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Hillman Librarys renovations are aimed for completion by 2023.

Thomas Yang | Assistant Visual Editor

Hillman Librarys renovations are aimed for completion by 2023.

Thomas Yang | Assistant Visual Editor

Thomas Yang | Assistant Visual Editor

Hillman Librarys renovations are aimed for completion by 2023.

Some students had difficulty finding an open study spot in Hillman Library during finals week this year, including Rachel Gillmer, a first-year nursing major. Gillmer said she wishes the third floor would have been open during this particularly hectic point in the semester.

During finals, I wish the third floor was opened because I feel like more kids could get a spot [in Hillman], Gillmer said. The other morning I had to go searching all over campus for a place to study.

While the third floor remodel is expected to be completed soon, Gilmer and other underclassmen will still have to wait a couple years for construction to finish before the entire library is open to students. Pitt plans to remodel the second floor after the third floor opens, followed by the first and ground floors. Fourth floor renovations were completed in fall 2018. The renovations are targeted to be finished entirely by 2023. Jeff Wisniewski, the director of communications and web services for the University Library System said this schedule is in keeping with the Universitys five-year plan of closing and remodeling one floor per year.

We are trying to do a floor a year, Wisniewski said. So, our best estimate at this point is that [the third floor] will open sometime in the spring before students leave for summer break.

The third floor will be home to new tech-savvy amenities including a 20-foot-long interactive digital wall similar to the one located in the Global Hub in Posvar Hall and a room Wisniewski said Pitt is unofficially calling the text and context lab. The lab will include equipment for bookbinding, papermaking and letterpressing. Archives and Special Collections will also be moved to the Forbes Avenue side and will feature a reading room, classroom and exhibition area. Wisniewski said these additions mark Hillmans emphasis on technology-based learning.

The idea is that its a space where people can interact with text in many different formats including text and digital, Wisniewski said. We can take a building that was built before the digital era and update the space to reflect what a modern library can and should be.

New technology is also anticipated to be added on the ground floor, including more audio and visual production spaces and a Pitt Information Technology computer lab. This is on top of a more centrally located information desk. Carrie Donovan, the head of public services for Hillman Library who oversees 35 librarians and the employees at the service desk, said this new information desk will help students be more independent when conducting research in the library.

Were really hoping that all of our services will be connected organically through the spaces, so that when you come into the library its barrier-free in the sense that its kind of intuitive where things are located, Donovan said. We want to empower students to be independent and confident in their research and academic pursuits while being here to help as needed.

At the end of the project, the bathrooms, elevators and stairwells will also be renovated. Wisniewski said waiting until the end of the remodel instead of updating them floor by floor makes the most sense from a construction perspective.

Even though the fourth floor has been renovated, the bathrooms havent. That will be at the end of the project, but it is happening, Wisniewski said. Its the most time- and cost-effective to do the entire core at the same time.

The total cost of these projects is unknown. Daniel Marcinko, the assistant vice chancellor for administration and design at Pitts Facilities Management office said he cant disclose the projected cost of the remodel.

We are still very much in construction on phase two of the project and are just getting started on design of phase three which will be floors one and two, Marcinko said. Therefore, we are unable to provide the cost and projected cost information you are requesting at this time.

While Hillman Library pivots to a digital format, data shows students might not be entirely on board. A 2015 study reported by the American Psychological Association found that 92% of students surveyed preferred physical text over electronic versions. A 2016 study conducted at Duke University also found that while a majority of students prioritize the need for technical help and delivery of books, a much smaller minority find data visualization and writing studios important.

Students at Pitt have said they would like more basic additions to the library. Gillmer said she would like more whiteboard rooms and group study spaces because she feels like they are so effective and there isnt enough of them. Peter Lovecchio, a law student, said he would like new tables on the ground floor and outlets on the tables similar to those at University of Illinois, where he attended undergraduate school.

The same students enjoy the fourth floor remodel. While Lovecchio said he doesnt study on the fourth floor because he prefers a louder environment, Gillmer said she prefers the fourth floors new look and believes it has helped her studying.

I really like the fourth floor. I think its a great space for students to focus on their work. Its nice and quiet, and I like the lighting, Gillmer said. I feel like when I come down [to the ground floor], its a lot more of a social environment, but upstairs I have to be more focused.

Wisniewski said he hopes the excitement students feel about the fourth floor will continue throughout the entirety of the remodel.

What were looking at is creating more spaces for people study space, collaboration space, creation space, Wisniewski said. We want to make the library a hub on campus for creation and collaboration and study.

Continue reading here:
Hillman remodel to finish by 2023 - University of Pittsburgh The Pitt News

Flash back to 2016: Every surface of my kitchen fridge was hidden somewhere under stacks of jars and berries and citrus and syrups and teetering bottles. I was a few months from the recipe testing deadline for my latest cocktail book, and the fridge was so full of experiments that every time I tried to buy actual food for dinner, there was nowhere to shove it. The fridge door needed, no joke, a lean of the hip to stay sealed.

A final fateful packet of blueberries tumbled onto my head one morning while I packed a lunch, and thats when I decided. Wed remodel the kitchen. Better yet, wed move. Anything for a bigger fridge.

My husband stepped in. We could solve this problem with thousands of dollars in remodeling or a million dollars in San Francisco real estate, he said (too) calmly, (too) rationally. Or, we could buy the kind of mini fridge you had in your college dorm room. What do those things cost?

Not, it turns out, a million dollars. Even for a biggish one. And so we entered the (much happier) dorm fridge era of our lives and Ive never looked back.

A second fridge isnt an especially original move: All my friends moved to the suburbs and tucked a full-sized additional fridge into their basements or garages, stocking it with bricks of Costco cheese, beer, maybe an extra lasagna.

But my dorm fridge isnt tucked away in the basementhes front and center. And hes not for leftovers.

Early on, Dormie (can I call him Dormie?) served as the vessel for my recipe-testing supplies, but quickly he became a central part of how I entertain: hes a drink fridge.

Now, when we have people over, theyre not awkwardly pawing past my kids gallon-sized container of macaroni in search of a seltzer. Instead, Dormie lives in the dining room. Hes got a shelf of La Croix, a four-pack or two of local beer, a bottle of muscadet. He has a new brand of alcohol-free aperitif, a few open bottles of vermouth, and the fancy mineral water I like to serve if anyones having whiskey after dinner.

Help yourself to a drink! is not an empty gestureit takes a task off my hands as the host while Im cooking, and lets people feel free to choose drinks (alcoholic or non-) without any pressure one way or the other.

And since Dormie is about 3 feet from our dinner table, guests can refill as needed without getting an eyeful of all the dirty pots and pans in my kitchen. Or I can easily pull out more drinks to offer without taking any extra steps. Im reminded to hydrate during a cocktail party because Dormie displays all that fizzy, fizzy water.

Best of all, of course, I now know where my mustards and fish sauces and herbs are because theyre not stacked behind Sodastream bottles and cans of IPA.

At times, Dormie does just become an overflow fridge, but his separate nature is still helpful: Ill stash supplies for just one meal (all the ingredients for a big Saturday brunch, for example) and then easily be able to retrieve everything, even if my other fridge is filled to the gills with Saturdays dinner stuff.

Dont tell Dormie, but hes not especially cute. Ive enjoyed his flawless performance since 2016, but I do think that maybe hell conk out one day and Ill trade up for someone, I mean, something cooler. The curvy ones from Smeg are pricey, but now there are cute retro fridges made by Magic Chef, Galanz, and Frigidaire. With a dorm fridge that good-looking, who needs a garage?

Originally posted here:
Im 38 Years Old, and I Love My Dorm Fridge - Yahoo Lifestyle

By Lisa Kopochinski

ABILENE, Kan.Construction continues on the new $15 million Dickinson County Jail and Courthouse project in Abilene, Kan., with most of the work being made underground at the present time.

According to an article in the Reflector-Chronicle, Dickinson County Administrator Brad Homman told commissioners in early December that storm drains have all been installed and are ready to be connected to the storm drain systems, and that contractors are working with sanitary sewer lines to get them underground and stubbed up.

The garage doors on the east side of the building have been removed. Contractors now are working to get a floor installed. The former garage space was used by the Sheriffs Department. When the new jail/courthouse remodeling project is finished the new space will be the location of the new commission meeting/conference room.

Homman said hes also working on preliminary plans to move courthouse offices out of the building when it comes time to remodel the existing courthouse.

Were continuing in conversation with the architect about square footage requirements when we relocate and what that will look like as we get closer to the approximate time.?

Homman also said, From day one, we had the jail at the $11 million mark, leaving $4 million for the courthouse renovation.

The jail project is slated for completion by November 2020. The courthouse remodel will begin after the new jail is built or nearly complete.

Loyd Builders is the construction manager, and Goldberg Group Architects (GGA) is the architect on this project that will be completed in two phases. SteelCell, Pauly Jail Building Company and Accurate Controls are also involved in this project.

It has taken approximately six years of planning and assessing the problem, two bond issues, hundreds of meetings and dealing with a myriad of details for construction to begin on this project, which County Commissioners approved in 2018.

The process certainly took a great deal of patience for all involved. Initially, county officials attempted to combine forces with the County seatAbilenebut to no avail. Years earlier, the Abilene Council had attempted unsuccessfully to win voter approval on a $6 million police station, but the Countys offer to include new police facilities within its courthouse renovations for $850,000 received little support from City voters.

The Countys first remonstrance vote failed by some 300 votes and it was back to the drawing board for the projects designer.

It was a really challenge to figure out how to make the project smaller and less expensive, while construction costs have been rising so fast, recalled Kevin Rost, senior project manager for GGA. It feels like any sort of delay just means you end up paying the same amountbut getting less project.

The original jail and courthouse were built in 1956. This project will include building a new jail and sheriffs department east of the current courthouse and renovating the existing courthouse, making it more energy efficient, replacing outdated, failing systems and updating electrical and other systems for todays usage.

The courthouse project includes a renovation of County Offices and Services, County Administration, Court Services, Emergency Management Services and 911/Dispatch.

The $11 million Law Enforcement Center addition will include a 64-bed jail, Sheriffs Office and Jail administration support and offices.

A groundbreaking ceremony was held in early August where Commission Chairman Lynn Peterson, said, This is an exciting day for Dickinson County. If you think of it, county government is certainly more than just a building. We have dedicated elected officials, department heads and employees who provide a service and work with citizens in the county on a daily basis.

County officials and others have long recognized the 63-year-old jail had issues, Peterson said. Not only were improvements needed, but also the facility itself needed to be updated to address changes in todays society.

He noted that while it is difficult to find the perfect time and solution to address any problem, avoiding taking action is not the answer.

While this project was recognized as a long time need, we thought it was very important for the county. That was something we didnt take lightly as county commissioners. We went before the voters and had a successful vote the second time.

Goldberg Group Architects President Larry Goldberg said its been a pleasure and a challenge to work on the jail. Alluding to the long process involved in bringing the project to fruition, he said, I feel like weve been here forever and its a source of joy for us to see this finally coming to be.

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Kansas Jail and Courthouse Project Rolls Ahead - Correctional News

Houston interior designer Courtnay Tartt Elias installed this whimsical wallpaper of oysters and lemon wedges in the kitchen pantry of a client's home.

Houston interior designer Courtnay Tartt Elias installed this whimsical wallpaper of oysters and lemon wedges in the kitchen pantry of a client's home.

Photo: Julie Soefer / Julie Soefer /

Houston interior designer Courtnay Tartt Elias installed this whimsical wallpaper of oysters and lemon wedges in the kitchen pantry of a client's home.

Houston interior designer Courtnay Tartt Elias installed this whimsical wallpaper of oysters and lemon wedges in the kitchen pantry of a client's home.

6 home projects to brighten the new year

You dont have to build a new house or launch a whole-home remodeling project to live in a more functional and stylish space. There are plenty of things you can do on a smaller scale to better enjoy the place where you live.

Here are six ideas for 2020, if youd like to try something new at home.

Replace your front door

Everyone knows about curb appeal: keeping a nicely landscaped front yard, a decent front door and an inviting porch or entrance. This year, consider refreshing or replacing your front door.

Missy Stewart of Missy Stewart Designs recalls one client who had her refresh the exterior of their home in a remodeling project. The tan stucco became white and old windows with mullions painted tan were swapped out with single-sash windows with black frames. An arched entrance to the porch was squared off and covered in planks of wood for a more contemporary look, and the new door reflected the same, while still having a thin vertical window to see out.

Even if you dont want or need to change your whole entrance, a new door or even a new door color can make everything seem a little fresher. Stewart advises using a favorite color, which will provide a glimpse into your personality. (Hers is Sherwin-Williams Dignity Blue.) Looking for something modern? Try a metal door with a large glass panel.

Refresh your bedroom

New bedding can instantly change the look of your bedroom. A comforter, quilt or duvet with new sheets, shams and decorative pillows range in price, too, from discontinued patterns youll find at discount stores to luxury bedding. And if you havent bought a new mattress in several years, consider replacing that, as well. Youll be amazed at how much better you sleep.

Get rid of your light box

Anyone living in a production home built in the 1980s or 1990s maybe even some newer that that could have a big light box filled with unflattering fluorescent tubes over their kitchen island.

Interior designer Lynne T. Jones of Lynne T. Jones Interior Design had a light box, too, and one day decided she was done with it. She bought pendant lights, hired a contractor and had him remove the box to install the new lights, add sheetrock over the hole and then paint the ceiling. Her Facebook post on the transformation inspired me to do the same in my own home, and I love the new look.

Its an instant upgrade for your kitchen, and you can find attractive pendants in a variety of styles and price points. Hire a contractor or even a skilled handy man, and its a project that can be completed in a single day, yet make your kitchen look dramatically different.

Reinvent your laundry room

The It room for 2020 surely will be the laundry room, a space that many designers are holding to the jewel-box status relegated to powder rooms. Theyre opting for nice stone counters, designer lighting, bold paint colors and, sometimes, wallpaper. At the very least, paint it your secret favorite color and add nice hardware to cabinet doors and drawers because if you have to spend time doing laundry, do it with style.

Wallpaper your pantry

Amid the trend of all-white kitchens and soft neutrals in every room, home dcor can get a little boring. Inject a pop of color and pattern in a place that will make you just a bit happier every time you enter: your pantry. Its usually a smaller space, so it wont cost a fortune or take a lot of time. The only inconvenience is that youll need to empty out your pantry though that might also be a good time to check the expiration date on canned goods and invest in some matching storage containers.

Use all of your home

Do you use every room in your home? If not, or if theres a room that you barely use an extra bedroom perhaps, a formal dining room or even an upstairs den where you store mismatched furniture consider converting that room into something youll need. A few ideas: Turn the den into a craft center, the extra bedroom into a home gym, the dining room into a quiet reading room, a lounge, wine room or even a stylish office.

diane.cowen@chron.com

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6 home projects to brighten the new year - Beaumont Enterprise

Try to figure out what's real at "The Illusionists" at Playhouse Square's Connor Palace. The show "dazzles audiences of all ages with a powerful mix" of "outrageous and astonishing acts," according to promotional material. The performers in this family-friendly show promise an evening "packed with thrilling and sophisticated magic." (Now through Saturday, Jan. 11)

Celebrate a singular talent during David Bowie Month, featuring events in five venues throughout the region. It's a project from Cool Cleveland publisher and Bowie fanatic Thomas Mulready that commemorates the birthday, death anniversary, music and life of Bowie, one of the most influential cultural figures of the past century. Each show includes a live music set featuring Bowie favorites, deep cuts and originals by Cleveland band Vanity Crash. If you want to explore the entirety of Bowie's life and work, organizers suggest attending one of two remaining shows titled "A Friday Night With(out) David Bowie." The first was last Friday, Jan. 3, at the Winchester Music Tavern in Lakewood, but you still can see shows this Friday, Jan. 10, at the Bop Stop in Cleveland, and on Jan. 17 at CLE Urban Winery in Cleveland Heights. Both are at 8 p.m. The shows "will include newly released details and previously unreleased materials, including rare video, demo tracks and rare photos of Bowie in Cleveland by photographers Anastasia Pantsios and Janet Macoska," according to promotional materials. Each of the Friday shows has slightly different content. There's also a "Brunch With Bowie" event on Sunday, Jan. 12, at the Bop Stop, at noon, focused on "the much-overlooked but always interesting second half of David Bowie's life and music." On Bowie's birthday, Wednesday, Jan. 8, at The Brothers Lounge in Cleveland, there's a "Big Bowie Birthday Bash" with party favors, giveaways, door prizes and trivia. There's also a "Bowie Benefit for Bop Stop" on Saturday, Jan. 11, where organizers will "take requests all night long, honoring the audience's wishes as we explore the artist's life and music and raise money for a good cause." (Now through Friday, Jan. 17)

Check out two concurrent exhibitions at Transformer Station that respond to today's environmental, social, economic and cultural issues. "Tabitha Soren: Surface Tension" meditates on the science of touch and how reliance on technology is eroding our attention span. "Undercurrents" is an immersive exhibition of photobooks from around the world that explores the imperceptible and often chaotic forces shaping our environment. (Now through Sunday, Jan. 19)

Spend quality time at the Cleveland Museum of Art at "Liu Wei: Invisible Cities," a collaboration with moCa Cleveland to mount the first solo U.S. museum exhibition by the internationally renowned Chinese artist. Works by Liu Wei have been presented at both institutions, "offering an expansive view of the artist's diverse artistic practice." (The moCa exhibit closed on Jan. 5.) CMA's presentation centers on "Panorama No. 2" (2015-16), a recent gift to the museum by Richard Jeschelnig and Michelle Shan Jeschelnig. "The monumental diptych exemplifies a technical shift the artist introduced into his work in 2010, when he began using computer software to generate patterns of pixels that are converted onto canvas and subsequently filled with color," the museum says. (Now through Sunday, Feb. 16)

Explore a remarkable life in "Leonard Bernstein: The Power of Music" at the Maltz Museum of Jewish History in Beachwood. It's billed as the first large-scale museum exhibition to illustrate Bernstein's life, Jewish identity and social activism. From the museum: "Audiences may be familiar with many of Bernstein's works, notably 'West Side Story,' but not necessarily with how he responded to the political and social crises of his day. Visitors will find an individual who expressed the restlessness, anxiety, fear and hope of an American Jew living through World War II and the Holocaust, Vietnam and turbulent social change what Bernstein referred to as his 'search for a solution to the 20thcentury crisis of faith.' " (Now through Sunday, March 1)

Pick up speed at The Chalet in Mill Stream Run Reservation in Strongsville on the venue's thrilling toboggan ride. Twin, 700-foot refrigerated ice chutes operate with or without snow for the next few months. (Now through about the first weekend in March, depending on the weather)

Learn some history, and see where things might be going, at "Electric, Steam or Gasoline: The Past, Present and Future of Alternative Power," a Western Reserve Historical Society exhibition at the Cleveland History Center. "Modern cars like the Chrysler Portal concept will be juxtaposed alongside its early 1900 counterpart, when electric cars had their first real heyday. ... Explore how companies like Chrysler and Tesla are using technologies from our past to try and rewrite our future." (Now through April)

Return to party mode at "Flanagan's Wake," a comedic, interactive Irish wake at Kennedy's Theatre at Playhouse Square. "The audience is transported to Graplin, County Sligo, Ireland, where they participate with the villagers in the telling of tales, singing of songs, and mourn the passing of one of their own: Flanagan," Playhouse Square says. (Weekends through Saturday, April 25)

Go back in time way back at "Ultimate Dinosaurs" at the Cleveland Museum of Natural History. Here's what the museum says you'll see: "Explore the dinosaurs of the Southern Hemisphere that evolved in isolation from the dinosaurs we know and love. Meet Giganotosaurus, the bigger, badder cousin of T. rex, or Ouranosaurus, bearing huge spines on its back. See these creatures brought to life like never before in an exhibit that includes full-size reconstructions, real touchable fossils and augmented reality. (Now through Sunday, April 26)

Turn up at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame for "Play It Loud: Instruments of Rock & Roll," an exhibit celebrating the tools that give rock its signature sound. The exhibition has come to Cleveland following a blockbuster engagement at The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City, where it attracted more than 600,000 visitors. "Play It Loud," spread over four floors, will be the largest single exhibit the Rock Hall has ever displayed. Instruments showcased in the exhibit date as far back as 1939; many "have never been displayed outside of their original concert performance settings," the Rock Hall says. Among the items you'll see: Chuck Berry's early hollow-body Gibson guitar; Eric Clapton's Martin acoustic guitar model 000-42 used during his famous MTV Unplugged concert; Jerry Garcia's "Wolf" guitar; Jimi Hendrix's hand-decorated electric guitar, dubbed "Love Drops," made in 1967; Steve Miller's electric guitar painted with psychedelic designs, from 1972; Keith Richards' handpainted Gibson Les Paul guitar used to record "Beggars Banquet;" St. Vincent's electric guitar, which Annie "St. Vincent" Clark designed in collaboration with Ernie Ball Music Man in 2015; and Tina Weymouth's "headless" Steinberger bass guitar that she used extensively with Talking Heads and Tom Tom Club through the late 1990s. (Now through Sunday, Sept. 13)

Have an arts/culture/entertainment event that you think Clevelanders should know about? Send information to managing editor Scott Suttell at [emailprotected].

Read more here:
24 fun things to do in Cleveland through Jan. 15 - Crain's Cleveland Business

Family Features

Adding additional bathroom space to your home or renovating an outdated lavatory can improve your homes usability and increase its value, too. To get the most practical benefits and value out of your new space, there are several factors to consider.

Before you get started, take into account these considerations about the design and function of your new bathroom from the remodeling experts at the National Association of the Remodeling Industry.

Space: A primary consideration is the available footprint to create your new bath. This is often a concern as children reach their teen years and also with expanding families. If there arent enough bathrooms in the house, you may want to add another, or it may be that you simply need to improve the layout and features to make better use of the existing space. For example, if the bath will be shared by multiple members of the family, a separation of the sinks from the rest of the room may be helpful.

Features: Determining how you will use your bathroom dictates the features youll want to include. A guest or hall bath is likely to have far fewer features than a master bath but may share some similarities with a kids bathroom. First, youll need to make decisions about basics like lighting, the number of sinks and amount of counter space youll need.

If you like baths, youll need to decide between a tub and shower combination unit or separate facilities. With a separate tub, the style you prefer may guide your overall design. The aesthetic for a bathroom with a focal point like a claw-foot tub is likely different from a jetted tub.

Storage: Storage is one of the biggest concerns in any design, particularly in rooms as small as typical bathrooms. Carefully consider this aspect of the room during your pre-planning phase. To help determine how much space you need, make a list of all the items you need to store in the bathroom, including cleaning agents, toiletries, linens, first aid items and medications.

Its a good idea to also think about where in the room you would like to store each of these items. You may want some of the toiletries in the shower area, while others will be used near the sink or dressing area.

Sustainability: Many contemporary bathroom fixtures are designed with sustainability in mind, so you can manage your water usage while still enjoying a water-rich environment. You can find water-saving features on everything from toilets to shower heads to even sink faucets.

Accessibility: Applying universal design principles to your project can promote safety and increase your homes appeal to a wider range of buyers in the future. In the bathroom, you can improve safety by incorporating non-slip flooring surfaces and ensuring the space is well-lit.

Other ideas include adjusting counter and toilet heights to make bathrooms more accessible (wall-hung toilets should be approximately two inches higher). You could incorporate structural bracing around the tub, shower and toilet for grab bars. You might also consider a walk-in tub or stand-up shower with no threshold, levered handles for faucets and an adjustable showerhead.

Find more ideas and inspiration for your bathroom design at remodelingdoneright.com.

Continue reading here:
Make the most of your bathroom renovation - The Dallas Morning News

The Americans with Disabilities Act upgrades to the Health Department are done. The much-needed alterations included the relocation/removal of one wall, two doors and other modifications.

However, the cost of the work came in a little higher than expected, Health Director Shelly Schneider told the County Commission Monday morning. Commissioners approved covering the overage.

Weve made some drastic improvements for the nurses and for the vaccinations, she said. It has been wonderful for the Health Department and for the community.

This has helped work flow for the staff, she said. And, it has improved access and reduced wait times for the public.

C&K Construction of Great Bend was awarded the contract Aug. 26, and project is now complete, Schneider said. The department secured $12,500 in grants for the project, but during the course of the remodel, additions were made to the scope of work.

A final invoice has been submitted for payment by C&K with an additional cost of $5,006.60. Schneider said she was able to piece together funds from the myriad Kansas Department of Health and Environment grants her office receives each year to cover all but $3,136 of that, and there is room in her budget to cover the balance.

Commissioners said they saw the value in the remodeling. And, Chairwoman Jennifer Schartz said they appreciated her effort to find ways to pay for it.

Continue reading here:
Commission signs off on Health Department remodel - Great Bend Tribune

Q: Ive lived in my home awhile now and want to freshen up the look and feel without remodeling. What can I do with my space to make it feel new again?

A: Redecorating your home is a great way to give it a quick and easy upgrade without the cost or hassle of a remodel. As you begin to think about how you want to redesign your space, consider these cardinal interior-design rules to help you in your planning.

Create a focal point. The first question you should ask when planning your room is where the main focus will be. Where can you do something special that will draw the eye? Choose only one focal point a wall across from the entrance, for instance and do it well. Pay special attention to lighting. Add texture to a wall, a contrasting color, or a vignette of furnishings and artwork. A room without a focus is lost in space.

Hang art at eye-level. One of the most common mistakes people make when installing artwork is to hang it too high. Art looks best when it hangs where you can see it, at eye level. This means roughly two-thirds of the artwork should be below eye level and one third above. This rule might be slightly altered when hanging art over furniture like a buffet, sofa or console table; in that case, the bottom of the frame should be 4 to 8 inches above the furniture. When artwork hangs above a mantel or headboard which are often higher than the average sofa this gap should be smaller.

Use the right rug size. Too-small rugs make spaces feel small and incomplete. Rugs should be proportionate to the room. In a bigger room, where the furniture is nearer the center of the space, the rug should be big enough to fit all the furniture on it. In a smaller living room, where the furniture is closer to the walls, the rug should extend into the space under the furniture, but still leave about a foot of bare floor showing at the edges.

Let furniture breathe. Never push your upholstered seating up to the wall. No matter how small the room, there should be at least a 2-inch gap between the wall and seating. This breathing space will make the room feel more spacious. Equally important is that armoires, console tables and bookcases should never be lined up along the wall next to one another.

Light things up. Lighting is the most important design element in your home. When done well, it creates a sense of depth and atmosphere, while still providing sufficient light where needed. Lighting should come from different sources at different heights, such as wall sconces and ceiling lights. The soft light of table and floor lamps adds ambiance; you can never have too many lamps. Where possible, install dimmer switches.

Use mirrors. Mirrors are indispensable as a design tool. Because they reflect light and objects in interesting and useful ways, designers often use mirrors to correct architectural flaws, create the illusion of more space and bring light deeper into a room. If you have an awkward, dark or narrow room, or just want to maximize the view from a window, a mirror in the right spot can save the day.

Design with layers. When a room feels incomplete or wrong, our first thought is to question the bigger things like the layout, the furniture or the colors. While these are important, the answer often lies in the smaller things. In a room that feels right, you will find layers of pillows and throws, artwork, and compositions of accessories, books, lamps and flowers. Layers are like blankets they make us feel comfortable.

Mia Hannom is the owner of In Form Design, a member of the Master Builders Association of King and Snohomish Counties (MBAKS). If you have a home improvement, remodeling or residential homebuilding question youd like answered by one of MBAKSs nearly 2,800 members, write to homework@mbaks.com.

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Planning to redecorate? These pro tips are designed to help - Seattle Times

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STEPHANIE PANNY / STAFF PHOTO Dallas Twp. board of supervisors discuss a plan for expanding the police station during the meeting on Tuesday.

DALLAS There are no showers in the Dallas Twp. Police Department.

Although there is a locker room, fashioned out of one of the old meeting rooms of the former Dallas Twp. Municipal Building, police Chief Doug Higgins said officers have no place to wash off the grime of a shift before going home. Hopefully, that will soon change.

Its been years since theres been any remodeling, Grant said. Well convert it into a modern, high-tech building for the police.

On Tuesday night during its regular meeting, the Dallas Twp. board of supervisors updated citizens on those plans.

Earlier that day, Grant said the board met with 15 individual contractors looking to bid on the project. Grant said the contractors each received complete plans for the renovations and updates, which were prepared by a hired architect.

The potential contractors, who also saw the police station, Grant said, will spend the next week figuring out how much the construction will cost by talking to estimators and asking the architect detail-oriented questions. The four contracts include the 1,240-square-feet addition, associated site work and additional renovations to the existing building.

Contractors have until 1 p.m. Friday, Dec. 13, to submit their bids to the architects office, Douglas F. Trumbower & Associates, and those bids will be opened by the supervisors at a special meeting held 2 hours later. Grant said the contractors who submit the lowest bids for each of the four individual contracts will be awarded the projects after the board reviews the bids with the architect.

To pay for the project, set to begin in the spring and finish by the end of October, Grant said the board will add up each cost and apply for a state grant by Dec. 20 for approximately 25% of the total. It plans to pay for the rest using its own funds.

The renovation has been discussed for at least a year, Grant said, when they moved the township offices into their new building at 105 Lt. Michael Cleary Drive and the police moved into the old building. Higgins said the old municipal building was halfway to where it needed be to be a functioning station, even after the officers fixed it up, and said the board thought simply upgrading the building would be cheaper.

However, Higgins said the necessary upgrades accumulated until it was just easier to do a big renovation. Although the first set of plans didnt work, the second draft was liked by all.

The police officers had involvement in it, and so did the chief, in the proper design of the police department, Grant said.

Higgins said the expansion and renovation, which also includes a bigger evidence locker and two cells with toilets inside so the officers dont have to share with those they arrest, will both upgrade the work environment and boost the morale of the officers who work there.

Higgins said he wants this expansion to be big enough to sustain growth 25 years into the future.

As time goes by, we grow. So, you have to grow with the times. You have to grow with your community, Higgins said. We really havent done that too much in that building. Nows the time we have to do that.

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Original post:
Dallas Twp. to receive bids for police station renovation, expansion - Wilkes-Barre Citizens Voice

By John DeLapp, CORRESPONDENT

The city of Alvin has broken ground on a new station that will serve both fire and EMS departments.

The city of Alvin has broken ground on a new station that will serve both fire and EMS departments.

Photo: Vector_master - Fotolia

The city of Alvin has broken ground on a new station that will serve both fire and EMS departments.

The city of Alvin has broken ground on a new station that will serve both fire and EMS departments.

Planned Alvin EMS/fire station to be in strategic location

In an effort to put its fire and emergency medical services in a more strategic location, the city of Alvin has broken ground on a new station that will serve both departments.

The 29,310-square-foot building will be at the intersection of East South Street and Bellaire Boulevard and is scheduled to open next November.

The construction is estimated to cost $11.7 million, funded through certificate of obligation bonds.

The location puts the two departments near the Texas 35 Bypass and will give firefighters and emergency medical service officials quick access to all areas of the city.

Its in a good location near the 35 Bypass, which is eventually going to be part of the Grand Parkway, said Ron Schmitz, director of operations for Alvin Emergency Medical Services. South Street is also one of our major east-west thoroughfares; so its a good location as far as being on some main lanes of traffic and will give us good access around the city.

Replacing aging facilities

The new facility will replace a 50-year-old fire station and a 40-year-old EMS station. Both needed some major upgrades, Schmitz said.

The project has been several years in the making, he said. The fire department has known they need to update their station because theyre outgrowing it. (The EMS station) was remodeled about 20 years ago, but we were a volunteer service at that time. Weve done some in-house remodeling, but we are steadily outgrowing our building and it is getting some maintenance issues; so it was time for us to expand a little bit to give us some growing room. So, we decided to combine our efforts and build one facility to house both departments.

The current EMS station lacks sufficient garage space.

We have five ambulances and we only have four bays; so one has to be outside all of the time, Schmitz said. So, we are adding a bay to give us more capability. We also have an emergency management command vehicle that is too large to fit in our bay; so this will also be able to be stored inside as well.

The planned station will have other amenities that will benefit the city, Schmitz said.

Training room, more parking planned

One of the things Im excited about is that its going to include a large training room that will hold desks and seating for 100 people and if you take the desks out and just have chairs, it will hold more than 200 people, he said. That will give us a nice capability, because there really is no other large room or space that the city has like that other than our senior center and that is pretty well booked most of the time for senior events.

The room can be divided into two separate spaces and also will have an attached kitchen.

Parking will also be more than ample.

Well have over 100 parking spaces available, Schmitz said. One of the things we have seen is that stations will build nice training facilities, but if you have a big event, you cant park everyone. Our volunteer fire department is quite large one of the largest in this part of Texas so, if we have a large fire or even just a big event, its not inconceivable for them to have 50 or 60 members show up at one time.

The training room is also large enough to serve as Alvins command center during disaster operations.

The building plans also will help protect the station during periods of heavy rain.

Its being built in a floodplain next to Mustang Bayou, but we watched that area during Hurricane Harvey, and while the road flooded some, it was mostly passable, Schmitz said. The (new stations) location was never covered by water, but we are going to elevate the property about 4 feet.

John DeLapp is a freelance writer. He can be contacted at texdelapp@gmail.com.

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Planned Alvin EMS/fire station to be in strategic location - Chron