HOFFMAN ESTATES, Ill., May 21, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Renewing its longstanding commitment to improving the lives of America's military families, Sears has launched its annual spring renovation campaign with Rebuilding Together, the nation's leading nonprofit working to preserve affordable homeownership. In the past five years, Sears Heroes at Home has raised more than $16 million and helped more than 62,000 families via Rebuilding Together. Now through July 28, Sears is encouraging Americans to give back and continue their efforts by donating funds to Heroes at Home at their local Sears store or via a link online at sears.com/heroesathome.

According to a recent survey conducted by Sears, nearly half of all Americans surveyed plan to volunteer, donate to a military-related cause, or thank a veteran this Patriot Season (Armed Forces Day, May 19, through Labor Day, Sept. 3)[i]. It's that spirit of appreciation that motivates hundreds of volunteers from Rebuilding Together and Sears to work in communities across America via the Heroes at Home program to address the urgent housing needs of veterans from past and present wars.

"As grateful Americans, we know the great sacrifices our military heroes make to protect our nation," said Ron Boire, Sears Holdings' executive vice president, chief merchandising officer and president, Sears and Kmart formats. "Sears' Heroes at Home program, teaming with Rebuilding Together, turns that spirit of appreciation into action that helps improve the lives of our veterans. We're proud to be marking five years and more than 1,100 rebuilt homes and owe this success to the generosity and dedication of our customers and associates."

Heroes at Home rebuilds vary in size and scope, but all strive to provide safe and accessible housing. Highlights of the 150 projects currently underway across the country include:

"We couldn't ask for better support than what we receive from Heroes at Home," said Gary Officer, president and CEO of Rebuilding Together. "Dollar-by-donated-dollar, hand-in-hand, we are able to make a difference in the lives of our veterans. We have the utmost respect for each and every American that serves our country, and providing them with a safe, accessible home that they can feel comfortable living in is our main priority."

In addition to working with Rebuilding Together to help veterans with home modifications, Sears has been recognized as one of the country's leading military employers. Sears currently employs more than 30,000 veterans, leading recruitment programs to place them in jobs within the organization as well as accommodations for their spouses who have relocated to be closer to them. The company also offers a military pay differential to its full-time associates who are reservists and serving on active duty, allowing each to continue participating in life insurance, medical and dental programs. Sears will also hold a comparable position for deployed employees for up to five years.

For more information about Heroes at Home, to make a donation and volunteer, visit http://www.sears.com/heroesathome.com.

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Sears celebra cinco años de Heroes at Home, más de 1,100 renovaciones de hogares de veteranos con Rebuilding Together

In an otherwise-well-kept Moline neighborhood, the house on the highly visible corner of 27th Street and 15th Avenue was an eyesore. It was in foreclosure, with trees growing next to the foundation and in the gutters, and a blue tarp was draped over the leaking roof.

Littered with debris and marred by mold, the for sale as-is home was more than a typical buyer would want to tackle.

But Shane Scott who makes a business of buying, fixing and reselling houses saw the otherwise-attractive 1930s bungalow as an opportunity. He bought the property and, with the help of three associates, restored it both inside and out over a four-month period in 2011.

Once it was finished, the home was certified mold-clear by RCM Laboratories Inc., a third-party mold-testing company in Moline, and it had a new roof, new windows, a new heating and air-conditioning system, a new kitchen and bathroom and new doors, trim and light fixtures.

In short, it was pretty much a new house.

Not only did the undertaking provide a home for a new family, but it also helped maintain the neighborhoods integrity.

In recognition of that important work, Scott and co-workers Heath Everson and Bob and Terry Cones received the Moline Preservation Societys neighborhood stabilization award in ceremo-nies held Wednesday at the Butterworth Center.

I live nearby and walk that area with my dog, and I was impressed with the work they did, said Tom Bracke, a member of the citys preservation commission. These guys made it a beautiful home again.

Eight other individuals or entities also were cited for preservation work at the event last week.

Rehabbing a way of life

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Group is lauded for restoration of historic 1930s bungalow

(CBS News) On a recent visit to Kew Palace in West London, CBS News learned a few things about one of the Queen Elizabeth II's ancestors by going through King George III's old home.

Special section: Queen's Diamond Jubilee

There are bigger and better-known royal palaces in Britain, such as Buckingham Palace - the Queen's London digs, and Kensington Palace where William and Kate will live and where Princess Diana lived between her divorce and her death. But the little palace at Kew in West London may provide a better glimpse of how the royals have lived through the ages. It's where beleaguered King George III lived more than 200 years ago - the King George who lost America to those uppity colonials.

A waxwork bust is all that remains of the poor king - no sign of the famous blood disorder that made him famously mad. But details of his troubled life have been discovered in the palace's kitchen.

Lee Prosser, curator of Historic Buildings, said the place was "absolutely full of junk" when his first visited the kitchen in 2001.

Because Kew Palace was abandoned by later royals, the Georgian kitchen block had become an untouched junk room. The kitchen has now been restored and is a window into the past.

One of its secrets is a tin bathtub for the King located in the kitchens where the hot water was.

"Wedged up right inside the chimney was a strange looking object, which turned out to be the bathtub," Prosser said. "George III, because he had bouts of illness, was prescribed baths as part of his treatment.

When CBS News visited three months ago, the kitchens were a construction site. These days, they reveal the latest modern appliances of the 1700s, including a bread oven, a barbecue that can handle a whole sheep and charcoal stoves that put out huge amounts of heat - whether you want them to or not.

Food historian Marc Meltonville has brought the kitchens to life, dressed in period garb and cooking period grub fit for a king.

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Mad King George III's tin bathtub unearthed in royal palace restoration

VINCENT, Alabama -- Realtor Judy Naugle mostly is interested in selling houses to the living, but for the past year, she has been focused on restoring the final home of one Vincent-area community's dead.

She and friend Anne Gibbons started last June on a project to clean up the cemetery that holds the remains of an important family in the area as well as the remains of slaves and freedmen, and those of early American Indian settlers.

Their efforts were rewarded most recently in late April when a historic marker was dedicated for what has been named the Bailey Cemetery. Last August, the site received a listing on the Alabama Register of Landmarks and Heritage.

The cemetery is on Shelby County 62 and is part of what is being called the Arkwright Heritage Area. "We believe there are one thousand graves in here," Naugle said. "This is a truly significant historical site."

The cemetery got its name from William Bailey, one of the first landowners in the area as well as a slave holder. His family -- including his three wives -- are buried in the cemetery.

One of Bailey's sons was friends with a slave boy about his age who lived on the Bailey property. While the local historians do not know at what point the young slave was freed, they do know that the son gave his friend several acres of land.

The freedman was successful to the point that he donated land for Evangel Temple Church.

"He lived the American dream," Naugle said.

The Alabama Society of Daughters of the American Colonists provided the marker for the dedication, which was attended by about 60 people.

Naugle and Gibbons formed the Vincent Historical and Environmental Society last June. "I needed a service project," she said.

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Historic Shelby graveyard restoration uncovers plots of settlers, slaves, Indians

CASTALIAN SPRINGS, Tenn. -

It has been four years since a tornado nearly destroyed the historic Wynnewood home in northern Sumner County.

The 19th century log structure took a direct hit in February 2008.

Thanks to a multi-million dollar reconstruction effort, the landmark is now gearing up for its grand reopening.

History buff Rick Hendrix oversaw the restoration. He got the job by showing up after the storm.

"All of the chimneys were knocked down. The whole entire roof structure was gone and the house had been shifted roughly five inches off of its foundation," Hendrix recalled of the damage.

"We had to do it in stages," he continued. "We first of all had to do the emergency stabilization of the house, get it back on its foundation [and] get it in the dry."

The damage wasn't contained to the exterior.

Hendrix said, "This door here blew open. That wall was gone. That chimney that's right behind here, like I said, it had collapsed and was out in the yard. A lot of the furniture was pulled out [and] sucked out in the storm."

Countless artifacts and furniture were scattered about. Workers salvaged, rebuilt and replaced lost items.

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Restoration of tornado-ravaged Wynnewood nears completion

A once bare and steep hillside in El Cerrito that used to attract hundreds of motorcycle riders and spectators in the 1920s is going to be the focus of a restoration project in coming weekends that will reopen a long lost path for hiking.

In El Cerrito's early days, the sparsely populated hillside around what is now Potrero Avenue and Blake Street was used for hill-climbing competitions by motorcycle clubs that proved to be a major draw.

You can see photos of those days -- and get an idea of how difficult the climb up Motorcycle Hill actually was -- online at http://bit.ly/KKXfs2 and http://bit.ly/LIDSoj.

According to Dave Weinstein of the group El Cerrito Trail Trekkers, the hill later had a trail that was popular in the 1970s but has "since been overgrown with Scotch broom (and some poison oak) and its route (has) become unclear."

The Trekkers plan to restore the trail at work parties May 19, when volunteers will meet between 7701 and 7705 Potrero Ave., and May 27, meeting at Blake and Navellier streets, to curtail the overgrowth and remove the invasive plants.

A final work party meeting at Blake and Navellier to actually reestablish the lost trail is set for June 2, which is National Trails Day.

The group will have some tools available for the work, or volunteers can bring their own.

"Once Motorcycle Hill Trail is restored, it will increase the length of the current route which can be followed through the

The Trail Trekkers was formed two years ago "to improve, promote and enjoy El Cerrito's wonderful system of public trails, steps and pathways."

To volunteer, contact Jenny Hammer at 510-524-1590 or jhammer13@earthlink.net.

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Chris Treadway: Restoration project planned for El Cerrito hillside

UNITED NATIONS Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said Wednesday the United Nations wants an immediate restoration of the ousted government in Guinea-Bissau, which was overthrown by the military last month.

He told the General Assembly that he asked the U.N. envoy in Guinea-Bissau to work closely with the African Union, the West African regional group ECOWAS, and the Community of Portuguese-speaking Countries to resolve the crisis.

"As international partners, we seek an immediate return to constitutional order," Ban said.

Guinea-Bissau was just weeks away from holding a presidential runoff election when soldiers attacked the front-runner's home and arrested him along with the country's interim president on April 12. No leader in nearly 40 years of independence has finished his time in office in Guinea-Bissau, a former Portuguese colony on Africa's western coast that has long been plagued by coups.

There are divisions among the key regional and international players on how to deal with the coup.

ECOWAS Commissioner Salamatu Hussaini-Suleiman, whose organization has taken the lead in mediating, told the Security Council on Monday that immediately restoring the constitutional order that existed before the coup could lead to civil war.

Following the coup, military leaders decided with 26 fringe parties to establish a National Transitional Council to rule the country for two years.

But ECOWAS the Economic Community of West African States rejected their agreement and instead demanded a 12-month transition that would include the coup leaders in key positions and culminate in a presidential election. ECOWAS leaders also authorized the deployment of a 600-strong standby force which Hussaini-Suleiman said "is imminent."

Guinea-Bissau's Foreign Minister Mamadu Saliu Djalo, who was out of the country when soldiers seized the presidency, warned the Security Council that the ECOWAS proposal may aggravate the country's problems and "legitimizes the coup d'etat by not endorsing the continuation of the electoral process for the second round of voting, nor the legitimate authorities serving until April 11."

He said the proposal goes against ECOWAS's "zero-tolerance" principle of coups.

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UN chief urges immediate restoration of government in Guinea-Bissau which was ousted in coup

Tinkernation Celebrates Why People Like to Tinker

INDIAN TRAIL, N.C.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Liquid Wrench announced today the launch of Tinkernation, an online editorial forum for and about Do-It-Yourself fanatics. The interactive site, found at Tinkernation.com, features stories from amateur and professional tinkerers around the country as they dive into DIY projects ranging from bicycle repair to home restoration.

There are plenty of good resources out there teaching HOW to build, repair and create but we couldnt find a forum dedicated to celebrating WHY. Tinkernation fills that void.

Tinkernation delivers fresh content weekly including a featured author; a story about ingenious or unique tinkering; answers to tough DIY questions; and a Weekend Challenge where readers submit stories about their first DIY project for a chance to win a prize.

The difference between Tinkernation and most other DIY blogs found on the Internet is its focus on the WHY behind DIY versus the HOW. In fact, many of the tinkerers featured on Tinkernation have blogs of their own, which Tinkernation encourages readers to follow.

Since we were founded in 1941, Liquid Wrench has gained a loyal following among people who are passionate about DIY, says Liquid Wrench Brand Manager Aaron Martin. There are plenty of good resources out there teaching HOW to build, repair and create but we couldnt find a forum dedicated to celebrating WHY. Tinkernation fills that void.

The first issue of Tinkernation features Joe Nocella, owner of 718 Cyclery, a Brooklyn bike shop whose unique approach to business put them on the map with a little help from the widely shared video called The Inverted Bike Shop. In addition to Joe, the inaugural team of featured authors and their blogs includes David Kramer, author of The Craftsman Bungalow; Cody Stringer, author of Cycle Like a Stringer; Heather, author of Just a Girl With a Hammer; Kristin Martin, author of Grease Girl; Mark Stoker of Pollys Parlour; Meryl Phillips, author of Picardy Project; and Tiffany, author of Camp 1899. The authors were found during an exhaustive online search of bloggers that were passionate about DIY in the auto/motorcycle/bicycle repair and restoration and home repair/restoration.

To follow Tinkernation, visit http://www.tinkernation.com.

About RSC

Headquartered in North Carolina for 88 years, Radiator Specialty Company is a leading producer of lubricants, chemicals and additives to the automotive, plumbing, hardware, industrial, appliance and export markets. LIQUID WRENCH, GUNK, MOTORMEDIC and TITE-SEAL are trademarks of RSC, 600 Radiator Road, Indian Trail, NC 28079, (866) WRENCH7 (866-973-6247), http://www.rscbrands.com.

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Liquid Wrench Launches Digital D.I.Y. Magazine

Restoration Hardware wants its new store in Bostons Back Bay to feature a company first: a restaurant furnished with its own products.

But the luxury home design chains plans, which call for an addition to the historic Museum of Natural History building at 234 Berkeley St., are meeting some resistance.

Restoration Hardware announced in September that it had leased the 1863 French Academic-style building most recently home for upscale clothier LouisBoston and would restore its original glory.

The restaurant, with its two gas fireplaces and chimneys, is proposed for the Boylston Street side of the building, in a basement-level addition designed in the style of 19th-century conservatory annexes, according to plans presented to the Back Bay Architectural Commission. The addition could be removed at a later date without compromising the building, according to the commission.

The operator would be Restoration Hardware, said Joseph P. Nevin Jr., principal at Bergmeyer Associates Inc. in Boston. This would be their first restaurant.

The commission has approved the restaurant in concept and the shape of the addition an arched entryway into a restaurant that sits at the sill line of the buildings windows. But it wants the company to look at alternate materials, preferably more glazed glass, for the structure thats now envisioned as a mix of glazed glass and black aluminum.

But the Neighborhood Association of the Back Bays Architecture Committee would prefer no addition at all.

(We) would prefer outdoor seating to the restaurant rather than having a structure in front of the building because its a significant historic building, said Susan Prindle, committee co-chairman.

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Restoration's fixing to serve food

CEDAR RAPIDS A restoration that is breathing new life into a historic pipe organ at Coe College took a major step forward last week, when the lungs of the instrument were reinstalled after a year of repair.

The airtight maze of metal ducts and two large turbines were installed in the new environmentally controlled blower room beneath the Sinclair Auditorium stage. The blower provides the air, or wind, that makes the sounds for the Skinner organ.

Doug Cornell from Climate Engineers checks the fit of segments of pipe as he works in the organ chamber in Sinclair Auditorium at Coe College. (Jim Slosiarek/The Gazette-KCRG)

This is the lungs of the colossus, said Jeff Weiler, a 1981 Coe graduate and organ curator based in Chicago who is leading the restoration. What this represents is the first major phase of a multiphase, multiyear project that will restore this instrument to its 1929 condition.

Its important for the college and the Cedar Rapids community to understand that they are home to one of the most important pipe organs in the world, Weiler said.

Its an enormous cultural asset, he said. Its iconic in terms of its heritage value.

Constructed by esteemed builder Ernest M. Skinner, considered the best of the best in American organ building, it will be one of few Skinner organs in the country to be fully restored upon completion of this project in several years, Weiler said. And the Coe organ represents the work of the Skinner firm at the zenith of the company, he said.

Skinner organs are no longer made. To build something like this today would cost millions of dollars, and certain materials used in the instrument are no longer available, said Weiler, a Traer native.

The old blower room was located in an unsuitable environment, next to where steam entered the building, he said. Burst steam pipes on several occasions caused water and mold damage to some of the old blower components, so a few portions were rebuilt with new materials.

But the rest of the blowers original parts were restored in this project, Weiler said. The blower also will be restored to full voices, since the instruments power was tamped down in the move to Sinclair Auditorium in 1952.

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Noteworthy: Restoration of historic pipe organ reaches a milestone