"You're one of my best friends," Teresa Giudice tells Jacqueline Laurita, then amends: "Actually, you're my best friend." Teresa Giudice is the kind of person who would say this to anyone when she thinks it'll manipulate them into doing or feeling something, which is arguably the worst kind of person there is. Beneath her many Matryoshka-doll-style layers of denial and use of Italian "old-schoolery" as an excuse for various transgressions, Teresa Giudice knows exactly what the fuck's up.

Bankruptcy be damned, Joe "'Roid" Giudice is busy ripping out concrete around the backyard, planning to build a garage (with a chandelier in it) and a house expansion. They plan on housing Tre's parents in this new hutch, which upsets Joe Gorga. The Giudice kids peer into the hole ripped into the ground by their father. "Look, frogs!" cries Milania. "Those frogs are gonna be dead," mutters Joe. This is like the beginning ofFern Gully.

Caroline throws some judgmental side-eye when Lauren orders the fruit cup (God forbid) instead of snorting egg whites or whatever every time her body requires actual sustenance. Lauren defends herself, and, amid the sea of putdowns and condescension that Lauren's had to put up with her whole life, Caroline gives her a rare nugget of image-positive understanding along the lines of: be happy, be healthy, be yourself. Then she calls Lauren a "chunk-a-munk." Jesus. Two steps forward, one step back. Also, if Albie and Chris are "the good-looking ones" anywhere besides hell or the DMV, I will eat my own hand.

Jacqueline Skypes with Ashley's dad, who looks exactly like every other man on this show. Surprise! Their little bundle of joy (and extensions, dyed ombr with Nyquil) is causing the same old problems and he's kicking her the fuck out. Jacqueline, who seems to have expected this for some time, slurps her Bailey's-spiked coffee with chagrin. Will Ashley be returning to Franklin Lakes?

Albie, Chris, Greg, and Lauren lie around on the leather sofas that doubtlessly fell off the backs of trucks, waiting out a dreary rainstorm in Hoboken, and order a big fucking pizza that Lauren barely looks at. She goes straight for her pepperoni-covered salad. The boys, devouring "heart attack in a bun" calzones, continue to bust poor Lauren's balls about her diet. "Nothing tastes as good as skinny feels," she sighs. "At least, that's what I tell myself." Because a mantra coined by Kate Moss is bound to be healthy, amirite? AMIRITE, LADIES? As they chow down, they wonder about the whereabouts of Big Mama Manzo. "Has she tweeted yet? That's how you know she's alive." (Sample tweet, recited sardonically by Lauren: Good Morning Sunshine! let a smile be your style today :)") They check if she's alive by calling her, waiting for her to say "Hello," and hanging up.

Aside from instigating ratings-raising fights, it is a complete mystery to me why the Wives continue following Tre's various tabloid exploits, since they clearly upset everyone and mean virtually nothing in the scheme of things. This week's rags report that Tre withheld $250,000 advance for her cookbook and, like Joe Giudice, might spend some time in the clink. Jacqueline is reaching the end of her rope (which, thanks to Ashley, we know is long enough to circle the Earth twice) with Tre's tabloid exploits because she lies to everyone's face about them.

Prison has no tanning beds, so Joe and Tre would not like prison. They meet with their lawyer James Kridel to discuss their options. "I guess God puts you through tests in life, and if anything, this bankruptcy made us stronger," Tre tellsProfessional Attorney Whose Bookshelves of Law Tomes in the Background Are Definitely Not Made of CardboardJames Kridel. He does not even rearrange his face to reflect that he's listening to her. (Fucks Given: 0.)

Kathy and Melissa are thick as thieves. While their husbands are off at the Yankees game, they talk about the newest tabloid (of course), but, to be honest, it's sort of unclear why everyone is so pissed this time. For once, Tre's not slamming the other women only building additions to her house while juxtaposing rumors of bankruptcy and prison to the gossip rags. I hate to say it, but I sort of understand where Tre's coming from this week (I know). She's not hurting anyone this time, and the women mostly seem fixated about how the Giudices' wanton spending and lifestyle is "wrong" or "inappropriate," and it's kind of judgmental to gang up on people about how they spend their money. Not that Tre isn't a catty, backstabbing, manipulative crazy person every single episode, of course.

Kathy refers to herself as "a ping-pong ball of emotions."

Concerned, Jacqueline confronts Teresa about the possibility of going to prison, and she flatly denies anything. "I'll give you my attorney's number," she says. "I want to hear it from you!" cries Jacqueline, frustrated, but there's no getting through to Teresa especially on the subjects of (a) Joe Giudice and (b) money, which are inexorably linked at this point. The additions to the house are brought up, and Tre passive-aggressively downplays them("No closet"), but loses the tiny scrap of credibility she may have had in this argument riiiiight about here: "I don't sell articles to the press."

See the rest here:
The Real Housewives of NJ Recap: Hekyll and Jive

Bids for another phase of renovations to the Prairie Capital Convention Center will be opened June 28.

That third phase, expected to cost $2 million to $2.5 million, will include concession stand demolition and rebuilding on the main floor; demolition of mezzanine-level bathrooms to be replaced by larger ones; addition of wheelchair seating areas on the mezzanine; and some electrical and water pipe work.

Brian Oaks, general manager of the building, said the work will also include significant painting on the main floor, to replace all the blue and raspberry around for years with more neutral tones.

Bidding contractors will be asked for a base price for much of the work, but also separate estimates for three additional elements that can be included in the third phase. One is to polish the main floor concrete, which Oaks said would be an advanced selling point for convention business. The other optional elements are to install enhanced flooring in new concession areas and to update all four, instead of just two, mezzanine bathroom areas.

The full cost of the renovation is expected to be $16.2 million, including $5 million from the city of Springfields tax-increment financing fund; $4 million the center has received from the state; and $5.2 million in bonds already sold by the center. The rest of the funding could come from more bond sales or sponsorships that could include naming rights.

Outside work

While work has been progressing for nearly a year, Oaks noted that most of it has been inside the building. But now workers are expanding the driveway and loading-dock area along Ninth Street to create more room for additional buses or service personnel. Concrete pillars there will get a brick faade, and along with iron fencing, will provide better security. Some landscaping will also be added.

We want to make that side of the facility more attractive, he said.

Major work that the public will notice is expected to come in a fourth phase that should start in October. It will take more than a year and will include a major expansion of the lobby, additions of main hall bathrooms, completion of lower-level meeting room updates, and construction of north and south food courts.

That phase, Oaks said, will create the biggest headaches in working around events

Excerpt from:
Bids to be opened June 28 for more work at PCCC

15. Juni 2012 - 22:17 Uhr

Klassische Formel-Fahrzeuge in rFactor 2 von Image Space Inc.

ISI

(MST/Speedmaniacs.de) - Fr die PC-Rennsimulation rFactor 2 von Image Space Inc. die sich gegenwrtig im Open-Betastatus befindet steht eine neue Version zur Verfgung. Die als Update 5 bezeichnete Aktualisierung auf das Build 90 umfasst diverse Verbesserungen und Fehlerkorrekturen in den Bereichen Grafik, Gameplay, AI, UI, Multiplayer und Mod-Untersttzung. Einzelheiten dazu listet die Zusammenfassung am Artikelende auf.

Neben dem Build 90 haben die Entwickler auch die Strecke Brianza als eigenstndige Komponente fr rF2 verffentlicht und eine Aktualisierung der 1960er-Rennserie auf die Version 1.1 die nun auch den Brabham BT20 enthlt. Heruntergeladen werden knnen die einzelnen Dateien derzeit primr ber das rFactor 2-Beta-Forum. Spter sollen diese auch ber die in das Spiel integrierte automatische Aktualisierungsfunktion geladen werden knnen.

rFactor 2 Beta Build 90-Changelog: GRAPHICS: -Re-enabled HDR profiles for new .hdp files -Added bloom post effect -Further improvements to bloom post fx -Updated some polygon attribs to conform to API change -Shadow tuning -Set some shadow defaults -Tied haze density to fog density -Now adjusting air mass density for sky graphics -New base turbidity because of air mass density change

GAMEPLAY: -Added safetycar components -New internal combustion engine code work-in-progress -Added effect on torque from fuel-air mixture (not garage-configurable yet, but running out of fuel now works as it should) -Fixed running out of fuel with new engine code. -Allowed "NonRaceStartSector=1" GDB entry for tracks where the pitlane is between sector checkpoints 1 + 2.

AI: -Removed forcing lanes on restart phase for AI. -improvements on AI cars detecting his and other's relative motion along the line perpendicular to his current driving line.

UI: -vehicle + track lists working as an alternative to the spinner gizmo made options remember last car/track list/spinner state.

BUG FIXES: -Fixed crash that would sometimes happen when picking all cars + track mod -Made RFM/GDB entry "SafetyCarAvailable" work (again).

View original post here:
Games - rFactor 2: Beta-Build 90 für Simracer

Story and Photo by Cathy Cobbs

Something Special owners Grant Lorick and David Withers Theres something special happening on Main Street, and its making this business district the place to be.

With the latest newcomer, Something Special Florist moving to 1546 Main Street, the addition of several vendors to the areas, and the promise of more, the once-desolate streets are now filled with eager shoppers.

Most might think the coming of the Mast Store drove others to want to be part of Main Street, but Something Special coowner Grant Lorick said he had his eye on relocating from the St. Andrews area long before the first barrel of candy was moved into the general store.

We specialize in bridal flowers, and all our brides complained about the traffic in St. Andrews, said Lorick. We started looking at this long before the Mast opened, and everyone has found this location to be so much more accessible.

Grant brought me here kicking and screaming, and we were both very apprehensive, said co-owner David Withers. But it has been a great decision. We have had so much foot traffic.

They have many fans in the area including Clift Shealy who stopped by to congratulate the pair at the stores grand opening on June 7, held in conjunction with Main Streets First Thursday celebration that same day.

I truly think David is one of the most talented floral arrangers in the United States, Shealy said. You give him free reign, and he does incredible artistic arrangements for his clients.

Besides wedding and funeral arrangements, Something Special carries a large inventory of fresh flowers, tropicals, and plants as well as silk arrangements, gift baskets, candles, and decorative vases and containers.

Both Lorick and Withers say they are glad they made the move from their former location of 14 years, citing the revitalization of the area as an indication that better times are to come.

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Something Special comes to Main Street

The completion date of Powell Middle Schools new wing has been delayed, but will still be open in time for the 2012-13 school year.

Phase one of the two-phase project built by Groathouse Construction initially was scheduled to be finished June 14. The delay, due to an excess of moisture in the concrete foundation of the new construction, has pushed the completion date to July 9.

Originally, sheet vinyl was going to be laid around each kitchen station in the brand new family and consumer sciences room, but if the moisture cannot be removed in time, alternative flooring will have to be installed.

Any solution that we do thats other than whats in the drawings will cost us money, Todd Wilder, Park County School District No. 1 coordinator of support services, said.

Wilder said he hopes it doesnt have to come to that. He is currently working with CTA Architects Engineers to find a solution that wouldnt require deviating from the original plans.

Were waiting on the architects to decide what were going to do, PMS principal Jason Sleep said.

If the moisture issue cannot be resolved, the school district will need to request additional funds approximately $50,000 to change the flooring and complete the project in time for the school year, Wilder said.

We have a little bit of time, it just makes everybody nervous, he said.

Teachers report to school Aug. 14, and instruction begins Aug. 23. Wilder said district officials want everything done by Aug. 1 at the latest so school employees have time to move furniture and equipment to the new building.

If we have the time, well exchange the time for the increased cost, Wilder said. If we start running out of time, then well have to ask the state for the extra money to change floor type.

The rest is here:
Middle school construction delayed, still successful

Marking the ceremonial start of a comprehensive facilities construction project, representatives of Crawford Electric broke ground June 7 on the co-ops 60-acre campus along Interstate 44 just east of Bourbon.

Since late May, extensive dirt work and site preparation have been under way on the $10.4 million project.

The 67,000-square-foot facility will include a new operations building, vehicle storage facility and warehouse. The project is expected to be finished by late spring 2013.

The project is moving forward after years of consideration and 20 months of intensive planning, which were focused on creating comprehensive facilities to better serve co-op members.

Dan Blesi, Crawford Electrics general manager and CEO, said now is the best time to address the co-ops facilities needs.

The functional deficiencies and issues with the conditions of the current facilities require attention, Blesi said.

Officials noted that hundred of thousands of dollars of co-op assets (vehicles and line material) are currently stored outside. An additional 38,000 square feet of warehouse and garage space is required to adequately secure these assets.

Additionally, the existing warehouse, garage and materials loading areas cannot effectively handle the huge line of trucks utilized.

There also is a lack of appropriately constructed and located facilities which hamper the ability of linemen and operations personnel to respond to power outage emergencies.

Operations are currently housed in a building that is 60 years old, that is undersized by 5,500 square feet, that is a hodgepodge of years of additions and renovations, and that lacks the capacity for further expansion and technological upgrades.

Read more:
Crawford Electric Breaks Ground on New Buildings

Ah, the sweet sounds of summer: hammering, sawing, digging, demolition. Well, theyre not sweet exactly, but certainly familiar to anyone who lives in one of Canadas larger cities. With real estate prices in a state of flux, it seems everyone is eager to spruce up what theyve got and hopefully be rewarded with an increase in property value. However, as we know, not all renovations are created equal. Just because youre sinking the money into your home doesnt mean youll see a return on your investment. And just about everyone has an opinion on what you should and shouldnt be tearing out.

I came across a handy-dandy online tool offered by the Appraisal Institute of Canada, which can help you determine how much of a return you can expect to get out of your home renovation. (The AIC is a self-regulating professional association and the largest property valuation organization in Canada, with 4,800 members in Canada and around the world.)

Choose a reno, plug in your expected cost, and it will tell you how much of your investment you can expect to get back. For example, if you spend $25,000 on a kitchen reno you are likely to get 75 to 100 per cent of that investment back when you sell, or $18,800 to $25,000.

Clearly, these are general guidelines, not hard and fast rules, and how much you spend will affect how much you get back. If you blow $70,000 on a fabulous bathroom job in a house thats only worth double that, youre unlikely to ever see a dime of that money again. In addition, choosing a renovation should be about more than just return on investment it is your home, after all, and any work you do should also be for your enjoyment. But if youre mulling over one job versus another and youre looking to sell soon, it might be prudent to go for the basement reno over the swimming pool (see below).

Some of the big winners are obvious (bathroom and kitchen renovations appear to give the biggest bang for your buck), but there were others that were more surprising to me (only 25 to 50 per cent return on landscaping? Say it aint so).

Heres a look at the return on investment you can expect from 25 of the most popular home renovations, according to the Appraisal Institute of Canada:

Bathroom and kitchen renovations are the real winners, providing a return on investment of about 75 to100 per cent, followed closely by exterior or interior painting at 50 to 100 per cent.

Other safe bets include basement renovation, garage construction, window/door replacement, rec room additions and fireplace installation, which return about 50 to 75 per cent, as do exterior siding and upgrades to flooring or furnace/heating systems.

You can expect a slightly lower return on investment (25 to 75 per cent) with concrete paving and roof shingle replacement, as well as installing central air conditioning or building a deck.

The lowest return on investment comes from landscaping, asphalt paving, building a fence or interlocking brick walkways, or even installing a home theatre room, which all return about 25 to 50 per cent. The home renovations that are least likely to increase property value are skylights, whirlpool tubs and swimming pools, which return between 0 and 25 per cent.

More here:
How much do you think you’ll get back for that reno?

Preserve, renovate or demolish: It's a recurring dilemma in South Florida, where development and history often collide.

While some view historic buildings as treasures, other see them as obstacles to something grander. Boynton Beach is just the latest community to enter the fray after it opted to spare a 1927 high school and put it to new commercial use.

Now the architect's bold design, calling for two-story glass additions, is giving city officials pause.

"Often this type of renovation comes into controversy," said Juan Contin, the Lake Worth architect chosen to rehabilitate the building.

The line between adaptive reuse, which demands modernizing renovations, and historic preservation is a blurry one.

In Hollywood, for example, developers want to partially demolish the 1920s-era Great Southern Hotel and build a 19-story condo tower. Two sides of the building's facade would remain, but 229 apartments would shoot up from behind it.

Commissioners approved the project over outcry from the preservation community.

"It's not historic preservation. It's not adaptive reuse. It's gone," said advocate Sara Case.

In Fort Lauderdale , preservationists are fighting plans to build a parking garage around aCoca-Cola bottling plant built in 1938. That building is one of 11 endangered sites identified by the Florida Trust for Historic Preservation.

"You would not even recognize or see or distinguish the Coca-Cola plant from what was being proposed to build around it," said activist Steven Glassman.

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Restoration of old Boynton school sets off architecture debate

Preserve, renovate or demolish: It's a recurring dilemma in South Florida, where development and history often collide.

While some view historic buildings as treasures, other see them as obstacles to something grander. Boynton Beach is just the latest community to enter the fray after it opted to spare a 1927 high school and put it to new commercial use.

Now the architect's bold design, calling for two-story glass additions, is giving city officials pause.

"Often this type of renovation comes into controversy," said Juan Contin, the Lake Worth architect chosen to rehabilitate the building.

The line between adaptive reuse, which demands modernizing renovations, and historic preservation is a blurry one.

In Hollywood, for example, developers want to partially demolish the 1920s-era Great Southern Hotel and build a 19-story condo tower. Two sides of the building's facade would remain, but 229 apartments would shoot up from behind it.

Commissioners approved the project over outcry from the preservation community.

"It's not historic preservation. It's not adaptive reuse. It's gone," said advocate Sara Case.

In Fort Lauderdale , preservationists are fighting plans to build a parking garage around aCoca-Cola bottling plant built in 1938. That building is one of 11 endangered sites identified by the Florida Trust for Historic Preservation.

"You would not even recognize or see or distinguish the Coca-Cola plant from what was being proposed to build around it," said activist Steven Glassman.

Read more here:
Restoration of old Boynton school sets off debate

BARRINGTON BARRINGTON ZONING BOARD OF APPEALS BARRINGTON, RHODE ISLAND

PUBLIC NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN THAT A PUBLIC HEARING WILL BE HELD ON THURSDAY, JUNE 21, 2012 AT 7:00 P.M. IN THE TOWN COUNCIL CHAMBER

THE FOLLOWING APPLICATIONS WILL BE HEARD: Continuation of application #3671, Carol Bell, 39 Shore Drive, Barrington, RI 02806, applicant and owner, for permission to raise garage roof and add a small connec- tion between current residence and pro- posed modification; Assessors Plat 1, Lot 281, R-10 District, 296 Narragansett Avenue, Barrington, RI 02806, requiring dimensional relief for side yard setback, rear yard setback, exceeding lot coverage as well as for being within 100 of a wet- lands/waterbody.

Application #3673, Judy Chong, 41 Miller Street, Barrington, RI 02806, applicant and owner, for permission to replace exist- ing fence with a six-foot fence; Assessors Plat 29, Lot 75, R-10 District, 41 Miller Street, Barrington, RI 02806, requiring dimensional relief for fence height.

Application #3674, John and Susan Wood, 23 Brook Street, Barrington, RI 02806, applicants and owners, for permission to build a new front porch; Assessors Plat 12, Lot 287, R-10 District, 23 Brook Street, Barrington, RI 02806, requiring dimension- al relief for setback from Hope Court.

Application #3675, Amy and John Tomasi, 63 Lamson Road, Barrington, RI 02806, applicants and owners, for permission to construct second story and mudroom additions; Assessors Plat 34, Lot 150, R- 10 District, 63 Lamson Road, Barrington, RI 02806, requiring dimensional relief for front yard setback, side yard setback and for construction within 100 of a wetlands/waterbody.

All persons interested are invited to attend the meeting at said time and place to be heard thereon. You may obtain a copy of the applications from the Zoning Department, Barrington Town Hall, Monday - Friday, 8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.

The Town of Barrington will provide accommodations needed to ensure equal participation in all meetings. Please con- tact the Town Clerks office prior to the meeting so arrangements can be made to provide such assistance. A request for accommodations can be made in writing to 283 County Road or by calling 401-247- 1900, Ext. 301 (voice) or call 711 Relay if you are a TDY OR TDD user. The Barrington Town Hall, Barrington Public Library and Barrington Public Safety Building are accessible to the disabled.

June 6, 2012

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Barrington Zoning Board - 06/06