The Selwyn Foundations new five storey apartment building currently under construction at Hillsboroughs Selwyn Heights Village is to be named the Reeves Apartments, in honour of the late Right Reverend and Honourable Sir Paul Reeves, Archbishop and Primate of New Zealand, 1980-1985, and Governor General of New Zealand, 1985-1990.

As Bishop of Auckland and Archbishop, Sir Paul was President of the Foundation when Selwyn made its first foray into independent living accommodation. During his tenure, Sir Paul officiated at a number of events marking the Foundations development of services.

Sir Paul belonged to the Puketapu hapu of the Te Atiawa of Taranaki and was the first person of Maori descent to be appointed Governor General. It is generally recognised that he touched hearts as few public figures have and was committed to shaping and improving life in New Zealand. He was not afraid to say what he believed and spoke on all subjects with knowledge and a cutting-edge.

"In naming our new apartments in honour of Sir Paul, we celebrate his memory, his association with The Selwyn Foundation and the respect in which he was held by so many New Zealanders," said Garry Smith, the Chief Executive Officer of The Selwyn Foundation.

Specifically designed to optimise the exceptional vistas of the surrounding landscape, the Reeves Apartments will occupy a central position in the Village and will complete the U-shaped complex of community facilities and apartments surrounding Selwyn Heights existing bowling green and Chapel. Showcasing the latest thinking in retirement living, this prestigious development will also offer an extensive array of new amenities, including swimming and spa pools, a gymnasium, restaurant, function area, retail outlets, and underground car parking.

With prices starting from $415,000, these 56 stylish one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments will be available in November 2014 and will further expand the Villages appeal for retirees looking for quality and style in a premium environment.

Selwyn Heights Village is part of The Selwyn Foundation, an independent charitable trust with Christian values, providing independent retirement living, residential care and community services for older people. http://www.selwyncare.org.nz

See original here:
New apartments named in honor of Right Revd Sir Paul Reeves

Pittsburgh Retaining Walls
Our Saratoga wall project in Pittsburgh, PA allowed us to really show off some of our skill and creating a retaining and walk area. We are scheduling work fo...

By: P W Patios and Walls

Read more from the original source:
Pittsburgh Retaining Walls - Video

If the phrase outdoor patio comes as music to your ears, imagine how your ears would feel on an outdoor patio with real, live music.

In a move to juice up Londons all-too short patio season, city hall is considering a pilot project to allow live entertainment in outdoor seating areas at bars and restaurants.

Under the current bylaw that appears to have come straight from the movie Footloose, no music whether performed live or recorded dancing or other forms of entertainment are allowed.

A change to that would come none too soon for establishments that have endured a long, cold winter.

We support that 100%, said Chris Korkianitis, owner of the Sweet Onion Grill, which opened in Wortley Village last fall.

People like it. Its been a tough winter for everybody and people want to sit outside.

For sure if this gets passed, Ill build a little portable stage and get the entertainment going.

In a recommendation that goes to planning and environment committee Tuesday, city staff is asking council to hold a public participation meeting in May to discuss a pilot program that would permit acoustic music on outdoor patios during reasonable hours this summer.

In effect for more than 20 years, the existing bylaw banning live entertainment on outdoor patios is aimed at reducing conflict arising from noise, city documents say.

The issue came to a head in 2008, when Richmond Row bar The Barking Frog asked Ontarios Alcohol and Gaming Commission to remove conditions restricting music on the patio.

Originally posted here:
Proposal would allow acoustic sounds during reasonable hours this summer

Pier 1 Imports' outdoor furniture collection includes this Neely bistro set in cornflower blue.

Pier 1 Imports' outdoor furniture collection includes this bright yellow bench.

Pier 1 Imports' outdoor furniture collection includes this Casbah chair in weather-resistant orange rattan.

Are bolder balconies and peppier patios on your redecorating radar? Maybe they should be.

Vibrant color has dominated the home furnishings arena since last fall, and after an unusually cold winter, the times ripe for bright color to become a focus for our outdoor spaces, says Jackie Hirchhault, marketing vice president for the American Home Furnishings Alliance, based in High Point, N.C.

Aimee Beatty, in-house stylist at Pier 1, says lively outdoor pieces give people a way to make a statement: Incorporating pops of color with furniture and accessories adds personality and flare. She suggests adding a colorful bench to the patio to coordinate with a more traditional or neutral dining set. One new piece is a simple, budget-friendly way to make a big impact, she says.

A bistro table and chairs in playful hues sets the stage, and you dont need much more than a few additional pieces to create an inviting space.

Pier 1s Paris-inspired Neely bistro set comes in red or peacock blue rust-resistant cast aluminum. Frontgates powder-coated aluminum side and bar chairs in fresh colors like aqua and melon come in whimsical designs like curlicues and floral motifs.

The Rock Point acacia wood bench can be had in red, marine blue or dandelion yellow and has the added benefit of being foldable for off-season storage. Synthetic rattan chairs are weather resistant and come in an array of brights like ocean, purple, orange and yellow.

Z Galleries Madison garden stool comes in gold for a metallic flair. Youll also find the Mimosa lantern, featuring a filigreed Moroccan motif in mandarin, white, lemon and aquamarine.

View post:
Bright ideas for outdoor furniture

Veteran and his Family Receives a Home! Taylor, Michigan
Outside of the EM mission the Founder, CEO and Visionary of Enchanted Makeovers, wife and mother to four young adults, Terry still finds the time to personal...

By: Terry Grahl

Read more:
Veteran and his Family Receives a Home! Taylor, Michigan - Video

Comox Valley Curling Club president Jack Holden poses with the club's failing ice-making plant, one of the reasons taxpayers are being asked for permission to borrow up to $1.9 million.

image credit: Scott Stanfield

The regional district board has given the green light to an alternate approval process (AAP) to determine if it is to borrow $1.9 million to renovate the aging curling facility at the Comox Valley Exhibition Grounds.

Pending consent of the electorate, the Comox Valley Curling Club will contribute $100,000 to the project. An engineering study recommends replacing the slab and ice plant, upgrading electrical wiring, and insulating the walls. Seismic upgrades are also needed.

"The main goal is to keep curling going in the Valley, and continue providing a service," club president Jack Holden said. "We've put a lot of money into it (over the years)."

The rink was built in the late-1950s with additions constructed around 1972 and 1988. The club is committed to raising funds by way of bottle drives, auctions and garage sales "to put more into the pot," Holden said.

He notes a public misconception that assumes curlers own the building at Headquarters Road. The club is, in fact, under a lease agreement with the Comox Valley Regional District.

"It's the taxpayers' facility," Holden said. "We just rent it, and provide a service to the region to operate it. The curlers pay rent, plus we pay 100 per cent of the operating costs, and quite a bit of capital repairs."

Other costs include building insurance and employee wages.

In the off-season, the club rents the facility to MusicFest, the Newcomers Club and other user groups. It also provides ice for Special Olympics.

Read the original post:
Funding proposal to repair Comox Valley curling building to next phase

Homebuyers who buy an older home or foreclosure often are frustrated by the difficulty of financing needed repairs and renovations. But a Federal Housing Administration home loan program offers some help.

A Section 203(k) loan allows borrowers to wrap the cost of repairs and improvements into a single mortgage.

Find the best mortgage rates

Bankrate can help you find the lowest available mortgage rate.

"We've seen tremendous growth in the use of these loans across the country, especially in areas where the housing stock is old and needs repairs or when people are buying foreclosures and short sales," says Stephen Adamo, president of Weichert Financial Services in Morris Plains, N.J.

The 203(k) loan is a boon for cash-strapped homeowners who either cannot or do not want to tap their home equity. It also offers an alternative to borrowers struggling to find other sources of financing.

"This is a great loan product because it can be very hard to find a construction or rehabilitation loan these days," Adamo says.

There are two types of 203(k) loans. The first, and more common, loan is known as a Streamline 203(k) and is restricted to repairs or improvements that total $35,000 or less.

The second type of 203(k) loan applies to improvements costing more than $35,000.

More here:
FHA Mortgage Loan Funds Renovations

australian timber flooring Buy online australian timber flooring
http://timberflooringgoldcoastzealsea.com.au/flooring/solid-hardwood-floor.html Unless you are purchasing a real Timber Flooring well you could not be paying...

By: Toma Fly

Link:
australian timber flooring Buy online australian timber flooring - Video

engineered timber flooring prices Buy wholesale engineered timber flooring prices
http://timberflooringgoldcoastzealsea.com.au/flooring/solid-hardwood-floor.html If you are buying a real Timber Flooring well you should not be spending thro...

By: Toma Fly

See more here:
engineered timber flooring prices Buy wholesale engineered timber flooring prices - Video

Researchers at UCL have developed a new antibacterial material which has potential for cutting hospital acquired infections. The combination of two simple dyes with nanoscopic particles of gold is deadly to bacteria when activated by light -- even under modest indoor lighting. And in a first for this type of substance, it also shows impressive antibacterial properties in total darkness.

The research, from by Sacha Noimark and Ivan Parkin (both UCL Chemistry) and Elaine Allan (UCL Eastman Dental Institute), is published today in the journal Chemical Science.

Hospital-acquired infections are a major issue for modern medicine, with pathogens like methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and Clostridium difficile (C. diff) getting extensive publicity. Although medical establishments have stringent cleaning policies, insist on frequent hand-washing by staff, and have powerful drugs at their disposal, it is difficult to eliminate these infections unless you can make the hospital environment more hostile to microbes. Surfaces, such as door handles, medical equipment, keyboards, pens and so on are an easy route for germs to spread, even onto freshly-cleaned hands.

One possible solution to this is to develop alternative strategies such as antibacterial coatings that make surfaces less accommodating to germs. These surfaces are not like antibacterial fluids that just wash away -- the goal is to make a surface which is intrinsically deadly to harmful bacteria.

"There are certain dyes that are known to be harmful to bacteria when subjected to bright light," explains the study's corresponding author Ivan Parkin (Head of UCL Chemistry). "The light excites electrons in them, promoting the dye molecules to an excited triplet state and ultimately produces highly reactive oxygen radicals that damage bacteria cell walls. Our project tested new combinations of these dyes along with gold nanoparticles, and simplified ways of treating surfaces which could make the technology easier and cheaper to roll out."

The team, tested several different combinations of the dyes crystal violet (already used to treat staph infections), methylene blue and nanogold, deposited on the surface of silicone. This flexible rubbery substance is widely used as a sealant, a coating and to build medical apparatus such as tubes, catheters and gaskets, and can also be used as protective casings for things like keyboards and telephones.

While work to create antimicrobial surfaces in the past has often concentrated on complex ways of bonding dyes to the surface, this study took a simpler approach. The researchers used an organic solvent to swell the silicone, allowing the methylene blue and gold nanoparticles to diffuse through the polymer. They then dipped the silicone into a crystal violet solution to form a thin dye layer at the polymer surface.

In their tests, in which infected surfaces were subjected to light levels similar to those measured in hospital buildings, surfaces treated with a combination of crystal violet, methylene blue and nanogold showed the most potent bactericidal effect ever observed in such a surface. Moreover, the treatment did not significantly change the properties of the silicone (for instance, how water repellent it is), and the coating was not affected by rubbing with alcohol wipes, meaning it can stand up to the repeated cleaning that goes on in hospitals, without being worn off.

"Despite contaminating the surface with far more bacteria than you would ever see in a hospital setting, placed under a normal fluorescent light bulb, the entire sample was dead in three to six hours, depending on the type of bacteria," says the paper's lead author, Sacha Noimark. "That was an excellent result, but the bigger surprise was the sample which we left in the dark. That sample too showed significant reductions in bacterial load, albeit over longer timescales of about three to eighteen hours. The precise mechanism by which this dark-kill works is not yet clear, though."

This is the first time a light-activated antimicrobial surface has had any kind of effect in the dark. This, along with its unprecedented performance under hospital lighting conditions, and relatively simple and cost-effective manufacture, means that the technology is extremely promising for future applications.

Excerpt from:
Light-activated antimicrobial surface that also works in the dark: World's first