At 38, Eli Wilson has been a plumber half his life.

And hes been a business owner for four months.

In November, Wilson launched Total Plumbing and got busy in a hurry.

We hit the ground running, he said last week. Weve been working eight, 10, 12 hours a day. I never expected it to grow this fast. There are three of us now, but I plan on hiring two more plumbers and two laborers.

Wilson said, Just being honest and fair and having good customer service will get you a lot of good word of mouth.

He said, My brother started Total Plumbing in Denver. He invited me to come out there and work with him to see if I liked it. I really liked the work and the money.

When he moved back to Owensboro, Wilson said, I worked for a large commercial plumbing company for 16 years.

But Im a single parent, he said. And I have a 13-year-old daughter and I wanted to spend more time with her. I was getting up at 5 a.m to go to work and not getting home until 5:30 or 6 p.m. My mother had to come to my house at 5:10 a.m. to help get my daughter off to school and then she had to go to her own job. I couldnt keep asking her to do that.

Another factor in starting his own business, Wilson said, was Kentucky got rid of the prevailing wage. I went from making $35 an hour to making $23 an hour when that happened. Then, the work exploded because the labor was cheaper. We did school after school after school.

He said, I wanted to make more money and I wanted to pick my kid up from school. So, on Nov. 4 or 5, I went into business for myself.

Theres a shortage of licensed plumbers today, he said.

There arent too many kids getting into it, Wilson said. Theyre going out and borrowing thousands of dollars to go to college. Theres a huge demand for tradesmen. The average age of plumbers in Texas is 58. In Kentucky, its been 54 to 56. Think what its going to be like in 10 years.

Total Plumbing, named in honor of his brothers Denver company, has landed several real estate companies as clients.

And Wilson is busy getting the Brew Bridge Brewery at 800 W. Second St. ready to open.

Hes installing a manufactured floor drain system and a new gas line in the kitchen.

The floor drain system, which Wilson said he designed, keeps him from having to individually vent each trench drain from the tanks.

That saves the customer a lot of money in labor, he said.

Kentucky, Florida and New York have the toughest plumbing codes in the country, Wilson said.

Its hard to find a good licensed plumber, he said. But we have a good plumbing community here. If I cant get to a customer, I ask someone else to handle it for me and they do the same for me.

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Plumb Busy: Total Plumbing hit the ground running - messenger-inquirer

Talk about a company making a difference. Cellino Plumbing, Heating & Cooling has stepped up for their annual contest that will help make your non-profit almost $20,000!

You have until this Thursday, March 12, 2020!

Here is how you enter:Just go to Cellino Plumbing nominate your organization. There will be a Truck Wrap link on right on the home page that will link to all the details.

Call your friends, family, volunteers, social media following, and all your supporters in the community to help.

- 64 organizations with MOST VOTES will advance into the 2020 Truck Wrap Bracket.

They will be dividing nominations into 4 categories, based on their areas of focus.o Health & Wellnesso Animal Rescueso Community Improvemento & Miscellaneous, which includes any organizations supporting the arts, environment, education, etc.

All winners will be determined by WNY Votes, so get out there and support your organization!

Cellino Plumbing Heating and Cooling will meet with the Top 2 organizations, and decide on our 2020 winner!They will receive a custom designed Cellino Plumbing truck, wrapped with their logo, and their mission statement all over Western New York, as part of the Cellino Plumbing fleet.

AND the winning organization will get 5% of that trucks annual revenue for a whole year$20k - $30k in annual donations!

Remember, this contest is open to all Western New York non profit organizations! Get tocellinoplumbing.com/truckwrapfor everything you need to know about the 2020 Truck Wrap Contest!

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Win Over $20000 For Your WNY Non-Profit From Cellino Plumbing & HVAC - wyrk.com

One important characteristic to know about Mattioni Plumbing is their promise to grow and evolve. They pride themselves on their ability to innovate as they continue to offer customers the best and most efficient plumbing, heating, and cooling services. Mattioni Plumbing has made a promise to its customers to strive for growth and evolution as time progresses.

With this promise in mind, Mattioni Plumbing believed it was time to find a unique and inventive way to give back to the community. Shortly after learning about the Pennsylvania Sponsor A Highway Program, Mattioni Plumbing knew that funding litter-removal services along some of the busiest highways in Pennsylvania was the most innovative way to lend a hand to a broad demographic of commuters driving along the roads of Philadelphia.

According to Marketing Coordinator, Allison OShea, We chose to join the Pennsylvania Sponsor A Highway Program because we truly care about the community we serve and wanted a way to be able to give back. For this reason, the team is proud to lend a hand to the community by funding highway beautification services that keep drivers safe, while ensuring the highways continue looking pristine.

The Mattioni family started as farmers in the rural outskirts, just outside of Downington, Pennsylvania. In the mid-1900s, they began their newest family business venture known today as Mattioni plumbing. While their business model remains centered around the needs of both their customers and employees, they continue to grow and modernize to offer the best services.

For more information about Mattioni Plumbing visit: https://matplumbing.com/

For more information about the Pennsylvania Sponsor A Highway Program visit: http://www.adoptahighway.com

If you would like more information about this topic, or to schedule an interview, please contact Adopt A Highway Maintenance Corporation at 800-200-0003 or info@adoptahighway.com

About Adopt a Highway Maintenance Corporation

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Mattioni Plumbing, Heating & Cooling, Inc. and Sponsor A Highway Are Teaming Up to Keep the Highways of Pennsylvania Clean - PRUnderground

A Derbyshire man has been jailed for his part in a scam which took money off elderly residents.

John Stott, 38, of Corporation Road, Ilkeston, Derbyshire, was jailed for two years after he and his accomplices gloated and congratulated one another in WhatsApp group messages, which glorified their "rip-off" trickery.

Details emerged in Leicester Crown Court of how some shoddy workmanship was not completed and damage was deliberately caused to create extra work, reports LeicestershireLive.

Shocked and distressed victims were often left with inflated bills, up to 10 times the real value, that they could ill-afford to pay.

Some victims felt intimidated into handing over hundreds of thousands of pounds for simple and straightforward jobs.

Adam Pearson, prosecuting, said one customer who phoned to complain was told: "We know where you live."

The court heard that a 92-year-old woman with a leaking bath tap ended up paying out 3,245 for unnecessary work- without the problem being fixed.

It included the fitting of a new bath, which the engineer had said he had had to break in order to access pipes.

The leak was not in fact under the bath.

The parts cost less than 450."

WhatsApp conversations at the time showed members of staff found that episode amusing

One customer was charged 1,554 in April 2017, for work which wrongly included making holes in the ceiling and upstairs floor to access pipes after a leak.

Another customer was charged 1,295 for a job involving a part costing 17.47.

Other examples included a woman who found her downstairs toilet and shower room flooded and ended up paying 595 for a 30-minute job estimated by an expert at 168.

And a 74-year-old woman was charged 510 for a door lock service that involved a 21.99 part and should have cost 100,

Another householder, aged 70, was charged 250 for a minor job to fix a toilet, using a part that cost 7.29.

Mr Pearson, said: "This case relates to two separate but closely-linked companies offering so-called emergency plumbing services Faster Response Ltd and Prestige Property Solutions (Midlands) Ltd also known as Prestige Property Solutions (UK) Ltd.

"Both companies were based in Leicestershire, but operated nationwide, run dishonestly to defraud their often elderly customers.

"Prestige effectively took over the business of Faster Response, when it ceased trading having been exposed as a rogue operation by a BBC Watchdog Rogue Traders programme."

Company boss, Russell Canfield, 44, ran the fraud with employees Stott, Benjamin Molloy, 33, Richard Jones, 38, Leighton Costello, 27, and Zackary Morgan, 21.

Each admitted two charges of fraudulent trading, between 2016 and 2018.

Accountant, Stephen Rice, joined Prestige in August 2017 and was briefly finance director for the following two months.

He admitted one count of fraudulent trading.

The court heard that Canfield's business partner, Liam Cuffe, who admitted his part in the scam was killed in a car crash in December.

Canfield, Cuffe, Molloy and Stott were were said to each be closely involved in the running of the companies either as director, shadow director or senior manager at various times.

Jones, Costello and Morgan were employed as plumbers and or engineers, for both firms, attending the homes of consumers and carrying out works of those that were defrauded.

Leicestershire County Council trading standards department, which prosecuted the fraudsters, received more than 150 complaints from customers during their inquiry.

From the evidence obtained from consumers, certain common themes emerged.

The complainants in this case were often, but not exclusively, elderly people seeking plumbing or locksmiths services.

Despite being based in Leicestershire, the companies advertised in editions of the Yellow Pages for many areas of the UK, and obtained local telephone numbers which gave the impression that they were based in that area.

Typically, after having carried out the work, the engineer would make a telephone call, usually out of earshot of the consumer, before returning with an inflated price.

The consumer is therefore confronted with a fait accompli, feeling that they are left with no option but to pay the price.

On occasions where a challenge was made to the price, the engineer refused to leave until payment was made.

Extracts of group WhatsApp conversations between various of the defendants were recovered from mobile devices seized during searches.

Mr Pearson said: "The tenor of the messages shows a marked contempt for consumers, and an awareness of the nature of the business they were carrying out.

"They were bragging about what they charged for work carried out."

Some plumbers or engineers asked to do sub-contract work wanted no part of the scam.

One contractor told to charge a customer 1,000 said he no longer wanted to be associated with the company.

He told the "stressed" customer, who became so unwell he went to hospital, that he was being "robbed" by Prestige.

A text message from another sub-contractor to Cuffe set out his view clearly: Just go away I will never work for you again ... ripping old people off.

Judge Nicholas Dean QC said: "Canfield and Cuffe are at the top of the level of culpability, relative to the others.

He said: "The customers who contacted the company were provided with a service of sorts, usually resulting in them being charged very significantly over the odds for very modest work.

"They were charged about 10 times what would otherwise be the going rate.

"Customers weren't told in advance of the work being done or the cost, even if they asked they weren't told.

"Work was sometimes carried out unsuccessfully and other work created.

The judge said during the offending period there was a turnover in excess of one million pounds, of which at least 750,000 was fraudulent.

He estimated that only about 100,000 of the income related to legitimate work.

The judge said: "A large number of individuals were defrauded out of sums they could ill afford.

"Faster Response activities were featured in a television programme which would have alerted the defendants to the extent of their improper actions.

"But they continued to do it with some degree of relish and enthusiasm."

Judge Dean said Canfield played "a leading role" and accepted he was "at the top of the tree."

He added: "There's evidence he was bullying towards one or more of the employees, mainly regarding Molloy.

He said that along with now deceased Cuffe, Canfield was a "controlling influence" and the "instigator" of the fraud.

The judge said Molloy had been groomed and bullied to an extent and may have been "psychologically vulnerable."

He added: "But it doesn't explain why he didn't desist."

The judge said Stott played a similar role to Molloy, on a lesser basis.

Jones, Costello and Morgan were said to have been complicit "with some degree of relish" in "ripping off customers," but it was mainly done under instruction from Canfield, Molloy and Stott, said the judge.

Rice was briefly finance director of Prestige Property Solutions and played "a limited role."

The judge said: "Most of the defendants are of previous good character and to some extent it was an aberration albeit prolonged.

What was said in mitigation?

Defence counsel said some of the defendants were under financial pressure as sole providers for their families and all now regretted their actions.

Most had no previous convictions and had been carrying out orders under Cuffe and Canfield's directions.

Canfield accepted he had been motivated by "greed."

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Morgan, the youngest, had been in an apprenticeship at the time and was "naive."

It was "a shock" when he was featured on television.

It was pointed out that despite many complaints, clients of all ages responded to a trading standards survey saying they were happy with the work.

The prosecution did not dispute there were some satisfied customers.

Canfield of Groby, Leicestershire, was jailed three years and four months.

He was banned from holding a company directorship for seven years and now faces a proceeds of crime hearing where he could have any assets confiscated.

Molloy, of Laxton Close, Melton, was jailed for two years and three months.

Rice, of William Street, Nottingham, was given a 15 month jail sentence, suspended for two years, with 200 hours of unpaid work.

Jones, of Glen Park Avenue, Glenfield, Morgan, of Borrowcup Close, Countesthorpe, Leicestershire, and Costello, of Cort Crescent, Braunstone, Leicester, each received 15 month jail sentences, suspended for two years, with 200 hours of unpaid work.

Gary Connors, head of the county council's regulatory services, said afterwards: "These defendants all had their part to play in an emergency call out business which was set up from the outset to extract substantial sums of money, primarily from the elderly and vulnerable.

"A widespread and despicable fraud perpetrated across the country, despite previous undertakings given to trading standards to trade fairly and a subsequent expose on BBC Watchdog.

"The top down culture was about exploiting the 'call out' scenario to extract the maximum payment from victims, regardless of the true cost or necessity for a repair.

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Plumbers conned the elderly out of money and bragged about it on WhatsApp - Derbyshire Live

TEMPE, Ariz., March 4, 2020 /PRNewswire/ --A new study from the market research team at Zion & Zion, a top-ranked, full-service, national marketing agency, investigates how a consumer's age and income affect their satisfaction with plumbing service-arrival window lengthsi.e., having been quoted a one-hour window for arrival of a plumber vs. a two-hour window, three-hour window or four-hour window.

The Zion & Zion study reveals important findings for plumbing companies and home-service companies in general:

The full research report is available here: How Plumbing Service Wait-Time Satisfaction is Affected by Age and Income

This Zion & Zion research study was based on a nationwide survey of 1,044 adult homeowners ages 25 and older. Authors of the study are Aric Zion, MS; Nicole Ellis; and Thomas Hollmann, MBA, PhD.

About Zion & ZionBased in Tempe, Ariz., Zion & Zion is a full-service national marketing firm specializing in marketing strategy, advertising, public relations, social media and interactive services. The work of the Zion & Zion team includes local, national and international brands, including Aristocrat Technologies, ARS/Rescue Rooter, Bank 34, Barro's Pizza, BD (Becton Dickinson), Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Casino Del Sol, Phoenix Raceway, Phoenix Suns, Sun Health, University of Arizona and Walmart. Learn more at http://www.zionandzion.com, follow @ZIONandZION on Twitter, follow Zion & Zion on LinkedIn, and like ZIONandZIONAgencyon Facebook.

View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/zion--zion-study-investigates-how-plumbing-service-wait-time-satisfaction-is-affected-by-age-and-income-301016120.html

SOURCE Zion & Zion

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Zion & Zion Study Investigates How Plumbing Service Wait-Time Satisfaction is Affected by Age and Income - Benzinga

Written by Pratap Bhanu Mehta | Updated: March 10, 2020 9:18:15 am The anti-CAA movement was poignant in its use of a new constitutional language to resist the evisceration of citizenship.

Analytically, we have to admit that the anti-CAA protests have, for the moment, reached a strategic dead end. Many protestors, especially in Shaheen Bagh, have displayed the Gandhian virtues of courage and steadfastness. The protests politicised new constituencies, including women and students, and provided the glimmer that the republic would not topple over. But the protests risked running up against three dominant narratives of our contemporary moment: Communalism, authoritarianism and elite cohesion. These narratives have, for now, trapped the movement into being a curiosity at best, a pretext at worst. The movement revealed more about contemporary India, than it has succeeded at resistance.

The anti-CAA movement was poignant in its use of a new constitutional language to resist the evisceration of citizenship. It held on to that language despite grave provocation from the state, and a despairing lack of support from independent institutions. But the ruling dispensation was keen to portray it as a communal movement. It portrayed it as a velvet glove in which the iron fist of jihad was cloaked. If one moves out of our echo chambers, it must be admitted that this narrative succeeded to a shocking degree. The ruling dispensation will accelerate this narrative in coming days. The second was the violence in Delhi, which, even more than the violence in UP, allowed the communal shadow to hang over the movement.

For the ruling dispensation, the movement, and the riots that accompanied Donald Trumps visit, were part of a single plot to defame India. People often wonder why the rioting took place to coincide with Trumps visit. Was it an accident? Whose political purposes did it serve? We can speculate on that question. But, for the ruling party and its affiliates, the timing of the riots served as exactly the grist they needed for their propaganda mills. Judging by the tone of publications like Organiser, and sections of the Hindi media, the riots served the function of delegitimising the movement as a force that will stop at nothing, including embarrassing India. The violence allowed them to claim that all constitutional protest ends in a communal dnouement.

Opinion | Harsh Mander writes: Protests are not just against the CAA-NRIC-NPR trinity, but have already succeeded in numerous ways

There are reasons why the foisting of the communal narrative around the anti-CAA protests has gained the upper hand. Communal propaganda now so seamlessly works within democratic institutions, mass media and social media. It has become so second nature and ubiquitous, disseminated through so many respectable channels of information, that they have become almost normal political reactions. In this new information order, the asymmetry between truth and doubt works against any movement of resistance, since all you have to do is cast doubt on it. The constitutional subjectivity that is being formed in the protest is running up against our diminishing ability to think from the standpoint of someone else, particularly those who might be made vulnerable.

Orwell once said, one defeats the fanatic precisely by not being a fanatic oneself. This was sage advice. But it underestimated the fact that under certain conditions, the success of communal propaganda is that it is already overdetermined who is a fanatic: The minority and the civic resister were already constructed as such. Under such circumstances, some citizens struggle to claim the civic standing to be heard, even when they are making demands that can easily be addressed.

Editorial |It is not the protests that threaten to divide, their demonisation does that

If the movement became an occasion to deepen communalism, it also becomes the pretext for deepening authoritarianism. For those whom the government could not tar with the brush of communalism, it took out the card of anarchism. In some ways, the fact that someone like Harsh Mander has to be in the dock for advocating constitutional protest is the ultimate parody of Indian democracy. The idea of peaceful political and civic mobilisation has become anathema to the new dispensation. If equal citizenship is communalism in disguise, sparks of peaceful mobilisation are anarchism in disguise.

The authoritarian repression of anarchism will come in three different forms. It has become the pretext for the kind of indiscriminate repression being unleashed in states like UP. It is also increasingly manifest in the Supreme Courts approach to governance. The Court has become the custodian of the rule by law, not the rule of law. The third form in which repression will come is the ruling partys core constituencys demand: That one of the reasons India is not doing well is that the government has been too soft on its critics. The fact of visible resistance or criticism of government is taken as a sign of weakness, not of the strength of Indian democracy. The political climate has now been created for further crackdown on dissent and Indian democracy will have to brace itself. Resistance, in the short run, becomes the pretext for repression.

Opinion | Meghnad Desai writes: PM Modi sees anti-CAA protests as an opportunity to attack Opposition

Well entrenched states are not easy to move, especially if there is elite cohesion. The BJP might like to present itself as a victimised outsider, but the fact is that it is now the state and the establishment, with a firm grip on all tentacles of power. It is difficult to come to the conclusion that, at this moment, the anti-CAA protests have led to any defections or even softening in the establishment. No movement can succeed without some cracks in the establishment. In fact, we are seeing an authoritarian consolidation for two reasons. One, the political opposition to the government has not come up with an even minimal show of political or organisational strength. The conduct of the AAP, both in its abdication in the face of riots, and its imprimatur on authoritarian governance tactics in the aftermath, has convinced most people that there is no effective political cover for taking on the government. The Congress may have taken a stand, but it has not displayed the minimal organisational strength to be even a mild counterweight. So the self-fulfilling dynamic of authoritarianism continues, it is becoming our default condition. Every challenge seems to reveal its power, instead of shaking it.

Finally, if the exaggerated spectres of anarchism and communalism have worked, it is because it is convenient for us to believe in their power. It simplifies our political life by blaming Indias weaknesses at the door of these internal enemies. As the economic crisis deepens, the calls for order will only grow. The anti-CAA protests gave us the poetry to resist. But the hard plumbing of an alternative politics is yet to be worked out.

This article first appeared in the print edition on March 10, 2020 under the title Politics after the poetry. The writer is contributing editor, The Indian Express.

The Indian Express is now on Telegram. Click here to join our channel (@indianexpress) and stay updated with the latest headlines

For all the latest Opinion News, download Indian Express App.

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Anti-CAA protests gave us poetry to resist, but hard plumbing of alternative politics yet to be worked out - The Indian Express

Mergers and acquisitions in the pharmaceutical industry are not only a positive for the company that has made a bid for another company, but it is also good for the industry as a whole because of increases in efficiency across the entire field.

That is the argument put forth by Bruce Booth, a partner with Atlas Venture. Taking a broad look at M&A in a Forbes article, Booth notes that the impact on the industry is profound and should be better appreciated by those involved in policy. When thinking of M&A, Booth suggests that people realize these types of moves improve the efficiencies of the industry through allocating the scarce resources of talent, science, and capital across the entire sector.

M&A drives huge benefits and much of biotechs current success in advancing innovation stems from these long term positive impacts, Booth explained.

Over the past year, there have been a number of large-scale M&A deals in the industry, including Bristol Myers Squibbs acquisition of Celgene, AbbVies acquisition of Allergan, and Takedas buyout of Shire. Over the course of 2019, there was $260 billion worth of M&A in the pharma industry and more than $1 trillion over the past eight years. Booth points out that when pundits dissect M&A deals, they typically only look at what happens to the companies involved and not the ripple effect across the industry.

Over the long term, Booth said M&A serves as a catalyst for the more efficient allocation of scarce resources across the sector. That efficiency can be seen in three places talent, science and capital.

When examining how talent is affected, Booth notes that from 2009 to 2013, a four-year span, big pharma shed 156,000 jobs in the United States. The bulk was in R&D. Following that disruption, many of these employees found themselves working in emerging biotech firms, contract research organizations or other pharmaceutical companies. While a company that has gone through M&A will see its R&D teams impacted, Booth said that disruption is offset against the benefits of bringing catalytic new additions into the talent pool. Through M&A, Booth said there is a talent migration that cannot be denied, nor can the benefits from this diaspora of skill and knowledge.

Not only does talent become dispersed across the industry like the seeds from a dandelion, but science is also impacted. Booth explains that when new team members join a project, it brings a fresh set of eyes without a confirmation bias to provide new insights. Those fresh eyes can either confirm a projects chances, or provide the difficult voice of terminating a project that may be futile. Those fresh eyes can help companies prioritize their science in order to benefit the patients they serve. When it comes to smaller acquisitions, exciting scientific projects can be placed into larger and better-funded organizations, which can then boost the research and potentially bring the experimental treatment into the hands of a patient population at a faster pace.

The combination of a more fluid talent and science marketplace helps advance these new potential drug candidates by more efficiently aligning them with new passionate leaders, Booth said.

Capital resources are also benefitted through M&A. Significant investor capital is recycled back into the life sciences ecosystem, Booth said. That recycling sends cash back to a large number of institutional public investors, which then increases the availability of cash. M&A also sends realized returns back to venture capital funds, which boosts their returns. This works to improve the liquidity and efficiency of capital allocation across the sector, Booth said.

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M&A Boosts the Landscape of Efficiency in the Pharma Industry: Analysis - PharmaLive

NEW CONCORD Mayor Jennifer Lyle set forth a plan and tips to stay healthy during the onset of the coronavirus as a handful of Ohioans have now tested positive for the disease.

"I just wanted to let the community know that we are concerned about this," said Lyle at Mondays village council meeting."All (village officials) of us are in touch with the Emergency Management Agency and county health department."

Lyle said in order to protect yourself from COVID-19, get a flu shot, wash your hands and use hand sanitizer, avoid touching your face, avoid contact with people who are sick, and sneeze into a tissue instead of your arm/elbow. If you think you have the coronavirus, call ahead to the doctor or the emergency room so theyre waiting on and can prepare for your visit.

Mayor Lyle said to rely on the most up-to-date coronavirus information by calling the county health department at 833-427-5634; or visiting cdc.gov or who.int.

In other business, council approved 2020 permanent appropriations for the village at $4.03 million.

New Concord Fiscal Officer Lynn Marlatt and Finance Committee Chairman Steve Wootton presented the appropriations to the board which totals $1,245,507 in the General Fund.

In other business, council gave authorization to advertise and appoint an operator at a bi-weekly salary of $15 per hour, effective April 13.

Council also approved the resolution to advance funds in the year 2020 budget from the General Fund to the Swimming Pool Fund which is related to the NatureWorks Grant project for improvements at the New Concord Area Pool.

In all, $66,000 was advanced for the project.

Village Administrator Charlotte Colley said the project could begin in March if weather improves. The retaining wall portion of the project will be coordinated with Zemba Brothers and Dresden Landscape.

In reports to council:

* Zoning Officer Brent Gates said a letter was sent to a West Main Street residence regarding front porch storage, a demolition permit was requested for building on the university campus, a trash issue was on Montgomery Boulevard, and he explained the rules of a zoning permit for a replacement deck.

* In the New Concord Police report, there were 350 calls for service for the month of February which brings the year-to-date total to 648 for the year. There were 49 traffic citations issued and 65 traffic warnings.

* Fire Chief Brent Gates said there were 11 total fire runs for the month of February which brings their total fire runs for the year to 24. In terms of EMS runs, there were 62 patients transported for the past month.

* Colley said there was 7,093,680 gallons of water produced for the month of February with 14,197,700 gallons of wastewater flows in the village. She said the Operations Department will be filling pot holes and repairing equipment. She also said there will be upgrades to the womens restroom in Village Hall and cosmetic touch ups throughout the building.

In announcements, Lyle said the mayors office hours will be Wednesday, March 11 (Instead of Tuesday), the change is for this week only, from 10:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. with no appointments necessary.

Council will meet again on Monday, April 13 at 6:30 p.m. in Village Hall.

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New Concord: Mayor gives tips to stay healthy in wake of coronavirus in Ohio - The Daily Jeffersonian

This article is part of our International Homes special section, which takes a look at homes and golf, from planned communities and sustainability to course designers and where they live.

When you picture residences on a golf course, what comes to mind? Stucco clad ranch houses peeking into a fairway?

Sure, this perception has some basis in reality. There is inherently something old-fashioned about living along a constructed environment meant for whacking balls for five hours at a time. But golf homes, like golf itself which is expanding into international markets, embracing sophisticated equipment, and working hard to become younger, trendier, more diverse, and more environmentally friendly are evolving.

The best homes are not predictable models next to a sand trap, protected by a net or shatterproof windows. They are breathtaking, unapologetically modern structures, inspired by their landscape and their owners, and shaped to adapt to a unique setting.

Some are downright revolutionary: built into the earth to minimize bulk, transformable to adapt to changing needs, or hovering above, with long projections to provide clear views.

Many homes on golf courses are not this modern or beautiful, but just as golfers rarely wear argyle sweaters and plaid pants anymore, golf houses are entering the 21st century. Here are a few that push architectural and, sometimes, financial limits.

Casa Golf, from the architect Luciano Kruk, floats over the dunes of this coastal community about four hours south of Buenos Aires, named for its mix of long, soft beaches and thick pine forests.

The home takes the form of three stacked and interlocked concrete blocks dividing entry/storage, living, and sleeping. Large windows, protected by long eaves, frame clear views to the links course and the ocean. Thin, board-formed concrete surfaces (which minimize material waste and keep the home well insulated) feel raw, almost prehistoric, dialoguing with the coarse, windswept landscape.

The lowest block is partially buried, providing extra privacy, and minimizing visual impact, while the story above is open on all sides. A striking projection from the top story, which Mr. Kruk compares to a cannon, provides shade and privacy, and frames dramatic views of the distant sea.

Balconies formed by the homes staggered form become outdoor rooms for enjoying the breezes, the sun, and views in all directions.

This residence, jutting from a hilly forest preserve about 40 feet above the lush Quinta Da Baronesa course, near So Paulo, has the complexity of a small village. Designed by Studio Arthur Casas as a five-person familys weekend escape, its intersecting, Tetris-like volumes, shaped by the site (the architect must be natures ally, said Mr. Casas) are clad in diverse, earth-toned materials like granite, timber, and wood-colored aluminum.

From its core, large cantilevers span, opening endless uses. The L-shaped lower volume, driven into the site, contains a service and spa area. The cross-shaped middle space extends over the floor below, its open plan living room and wooden deck (embedded with a thin pool) projecting in different directions, providing sweeping views and cool breezes.

The bar-shaped upper volume, containing the master suite and childrens rooms, shoots over the home, with long balconies that give you the impression of flying over the region. This level also offers access to the green roof, which cools the home, minimizes its bulk, and connects to the homes lush garden. (It is also a good place to hit golf balls.)

One of the worlds most striking golf course homes is the Wall House, designed by the Lisbon-based Guedes Cruz Architects in the beautiful coastal town of Cascais. The buildings name comes not from a solid barrier, but from a massive wall of glass that provides clear views of the undulating landscape of dunes, pine trees, and Oitavos Dunes Golf Course, considered the best in Portugal.

Several segments of this window can slide open (thanks to a complex system of weights) making the living spaces feel like they are outdoors. The concrete homes focus is a ground floor patio, from which all spaces flow easily, thanks to an open plan, generous apertures and balconies, and connections between levels.

The propertys most remarkable element is its sculptural pair of stacked pools. A bar shaped swimming area edges the patio, stretching toward the golf course, while above a perpendicular pool projects, like a bridge, from the home, an acrylic bottom allowing swimmers to see each other on multiple levels, and helping light reach the patio.

This top element has another function: it gives the patio privacy, light shade, and protection from strong breezes.

Located in the center of a lake island in Ontarios serene Muskoka region, these cabins by MacKay-Lyons Sweetapple are modern adaptations of the areas historic cottages and boathouses.

Edging the Bigwin Island Golf Club, a championship course, the cabins, floating on low posts, were conceived in lieu of a large hotel there are three, and eventually 40 will dot the landscape, forming a villagelike community.

All are topped with peaked, cedar shingle-clad roofs and flanked with immense floor to ceiling windows, soaking up broad views across the islands flowing bent grasses (often grazed by deer), its maple, pine and ash trees, and down to the glittering lake beyond.

Inside, each home has the same variety of spaces, but in different configurations: screened in porch, deck, living room and sleeping area. The airy living rooms, lined in rustic ship-lapped timber, have sculptural ceilings that rise to a peak, illuminated naturally from above by a light-bouncing periscope window.

We try to find poetry in the place, said Brian MacKay-Lyons, a firm principal.

Perhaps more than any other on this list, this two-level home, on the edge of Club de Golf Escorpin near Valencia, Spain, was shaped by its site. Its architects, Fran Silvestre Architects, created a rounded form to help make its tight site feel less confining, to guide the eye into the deep neighboring landscape, and to echo the curving shapes of the course its fairways, greens, bunkers.

The homes concrete shell, covered in solid white surface stone, creates a cantilevered mezzanine for sleeping, allowing residents to look down on the living spaces below, or out to the landscape through carved, box-shaped openings.

The structures concrete frame helps shape a ground floor that opens completely, via sliding glass walls, to the curving pool (an intentional reflection of the house) and the greenery beyond.

You can see straight through the house to the far end of the golf course, Mr. Silvestre said. Informal barriers, like kitchen counters and a partial marble wall, help shelter occupants on the nonpool side of the home should they want a more intimate getaway. Trees and gardens provide more privacy and protection from the course, as does a metallic fence, whose green color and subtle openings make it hard to tell it is there.

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You Wished You Lived Here - The New York Times

Four robins appeared in my backyard last week. Its spring. Forget the weather forecasters. Robins have been heralding spring long before people devised calendars. The birds dont use charts and maps. Welcoming spring is in the DNA of robins.

Soon, forsythia and daffodils will light up the landscape. Early spring means its time to get the seeds started. My little tomato plants now spend their days outside, hardening off. And the eggplant and pepper seedlings will follow soon. Next will come the marigolds.

Spring is when you tackle your gardening. It seems we are heading for an early spring this year. So, get moving on all those plans you dreamed about over the winter. If you need help, many professionals are available. Soon, they will be very busy, so begin making your calls.

Country Garden Shed is a family owned garden center, says Kaitlyn Prol. Were located in the heart of Hunterdon. It all began seven years ago with a roadside stand, and the operation has expanded into the garden center it is today.

Its a mother and daughter operation -- Kaitlyn is the daughter and Karen den Hollander is the mother. The shed is more akin to a building, with all sorts of plants set outside, spilling into the surroundings. The place is located at 1153 Croton Road (Route 579).

Country Garden Shed is not open yet. Mother and daughter are getting ready for the season which begins for them on Thursday, March 26. It will be like a grand opening the last week of March and it will continue through October.

We specialize in perennials and annual plants which we grow ourselves, Kaitlyn explains. As well as vegetables and herbs, tropical plants, unique houseplants, and a selection of deer-resistant shrubs.

Country Garden Shed offers many trays of plants -- think pansies and other annuals -- along with hanging baskets. Select from those trays, as well as 4-inch and 1-quart plantings.

You can bring your containers here and get some professional advice to fill them. Or, if you have big, heavy containers (iron, concrete), Kaitlyn can come to your place. Last year, they supplied the plants for the large containers on the streets of Easton. And they are supplying the plants for Flemington streets.

More than just plants, we also sell beautiful concrete pottery, handmade birdhouses, and durable outdoor furniture, she says. Inside, we have wreaths, trendy home decor and many great gift ideas for gardeners.

For more information, call 908-627-4007 and visit http://www.countrygardenshed.com/.

Several things are very important when you begin your landscaping project. My own plans always begin with thinking about spacing and balance. You want the landscape to fit together in the pleasing way you have in mind. What plants do you want to add to the landscape? Where will they be planted? And how big -- or wide -- will they eventually grow?

Perennials dont usually grow very big. Neither do annuals. But shrubs and trees are another matter. Driving around, youll see the result of a lack of planning in many landscapes. Things grow together when planted too close -- they are not given the spacing they need.

Then there are the hardscape considerations. How will you landscape around walkways, patios, outdoor fire pits, a pool? And dont forget play areas for children. Maybe you want to create a quiet nook where you can relax. Well, you might need an experienced landscaper.

Clinton Landscape owner Michael Tate can handle a wide variety of landscaping projects -- from putting in and maintaining lawns to designing and finishing walls, walkways, patios, exterior fireplaces, and other hardscaping.

We do tree work and irrigation as well, he says. And we do stuccoing, and masonry work including repointing brick and stone, along with foundations -- you have to use different types of concrete for different applications.

His operation is based at 9 Echo Lane, Clinton. Mike is fully insured and handles jobs anywhere in Hunterdon, Warren and areas beyond. Hes available for residential and commercial jobs, and you can contact him 24/7 and arrange for a free estimate. He offers specials for seniors, veterans and first responders.

For more information, call 908-674-1647, and check out a big gallery of photos of work hes completed. Its at Facebook.com/ClintonTates/.

If your gardening dreams include stonework, you will need a stonemason. And stonemasons are few and far between. Not many experts in stonework exist today, but we are fortunate in having the Artisan Stone Masons operation locally.

Its run by Paul Steinbeiser, Jr. He comes from a family of craftspeople. His father operates Landscape Design & Construction located in Frenchtown. But Pauls interest was in shaping and fitting stones together to construct different types of stone masonry.

Artisan Stone Masons specializes in walls, patios, walkways, fireplaces, stone pointing, custom handcrafted natural stonework, and historic restoration, says Paul. We believe that the diversity of our craftsmanship is one of our strongest assets.

Pauls stonework is always customized to the job at hand. A curving dry laid garden wall is one thing. A stone fireplace--inside or outside--is another. Then there are the special requirements of the historic restorations he tackles.

All of our stonework is handcrafted, he advises. The stone used and the stone color depend on the location and style of the house and time period in which it was built.

The same meticulous attention characterizes Pauls other work.

Dry laid walls and wet laid walls have different types of footings, he notes. Both are dug deeply to contend with moisture and freezing issues. For example, a standard footing needs to be at least 18 to 36 inches deep -- sometimes more.

Before the actual stonework begins on site, there is always a collaboration with clients. That collaboration continues from the beginning design phase to the finished product. Paul works from his Hunterdon base to provide stonework all over the area.

This year, turn your garden into that magical showplace existing only in your dreams -- with stone walls, stone pathways, and other constructions. How about a stone arch?

For more information, call 908-268-9608. For an extensive array of photos, visit the website at ArtisanStoneMasons.com and checkout the Facebook pages.

Al Warr can be reached at 610-253-0432 or AlWarr16@gmail.com.

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Spring is nearly here, so its time to start tackling the yard work - nj.com