CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa - Several eastern Iowa school districts held special elections tonight.

Voters in the Clear Creek Amana School District agreed to pay for a fourth elementary school and additions to the middle and high schools. The $48 million bond issue needed 60 percent to pass and received 79 percent, or 989 votes. 268 people voted against the bond.

For a second time Voters said "no" to a new gym in the Williamsburg School District. The $6.7 million proposal needed 60 percent to pass, but only received 56 percent, or 703 votes. 556 people, or 44 percent, voted against the new gymnasium.

Voters approved a school levy in the Central City School District to pay for building projects. The school levy is a PPLE, or physical plant and equipment levy. It needed a simple majority to pass. It passed with 56.7 percent of the vote, or 101 votes. 77 people, or 43 percent, voted against it.

In the North Linn School District, voters failed to pass a PPLE that would have paid for one-to-one computers in the high school, new buses and building upgrades. 58 percent, or 331 people voted against the levy. 236 people or 41.6 percent of voters voted in favor of the levy.

See the original post:
Voters Approve, Reject Several School District Projects

Collins Road Theatres in northeast Cedar Rapids will be closed most of next week to install new seating in three of the five movie theaters as well as for additional remodeling.

Bruce Taylor, owner of the 10-year-old, second-run movie complex, said it will be closed from Monday, Feb. 10, through Thursday, Feb. 13. Taylor said certain shows also will be dropped on Sunday evening, Feb. 9, to get a head start on the changes.

The theater will reopen on Friday, Feb. 14.

Taylor said the three auditoriums slated for new seating will have fewer rows to provide at least four inches of extra leg room. He said seating in the remaining two theaters likely will be upgraded in the near future.

Taylor said the new two-tone seats, which have been displayed recently in the theater lobby, have a higher back that the old ones. He said the theater will provide booster seats for young children to help them see the movie screen.

Taylor said the remodeling also will include replacing wall fabric, painting and adding 7.1 sound. The latter system provides more surround sound than 5.1 sound by adding two speakers to the back wall of the auditorium with two more channels of audio.

The upgrades will include new digital processors to handle the 7.1 sound. Taylor said that will allow him to provide descriptive narration of movies for customers who are blind or visually impaired.

We will use the same little radio receivers that we provide to our hearing-impaired customers, Taylor said. We will plug the transmitter into a different output that provides descriptive narration of a movie.

Descriptive narration provides an audio description of what the characters are doing on the screen, visual elements such costumes and facial expressions, and any printed text.

Taylor said the remodeling project will cost around $100,000 to complete.

See the article here:
Collins Road Theatres closed next week for remodeling

BUFFALO CENTER | The North Iowa Community School is about ready to unveil a new addition that Superintendent Cory Myer describes as "a mini YMCA."

The addition includes a new gymnasium that has reinforced walls to make it a tornado safe room.

It also has a weight room and locker rooms on the first floor, as well as a fitness room and a suspended walking track on the second floor.

A ribbon cutting ceremony and open house will take place on Sunday, Feb. 9.

The whole facility will be open to members of the public who take an annual training class and are issued key cards. The annual fee is $50.

Myer said the public will be able to use the facility 24 hours a day, seven days a week, as long as students are not using it.

He said members of the public have been allowed access to the school building for a number of years for fitness purposes, but the new, high-end fitness equipment and walking track give them many more options.

People are particularly excited about the track, which gives them somewhere to walk during the winter, according to Myer.

He said the new gym doesn't have seating because it isn't big enough for that. It will be used as a practice gym by school sports teams, AAU teams and community teams. The district will continue to use the older gym at the school for competition.

The safe room has precast concrete walls almost a foot thick that can withstand a direct hit from a tornado, according to Myer.

See the original post:
North Iowa School District celebrates new safe room/wellness center

Lamparelli Constr Co Inc Cheektowaga NY US
Contractors, Commercial, industrial, design build, restaurant construction, housing projects, medical facilities, office buildings, nursing homes, retail fac...

By: LocalEdge VideosTwo

Excerpt from:
Lamparelli Constr Co Inc Cheektowaga NY US - Video

Tribune photo by Garrett Valenzuela -- Nugget President and CEO Carlton Geer, middle, speaks to Sparks City Councilwoman Julia Ratti on Monday at an event celebrating the final week of Trader Dick's restaurant.

Tribune photo by Garrett Valenzuela -- Two locals discuss the layout of Gilley's Saloon, Dance Hall and Bar-B-Que which will take the place of Trader Dick's restaurant inside the Nugget in Sparks.

Nugget executives, City of Sparks officials and many others mingled inside the Polynesian paradise-themed restaurant Monday evening, paying their respects and helping usher the business out on a high note. The restaurant and bar opened on B Street in 1958 before moving inside the Nugget in 1973, and it will celebrate its final week in business with discount food and drink specials.

Sparks Mayor Geno Martini said he was sad to see Trader Dicks close its doors after so many wonderful memories.

I remember going to Trader Dicks when it was across the street many, many years ago, Martini said Monday. I had dates I brought here, family dinners, birthdays, wedding anniversaries and all kinds of memories here. Its been a wonderful place and I really enjoyed Trader Dicks. It holds a special place in my heart. It is sad in one respect to see it go, but its exciting to see something new come.

Nugget President and CEO Carlton Geer said he too was sad to see Trader Dick's go having brought dates to the restaurant in the early 1980s before he was married. Despite the sorrow present for the restaurants final week, Geer said looking ahead gives locals reason to be excited.

People have to look toward not just what we are losing, but what the community is gaining, Geer said, "And Gilleys is a huge asset, I believe, to the community.

Gilleys Saloon, Dance Hall and Bar-B-Que will be created behind the construction walls in the 10,000 square-foot space where Trader Dick's currently sits. Geer said the country western vibe of Gilleys will offer existing customers an exciting atmosphere while enticing others to choose the Nugget for entertainment.

We want to be the Sparks hometown hangout, but we also want to appeal to out-of-town guests and those who are visiting other hotels, Geer said. I think Gilleys is an important cornerstone along with the other renovations and amenities we are adding to the property.

The renovations slated for the Nugget range nearly property wide and include more than 100,000 square feet of carpet replacement, a new sportsbook and sports bar, a new bingo parlor, a new gift shop and ceiling improvements. The renovations were announced following the property changing hands and Geer said the nearly $50 million investments will breathe new life into downtown Sparks.

Read more:
Nugget, city say goodbye to Trader Dick's

It was debated, fought and criticized by many area residents, but a new Mellow Mushroom Pizza Bakers restaurant finally will open in Jacksonvilles Avondale neighborhood Monday.

After demolishing a former gas station building and fending off angry community activists for months, owners of the Mellow Mushroom pizza shop chain finally have finished construction of the new restaurant at 3611 St. Johns Ave. The eatery is among several others in the Shoppes of Avondale stretch of St. Johns Avenue.

We are thrilled to bring Mellow Mushroom to Avondale, said Mellow Mushroom owner John Valentino in a news release Wednesday. This is an ideal setting for our guests.

While Valentino sees the new restaurant site as ideal, many living near the area have not.

Multiple appeals challenging the Mellow Mushroom construction were filed with the city by citizen groups We Love Avondale, Riverside Avondale Preservation, and three property owners near the Shoppes. All argued the Mellow Mushroom didnt meet its parking obligations.

In most of Jacksonville, a restaurant must provide one parking space for every four seats, plus one space for each employee. Mellow Mushroom would have 198 seats and 14 employes, so the standard regulation would require 57 spaces. But in Riverside-Avondale that obligation is half, so its required to provide only 28 spaces.

The citys planning department determined Mellow Mushroom has vested rights to seven parking spaces from businesses that previously occupied the buildings it will use. That means the restaurant must provide 21 other spaces, which Mellow Mushroom says it would with the new parking lot.

Their cookie-cutter model is not going to work in a neighborhood like ours, Carmen Godwin, executive director of Riverside Avondale Preservation, said in an October Times-Union report on the controversy.

Mellow Mushroom officials say theyve been able to incorporate the Avondale artsy feel by using woods in most of the dcor along with brick and contemporary jazz-inspired art. There also will be a retired fire truck parked on the side of the building.

The Mellow Mushroom in Avondale will be open seven days a week.

Follow this link:
Mellow Mushroom to sprout in Avondale, despite opposition

The original Brennan's restaurant in the French Quarter has become a major construction site in recent months. A mishap Tuesday had a portion of the old building crumbling.

Construction crews went back to work Wednesday at the Royal Street restaurant after a ceiling collapsed Tuesday.

A major renovation has been going on here for about four months. It includes a combination of electrical and plumbing updates to a complete style revamp.

Wednesday traffic was blocked on the street while cement trucks were brought in to do more work. Greg Beureman, a spokesperson for the property, said around 3 p.m. Tuesday one of the columns that supports the second floor collapsed. A portion of the second floor came crumbling down into the first floor.

No workers were injured in the process.

Structural engineers were on site Tuesday evening and Wednesday to determine what happened and why, but right now there is no clear indication about what caused the collapse.

Although Beureman said the property dates back to the late 1700s, and these are things that tend to happen in old buildings.

There is no indication about how this will impact the construction and renovation process, since Beureman said the owners do not have a hard opening date.

The spokesperson said owner Ralph Brennan is putting his own mark on the property. He said it will not be a carbon copy of anything that has been at the site before. It will have a new concept and a new name.

See original here:
Historic Brennan's restaurant suffers ceiling collapse

Rob Hopkins believes in being proactive. The Big Bear City Community Services District general manager asked his board of directors to approve the implementation of Stage 1 water restrictions because of the states drought emergency status.

Even though we are above our threshold right now, I see potential problems if things dont improve, Hopkins said. It takes time to get the word out to the public, time to ramp things up. In March and April people are going to start coming up here and working on their houses, using more water.

The board voted to approve implementing Stage 1 restrictions, which become effective immediately.

CSDs Stage 1 water restrictions include a moratorium on landscape watering between the hours of 9 a.m. and 6 p.m. Those working on construction projects are asked to stop using potable water for dust control. Its mostly voluntary, Hopkins said. Stage 1 is kind of an awareness, a way to educate the public.

Hopkins told the board during the Feb. 3 meeting that the agency can implement the ordinance without a public hearing under certain circumstances.

California Governor Jerry Browns recent declaration of a statewide drought emergency is an emergency situation, Hopkins said. Hopkins and CSD water superintendent Jerry Griffith compared current water table data with information calculated during the last drought situation. The pattern is the same as the last drought, Hopkins said. So we want to get ahead of the curve, begin the process of public notification instead of waiting.

Board members discussed the ordinance in detail and asked Hopkins if the rate study will include drought situations. Hopkins said drought tiers are being looked at. Board member John Green said he doesnt want rates on the lowest tier to be affected. Id hate to see people on fixed incomes be hurt by this, Green said.

Board member Jeff Newsome, who was out of town but took part in the meeting via teleconference, advocates a five-tier rate structure that rewards people whose water use is lower than the bottom tier, he said.

Board member Larry Walsh wants to review the ordinance because of language he considers contradictory and unclear in a couple of areas. He also doesnt see how the CSD can enforce water restrictions. Are we going to turn all our water workers into water cops? Walsh asked. How are we going to get people to comply?

Board president Karyn Oxandaboure said that neighbors are usually the best water police during drought situations. Green said he believes the majority of CSD customers will follow the program.

Read more:
Community Services District board approves Stage 1 water restrictions

LAKE FOREST, Calif. (PRWEB) February 05, 2014

Baker Ranch, the first master-planned community to debut this year in Orange County, CA, will celebrate its public grand opening on February 8, 2014, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. To date, more than 7,000 homeshoppers have registered on the Interest List for this new community, created through a partnership between Shea Homes and Toll Brothers.

Set within the scenic foothills of Lake Forest and on the Citys largest undeveloped site, Baker Ranch is envisioned to ultimately offer three villages encompassing nearly 2,380 residential units within neighborhoods of single-family detached homes, townhomes and other attached living residences as well as apartment homes. More than 30 acres of parks and recreational facilities are planned; and Baker Ranch residents will pay NO Mello-Roos taxes.

Debuting this Saturday will be Village One at Baker Ranch, encompassing a diverse selection of homes within six neighborhoods and several recreational amenities, including Baker Ranch Community Park. Homes are currently priced from the low $500,000s to over $1 million.

Presented through a unique partnership between Shea Homes and Toll Brothers, two of the nation's most well-respected homebuilders, the six neighborhoods of Village One at Baker Ranch include the following:

Were so pleased to be able to unveil the very first village at Baker Ranch this weekend, said Seth Ring, President of Toll Brothers Southern California Division. Homeshoppers will be invited to tour 18 different professionally decorated and landscaped model homes as well as an impressive offering of parks, pools and other recreational and social amenities. And, since Baker Ranch residents will not have to pay any Mello-Roos taxes, theyll benefit from a lower cost of living as compared to other Orange County planned communities.

Also premiering during the Baker Ranch grand opening is The Grove with its large clubhouse complete with gourmet-style demonstration kitchen and dining area as well as a spacious ballroom with tall glass doors opening to an outdoor courtyard for small- and large-group entertaining. The Grove features an open-air bar adjacent to a tall stone fireplace and a covered walkway leading from the clubhouse to a resort-caliber lagoon swimming pool with spa and childrens splash area, covered poolside cabanas, as well as a separate quiet pool with spa and lounging area.

In addition, Village One at Baker Ranch includes Baker Ranch Community Park with lush ready for play athletic fields, a community green surrounded by picnic and grill pavilions, an elaborate play structure, and plenty of open space for a relaxing day. Several additional neighborhood parks will also be debuting during the grand opening.

Ultimately, Baker Ranch is planned to also include a Central Linear Park in the heart of the community and the Borrego Linear Park, highlighted by a multi-user trail system which connects with the County of Orange regional trails network, leading to thousands of acres of open space at nearby Limestone Canyon and Whiting Ranch Wilderness Park. Even more neighborhood parks are expected to be created in the community so that residents are within just five minutes of places to play and socialize.

Baker Ranch is within the acclaimed Saddleback Valley Unified School District, which is ranked among Orange Countys Top 5 Best School Districts. The Saddleback Valley Unified School District features more California Distinguished Schools than any other in the state, including its award-winning El Toro High School which is ranked in the Top 10% in the nation.

See the rest here:
Grand Opening of the New Shea Homes-Toll Brothers 2,380-Home Baker Ranch Community Set for February 8

Local Biz Video Marketing - Are you a plumber need more leads....
Our portfolio of business videos. Learn how you can grow your business with video marketing. Affordable videos that can help you get new customers.

By: Eddie Cochran

Go here to see the original:
Local Biz Video Marketing - Are you a plumber need more leads.... - Video