When the Billings Family YMCA unveils its new mens locker room next week, the first major step in a massive, monthslong $2.5 million renovation of its locker rooms will be complete.

Literally, all the way down to the floorboards and tile, everything is new in the locker rooms, said Mistie Mims, development director at the Y.

On Friday, work crews scampered to finish up in the mens locker room on the second floor, painting, tiling and making a few last-minute installations for a planned public unveiling, complete with tours, on Tuesday before opening for use the next day.

The nonprofit health and fitness center serves about 10 percent of the population of Yellowstone County, or about 15,000 people, through membership and other programs.

Construction began on April 21 and when completed, the Y will have 1,000 new lockers, a larger whirlpool, a big-screen TV, new plumbing, improved HVAC, rewired electrical, fresh paint, new showers and new tile, among other improvements.

The mens room is just the first of a complete overhaul of the three major locker rooms at the Y, 402 N. 32nd St.

Our locker rooms have been run-down for so long, so its exciting to see this happening, Mims said. These renovations will be here for generations.

Work is just starting on a new, larger womens locker room on the first floor that will feature more space and the same improvements as the mens counterpart upstairs.

The total cost to rebuild the two is about $1.9 million.

Were just finishing up phase one and going into phase two, Mims said. We hope to finish (the womens lockers) by the end of November.

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YMCA overhaul continues; Scheels commits $333K matching donation

The largest school renovation project in Northwest Indiana continues in the Lake Central School Corp., where voters in the district approved a $160 million construction referendum in 2011.

The district went directly to residents to ask for a tax increase to fund major renovations at Lake Central High School and construct a new building for Protsman Elementary School. Lake Central serves about 9,800 students, including more than 3,200 at the high school.

Lake Central Superintendent Larry Veracco said three-quarters of the money is being spent at the high school. Contractors began work in June 2012 and divided the project into phases. The first consisted of the high school academic wing, which stands three stories high and houses about 100 classrooms, a 50-meter competition swimming pool and locker rooms.

The second phase, now underway, includes building a fine arts band area, a 1,000-seat auditorium, a large media center, black box theater, a large competitive gym, a wrestling room and administrative offices.

The current administrative office building will be demolished and become part of the parking lot. Central office staff will move into the freshman wing at the high school. When all the work is complete, the new high school will be 875,000 square feet.

Veracco said phases two and three overlap but all the renovation that will benefit students should be complete by 2015. "The district's special education administrative team also will be in the same administrative office wing, rather than being housed at Hohman Elementary where they are currently housed. It will benefit us to have them right next to us and it will give Hohman an extra two or three new classrooms," he said.

At Protsman, the final cleanup and landscaping is being done at the new school building. A grand opening is set for Sept. 28.

Other districts preparing facilties

While there are no other projects of that magnitude underway at other region school districts, there are smaller projects.

Highland Superintendent Brian Smith said workers are finishing up some work on the school cafeteria. "We did some roofing work, boilers and chillers last year and paid for that through the capital projects fund. We may need to go to a construction referendum at some point. We may also have to do rewiring at some buildings in the next three years," he said.

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Renovation work continues at local schools

One of theiconic mosaics on Astor Place that will be temporarily removed this fall. Photo by Yannic Rack

BY YANNIC RACK | Famous East Village artist Jim Mosaic Man Power, has been rallying support to save some of his iconic lamp poles from being removed during upcoming restoration work on Astor Place.

Power, known for his East Village Mosaic Trail of tile-encrusted lampposts, has reportedly been putting up signs alerting passersby that his artworks are endangered, starting roughly two weeks ago.

The Village Alliance has been getting calls from concerned residents as well, according to executive director William Kelley, who contacted the city Department of Transportation, resulting in a commitment on the D.O.T.s part to salvage and store the poles until they can be re-incorporated into the streetscape at a later date.

Powers 9/11 tribute to the NYPD. Photo by Yannic Rack

The planned Astor Place redesign will commence this fall and see the temporary removal and storage in a D.O.T. facility of seven of Powers mosaic poles, according to an emailed statement from the city agency.

The D.O.T. is working closely with the artist Jim Power and our partners City Lore and the Village Alliance to incorporate the light poles into the new plaza design, the statement further read.

I had a meeting with Jim to tell him that we are interested in helping to save them, Kelley said on Tuesday, adding that there is no immediate danger to the artworks. He said the signs started appearing about two weeks ago, but that nothing precipitated that in terms of specific developments in the construction works.

Jim Power couldnt be reached for comment.

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Community rallies to protect Mosaic Man tiles on Astor Place

A few months ago, a rock sat in the middle of a blink-and-you-miss-it strip of green space along Charlotte Avenue between 16th and 17th avenues. The rock's engraving called the green space a park, and said it was dedicated to the memory of artist William Edmondson, approximating his birth at about 1883, and his death in 1951. Edmondson, a sculptor, made playful, rounded carvings from sandstone; in 1937, he became the first African-American artist to be given a solo show at the Museum of Modern Art in New York. Many consider him the greatest artist ever to call Nashville home one reason his name now adorns one of the first parks in the city to focus primarily on commissioned public art.

Several weeks ago, a crew of landscapers and art handlers moved into block-long Edmondson Park, surrounding the marker with broken column relics from the Parthenon, laying down rubber track like a swirl of Yellow Brick Road, and adding small hills and shallow valleys throughout. On one side of the Edmondson marker now stands a jagged metal structure by acclaimed Alabama-based artist Thornton Dial. Nearby is Bell Buckle, Tenn., artist Sherri Warner Hunter's "The Gathering" three clay and tile mosaic figures, a bluebird resting peacefully on one's shoulders.

On the far corner of the green strip, directly in view of the Nashville skyline, is a spiny steel structure cradling a large boulder. The sculptor of this work is Lonnie Holley, and this is the first large-scale public work he has ever created. This blazing July afternoon, Holley eyes the giant sculpture he's created a 14-foot-tall piece whose three legs cross each other to create a teepee-like nest, as well as a shelter for a similar boulder beneath.

The shape is familiar to those who've visited the undeveloped lot in Atlanta that Holley treats as a studio a place he calls his "environment." But there, as here, it isn't what people are accustomed to thinking of as public art. Back home in Georgia, Holley says, suspicious neighbors have even wondered aloud whether he's performing voodoo.

The artist is quick to dismiss that charge with a gentle shrug, like someone who's dealt with prejudice and misunderstandings his whole life. But there's something to that accusation: Holley is indeed a kind of magician. Just maybe not the kind his neighbors or Nashvillians expect.

Driving Lonnie Holley around downtown Atlanta is like a quest with an extremely creative knight. At every corner is a potential story, hidden from most but clear as day to Holley, an expert at building something from nothing. As readily as a scrapyard Michelangelo, he picks apart pieces until he's left with a single sculptural relic that can distill a story to its essence.

"Pull over here," he says, and we stop in a recycling plant just around the corner from the Souls Grown Deep warehouse, the storage facility for the foundation that represents Holley. The plant is stacked high with colorful cardboard scraps that have been flattened and bundled together. They resemble either haybales or soft Mike Kelley sculptures, depending on your reference point. Holley's lies somewhere between.

"Look at this!" he exclaims, with a schoolteacher's earnest excitement. It's early May, and the sun shines so brightly on the stacks that Holley flips down his sunglasses, reflective aviators that he asks people to see themselves in when he's having a conversation. He finds an old issue of Life magazine commemorating the World Trade Center on its cover. It's in near-perfect condition.

Holley opens to a photo spread of Ground Zero soon after the 9/11 attacks. He holds it open in one hand with a few rusted metal parts and a flower he'd just picked tucked under his finger, and he asks me tells me, really, as if he has my best interest in mind to take a picture.

Just like that, Holley transforms trash into his own kind of art a no-frills spiritual exercise that's simple enough to take you by surprise, but might also make you rethink how you see things every day. Among the rusted detritus, sometimes there's a flower. Everything is personal in Holley's world.

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Born of struggle and a Dickensian childhood, Lonnie Holley's work is not Nashville's typical public art

San Leandro, CA (PRWEB) August 12, 2014

Superior Tile and Stone, headquartered in San Leandro, CA, has joined forces with All American Tile and Terrazzo. Jeff Young, the former owner of All American, has closed his company and is heading up the terrazzo division at Superior. Jeff brings over 30 years of Terrazzo experience with him. The combination of All Americans and Superiors experience and financial strength provides customers with the reassurance that when Superior is selected for Terrazzo project, the job will be completed as specified, on time and within budget.

Superior Tile and Stone has over 60,000 square feet of fabrication facilities in Northern California and Las Vegas Nevada. Superior operates all fabrication equipment wet -- eliminating harmful dust -- and recycles water and stone cuttings. Superior's environmentally conscious work practices consume no more water per day than the average household.

Superior Tile and Stone have been sourcing, fabricating and installing porcelain and ceramic tile, natural stone, marble, granite, quartz, thin brick, mosaic and terrazzo in commercial, hotel-casino, and residential properties throughout California, Nevada and the Pacific Northwest since 1929. Some of Superior's projects include Union Square, San Francisco International Airport, McCarren Airport, Neiman Marcus' flagship store in Walnut Creek, CA, the Federal Building in Oakland, CA, Alta Bates Hospital in Oakland, CA, Wynn Resort, Cosmopolitan Resort & Casino and M Hotel Resort & Casino -- all in Las Vegas.

Superior Tiles history with terrazzo dates back to the 1950s. Superior installed the tile and stone in the majority of the initial BART Stations throughout the Bay Area, and joint ventured with a number of terrazzo specialists to complete the platforms, stairs and entries.

Superior's management team includes Tommy A. Conner, CEO; Robert F. Herman, President; Jerry T. Sue, CFO; Patty D. Moore, Vice President; Fred A. Steed, Operations Manager; and Johna R. Diaz, Assistant to the CEO.

For more information about Superior Tile and Stone, please visit their website at http://www.superiortilestone.com, or call them at 510-895-2700.

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Superior Tile and Stone Announces Joining Forces With All American Tile and Terrazzo

BY YANNIC RACK | Famous East Village artist Jim Mosaic Man Power, has been rallying support to save some of his iconic lamp poles from being removed during upcoming restoration work on Astor Place.

Power, known for his East Village Mosaic Trail of tile-encrusted lampposts, has reportedly been putting up signs alerting passersby that his artworks are endangered, starting roughly two weeks ago.

The Village Alliance has been getting calls from concerned residents as well, according to executive director William Kelley, who contacted the city Department of Transportation, resulting in a commitment on the D.O.T.s part to salvage and store the poles until they can be re-incorporated into the streetscape at a later date.

The planned Astor Place redesign will commence this fall and see the temporary removal and storage in a D.O.T. facility of seven of Powers mosaic poles, according to an emailed statement from the city agency.

The D.O.T. is working closely with the artist Jim Power and our partners City Lore and the Village Alliance to incorporate the light poles into the new plaza design, the statement further read.

I had a meeting with Jim to tell him that we are interested in helping to save them, Kelley said on Tuesday, adding that there is no immediate danger to the artworks. He said the signs started appearing about two weeks ago, but that nothing precipitated that in terms of specific developments in the construction works.

Jim Power couldnt be reached for comment.

I think its going to be several months before D.O.T. actually gets to that area with the project, theyre working on the Cooper Square area right now, which is further south. But be that as it may, at least my understanding is that D.O.T. will not throw them away, theyre going to salvage them, Kelley said.

Last year two of Powers works his F.D.N.Y. 9/11 tribute on Astor Pl. and another work on St. Marks Pl. were both removed without notice by the D.O.T., although both were later restored.

The Village Alliance ran some community outreach last year, Kelley said, to see which kind of uses the public would like to see at the redesigned Astor Place.

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Community rallies to protect Mosaic Man tiles on Astor Pl.

As teachers and students of the Dewey Public School District head back to class on Wednesday, they may have to wake up a bit earlier this year.

According to Superintendent of Schools Dr. David Wilkins, the start times at all schools will be 8:20 a.m. this year, which is 10 minutes earlier than last year. The school day will still end at 3:15 p.m.

State law and the State Department of Education require that students attend at least 1,080 hours of school per school year, he said. By adding this extra time to each school day, we are able to build in time that may be lost due to inclement weather or other unforeseen causes that would require school to be dismissed. If we miss school because of these unforeseen conditions or problems we will not be required to add extra days to our calendar.

In addition to the earlier start time, Wilkins said construction work is continuing across all buildings on the campus. The construction work is a result of a $6 million bond voters approved in 2013.

When students report on Wednesday of this week, the majority of the work inside each of our buildings will be mostly completed, he said. The middle school and high school will have a small amount of electrical and tile work that will be wrapped up later in the week, but all major work will be done.

According to Wilkins, there is still work to be done at the elementary school.

Construction will be continuing on the new entryway and offices at the elementary, he said. Because of this work, our office personnel will be relocated to various parts of the elementary until work is finalized. Students will need to use the northeast entrance to the elementary and the entry way between the elementary and the cafeteria. Anyone visiting the schools will be routed directly to the offices in each building to check in with office personnel.

Wilkins also said that the district will offer the EZ Pay system again this year to assist parents in easily paying for student lunches.

We began EZ pay last year as a way for our parent to pay for their students school meals., he said. This program is implemented as a convenience for our community. It ensures that parents money is credited to the proper accounts. Instead of parents sending cash or a check with a student, they can log on and pay online with a credit or debit card.

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Dewey heads back to school Wednesday

Tile work project. Saturday, August 9 2014. Bathroom and Patio.
Tile work done on the Backyard patio and the Bathroom.

By: John Dc

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Tile work project. Saturday, August 9 2014. Bathroom and Patio. - Video

They're changing how we work with fellow developers, how we interact with our customers, and how we code

A long time ago, developers wrote assembly code that ran fast and light. On good days, they had enough money in their budget to hire someone to toggle all those switches on the front of the machine to input their code. On bad days, they flipped the switches themselves. Life was simple: The software loaded data from memory, did some arithmetic, and sent it back. That was all.

Today, developers must work with teams spread across multiple continents where people speak different languages with different character sets and -- this is the bad part -- use different versions of the compiler. Some of the code is new, and some may be from decade-old libraries that may or may not come with source code. Building team spirit and slogging through the mess is only the beginning of what it means to be a programmer today.

The work involved in telling computers what to do is markedly different than it was even five years ago, and it's quite possible that any Rip Van Winkle-like developer who slept through the past 10 years would be unable to function in the today's computing world. Everything seems to be changing faster than ever.

Here are 15 technologies transforming the very nature of programming. They're changing how we work with fellow developers, how we interact with our customers, and how we code. Don't get caught asleep at the console.

Developer tool No. 1: Continuous integration

When you checked in code to a repository, there used to be enough time to catch your breath, have a cup of coffee, and maybe even go out to lunch. No more -- code repositories are now tightly linked to continuous build systems that recompile your code, scrutinize your architecture, initiate hundreds of tests, and start flagging every potential error in your work. You won't get five feet from your desk before your phone starts pinging you with new emails or text messages from the continuous build mechanism telling you what needs to be fixed. Back to work, slave, the continuous build machine has new tasks for you.

Developer tool No. 2: Frameworks

Standing on the shoulders of giants by reusing the work of others may not be a new idea, but it seems like it's never been as dominant as it is today. Very little programming begins from scratch these days. The favored -- and some might argue, best -- approach is to grab the right framework, research the API, and start writing glue code to link together the parts of the API that make the most sense for the job. Web pages aren't built out of HTML or CSS anymore; the coding begins with Ext JS, ExpressJS, or some other collection of code that serves as a foundation.

Sure, you could be pioneering and build everything from scratch, but that would be suicide. There's no way to catch up with all the work done by others. You're not a craftsman -- you're a framework-tweaker. If you're thinking of writing code yourself, stop and look for a framework that does it already.

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15 technologies changing how developers work

A row has broken out over claims three Coventry police bases are set to close.

Councillor Patricia Hetherton (Lab, Woodlands) says the decision goes back on a promise made by the late Police and Crime Commissioner Bob Jones last year.

She says bases in Tile Hill, Spon End and Radford will be shut with police teams moving elsewhere.

But West Midlands Police say no decision has been made on which bases will close as part of a review of the forces buildings in Coventry.

Coun Hetherton said that Mr Jones, who died last month, had vowed not to close the police base in Tile Hill until after an extensive public consultation.

She said: We accept that the current building may not be entirely suitable for its purpose, but we strongly agree with our constituents that any proposed move must ensure the team is still based in the local area.

Whilst I welcome the fall in recorded crime in Woodlands ward, there have been some very serious incidents which have led the community to call for a visible police presence to offer reassurance.

I have no doubt that the fall in recorded crime is due largely to this visibility and to the relationships with residents which our front line police have been able to form as a result of their proximity to the neighbourhoods they serve.

I am therefore calling on West Midlands Police to halt these plans until local people have been consulted, and until an appropriate alternative has been identified.

It is essential that the Woodlands neighbourhood police team can patrol from a location in the area they serve, instead of spending their time travelling from a remote base.

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Row rages over claims Coventry police bases will close