Venus and Jupiter have made a spectacular show in our night sky. Oddly, it is Venus that appears the largest to us because of its closeness to Earth.

Daytime has been spectacular, too, with temperatures into the 60s. I can't ever remember having daffodils in mid-March. Forsythia, cherries, and magnolias all have big buds and an occasional flower. I hope everything doesn't get blasted by a frost. It seems inevitable and probably "seasonally correct." I wonder if we will have an extra-hot summer as a result of such an early spring.

I came home one day last week to find a huge bouquet of pussy willow branches on my porch, the result of Linda Hearn's annual pruning. They were delivered by Laura Caruso and her daughter, Morgan, here for a few days with Linda and Glenn. The branches are arranged in an ironstone pitcher on a table in our sunroom, in front of windows looking out to, at the moment, a soft lavender sky above the rhododendron hedge that borders our woods. It looks like a Jane Freilicher painting and will probably become a Hermine Hull painting in short order.

We have a new resident in town. Griffin McQuillin Neago was born on March 13 at Martha's Vineyard Hospital. He is the son of Darcy Hodgson Neago and Jason Neago, baby brother of Tristan. Griffin is now at home on Tiasquam Road in the turquoise blue cottage that once belonged to his great-grandmother, Nancy Whiting. It's an easy walk or carriage ride to visit grandpa Tom Hodgson and Christine Gault, just up the now daffodil-lined path. Welcome, Griffin.

"Brava" to Heidi Schultz, who is announcing her new career as a proofreader and editor. As Town Clerk (she retired in 1995) this was part of her job, preparing town reports and other official reports and documents. An avid reader and Scrabble player, she knows about words and usage, so she has decided to offer her skills to budding authors, creative writers, and those who have to prepare reports. Contact her at 508-693-9417. She has a weekly classified ad in both papers under "Services."

I hope that all interested parties will read this in time to attend this afternoon's meeting at 2 pm at the Howes House. It will be a discussion of the up-coming year's school budget and proposed Up-Island School Meals Program. There will be time for questions, answers, and refreshments. Please come to hear their presentation and be informed.

The library will also be hosting a last pre-Annual Town Meeting forum on Monday, March 26, 5:30 pm, at the Howes House. It will give residents and voters an opportunity to see the latest designs for the proposed library addition. Architects, building committee members, trustees, friends, and foundation members will all be on hand. The project must be approved at both Town Meeting and on the ballot.

Another issue at this year's Town Meeting will be whether or not to reinstate dog-walking privileges at Lambert's Cove Beach this summer. The Friends of Lambert's Cove Beach will hold a meeting on this issue downstairs in the Howes House Monday evening following the library's meeting upstairs. It will begin at 7 pm. Pat Gregory will be on hand to moderate a discussion of the pros and cons. I know that people feel strongly about this, so hope everyone who is interested can attend.

Jackie Foster, feta cheese maker at Mermaid Farm, will be the featured speaker at a Slow Food Wine and Cheese gathering at Morning Glory Farm this Friday evening, March 23. She will show slides from her trip to Slow Cheese in Italy and visits with Italian cheese makers, and talk about her plans for the cheese cave she is working on at Mermaid Farm. There will be wines and artisanal cheeses from Italy, France, Spain, and New England. The event begins at 6 pm.

Come to Bee School this weekend, March 24 and 25. An Island-Grown Bees workshop will teach attendees about hive splits, managing swarms, and more. For more information, contact Randi Baird at dune@vineyard.net.

Read the original here:
West Tisbury

CITY OF GASTONIA - INSPECTIONS DIVISION

BUILDING PERMITS ISSUED 03/12/2012 through 03/16/2012

PERMIT DATE PRIMARY CONTACT ADDRESS CONSTRUCTION COST DESCRIPTION OF WORK CENSUS TRACT PARCEL

43095 3/13/2012 INTERSTATE SIGN CO INC 2165 N. CHESTER ST. SIGN $3,488 On building installing (1) 10'3'x45 3/4' DD cloud sign front side / (1) 37'x6' DD Donut Cup & letters/ (1) Menu Board Sign 7'2'x6'2'/ (2) Vinyl decals on Gaston Crossing Sign blank panel / (2) Directional Signs @ 1'-1 3/4' x 2'-7 1/4' located entrance and at rear entrance 315 215817

52023 3/15/2012 STONEBRIDGE FACILITY SVCS INC 3086 E. FRANKLIN BLVD. REMODEL FOR COMMERCIAL $38,000 INSTALLATION OF FREEZER IN THE DUMPSTER ENCLOSURE. EXTENDING THE ENCLOSURE TO ACCOMODATE BOTH DUMPSTER AND FREEZER 313.02 138018

52134 3/13/2012 DENTON REMODELING & 2839 MEETING ST. RESIDENTIAL ADDITIONS $25,683 REMOVE EXISTING UN-HEATED 12X12 SCREEN PORCH AND ADDING 16X16 HEATED SUNROOM 333.01 140733

52166 3/16/2012 CMR CONST/ROOFING OF CAROLINAS 1284 UNION RD. REMODEL FOR COMMERCIAL $15,430 tear off and re-roof. felt and shingles only 327.01 206359

52167 3/16/2012 CMR CONST/ROOFING OF CAROLINAS 1280 UNION RD. REMODEL FOR COMMERCIAL $13,347 tear off and re-roof. felt and shingles only 327.01 206359

52168 3/16/2012 CMR CONST/ROOFING OF CAROLINAS 1276 UNION RD. REMODEL FOR COMMERCIAL $13,347 tear off and re-roof. felt and shingles only 327.01 206359

52169 3/16/2012 CMR CONST/ROOFING OF CAROLINAS 1272 UNION RD. REMODEL FOR COMMERCIAL $10,832 tear off and re-roof. felt and shingles only 327.01 206359

Read more here:
Find out what's getting built in Gastonia

When my family moved into our first home in 1995, we thought we had adequate space. My husband Carlo and I had two young kids, but with 1,300 sq ft of living area, the home was almost twice the size of the two-bedroom apartment we had just vacated. Still, after a couple of years, the stuff we accumulated had us craving more room. The bedrooms were tiny, and two of them didnt even have closets. That led to our first renovations: a finished basement playroom, complete with two full walls of storage cupboards, as well as a small bathroom.

We were contentfor a while. But soon we found ourselves longing for an extra room on the main floor for a large-screen TV and comfy couchesas well as a small home office. And what I really craved was a walkout to the garden for year-round barbecuing.

As we discovered, upgrading your home is like putting together the pieces of a challenging jigsaw puzzle. One small renovation usually leads to another, then another, until finally you feel the picture matches the vision you had in mind. Well, five years and $60,000 later, our renovation puzzle is complete.

Despite the hefty price tag, renovating for more space is usually well worth it. By mining every inch of our home for more space we not only got to stay in familiar settings in a neighbourhood we love, but we also saved ourselves $20,000 or more in moving costs that wed have faced if wed bought a new home. What follows is a guide to how you too can turn underused space into functional areas that will make day-to-day living at home a joy. Whether you have $100 or $100,000 to spend, were sure youll find something that suits your budget. You may even discover the last piece of the puzzle that makes your home complete.

Pricepoint: $2,000 or less

No amount of money is too small when it comes to decluttering your living space. Start by sorting through your closets and main living areas. Create three pilesone for stuff you plan to keep, a second pile for stuff you plan to give away to a thrift store, and a third for junk that can be tossed out or recycled. (A good rule of thumb is if you havent used it in two years, or if your kids have outgrown it, give it away.) Then consider these tips to make your space more livable: Put it on a shelf. Whatever you do, dont leave stuff on the floor, says Michael Lawrance, co-owner of M-Squared Contracting Inc. in Toronto. Organize it in boxes on neatly stacked shelves. Pick a spot in your garage or basement and spend a few hundred dollars adding some basic shelving units. Stand-alone shelves made of reinforced plastic (typically 4 ft wide, 6 ft high, and 20 inches deep) sell at local hardware stores for about $90. These can easily be used to organize and store all your seasonal stuff, says Lawrance. If youre handy, they should be fairly simple and cheap to install.

Pick up a paintbrush. Painting is great for giving the illusion of space, says Francesco DiSarra, co-owner of Capoferro Design Build Group in Toronto. Its cheap and will give you plenty of bang for your buck for a very small investment of time. Dark rooms always appear smaller than lighter ones, so opt for shades of white or beige for an airy feel to your room. A coat of white paint on your ceiling can also work wonders, and by painting the crown moulding too, you will create the impression that the ceiling is wider than it is, minimizing the tunnel-vision effect. Consider using top-rated Benjamin Moore Aura paint ($55 per gallon). Its a one-coat paint that dries in an hour or less, scrubbable and mildew-resistant, and contractors swear by its beautiful finish.

Tear down a wall. If your house has two cramped rooms side by side, consider removing the wall between them to open up the area. The wall between the kitchen and the dining room is a popular one for removal, since this reno creates a wide-open area thats great for both family meals and entertaining.

Before you pick up the sledgehammer, the first step is determining whether its a load-bearing wallif so, it cant be removed without expensive reinforcements. If the wall also hides electrical, plumbing or duct work, or if youll have to repair the flooring, this could turn into a major project. But if its just a partition wall of drywall and studs, a contractor can take it down in one day for about $1,000.

Pricepoint: $5,000 to $20,000

See the rest here:
The space race

Photo by Joy Lewis

Doris Kinney holds the last brick made by her father, William "Edgar" Williams, at the Abilene Brick Co. The plant closed in 1980.

Photo by Joy Lewis

photos by Joy Lewis/Reporter-News Paul Smith has spent the past eight years collecting and researching bricks made in West Texas. He keeps his treasure trove of bricks, more than 400, in his garage.

It was one of Abilene's earliest businesses and churned out the bricks that built many of the local structures still standing today. However, traveling to the site of the former Abilene Brick Co., it might be difficult to recognize it as a piece of Abilene history.

North of town, the enormous clay mines are filled with trash now the site of landfills. One original office structure stands but is now a topless bar called the Chitchat Club. Another brickmaking structure also stands but now serves as a ballroom for dance lessons and events.

However, looking at an aerial map of the site, Abilene residents Doris Kinney and Paul A. Smith can point out enough remnants of history to put together a picture of what the brick plant looked like in its prime.

Kinney and Smith are quite possibly the foremost experts on the Abilene Brick Co. their joint effort on digging up brick history has resulted in a brick collection and plans to write a book about the historic company.

Smith said his love of bricks started about eight years ago when he moved from the Chicago area to Abilene to accept a position at McMurry University as a professor of kinesiology and exercise science. Upon walking into his new home, he found three bricks sitting in the garage, the word "Abilene" pressed into the clay on each one.

"Being a transplant and proud of being a new Abilenian," he said, "I wanted to use them to decorate the sunroom, kind of bring some Western culture in there."

Go here to read the rest:
Abilene brick collector's stash offers peek into history

Written by Amy England Saturday, 17 March 2012 13:53

I think its the perfect thing for someone like me, said Frances Thomas, one of the first residents of the Steelville Therapy Center at Gibbs Care Center. This facility is special and even more so now (with the addition of the new wing).

The therapy center held an open house event for the community on February 19 and opened for residents just three days later. Since that time, eight people have been admitted and four have already returned to their homes, fulfilling the new centers purpose. Its working very well, said Larry Howdeshell, Sr., assistant administrator of the facility. Its been very successful. It is serving the community as intended for people on their way from the hospital to their homes. The center is intended to provide care for those who need comprehensive short-term rehabilitation services close to home. It includes state-of-the-art equipment and access to skilled professional therapists. Thomas, who has served as an ombudsman (an intermediary between residents and staff) for the nursing home for 20 years, had total knee replacement surgery on February 28 and came to the therapy center in Steelville on March 2. I didnt want to be at home with just a nurse coming in to check on me, she said. Its good to be here where someone can check on me more often. Weve all come a long way together in learning how to make it work. She noted that she has her own schedule and that the center staff has worked with her to help her as she heals. And, she credits her stay at the therapy center with how quickly progress has been made. She believes that process has gone more quickly than would have been possible if she had gone directly home from the hospital. She loves to be around people and also feels that the camaraderie of having others around her has been helpful in the recovery process. Ive had the time of my life here, she said. I have loved meeting all the people. She likes the opportunity to sit in the sunroom that is part of the new wing or in the reception area that is graced with artwork sponsored by the Steelville Arts Council. Her family has joked with her that they cant seem to catch her in her room when theyve attempted to phone her. I said, Im not sitting in a room looking at the four walls waiting for a phone call, she said. They can call back. But she is thankful for the phone in her room and even asked her husband to bring her a phonebook so she could call on people while taking therapy there. All in all, she couldnt say enough good things about the new wing. Im so thrilled about it I just bubble over, she laughed. Its something that really is good. We have a beautiful place here, hopefully more people will take advantage of it.

Read more:
New wing at Gibbs is being put to use

The sunroom provides breathtaking views through its decorative two-story Palladian windows, while its brick wall provides a fireplace and a multipaned door to the dining room.

With its wall of decorative arched Palladian windows rising two stories high beneath a slanted skylit ceiling, this sunroom provides sensational views year round. But now that spring is coming to the 0.62 wooded lot, the sight will be especially spectacular. Adding to the excitement, the windows also face a slanted brick wall surrounding a fireplace next to a multipaned door to the dining room.

The sunroom is an addition to this 26-year-old expanded classic colonial brick home, where the improvements include a new roof. Both inside and out, it is filled with dramatic details, including a screened porch and five fireplaces.

These distinctive features also include the dining room, which overlooks the sunroom and its wooded views. Crown molding, wainscoting and an elegant chandelier that conveys also enhance the dining room.

It is open to the front living room, where crown molding rises above a molded fireplace with a marble mantel. The living room also adjoins the foyer, which features crown molding and wainscoting.

On the other side of the entrance hall, the office displays wooden crown molding and wainscoting. Hardwood floors and multipaned windows continue throughout most of the first and second stories, varied by ceramic tile in the kitchen and sunroom.

The foyer also leads to the renovated rear kitchen, with its stainless steel appliances, granite counters and mosaic tile backsplash. The breakfast nook provides a multipaned bay window with another impressive wooded view. The kitchen area faces the family room and its slanted brick wall, which frames a fireplace.

Three multipaned doors lead from the family room to the screened porch. Beneath its slanted skylit ceiling, it provides another impressive view, plus an entrance to the deck and its hot tub.

The powder room is located beside the stairs. On the second story, crown molding, chair rail and a large walk-in closet appear in the master bedroom, which also features a fireplace. The bedroom also includes a vanity sink, while the adjoining skylit master bath provides another vanity, a step-up tub with a tile surround and a separate shower. The other three bedrooms share a hallway bath.

Two more bedrooms and a full bath appear in the carpeted lower level. Wooden crown molding and wainscoting lend a rugged charm to the den and recreation room, which also features a wooden bar, a full-length brick fireplace and multipaned doors to the rear lot.

See more here:
Spectacular sunroom will shine especially brightly in springtime

Not the ordinary but the extraordinary await you at 165 Kingsland Rd. in Township of Boonton. This spectacular custom home with Neo-Mediterranean influence has architectural features combining the exotic while maintaining a cozy feel with Spanish, Greek, and Italian influences found throughout of the home.

PHOTO COURTESY OF RE/MAX SUPERIOR HOMES

This spectacular custom home with Neo-Mediterranean influence in Boonton Twp. has architectural features combining the exotic while maintaining a cozy feel.

An interesting asymmetric layout offers traditional rooms with a sense of drama and unique style. The abundance of windows, many of them floor to ceiling, flood the home with light and provide views of the magnificent grounds from most first floor rooms, overlooking water with a large in-ground pool and accessed from nearly every room on the first floor.

The design creates an amalgamation of interior and exterior spaces optimizing the close to three-acre grounds offering privacy, views and serenity.

The focal point of the home is the stunning courtyard at the center of the homes lateral wings. A spacious blue stone patio offers many outdoor gathering areas in addition to the heated sunroom and covered patio area providing refuge and continued outdoor enjoyment for inclement weather.

Outdoor entertaining is accommodated on a grand scale with easy access to the home through multiple sets of French doors, allowing an easy flow and merging of the indoors and outdoors.

The main entrance of this custom home is surrounded by sculpted and manicured gardens leading to the covered, peaked entrance recess opening to the foyer. An impressive entrance, the foyer affords views of the courtyard and is bathed in natural light from the hexagonal skylight at the apex of the two-story vaulted ceiling.

The front hall leads to the magnificent gallery, the kitchen and family room spaces. The gallery connects the two side wings of the home and encompasses a 40-foot wall of windows trimmed in mahogany with granite flooring. The outside and interior become one as visitors pass through this truly stunning space.

The left wing of the home includes the kitchen, breakfast nook, family room and sunroom. The open flow from kitchen to family room and bump out breakfast nook creates a casual space perfect for entertaining and relaxing. A dramatic window accentuates the separate breakfast area and provides views to the side grounds.

Continued here:
Villa Pace offers buyers more than just a peaceful home

The kitchen in Bryan Voltaggios previous home was small. It had an electric oven, bisque-colored appliances and such a dearth of cabinet space that most of his cooking equipment was stored in a free-standing cabinet in another room.

The kitchen in his home today? Well, its much different.

Earlier this year, Voltaggio, 35, moved his family of four to a five-bedroom house just down the road in Frederick. Not surprisingly, the kitchen was one of the main attractions for the chef.

I like that it feels like a professional kitchen environment, says Voltaggio, and we have space to entertain a lot of people.

A spacious, 20-by-20-foot room houses multiple rows of dark wood cabinets, granite countertops, a walk-in pantry, a wet bar, a granite-topped center island and stainless-steel appliances, including the high-tech Samsung refrigerator that Voltaggio and his brother, Michael, can be seen pitching in a recent television commercial.

Adjacent and open to the kitchen is a 21-by-11-foot addition, which the previous owners used as a sunroom. But the Voltaggios consider it an additional dining area. A 77-inch white oak table sits in the center, and a wine refrigerator stands nearby.

With the ample space, Voltaggio now has more than enough room to house all of his favorite kitchen toys, as he calls them, including a Vitamix blender (an investment he highly recommends), a Delonghi espresso machine (a gift from his brother), a Breville toaster oven and, the most recent addition, an Acrobaleno pasta extruder (an extremely fancy pasta maker).

The extra room also makes it easier for him to do something else he loves: cook with his 4-year-old son.

Thatcher likes to cook more than he likes to eat, says Voltaggio. Sometimes Ill come home and there will be carrot peels on the counter. He wont eat the carrots, but hell peel them.

To foster his sons interest in food, Voltaggio includes Thatcher in meal prep.

Originally posted here:
Bryan Voltaggio’s home kitchen

It's the magic phrase uttered by almost anyone who's ever considered the cost of home remodeling: "We'll get it back when we sell."

Unless you keep those projects practical, though, you might just be kidding yourself.

For example:

Steel front door: Good.

Master-suite addition costing more than the average American home: Bad.

Every year, Remodeling magazine looks at the hottest home upgrades and renovations and calculates how much owners get back when they sell.

Upkeep is more popular than upgrades these days, says Sal Alfano, editorial director for Remodeling. These are the projects that often recoup the biggest slice of expenses at resale. But prices and returns do vary regionally, he says.

Ever wonder what brings the lowest return when you plant that "for sale" sign? Think high-dollar, high-end and highly personalized add-ons that make you drool. Like a totally tricked-out garage built from the ground up. Or a superluxe master-suite addition. Or the home-office redo designed just for you.

Here are the six improvements that rank dead last nationally when it comes to getting those renovation dollars back at resale.

1. Home office

View original post here:
6 home renovations whose cost might not be recouped at resale

Published: Friday, March 9, 2012 at 2:32 p.m. Last Modified: Friday, March 9, 2012 at 2:32 p.m.

A couple is crediting the Silver Valley Volunteer Fire Department and passers-by with saving their home after a building behind it caught on fire Thursday night.

At 7:51 p.m., firefighters with the Silver Valley Volunteer Fire Department were dispatched to 2128 Old N.C. Highway 109 near Jolly Road in regard to a house fire. They arrived to find the building fully involved and a sunroom attached to the rear of the home on fire, said Chris Hedrick, chief of the Silver Valley Volunteer Fire Department.

Once firefighters arrived, the fire was contained in eight minutes, Hedrick said.

Hedrick said the fire department prevented the fire from penetrating the one-story wood-frame house. However, smoke and heat damage caused fire officials to deem the house unlivable, and the power was disconnected.

The building and the sunroom attached to the home were completely destroyed, the chief said. Two vehicles located in a carport near the building also received damage, and about one-half of an acre of woods on the property caught on fire.

Hedrick said the house could be repaired. He said the fire originated in the building that was only four or five feet from the home. Hedrick said the fire marshal has ruled the cause of the fire as undetermined.

Lynda and "Crow" Nichols were inside the home when the fire occurred, Hedrick said. He said the husband was asleep, and Lynda was working on the computer. The Nichols escaped injury.

"They saved the house," Lynda said Friday afternoon. "That's the bottom line."

She also didn't know the exact cause of the fire. Lynda said, in addition to the fire department, about 15 to 20 passers-by stopped at the home to assist with trying to put out the fire

Excerpt from:
Couple credits Silver Valley Fire Department, passers-by with saving home