By Tara OConnor, BBC Local Democracy Correspondent

Plans to sell off a house in Thornton Heaths Grangewood Park have been scrapped by Croydon council.

After Christmas local people were shocked to see a public notice from the council outlining plans to dispose of a strip of land in the park as part of plans to auction off the dilapidated former park keepers cottage known as Heath Lodge.

In the past week, more than 2,000 people have signed a petition calling on the council not to sell the 195sq m strip of land.

But on Monday, a Croydon council spokesman said that strong public opposition was the reason it has decided not to sell the building or land.

Public consultation on the proposal was due to close on January 13.

The spokesman said: The council wanted to see the dilapidated former Grangewood Park keepers cottage and garden restored and reused as a family home, which is why we asked for public feedback on draft proposals to sell this home to a private owner.

Although this proposal is about restoration, not redevelopment, we have heard from many local people who oppose this plan.

As a result, we have decided this property will no longer be sold into private ownership, and instead Croydon councils elected members and officers will work with local people over the coming months to find a viable solution the community supports.

Councillor Karen Jewitt said she was delighted with the news.

Along with fellow Thornton Heath councillors Pat Clouder and Callton Young, she objected to the strip of land being disposed of.

She said: The work behind the scenes paid off. We listened and took on board what the residents were saying and we are really pleased that the council has listened.

As for the future of the building, Cllr Jewitt said that there will be discussions with residents about what they want to see happen.

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2000 sign petition which reverses decision to sell off house in Thornton Heath's Grange Park - London News Online

For one of my most recent orders from Amazon, the delivery driver dropped off the package on my doorstep like normal but then Amazon followed up by sending an email, which included a photo taken of the package sitting right there in front of my door once it had been dropped off. The photo was obviously taken by the driver and, if you ask me, seems to be sort of a poor mans response to all the porch piracy thats on the rise. As if Amazon is basically saying, okay, there you go. If its not there when you get home, sorry pal it wasnt us.

People swiping unattended packages from porches and doorsteps is certainly not a new phenomenon and something thats probably to be expected with the explosion in e-commerce. Its starting to lead to some pretty wild solutions to deter those porch pirates, however, such as this one we told you about involving a glitter bomb booby-trap. And on the less dramatic front, Yale Home has introduced a new smart delivery box thats meant for your front doorstep that can be weighted down, locked and represents a pretty simple way to keep your packages safe until you can get there to retrieve them.

The box, according to the company, allows customers to receive packages and perishables deliveries (e.g. food, wine, cosmetics, medicine) securely and conveniently and is meant to address the reality that almost 40% of American households say theyve experienced some kind of porch pirate-related package theft.

The company says the box will launch this spring and will be available at ShopYaleHome.com and major retailers. The box will cost $229 by itself, or $278 with an accompanying Wi-Fi Bridge that makes remote management of the box possible.

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This smart delivery box to ward off porch pirates is a nice idea in theory - BGR

(CNN) The thief who stole a box containing a wedding album off a Wisconsin womans porch had a change of heart.

For two months, the woman waited for the books full of professional photographs from her Dominican Republic wedding. But after a delivery man dropped them off, a porch pirate snatched them.

The theft was caught on the homes surveillance camera.

He walks up with a box, he knocks. No one answers, and he just leaves with my photo albums, which has no value to him. Its no one we know, said Aymee Blancovitch.

Blancovitchs husband posted the mans photo to social media in hopes someone would recognize him. But the man returned the books.

I dont know why or who or what. You know, there was no reason, Blancovitch said. But if hed drop them off, God bless you. Thank you so much.

Blancovitch said the man threw the books back on the porch and then ran to a car waiting for him around the corner.

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Home > > Looking to thwart porch pirates? There's an app for that

January 3, 2020

Startup launches service that connects online shoppers with neighbors who can accept packages on their behalf.

By DC Velocity Staff

Thanks to the e-commerce explosion, some 13 billion packages moved through the U.S. last year, piling up on porches and doorsteps from coast to coast. Most of those boxes were delivered without incident, but an estimated 0.2%totaling 26 millionwere stolen by "porch pirates" who swiped the goods before the rightful owner could claim them.

But what if a trusted neighbor could accept the parcel in the recipient's absence? That's the model being pitched by New York-based startup Pickups Technologies, which has created an app that connects online shoppers with a crowd-sourced network of neighbors who can accept packages on their behalf. To use the service, shoppers simply choose the "Ship to Pickups" address option during checkout, and Pickups Technologies takes care of the rest, the firm says.

Now available in the Williamsburg section of New York City's Brooklyn borough, the platform targets the estimated 90,000 packages that are stolen in New York City every day. But the benefits go beyond simply eliminating the headaches assciated with package theft, according to Pickups Technologies Founder and CEO Gabriel Cepeda. It also gives the growing workforce of freelancers and remote employees an opportunity to monetize their time at home by receiving packages and getting paid for every package held, he says.

You can learn more or sign up for the service here.

After you comment, click Post. If you're not already logged in, you will be asked to log in or register.

Feedback: What did you think of this article? We'd like to hear from you. DC VELOCITY is committed to accuracy and clarity in the delivery of important and useful logistics and supply chain news and information. If you find anything in DC VELOCITY you feel is inaccurate or warrants further explanation, please ?Subject=Feedback - : Looking to thwart porch pirates? There's an app for that">contact Chief Editor David Maloney. All comments are eligible for publication in the letters section of DC VELOCITY magazine. Please include you name and the name of the company or organization your work for.

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Looking to thwart porch pirates? There's an app for that - DC Velocity

By Pat Johnson | Jan 08, 2020

Tuckerton, NJ Harmonies of blue grass, country and old-time music fill the air of the Tuckerton Seaports Hunting Shanty the first Sunday of every month when the Pickin on the Porch program takes the stage. Local musicians Linda and Bill Salmons created the program, part of the Seaports Folklife Center, 15 years ago. Most recently, after Bill suffered a stroke, Linda has been the sole force behind it. Musicians come from all over, she said. We have musicians who come regularly from as far away as Fortesque on the Delaware and Pennsylvania.

The venue not only draws professional musicianssuch asslide-guitarist Paul Unkert, fiddle player Chris Norden and banjo player Mark Urban (who lives just down the road), but also is awelcoming place for aspiring newcomers. Were a welcoming place, said Salmons. This is a no-judgment zone.

The musicians gather in a circle on folding chairs and do a round-robin, each one picking a popular tune theyd like to play, telling what key its in and, like as not, the rest of them play along. As the tune progresses, the protocol is for the leader to give a nod to the player they want to do a short solo; then the banjo plays a lick, or the slide guitar or the fiddle or bass player. It all goes smoothly, more or less. Singing is always welcome, and the audience is included. To end the song, the leader merely lifts his or her foot.

Pickin on the Porch started on the porch of the Tuckers Island Lighthouse, hence the name, but in the colder months, its good to huddle in the Hunting Shanty, where there is always a pot of coffee brewing. The informal jam session happens the first Sunday ofeach month at noon except in September, when the musicians go to the Delaware Valley Blue Grass Festival held in Woodstown.

The end of this month, most of the musicians will be traveling to the Wilmington Winter Blue Grass Festival held in Wilmington, Del. At least that was the scuttlebuttamong the regulars this past Sunday. Other topics of conversation included introducing a new guitar player to the need to change her strings more than once every two years and introducing her to guitarist Paul Unkert, who is also a luthier a maker and repairer of guitars from Toms River.

Salmons, a Tuckerton area native, has been singing and playing guitar since she was a kid, about10 years old. We all start somewhere, she said. Though the music is mostly bluegrass, country or old-time songs, sometimes the vibe goes bluesy, or there may be some doo-wop, classic Tin Pan Alley or swing. It all depends on whos there,. Its fun, said Salmons. Music is where all my friends are.

Pat Johnson

patjohnson@thesandpaper.net

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Pickin' on the Porch at the Tuckerton Seaport - By Pat Johnson - The SandPaper

A wet room may sound mysterious and potentially freaky, but it's actually quite simple and exactly what it sounds like: a bathroom wherein everything is optimized to thrive in a wet environment. "A lot of homeowners are doing away with the door completely. This is part of the wet room trend. Thats a bathroom where all or most of the surfaces are intended to get wet. Its a very space-efficient strategy, since it allows you to cram more functionalityopen shower, tub, toilet, vanityinto the same amount of space," explains Dan DiClerico, Dan DiClerico, home expert for HomeAdvisor.

Some wet rooms are outfitted from floor to ceiling with water-friendly materials while others are a more flexible interpretations of a wet room. In some cases, a designer will choose to divide the bathroom into dry and wet sections, just like a baker would. So in one area, you'll find the toilet and sink and then the bathtub and shower in another zone. They can be separated by a glass door or half partition, but wide open curtain-free wet rooms are gaining popularity.

The key is that the floors and walls are sealed properly in the splashing zones and that there is proper drainage, preferably in the center of the room. This is a good alternative for those who don't want to fully commit or appreciate some softer, water-averse materials incorporated into the design.

Whether you go all out or take the section-by-section approach, wet rooms seem like a practical thing to consider during a bathroom renovation since choosing materials that are resilient in wet conditions means the space will wear better. This is a bathroom, after all. But there are a few deterrents. For example, your bathroom has to be equipped with plumbing be the right size to accomodate a wet room.

Interior designer Jean Stoffer describers one project to House Beautiful, saying the client's "daughters needed to have both a shower and a tub so the layout worked perfectly to include a wet room, which had both" in the same area. Visually, it creates continuity and flow.

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DENVER, Jan. 8, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- HomeAdvisor's Chief Economist Mischa Fisher and HomeAdvisor's Home Expert Dan DiClerico will be leading talks as a part of the "Voices from the Industry Conference" at the upcoming 2020 Kitchen and Bath Industry Show (KBIS) held in Las Vegas.

Fisher's panel,"Labor Force Shortages & The Skills Gap," will cover the latest research on labor market dynamics, how public policy is impacting the overall issue, and show hands on new strategies for recruiting the best new talent and maintaining a competitive edge. DiClerico's panel, "Top 10 Trends in Residential Housing," will be offering a unique perspective on remodeling and design, standing at the intersection of the homeowner and the home service professional. In this talk on housing trends, he'll share insights from these two groupspros and consumersdrawing on data from HomeAdvisor surveys and cost reports, along with other industry sources.

HomeAdvisor's Chief Economist, Mischa Fisher "Labor Force Shortages & The Skills Gap"WHEN:Tuesday, January 21, 2020 from 10:30 AM - 11:30 AM WHERE:Las Vegas Convention Center Room N229

HomeAdvisor's Home Expert, Dan DiClerico "Top 10 Trends in Residential Housing" WHEN:Wednesday, January 22, 2020 from 9:00 AM - 10:00 AM WHERE:Las Vegas Convention Center Room N223

About Mischa Fisher Mischa Fisher is the Chief Economist for HomeAdvisor and ANGI Homeservices. Prior to assuming the role of Chief Economist with HomeAdvisor, Mr. Fisher was Chief Economist at the State of Illinois where he served as the economic policy advisor to the Governor while overseeing the state agencies responsible for workforce, housing, and professional licensing.

In that role, Mr. Fisher designed many of the state's efforts to compassionately improve capital and labor market liquidity while working on issues surrounding marketplace platforms, job mobility, and residential investment.

He is an instructor in quantitative analysis at Northwestern University SESP and was formerly a deputy director of the Illinois Department of Commerce and a legislative director in the United States Congress in Washington, D.C.

About Dan DiClerico Dan DiClerico is an experienced speaker and thought leader in the real estate, remodeling and home product space. DiClerico joined HomeAdvisor in 2017 as the company's smart home strategist, overseeing all content related to smart homes and the internet of things.

Prior to joining HomeAdvisor, DiClerico was the senior home editor of Consumer Reports, where he produced award-winning content on real estate, remodeling and other topics. He was also the senior associate editor of Martha Stewart Living and the associate editor of This Old House. DiClerico is a versatile spokesperson who has been featured on CBS This Morning, Fox News, The Today Show and Wall Street Journal Live. DiClerico has also written and contributed to numerous books, including "The Just Right Home" (Workman, 2013), which he co-authored with Marianne Cusato.

Direct all speaking requests for Dan DiClerico and Mischa Fisher to the HomeAdvisor public relations team at publicrelations@homeadvisor.com.

View original content:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/homeadvisors-chief-economist-and-home-expert-to-speak-at-the-2020-kitchen-and-bath-industry-show-voices-from-the-industry-conference-300983171.html

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Hillman Librarys renovations are aimed for completion by 2023.

Thomas Yang | Assistant Visual Editor

Hillman Librarys renovations are aimed for completion by 2023.

Thomas Yang | Assistant Visual Editor

Thomas Yang | Assistant Visual Editor

Hillman Librarys renovations are aimed for completion by 2023.

Some students had difficulty finding an open study spot in Hillman Library during finals week this year, including Rachel Gillmer, a first-year nursing major. Gillmer said she wishes the third floor would have been open during this particularly hectic point in the semester.

During finals, I wish the third floor was opened because I feel like more kids could get a spot [in Hillman], Gillmer said. The other morning I had to go searching all over campus for a place to study.

While the third floor remodel is expected to be completed soon, Gilmer and other underclassmen will still have to wait a couple years for construction to finish before the entire library is open to students. Pitt plans to remodel the second floor after the third floor opens, followed by the first and ground floors. Fourth floor renovations were completed in fall 2018. The renovations are targeted to be finished entirely by 2023. Jeff Wisniewski, the director of communications and web services for the University Library System said this schedule is in keeping with the Universitys five-year plan of closing and remodeling one floor per year.

We are trying to do a floor a year, Wisniewski said. So, our best estimate at this point is that [the third floor] will open sometime in the spring before students leave for summer break.

The third floor will be home to new tech-savvy amenities including a 20-foot-long interactive digital wall similar to the one located in the Global Hub in Posvar Hall and a room Wisniewski said Pitt is unofficially calling the text and context lab. The lab will include equipment for bookbinding, papermaking and letterpressing. Archives and Special Collections will also be moved to the Forbes Avenue side and will feature a reading room, classroom and exhibition area. Wisniewski said these additions mark Hillmans emphasis on technology-based learning.

The idea is that its a space where people can interact with text in many different formats including text and digital, Wisniewski said. We can take a building that was built before the digital era and update the space to reflect what a modern library can and should be.

New technology is also anticipated to be added on the ground floor, including more audio and visual production spaces and a Pitt Information Technology computer lab. This is on top of a more centrally located information desk. Carrie Donovan, the head of public services for Hillman Library who oversees 35 librarians and the employees at the service desk, said this new information desk will help students be more independent when conducting research in the library.

Were really hoping that all of our services will be connected organically through the spaces, so that when you come into the library its barrier-free in the sense that its kind of intuitive where things are located, Donovan said. We want to empower students to be independent and confident in their research and academic pursuits while being here to help as needed.

At the end of the project, the bathrooms, elevators and stairwells will also be renovated. Wisniewski said waiting until the end of the remodel instead of updating them floor by floor makes the most sense from a construction perspective.

Even though the fourth floor has been renovated, the bathrooms havent. That will be at the end of the project, but it is happening, Wisniewski said. Its the most time- and cost-effective to do the entire core at the same time.

The total cost of these projects is unknown. Daniel Marcinko, the assistant vice chancellor for administration and design at Pitts Facilities Management office said he cant disclose the projected cost of the remodel.

We are still very much in construction on phase two of the project and are just getting started on design of phase three which will be floors one and two, Marcinko said. Therefore, we are unable to provide the cost and projected cost information you are requesting at this time.

While Hillman Library pivots to a digital format, data shows students might not be entirely on board. A 2015 study reported by the American Psychological Association found that 92% of students surveyed preferred physical text over electronic versions. A 2016 study conducted at Duke University also found that while a majority of students prioritize the need for technical help and delivery of books, a much smaller minority find data visualization and writing studios important.

Students at Pitt have said they would like more basic additions to the library. Gillmer said she would like more whiteboard rooms and group study spaces because she feels like they are so effective and there isnt enough of them. Peter Lovecchio, a law student, said he would like new tables on the ground floor and outlets on the tables similar to those at University of Illinois, where he attended undergraduate school.

The same students enjoy the fourth floor remodel. While Lovecchio said he doesnt study on the fourth floor because he prefers a louder environment, Gillmer said she prefers the fourth floors new look and believes it has helped her studying.

I really like the fourth floor. I think its a great space for students to focus on their work. Its nice and quiet, and I like the lighting, Gillmer said. I feel like when I come down [to the ground floor], its a lot more of a social environment, but upstairs I have to be more focused.

Wisniewski said he hopes the excitement students feel about the fourth floor will continue throughout the entirety of the remodel.

What were looking at is creating more spaces for people study space, collaboration space, creation space, Wisniewski said. We want to make the library a hub on campus for creation and collaboration and study.

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Hillman remodel to finish by 2023 - University of Pittsburgh The Pitt News

Flash back to 2016: Every surface of my kitchen fridge was hidden somewhere under stacks of jars and berries and citrus and syrups and teetering bottles. I was a few months from the recipe testing deadline for my latest cocktail book, and the fridge was so full of experiments that every time I tried to buy actual food for dinner, there was nowhere to shove it. The fridge door needed, no joke, a lean of the hip to stay sealed.

A final fateful packet of blueberries tumbled onto my head one morning while I packed a lunch, and thats when I decided. Wed remodel the kitchen. Better yet, wed move. Anything for a bigger fridge.

My husband stepped in. We could solve this problem with thousands of dollars in remodeling or a million dollars in San Francisco real estate, he said (too) calmly, (too) rationally. Or, we could buy the kind of mini fridge you had in your college dorm room. What do those things cost?

Not, it turns out, a million dollars. Even for a biggish one. And so we entered the (much happier) dorm fridge era of our lives and Ive never looked back.

A second fridge isnt an especially original move: All my friends moved to the suburbs and tucked a full-sized additional fridge into their basements or garages, stocking it with bricks of Costco cheese, beer, maybe an extra lasagna.

But my dorm fridge isnt tucked away in the basementhes front and center. And hes not for leftovers.

Early on, Dormie (can I call him Dormie?) served as the vessel for my recipe-testing supplies, but quickly he became a central part of how I entertain: hes a drink fridge.

Now, when we have people over, theyre not awkwardly pawing past my kids gallon-sized container of macaroni in search of a seltzer. Instead, Dormie lives in the dining room. Hes got a shelf of La Croix, a four-pack or two of local beer, a bottle of muscadet. He has a new brand of alcohol-free aperitif, a few open bottles of vermouth, and the fancy mineral water I like to serve if anyones having whiskey after dinner.

Help yourself to a drink! is not an empty gestureit takes a task off my hands as the host while Im cooking, and lets people feel free to choose drinks (alcoholic or non-) without any pressure one way or the other.

And since Dormie is about 3 feet from our dinner table, guests can refill as needed without getting an eyeful of all the dirty pots and pans in my kitchen. Or I can easily pull out more drinks to offer without taking any extra steps. Im reminded to hydrate during a cocktail party because Dormie displays all that fizzy, fizzy water.

Best of all, of course, I now know where my mustards and fish sauces and herbs are because theyre not stacked behind Sodastream bottles and cans of IPA.

At times, Dormie does just become an overflow fridge, but his separate nature is still helpful: Ill stash supplies for just one meal (all the ingredients for a big Saturday brunch, for example) and then easily be able to retrieve everything, even if my other fridge is filled to the gills with Saturdays dinner stuff.

Dont tell Dormie, but hes not especially cute. Ive enjoyed his flawless performance since 2016, but I do think that maybe hell conk out one day and Ill trade up for someone, I mean, something cooler. The curvy ones from Smeg are pricey, but now there are cute retro fridges made by Magic Chef, Galanz, and Frigidaire. With a dorm fridge that good-looking, who needs a garage?

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Im 38 Years Old, and I Love My Dorm Fridge - Yahoo Lifestyle

By Lisa Kopochinski

ABILENE, Kan.Construction continues on the new $15 million Dickinson County Jail and Courthouse project in Abilene, Kan., with most of the work being made underground at the present time.

According to an article in the Reflector-Chronicle, Dickinson County Administrator Brad Homman told commissioners in early December that storm drains have all been installed and are ready to be connected to the storm drain systems, and that contractors are working with sanitary sewer lines to get them underground and stubbed up.

The garage doors on the east side of the building have been removed. Contractors now are working to get a floor installed. The former garage space was used by the Sheriffs Department. When the new jail/courthouse remodeling project is finished the new space will be the location of the new commission meeting/conference room.

Homman said hes also working on preliminary plans to move courthouse offices out of the building when it comes time to remodel the existing courthouse.

Were continuing in conversation with the architect about square footage requirements when we relocate and what that will look like as we get closer to the approximate time.?

Homman also said, From day one, we had the jail at the $11 million mark, leaving $4 million for the courthouse renovation.

The jail project is slated for completion by November 2020. The courthouse remodel will begin after the new jail is built or nearly complete.

Loyd Builders is the construction manager, and Goldberg Group Architects (GGA) is the architect on this project that will be completed in two phases. SteelCell, Pauly Jail Building Company and Accurate Controls are also involved in this project.

It has taken approximately six years of planning and assessing the problem, two bond issues, hundreds of meetings and dealing with a myriad of details for construction to begin on this project, which County Commissioners approved in 2018.

The process certainly took a great deal of patience for all involved. Initially, county officials attempted to combine forces with the County seatAbilenebut to no avail. Years earlier, the Abilene Council had attempted unsuccessfully to win voter approval on a $6 million police station, but the Countys offer to include new police facilities within its courthouse renovations for $850,000 received little support from City voters.

The Countys first remonstrance vote failed by some 300 votes and it was back to the drawing board for the projects designer.

It was a really challenge to figure out how to make the project smaller and less expensive, while construction costs have been rising so fast, recalled Kevin Rost, senior project manager for GGA. It feels like any sort of delay just means you end up paying the same amountbut getting less project.

The original jail and courthouse were built in 1956. This project will include building a new jail and sheriffs department east of the current courthouse and renovating the existing courthouse, making it more energy efficient, replacing outdated, failing systems and updating electrical and other systems for todays usage.

The courthouse project includes a renovation of County Offices and Services, County Administration, Court Services, Emergency Management Services and 911/Dispatch.

The $11 million Law Enforcement Center addition will include a 64-bed jail, Sheriffs Office and Jail administration support and offices.

A groundbreaking ceremony was held in early August where Commission Chairman Lynn Peterson, said, This is an exciting day for Dickinson County. If you think of it, county government is certainly more than just a building. We have dedicated elected officials, department heads and employees who provide a service and work with citizens in the county on a daily basis.

County officials and others have long recognized the 63-year-old jail had issues, Peterson said. Not only were improvements needed, but also the facility itself needed to be updated to address changes in todays society.

He noted that while it is difficult to find the perfect time and solution to address any problem, avoiding taking action is not the answer.

While this project was recognized as a long time need, we thought it was very important for the county. That was something we didnt take lightly as county commissioners. We went before the voters and had a successful vote the second time.

Goldberg Group Architects President Larry Goldberg said its been a pleasure and a challenge to work on the jail. Alluding to the long process involved in bringing the project to fruition, he said, I feel like weve been here forever and its a source of joy for us to see this finally coming to be.

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