Home Builder Developer - Interior Renovation and Design

A proposal is in the works to transform Cibolo's downtown area into a hub for shops, office space, entertainment and public events, while maintaining its historic charm.

Plans to revitalize the downtown area are being led by the Cibolo Economic Development Corporation, which presented its plans at the Dec. 10 Cibolo City Council meeting.

The proposed plans would target the revitalization of the downtown area bordered by North Main Street, Pfeil Road, Wiederstein Street and Loop 539.

Mark Luft, Cibolo Economic Development director, said the downtown revitalization plans were developed by San Antonio-based Mdn Architects and will involve public and private ventures.

Plans include several retail and office spaces, a commercial space, a multi-family residential complex, renovation of a former Cibolo school building on Loop 539 and construction of a community events center and an amphitheater.

The city plans to renovate the old two-story, school building, which was constructed in 1916, for additional office space and community meeting rooms. An amphitheater would be built behind that building. A community events center, approved by voters in the 2008 bond election, would be built near the former school building and amphitheater site.

Walking trails would provide connections between the community center, the old school building, amphitheater site and an open town square.

Ashley White of Mdn said the amphitheater could be used for public and private events, such as school performances and plays, weddings, concerts, films, and company or private picnics.

Luft said a proposed public access pathway between the former school building and proposed retail and office spaces on North Main Street would be available for several public activities, such as Cibolofest and a farmer's market.

We are providing a space for public involvement, Luft said.

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Cibolo reviews plan for downtown revitalization

It #39;s Attractive And It #39;s Fresh On The Market! Chec
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Neil Kelly Cabinets in Portland, Ore., reports that homeowners are continuing to have an interest in environmentally friendly or green cabinetry options for their kitchen remodels and home renovations. According to a company rep, this information is based on anecdotal evidence from the companys 20+ designers.

But while the interest is there, as seen in an uptick in dealers looking for cabinetry options for chemically sensitive clients, there is some confusion about what constitutes a sustainable kitchen cabinet.

The sheer number of cabinets on the market can be daunting for consumers, states Mark Smith, president of Neil Kelly Cabinets. But new labeling programs, such as the Declare label, which acts as a nutrition label for building products, makes it easier for consumers to choose healthier products for their home.

With Declare, dealers, builders and consumers can use its product database and label to find manufacturers that have declared their product ingredients, source and manufacturing locations and determine which are free of Red List chemicals and materials. Imperative 11, Red List, is part of the Living Building Challenge certification program

Smith advises homeowners to also ask these questions when evaluating cabinet options:

1. Will it contribute to a healthier home?Chemical sensitivity is a serious and growing public health problem that affects people of all ages, races and economic backgrounds. Consumers struggling with chemical sensitivity should use less toxic everyday cleaning products and also select kitchen cabinetry with lower VOC finishes.Cabinets that optimize indoor air quality and healthful living feature: - No formaldehyde panels - Regional responsible solid wood and wood veneers - No formaldehyde and low VOC adhesives and finishes - Certified woods

2. Is it healthy for the planet?Many consumers want to minimize their environmental footprint, yet maximize a rooms style and design. One way to do so is to learn about a companys manufacturing process. Selecting U.S.-made cabinets also helps reduce a products overall carbon footprint.

3. Does it integrate well into a homes style?Consumers who want to make a responsible choice dont have to sacrifice style. There are many earth-friendly cabinetry options that let discerning homeowners create a truly original look and to feel good doing so. Homeowners should select a cabinet style that reflects the overall design of a space such as mid-century modern, craftsman, transitional or eclectic.

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Declare Label Helps Clients Choose the Best Cabinetry for Their Kitchens and the Planet

Annual Cost vs. Value Survey Finds Curb Appeal Improvements Deliver Best Returns

DALLAS Amidst a continually evolving residential real estate market, a national home improvement study has found that there is at least one constant homeowners can still bank on improving a homes exterior is money well spent.

For the third year running, Remodeling magazines annual Cost vs. Value survey has found that eight of the top 10 remodeling projects for return on investment (ROI) at resale are those that enhance curb appeal. Among those projects, garage door replacement again ranks high, whether homeowners choose a mid-level or high-end upgrade.

Regardless of whether a homeowner decides to replace their entry-level garage door with a mid-grade door, or change out their mid-level door for one at a higher price point, garage door replacement takes two of the top three spots for improvements that cost less than $5,000, said Joe Dachowicz, vice president of marketing at Overhead Door Corporation, one of the nations largest manufacturers of overhead doors and openers for residential and commercial applications.

At 75.7 percent on average, mid-range garage door replacement is the second-best ranked project for returning value when spending less than $5,000, the 2012-2013 Cost vs. Value survey found. Its also the fourth-highest rated project out of more than 35 projects evaluated, ahead of both bathroom and kitchen remodels. Meanwhile, an upscale garage door replacement delivers a 75.2 percent ROI, making it the third-highest ranked project under $5,000 and the sixth-highest rated home improvement project overall.

The surveys results confirm what industry insiders have known for years, Dachowicz says.

Many homes incorporate a design that places the garage at the front and center of a homes view from the curb, said Dachowicz. This is why garage door replacement is, and always has been, a great investment; its a relatively low-cost improvement that makes a dramatic impact on curb appeal.

As in past years, this years survey determined the ROI for garage door replacement by evaluating the typical $1,500 cost to replace a basic garage door with a mid-range door model. The survey found the value of that replacement at home sale to be $1,132, or 75.7 percent ROI. Meanwhile, the roughly $2,700 cost to replace a mid-range garage door model with an upscale one delivered an estimated value at sale of $2,046, equating to a 75.2 percent return.

Picking out the perfect garage door to match a homes style and the homeowners budget is as easy as going online, Dachowicz said, thanks to Overhead Doors DoorView Design Center. An online tool, DoorView allows homeowners to upload a photo of their home to Overhead Doors website and then test various Overhead Door garage doors to see how their homes curb appeal will improve.

Most busy families use their garage door as the homes primary entrance, Dachowicz said. Given that, garage door replacement is not only a great way to welcome yourself home every day, but a terrific way to make your home stand apart from your neighbors.

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Three Years and Counting, Garage Door Upgrades Return High Home Renovation Values

home section Interior Design Housekeeping Entertaining Home Improvement Gardening & Plants Landscaping eHow Home & Garden Home Repair & Maintenance Electrical Repairs How to Install Romex Wiring

Jerry Walch

Based in Colorado Springs, Colo., Jerry Walch has been writing articles for the DIY market since 1974. His work has appeared in Family Handyman magazine, Popular Science, "Popular Mechanics," Handy and other publications. Walch spent 40 years working in the electrical trades and holds an Associate of Applied Science in applied electrical engineering technology from Alvin Junior College.

In 1922, General Cable of Rome, New York invented and patented the Romex brand of nonmetallic sheathed cable. Before that BX armored cable was the most common wiring systems used in homes. BX cable replaced the older knob and tubing wiring method. Today Romex is the trade name given to many different brands of nonmetallic sheathed cable.

Romex is the wiring method of choice when wiring homes because it's the easiest wiring method to install. Unlike wiring systems involving conduit, the electrician doesn't need expensive cutting, threading and bending tools. All the electrician needs to install it are regular hand tools.

Route the Romex cable from the service panel to its destination. Install the cable by stapling it to the side of framing members and by passing it through holes drilled in framing members. You may also lay the cable into notches cut into the face of framing members as long as nailing plates protect the cable.

Drill the holes through the framing members so that the front edge of the holes are at least 1 1/4 inches in from the front edge of the framing members using the 3/8-inch drill/driver and a 1/2-inch spade bit. The National Electrical Code requires this minimal spacing to protect the cable from being damaged by nails or screws when the wall finish is installed.

Lay the Romex cable into notches cut into framing members when installing Romex in a finished wall. Using notches requires less cutting into the finished wall than drilling through studs does. Most electricians remove the baseboards in a room and cut their notches behind the baseboard using the baseboard to conceal their cuts. The National Electrical Code requires that a steel nailing plate be installed over the cable when it's laid in a notch to protect it from damage by nails or screws.

Staple the Romex along the sides of the framing member so that it's at least 1 1/4 inches back from the front edge of the framing member as required by code.

Secure the cable to the side of framing members using cable staples. Place staples within 6 inches of each box and at a maximum of 48 inches in between. This is a code requirement also.

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How to Install Romex Wiring | eHow

Window Cleaners - Laddersfree Window Cleaning

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Window Cleaners - Laddersfree Window Cleaning - Video

With the winter weather upon us, letter carriers are making their appointed rounds.So I'm asking residents and business owners to help them by clearing snow and ice from the approach to the mailbox.High levels of snow and sheets of ice blocking access to mailboxes can make mail delivery not just difficult, but hazardous. Clearing a path to the mailbox including steps, porches, walkways and street approaches will help us maintain consistent delivery service and prevent injuries.

Customers receiving door delivery should make sure their sidewalks, steps and porches are clear.Customers receiving curbside delivery should remove snow piles left by snowplows.

Unfortunately, delivery service may be delayed or curtailed whenever streets or walkways present hazardous conditions for letter carriers, or when snow plowed against mailboxes prevents letter carriers from opening the door to the mailbox while seated inside a delivery vehicle. We will not curtail delivery without careful consideration, and only as a last resort.We will attempt to deliver any curtailed mail the next business day.

I'm also asking that residents and businesses with collection boxes near their property keep them clear of snow and ice. With the public's help, our carriers will deliver your mail promptly and safely throughout the winter season.

LAUREEN POINDEXTER

Postmaster, Champaign

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Make a clear path for the mail carrier

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Posted: Tuesday, December 24, 2013 12:00 am

Tree removal forces closure in Galt By News-Sentinel Staff Lodi News-Sentinel |

The Twin Cities project contractor is moving forward this week with tree removal and fence relocations required within and adjacent to the East Stockton Park and Ride Lot, south of Twin Cities Road.

To safely remove these trees, the Park and Ride will be closed Thursday through Sunday, and will reopen next Tuesday, according to city staff.

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Tree removal forces closure in Galt

The Christmas tree at the Cabatuan public plaza that was removed due to opposition from the National Historical Commission of the Philippines. (Photo courtesy of Nereo Lujan)

A Christmas tree built atop a monument of Andres Bonifacio in a town in Iloilo province has been removed following a protest made by the National Historical Commission of the Philippines (NHCP).

The 30-foot-tall Christmas tree at the public plaza of Cabatuan, 24 kilometers northwest of Iloilo City, was removed by the municipal government on Saturday after NHCP chair Maria Serena Diokno wrote a letter to Cabatuan Mayor Ronilo Caspe expressing disapproval of the project.

We firmly oppose the construction of a Christmas tree on the Andres Bonifacio monument at the public plaza of Cabatuan, Iloilo. The construction over the monument desecrates Andres Bonifacio, whose 150th birth anniversary we celebrated on November 30, Diokno said in her letter dated December 11.

We urge you to put up the Christmas tree elsewhere. In future projects or activities, we hope that the [local government unit] would be more responsible in protecting and preserving historic sites and structures, Diokno said.

Nereo Lujan, provincial information and community affairs officer and a native of Cabatuan, had called the attention of the NHCP on the putting up of the Christmas tree at the 81-year-old monument.

Caspe said he ordered the removal of the Christmas tree in compliance with Dioknos letter.

We had hoped that by putting up the Christmas tree we would highlight the monument, Caspe told the Inquirer. We will stress the importance of unity and hope as symbolized by Andres Bonifacio, the mayor said.

The mayor said he had ordered the repainting of the monument a week before November 30 in commemoration of the heros birth anniversary.

He said the municipal government put up the Christmas tree at the monument because it was the most strategic location at the center of the public plaza facing the main entrance.

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Christmas tree over Bonifacio monument axed