This stately 18-room Colonial sits on 3.3 acres of land along a beautiful old winding street in Needham that already has subdivision approval for a second home.

The seven-bedroom mansion at 436 South St. has been extensively renovated starting in 2002 with a 2004-2005 addition that seamlessly blends in with the original home while doubling its original size to 9,524 square feet of living space.

The current owner has added an enormous kitchen with a resplendent master bedroom suite above and finished basement below, plus an attached three-car garage. The home and land are on the market for $3.6 million, but the home itself and its half of the property is a second option, priced at $2,850,000. The 1.85-acre buildable lot alone is listed for $750,000.

Built in 1932, the grounds of this white clapboard house with black shutters are beautifully done, with a large front yard, a long circular granite paver driveway and a rear meadow.

The homes original living, dining, den and home office rooms have been restored with their original wood fireplaces. A new entry foyer with inlaid marble floors was created, a granite wet bar was added off the den, bay windows were put in the dining room, and a porch off the office has been enclosed into a sunroom. The sunroom leads out to a restored in-ground pool surrounded by new granite pavers.

The new kitchen and adjacent butlers pantry have custom white-wood cabinets and Uba Tuba granite counters. The kitchen has vaulted ceilings, a center island and a large clock-topped built-in surrounding a professional grade Wolf gas stove. There are double wall ovens, dishwasher and large side-by-side Sub Zero refrigerator. The floors are Chinese slate and extend to a dining nook that overlooks the pool.

Theres also a new full bathroom with a shower and a mud room off the kitchen, and direct access to the garage.

The second floor has five bedrooms, with the addition serving as a master bedroom suite. This spacious area has a large oak-floored bedroom overlooking the pool, a marble bathroom reachable through leaded glass doors with a large center window, free standing tub and walk-in shower, and a large dressing room with built-in wardrobes and drawers.

The other four bedrooms have restored hardwood floors, and all have wood-burning fireplaces. There are two other full bathrooms here, plus a large laundry room.

The third floor offers two additional bedrooms, plus a kitchen space and ceramic tile bathroom.

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Needs more than met in Needham

A student at Stout Middle School, 18500 Oakwood Blvd., was arrested at about 1:45 p.m. Friday for allegedly stealing a cellphone off an employees desk. The employee was talking to the boy, 14, in her office, stepped out and returned. She sent him back to class, realized that her phone wasnt on her desk and called him back.

He denied taking the phone, but an officer saw a bulge in his front waistband. It was the phone.

In addition to being arrested, the boy was suspended from school.

Man arrested for breaking into house

A Detroit man, 32, was arrested at about 7:45 p.m. Friday for allegedly breaking into his ex-roommates house on Chovin, north of Michigan Avenue, and stealing $14.23 in change, about 157 prescription anti-depressant pills, about 55 prescription painkilling pills and his ex-roommates car keys.

The man moved out in June and hadnt been back to the house since Aug. 3.

An officer found him as he was exiting the back door. The man was unsteady on his feet and said he took three anti-depressants. He was taken to Oakwood Hospital & Medical Center.

The man apparently entered through a sunroom window, moving a screen and window fan. Items were stacked near the window.

Graffiti painted on ex-roadhouse

Officers on patrol found graffiti on the closed Tenny Street Roadhouse, 22361 West Village Drive, east of Military, and more on a nearby trash bin at about 7 a.m. Saturday. Continued...

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DEARBORN CRIME BRIEFS: Classic Mustang stolen out of garage; Suspicious man found behind garage

Betterlivings new Benefits of a Sunroom infographic is based on customer survey responses and online research

(PRWEB) October 11, 2012

Sunrooms are an affordable way to add extra space to a home, thus increasing the homes overall value. Sunrooms can also help save cost on energy bills by capturing the warmth and light of the sun. In addition, sunrooms benefit health by bringing in fresh air and sunshine which are natural stress reducers. Betterliving Sunrooms are the most affordable home improvement option, listed at under $20,000, when compared to a garage addition or a basement remodel.

Andy Stone, President of Craft-Bilt Manufacturing Company, says, "Very often, the first home improvement that is made by a home buyer is adding a deck. Once they have the deck, they rarely use it. Do they use it when it rains? When its too windy? Too sunny? Too cold? At night? When there is snow on the deck? So when can they use it? Only on calm clear days when the temperature is not too hot and not too cold. We can fix that for them. Everyone who has a deck needs a sunroom if they want to get significant use out of it. Why would you pay five or ten thousand dollars for something that you can't use?

To view the infographic, accompanied by images, visit http://blog.betterlivingsunrooms.com/2012/09/sunroom-benefits-infographic/

For other home improvement products and information, visit http://www.betterlivingsunrooms.com/.

About Betterliving Sunrooms

Betterliving Sunrooms is a leading American sunroom manufacturer since 1946. We manufacture high quality, maintenance-free sunrooms to help you enjoy the outdoors in comfort. Our other home remodeling products include retractable awnings, conservatories, retractable canopies, exterior solar shades, screen room and patio covers, and replacement windows. All of our products are backed by our 50 year warranty.

Contact:

Jessica Leidy

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Betterliving® Releases Sunroom Benefits Infographic to Educate Homeowners

Mrs. Freda Jewell Dillard Cronic, the owner of Cronic Chevrolet, Buick GMC, Cronic Nissan and Cronic Chrysler Jeep Dodge RAM, age 83 of Griffin, passed away Sunday, October 7, 2012 at Emory Midtown Hospital. Mrs. Cronic was a native of Atlanta, born on January 29, 1929, the only child of the late Ophelia Martha Chancey and Fred Dillard. She had lived in Griffin since 1975 when she and her late husband, J.A. Cronic moved here and opened Cronic Chevrolet. The Cronics were married for 56 years before his death in 2003. In addition to helping her husband build one of the largest automotive groups between Atlanta and Macon, Mrs. Cronic was a licensed insurance agent. She was a graduate of Commercial High School in Atlanta and also of several schools operated over the years by General Motors for its dealers. She was a member of the First Baptist Church of Griffin and the Georgia Automobile Dealers Association. She formerly was a member of the Marie Fort Garden Club and was honorary member of the Iris Charter Chapter of the American Business Womens Association. In addition to being the bookkeeper for Cronic Chevrolet during its formative years in Griffin, Mrs. Cronic raised two daughters. She loved her family and enjoyed being hostess for family dinners. One of Mrs. Cronics favorite recipes was a Gourmet Spinach Salad with a Sweet and Sour Dressing and was selected to appear in Pure and Simple, the first Neiman Marcus Christmas cookbook, published in 1991. More than 2,000 recipes were submitted before the judges reduced that number to 700 recipes which they prepared and tasted before selecting the ones to be included in the cookbook. During the observance of Griffins 150th anniversary, Mrs. Cronics recipe for a Festive Cheese Ball was included in the Celebration Cookbook. Mrs. Cronic was featured in the Griffin Daily News series Cook of the Week on January 13, 1993. Beyond work and family, one of Mrs. Cronics greatest pleasures was gardening. She particularly liked working in the beds of her brick-walled patio connected to the sunroom of her home. Mrs. Cronic is survived by her daughters, Wanda Cronic Howell and her husband, Lee, Linda Cronic Ridley and her husband, Gary; five grandchildren, Tina Thompson, Nicole Selph, Jessica Howell, Jade Ridley, Destiny Ridley; several cousins and other relatives; Sissy Carroll, a special friend and devoted caregiver. Visitation for Mrs. Freda Cronic will be held Wednesday, October 10, 2012 from 6:00pm to 9:00pm at Conner-Westbury Funeral Home. Funeral services will be held Thursday, October 11, 2012 at 11:00am at First Baptist Church of Griffin. Dr. Bruce Morgan and Dr. Bill Hardee will officiate. Interment will follow in Oak Hill Cemetery. Mrs. Cronic will lie-in-state for an hour prior to the services at the church. Conner-Westbury Funeral Home, 1891 West McIntosh Road, Griffin is in charge of arrangements. http://www.conner-westburyfuneral home.com

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Freda Cronic

Mrs. Freda Jewell Dillard Cronic, the owner of Cronic Chevrolet, Buick GMC, Cronic Nissan and Cronic Chrysler Jeep Dodge RAM, age 83 of Griffin, passed away Sunday, October 7, 2012 at Emory Midtown Hospital.

Mrs. Cronic was a native of Atlanta, born on January 29, 1929, the only child of the late Ophelia Martha Chancey and Fred Dillard. She had lived in Griffin since 1975 when she and her late husband, J.A. Cronic moved here and opened Cronic Chevrolet. The Cronics were married for 56 years before his death in 2003. In addition to helping her husband build one of the largest automotive groups between Atlanta and Macon, Mrs. Cronic was a licensed insurance agent.

She was a graduate of Commercial High School in Atlanta and also of several schools operated over the years by General Motors for its dealers. She was a member of the First Baptist Church of Griffin and the Georgia Automobile Dealers Association. She formerly was a member of the Marie Fort Garden Club and was honorary member of the Iris Charter Chapter of the American Business Women's Association.

In addition to being the bookkeeper for Cronic Chevrolet during its formative years in Griffin, Mrs. Cronic raised two daughters. She loved her family and enjoyed being hostess for family dinners. One of Mrs. Cronic's favorite recipes was a Gourmet Spinach Salad with a Sweet and Sour Dressing and was selected to appear in Pure and Simple, the first Neiman Marcus Christmas cookbook, published in 1991. More than 2,000 recipes were submitted before the judges reduced that number to 700 recipes which they prepared and tasted before selecting the ones to be included in the cookbook. During the observance of Griffin's 150th anniversary, Mrs. Cronic's recipe for a "Festive Cheese Ball" was included in the Celebration Cookbook. Mrs. Cronic was featured in the Griffin Daily News series "Cook of the Week" on January 13, 1993.

Beyond work and family, one of Mrs. Cronic's greatest pleasures was gardening. She particularly liked working in the beds of her brick-walled patio connected to the sunroom of her home.

Mrs. Cronic is survived by her daughters, Wanda Cronic Howell and her husband, Lee, Linda Cronic Ridley and her husband, Gary; five grandchildren, Tina Thompson, Nicole Selph, Jessica Howell, Jade Ridley, Destiny Ridley; several cousins and other relatives; Sissy Carroll, a special friend and devoted caregiver.

Visitation for Mrs. Freda Cronic will be held Wednesday, October 10, 2012 from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. at Conner-Westbury Funeral Home.

Funeral services will be held Thursday, October 11, 2012 at 11 a.m. at First Baptist Church of Griffin. Dr. Bruce Morgan and Dr. Bill Hardee will officiate. Interment will follow in Oak Hill Cemetery. Mrs. Cronic will lie-in-state for an hour prior to the services at the church.

Conner-Westbury Funeral Home, 1891 West McIntosh Road, Griffin is in charge of arrangements. http://www.conner-westburyfuneralhome.com.

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Freda Jewell Dillard Cronic, 83, of Griffin

HAMPTON Edward Joseph Moriarty of Hampton, beloved husband of Ida L. (Beale), died peacefully Friday, Sept. 21, 2012, at Portsmouth Regional Hospital in Portsmouth, following a period of failing health.

Edward was born Sept. 8, 1931, in Boston, Mass., the son of Michael J. and Anne (Murphy) Moriarty.

He worked for Colonial Tanning in Boston for many years. In 1966, he moved to the New Hampshire Seacoast and made Hampton his home. There he worked, until retirement, at Prime Tanning as a trouble-shooter and quality controller.

Ed was a homebody who enjoyed the quiet of his family, most especially his wife, Ida. A talented woodworker, Ed envisioned great things for his home. He completed such projects as the addition of a sunroom and a barn. His love of these projects was evident and his family often joked that if he had not run out of land, he would have kept building.

An avid baseball fan, his love of the game began at a young age, as he was a catcher for the Christian Youth Organization's team as a teenager.

Ed and Ida enjoyed quiet time spent together, whether in New Hampshire or in Panama City Beach, Fla., where they wintered. Playing cards was always on the agenda. Proud of his Irish heritage, Ed's sense of humor and warmth will be greatly missed.

In addition to Ida, his wife of 34 years, Ed is survived by his children, Sharon (Mrs. Roger) Clark of Tampa, Fla., Michael J. and his wife, Susan, of Exeter, and Edward J. and his wife, Anne, of Portsmouth; Ida's children, Richard G. and his wife, Claire Miller, of Niceville, Fla., Paula J. (Mrs. John) Harvey of Cape Elizabeth, Maine, and Christine E. (Mrs. Paul) Stover of Strafford; and grandchildren Avery Clark, Matthew J. Moriarty, Adam J. Moriarty, Patrick Moriarty, Jack F. Moriarty, Capt. Matthew P. Miller, U.S. Air Force, Capt. Christopher J. Miller, U.S. Air Force, Richard A. Miller, Nicholas K. Harvey, Julie A. Harvey, Ryan J. Harvey, Cassandra L. Stover and Alexandra L. Stover.

SERVICES: Family and friends are invited to call from 7 to 9 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 27, to the Robert K. Gray Jr. Funeral Home, 24 Winnacunnet Road, Hampton. Funeral services will be held at 10 a.m. Friday, Sept. 28, at Trinity Episcopal Church, 200 High St., Hampton. In Ed's memory, contributions may be directed to Seacoast Visiting Nurses Association, 29 Lafayette Road, North Hampton, NH 03862. Arrangements are under the direction of the Robert K. Gray Jr. Funeral Home.

You may leave your condolences or share memories by signing the Guest Book here

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Edward J. Moriarty

Posted on: 10:07 pm, September 28, 2012, by Melissa Reid, updated on: 10:16pm, September 28, 2012

NORTH RIDGEVILLE, Ohio Cambridge Drive in North Ridgeville is a quiet street, but several homes were burglarized overnight Wednesday while the residents were asleep.

He went into my sunroom, grabbed a table and took it to climb up to my window. He sliced the screen and just came into my house, said Erika Wuorinen, who lives on Cambridge Drive.

Police said the suspect looks for an open or unlocked window and then steals purses or easily grabbed items.

He just took cash, nothing traceable. My smartphone was sitting there, my credit cards were all still sitting there. It was just cash, said Wuorinen.

And thankfully, nothing else.

As soon as I realized that someone had been here, I immediately ran upstairs and checked on my kids. Fortunately, they are good sleepers. Im grateful that none of us had to confront him, added Wuorinen.

Police said the break-ins are also happening during the day.

In fact, in addition to the nighttime burglaries, police said people have reported almost 100 break-ins the last three months, the most the department has ever seen.

Its kind of scary that you cant leave your window open, said John Mundell, a neighbor.

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Burglars Target North Ridgeville Neighborhood

Evidence that the rental market here is alive and well: 46 of the 50 new units that Bentley Ridge is building are already spoken for.

The project which brings the total number of units in the East Lampeter Township complex to 471 consists of 22 townhouse rentals and 28 apartments. All are under roof, with the first two buildings completed. Residents began moving in at the end of May.

Bentley Ridge, off Buckwalter Road between Old Philadelphia Pike and Route 30, is owned and managed by High Associates Ltd. Ground was broken for the $7 million expansion last fall, and work is expected to be finished in September, said Tina McGinnis, Pennsylvania regional manager for High Associates. High Construction Co. is the general contractor.

The rentals feature gas heat and central air conditioning. All have stainless-steel appliances, including a refrigerator with ice maker; a built-in microwave; and a glass-top, self-cleaning oven. They also boast Armstrong Luxe plank flooring in the kitchen and bathrooms; espresso cabinets with soft-close drawers; granite-style countertops with rounded edges; and walk-in closets.

In addition, some rentals are equipped with walk-in showers, gas fireplaces and lighted ceiling fans.

The new units come in six floor plans:

One-bedroom, one-bath apartments, measuring 744 square feet, rent for $860 a month.

Two-bedroom, two-bath apartments, with 1,019 square feet, rent for $1,030.

Two-bedroom, two-bath elite apartments, covering 1,345 square feet, rent for $1,305.

Three-bedroom, two-bath apartments, measuring 1,234 square feet, rent for $1,150.

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A market for renting

EAST GRAND RAPIDS, MI Dan and Jessica Molloy are still waiting for furniture in the living room of their new home on Maxwell Avenue SE.

But that gives the young couple time to savor the golden hardwood floors that stretch from the dining room on one side of the main floor to the sunroom that serves as Dans office on the other side.

We love hardwood floors, says Jessica. I love the living room even though it doesnt have any furniture. And this is the first time weve had a fireplace.

Its clear the Molloys are excited about their new home, which gives them more space than the Northeast Side bungalow where they lived for the first seven years of their marriage.

For example, there are little things like the half-bathroom next to the kitchen. This is actually a big deal for us, says Jennifer, noting their former home had just one bathroom.

The Molloys moved into the house with their dogs, Bailey and Stuart, in February -- soon after they began their house hunt after Christmas.

They found the house shortly after deciding to put their house on Aberdeen Street NE on the market.

We loved living on the Northeast Side, but we had kind of outgrown our house, says Dan.

After looking at several other larger homes on the Southeast Side, they fell in love with the 92-year-old two-story colonial they found while searching on the Grand Rapids Association of Realtors website.

With Realtor and friend Pete Bruinsma advising them as a buyers agent, they discovered there was a pending offer on the house. They had two days to put together an offer or risk losing the house.

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West Michigan homebuying story: How couple joined 'the East Grand Rapids shuffle'

The Wyomissing Zoning Hearing Board has granted a variance to Wyomissing Investors LP to allow a fast-food restaurant with a drive-thru window at 1199 Berkshire Blvd.

The developer plans to raze the Pizza Hut in the Berkshire Square Shopping Center and replace it with a Taco Bell.

Although a fast-food restaurant is a permitted use in a C-2 commercial zoning district, a variance is needed for a drive-thru window.

After the board granted the zoning relief Tuesday, zoning Solicitor Daniel P. Becker noted that a condition of the variance would limit the restaurant hours to 6 a.m. to midnight Sunday to Thursday and 6 a.m. to 1 a.m. Friday and Saturday.

James F. Nasuti, CEO of Summerwood Corp., the restaurant-operating company planning to open the Taco Bell, asked the board to reconsider the hours.

The board deliberated a second time and refused. Nasuti was advised to return for another zoning hearing should the need arise to expand the hours.

In another matter, the board granted a continuance to Gay Truehart, 916 Franklin St., who wants a variance to add a sunroom to the rear of the home.

Backyard neighbor June Christensen, 917 Hamilton Place, told the board she thought the addition might make Truehart's property noisier when the windows were open.

After deliberations, board member Robert Ullman said the request posed a dilemma.

"We don't believe we have sufficient evidence to grant this relief," Ullman said. "The most important issue is that we need to have a survey of the property. We are not comfortable until we know the boundary line."

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Zoners approve Taco Bell plans