Photo by Richard Gwin

File photo: Artist David Loewenstein's mural honoring black Kansans was unveiled Wednesday Sept. 17, 2007.

Before developers can start construction on a seven-story, downtown apartment building, city commissioners want them to deal with a more ground-level problem how to save a prominent mural on a building slated to be demolished by the project.

Commissioners directed a development group led by Lawrence businessmen Doug Compton and Mike Treanor to have discussions with interested members of the arts community about how a 2007 mural by noted Lawrence artist Dave Loewenstein can be saved near the northeast corner of Ninth and New Hampshire streets.

It really is an important piece of art for the entire state of Kansas, Susan Earle, curator at Kansas Universitys Spencer Museum of Art said of the piece, which is entitled Pollinators, and features seven black artists who have ties to Kansas.

The art museum commissioned the mural in 2007. Earle said the museum has had preliminary discussions with the development group about saving the approximately 20 by 80 foot mural.

The mural is on the northern wall of the former Black Hills Energy building at the northeast corner of Ninth and New Hampshire streets. The building could be torn down later this year to make way for a 114-unit apartment building.

Commissioners at their weekly meeting stopped short of saying they would require the mural to be saved before giving the project its final approval. But they said the issue was a serious one.

A discussion about the mural cant be put off, Mayor Mike Dever said. I want to see what it would take to move the wall or reproduce it, as a worst-case scenario.

Several mural supporters said they wanted to see if the wall could be left in its current location and incorporated into the design of the building.

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City hears plea to save downtown mural from planned apartment project

San Francisco, CA (PRWEB) March 05, 2014

1188 Mission at Trinity Place Apartments http://www.1188missionapts.com/ has announced the welcoming of their new Director of Residential Residential Operations for their luxury top scale apartment building in the SOMA district of San Francisco: Tina DiRienzo. Ms. DiRienzo joins the Trinity Management team with extensive experience in property management including renovation projects, marketing, and resident relations. She was most recently the recipient of the General Manager of the Year award from the San Francisco Apartment Association. She is coming off an extensive construction project and successful lease-up at the Pinnacle on Nob Hill. Her knowledge and expertise will work seamlessly with the upscale apartment building located at 1188 Mission Street.

Our luxury high rise apartment complex in the SOMA district of SF is high in demand and requires the best of the best in managing Residential Operations, and Ms. DiRienzo is San Franciscos best. explained William Harlow, marketing manager at Trinity Management Services. Our sheik, popular apartment rentals in this favorable location are almost always filled to capacity. Residential Operations management is of the utmost importance and Ms. DiRienzos experience and expertise is exactly what we need to fulfill our commitment to resident satisfaction.

To learn more about 188 Mission at Trinity Place, please visit http://www.1188missionapts.com/ where potential apartment seekers can browse inventory of available studio, and one-bedroom apartments for rent in the South of Market (SOMA) neighborhood.

SOMA (South of Market): One of San Franciscos Hottest Neighborhoods

SOMA has become one of the most exciting areas for apartment rentals and apartment living in San Francisco. Known for its tech crowd, the SOMA neighborhood has attracted residents working in the new Silicon Valley of the Bay Area, San Francisco, home to businesses such as Yelp, LinkedIn, and Twitter as well as commuters to the old Silicon Valley farther south for businesses like Google and other stalwarts of technology in the San Francisco Bay. SOMA brings together an urban flair for living with cafes, restaurants, and other urban attractions plus convenient transportation options such as close access to the 101 freeway, Interstate 80 corridor, and BART (Bay Area Rapid Transit). Apartment dwellers can enjoy urban living and yet easily commute (or escape) to the larger attractions of the San Francisco Bay Area.

About 1188 Mission at Trinity Place

One's dream apartment awaits apartment seekers. Rising with stunning views of downtown San Francisco South of Market, the all-new Trinity Place is as architecturally stunning as it is comfort-filled and convenient. These luxury apartments located in the SOMA District of San Francisco are more than just a building and an address. They are a community, with a fitness center, a residents lounge with Wi-Fi, childrens play area, front desk associates and 24-hour Courtesy Patrol.

These luxury apartments are a central starting point for getting anywhere in San Francisco with ease. The furnished studio and 1 bedroom apartments are near the Orpheum Theater, Moscone Center, the new Twitter Headquarters and AT&T Park home of the San Francisco Giants. Convenient to Muni or BART, head to work or a night on the town in San Francisco. At Trinity Place, apartment seekers can rent or lease one of the gorgeous studio or one bedroom apartments which include spacious tall ceilings and large windows for spectacular city views. The resident will enjoy preparing gourmet meals in apartment seekers modern kitchen with top-of-the-line appliances and black granite counters. Wood-style and ceramic tile flooring add to the beauty of apartment seekers apartment, where apartment seekers can be proud to entertain guests. Furnished apartments are also available to rent or lease. San Francisco corporate suites also available.

1188 Mission at Trinity Place Web. http://www.1188missionapts.com/ Tel. 415-864-3333

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Top SOMA Apartment Complex in San Francisco, 1188 Mission at Trinity Place Apartments, Announces New Residential ...

The urban geography of the Sergeant Jasper apartment building has always been peculiar. The low-rent, high-rise apartment building is situated just north of Broad Street in the midst of millionaire homes, a small real estate miracle that has allowed students, tour guides, and F&B workers to live near the southern end of the peninsula, rubbing elbows with the lawyers, tycoons, and socialites South of Broad.

Now that the Sergeant Jasper's owners at the Beach Company have announced the building's impending demolition, some of the residents are wondering whether they'll be able to afford to rent again downtown. "Oh no, definitely not," says Ryan Camelon, a researcher at the Medical University of South Carolina who moved into the Sergeant Jasper from Boston just a month ago. "I think this is the nicest for the cheapest amount of money. Everything downtown's pretty expensive."

He's right. Most housing downtown is expensive (see p.14). And with the loss of the Sergeant Jasper's 221 reasonably priced units, the available stock of workforce housing just got that much smaller.

The Sergeant Jasper was named after a Revolutionary War hero, but it was never a place for old money. Up until the demolition was announced in mid-February, it was still possible to rent a studio there for $835 a month or split a two-bedroom apartment with a roommate for $585 apiece. Savannah Mooneyhan, another member of the final generation of renters, says most of the residents are students and downtown workers, plus a few older longtime residents and young families. She's determined to find another rental downtown, but she knows her options are limited. Residents are being evicted one floor at a time, starting at the top in mid-May and ending at the bottom in August.

"Even when you're looking on Craigslist, you're competing with 200 people at the same time, so I'm looking now," Mooneyhan says.

For Mooneyhan, who works at the downtown Irish bar Tommy Condon's and attends the College of Charleston, leaving the peninsula is a nonstarter. "Parking at CofC is terrible and expensive," Mooneyhan says. "I'm going to stay downtown. If I have to move to the other side of the Crosstown, I'll do that before I move off the peninsula."

Karen Bacot, director of marketing for the Beach Company, says the company has not yet decided what sort of residential development will go in the Sergeant Jasper's place, but the plan is to include some affordable housing. She says the company is still meeting with the Preservation Society and the Historic Charleston Foundation to discuss the next steps, and any plans will have to be vetted by the Board of Architectural Review and other city agencies.

Whatever gets built, it won't be as tall as the 16-story Sergeant Jasper. "No one wants to build that tall again us included," Bacot says. "Everybody has agreed on that one thing."

In the meantime, the Beach Company is organizing a mid-March housing fair for its current Sergeant Jasper tenants, inviting the company's competitors to come and offer reasonable downtown rental rates. Alternatively, the company is offering to let renters lock in their current rental rates if they move across the river to another Beach Company property, Mt. Pleasant's Riviera at Seaside.

"I think there's a lot of speculation and fear that things are going to change wildly, but that's an assumption that's been misguided," Bacot says. "We understand the workforce is important, and we're going to incorporate that in any plans."

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With Sergeant Jasper slated for demolition, downtown workforce housing is getting scarce

Memphis, Tenn. (PRWEB) March 05, 2014

AmeriSpec honored two of the home inspection companys top-producing franchise operations both of which are owned and managed by women at the companys annual convention recently in Austin, Texas.

AmeriSpec of Atlanta owner Valerie Ogle took top honors in multiple categories, earning recognition for the greatest annual sales growth in 2013 versus 2012, highest overall revenue and for surpassing $1 million in revenue. Ogle started her business in 2007 and has provided more than 10,000 home inspections in the Atlanta area.

Also earning recognition were Cheryl Myers and Lisa Roddis of AmeriSpec of Delaware, who also surpassed $1 million in revenue. Kathy Thiessen, vice president and general manager of AmeriSpec, said the success of both the Atlanta and Delaware operations is evidence of the opportunities available to women in todays home inspection business, a primarily male dominated industry.

Its an honor to present these hardworking and innovative women with such well-deserved recognition in front of their peers at our annual convention, said Thiessen. Their success as business owners reflects their commitment to providing the highest-quality home inspections, customer service and attention to detail. A home can be someones largest investment and our inspectors help ensure their investment is sound.

Ogle said that years of consistent effort building her business, as well as improvement in the Atlanta real estate market, were both important factors in her success last year.

Atlanta is a great market and we are blessed with a terrific group of inspectors and customer service representatives, Ogle said. Our success in 2013 was actually the result of several years of building our team and expanding our presence in the market. It has been a team effort; the people who work in our company are all excellent professionals.

Myers and Roddis acquired the Delaware AmeriSpec franchise in 1995 and have steadily grown their client base and revenues ever since, recording double-digit growth each of the last three years as the housing market has picked up in the area. Based in Milford, Del., their team of six home inspectors serves the entire state of Delaware, as well as the Eastern Shore of Maryland.

Myers, whose father was a real estate broker, said the key to growth has been focusing on the fundamentals. Its all about building relationships with the agents, doing a good job with the inspections, and good customer service, she said.

All AmeriSpec inspectors are trained and certified to meet the highest industry standards. The company is also dedicated to continuing education for its franchise owners, providing ongoing technical training classes focusing on inspection innovations and industry best-practices. AmeriSpec inspects more than 400 items around the home, including:

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Women-Owned Businesses Take Top Honors at AmeriSpec in 2013

Published: 8:29AM Tuesday March 04, 2014 Source: ONE News

After a day of being battered by southerly gales and heavy rain, coastal areas around and north of Christchurch are battening down the hatches for more of the same. People in 2,500 homes face a night without power while others in some low-lying areasare being warned about possible overnight flooding.

As the storm moves up the country,rocks and debris are washing upon coastal roads in Wellington and police arewarning drivers to take care.

Heavy rain and gusts of up to 120kphwere forecast for the capital this evening, MetService forecaster Tuporo Marsters said.

The storm swept in to Christchurchjust after daybreak, 120 kilometre-an-hour gales with gusts up to 160kph battering boats in Lyttelton.

But as the day developed it was toppled trees keeping emergency services busy.

"We've still got a bit of leafy growth on the trees which is causing the wind to have an affect on them, and the soft ground as well causing them to be uprooted," says John Herriott, Christchurch City Fire Station Officer.

Bruce McDonald and his daughter were two of the lucky ones in the storm, unharmed after a tree brought live powerlines onto their car.

Mr McDonald says they had just come out of a camp ground, noticed the tree and heard the big crack.

"And she come off, hit the powerlines and ended up on top of the car. Burnt a hole on the roof of the car and on top of the bonnet. Yeah, a bit scary," he says.

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Christchurch battens down for more gales, downpours

2014 - IFC Films

Ed Harris and Annette Bening

Arie Posin's romantic drama tips its hand when we see that protagonist Nikki (Annette Bening), a widowed interior decorator, has chosen posters for Andrei Tarkovsky's Nostalghia and Alfred Hitchcock's Vertigo for the house she's currently sprucing up. This is moments before she first sees Tom (Ed Harris), a dead ringer for Nikki's late husband, Garrett (also Harris).

The Face of Love is also a few color gels away from being this decade's remake of Douglas Sirk's All That Heaven Allows, as Nikki embarks on a relationship with Tom that doesn't defy contemporary taboos about age or ethnicity but instead is borderline necrophilic, while she lies to Tom about her past and tries to hide him from her adult daughter, Summer (Jess Weixler), and Nikki's lovesick, perpetually friend-zoned neighbor, Roger (Robin Williams).

Bening and Harris have excellent chemistry, and the deeply objectified Tom gets an interior life, particularly in his touching relationship with his own, still-alive former spouse (Amy Brenneman).

Wisely shrugging off the question of how Garrett and Tom can be identical, The Face of Love becomes a study of a woman gradually losing her grip on reality, thanks to the universe playing a seriously dirty trick on her.

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Bening and Harris Have Excellent Chemistry in The Face of Love

Times-Herald photo by Lisa Goudy

City hall is seen on Monday.

A new storage garage valued at $2 million was the largest permit issued in February.

It was one of four commercial and industrial permits issued last month. Because of privacy legislation, details of building permits issued are no longer included in the monthly reports.

The other three commercial and industrial permits included one valued at $70,000 for alterations, repairs and additions for markets use, a permit for alterations, repairs and additions to a barber and hairdressing shop valued at $15,000 and a new low-hazard storage room with a value of $8,000.

The total value of the commercial and industrial permits is $2.09 million.

The city also issued 10 residential permits. Four of those were for new houses, with a combined value of $1.51 million. Two houses will do alterations, repairs and additions with a combined value of $80,000.

One permit, valued at $5,000, is for a new residential swimming pool. Three permits were for new decks with a combined value of $4,500.

In total, the residential permits are valued at $1.60 million.

The city issued 14 permits in February with a value of $3.69 million compared to nine in February 2013 valued at $974,160.

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February building permits up from 2013

CPS West Makes Epoxy Flooring Installation Easy!
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By: Clark Freeman

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CPS West Makes Epoxy Flooring Installation Easy! - Video

Fire at home on Olive Avenue None

Redding firefighters quickly put out a fire today that started in a wall before spreading to the attic at a home in the 1100 block of Olive Avenue in downtown Redding.

The fire was reported around 11 a.m. when the resident, Joe Baker, returned home for lunch and saw smoke coming out of the attic vents. Baker dashed in, rescued his two dogs and ran back out of the house.

I got home, I got both of them out," Baker said. "The house was full of smoke."

There were no injuries, contrary to original reports.

Firefighters spent hours mopping up the fire at 1174 Olive Avenue.

Redding fire investigator Craig Wittner believes the fire was sparked by the home's electric system in a wall by the front door.

Baker said he saw flames shooting out of a wall socket when he went inside to recuse his dogs.

The fire smoldered inside the wall before moving into the attic, Wittner said.

"He's lucky," Wittner said of Baker. "He came home for lunch and saw the smoke. Had he not come home who knows how much longer that wall would've burned unchecked."

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UPDATE: Firefighters battle fire on Olive Avenue in Redding

Dallas, TX (PRWEB) March 04, 2014

Dallas Flooring Warehouse announces the immediate availability of Casual Charm, their new, private label trackless textured Saxony carpeting. Casual Charm trackless textured Saxony carpet features a premium PET fiber system, a 10-year warranty, and anti static technology. Ambassador is available in eight popular fashion colors including, neutral beige and tan shades as well as gray, blue, red, green and gray which are all in stock at Dallas Flooring Warehouse for immediate cash and carry or next day installation. This trackless textured Saxony carpet sells for 89 per square foot cash and carry or $1.49 per square foot installed with pad.

Wahoo, our new private label trackless textured Saxony carpeting called Casual Charm. Casual Charm is available in eight fashion colors including beige, tan, blue, red, green and gray. Visit us at Dallas Flooring Warehouse 8717 Directors Row in Dallas, TX 75247 or give us a call at 214-850-4373 and one of our carpet professionals will assist you. Our quality private label carpeting is manufactured by the leading U.S. carpet Mills. Why pay more at some fancy retail store when you can buy wholesale direct? Stop by or call today and tell them Johnny Carpet sent you! says Johnny Carpet, spokesman Dallas Flooring Warehouse.

Dallas Flooring Warehouse is a wholesale hardwood flooring, laminate flooring, carpet and tile wholesale to the public warehouse store that specializes in wholesale direct pricing to homeowners, contractors and builders in the Dallas Fort Worth area. They are located at Dallas Flooring Warehouse 8717 Directors Row Dallas, TX 75247. Their Dallas wholesale flooring hotline is (214) 850-4373. For more information about Dallas Flooring Warehouse or wholesale flooring in Dallas visit their website at dallasflooringwarehouse.com.

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Dallas Flooring Warehouse Announces New Casual Charm Private Label Brand Trackless Textured Saxony Discount Carpet for ...