Building and grounds committee set to vote on architects
For several months Dougherty County School System officials have been narrowing down a list of architects for various school projects..The FOX 31 Newscast is...
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Architects Have Varied Background In Building Design
Robert B. Cerny, Ralph Rapson and W. J. Seifert are the three architects who are drawing plans for Fargos new City Hall and auditorium building to be erected in the civic center area along 4th Street North between 1st and 3rd Avenue.
The Forum, Oct. 7, 1956
At the time that story was written, the area between Fourth Street and the river and between First Avenue and Third Avenue North had been leveled for urban renewal.
According to urban renewal records, the (land) from Fourth Street to the Red River had become a dead area for commercial development and stagnated. Deteriorated buildings, vacant lots becoming refuse dumps and general blight became a permanent part of the area.
About 50 years seems to be the life expectancy of a city hall in Fargo. After what served as Fargos City Hall was destroyed in the Great Fargo Fire of 1893, a new City Hall was built in 1906 for $17,251. It was abandoned when the current City Hall was finished in the early 1960s. The new structure cost $1,773,000.
Fargo architect Vern Hunter wrote to me suggesting that a story about the existing City Hall would spur documentation of the building so its history would not be lost. He hoped that a budget item in the building process whereby an architecture student, class, or a historian would research, write, and photograph the significant details and history of the existing building.
He added that many of the mid-century modern attributes that defined Rapson and that period of architecture, such as the barrel vault canopy over the walkway, have already been removed.
Rapson was a giant in American architecture. When he died in 2008 at the age of 93, it was considered the end of an era, according to Thomas Fisher, dean of the College of Design at the University of Minnesota. Fisher said Rapson was one of our last living links to the first generation of Modernists
In a letter to the editor, former City Commissioner Mort Mazaheri said, The current building in combination with the library and the Civic Center received an Award of Excellence from the American Institute of Architects. This complex was the first contemporary design in Fargo for more than 30 years. Being 50 years old, by definition it is a historic building.
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Halgrimson: History of Fargo's City Hall worth noting
On the threshold of a tough trail but retailers are optimistic
Higher prices of goods and services as a result of subsidy cuts may pave a tough trail for businesses in the year ahead. However, retail operators in Sarawak are bracing up with a dollop of optimism.
They are quietly confident that sales for the year will be a bit more bustling compared to last year, in spite of the generally perceived gloomy business climate.
Their buoyant sentiment is supported by a few factors such as, more gains from higher number of tourist arrivals during Visit Sarawak Year 2014, the changing lifestyles of people as they demand better quality goods and services and demographic factors such as a spike in population in Kuching and other parts of Sarawak as a result of the states urbanisation agenda.
With new trends in population growth in urban hubs such as Kuching, industry players believe that a ready market is available with an enormous growth potential. This is besides the expectations of capturing a larger aggregate of shoppers in the form of tourist-spending in the coming months. The relatively young retail industry in Sarawak adds another plus factor to perk up current industry confidence.
Meanwhile, retail players are seeking new ways and ideas to draw shoppers to their outlets through various advertising and promotional campaigns as well as point-of-sale events. The Summer Mall managing director Dato Lee Chee Fui said 2014 is going to be a turning point for the local retail industry, although it will be a very challenging year ahead.
The existing retail operators will face more challenges as consumers grapple with lesser disposable income and lower purchasing power arising from higher cost of living.
Despite prices of goods and services going up, consumers may buy less but generally sales will still be growing.
This is because, consumers need to spend during festive seasons and to replenish their supply of food and basic everyday needs.
For Summer Mall, our customers have been increasing since we opened in July last year, which is a good sign for us. Our focus is different compared to other shopping malls as we are targeting the lower to middle income market due to our suburban location in Kota Samarahan, he told BizHive Weekly.
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Prospects for the retail industry and the opportunities ahead
Apart from the basic structure, home insurance policies can cover valuables in the house as well.
First the Uttarakhand floods and then Cyclone Phailin one after the other, these natural catastrophes hit India in 2013 with full velocity, destroying thousands of homes.
Such natural calamities are a reminder for us to take proactive steps towards protecting our most priced asset our home. We spend lakhs of rupees towards buying our dream home but shy away from spending a few thousands more to protect it with a home insurance policy. Most of the time, this behaviour is influenced by lack of awareness and understanding of the benefits of home insurance. A comprehensive home insurance policy offers a host of covers for your home, including its contents, thus saving you the burden of reinstating or repairing your home from your own pocket.
Structure cover
This covers the structure and its inbuilt fittings against loss or damage caused by fire, flood and other perils. It also covers damages caused by other calamities such as landslides. One condition that companies apply in home insurance is good state of repair. This means that the property will not be insured unless it is well maintained and can be repaired if damaged.
This cover is offered by several insurance companies. If your house is damaged by flood, fire or riot and requires repair, the home insurance cover will provide for the additional expenses on an alternative accommodation. You and your family can stay there temporarily until the restoration is completed.
Content cover
This is designed to protect your belongings against damages caused due to specified natural calamities as well as burglary. Even if you have rented the house, this component of home insurance will continue to cover your contents during the period of rent. In case of burglary, the cover also provides compensation against damaged furniture and stolen belongings. However, for insuring antiques and valuables, such as basic jewellery above Rs 1 lakh, you need to take an additional cover.
Cover against accidents
Although standard home insurance policies usually provide some cover for accidental damage from the perils specified above, they may not cover everyday mishaps. This cover may not be significant in natural calamities but it is definitely important for minor damages. For example, this cover will protect your possessions, such as an expensive TV or any other contents if hit, by say, a cricket ball.
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More than a cover for your home
HENDERSON, Ky. The planned six-month-long closure of a section of Kentucky 136-East about midway between Anthoston and Niagara has been pushed back from Monday to Wednesday, according to the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet.
A contractor is preparing to construct a new bridge over the East Fork of Canoe Creek at mile point 24.6. The site is approximately one mile southeast of the Pennyrile Parkway overpass, between Upper Delaware Road/Kentucky 520 and Kentucky 416-East.
The contractor has quite a bit of equipment to get into place before work can actually start. Delaying the closure until Wednesday will help avoid unnecessary inconvenience to the public and school bus traffic, according to the Transportation Cabinet.
There will be a marked detour for light vehicles using Upper Delaware Road/Kentucky 520 and Kentucky 416-East, as well as a marked truck detour using Kentucky 416-East and U.S. 41-South.
The closure will affect motorists traveling from U.S. 41-South to Niagara Elementary School, which is located just east of the construction site, for the remainder of the school year.
The Henderson County Schools Transportation Department suggested two alternate routes:
Niagara School Route 1:
From the city of Henderson, drive past Kentucky 136 on U.S. 41 South at Anthoston.
Continue south on U.S. 41 for an additional 3.5 miles.
Turn left on West T. Royster Rd.
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Ky. 136-East closure coming Wednesday; access to Niagara School to be affected
Originally published January 17, 2014 at 8:02 PM | Page modified January 18, 2014 at 9:33 AM
The home office, it seems, is going the way of the fax machine.
Interior designers say families are finding more inventive uses for their homes extra little rooms optimistically called bonus rooms by real estate agents.
With the spread of wireless Internet and portables devices such as tablets, its common now to send spreadsheets and emails from any room in the house, not to mention the nearest coffee shop.
In fact, among major home-renovation projects, home-office improvements provide the puniest return on the investment when a home is resold, according to Remodeling magazines 2013 cost vs. value report.
So instead of that dust-collecting desk, many families are seeking creative ways to customize these alcoves as game rooms, dressing rooms, small theaters and more.
I get this question a lot, says Elizabeth Cb Marsh, an associate interior designer at Jenkins Baer Associates in Baltimore. Especially in large, new-construction homes, there are these bonus rooms that are just there.
When her clients make over a pre-existing office, she usually recommends trying to preserve any built-in features, such as shelving or cabinetry. If the space is large enough, she says, one option is to create a billiards room. Find a small (7-foot) pool table to place in the center of the room.
If theres a wood counter, retrofit the top with a waterproof material such as stone for an elegant wet bar, and if you have the budget, install plumbing for a small sink. Add bar stools, a high-top cocktail table and a pendant lamp over the pool table.
A smaller office can have a second life as a luxe dressing room, according to Marsh. Whether you draw inspiration from Downton Abbey or certain Beverly Hills housewives, the first step is to install a wall of shelving for shoes and clothes.
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Home office gathering dust? Consider other options
Murphy Gershman posted up his defender, who was 4 inches taller.
He called for the ball, waited for the pass, but it never came.
Instead, a teammate turned the ball over.
Pima College was trailing Glendale Community College late and had no room for error.
A timeout was called, and Gershman walked to the bench.
He sat down next to four of his teammates, all to his left. Then, he turned to his right, lifted his right arm and smacked the seat of the empty chair next to him. Then again.
He had already scored 32 points and grabbed 15 rebounds, but Pima was about to lose its third straight game.
Thats not quite an anomaly, considering Pima basketballs not-so-illustrious history. But coach Brian Peabody is trying to change that.
So is Gershman, the most unlikely success story on a surprisingly good team. The Aztecs were 9-10 before Saturday nights game at Eastern Arizona.
Hes what Pima basketball is all about, Peabody said. Hes just a blue-collar, no-nonsense type of guy. He just brings his lunch pail to work every day.
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Mr. Fix It: Former handyman Gershman sparking Pima's resurgent basketball team
Last week, I addressed short-term options for dealing with ice build-up at the eaves, which many homeowners have experienced this winter. Although the cold and snowy weather has temporarily subsided, more is on the way. As I noted in my last column, cleaning snow off the roof and/or cutting through ice dams are both potentially hazardous, and they are temporary measures. This week, Id like to offer some longer-term solutions.
Icicles, per se, are not necessarily bad, nor are they always cause for alarm. However, if you notice that you have ice that is tea-colored, or that is forming on the side of the house, it is cause for concern. And, if ice is present below siding or the soffits, or you discover that water is leaking into the structure, then it is also cause for concern. If ice forms over doorways or is a threat to pedestrians, steps should be taken to ensure that it does not harm anyone or anything.
If ice does not pose a threat, the best solution is to leave it alone and let it melt naturally. I know this violates the basic instinct of we have to do something, but in the long run its probably the best and safest policy.
However, if your home is experiencing water infiltration due to ice damming, then you should take steps to either partially eliminate the ice or, at the least, control its effects. Some of these measures include removal of snow from the roof and trying to contain any water that enters the house, as I discussed last week. Major roof repairs will likely have to wait until spring or summer.
One additional safe step you can take is to assess the insulation and ventilation in the attic. If there are areas missing or with substandard insulation, adding more as soon as possible makes obvious sense. One exception to this rule is if the existing insulation is wet or may become wet due to the leaking roof.
Plugging any gaps between the attic and the heated envelope of the house is also important since it is warm air escaping into the attic that is the main cause of ice-damming problems in the first place. Plumbing stacks, chimneys, bath fans, open areas over attic stairways and doors, etc., are all routes where warm air can move into the attic. Once the attic is warmed, the heat will escape through the roof and start to melt the snow above. Spray foam around gaps in the attic floor can help isolate the attic from the heated portion of the house.
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One step beyond this is to install a layer of foam between the unheated attic and the heated rooms below. This will likely mean the removal of existing insulation, the application of the foam (typically an inch or so) and then the installation of as much additional insulation as is practical. The ideal total amount of insulation would be to a minimum R-value of 38, however, the architectural design of the house may limit the available space to install that amount.
Please note that I do not recommend installing foam over the attic roof sheathing. This can conceal potential roof leaks and the layer of foam applied directly under the roof shingles can shorten their life.
If youve insulated the attic and closed potential air passages into the attic, one last option is to vent the attic so that it remains as close to the exterior temperature as possible. The addition of roof or ridge vents, or gable vents combined with free-flowing soffit vents (if your homes architecture allows for them) will help keep the attic cool enough so that snow does not melt in the first place. Some of these modifications may be able to be done during the winter months.
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Jerry Ludwig: Warm air in attic is main cause of ice damming
Find Window Replacement in Charlotte NC
Find Window replacement in Charlotte NC with Apex Energy Group at http://ApexEnergyGroup.com As the name suggests, a replacement window replaces your existin...
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Window Replacement Arnold MO | (314) 690-9900
Window Replacement Arnold MO | (314) 690-9900 http://zenwindows.com/locations/window-replacement-st-louis-mo/ Zen Windows is a Replacement Window Company loc...
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