ELK GROVE VILLAGE, Ill. (Sun-Times Media Wire) - More than a dozen people are displaced after soldering work sparked a fire that spread through the walls of an Elk Grove Village apartment building Tuesday night.

The fire started about 5:30 p.m. in the walls of a first-floor unit in the apartment complex in the 900 block of Ridge Square, Elk Grove Village Fire Chief Richard Mikel said. Workers had been doing soldering work when materials inside the walls ignited.

I had been home for about 45 minutes. There were some construction workers working on the unit next door and all of a sudden I heard them yell, Fire,' said Amanda Fairchild, who evacuated safely with her dog, Smelly.

The flames quickly spread up through the walls of the first, second and third floors but firefighters stopped the fire from reaching the attic, Mikel said.

Crews from several nearby departments responded to the extra-alarm fire, officials said.

No one was hurt, but between 15 and 20 people are displaced, Mikel said. The Red Cross is helping them find a place to stay.

An estimate of the damage was not yet available Tuesday evening.

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Several displaced after fire at Elk Grove Village apartment complex

Present at Emerald Heights' Trailside opening ceremony were: (left to right, left side) John Waltner, Julien Loh, Bill DeJarlais, Redmond City Council member Hank Myers, Julie Lawton, Ted Bell, Leah Diehl and Daphne Schneider. (Left to right, right side) Danna VanHorn, Lisa Hardy, Marion Northrop, Julie Lawton, Curtis Northrop (first depositor at Trailside), Mike Miller and Redmond City Council member Byron Shutz.

image credit: Courtesy photo

Redmond's Emerald Heights, a Type A continuing-care retirement community with amenity-rich offerings, officially opened the doors to its newest apartment complex, Trailside, a 43-unit independent living apartment building.

At the Sept. 24 opening ceremony, more than 250 community members celebrated the last piece of the $60 million campus expansion and one of the final phases of the Emerald Heights master plan. The community broke ground on the apartment building in June of last year.

During the ceremony, current residents welcomed Trailside residents as they entered the finished building for the first time. Ted Bell, vice chair of the Resident Council Association, encouraged new residents to take advantage of everything Emerald Heights has to offer.

Trailside is your new home and we welcome you to experience all we enjoy as residents of Emerald Heights," he said.

Current, new and potential residents attended the ceremony, in addition to the construction project team and representatives from the Redmond City Council, including Byron Shutz and Hank Myers, along with representatives from the office of Congresswoman Suzan DelBene.

Lisa Hardy, president and CEO of Emerald Communities that sponsors Emerald Heights, thanked current residents for their patience during the construction process.

We sincerely appreciate your graciousness throughout this project. Today, we celebrate a return to life without major construction as we open Trailside," she said.

Emerald Heights provides millions of dollars in economic impact to Redmond annually in employee salaries including taxes and benefits, vendor services, health-care supplies and the construction of new amenities including the completion of Trailside project.

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Emerald Heights opens doors to new Trailside Apartments building

Grape Vine Covered Patios and Car Ports
The use of grape vines to cover car ports, and balconies in Budva is spectacular. To write comments that Andy reads go here: http://www.hobotraveler.com/vide...

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Grape Vine Covered Patios and Car Ports - Video

Random Killing - Patios and Beer, live @ Hard Luck Bar in Toronto. Sept 27,14
Random Killing - Patios and Beer, live @ Hard Luck Bar in Toronto. Sept 27,14. Opening for Dayglo Abortions.

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Random Killing - Patios and Beer, live @ Hard Luck Bar in Toronto. Sept 27,14 - Video

AKM-GSI

Green is certainly a power color among the celebrity set. It's the shade of healthy morning juices, lush outdoor patios, avocado mud masks and all of the healthiest vegetables.

Apparently Rita Ora loves those leaf-colored things so much that she decided to dress like one! Given the shade, we think the "R.I.P." singer was going for a kale/spinach mixture, but we're not so sure.

VIDEO: Hear what the divine Miss Ora has to say about becoming a pop icon!

Monochromatic looks aren't a fashion fail on their own, but they are if the color is atrocious. Imagine this pants and top combo in black, white, or even a tasteful maroonand it's perfectly fine. There's the boyfriend's high school football jersey effect given the mesh-like top, but we could easily excuse that style.

Instead this British beauty looks like the love child of the Jolly Green Giant and Kermit the Frog. And in the case of this color choice, it is not easy being green.

PHOTOS: Check out more of Rita Ora's chronic style flip-flopping!

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Rita Ora: String Bean, Asparagus or Cold-Pressed Green Juice? See the Crazy Green Look!

WHEN thinking about the burning issue of water conservation, a little divine inspiration may be useful.

The students of Building Services Engineering at Waterford Institute of Technology began the new term with a visit to Longford Cathedral, which is under reconstruction after a devastating fire in 2009.

But while most visitors admire the exterior, some of the most impressive aspects of the job are out of sight like the rainwater harvesting system that will use the water freely supplied by the heavens to flush toilets and supply other areas where treated water is unnecessary.

The big issue with water supply in our buildings commercial and domestic is that the water has been chemically treated to make sure its fit for human consumption, but yet we waste it by using it in the toilet or on the garden or washing the car, says course leader Tom OBrien.

With a rainwater harvesting system, the rainwater is collected and diverted through a filtration system and then up to a pump that feeds it into the toilets. In the average house, about a third of waster use is in toilets, so it makes sense.

And its not just to the clouds we should be looking our sinks, showers, and baths are another ready source of reusable water.

We dont use this grey water very much here. In the UK they would use it more and a typical application would be again flushing toilets, washing cars, watering the garden. It needs filtering but itsessentially clean water, and so long as it doesnt go into the drinking water, its OK to reuse.

This kind of system isnt particularly new and its not rocket science, but if you dont need it by regulation or by being affected in your pocket, most people dont do it. The result is its a little bit expensive but the more theres a demand for it, the more price will come down.

Such systems best suit new builds, and although its possible to retrofit an existing house, the reality is most householders will be looking to more modest modifications to help them save on their water bills.

First, says Tom, get to know your loo. If your toilets were installed after 2001, its likely you have a conservation-conscious six litre cistern, although even that could be made more efficient by converting it to a dual flush system allowing a choice between a full flush and a three-four litre flush, enough to wash away number ones and probably many number twos too.

Link:
Some helpful tips to easily reduce your water charges

Potomac, MD (PRWEB) September 30, 2014

Hopkins & Porter Construction, Inc, a full service home improvement and construction firm based in Potomac, is pleased to announce the completion of one of its most challenging projects this year. A client in Garrett Park approached Hopkins & Porter Construction, Inc with the task of doubling the size of her home. That task was something that Guy Semmes, President of Hopkins & Porter Construction, Inc, felt his company could handle without issue, given the firm's 37 years of experience.

As the project progressed, it became clear that the home's zoning would not allow Hopkins & Porter Construction, Inc to complete the project without getting creative. To get around this zoning restriction that involved an easement on the property reserved for the town of Garrett Park to build a bridge that was never completed, the Hopkins & Porter Construction, Inc team came up with the solution of building a new hidden entrance for the home, kept private by planters and covered storage. The entrance opens into a foyer that leads to the home's new kitchen.

Without the workaround, Hopkins & Porter Construction, Inc would have had to request a variance to go outside of the property's zoning setback, under municipality rules. A response to the variance request could have taken anywhere from six to seven months, with no guarantee that the it would be approved.

Hopkins & Porter Construction, Inc's solution is one which the company's president is extremely proud of.

"This creative solution to our client's zoning issue allowed us to accomplish a number of things. The big thing is we got the job done in a more timely fashion and left her feeling satisfied," Semmes says.

"Beyond avoiding what would have been a lengthy zoning issue, we preserved the view of he house from the street. This home is one of the original Chevy homes. During the Depression the builder put a Chevy in each garage to make the home more attractive to potential buyers. We wanted to preserve the garage, and by going with this option, we were able to do that. Both our client and my team are thrilled with the outcome."

About Hopkins & Porter Construction, Inc Hopkins & Porter Construction, Inc builds custom homes, additions and renovations throughout the Maryland, Northern Virginia, and Washington, DC areas. Their team of experienced architects create quality living spaces for affordable prices. To learn more, visit http://www.hopkinsandporter.com.

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Hopkins & Porter Construction, Inc Uses Creative Solution to Solve Garrett Park Zoning Conundrum

An auto shop along West Washington Street in Bradford is expanding after growing business demand over last three to five years.

The approximately four-month project got underway in August on a larger collision repair facility for Dexters Service Center, which has been in business since the 1980s.

Owner Al Dexter said that enhancing the facility will help employees do a more efficient job of repairing vehicles. The 40-by-110-square-foot addition will also be more efficient for technicians, he said.

Its just going to help us all around do a better job, he said.

At this point, the collision part of the garage can comfortably hold four to six vehicles, Dexter said. The expansion will be able to hold eight to 12 vehicles, Dexter said.

The expansion will streamline operations where two or three vehicles wont have to be moved in order to get one out, he said.

Besides more space to work on vehicles, there will be a new paint booth.

He said that Dexters Service Center keeps busy year-round handling collision repairs on newer vehicles, from incidents such as someone hitting a deer.

Collision and service go hand in hand, Dexter said.

Dexter said the expansion has been in the planning stages for about a year. Kessel Construction Inc. of Bradford should be completed with the expansion by the end of November. The addition should be fully operational by mid-December, Dexter said.

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Dexters expanding service center

Polish Your Outdoor Flooring Installation To Perfection
http://www.DecorativeConcreteOrlando.com (407) 423-3342 Sun Surfaces of Orlando uses Sundek Classic Texture, an acrylic cement coating, on all of the surface...

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Polish Your Outdoor Flooring Installation To Perfection - Video

Video Vacancy: Part III Architects Senior Architects, Birmingham
Video Vacancy: Part III Architects Senior Architects, Birmingham http://www.threcruit.co.uk Taylor Herrick Recruitment are Specialist Recruiters for the Architecture and House Building Industry,...

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Video Vacancy: Part III Architects & Senior Architects, Birmingham - Video