The East County Water Control District's (ECWCD) board of commissioners is expected to update a policy concerning unlawful construction of docks and other structures along the right-of- ways of Lehigh Acres canals and lakes.

David Lindsay, ECWCD manager, suggested that members of the public could also be named to a board to come up with what he called "remedies" to what is becoming a serious problem for the District.

And policies that dictate the removal of piers and decks through demolition are likely to cause some to object and others to cause problems that could endanger workers who will have to demolish structures on ECWCD's property along the canals and lakes, Lindsay said.

ECWCD staffers believe tempers may flare up when the public is told to tear down docks and decks built illegally on canals and lakes in Lehigh, Lindsay said.

The water control district, which has nothing to do with providing drinking water which is the responsibility of the utility, FGUA, is responsible for the stormwater drainage of Lehigh and to operate water control structures to prevent flooding during heavy rains and tropical storms and hurricanes through maintenance of the many canals.

Lindsay told board members last week that there are 45 docks, in all types of conditions , which have been built on the District's right-of-ways. On Able Canal, he said five docks and/or structures have been built. And on Lake Camille, there are 10 such docks and structures. He said there are structures that have been built by people who live on the canals at 35 other locations. A slide show was shown to the board and members of the public of some of the structures.

Structures, such as decks, observation decks and other types of structures have been built on a dozen canals in Lehigh.

Lindsay said the District has "issues with numerous docks and decks within our boundaries."

Even though property owners along canals and lakes can apply for a permit, for a majority of the structures, there have been no permits drawn and Lindsay offered that is time to evaluate its position on existing policies.

"Some people seem to think that if they are on a canal or lake, that they build on another's property," Lindsay said.

Link:
Docks, decks along canals may be demolished

The Headwaters Fund board approved a grant for a project aimed at convincing California residents to choose redwood over wood-plastic composite lumber when building decks.

Six members of the fund board awarded a three-year $750,000 grant -- $250,000 a year -- to the Humboldt Economic Development Division, which is working with the California Redwood Company and the Humboldt Redwood Company on the Forest Products Initiative marketing project. Board member Jackie Deuschle-Miller, a former Green Diamond Resource Company employee, recused herself.

The economic development division is sponsoring the grant and managing the project, said Jacqueline Debets, economic development coordinator and project manager. Under the grant's conditions, the board will review the project in two years and will have the option to withdraw funds.

The board overseeing the Headwaters Fund -- created by the county to utilize $22 million in state and federal funds given to offset the sale of the Headwaters Forest Reserve -- also required the economic development division and the two companies to give annual budget reports.

The California Redwood Company -- a subsidiary of Green Diamond Resource Company -- and the Humboldt Redwood Company will match the Headwaters grant by contributing another $750,000 toward the project cost, Debets said. The total project cost is estimated to be $1.5 million.

The goal is to increase the volume of redwood sales and thereby stop

The Forest Product Initiative will focus on redwood's durability and strength over composite lumber for use in decks, according to Carter Welch, vice president in marketing for the Humboldt Redwood Company. The marketing will be done primarily via 30-second television commercials. Welch said his company and the California Redwood Company plan to target men -- primarily ages 35 to 55 -- and will air the commercials during sports programs.

Both companies and the economics development division plan to gauge consumer response by doing a quantitative study after next year's building season, Welch said. He added that both companies conducted a study using 1,000 California residents on who would use composite lumber versus redwood lumber. After viewing the companies' video, more residents said they would use redwood lumber versus composite.

We'll constantly evaluate it and tweak it, he said, referring to the project.

California is the primary market for redwood, Debets said. Over the last 10 years, the composite lumber industry has grown and has waged an aggressive and successful marketing campaign against redwood. Up until now, redwood lumber manufacturers haven't responded, she said.

More:
Headwaters awards $750,000 for lumber marketing project; Forest Product Initiative seeks to promote redwood for decks

Monday, 26 March 2012 19:48

Another dimension for watching baseball games at South Alabama has been added to Stanky Field.

During spring break, South Alabama unveiled three new party decks in Right Field of Stanky Field, known as Jaguar Alley. These decks are free to students, and allow for several new things to do during game that were not previously available.

The decks are located in the outfield of Stanky Field, directly behind the Right Fielder, and provide a perfect view of the game from above the outfield fence. Fans can choose to watch the game from one of two levels on each deck, or from the ground and watch the game through the fence. Combined, the decks can hold 75 to 100 people.

Students are allowed to bring food, drinks, grills, chairs, tables, or whatever they want to the decks. They are also allowed to bring alcohol to games, as long as they are kept in a cup.

Fans may drive their vehicle carrying their supplies into the area behind Jaguar Alley and drop off their things before being asked to park in the Gamma parking lot behind the stadium. There will be shuttles that will bring you to the only gate that accesses Jaguar Alley, which is located behind the center field wall.

Athletic Director Dr. Joel Erdmann said that the decks were made with the students in mind, hoping the students will come out and bring a home-field advantage to Stanky Field that has lacked in previous years. Dr. Erdmann also talked of the possibility of adding additional parking to the Gamma cut-through.

The decks are in popular demand by different student associates, as they are available to be reserved for games. However, there will always be at least one deck open to the public. Space on the deck is on a first come, first serve basis. The decks are open rain or shine, and re-entry is allowed if you keep your ticket stub.

View post:
Deck addition equals home advantage

By Nancy McCleary Staff writer

By Nancy McCleary

The Fayetteville Cumberland County Crimestoppers, in an effort to solve cold-case homicides, has a few cards up its sleeve

Make that 260,000 cards, to be exact.

That's the number of playing cards in the 5,000 decks that Crimestoppers hopes will crack the unsolved cases.

Each card contains information and, when possible, photos about unsolved homicides in Fayetteville and Cumberland County.

"I had this goal about five years ago to do this as a project," said Duncan Hubbard, a past Crimestoppers president and current board member.

The cards were developed by Effective Playing Cards & Publications, a Florida-based company that began producing the cards in 2007, according to the company's website.

Part of the challenge of solving crimes is the transient nature of Fayetteville's population, Hubbard said. That's why he says the cards will be successful.

The decks will be given to inmates at the Cumberland County Detention Center, Hubbard said.

More:
Crimestopper program to put cold-case cards on the table

Process to begin from May 1; now candidates can exercise their choice by using Internet from anywhere

The Supreme Court on Friday permitted the Union Health Ministry to go ahead with online counselling from May 1 for filling postgraduate medical seats under the 50 per cent all-India quota in government colleges.

A Bench of Justices Deepak Verma and K.S. Radhakrishnan gave the nod for the Ministry's proposal after senior counsel Ashok Bhan explained the schedule. The entrance examination results were expected in a couple of days and personal counselling, which should commence on March 27 under the present system, could be dispensed with if online counselling was approved. If permitted, it could begin on May 1, counsel said.

A proposal for online counselling for undergraduate courses for 2012-13 would also be submitted to the court shortly.

Under the online system of seats allotment, candidates need not come to the counselling centre. He/she can exercise his/her choice by using Internet from anywhere. Even for the second and third counselling, he/she can follow the same procedure. The National Informatics Centre is making the online counselling process.

Under the online system, the college, subject and seats will be identified for the open category, the Scheduled Castes, the Scheduled Tribes, the Other Backward Classes and the physically handicapped. Identification will be done by arranging seats alphabetically, State-wise, college-wise, degree subjects and then PG diploma subjects.

In its application, the Health Ministry said that since the number of seats available under the all-India quota in both PG and undergraduate courses had increased over the years, it was not possible to complete counselling by personal appearance within the prescribed time limit. Further, the online system would benefit candidates, including physically challenged persons, girl students and their parents, who were now required to undertake a long journey.

At present, there was provision for two rounds of counselling. Under online counselling, there would be three rounds, ensuring that most of the seats were filled.

The Ministry sought the following modifications: Candidates, five times the number of seats available for allotment to all qualified aspirants, will be given chance to participate in online counselling; candidates will have the right to choose from seats available in a particular category without any restriction on the number of choices of course and college; each candidate will be given 10 days' joining time; the allotment made will be final; candidates who do not register for online allotment process during the notified dates or who do not fill up their choice, online, for allotment or those who do not join the allotted course/college within the stipulated time will forfeit their claim for a seat under the all-India quota scheme.

At the end of the counselling period, the vacant seats will be surrendered to the respective States.

View post:
Supreme Court clears decks for online counselling for PG medical seats

News 12 at 6 o'clock / Monday, March 19, 2012

AUGUSTA, Ga. -- If you build it, they will come. That is the idea behind a plan to build new dorms and parking decks at Augusta State University.

"Change will come," said Dr. Ricardo Azziz. "We can't continue to do the same thing that we have done before and expect new results."

Some agree with the plan.

"I think freshman dorms are a great idea," said Professor Steven Weiss who is convinced the move would attract more students. "Another advantage of student dormitories on campus is that they create a new kind of campus environment."

Sources tell News 12 the construction would be focused on the Walton Way campus along Arsenal Avenue. School leaders want to replace the surface parking.

"Initially I would say it is kind of a scary thought," said Mayor Pro Tem Joe Bowles who lives in the surrounding Summerville neighborhood. "It [at first]sounded like a crazy idea. My concern is there are a lot of homes that surround Augusta State and the impact on the property value if you build a parking deck right in somebody's backyard."

"This is a large parking deck and as you can see it is very well landscaped," said GHSU communication director Jack Evans. "This is actually one of the greener, better-looking parts of the GHSU campus."

Evans is also president of the Summerville Neighborhood Association.

"We don't want traffic flow problems," Evans said. "We don't want eyesores."

Read more here:
First On 12: Azziz to meet with Ripken Group, wants ASU dorms, parking decks

LAPU-LAPU CITY, Philippines Though still working to get back to his old shape, former WBO world super flyweight champion Marvin Sonsona pounded out a remarkable win Saturday night, staying on the right track in pursuit of another world crown.

Sonsona hit Dominican Republic's Carlos Fulgencio with a right cross then a left uppercut, sending the latter to the canvas in the fifth round of their scheduled 10-round non-title bout at the Hoops Dome here.

Fulgencio took time to recover but when he tried to get up at the count of nine, he was waived off by referee Tony Pesons to the cheers from the hometown crowd.

"I'm quicker now but still not yet in my old fighting shape. I think I'm just 70 percent back," said Sonsona after scoring a follow-up to his win over Mexican foe Carlos Jacobo last October.

"I will continue training. I'll really be serious in my comeback bid," added Sonsona, set to climb back to the ring in May before undergoing a rigid training in Sampson Lewkowicz camp in Oxnard, Californa.

Froilan Saludar pulled off a unanimous decision over Mexican challenger Alejandro Morales to retain his WBO world youth flyweight championship in the other main event of the Pinoy Knockout fight card presented by SGG Promotions, Sampson Boxing LLC and AKTV.

Mark Anthony Geraldo stripped Jerwin Ancajas of the WBO Asia-Pacific youth superflyweight championship while Adones Cabalquinto beat Dan Nazareno for the vacant Philippine junior welterweight title.

The Cabalquinto-Nazareno bout turned out to be the fight of the night as the two fierce warriors figured in a virtual brawl.

The fights will be replayed on AKTV tomorrow night.

Sonsona punished Fulgencio with body shots before sneaking in with his knockout combination to improve his fight record to 16 wins, one draw and one loss.

See original here:
Sonsona decks rival in 5th round

Julaton decks Marcos but loses title

By Joaquin Henson PhilBoxing.com Sun, 18 Mar 2012

MANILA, Philippines - Unable to cope with the work rate of a volume puncher, Ana (The Hurricane) Julaton failed to capitalize on an early knockdown and yielded her WBO female superbantamweight crown to hometown favorite Yesica (La Leona) Marcos via a unanimous 10-round decision at a jampacked Teatro Griego Juan Pablo Segundo in San Martin, Mendoza, Argentina, Friday night (yesterday morning, Manila time).

Julaton scaled 122 pounds for the bout and Marcos, 120 3/4. Referee Roberto Ramirez Sr., a Puerto Rican, and the three judges Cesar Ramos and Jose Roberto Torres of Puerto Rico and Ignacio Robles of Panama came from neutral countries but their Hispanic bias was evident. Ramirez slapped a point deduction on Julaton in the fifth round despite only one prior warning and curtailed the Fil-Ams momentum. In the end, the judges scorecards reflected a one-sided fight that wasnt nearly as indicated. Ramos and Robles had it 98-92 while Torres, 98-91, all for Marcos.

While Marcos deserved the win, the margin of difference in the scorecards was a shocker. The Star scored it 95-93 for the Argentinian.

Marcos began the bout shooting from the hip in a rip-roaring start that had the big crowd cheering lustily. Julaton tried to take the initiative by coming forward but Marcos countered with precision. Fending off Julaton, Marcos pushed her down and Ramirez ruled a slip. In the second round, Julaton landed two left hooks on the jaw and floored Marcos for a mandatory eight-count. Towards the end of the round, it was Marcos flailing away and pressuring Julaton. In a major adjustment, Julaton opened the third round keeping Marcos at bay with her left jab. Instead of charging in, Julaton stayed a safe distance away to take advantage of her length. Marcos had no antidote for Julatons strategic switch and didnt turn the tide until the fifth when Ramirez docked a point from the champion for a low blow.

Asked for his opinion, Filipino referee Danrex Tapdasan said Ramirez deduction seemed to be premature. There is no hard and fast rule as to when to slap a deduction but the most common practice is you deduct on the third infraction. It is of course upon the referees discretion. Usually, a referee gives two soft warnings before a hard warning. A lot has to do with how much damage is inflicted as in the case when a fighter has to be given time to recover from a low blow. The foul has to be damaging for the referee to order a point deduction.

Ramirez ordered a point off Julaton although the damage was inconsequential. Julatons body attack was stymied because of Ramirez intervention.

Marcos, turning up the heat a notch, went on to take the next three rounds as she repeatedly threw punches from all angles. Julaton parried a lot of the blows but couldnt keep up with Marcos work rate. For every punch that Julaton unleashed, Marcos retaliated with three or four. In the ninth, Julaton found the range with her right hand and kept pumping the left jab as Marcos slowed down. But in the final canto, Marcos was back in stride and never retreated in engaging Julaton in a furious finish.

Read more:
Julaton decks Marcos but loses title

AKRON Its amazing how things can change over the course of two weeks.

When Elyria and Medina met on Feb. 17, there was nothing notable on the line in Northeast Ohio Conference Valley Division game.

Medinas Logan Winkler drives against Firesonte in a Division I District title game. (GAZETTE PHOTO BY RON SCHWANE)

The Bees got revenge for a 78-66 January loss with a 55-46 decision to tie the Pioneers for oh-so-meaningless fourth place, but stumbled into the postseason with a loss to doormat Strongsville.

Meanwhile, the Pioneers had a little but not much momentum after hanging tough in an eight-point loss to Garfield Heights.

Flash forward one month and the stakes couldnt be much higher for two schools whose identities have changed drastically.

Medina (9-15) and Elyria (14-9) will clash tonight in an unlikely Division I regional semifinal at the University of Akrons James A. Rhodes Arena, the high school home of LeBron James. The winner will face Toledo Whitmer, which handed Norwalk its first loss of the season, on Saturday for a ticket to Columbus.

Youre going to see two different ball teams than what you saw in the regular season, Bees coach Anthony Stacey said. Were playing with so much more confidence and our defense has been so much better here the last few weeks. We havent given up a 20-point quarter since Strongsville in the first quarter. Our defense has been really, really good.

The Bees have been transformed with the return of Michigan State recruit Kenny Kaminski, while the emergence of Isaiah Walton has given the Pioneers a third wheel to complement sweet-shooting Kody Bender and center Anthoni Horton.

Theyre really athletic and they can rebound the ball really well, Billy Geschke said. We need good transition defense. They get down the floor really quickly they have quick guards and the big men you have to box out on a lot. Our offense will go through our defense.

The rest is here:
Boys basketball: Bees, Pioneers are now playing with full decks

Some of the most beautiful wood decks are those constructed out of IPE and other Brazilian Hardwoods. These exotic woods have unique grain patterns and are extremely durable. Like other wood surfaces, exotic hardwoods like IPE need to be protected with a wood stain or sealer. Because the wood is very dense in nature, the key to a lasting finish on a hardwood deck is using a deck stain that will penetrate deep enough.

Rochester Hills, MI (PRWEB) March 12, 2012

New to the Sealer Store is IPE Oil Hardwood Finish. IPE Oil offers deep penetration into extremely dense hardwoods to help protect from water and UV damage. Its exceptional penetration enhances the wood's natural grain and beauty while providing a barrier of protection reducing the chance of warping and cracking.

IPE Oil Hardwood Deck Finish can be used on many types of wood such as IPE, tigerwood, cumaru, and other hardwood decking, fences, railings, and wood siding surfaces. The semi-transparent oil based formula is VOC compliant and can be used in all 50 states.

The process is simply cleaning the wood and allowing it to dry, applying the IPE Oil Finish, wiping any excess stain off the surface, then letting IPE Oil Stain do the rest. It protects and conditions the wood while allowing it to maintain a completely natural appearance. It's the perfect hardwood stain formula for preserving the natural wood grain while enhancing it at the same time.

Some hardwood deck stains fall short of their expectations, but like all the other stain products carried by The Sealer Store, consumers can be certain IPE Oil Hardwood Stain is a quality professional level hardwood deck stain that will give professional results.

For optimal protection of all hardwood decks, try using IPE Seal End Grain Sealer along with the IPE Oil Hardwood Finish. Protect the end cuts of all types of hardwood decking to prevent cracks and splits. IPE Oil Finish and End Grain Sealer are the perfect combination for protecting any exotic hardwood deck from weather and foot traffic for a long lasting finish.

Using inferior deck stains or ones that are not specifically designed for IPE and other exotic hardwoods can result in a lack of appearance and minimal protection. Don't let Mother Nature have her way with a exotic hardwood surfaces. Get maximum protection and professional results with IPE Oil Hardwood Finish.

The Sealer Store

1-866-856-3325 Email Information

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IPE Oil Hardwood Finish - Now Available at The Sealer Store