Home Builder Developer - Interior Renovation and Design

Only the Defense Department, which has awarded nine contracts totaling $1,231,606, has spent more...

State Department spending of $630,000 to generate more Facebook likes drew national criticism when it was revealed last year.

Recently released government contract solicitation data reveals more about the department's social media strategy, but still falls short of painting a complete picture of its spending.

Instead, the solicitations highlight the lack of transparency in the department's contracting data.

The solicitations, which were originally posted on the federal contracting database FedBizOpps.gov, show the department's efforts to use social media to promote its image overseas and track international conversations on Facebook, Twitter and other platforms.

Most of the solicitations are for Facebook advertisements, promotional materials and marketing for U.S. embassy pages. But because of major gaps in the available data, there's not much more information.

The solicitations were obtained by the Sunlight Foundation through a Freedom of Information Act request as part of a database of 13 years of federal contract information.

For instance, a search of the the data provided to Sunlight doesn't show the awards associated with the solicitations.

Unless the award for a particular solicitation can be tracked down elsewhere, information on the price tag and the contractor given the job aren't readily available.

Contract information on USASpending.gov, another federal spending database, illustrates why the lack of information can be problematic.

Link:
State Department's Facebook spending highlights lack of transparency in contracting data

SALISBURY TWP., Pa. -

State police have identified the truckers involved in Wednesday's fiery crash involving two 18-wheelers.

The accident happened around 11 a.m. in the eastbound lanes of Interstate 78 in Salisbury Township, just west of the Summit Lawn interchange.

A tractor trailer driven by Luis Nunez, 42, of Union City, N.J., was slowly climbing the hill on I-78 at around 10 mph when it was rear-ended by a second tractor trailer, driven by Albert W. Couch, 45, of Antioch, Tenn., police said.

A third truck was traveling behind the other two trucks, and the driver saw the collision. Troy Richards stopped to help pull Couch out of his cab, which caught fire a short time later.

Couch's cab also helped catch the rear trailer of Nunez's truck on fire.

Couch's passenger, Brandon Daniels, 27, of Hermitage, Tenn., and Nunez's passenger, Diogenes Valedez, 54, of Englewood, N.J., along with Couch and Nunez, were taken to Lehigh Valley Hospital for treatment of non-life threatening injuries.

The highway was closed for more than two hours.

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State police release names of truckers in I-78 crash on Wednesday

Dennis Thompson HealthDay Reporter Posted: Wednesday, January 8, 2014, 5:00 PM

WEDNESDAY, Jan. 8, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- A new kind of implant may offer people suffering from sleep apnea an alternative to wearing an air mask while they snooze, researchers report.

With the implant, a pacemaker delivers electrical impulses to a nerve that controls the tongue and maintains the muscle tone of a sleeping person's upper airway, according to a study published in the Jan. 9 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.

These impulses reduced nightly sleep apnea events by about 68 percent, according to the results of the one-year clinical trial. The technology also decreased by 70 percent the number of times that a person's blood oxygen level dropped due to sleep apnea.

Not surprisingly, patients reported a 40 percent improvement in their ability to stay awake during the day, the researchers added.

Sleep apnea is a disorder in which a person's breathing pauses or grows shallow while they are asleep. The most common type is obstructive sleep apnea, in which the person's airway collapses or becomes blocked during sleep, according to the U.S. National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute.

Left untreated, the condition disrupts sleep and causes a person to feel drowsy during the day. Long-term health consequences can include heart disease, insulin resistance and high cholesterol, said study author Dr. Patrick Strollo.

Doctors most often treat obstructive sleep apnea by asking patients to use a continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) machine while they sleep, said Strollo, co-director of the Sleep Medicine Institute at the University of Pittsburgh and director of the university's Sleep Medicine Center.

With CPAP, patients wear a nose and mouth mask attached to an motor, and the mild air pressure maintained by the pump keeps their airway from collapsing -- much in the way that an air pump keeps an inflatable holiday lawn decoration from flopping over.

Read this article:
Chest Implant Might Help With Hard-to-Treat Sleep Apnea

Longtime Kula resident Warren McCord, 79, wears many hats. He and his family have owned and run the Kula Botanical Garden since 1968. McCord, a retired Air Force officer and landscape architect, has participated in environmental activities here for decades and is president emeritus of Maui Outdoor Circle. But since 2001, the project closest to his heart has been the establishment of a Baldwin Avenue bike path.

A less persistent person might have given up long ago.

McCord said he first became interested in the project beginning in 2001, when a bike path from Pa'ia to Makawao was prepared for the county by a Honolulu engineering firm.

Longtime Kula resident Warren McCord, president emeritus of Maui Outdoor Circle, has been an advocate for the Baldwin Avenue bike path since it was first proposed in 2001. Thirteen years later, he believes the project has a broad base of support, and would like to know what is causing the delay.

He said that plan was presented to public in July of same year and reviewed by a group of interested citizen and members of the Outdoor Circle.

"The plan," he said, "proposed widening Baldwin Avenue six feet on the north side and five feet on south side. This design eliminated all the landscaping for houses on the north side and removed every shower tree on south side."

"Needless to say, this design was unacceptable," he recalled. "What came next was a proposal by the Outdoor Circle to modify the original plan. In this version, it would run from the Makawao Cemetery to the Pa'ia Gym totally off the roadway and just below the shower trees. It called for a two-way, ten-foot-wide bicycle and recreation path and would not need to remove any trees or landscape features."

The modified plan was accepted by the county soon after.

"In order to project the shower trees planted by Ethel Baldwin around 1900 and later planting by Mayor Hannibal Tavares," McCord said, "an ordinance was drafted and passed by the council, placing all the shower trees on the exceptional tree list, which gave them legal protection."

McCord said "a second plan was prepared by the same engineering firm and presented in August 2003. This plan was based on the concept of the ten-foot-wide, two-way path below the shower trees. However, it had some grading issues, and both the county and the Outdoor Circle agreed that further thought would need to be given to the area near Rainbow Park. In order to improve the design, the Maui Outdoor Circle proposed a community design review."

See the original post:
It's Been a Long Road for Baldwin Avenue Bike Path

Originally published January 9, 2014 at 5:31 AM | Page modified January 9, 2014 at 3:21 PM

Gardening Events

Ciscoes Picks

Plant It And They Will Come: Hosting Wildlife In A (Mostly) Native Landscape: 9:30-11:30 a.m. Jan. 17. Part of the Snohomish County Master Gardener Foundation Sustainable Gardening Winter Speaker Series. Mukilteo Presbyterian Church Social Hall, 4514 84th St. S.W., Mukilteo; series tickets sold in advance but $20 individual tickets are available at the door on a first-come basis (425-357-6010 or http://www.gardenlectures.com).

The Many Benefits of Indoor Plants: 11 a.m.-noon Jan. 18. Jenn Dazey, naturopath and botanical expert from Bastyr University, will explain which indoor plants are most effective for cleaning the air, lowering health risks and helping us adapt to the changing seasons. Molbaks, 13625 N.E. 175th St., Woodinville; free (www.molbaks.com).

Which Path to Take?: 11 a.m.-noon Jan. 18. Garden designer Dawn Chaplin will examine a variety of styles and materials commonly used to build attractive and functional walkways, paths and patios. Christiansons Nursery, 15806 Best Road, Mount Vernon; $8, reservations required (360-466-3821, 800-585-8200 or http://www.christiansonsnursery.com).

In the Garden

Q: I like to make winter-flower arrangements. I have seen the flowers of Lenten rose in flower arrangements, but when I cut them, they simply wilt.

A: Its quite difficult to prevent the flowers of Oriental hellebores (Helleborus x hybridus) from wilting when you cut them if you dont know the trick.

Experts recommend singeing the cut end of the stem with a match, or putting the cut end in boiling water, but those methods rarely work.

More:
Q&A: Lenten rose hellebores in bouquets and the yard

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- The landscape across the First Coast changed the past two days following a spell of freezing temperatures.

Pete Miller wrapped his tender plants in plastic, hoping it would take some bite from the cold for his plants.

"My wife and I dug every one of these holes and planted everyone of these plants. You want to keep them healthy and safe," said Miller fromhis front yard in Mandarin.

Nick Zimmer knows something about plants and freeze damage. Zimmer handles all kinds of plant issues at Trad's Garden Center on San Jose Boulevard.

"Just because it looks dead now doesn't mean it is actually dead," said Zimmer, making reference to a hibiscus that looked distressed from the freeze.

Zimmer said don't think of pruning back damage until March, when the threat of hard freezes has passed.

Then, he said, cut back dead wood until you see green in bark.

Zimmer noted that he believesblankets or sheets offer better protection than plastic. He also said when covering a plant, make surethe covering goes all the way to the ground so the plant can capture heat from the ground.

First Coast News

Excerpt from:
Be patient when dealing with freeze-damaged plants

bobcat 773 land clearing for farming and pasture
What we have got cleared so far on my farm for cattle.

By: Onebadpowerstroke

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bobcat 773 land clearing for farming and pasture - Video

Pine Acres Demolition Land Clearing Home Building Time Lapse
Pine Acres Demolition Land Clearing Home Building Time Lapse.

By: Ryan Jarvis

See more here:
Pine Acres Demolition Land Clearing Home Building Time Lapse - Video

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We tear out concrete driveways for complete replacement.Florida driveways can be made with recycled material, such as crushed concrete and asphalt-black top.

Tree stump removal,tree stump grinder ,large or small,we do it all.

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Florida Finish Graders ,Inc.has sand and fill dirt for your yard,or complete tear out of your grass yard,(sod) and then re-grade your yard,then apply grass.

FFG Inc,. can build your home foundation from the ground up or fill in stem wall foundation,building mono slab foundations.

We provide sand,fill dirt,recycled material in central Florida. We can level your dirt or yard for drainage problems.

Foundation for signs,earth auger,post holes for home,farm or commercial work.

Give us a call!863-602-1418 Central Florida Land Clearing,Excavation,Grading,Driveways Florida Finish Graders, Inc. FFGINC@VERIZON.NET Raymond, cell: 1-863-602-1418 F.F.G.,Inc. office: 1-863-956-929Florida Finish Graders Inc.

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Florida Land Clearing Grading Excavation Fill Dirt Foundations

(PRWEB) January 09, 2014

Lighting design firm Crystorama has announced a licensing partnership with interior designer Libby Langdon that will include multiple collections reflecting Langdons updated traditional design aesthetic. Launching in spring 2014, the Libby Langdon Collection for Crystorama will include hanging chandeliers, wall sconces and ceiling mount fixtures.

Crystorama has a long history of creating unique lighting fixtures using the finest materials available, including cut crystal, fine glass and a mix of metals, all in line with todays home fashion and dcor trends, said Brad Kleinberg, president of Crystorama Lighting. Our partnership with Libby Langdon will take that design heritage to an entirely new level, drawing on the aesthetic that is distinctly Libby with its modern, fresh feel and traditional elements suited for any room in the house.

Langdon, whose designer skills and extensive portfolio have been featured in numerous consumer magazines and national television programs, has a signature style that combines classic lines with chic, modern twists to complement contemporary lifestyles. Her focus on everyday makeover solutions provides her with inspiration for her home furnishings lines with Braxton Culler, Casart Wallcoverings and Tiger Rug and enables her to relate to consumers across the country in terms of decorating solutions for their lifestyle needs.

Langdons practical approach to home dcor with creative details suits the design aesthetic of the Crystorama brand and its whole-home offerings. Langdons lighting collection for Crystorama will allow her to continue to emphasize lighting as a key design element in every room.

One of the most important elements I use in creating a warm and inviting environment is lighting, so Im thrilled to be designing a collection of lighting fixtures for Crystorama, Langdon said. My designs incorporate traditional elements with an updated twist. I use insights I gather from working one-on-one with my clients and will plug that information into creating a lighting collection I know will resonate with consumers and will embody my easy, elegant, everyday style.

The Libby Langdon Collection for Crystorama will launch in spring 2014 and will be available through lighting retailers and design centers.

# # #

About Crystorama For more than 50 years, Crystorama has been a leader in the lighting industry, recognized for distinctive lighting creations that are exceptional in quality, design and craftsmanship. Drawing upon its depth of knowledge and expertise and inspired by fashion and art, Crystorama continues to innovate with modern shapes, materials and colors.

Crystorama chandeliers are featured in such prestigious institutions as the U.S. Supreme Court, Constitution Hall and the Palace Theatre, as well as hotels, resorts and homes that range from urban lofts and country estates to suburban neighborhoods. The family owned business is headquartered in Westbury, N.Y., and serves retailers and contract distributors nationwide. On the web at http://www.crystorama.com.

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Crystorama Lighting, Interior Designer Libby Langdon Announce Licensing Partnership