week, city officials introduced a potential solutionan amendment to the ordinance that authorizes businesses to set up tables, chairs and other seating on public sidewalks. Under the new rules, businesses that successfully apply for an outdoor dining permit could legally serve patrons who want to enjoy their booze outdoors.

However, the change is controversial because it applies only to restaurants, not private clubs.

Restaurants are defined by the state Alcohol Beverage Commission as a business that generates at least 30 percent of its gross receipts from the sale of food and non-alcoholic beverages. Businesses that don't sell food but do sell alcoholic beverages are required to obtain a "private club" liquor permit.

In Durham, 33 businesses have active "private club" permits. If City Council approves the current draft of the amendment, these private clubs with patios that extend onto the public sidewalk won't be allowed to apply for an outdoor dining permit.

City Attorney Patrick Baker, who led last week's presentation of the proposed outdoor patio ordinance, said that the decision to exclude private clubs is due to the Durham Police Department concerns about potential problems with the combination of private clubs, alcohol and outdoor seating. A DPD spokesperson did not return calls seeking the specifics of the department's concerns. But at DPD's urging, and with the approval of Durham City Manager Thomas Bonfield, city staff will present the current version of the amended ordinance to City Council sometime in July, Baker said.

Even though downtown bar and restaurant customers have routinely imbibed on outdoor patios, those businesses technically have been breaking the law, Baker said. Until the recent uptick in downtown development, an outdoor dining permit was unnecessary. Now, the advent of restaurants with patios, including Toast, Dos Perros and Bull City Burger and Brewery, has prompted the city to revamp the ordinance.

Scott Ritchie, co-owner of Whiskey in downtown Durham, says he thinks the ordinance will actually discourage downtown development. "Personally, it makes me not want to reinvest in Durham, especially when I know that I can go 30 minutes east to Raleigh and not have a problem," he says.

In warm weather, a significant amount of the Whiskey's business is generated by patrons who prefer to drink on the front patio. By not accommodating Durham's private clubs and bars, the city is denying it and other bars significant revenue, Ritchie says.

Private clubs aren't the only businesses that will be excluded. Bars on Ninth Street with sidewalk patios would also be affected because the proposed ordinance applies only to those that are located on streets owned by the City of Durham. Any business located on a street owned by the state, such as Ninth Street, Baker said, will also be excluded from applying for an outdoor dining permit.

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In Durham, a controversy over outdoor drinking