Knox County Building Inspector Roy Braden looks at decks differently than mostpeople. What he discovers often leaves him speechless.

Braden finds critical structural components missing from many decks in East Tennessee, such as joist hangers.

"Decks are the number one place where people are going to get injured," said Braden. "Usually, there are injures that are substantial injuries. My plea to people out there would be this: obtain a building permit. Require your contractor to get one."

The main problem, the inspector believes is homeowners eitherdon't know building permits are needed to build decks in many Tennessee municipalities or they don't care.

Braden said 90% of decks are built without a building permit, according to the International Code Council. The number of permits written for decks in Knox County each year is well under 100. Braden said it's hard for his department to fine homeowners since decks usually are built in backyards.

Prices for the paperwork are often based on deck size. In Knox County, if you get caught without the document you can face a double fee.

"They get their permit and they call for inspection. We make sure their footings are substantial, we make sure that the deck is attached to the house properly," Braden said while explaining the inspection process.

Mark Ward operates Archadeck of Knoxville. Thomas Liles owns The Deck Builder in Seymour. Both businessmen suggest their customers follow the proper process. They believe permits protect the homeowner.

"I think it ensures the homeowner they're getting a quality job," Ward said.

"They're going to have to fix what is not right and that could be a major job," said Liles.

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Knox inspector warns of dangerous decks

Perhaps it's the popularity of poker? Whatever it is, new decks of designer playing cards seem to be all the rage.The latest is 52 Aces edition 2 and with contributions from the likes of Eduardo Recife, Pale Horse, Matt W Moore, Gary Taxali, Seldon Hunt, Nathan Jurevicius and Molly Crabtree, it looks particularly impressive.

The project was co-ordinated by Marc Wnuck of the German publishing entity Zeixs. The first 52 Aces deck - entitled the Classic Edition - was released in 2009 won awards and sold out. "We know about the other decks, but they don't all have the quality ours has. We love poker and we wanted to create the best one," he says.

The Classic Edition led to loads of positive feedback, and through it Wnuck built up an array of contacts from around the world to call upon for the second one. The new deck will be released next month with a limited print run of 999 decks. It's the same concept, with a different package. "Why change a winning formula?" he says.

Chris Parks - aka Pale Horse - is based in St Petersburg, Florida, and created an image entitled Demon Cat for the project. "My work is heavily influenced by ancient civilizations, religion and various world cultures," he explains. "The Cat Demon piece I created for the seven of spades card was inspired by woodblock prints and evil spirits in Japanese mythology."

The upcoming edition of 52 Aces can pre-orderd here.

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52 Aces served

Two Dillon restaurants are prepping for summer, and angling for a little more business, with expansions.

Pug Ryan's Steakhouse and Brewery is putting the very final touches on its remodel, while the owners of Adriano's Bistro and Deli in Dillon are busy working on a new 130-foot deck.

It's probably one of the biggest views I've ever seen, Pug's owner Travis Holton said Thursday from his restaurant's newly built deck. The sun sets over Buffalo and Red mountains.

The new deck, which overlooks Lake Dillon Drive, has already been in use for a few weeks. Customers love it so far, and Holton absolutely expects the addition to bring in some extra revenue, especially when he opens the restaurant up for lunch later this month.

Inside, the entryway was expanded (and provides a bigger space to showplace business merchandise), the bathrooms are now larger and handicapped-accessible, a previously separate dining room was remodeled to open up to the bar, and brewing capacity is bigger. There are five new tanks, which will allow the business to make more beer and get its cans distributed to an expanded market. Brewers also now have the capacity to play around with seasonal brews, Holton said.

In the remodeled dining room, Holton said there's plenty of space for bands and dancing in front of two new windows, something he plans to focus more on in the future. There's not much of a music scene for residents around Dillon if people want to see a live band, they usually have to drive to Breckenridge, and then possibly drive back with a couple drinks in them, Holton said.

The Pug's expansion is the first project for the Dillon Urban Renewal Authority, a commission created to improve the town's center and encourage development.

The new addition is 17-feet wide, and while there will be plenty of regular dining (30 tables), it is meant to serve as a space for weddings. The middle of the deck will be perfect for an aisle, Ottoborgo said. Just adjacent to the deck, there will be a floor for music and dancing, benches, a fire pit, water fountain and a flower wall.

It's a one-stop shop for a wedding, Ottoborgo said. I'm hoping to bring more people into the Town of Dillon.

One hundred people at a wedding in Dillon means 100 people who need a hotel, Ottoborgo said. And, it could open up the door for other local businesses, like a flower shop. He's hoping to have it done by mid-June; if it's finished by July, there are already a few couples interested in holding weddings there this summer, he said.

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Two Dillon restaurants, two new summer decks

The Staples girls golf team upset previously undefeated Greenwich, 181-189 Wednesday at Longshore Golf Course.

Host Staples raised its record to 12-2. Greenwich dropped to 14-1.

Two days before their showdown with Greenwich, the Lady Wrecker senior captains, Kim Hynes, Sarah Ressler and Eliza Duvall practiced with Staples boys senior captains Austin Alieniello and Sam Shaffer Monday.

"The captains were very focused, and we knew before the match they were determined to win it," Staples girls coach Bob Byiteck said. "Sarah, Kim and Eliza were in their tournament mode, and they were ready to play the match. They treated it like it was an FCIAC and state tournament match."

Hynes said, "They [Alianiello and Shaffer] are a lot more competitive than us, and it helped us because Greenwich is very competitive. It was a nice practice."

The Lady Wreckers had to contend with Brooke Nethercott, who Byiteck said is one of the best high school girls golfers in the state. Nethercott is slated for the University of Hartford next year, and as expected, she led the Lady Cardinals by shooting a 39.

Greenwich's Alexandra Sazhin (40) was a stroke behind her teammate, but the Lady Cardinals' next score was over 50.

Staples, on the other hand, had four girls shoot in the 40s, which enabled the team to overtake Greenwich. Hynes led a well-rounded Lady Wrecker attack by shooting a 41 to finish two over par. She was one under par after the fourth hole with three pars and a birdie. The birdie came on the par-5 third hole by making a long putt.

"It took me awhile to get there, and I thought it would come either this week or next week," Hynes said. "I was very focused and took it one shot at a time."

Ressler and Chrissy Cantor both shot 46s.

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Staples decks previously undefeated Cards

Lucknow, May 11 : In pursuance of the party's election manifesto, the Samajwadi Party government in Uttar Pradesh today decided to give unemployment allowance to all those jobless who have passed high school and are in the age group of 30 to 40 years.

A decision to this effect was taken at the state cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav.

Nine lakh unemployed would be eligible to receive Rs 1000 per month as unemployment allowance which would incur an additional burden of approximately Rs 1113 crore on the state exchequer, an official spokesman said.

Only those unemployed would be eligible to receive the unemployment allowance whose annual income does not exceed Rs 36,000 and the annual income of their parents or in laws is less than Rs 1.50 lakh yearly.

Initially, the government had announced to distribute unemployment allowance to jobless above 18 years of age but today's cabinet meeting decided to limit it to the age group of 30-40. (UNI)

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Uttar Pradesh govt clears the decks for unemployment allowance

JARED NICOLL

A Picton boat designer's latest challenge has been to come up with heating to help stop pilots slipping overboard working on frosty decks along the Chinese coast.

Naiad Design equipped two pilot boats with pads to help them operate in one of the busiest ports in the world, Qingdao.

The company drew up the plans for China-based boat builders Aurora, under contract from Port Qingdao, which included heated plates around the outside to stop the decks from becoming dangerously slippery while pilots are ferried to and from ships.

The boats, worth $1.6 million each, are equipped with two Caterpillar C12 490 horsepower engines and can travel up to 50kmh.

They were launched at Qingdao Port, Shandong Province, eastern China, at the end of April.

Naiad Design co-director and chief designer Steve Schmidt said the port could be hit by extreme conditions and the boats needed to be quick enough to improve efficiency but safe enough to avoid people falling overboard.

Qingdao Port was one of the busiest in the world and the pilot boats were being introduced to speed up transit times between large ships and the dock, he said.

"They needed heated outside decks because the pilots have to go out to climb up the ladder to get to their ships.

"They get pretty severe conditions and a lot of water washes over the deck; sometimes it gets covered in ice."

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Decks made toasty

AP Former Maharashtra Chief Minister Ashok Chavan. File photo

With the Supreme Court giving its nod reopening the probe into non-filing of proper accounts of election expenditure, vis-?-vis paid news against the former Maharashtra Chief Minister Ashok Chavan, the Election Commission has fixed a fresh hearing for May 17.

Most probably the EC will decide to have a daily hearing as Chief Election Commissioner S.Y. Quraishi is demitting office on June 10, informed sources said.

The issue was first exposed by The Hindu. Campaign advertisements in support of Mr. Chavan, who contested from Bhokar in the October 13, 2009 Assembly poll, were issued in Hindi and Marathi newspapers, camouflaging them as news items. An Independent and BJP representatives have complained to the EC that Mr. Chavan had not included the money spent on such advertisements in his election expenditure accounts and thus violated the EC rules. On November 3, 2011, a Bench of Justices Altamas Kabir, S.S. Nijjar and J. Chelameswar temporarily stopped the EC from going into Mr. Chavan's poll account, following his appeal against a Delhi High Court order, which had allowed the probe.

However, on May 2 this year, a Bench of Justices Altamas Kabir and J. Chelameshwar said the EC could go ahead with the probe but the findings should not be made public.

The EC had begun proceedings against Mr. Chavan on April 2, 2011 on complaints that he had shown it a poll expenditure of merely Rs. 11,000 despite his having paid money to various newspapers for favourable coverage of his campaign.

Mr. Chavan challenged the EC action in the High Court, which, however, ruled that the Commission was well within its rights to probe his account.

The complainants, who sought disqualification of Mr. Chavan, referred to Chapter III and Section 10A of the Representation of the People Act, 1951. If the Election Commission is satisfied that a person has failed to lodge an account of election expenses within the time and in the manner required by or under this Act, and has no good reason or justification for the failure, the EC shall, by an order published in the Official Gazette, declare him disqualified. Any such person shall be disqualified for three years from the date of the order.

Mr. Chavan argued that there was no mention of his seeking votes in any of the advertisements. The election expenditure was submitted to the authority concerned in time and prima facie this was approved by the District Election Officer (Returning Officer). He had no role to play in the news stories, Mr. Chavan claimed.

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With SC clearing decks, EC to resume paid news probe against Chavan

COURTHOUSE A Phoenixville home-improvement contractor has admitted to deceiving his Upper Merion customers by falsely claiming to have the proper permits to build decks to their homes.

Joseph L. Brown, 49, of the 200 block of Carolina Avenue, pleaded guilty in Montgomery County Court to a misdemeanor charge of deceptive business practices in connection with his contact with two Upper Merion residents who hired him to build outdoor decks in 2010.

Judge Garrett D. Page deferred sentencing until a restitution hearing can be held. Brown, who remains free on bail pending sentencing, faces a possible maximum sentence of 2 to five years in prison on the charge.

This case involves a contractor who entered into an agreement with two different homeowners to build decks on their homes and the decks were not completed and construction was stopped because the proper permits were not in place, alleged Assistant District Attorney Bradford Richman.

Richman characterized the incidents as quality-of-life crimes because the victims spent their hard-earned money to invest in their homes and were duped.

Other charges of theft by deception and receiving stolen property are set to be dismissed against Brown, whom defense lawyer Daniel McCartney is representing, when he is sentenced.

An investigation began on May 24, 2010, when an Upper Merion building official got an anonymous complaint that decks were being built on homes in the Copper Mill Station development on Lawndale Avenue.

When building officials investigated the complaint, they saw a deck under construction at one home in the 200 block of Lawndale Avenue while a new deck ledger board was installed at a second nearby home, according to the criminal complaint that Upper Merion Det. Steven E. Geckle filed.

Inspection of the records indicated that no permits were applied for or issued for any construction at the properties, Geckle alleged in the arrest affidavit.

Township officials saw Brown working on one of the decks. When they asked him about the decks, he told them he was building them some friends, according to arrest documents. Township officials then stopped the jobs and instructed Brown to apply for permits and to provide the township with his contractor licensing information, according to the criminal complaint. Continued...

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Contractor admits to deceptive business practices in Upper Merion

Event kicks off outdoor eating season

Despite the steady rain, patrons enjoy lunch at The River House in Portsmouth on Friday as part of the Greater Portsmouth Chamber of Commerce's Hit the Decks day.Rich Beauchesne/rbeauchesne@seacoastonline.com

PORTSMOUTH A lack of sunshine did little to deter Seacoast residents from flocking to local dining establishments and merchants Friday on the second annual Hit the Decks day.

Despite the rainy weather, diners hit some of the indoor decks downtown, as well as several other restaurants taking part in the day.

Organized by the Greater Portsmouth Chamber of Commerce, Hit the Decks is considered to be the official opening of the decks and patios for eateries throughout the downtown.

Restaurants and business offered special deals to attract customers.

Although no one was on the outside deck of the Old Ferry Landing on Friday afternoon, owner Jack Blalock said the day was not a bust. Diners wandered in to take advantage of food and drink specials, he said.

"That's the nature of my business anyway," Blalock said.

Over at The River House, owner Peter Labrie was still able to offer outdoor seating thanks to a retractable roof on his upstairs and downstairs decks.

Labrie said the weather made little difference in the attitudes of his customers on Friday.

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Rain doesn't deter deck diners

Click photo to enlarge

The dining platform in front of Bistro 412 was fully operational for the Savor the Summit on Saturday, June 19, 2010. (Park Record File Photo)

Main Street restaurant owners and Park City Council members found common ground on charging for outdoor dining decks last week during a council meeting. City fees for restaurants to lease outdoor deck space during the summer months increased to $550 this year, up from last year's price of $310 to lease the space.

The 3-year-long pilot program started in 2010 with fewer than five decks, and now it is entering its third and final year, after which a more long-term proposal for the program will come forward. Nine businesses have applied for leases to build the decks, which are built out into the parking spaces on Main Street. Owners lease the space from the city each year, running through the summer.

This year the city is allowing outdoor dining from the beginning of May to the end of October, a longer window to match the increase in lease price.

Restaurant owners at last week's council meeting said that was where they took issue.

"We're being charged for a month that's not being used," said Kevin Valaika, owner of Shabu.

Many restaurants may not open the decks until the summer tourism season picks up toward the middle of the month, but they would still be required to pay the full amount of the lease for time they were not using. And once the decks are open, restaurants under the city program are required to serve lunch and dinner seven days of the week, a fact owners at the meeting said was a burden on their budgets.

Rather than pay the full amount, the city council worked out an agreement that owners could take off up to a month's worth of the rate if they choose to open outdoor dining later in the season or end 'deck season' early.

"We could charge for the time being used, with up to one month of forgiveness," said councilmember Liza Simpson, offering a solution to complaints.

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Outdoor dining on the way