By Alana Melanson

amelanson@sentinelandenterprise.com @alanamelanson on Twitter

FITCHBURG -- City officials are looking to move the single-family home at 242 High St. -- a property the city has had to buy twice in less than 30 years because of an issue with an adjacent retaining wall -- possibly to the location of a blighted triple-decker that will soon be torn down on Johnson Street.

According to Housing Director Ryan McNutt, the city will soon put out a request for proposals for the home, provided the buyer is capable of moving it.

McNutt said he would like to see the house moved to the site of 3-5 Johnson St., which currently holds a triple-decker owned by the Twin Cities Development Corp. -- if the organization casts the winning bid.

In 2010, water runoff had undermined the structural integrity of the retaining wall that holds up Mechanic Street next to 242 High St., he said, and the city paid the owner $165,000 for the house. McNutt said repairing the existing granite retaining wall would have cost nearly $1 million.

According to Department of Public Works Commissioner Lenny Laakso, the city had to buy the property in the 1980s as well, after problems with the retaining wall then caused damage to an existing tenement building. The owner sued the city and won, he said, costing the city about $87,000, in addition to repairs to the wall. The existing structure was torn down and

Simultaneously to the 2010 events of 242 High St., McNutt said, the city decided to take a landlord who owned several blighted properties in the Elm Street area to court. These properties were then put into receivership, he said, and were taken under tax title. Twin Cities CDC bid on 3-5 Johnson St. in an auction and will tear it down possibly as soon as next week, McNutt said.

Marc Dohan, executive director of the Twin Cities CDC, said he wants to get the building down as soon as possible, but a date for the demolition hasn't been set yet.

"We're about to finish three new homes across the street," he said. "We've been really wanting to take down 3-5 Johnson for quite some time."

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Fitchburg eyes relocation of house due to retaining-wall problems

WALLINGFORD Town staff will prepare an in-depth report on ownership of a retaining wall on Holy Trinity school property that supports a town-leased parking lot and get a legal opinion before deciding what to do concerning repairs.

The Town Council tabled the issue at its meeting Tuesday night and will await the results of the report.

Its so important that now we do some research and we find out once and for all what is the town liable for on the retaining wall for your school, said Town Councilor John Sullivan, a Democrat.

The issue revolves around who is responsible for a retaining wall that divides the schools playground from a parking lot behind buildings on Simpson Court and North Main Street that is used for public parking through a lease with the town. Church and school officials say the structure is deteriorating, with cracks and chunks of it falling onto the playground, and it needs to be reconstructed.

Church officials say the wall was built by the town on their property in the early 1960s, either with or without the agreement of the church, and believe the town should be part of its maintenance. But no documentation has yet been found regarding its construction.

Parish priest the Rev. Thomas Walsh and school Principal Kathleen Kelly presented the issue to the council at the meeting.

Walsh read a prepared statement saying that the parish did not know that the wall was considered Holy Trinitys property until a survey prepared a few years ago declared it to be.

It was news to us that this wall, by a matter of inches, was on school property, Walsh said. Try to understand that this issue is more complex than who owns the wall who does the wall benefit and who should be involved in its maintenance.

He said he believed the wall was likely built by the town, as it was constructed during a time when the town had a parking authority that was involved in creating lots. He also said that agreements found for other projects during the time did not include maps, leading him to believe that the wall was built on their property in error.

Walsh also said that he believed work done on storm drains by the town that routed water to the wall was aiding in its destruction.

Link:
Wallingford council wants more info on liability for school's wall

TAMPA A 22-year-old man died Thursday morning after his sports car crashed into a wall on Sligh Avenue and burst into flames.

A Nissan two-seater crashed into the retaining wall of a home at 304 W Sligh Ave. just before 7 a.m. Thursday, police said. The car caught fire while Nasdiel Viera-Curbelo, 22, was trapped inside.

Viera-Curbelo already was dead when authorities arrived at the scene, according to the Tampa Police Department.

Witnesses reported seeing flames reaching as high as the telephone line and stretching down the street for half a block.

"We couldn't get in there to help them," said David Smith, 49, who lives near the crash site. "The whole street was on fire."

The wreck and resulting investigation closed Sligh Avenue from Florida Avenue to N Boulevard for most of the morning.

Police said it was not immediately clear how fast the car was going, but investigators believe speed was a factor in the collision.

It appeared the car was speeding eastbound over the Hillsborough River Bridge and became airborne when the driver lost control, investigators said.

Skid marks on the road show the driver swerved into oncoming traffic lanes on Sligh Avenue and overcorrected just before the collision, investigators said.

Police Chief Jane Castor responded to the scene about 8:15 a.m. She said the area is well-patrolled and officers are always on the lookout for speeding or street racing.

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Driver dead on Tampa's Sligh Avenue after sports car hits wall in fiery crash

TAMPA A 22-year-old man died Thursday morning after his sports car crashed into a wall on Sligh Avenue and burst into flames.

A BMW two-seater crashed into the retaining wall of a home at 304 W Sligh just before 7 a.m. Thursday, police said. The car caught fire while Nasdiel Viera-Curbelo, 22, was trapped inside.

Curbelo was already dead when authorities arrived at the scene, according to the Tampa Police Department.

Witnesses reported seeing flames reaching as high as telephone line and stretching down the street for half a block.

"We couldn't get in there to help them," said David Smith, 49, who lives on N Ola Avenue near the scene of the crash. "The whole street was on fire."

The wreck and resulting investigation closed Sligh Avenue from Florida Avenue to N Boulevard for most of the morning.

Police said it was not immediately clear how fast the car was going but investigators believe speed was a factor in the collision. It appeared the car was speeding eastbound over the Hillsborough River Bridge and became airborne when the driver lost control.

Skid marks on the road show the driver swerved into oncoming traffic lanes on Sligh Avenue and overcorrected just before the collision.

Police Chief Jane Castor responded to the scene about 8:15 a.m. She said the area is well patrolled and officers are always on the lookout for speeding or street racing.

An investigation remained under way Thursday afternoon.

Link:
One dead on Tampa's Sligh Avenue after sports car hits wall in fiery crash

DULUTH, Minn. - Like most businesses these days, Whole Food Coop in Duluth has surveillance cameras.Theprimary mission for the video snooping system is to catch crooks in the act, but on Wednesday it captured something else: an 18-foot retaining wall crumbling under the pressure of a historicflood.

The tape shows the breech in the recently constructed wall, located at 6th Avenue East and 4th Street,start as a seep, proceed to a trickle, and thenexplode into a torrent of water.

Whole Food Coop manager Sharon Murphy saysat leasthalf of the retaining wall has given way, and she figures the rest will crumble soon.The water is cascading down the hill into a home and two apartment buildings, both of which have been evacuated.

Murphy says the store is ok so far, but she plans onclosing up early and sending employees homeearly so they remain safe.

(Copyright 2012 by KARE. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. )

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Surveillance video captures wall collapse in Duluth

A bund on the seaward side of the vented dam left three houses damaged

It was the delay in providing a retaining wall as part of the construction of the Maravoor vented dam that caused the damage to houses, lands and a road in Padushedde area on the banks of the Gurupura river, it emerged on Tuesday.

The flash floods following heavy rains on Sunday washed away several coconut trees and other plants being grown by residents and the road they were using to reach nearby bridge on the Mangalore-Bajpe Road. People are forced to take a circuitous route via Bondel.

The water level rose in the early hours of Monday suddenly and started to flow close to the houses causing erosion of land and entered plantations and damaged the road. Residents allege that authorities did not take steps to prevent the flash floods and pointed out that blocks because of construction of the vended dam were to blame. The houses of Oswald, John Francis DSouza, and Estine DSouaza took a beating. Major damage was caused to Mr. Oswalds house. The three families were busy shifting their household articles when The Hindu visited the site on Tuesday.

Alvin DSouza told The Hindu at Padushedde that he had ancestral property of one acre with coconut palms and other plants. The plants were washed away. He said he had met zilla panchayat officials about a month ago and urged them to take precautionary steps to prevent flooding.

The Maravoor vented dam is being constructed to supply drinking water to Bajpe and surrounding areas. Construction of retaining wall to protect the houses and lands was part of the scheme. Zilla Panchayat Executive Engineer Satyanarayana told The Hindu that there was a delay in getting approval for the retaining wall. The project provided for construction of such walls wherever water pressure could be more. The area abutting the houses was identified for construction of the retention wall. The approval was secured only on May 14 and the same contractor building the vented dam was asked to build the wall as well. The officer said the houses suffered damage even before the work could begin.

Mr. Satyanarayna said a bund on the seaward side of the dam had affected free flow of water causing damage to the houses. The bund, a heap of loose earth, was created while laying apron an underground concrete structure on the seaward side that is built to ensure that sea water did not mix with the sweet water of the river when drinking water supply begins. A part of the bund was washed away.

He said officials had taken steps to ensure free flow of water by clearing the blockages. Efforts would be made to provide for a road so that Padushedde households got easy access to the Maravoor Bridge and beyond.

The three affected families were shifted to houses in Kavoor, Bondel, and Marakada. Residents were upset that they were forced to leave an area in which they had been living for decades. Who will bear our losses? asked Rufina, a niece of Mr. Oswald.

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Delay in building retention wall blamed for Maravoor flooding

(KUTV) A Provo man is behind bars after crashing into a liquor store and his own garage.

Officers say 42-year-old Noah Rewis crashed his car into a retaining wall Monday at the State Liquor Store located at 166 South Freedom Blvd. The crash caused significant damage to both the retaining wall and Rewis vehicle. Rewis fled the scene.

Provo Officers were able to follow skid marks from the suspects vehicle to a home in the area of 400 North and 1000 West where they found that the same driver had driven up over the sidewalk and into the backyard of the home.

Officers determined the suspect drove into the backyard where he struck a tree and then drove into the front yard, where he drove over a rose bush.

The driver again fled the scene before police arrived.

After speaking with nearby construction workers who saw the suspects car, police were able to track down Rewis to his home a few blocks away.

They found the vehicle sticking out of the garage Rewis had apparently attempted to drive into the garage while the door was down.

Police arrested Rewis and charged him with leaving the scene of an accident and driving under the influence.

(Copyright 2012 Sinclair Broadcasting Group.) Provo Man Drives Into Liquor Store Wall, Backyard, And Garage

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Provo Man Drives Into Liquor Store Wall, Backyard, And Garage

PROVO, Utah (ABC 4 News) - Police say a man suspected of driving under the influence of alcohol crashed into a retaining wall at a Provo liquor store before leaving the scene and crashing into his own garage.

Police say 42-year-old Noah Rewis was driving an SUV when he crashed into the cinder block retaining wall in the parking lot at the Utah State Liquor Store on 166 South Freedom Blvd on Monday.

After causing significant damage to both the retaining wall and his vehicle, police say Rewis left the scene.

Police say officers found tire track marks in the road from the suspect's vehicle, and followed them to a home in the area of 400 N. 1000 W. where they found that the same driver drove up over the sidewalk into the backyard of the home.

Police say officers determined that the suspect drove into the backyard, where he struck a tree, and then drove into the front yard where he drove over a rose bush before leaving.

Police say construction workers on 1600 West Center Street told investigators that they witnessed the suspect's vehicle traveling west on Center St.

After driving through the area, officers found more track marks in the road which led them to the Rewis' home in the area of 400 S 1800 W.

When they got there, police say officers found Rewis' vehicle sticking out of the garage.

Police say Rewis had attempted to enter his own garage while the garage door was still down, causing significant damage to the door.

Noah Rewis was found sitting inside his vehicle, according to police.

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DUI suspect crashes into liquor store wall; own garage

A Pekin man was slightly injured in the early morning hours Saturday when he crashed into a concrete retaining wall while fleeing from Pekin police.

Pekin Police Sgt. Courtney Hutchison said that an on-duty officer patrolling downtown Pekin heard the engine of a vehicle roaring loudly at 12:40 a.m. and observed a red pickup truck speed away from a drive-thru window. The truck headed west toward the McNaughton Bridge, reaching speeds of more than 100 mph.

When the driver, Michael D. Smith, 26, tried to turn south onto Illinois Route 24, he lost control and slammed into the retaining wall. Hutchison said Smith then ran south on Rt. 24 trying to evade arrest, but eventually put up his hands and stopped.

He was taken to OSF Saint Francis Medical Center in Peoria, where he was treated for minor injuries, including a cut on the nose that required stitches. He was then taken to the Tazewell County Justice Center, where he paid $750 bond and was released Sunday afternoon.

Smith was charged with DUI, unlawful use of a weapon for having an AR-15 in the truck that he did not have a FOID card for, expired registration, no valid driver's license, aggravated fleeing and eluding police, no turn signal, failure to obey a traffic signal device, possession of cannabis and illegal transportation of alcohol.

Excerpt from:
Pekin man injured during police chase

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Published: 6/18/2012 - Updated: 20 minutes ago

BY DAVID PATCH BLADE STAFF WRITER

The cracks that opened behind Merle Peoples and Jonathan Parsons' Northwood Avenue home have deepened during the 13 months or so since they first appeared, and the portion of the pair's garden between the cracks and the I-475 noise wall has sunk farther -- several feet farther.

But Mr. Peoples and Mr. Parsons say that so far, there is no evidence of any new cracking or settling closer to their house, and they're hopeful it will stay that way until whenever it is during the next year or so that the Ohio Department of Transportation comes in to back-fill the sunken area once a new freeway retaining wall is finished.

"This is over a year now with this, and it will be probably another year now for completion," Mr. Peoples said last week while surveying the damage behind his house. "Obviously, I wish it were done and over. Has it been an experience? It sure has."

Mr. Peoples readily concedes that most of the affected area of his garden -- an urban glade of flowers, ornamental trees, and brick pavers -- was inside the I-475 right-of-way line, so his main concern all along was that the cracks and subsidence not spread closer to his house.

He and Mr. Parsons say they have reached agreement with the department for it to have temporary access to two unbuilt lots within the three-lot parcel so it can restore the sunken earth after the retaining wall's completion.

Department officials declined to detail the settlement, saying there are still details to work out.

"Our real estate department is working with them," said Dennis Charvat, the project engineer for the state's ongoing I-475 widening project that includes the retaining wall.

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ODOT promises repair of garden