Chase away those winter blues and give your home a complete refresh with these local businesses.

A family run business est. 1957, we offer a full range of carpets, furniture and beds from leading quality brands with free local delivery! Our expert team, many of whom have been with us for over a decade now, are always here to help and deliver the best advice (not to mention the best price and best brands).

Call: 01524 732062

E-Mail: info@mjbird.co.uk

http://www.mjbird.co.uk

A Cut Above offers you a wide range of luxurious bespoke carpets and rugs. Our superior carpets and rugs are made to measure to your exact specifications; whatever design you have in mind, whatever style of home you have, we can provide you with carpeting that matches your taste and your personality. We can design and install completely customised carpeting for homes, businesses, caravans or vehicles. Put simply, no other carpet company in the region can do what we can do. If you have a specific vision in mind for your carpets, we can make your dream a reality. We are a family run business based in Lancaster, providing professional carpeting services throughout Cumbria and Lancashire.

To find out more about our services, or to arrange a quote, please contact our carpet and rug experts today.

Call: 01524 35660

E-Mail: acutabove@btconnect.com

http://www.acutabovecarpets.com

Beetham Nurseries

Plants are our passion; we've been growing our own for over 30 years!

We pride ourselves on being different. We invite you to come and discover the unusual, the rare, the beautiful and the quirky! Visit our traditional retail plant nursery (now open!), have a bite to eat in the Garden Cafe, explore our new Home & Lifestyle space, discover our new Food Hall (stocked with fresh local produce and artisanal goodies!) or unwind in our Tearoom with a freshly ground coffee.

Call: 015395 63630

E-Mail: enquiries@beethamnurseries.co.uk

http://www.beethamnurseries.co.uk

A family run business based in the Yorkshire Dales, we manufacture superbly detailed freestanding and fitted furniture, kitchens, bathrooms and bedrooms, finished according to your own taste in a wide range of natural woods, veneers and special paint effects such as rag rolling and distressing.

Should you have a special requirement or piece of furniture in mind, a fitted library perhaps, remember that Brian Ramwell Classic Interiors are fully experienced cabinet makers and can design and create any item of furniture you require.

We are authorised dealers for Neff, Franke, Liebherr, Miele and many more.

If you would like to arrange a home design visit or wish to discuss your ideas with an experienced design consultant, please get in touch.

Call: 01524 241 662

E-Mail: info@ramwell.co.uk

http://www.ramwell.co.uk

Visit our showroom at Milnthorpe and view our stunning range of fabulous kitchens to suit every taste, we can transform your kitchen and make it the one of your dreams. Whether a traditional kitchen or ultra-modern - packed with the latest appliances and of the newest design. Free design, free quotation... We have many, many years of know how. Based at Milnthorpe we fit kitchens and bathrooms mostly in Kendal, Arnside, Kirkby Lonsdale, Ambleside & Windermere but when the phone rings, the appointment and measure (which is free) can be anywhere.

Arrange a free design visit where one of our designers will visit your home, for free, and with no obligation, when it is convenient for you.

Call: 015395 83695

E-Mail: info@carlgrahaminteriors.co.uk

http://www.carlgrahaminteriors.co.uk

Roofing and Building Specialists

We are a new, dynamic business specialising in roofing services. With over 30 years experience, we have built a large portfolio of happy and satisfied customers from both the domestic and commercial sectors, priding ourselves on the quality of service we provide.

We are a registered QA contractor for Sika Liquid Plastics.

Free Survey - Free Initial Consultation - Free Quotes

Call: 01229 580 057

E-Mail: cumbria.roofing@btconnect.com

http://www.cumbriaroofingulverston.co.uk

Brighten up your home with a beautiful new kitchen or fitted bedroom furniture, from the local company you can trust for a perfect finish every time!

Mike Hughes Fitted Interiors of Barrow-in-Furness have been the leading kitchen and bedroom specialist for almost 33 years, supplying and installing thousands of homes in Furness and the South Lakes. Offering a complete service including small building work. Their knowledge and expertise in design and installation is second to none, and its all project managed by Mike Hughes. The family run business has won awards for design and customer service, and their showroom on the Park Road approach to Barrow covers two floors of beautiful kitchens and fitted bedroom furniture. Its well worth a visit!

Call: 01229 871122

E-Mail: sales@mikehughes.co.uk

http://www.mikehughes.co.uk

At Different Strokes we offer a wide range of painting and decorating services to clients of every size, across the North West.

We've been in business for over 20 years, so our knowledge of the industry is second to none. As members of the Painting and Decorating Association and Dulux Partners, we decorate projects of all sizes and have the experience and knowledge to advise you on which paint system and application method is right for you. We offer a free colour consultation and work with a large variety of paints and protective coatings to achieve the best possible finish. More than half our custom is return business, and we are extremely proud that 99% of our clients would recommend us to a friend.

Call: KENDAL: 01539 735 960 LANCASTER: 01524 230 707 GRANGE: 01539 535 832

Email: info@differentstrokes-kendal.co.uk

http://www.differentstrokes-kendal.co.uk

Celebrating its 10th birthday in April 2020, Rugs to Riches is one of the many independent businesses that make Carnforth a great place to shop. While customers come from as far afield as Liverpool and Penrith, there is very much a local feel to this specialist shop, where personal service and knowledgeable advice come as standard and locally crafted pottery and glass complements a collection of Fair-Trade giftware.

The stock, featuring more than 600 rugs, is keenly priced to cover everything from budget-conscious to push-the-boat-out, and ranges from colourful kilims to fine Orientals and fun rugs for children, luxurious shaggies and the long hall runners, all the way through to modern designs in a mix of sizes and styles. Open from 10-ish till 5-ish, the shop welcomes browsers, so give yourself time for a good, long mooch.

Call: 01524 720180

Email: askus@rugstoriches.co.uk

http://www.rugstoriches.co.uk

Link:
9 ways to brighten your home this winter - The Westmorland Gazette

LABOUR Director John Pinder.

By Khrisna Russell

krussell@tribunemedia.net

DEPARTMENT of Labour Director John Pinder wants employers work permits revoked if they fail to appoint and properly train apprentices as part of their succession planning.

The move, Mr Pinder told The Tribune yesterday, would give the department teeth and earn it more respect in the eyes of employers who have not ensured Bahamian employees are trained for certain jobs He said it had been the departments intention to have this stipulation enforced by this month. However, now it could be longer before the rule can be officially enforced, with Mr Pinder saying there needed to be further discussions with the Department of Immigration to ensure labour officials have a functioning plan.

His department has to also make amendments to application forms to accommodate a breakdown of apprentice training guidelines.

The departments special projects unit is handling the process, he said.

We have met cases where persons say that I didnt know they were the understudy, but on the application form their name is listed, Mr Pinder said yesterday when asked about enforcing the rule this month. He was also asked how the department intended to protect employees from retribution once they are interviewed by officials about employers training practices.

If the employer tries to victimise the employee for giving us the correct information or tries to terminate them for that we will always have some sort of conciliation regarding that dismissal or wrongful dismissal, so there are things in the law that can protect that individual.

In addition to that we will then review the application form for labour certificates when it comes back to us and in consultation with the Department of Immigration well have to do this so immigration and us are on the same page with this and immigration will also tell us what is expected of us so that at the end of the day when we give a labour certificate immigration is satisfied that we did do the necessary due.

He also said: Simultaneously we just want to have that relationship with immigration for instance when the employer is not doing what it should be, (but) I think once immigration (is involved) with the authority to revoke the permit I think we would get more respect and it will have more teeth.

Asked to clarify if the intention was to ensure work permits were revoked for noncompliance, Mr Pinder said; Actually, yes, thats our intention now.

So what we are doing now is once we think what we are doing is something workable, we will then sit with immigration to get guidance from them to ensure that it can work.

As far as a timeline is concerned, Mr Pinder said on his end the framework is just about complete.

However there needed to be further engagement.

After this its just engaging immigration to review what we got to see if its workable. Then after that it has to go to the permanent secretary and the minister so it may take a little bit more time but the minister is aware of what we are doing. The permanent secretary is aware so its just a matter of them putting their blessing on it.

Last year, Mr Pinder said labour certificates, which confirm there are no qualified Bahamians willing or able to take a particular job, will only be issued to companies that provide evidence they have identified a Bahamian understudy who will be trained to replace the expatriate worker once their work permit has expired.

See more here:
'Time to get tough on work permits' - Bahamas Tribune

Flooring is the general term for a permanent covering of a floor, or for the work of installing such a floor covering. Floor covering is a term to generically describe any finish material applied over a floor structure to provide a walking surface. Both terms are used interchangeably but floor covering refers more to loose-laid materials.

Request for Sample with [emailprotected] https://www.researchtrades.com/request-sample/1714545

The Nylon segment is expected to contribute comparatively high revenue among the material type segments over the forecast period, and is estimated to account for more than 40% value share of the global market by 2017 end.

The global Flooring and Carpet market was valued at xx million US$ in 2018 and will reach xx million US$ by the end of 2025, growing at a CAGR of xx% during 2019-2025.

This report focuses on Flooring and Carpet volume and value at global level, regional level and company level. From a global perspective, this report represents overall Flooring and Carpet market size by analyzing historical data and future prospect.

Regionally, this report categorizes the production, apparent consumption, export and import of Flooring and Carpet in North America, Europe, China, Japan, Southeast Asia and India.

For each manufacturer covered, this report analyzes their Flooring and Carpet manufacturing sites, capacity, production, ex-factory price, revenue and market share in global market.

The following manufacturers are covered:Mac CarpetBeaulieuTarkettBaltaAl SorayaiMohawkOriental WeaversInterfaceAl Abdullatif

Segment by Regions: North America, Europe, China, Japan, Southeast Asia, India

Segment by Type: Carpets, Tufting, Woven, Rugs, Artificial Grass, Carpet Tiles, Vinyl Flooring, Laminate Parquet Flooring

Segment by Application: Residential, Commercial offices, Retail, Hospitality, Healthcare and Hospitals, Education Institutes, Automotive, Industrial, Others

Table of Contents

Executive Summary1 Industry Overview of Flooring and Carpet1.1 Definition of Flooring and Carpet1.2 Flooring and Carpet Segment by Type1.2.1 Global Flooring and Carpet Production Growth Rate Comparison by Types (2014-2025)1.2.2 Carpets1.2.3 Tufting1.2.4 Woven1.2.5 Rugs1.2.6 Artificial Grass1.2.7 Carpet Tiles1.2.8 Vinyl Flooring1.2.9 Laminate Parquet Flooring1.3 Flooring and Carpet Segment by Applications1.3.1 Global Flooring and Carpet Consumption Comparison by Applications (2014-2025)1.3.2 Residential1.3.3 Commercial offices1.3.4 Retail1.3.5 Hospitality1.3.6 Healthcare and Hospitals1.3.7 Education Institutes1.3.8 Automotive1.3.9 Industrial1.3.10 Others1.4 Global Flooring and Carpet Overall Market1.4.1 Global Flooring and Carpet Revenue (2014-2025)1.4.2 Global Flooring and Carpet Production (2014-2025)1.4.3 North America Flooring and Carpet Status and Prospect (2014-2025)1.4.4 Europe Flooring and Carpet Status and Prospect (2014-2025)1.4.5 China Flooring and Carpet Status and Prospect (2014-2025)1.4.6 Japan Flooring and Carpet Status and Prospect (2014-2025)1.4.7 Southeast Asia Flooring and Carpet Status and Prospect (2014-2025)1.4.8 India Flooring and Carpet Status and Prospect (2014-2025)

2 Manufacturing Cost Structure Analysis2.1 Raw Material and Suppliers2.2 Manufacturing Cost Structure Analysis of Flooring and Carpet2.3 Manufacturing Process Analysis of Flooring and Carpet2.4 Industry Chain Structure of Flooring and Carpet

3 Development and Manufacturing Plants Analysis of Flooring and Carpet3.1 Capacity and Commercial Production Date3.2 Global Flooring and Carpet Manufacturing Plants Distribution3.3 Major Manufacturers Technology Source and Market Position of Flooring and Carpet3.4 Recent Development and Expansion Plans

4 Key Figures of Major Manufacturers4.1 Flooring and Carpet Production and Capacity Analysis4.2 Flooring and Carpet Revenue Analysis4.3 Flooring and Carpet Price Analysis4.4 Market Concentration Degree

About us:Research Trades has team of experts who works on providing exhaustive analysis pertaining to market research on a global basis. This comprehensive analysis is obtained by a thorough research and study of the ongoing trends and provides predictive data regarding the future estimations, which can be utilized by various organizations for growth purposes.

We distribute customized reports that focus on meeting the clients specific requirement. Our database consists of a large collection of high-quality reports obtained using a customer-centric approach, thus providing valuable research insights.

Contact Us:Email: [emailprotected]Call us: +1 6269994607 (US) +91 7507349866 (IND)SkypeID: researchtradesconWeb: http://www.researchtrades.com

This post was originally published on Food and Beverage Herald

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Global Flooring And Carpet Market 2019-2026 By Top Key Players Analysis Like Mac Carpet, Beaulieu, Tarkett, Balta and Others - Food & Beverage...

The longtime Tri-Town flooring and carpeting store Decor Tile plans to shutter next month after four decades in business.

The family-owned business at 10319 Wicker Ave. in St. John has installed hardwood floors, tile, ceramic, luxury vinyl and carpeting to generations of Region residents.

"We will be retiring and closing our business, Decor Tile Inc., in February after serving the Northwest Indiana area for over 40 years," owner Diana Miller said.

Decor Tile occupies a strip mall along with a Smoke Shop tobacco retailer and a Benjamin Moore paint store in south St. John, between Alsip Home and Nursery and the Shrine of Christ's Passion. The flooring business owned the entire strip mall, which it recently sold.

"We were planning to retire anyway and an opportunity came along to sell, so we took it," Miller said.

Miller does not know what the new owner plans to do with the property, but said the other two businesses also have to vacate by February.

Founded in 1979, Decor Tile served customers in St. John, Cedar Lake, Crown Point, Dyer and surrounding communities, billing itself as "the area's leading flooring specialist."

"We took care of our customers," Miller said. "We'll miss everybody we worked with over all these years."

Torres Martial Arts Academy moved from its longtime spot on E. 45th St. in Griffith to Hobart. The martial arts dojo and gym had a grand opening last week at 8560 E. Ridge Road in Hobart.

Torres Martial Arts Academy offers classes for men, women and children in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, kickboxing and mixed martial arts. It also caters to those interested in fitness with cardio kickboxing and Zumba clases, as well as an open gym with weights.

Owner Miguel Angel Torres, an East Chicago native, got a black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu from Carlson Gracie Jr. from the legendary Gracie family. He's a former World Extreme Cagefighting Bantamweight champion who also fought professionally for Ultimate Fighting Championship, World Series of Fighting and other promotions.

Now retired, he amassed a professional record of 45 victories and nine defeats.

Ula Art Gallery in Crown Point moved into the Fancy Frugal Furniture Boutique.

Owner and curator Ula Davitt said her business is now operated out of the locally owned independent furniture store at 35 W 112th Ave in Crown Point, where it will "continue to provide high-end art to NWI."

"Ula Gallery's concept did not change," she said. "I am representing famous local artists throughout the world that people who have art collections could be proud of. Art that can be found only in downtown of Chicago, San Francisco or Paris is now conveniently available in Indiana."

The new arrangement is supposed to help people match art pieces with contemporary furniture.

"Fancy Frugal Furniture welcomed us," she said. "Someone saw the value of art. Art enriches everybody and everything around. How would the world look without the enrichment of art?"

The gallery will continue to have exhibits, including a retrospective of the late painter Robert Brasher from 6-9 p.m. Jan. 24.

Bee & Me Boutique, which closed at the corner of Main and Broad streets in downtown Griffith last year, has reopened in downtown Crown Point.

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The boutique sells clothes, customized spirit wear, home decor, jewelry, toys and small gifts at its new location at 166 S. West St. in Crown Point. The shop specializes in "customized spirit wear for schools, teams and parents, as well as uniform items, promotional items, embroidery, silk screening and more."

Bee & Me Boutique is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesday to Friday and 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday. For more information, call 219-781-6850 or go to http://www.facebook.com/OurTextileHive/.

The owners of Olga's Place Pizzeria and Restaurant at 454 W. Main St. in Westville are weighing their next steps after the restaurant burned down in a fire in late December.

The mother-and-daughter-owned restaurant served pizza, calzones and other Italian food, both pasta and entrees like pesto-glazed chicken and brick oven baked salmon. They also previously owned Olga's Place at 22 Washington in Valparaiso, which served Eastern European fare like stuffed cabbage before it closed in 2018.

"Words cannot express how we feel after the loss of our restaurant. Heartbroken doesnt even begin to describe it. While we are completely devastated, we are so grateful that no one was injured. Luckily, no one was at the restaurant when the fire started, as we are closed on Sundays," the owners posted on Facebook. "While we dont know what the next step is for us, it has been an absolute pleasure to serve you all for the last 12 years."

Honey Baked Ham reopened at 2004 45th St. in Highland after it was closed for several months because of a fire last year.

Launched in Detroit in 1957, the nationwide deli chain sells fully cooked smoked, honey-glazed spiral-cut hams, smoked turkey breast, roasted turkey breast and ready-to-heat sides, as well as a lunch menu of sandwiches, soup and salads. Honey Baked Ham also has a location in Merrillville Plaza in Hobart across from the Southlake Mall.

For more information, call 219-924-1177.

Stay Healthy, a nutrition club and health food shake shop in LaPorte and Michigan City, plans to open a second Michigan City location on the south side of town.

Ownerowner Kristal Taschler said Stay Healthy recently signed a lease for the local chain's third location and second in Michigan City. The first Stay Healthy Michigan City opened at 525 Franklin St. in the Uptown Arts District downtown last April.

The nutritional cafe sells meal replacement shakes, energizing herbal teas, and protein shakes for body builders.

"Whether you're looking to lose weight or gain weight, we've got a meal plan for you," she said.

Taschler said the owners were inspired to open the business because of their own weight loss journeys.

"You can get healthier and happier, lose weight and gain muscle," she said.

For more information, find the business on Facebook.

The neighboring Southern Shore Art Association gallery and Prince Galleries on Franklin Street in the Uptown Arts District in downtown Michigan City both closed after a new owner took over the building.

Both were staples of the city's art scene and popular stops on its First Friday art walks.

The Southern Shore Art Association gallery at 724 Franklin St. was a nonprofit gallery showcasing the work of regional artists. The art association still exists but no longer has its longtime gallery space where it hung a new exhibit every month and had a gift shop with artisan crafts, including blown glass, cards and jewelry.

Prince Galleries at 726 Franklin St. sold fine art from the 18th to 20th centuries for more than 20 years, including painting, sculpture and tile work. It also carried antique furniture and decorative accessories.

If you've got tips about new stores or restaurants anywhere in the Region, or just wonder what's under construction somewhere, contactNWI Business Ins and Outscolumnist Joseph S. Pete at joseph.pete@nwi.com or 219.933.3316.

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NWI Business Ins and Outs: Decor Tile closing after 40 years, while Torres Martial Arts Academy, Bee & Me Boutique, and Ula Art Gallery relocate -...

A few years ago I wrote about how different noise levels in restaurants tend to match the concept of the restaurant. A sports bar with 150 TVs will be pretty noisy. A swanky steakhouse will be just the opposite. But what about all the places in between?

Its a proven fact that people eat with their eyes, and a guests lingering impression of a restaurant is partially dependent on plate size, shape and color and presentation. All have been proven to affect a diners perception of his or her experience.

As many restaurants attempt to target a younger crowd, fluffy carpets are being replaced by tile and slate floors. Walls that were draped with fabrics are now drywall, wood or even metal. Surfaces are devoid of tablecloths in favor of exposed wood or stainless steel. Overstuffed chairs are now metal and vinyl. Ceilings with acoustical tiles (not really acoustical at all) are now open plan. That means that air ducts, lighting and lighting conduits and supports, speaker supports and even the roof deck itself are open and exposed. Yes, it can be a great look if done right, but it can also be the recipe for an acoustical nightmare.

Next to the emails yearning for ethnic restaurants, and people complaining about prices (those I delete), some of the most frequent comments I receive have to do with noise. Many of our eateries in downtown Rehoboth and Lewes are located in old beach cottages with low ceilings. Or theyre in large spaces with hard (but easy to clean) floors and lots and lots of glass windows. A by-product of this trend toward clean-looking austerity has been the realization that diners also eat with their ears. Sure, some restaurants trade in loud music and raucous people noise, and enjoy a loyal following of customers who come for the upbeat atmosphere. But diners who appreciate a quieter spot are finding that those experiences are becoming fewer and farther between.

Unpleasant noise isnt entirely about the number of people in a restaurant. Its more about the shape of the room and the floor, ceiling and wall materials. My tiny corner of Cape Gazette doesnt allow me to print all the science (about which many books have been written), but suffice it to say that the human ear is easily confused by sounds that reflect off hard, unyielding surfaces.

Try a little experiment: Find a reflective room like a big bathroom, or perhaps a big living room with minimal furniture and no carpet. Stand about 10-15 feet from a person speaking in a normal voice. You will be able to understand them just fine. Now, using the sound recording app on your phone, stand in the same spot and record that person speaking. When you play the recording back youll find that its more difficult to understand what that person is saying. The simple explanation is that the human brain filters out nearby reflections of sound. But microphones dont have brains, and they simply record what they hear. So the reflections and interference that our brains try to ignore are faithfully recorded and easily heard on playback. Thats why professional sound recording studios are designed the way they are.

And heres where the fun begins: As the walls, floors and ceilings get farther apart or even more reflective (like in a restaurant), the time it takes for the sound to reach those surfaces and to bounce back is increased. At a certain point (acousticians call it the critical distance) the reflections begin to interfere with one another and the human brain can no longer recognize those sounds as words. Instead, the reflected sounds are perceived as a jumbled mishmash of unrecognizable noises that can be downright annoying. Bingo! Emails start arriving at my in-box.

Sadly, noise abatement is not cheap. As restaurants compete more and more in the price department, a several-thousanddollar outlay for acoustical materials and design can be painful. But some restaurants are indeed addressing the issue as diners make their feelings known on social media and review websites.

One way to quiet things down is by installing specially mounted panels to trap the sound when it arrives at the ceilings or the walls, i.e., keep it from reflecting back. We call that absorption. Note that its a lot more involved than just gluing some packing foam to the ceiling.

Many acousticians also use a concept called diffusion. Imagine looking at something through frosted glass: The light is scattered in such a way that its hard to see whats on the other side. Diffusion does the same thing, but with sound: Rather than allowing it to reflect directly back into the room (like a mirror with light), it scatters the sound waves in all directions. This is much less annoying to the human ear.

Yet another slightly more high-tech solution is what we call sound masking. Interestingly, adding sound to a space can actually make the space seem quieter. Sound masking is the introduction of an ambient sound (e.g., airflow through a vent) through speakers into the room. The sound is specifically engineered to reduce the intelligibility of conversational distractions to the human ear. When deployed properly, sound masking is barely noticeable.

More and more Cape Region restaurants are turning to experts to design cost-effective systems to bring their interior layout and its acoustical behavior into harmony. Just another way to keep the business of eating going strong here at the beach.

See the article here:
Comfortable dining is more than just food on a plate - CapeGazette.com

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Welcome to the amusement park, said Nick Mullins of BT when Munster stepped on the carpet under the roof at La Defense Arena.

By the time he said good-bye to us, racing was a pleasure, and Munsters hopes of getting ahead of the competition were in no way inferior to Meghan Markles chances of being named Royal Correspondent of the Daily Mail.

After the believers in Mnster had most likely offered Novenas for the health of JJ Hanrahans thighs all week, they would have thanked Heaven when he walked onto the carpet, which looked alive and well. Nick told us that if he had been excluded, with Joey Carbery and Tyler Bleyendaal already on the injury list, Munster would rummage through the sock drawer for a number 10.

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Dont rummage anymore, JJ was in great shape. But then Teddy Iribaren made a pass from back to front that is so exquisitely tasty that another Teddy (Thomas) converted in the corner and you had to purr so loudly that your dog might have bitten off your ankle.

It was a 23-meter return pass, said an Agog Lawrence Dallaglio, who came at half-time and greeted the Teddy Boys. Until then, Andrew Conway had intercepted and tried out the length of the field, so that there was still a whole lot of life left in Mnster.

You could have been a problem if the architects at La Defense Arena had installed more than a few cameras to enable the TMO spot offsides, forward passes and the like, rather than investing in the largest widescreen TV in history and a light show Against the one that Bon Jovi will probably use on his next stadium tour.

In fact, the TMO may have been on the verge of asking viewers to loan an iPhone recording to help him. And there wasnt much to argue about, Iribarens passport should have been worth 35 points alone.

Mnster did his best, and thats exactly what we can say about Kevin Kilbanes Dancing on Ice efforts.

During his routine with his pro partner Brianne Delcourt, there were times when one was reminded of his career in the Republic of Ireland when asked to switch from left to left full-back: no natural, looked like Bambi on ice at times there was his absolute everything.

At least he wasnt judged by Torvill and Dean at the time, although he was at the mercy of player rating if he had been prepared for the exam to listen to their judgments.

And they were mostly compassionate when they saw footage of Kevs early workouts when he collapsed the moment his skates came into contact with the ice.

But he was so committed that he even allowed his body to be spray tanned before putting on a sky blue, glittering top and being carried on the ice by four burly skaters to ELOs Mr Blue Sky. while he carried a glittering soccer ball, which he then threw at Brianne.

The routine then was for Kev and Brianne tossing the ball back and forth as he embedded his ice skates in the hope of not falling over. The climax came when he led the ball and still managed to stay upright. At the end of their Ravel Bolero routine in Sarajevo, he looked even happier than Torvill and Dean.

But since the Brexit referendum, we have not been so horrified by the voting, Ashley Banjo, John Barrowman and Jayne Torvill, who gave Kev with 4.5, the bastards Christopher Dean with 5.0 only slightly more generous.

I feel like Im watching the Tin Man from the Wizard of Oz, said Barrowman, to whom the audience blessed them and replied, Boooooooo.

Kev just smiled like he always did. Dunphy wondered why he was born and vowed to do better.

The worst thing, however, was that the following appeared on our screens: VOTING IS NOT OPEN TO ROI VIEWERS.

Sometimes you rummage in the sock drawer for a nuclear missile.

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The Tour de Force of the Teddy Boys illuminates the Parisian connoisseur - themediatimes

Fresh air and sunlight are synonymous with good health and well-being, but for people who spend much of their time indoors, that fresh air may be out of reach during the winter months.

Physical issues may prevent the aged or infirm from going out of doors, so it's important that their indoor air is of good quality.

Keeping ductwork clean, vacuuming carpets to get rid of dust not to mention dusting helps to get rid of tiny contaminants in the home that can interfere with air quality.

But sometimes, professional help and the newest technologies are needed to bring indoor air quality up to snuff.

An ultraviolet light system called "Rejuvenate," used by the professionals at the Stanley Steemer franchise in Douglass Township, Montgomery County, can remove bacteria, spores, and allergens from the air, said Jeffrey Heisey, owner.

"This is fairly new, coming out about five years ago, and it can remove anything that would be an irritant for someone with allergies," Heisey said.

If the homeowner has centralized, conditioned air, the Stanley Steemer folks can install a Rejuvenate system.

The Rejuvenate system works so well, in fact, that Heisey said his company receives unsolicited testimonials from homeowners who say their health has improved since installing the system.

"We've had people come back to us to say 'no one in our house got sick this year' or someone will tell me 'when I wake up, I'm not congested,'" Heisey said. "They're getting results because when you start thinking about cold and flu season, remember that bacteria and viruses are not only smaller than dust, but many are airborne."

Heisey is the second-generation owner of the Gilbertsville business, which was started by his parents in 1978.

The Rejuvenate system requires an annual change of the ultra violet bulb to keep it functioning properly, Heisey said.

Stanley Steemer will schedule an annual visit to open up the system, change the bulb and do an overall inspection, Heisey said.

"What we do does purify the air," Heisey said.

Part of a system

A strong vacuum used by the company not only pulls dirt from carpets, but is part of a system that completely exhausts all the detritus from the home, he said.

"We are removing it, giving it a 100% cleaning," Heisey said. "We can remove a lot of pet dander, too, because we use HEPA filter vacuums."

HEPA stands for high-efficiency particulate accumulator.

"The quality of the vacuum deciphers how much you're going to get out of the air," Heisey said.

Good quality indoor air can be adversely affected by the relatively new "tightness" of houses nowadays, Heisey said.

Better insulation is important. Nobody wants drafts blowing in and out of their home, but conversely, that same efficiency also keeps stale air in and fresh air out.

Sometimes, the best answer is also the easiest, Heisey said.

"We have an atmosphere we live in and that is affected by houses being tight," Heisey said. "One of the best ways to clean your air is to open up your windows on a really nice day.

"Lower pressure, barometric pressure, is outside, and is lower than house pressure, so house air will go out, and you're effectively 'burping' your house when you open all your windows and get fresh air," Heisey said.

At the Reading branch of the Merry Maids housecleaning and maintenance service in the 100 block of Love Road, high-powered HEPA vacuums are also the first line of defense used by staff to filter the air, said Tracy Visbisky, administrative assistant.

"The HEPA filtration of our vacuum cleaners does contribute to indoor air quality," Visbisky said. "They're powerful enough to attract a great many contaminants, which we'll remove from your home.

"Since the late '90s, most vacuum cleaners do come with a HEPA filtration, but it's important, if you're concerned about air quality, to use a vacuum with a thicker filter, instead of a standard filter," Visbisky said. "We use professional ProTeam vacuums, which are sold only to businesses, and we take the vacuum bag with us, so there's no chance of the contaminants being left behind."

Buy humidifier

One of the first changes to make when concerned about indoor air quality is to buy a good humidifier, said Craig Weisman, owner of Comfort Pro Inc. of Maidencreek Township.

"Your lungs like it to be moist, not dry, and that's especially important for someone who is home-bound," Weisman said. "More people are looking into buying whole-house humidifiers for their health."

Heating system duct work isn't needed for whole-house humidifiers, Weisman added.

Comfort Pro Inc. does heating, air conditioning, and plumbing, and also specializes in addressing indoor air quality. The Dries Road business also cleans and repairs air ducts.

"Homeowners can get rid of dust by using a HEPA vacuum," Weisman said.

Energy recovery ventilators, or ERVs, are a relatively new technology that can pull fresh air from outside and bring it inside, while pushing stale air outside, Weisman said.

Energy recovery ventilators temper outside air before bringing it into a home, and in winter, the ERV will preheat the ventilation air and recover moisture to bring inside; ridding the house of dust particles while increasing the humidity.

"The ERV will bring in outside air, which will get pre-filtered when it comes into the machine," Weisman said. "All three of those technologies work hand-in-hand, especially because houses now are a lot tighter than they were years ago."

Weisman is finding that more people are asking for the air-filtering devices because air exchange in their newer-construction homes is so minimal, he said.

"You need to get some fresh air in and you can do that by just running a bathroom fan," Weisman said. "It's even better if you put the fan on a timer."

While an ERV can be connected to duct work, a grill can be placed in a floor for homes that don't have the proper ductwork, and that will help to circulate the air throughout the home.

Free of dust

Heisey advises homeowners to keep that ductwork as free of dust as possible.

"Air quality is all about the duct work," Heisey said. "Make sure you can filter the air properly. A furnace filter should be changed every six months and the system itself should be maintained by a professional service. Heating systems need to be attended to."

In one year, 40 pounds of dust can collect in the ductwork of your home's heating system, Heisey said. Dust can accumulate in any air-handling system, in grill work and in vents in floors, too.

"Just regular vacuuming and dusting helps," Heisey said. "But the best thing you can do is to have a HEPA vacuum or a high-filter vacuum to catch mold spores and other kinds of contaminants."

Homeowners with radiators or baseboard heating don't have to worry about ductwork, Heisey said, but they'll still have dust collecting on mattresses, carpets, and furniture.

Heisey recommended that carpets be cleaned three times a year and mattresses not only flipped four times yearly, but be cleaned at least once a year.

"A good cleaning will help people with asthma and allergies," Heisey said. "Keeping it clean will greatly help indoor air quality."

Contact Marylouise Sholly: specialsections@readingeagle.com.

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'You need to get some fresh air' | Health - Reading Eagle

WASHINGTON Heres how area members of Congress voted on major issues during the legislative week ending Jan. 10:

House

Congressional control over war with Iran. The House on Jan. 9 voted, 224 for and 194 against, to require the administration to obtain advance congressional approval for military actions against Iran or its proxy forces except when there is an imminent threat to the United States, its armed forces or its territories. The measure (H Con Res 83) invoked the 1973 War Powers Resolution, which asserts the power of Congress to declare war under Article I of the Constitution. Under the Vietnam-era law, presidents must notify Congress within 48 hours when they send the U.S. military into combat, then withdraw the forces within a specified period unless Congress has declared war against the enemy or otherwise authorized the action. Democrats said the measure will have privileged status in the Senate and be eligible for passage by a majority vote there. But Republicans called it non-binding. The war-powers law has never been successfully used to end hostilities abroad. Last year, the House and Senate invoked it to end Americas military involvement in Yemens civil war, but were turned back when President Trump successfully vetoed the measure.

A yes vote was to send the measure to the Senate.

Voting yes: Abigail Spanberger, D-7th.

Voting no: Denver Riggleman, R-5th.

Regulation of PFAS chemicals. Voting 247 for and 159 against, the House on Jan. 10 passed a bill (HR 535) that would give the Environmental Protection Agency one year to designate a class of chemicals known as PFAS for coverage by the federal Superfund law, which requires abandoned toxic sites to be cleaned up and imposes retroactive legal liability on those responsible for the pollution. The designation would require cleanup actions near scores of military bases and manufacturing sites throughout the United States where PFAS compounds have leached into groundwater and drinking water. But they would join a long list of Superfund sites awaiting remediation. The bill also would require the EPA to set standards for PFA air emissions and levels in drinking water and test all PFAS compounds within five years, and it would bar new compounds from the marketplace. PFAS stands for perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances. They are components of fire-fighting foam used at airports and military installations as well as nonstick cookware; personal-care products including floss and makeup; household items including paints and stains; water-repellent clothing and carpeting; and other everyday products. There are more about 7,800 PFA compounds, some of which the Food and Drug Administration has approved for use in food packaging and medical devices, others of which are linked to health conditions including kidney, liver, testicular and pancreatic cancers; infertility; weakened immune systems; and impaired childhood development.

A yes vote was to pass the bill.

Voting yes: Spanberger.

Voting no: Riggleman.

Protecting unborn children from PFAS. Voting 187 for and 219 against, the House on Jan 10 defeated a Republican-sponsored motion specifying that the unborn child be included in the vulnerable populations protected from PFAS in HR 535 (above) sections concerning the Safe Drinking Water Act.

A yes vote was to adopt the motion.

Voting yes: Riggleman.

Voting no: Spanberger.

Senate

Carranza for SBA administrator. Voting 86 for and 5 against, the Senate on Jan. 6 confirmed Jovita Carranza, the United States treasurer since June 2017, as administrator of the Small Business Administration, replacing Linda McMahon, who resigned in April. After a career of nearly three decades with UPS, Carranza served as deputy SBA administrator under President George W. Bush from 2006-2009. Carranza, 71, was raised in Chicago as the child of immigrants from Mexico.

A yes vote was to confirm Carranza.

Voting yes: Mark R. Warner (D), Tim Kaine (D).

Thomas Voting Reports Inc.

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Votes in Congress: How the area's delegation voted this past week - The Daily Progress

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A very naughty cat managed to cause her owners over 15,000 worth of damage to their house then was pictured clearly not giving a single sh*t about the wreckage she had created.

While Amber and Joe Fauser were sleeping, they assumed their one-year-old cat Eve was having a snooze in the laundry room.

But when Joe, 25, woke up for work as a security guard at 6am, he was greeted by pools of water flooding the entire downstairs of the house in Adelaide, South Australia.

When he rushed to check on Eve the cat, he found her sat on top of the washing machine, having turned the laundry tap on to full blast, causing a stream of water to fill the room.

Eve had left the tap on all night, causing eight hours worth of flooding that left Amber and Joe facing $30,000 AUD (15,700) in repairs.

The couple have now installed baby locks across their house to prevent Eve from causing any further havoc.

But as video and photos show, Eve doesnt appear to show any remorse for her actions. A classic cat.

Amber, a 22-year-old student, said: My husband and I went to bed at about 10pm and we had put Eve in the laundry room to sleep, as we have done for the past year.

Around 6am the next morning Joe woke up for work, he went out of our room to get his uniform and was greeted by water almost at our front door.

He quickly went to find the source of where it was coming from and found Eve on top of the washing machine with the laundry tap on full blast and the tap had been been pushed so that it was looking directly at the ground.

We knew it was Eve straight away because she is always causing havoc and playing with things because the Bengal in her makes her super curious.

We then had to call up Joes work and my uni to inform them we wouldnt be in today as we dealt with the aftermath of Eve.

After calling local tradesmen and their insurance company, the pair quickly found out just how much damage their little cat had done.

Amber said: We hired a flood emergency services team.

It took the whole day for them to dry the house as they had to suck up as much excess water as possible, rip up our floor boards and some of our carpet and placed 30 different dryers and humidifiers in the house which stayed there for seven days and made our electricity bill sky rocket.

But we had only moved into our new house three months prior, so we did whatever we had to to save it.

It cost $16,100 to dry the house out, $10,000 to replace all of our brand new carpeting and wooden flooring, $1,000 in electricity bills from having the dryers and humidifiers running all day for seven days.

The team who restored our house said it was between $30-$40k worth of damage.

To make sure this doesnt happen again we bought child safety locks and we arent letting Eve into the laundry room anymore.

We bought her an outdoor enclosure with access to the garage and only let them roam the house when someone is home and awake!

Do you have a cat thats naughtier than Eve? Get in touch to share their story by emailing MetroLifestyleTeam@Metro.co.uk.

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Cat causes over 15,000 worth of damage in owners' house - Metro.co.uk

Tommy Joyce is no cinephile. The last movie he saw in a theater was the remake of True Grit nearly a decade ago. "I'd rather watch squirrels run in the woods" than sit through most of what appears on the big screen, he said.

But there's a film that opened Dec. 5 at the Regal Cinemas at Grand Central Mall that's attracting a lot of attention in his community. Dark Waters a legal thriller starring Mark Ruffalo, with a script inspired by a 2016 New York Times article tells the epic story of the DuPont corporation's failure to inform residents of the Mid-Ohio Valley of the considerable health risks of a perfluoroalkyl substance [PFAS] called perfluorooctanoic acid, or C8, for its chain of eight carbons.

The chemical was used in DuPont's production of Teflon and other household products at its Washington Works facility just outside Parkersburg, along the Ohio River. C8 is found in nonstick pans, waterproof clothing, stain-resistant carpets, microwave popcorn bags, fast-food wrappers and hundreds of other products. According to a 2007 study, C8 is in the blood of 99.7% of Americans. It's called a "forever chemical" because it never fully degrades.

DuPont had been aware since at least the 1960s that C8 was toxic in animals and since the 1970s that there were high concentrations of it in the blood of its factory workers. DuPont scientists were aware in the early 1990s of links to cancerous tumors from C8 exposure. But company executives failed to inform the Environmental Protection Agency [EPA] or the public.

Joyce graduated from Parkersburg High School in 1992, went off and earned three degrees and came home. He now serves as mayor of the city of Parkersburg population: 30,000.

Joyce said he's heard more about his community's long struggle with corporate environmental malfeasance in the past few weeks than in his previous two and a half years in office. He attributes this to the release of Dark Waters.

Even David-and-Goliath tales often have complicated backstories, and Joyce knows well that such is the case with Parkersburg and DuPont. "DuPont has been in the Ohio Valley for 70-plus years, and has been a tremendous employer," he said. "Without question, DuPont was the place to work in the Mid-Ohio Valley for a lot of years." Many of his classmates grew up in DuPont families.

Though Chemours, a spinoff company of DuPont, now operates the Washington Works plant, DuPont maintains a presence in the community. A DuPont spokesperson provided an overview of its financial and volunteer support initiatives and wrote that the company supports programs and organizations focused on revitalizing neighborhoods and enhancing quality of life; STEM-related initiatives in local schools; and "initiatives that help protect the environment through clean-up or restoration efforts and allow for DuPont Washington Works to show we are a leader in minimizing our environmental footprint within the community."

Parkersburg, said Doug Higgs, is the kind of town where everybody knows everybody. Higgs graduated from Parkersburg High a year after Joyce, and Joyce's mother, Barbara, taught him Sunday school.

"Everybody knows everybody's business," Higgs said, but nobody talked about C8. It was a matter of "not wanting to bite the hand that fed you."

Well-paying jobs, great benefits, Little League sponsorships, investments in the arts but at a cost. The hand that fed did clench.

Higgs, now an emergency room physician living in Richmond, Virginia, recalls returning from road trips with his family asleep in the back seat, awakened as they approached home by the familiar waft of chemicals.

Two of the Higgs' most immediate neighbors died in their early 50s of renal cell cancer. Higgs' father has ulcerative colitis, and his brother received treatment for polycystic kidney disease in high school.

"We all have stories of friends and family, neighbors, dying too young or being diagnosed with various medical problems," Higgs said.

He knows, of course, the distinction between correlation and causation. But the high incidence of a range of diseases has staggered this community. It's unfair, Higgs said, that a community should have to perpetually ask what exactly it has been exposed to, and where and when the consequences will end.

The Old 'Hey-Look-Over-Here'

DuPont's own documentation specified that C8 was not to be flushed into surface waters, but the company did so for decades. The chemical seeped into the water supplies of the communities of Lubeck and Little Hocking, immediately west of Parkersburg, and the city of Belpre, Ohio, just across the river; and three other water systems.

In 2004, DuPont paid $70 million in a class-action lawsuit and agreed to install filtration plants in the affected water districts. In 2005, it reached a $16.5 million settlement with the EPA for violations of the Toxic Substances Control Act.

A collective decision was made to use the money won in the class-action suit to conduct an epidemiological study in which nearly 70,000 of the 80,000 plaintiffs stopped into one of six clinics set up throughout the community, provided their medical histories and offered their blood. They were each paid $400.

A science panel, comprised of public health scientists appointed by DuPont and lawyers representing the community, was convened to examine the immense database. In 2012, after seven years of study, the panel released a report documenting a probable link between C8 and six conditions: testicular cancer, kidney cancer, thyroid disease, ulcerative colitis, pregnancy-induced hypertension and high cholesterol.

In 2015, DuPont spun off its chemical division into a new company called Chemours, which now occupies the Washington Works facility on the Ohio. In 2017, DuPont and Chemours agreed to pay $671 million to settle some 3,500 pending lawsuits.

"You grew up with the fear of DuPont leaving town," said Ben Hawkins. Hawkins was student body president of the Parkersburg High class of 1993. He remembers DuPont's participation in his school's Partners in Education program and riding in parades on DuPont-sponsored floats.

Among Hawkins' classmates who have been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer was Mike Cox, a local dentist. Cox, Hawkins and Higgs were among a pack of guys who ran together in high school and stayed close after. Cox was a big Ozzy Osbourne fan, and after a grueling regimen of chemo, Hawkins helped arrange backstage passes to a concert, where Osbourne pulled Cox near and shared his own family's experience with cancer. Post-diagnosis, Cox had begun performing stand-up comedy routines that incorporated flute solos. He died Jan. 28, 2017, at the age of 41, a father of three.

Hawkins, who now lives in the Washington, D.C., area, views his Partners in Education experiences somewhat differently today: "It wasn't a partnership; it was a page from a public relations playbook. It was the old 'hey-look-over-here!' move to keep the Teflon dollars flowing into their bank account."

His classmate Beth Radmanesh has similar cynical recollections of DuPont's role in her childhood. Radmanesh grew up less than a mile from the Washington Works plant. Today, she has high cholesterol. Her dad suffers from discoid lupus, causing sores the size of 50-cent pieces on his forehead. Her brother has lupus and had colon cancer, and her sister-in-law has also been diagnosed with lupus.

But Radmanesh said her mom is a proponent of bringing another controversial industry to the valley: fracking for natural gas. "I said to her, 'We've already had our water contaminated once. Do you want your water [to be] flammable? Because that's what will happen.' " Her mom's response was, "'Oh, Beth.' That's it. 'Oh, Beth.' "

A 'Weird Mix'

Joe and Darlene Kiger live just a few miles from where Radmanesh grew up. Joe, a physical education teacher, is now quite well known in the community for having raised awareness of the dangers of C8 called "the devil's piss" by some in local water supplies. He and his wife, Darlene, joined the class-action suit that was settled in 2004.

Darlene said that when she and Joe are out around town, "there are a lot of whispers behind your back. They don't know what to say." The experience has taken a toll "these people all looking at you as bringing this on them," Joe said but they've never considered leaving. "Why would you leave the fight?" he said. "What would it look like if we packed up?"

There's a lot, Joe said, that DuPont hasn't yet been held accountable for. Earlier this year, Chemours was cited by the EPA for the unregulated release of new chemical compounds from its West Virginia and North Carolina facilities. "I'm not done yet," Joe said.

Harry Deitzler served as a lead attorney, among others, in representing the Kigers and tens of thousands of others in the class-action suit. Deitzler was the architect of the decision to use the $70 million to conduct the study.

"Parkersburg adopted me in 1975," Deitzler said of his arrival in town. He'd come for a summer internship in the prosecuting attorney's office. The position didn't pay enough to cover his room and board, so he took a job in a bar called Friar Tuck's.

"By the end of the summer, the community was my family," Deitzler said. "I asked the prosecutor if he'd hire me as an assistant the next year, and he said, 'Sure; you'll get $6,000 a year.' And I said, 'That'll be great.'"

"Most people thought I was a recovering alcoholic because I never drank a beer, because I couldn't afford to buy one." Three years later, at 27, he was appointed as prosecuting attorney. "Such a wonderful, accepting community."

But, some three decades later, there was a price to pay for taking on DuPont.

"There was a misperception that we were trying to put DuPont out of business, and, of course, that was created intentionally by the people in Wilmington," Deitzler said, referring to DuPont's Delaware headquarters. "When you have a community of that size, and you've got several thousand people employed there, and multiply that by the families and their relatives it's very upsetting." Some folks were unsure of what to make of Deitzler.

Longtime resident Nancy Roettger characterizes the community's reaction to the revelation of what DuPont had done as a "weird mix."

"There were women that immediately went out and changed their frying pans," Roettger said. But a lot of those same people decided "that Harry Deitzler is a horrible person" for his role in exposing DuPont.

"It's like, they don't want that frying pan anymore," she said, "but they don't want anything negative, and they're very resentful of the people that stirred up the trouble."

Less Than Idyllic In Retrospect

Candace Jones, a neighbor and longtime friend of Roettger's, said she hates the perception that the community has been divided between the DuPonters and everyone else.

"We're a community and we all need each other," Jones said. "I think it's terrible, absolutely horrendous what happened because of decisions made for monetary gain. But I don't believe we can blame the everyday worker." Her father-in-law worked in the Teflon division. "He just went to work every day; he provided for [his family]."

Jones' friend Janet Ray's husband passed away 16 years ago from pancreatic cancer. He worked for BorgWarner, a manufacturing company on the river. There are about a dozen houses along Ray's street in Vienna, a Parkersburg suburb, "and I think just about every house during the time I've lived on the street has been affected by cancer."

Ray said she sometimes feels guilty, thinking that perhaps the livelihood her family has enjoyed as a result of her husband's employment might have caused health problems for others. "I certainly hope it didn't."

Tracy Danzey was raised in the quiet of Vienna, there with the Rays, the Joneses, the Higgs family. She now lives on the other side of the state, in West Virginia's Eastern Panhandle. Danzey was a competitive swimmer growing up. When not competing, "we were on the river we were playing in the creeks. I was always in the water."

"It's hard to look back at that time now and see it as idyllic," Danzey said.

At age 20, her thyroid began malfunctioning. Five years later, the socket of her hip shattered while running with her husband. She was diagnosed with an atypical form of bone cancer in her right hip. Her hip and leg had to be amputated; she underwent 18 months of high-dose chemotherapy.

Six leading pathologists from across the country were unable to identify the specific type of cancer. "They said it's very pathologically unusual." Research has indicated to Danzey, who's a nurse, that pathologically unusual cancers are not uncommonly associated with industrial poisonings.

Danzey's stepfather is retired from DuPont and her stepbrother works on the Teflon line. "Yes, it is complicated," her mother, Carolyn Tracewell, said. When her kids were growing up, when someone was hired at DuPont, "therewas a celebration" the good pay, the benefits, "and they did treat their employees well."

But "my heart hurts," Tracewell said, to think that her daughter's illnesses might be a consequence of all that.

Danzey said her mom "mostly just feels pain for me," worries about her stepson and is anxious about the future. Her stepfather wonders if one day his pension check will no longer arrive as a result of all the financial fallout.

None of them argue with Tracy about the source of her illnesses. "They know what happened." They allow her "to sit in this truth regardless of how it affects them." That means a lot.

Danzey is among those who believe that in regard to perceptions of DuPont in the Parkersburg community, there's a generational divide: Those in their 40s and younger tend to hold a less charitable view than baby boomers and their parents.

There likewise appears to be a generational divide in willingness to drink the water, despite the filtration installed as a result of the settlement.

On the September Saturday afternoon of the annual Parkersburg Paddlefest, kayaker Travis Hewitt, 31, stood ashore of the point where the Ohio meets the Little Kanawha and said that few people he knows truly believe the water's safe. Sure, he paddles in it, but "I try not to get it on me" and never swims in it. He has a filter installed in his kitchen.

Home

Tommy Joyce, the mayor of Parkersburg, is bullish on West Virginia: "We've got enough coal to light the world, gas to heat the world and brains to run the world."

Fellow Parkersburg High grad Brian Flinn, an engineer, worked for DuPont for eight and a half years; he worked with the raw materials of Teflon. He's seen both sides. He's heard, "If DuPont leaves, we're done. This area will be like most other towns in West Virginia; it'll collapse." He's also aware of the inherent dangers in living within the shadow of the chemical industry. So the sentiment goes, he said, "You take the good with the bad, right?"

But Danzey is unwilling. "I love West Virginia," she said. "I really do. I love this state. I don't want to be anywhere else." But she wants better for West Virginians. Industries come into their communities, do well for a while, "screw up the environment and then leave."

"It's time for something new in West Virginia," she said. "It's time for us to expect more."

Pondering that future keeps Ben Hawkins up at night. "What's next? What's next for the community, and where does this end? Or does it? What sort of positivity can come to that community? They need it and they deserve it."

Hawkins asks this: Think about how loyal the people of the Parkersburg community have been to DuPont. What if they had the opportunity to extend that same loyalty to a company that's equally invested in the economic, physical and emotional health of the community?

"That's home and always will be home," Hawkins said of Parkersburg. "We came from that community and that community did a lot to shape us. We all want the best for that community whatever form that can take."

Taylor Sisk, a Nashville-based healthcare reporter, authored this story for 100 Days in Appalachia. He can be reached at wtsisk1@gmail.com.

Good River: Stories of the Ohio is a series about the environment, economy and culture of the Ohio River watershed, produced by seven nonprofit newsrooms. To see more, please visit ohiowatershed.org

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DuPont, C8 Contamination And The Community Left To Grapple With The Consequences - WVXU