The Boone law firm on Avenida Del Circo says Venice is violating a 2001 agreement in which the firm prepaid for water and sewer connections the city says it must now install. The firm says the city is insisting on a larger water line and meter than is needed. (Photo/ Dale White)

VENICE - For roughly 20 years, the city of Venice has been gradually annexing unincorporated enclaves on the island and connecting the properties to its water and sewer service.

The last few potential utilities customers are now getting connected with a single notable exception.

The law firm of Boone, Boone, Boone, Koda & Frook is standing its ground. Although it agrees to make the connections, it insists the city is not abiding by a 2001 agreement in which the firm prepaid for its hook-ups.

The Boone law firm is known for representing developers and playing an influential role in local politics.

Regardless, on this matter, it is not being shown any favors at City Hall.

The city cites several reasons for the annexations and utility connections: Expanding its tax base. Eliminating the need for sheriff's deputies to pass through the city to respond to calls. Getting rid of septic systems that can fail and pollute.

In 1996, the city had about 420 enclaves with an average of two properties being annexed each month. By 2002, that number was down to 170.

In 2001, the Boone firm voluntarily annexed its 73,470-square-foot site with its Colonial-styled, pillared brick behind a black iron fence at 1001 Avenida Del Circo. It paid $2,985 in annexation costs that included sewer and water fees.

It convinced the city to give it an extension on the requirement to connect to the utilities system.

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NEW: Venice law firm spars with city over utility connection

For Cowpower, green and local energy is only a field away.

In one year, the manure from a single cow could produce more than 1,700 kilowatt hours of electricity.

Matt Dickson has a plan. A plan that, while still in its beginning stages (and not without its hiccups), has the potential to fuel a big change in local energy consumption. A plan that, if it comes to fruition, has the potential to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and produce additional income for local farms.

Dickson is the founder and manager of Cowpower, a renewable energy supplier that sells energy produced by local farmers to B.C. businesses, homes and events -- an operation made possible largely through the use of a single magic ingredient: manure.

The science of biogas

"The technology itself is called anaerobic digestion," Dickson explains. "Essentially, it's a waste-to-energy technology which takes manure from cows, and other food waste that would otherwise go to the landfill, or a wastewater treatment plant, and it converts that into a methane-rich gas. When that gas is pulled out of the system and burned in a clean-burning engine, it produces carbon-neutral electricity."

The process is remarkably simple: when heated to approximately 30 degrees C, and in the absence of oxygen, organic materials (such as manure, and other food waste products) are broken down by bacteria into biogas (mostly methane and carbon dioxide), which can be used to generate heat, electricity and fuels.

The materials remain in the digester for 21 to 30 days, at which time the gas is collected, leaving behind a "digestate" -- an odourless byproduct which is separated into solids and liquids. The liquids are used as fertilizer, and the solids can be kept as bedding material for livestock.

The system is almost entirely self-contained, and with the exception of wood, all organic material can be broken down for biogas production. Not only that, but the potential benefits are enormous: in one year, the manure from a single cow (approximately 40 tonnes) could realistically produce more than 1,700 kilowatt hours of electricity. A herd of 200 could produce nearly 350,000 kw/h -- or between $35,000 to $50,000 worth of electricity.

"I can't stress enough the benefits enough," Dickson says. "You install a wind turbine or a solar panel, and you'll get carbon-neutral energy. But when you have a digester, you're you're also looking at greenhouse gas reductions.... We're capturing that methane, and when you burn that methane, you convert it to carbon dioxide. It's a 23-1 difference in their warming potential."

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Local Biz Sees the Upside of Dung (in News)

ELLIJAY, GA - AWESOME low maintenance home with HUGE porches great view!
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PORCHES NEW SONG 1 @ Baby #39;s All Right Williamsburg 3/1/14
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Kitchen Remodeling, Bathroom Remodeling in Winchester CA 92596
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Bathroom Remodeling, Leander TX - 512-968-3149
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Santa Barbara | Bathroom Remodeling | Testimonial | Giani Construction | Tile Installer
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If youre one of the millions of Americans who have hunkered down over the past few years, saving instead of spending, making do with what you have rather than going after what you really want, now may be the time to rethink that position especially if youre tired of living with an old bathroom.

After the economic catastrophe, says Stephen Melman, the director of economic services for the National Association of Home Builders in Washington, D.C., a lot of remodeling was focused on repairs if theres a leak, fix it. That psychology has softened now, and people are starting to see what they actually need and going back to larger projects. Mortgage rates are staying low, Melman points out, and many people are refinancing not to get cash out of their homes but to lower their monthly payments. And with the extra money, some of them are sprucing up the place.

Bathrooms are a more manageable job than kitchens, says Sal Alfano, editorial director of Remodeling, a Washington, D.C.-based trade magazine for building professionals. But they have a big impact.

According to Remodelings Cost vs. Value Report for 2009-2010, a midrange bathroom renovation done in New England and priced at $17,018 can net you $11,677, or 69 percent of its cost, in added value to your home. An upscale project of $54,454 can give you a return of 62 percent of its cost.

So dont feel bad if you cant put up with cracked ceramic tiles or a rusty medicine cabinet for another minute. Its partly a rational decision to remodel and partly emotional, says Alfano. You can hold off on the rational stuff for awhile, but eventually the emotion takes over and you want to get it done.

So what will give you the best bang for your bathroom-reno buck? The experts to whom we spoke made two points again and again.

First, before remodeling an existing bath, consider adding a new one instead. In a 2006 analysis of HUD/Census Bureau American Housing Survey data, researcher Paul Emrath of the National Association of Home Builders figured that an extra half bath adds up to 12.5 percent to a homes value, and a second full bath as much as 20 percent. The greater the disparity between beds and baths, he says, the more there is to gain by adding another bath.

Though carving out another bathroom may seem impossible in an older home where space is at a premium, realtors agree that in a two-story house or condo its important to have, at minimum, one full bath on the bedroom floor and one half bath on the main living level. Otherwise its a huge negative, says Frank Celeste of Gibson Sothebys in Charlestown. I would suggest taking a closet for a half bath and throwing an armoire in the hallway. People use the lack of a half bath to negotiate the price down.

Second, if you do decide to remodel your existing bath, keep in mind that the room is increasingly being seen as an in-home spa, and luxury is the watchword. The bathroom is much more tied to ritual these days, says Robin Brenner, owner of Billie Brenner Ltd., which sells bathroom fixtures and fittings at the Boston Design Center. Its a place where you can relax for 10 minutes before running out to work, or unwind when you come home.

Replicating the spa experience at home takes space, of course, but if you have it or can steal some from a nearby closet or other spot there are several features that are increasingly seen as must-haves:

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Bath renovations that wow

ST MATTHEWS Church all in a lather over generosity of Albury construction company.

ST MATTHEWS Church is all in a lather over the generosity of an Albury construction company.

Zauners Construction is building a temporary shower block for the homeless at the back of the Kiewa Street church a project Father Peter Macleod-Miller said they had been trying to get off the ground for the past two years.

The construction company is working on the Albury Regional Art Gallery redevelopment and has taken over some of the churchs land to make way for their workspaces.

Were both just being good neighbours, its a bit like sharing cups of sugar over the fence, Father Macelod-Miller said.

Were helping them by giving them some land and theyve asked, can we do something for you?

The shower block will be a temporary structure but he hopes a more permanent solution would be found.

It comes just in time for the churchs harvest week, during which donations for the homeless be it food, clothing, sleeping gear or toiletries are collected.

It will culminate in a garage and car boot sale on Saturday at Adamshurst in David Street, from 8am to midday.

Entry is by gold coin donation with all proceeds to go to the St Matthews homeless appeal.

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Generosity showers down for homeless