Home Builder Developer - Interior Renovation and Design

NEW YORK The Hobbit has been saved at least for the time being. The Desolation of Smaug is a vast improvement over the first installment and is an excellent return to the level of quality as The Lord of the Rings.

A possible reason for this Hobbits greatness is that it only covers the middle portion of the book -- the parts with all the action. How this will all play out in the long run remains to be seen. Splitting a short book into three three-hour films still doesnt seem like a good idea, especially since the exposition in the first film was a long, arduous journey. If the third film, There and Back Again is another three-hour long arduous conclusion, then the entire three-film experience could be ruined. But the sheer majesty and scope of Smaug combined with phenomenal action sequences has certainly corrected the course from the first film. Lets hope Jackson closes the final film out with as much gusto as this one.

Unlike the first film, Smaug has rip-roaring action set pieces, especially one show-stopping sequence with Bilbo and the dwarves escaping in barrels down a river while orcs and elves pursue. Its the kind of frenetic and well executed action scenes Steven Spielberg and George Lucas unloaded in the Indiana Jones and Star Wars films. Its that good.

Jackson and company drop the silly humor which bogged down the first film and treat this second story with as much maturity and sophistication as any of the Lord of the Rings films. It would be false to say there is no humor in Smaug, but Jackson has rightly re-directed this film back to the Rings audience rather than the younger targeted audience of An Unexpected Journey.

Even though the story is called The Hobbit, these films are about the plight of the dwarves to reclaim their mountain kingdom from the dragon Smaug. Jackson opens superficial avenues to explore entitlement, bigotry and altruism as the dwarves make their way closer to their prize; the elves, humans and dragons hate the dwarves. The poor bearded guys have a pretty bad rap which makes this more their journey to win back the hearts of Middle Earth than it is for Bilbo Baggins to do much of anything other than tag along.

Naturally, the original cast returns and Martin Freeman, again, is excellent as Bilbo Baggins, in a slightly more mature performance than his first. The situation has become direr and Bilbo has gained a wealth of confidence. Freeman is still the finest actor yet to play a hobbit. Ian McKellan, too, fits comfortably back into Gandalfs pointy hat as he again finds himself in a world of trouble. Even Orlando Bloom reprises his star-making role as Legolas, with Jackson adding a hint of lust and jealousy to the typically stoic elf.

For part two, Jackson introduces a wealth of new lands and characters, which greatly helps keep this three-hour film moving at a brisk pace. The two most significant additions are Luke Evans as the reluctant hero Bard and Evangeline Lilly as Tauriel, an elf with a soft-spot for one of the dwarves. Lilly is a fine addition to the saga as a strong female character, something that has really been lacking in the previous films. She just as effortlessly rolls Tolkeins elfish language off her tongue as she brings down a hundred orcs in seconds with her super-powered archery skills. Perhaps, too, 2013 is setting a new perquisite that strong female action characters must be archery pros.

A separate story line from Bilbos features Gandalf investigating the mysterious resurrection of an ancient evil, which nicely plants the seeds for the action to come in The Lord of the Rings. Juggling Bilbos and Gandalfs stories is a plus for this film, which gives it the same weight, excitement and mystery as the first trilogy.

Also joining the cast are Stephen Fry as the bumbling leader of Laketown, Lee Pace as the Elvinking and if you look closely, you can even see Stephen Colbert as a lurking spy in Laketown sequences.

But the film all comes down to the explosive climax featuring the dragon Smaug, wonderfully voiced by Benedict Cumberbatch. Make a dragon monologue like a Bond villain and you have Smaug, and theres no better voice to accompany those droll lines of maniacal egotism than Cumberbatch. This certainly has been Cumberbatchs year, and he is scintillating as the overweening dragon.

Excerpt from:
Can 'Smaug' save 'Hobbit'?

La Crosse, WI (PRWEB) December 13, 2013

Ryan Windows & Siding was chosen as the only authorized Renewal by Andersen window dealer in La Crosse Wisconsin. For the past 3-years, Ryan Windows & Siding has been the recipient of the Homeowners Satisfaction Award given out by Andersen Windows. This award is only available to contractors who receive high marks on customer surveys and feedback forms. Only 1 local contractor in every region is selected to sell, install & service all replacement windows manufactured by Renewal by Andersen. Renewals replacement windows are the perfect fit for the cold Wisconsin winters. Constructed using Fibrex (a composite material), these windows offer unsurpassed energy efficiency while providing the strength of wood and maintenance free aspects of vinyl. According to ENERGY STAR, replacing single-pane windows with energy efficient windows you can save $146 - $501 per year.

The Hassle-Free Window Replacement Difference: Renewal by Andersen chooses only one contractor to service a region. Window replacement with a Renewal by Andersen contractor makes starting & finishing a window replacement project stress free and affordable. It starts with a free consultation, where a factory trained expert will inspect the homes current window situation. Once new windows are chosen the contractor will submit the order to the factory (all Renewal by Andersen windows are custom made). After the windows are manufactured the contractor will contact the homeowner to schedule a day for the new windows to be installed. After the installation the homeowner can depend on the local window contractor to provide on-going service for years to come. The warranty included with Renewals replacement windows is one of the strongest in the industry backed by a name homeowners have trusted for over 100 years the Andersen Corporation.

Putting Homeowners First For 30 Years : Ryan Windows & Siding has been servicing the La Crosse Wisconsin area for over 10 years, with over 30 years experience in the home remodeling industry. Based in Rochester Minnesota, Ryan Windows & Siding has built up a quality reputation in the La Crosse area. For more information on replacement windows, Renewal by Andersen or other home improvement questions please contact Ryan Windows & Siding.

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New Replacement Window Contractor in La Crosse Wisconsin

By slightly amending the scope of the window and door replacement project at Weston High School, the town will spend some money a little sooner than expected, but it will save tens of thousands of dollars in the long run.

Allen Swerdlowe, chairman of the Building Committee, asked the Board of Selectmen on Dec. 4 to approve the engagement of the architect, KG&D, for four additional services related to the window and door replacement project. The services will cost a total of $56,000, and include:

Hazardous materials ($2,000).

Permitting ($12,000).

Bidding ($6,000).

Construction administration ($36,000).

Mr. Swerdlowe said the costs are not really additional costs; they still fall within the parameters of the approved project. It is more like a re-ordering of some of the construction costs, he said.

The only thing new is the order there are no new costs or numbers, he said.

First Selectman Gayle Weinstein clarified after the meeting that the board did not approve any extra money for the project, since some of the already-approved money about $850,000 is still available. It did approve work that was not in the original contract, though, she said.

Mr. Swerdlowe said the hazardous materials cost is due to a change to the plan approved recently by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Now that a revised plan is approved, the architects have to design specifications for removal of hazardous materials (mostly soil) that match the amended plan.

More here:
Selectmen approve additional costs for windows and doors project

A former furniture store parking lot could become Napas newest three-story commercial office building. All thats needed is one key tenant to sign on the dotted line to get the development going, said Scot Hunter of the Wiseman Company.

The proposed site is located at the northeast corner of Main and Clinton Streets. For years, patrons of the adjacent business, a Salvation Army store, used the lot for parking. Most recently, staff at the nearby Main Street West and the occasional food truck utilized the space.

Hunter is working with local commercial Realtor Cathy DAngelo Holmes, of Coldwell Banker Commercial Real Estate. The two have released an artist rendering and leasing plan in hopes of snagging that first tenant.

A likely candidate would be a restaurant or wine tasting room with some kind of customer experience to showcase, whether thats a barrel room production line, or something similar, said Hunter.

While an architectural image has been created, its still very much a speculative project, Hunter said. In order to get construction financing you have to have about 60 percent of the proposed building pre-leased, he said.

Weve got to find the tenant to start the process, he said. Someone who can think 18 months ahead and know they will need such a brand new space.

Hopefully finding that anchor tenant wont be too difficult, especially with commercial space hard to come by in downtown Napa, according to DAngelo Holmes. Ive never seen the vacancy rate this low, she said.

The Main Street project, which would require city approvals, could be started quickly, the Realtor noted. We could get going within four months, she said. It would take 18 to 20 months to build, she estimated.

The Wiseman Company is no stranger to development in Napa. The company built the 1000 Main St. building at First and Main and Main Street West at the southeast corner of Main and Clinton, home to Azzurro Pizzeria and AUL insurance company, among others.

The improving economy has led to a shortage of commercial space in downtown Napa, with both of the Wiseman Companys buildings full, Hunter said.

Continue reading here:
Three-story office building planned on Main Street

Construction returned to growth in October as a rise in house building helped the sector expand by 2.2%, reaching a near two-year high level of output.

House building helped the construction sector expand by 2.2% in October, figures show

Official figures also showed the sector had performed better than thought earlier in the year, with revisions large enough to add 0.1% to overall gross domestic product (GDP) growth in each of the first and third quarters.

Meanwhile a slump in September was not as bad as had been feared - construction shrank by 0.5% rather than 0.9%.

The latest data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) showed output for the sector in October reached 9.8 billion, the highest level since December 2011.

New housing work increased by 5.8%, with the market bolstered by Government initiatives such as Help to Buy.

Infrastructure was up 7.5% but other public work fell 5.7% and private industrial work showed a disappointing drop of 5.8%, although new orders for planned projects in this sphere showed promise, up 31.8%.

Data revisions to the construction sector's performance earlier during 2013 would be large enough, on their own, to increase overall GDP growth for the first quarter from 0.4% to 0.5% and for the third quarter from 0.8% to 0.9%.

However, new quarterly GDP estimates to be published next week must also take account of any revisions, upward or downward, in other parts of the economy.

Chris Williamson, chief economist at Markit, said: "The UK construction industry is enjoying a strong and increasingly broad-based recovery, according to the Office for National Statistics, meaning the sector should help boost the economy in the fourth quarter."

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House building boosts construction

H ISTORY comes alive at Undercliff House, a magnificent six-bedroom Victorian period house incorporating a three-bedroom, self-contained top-floor flat.

Sandgate Castle was built in the 16th century on the orders of Henry VIII, as a defence against the growing threat from France and Spain.

The large garrison at Shorncliffe Camp on the escarpment above Sandgate moved into solid stone barracks in 1804.

This expansion of the garrison prompted further buildings to be constructed, including fine officer's dwellings, shops, taverns and other services to cater for their entertainment.

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In 1828 Lord Radnor built the Lower Sandgate Road and it was between 1830 and 1850 that groups of early Victorian Italianate houses were built along the Undercliff, making full use of their wonderful sea views. Undercliff House itself was built in 1847.

There is the option of incorporating the top floor into the main accommodation, or leaving as a separate self-contained flat. The lower ground floor, with access out onto the rear garden, provides a wonderful activity area, with an indoor pool, sports/games room, gymnasium, wet room and bar.

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Wonderful Undercliff

Any one of these spots would be enough good news for a month, but this season three celebrated Seattle chefs are all opening restaurants downtown.

Fri, Dec 13, 5 a.m.

Every year we look around for Northwest-y gifts to send across the country to a relative, or wrap for a local friend. A selection of food-related books that make the cut this year.

Tue, Dec 3, 5 a.m.

A local community kitchen high school program is betting on it. And they've got a prominent national food activist cheering them on.

Fri, Nov 22, 5 a.m.

Great food, strong community, small margins. Eat for Equity remodels philanthropy without the black tie.

One of the Joey's test-kitchen products, making its debut this week, is a $14 veggie burger, a dish that will change the way you feel about vegetarian "substitutes." The patty itself is made with brown rice, kidney beans, almonds, and chopped shiitake mushrooms marinated in a miso-based mayonnaise. The tomato is on the bottom, below the patty, while a layer of jack cheese, plus arugula, cucumber, bread & butter pickle, sprouts and avocado are on the top. The whole thing is served pre-cut and held together with skewers.

It feels and tastes like a real burger, with a warm and toasty bun studded with oats. There's plenty of crunch in the lettuce-cucumber top of the burger (the part the incisors go through first), followed by the cheese-covered, savory "meat" of the patty and the juiciness of the tomato slice. "It eats better like that, with the tomato on the bottom," says the burger's creator, John Clark, the company's director of product development for Joey's, who found every other veggie burger far too dry. "At Joey's, it's still messy, but we decided that we'd just live with it."

First, Loulay Kitchen & Bar, in the 6th & Union corner of the Sheraton Hotel. This is Thierry Rautureau's eagerly awaited new venue, successor to the upscale Madison Valley spot, Rover's, that he closed earlier this year. It's named for the village where he grew up, St. Hilaire de Loulay, in southwestern France.

Continued here:
Thierry, Stratton AND Wilson? Downtown Seattle's holiday restaurant heist

Ceres resident Pete Elliott admires the Christmas tree decorated for him as part of a home makeover by employees from VIP Management on Tuesday December 10, 2013. Elliott who worked at VIP for 25 years was diagnosed with ALS two years ago and is unstable on his feet and must use a walker and wheelchair so his former co-workers came to his home to build wheelchair ramps, modify his bathroom, remodel his kitchen, deep clean the interior and decorate for the holidays. ANDYALFAROaalfaro@modbee.com|BuyPhoto

CERES The day began with the whirring of power tools. Drills, saws, nail guns tools of the trade for Pete Elliott through 25 years of building maintenance, and music to his ears this day.

Elliott, 52, was the go-to guy to get things fixed at VIP Management apartment complexes, an eager participant in the companys home makeovers for the less fortunate. Tuesday, however, the building crew came to his house. About 25 former co-workers pitched in to get the Elliott home ready for a power wheelchair, a symbol of the changes in his life since being diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, better known as Lou Gehrigs disease.

I used to be the one helping others, Elliott said, his speech slowed and slurred by the disease. Trouble talking was his first symptom about two years ago. His hands were next. One day I was able to hold my drill, and the next day I couldnt. It happened real fast, he said. Its a real ugly disease.

Since then, he has lost much of the use of his arms, and his balance is shaky. Over the past few weeks, hes fallen frequently, even with his walker, and its become clear he needs a wheelchair, said wife Veronica Elliott.

Its a sad reality to see that has to be done, because then you realize the disease has progressed. Were at this next stage, she said.

But a wheelchair brings mobility only across the flat and open. Pete Elliotts childhood home, bought from his parents 15 years ago, had steps leading outside and a sunken living room. Bathrooms and doors were too small for a four-wheeling traveler.

These ramps to me are freedom. You get isolated in the house and these ramps will let me get outside, Elliott said.

The VIP crew, labor donated for the day by the company and materials supplied by an anonymous benefactor, built ramps to the front yard and backyard and a small slope into the living room. Granite countertops and a new sink grace the kitchen. Motion-activated faucets are on order for his bathroom, which now stands open to his bedroom for easy access. Raleys, where Veronica Elliott works, sent doughnuts, coffee and lunch.

Project manager Brian Stacey said planning this remodel took a little extra time. We wanted to make this one count, he said.

Original post:
Crew of 25 remodels Ceres home for former longtime co-worker with Lou Gehrig’s disease

Santna Woody Long says that batted balls from the town of Stratfords High Park have broken about six windows and made many dents in the aluminum siding of his house over the 35 years that he and his wife have lived at 112 Liberty Street adjacent to the park. In August of this year, Long submitted a request for the town of Stratford to pay about $12,000 for replacement of the siding, because, he said, he would not be able to sell the house after replacing only the damaged pieces of siding because colors would not match.

Town Attorney Tim Bishop said he is not recommending that the town pay for such damage.

Long said that over at least 15 years he has called the police and contacted U.S. Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro, the towns assistant town manager, and Councilman Jason Santi to get the town to resolve the problem of people batting balls against his house. Long said he received no satisfactory response.

Long said he got the attention of Mayor John Harkins and Chief of Staff Marc Dillon in July 2012 after Long addressed the Town Council about his complaint.

This past summer the town of Stratford removed the baseball field at High Park that Long was complaining about and converted the space for soccer use. Since then no balls have hit the house, according to Long.

Said Dillon, The issue came to the mayors office, and they took it to the council to alleviate Longs issue and help with the need for more soccer fields.

Long said, I feel good about the changes they made. But, he added, the damage was already done. I put up with it for 35 years. The town has violated my rights to protection. They should have never put the ball field there.

High Park existed when the Longs moved to their home, Long said. The baseball field was built with the outfield adjacent to the Longs property where the house is close to the property line.

Town attorneys statement

Bishop replied to The Stars inquiry in writing. Im definitely not recommending that the Town pay for damage done by one private party to another private partys property. The fact that the person creating the harm may have been standing on Town property when they caused the damage is really immaterial. The Connecticut Legislature enacted a statute which among other things absolves the Town from liability for discretionary acts (such as how to locate, maintain or enclose a ballfield) or the acts of persons who are not employees, etc. of the Town.

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Resident to Town: pay for public’s damage

BLACK BROOK The Town of Black Brook wants to win federal funding to make housing more habitable here.

Weve got a lot of people in need, Town Supervisor Ricky Nolan said.

Friends of the North Country is heading the effort to acquire U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Community Development Block Grant Program funding of about $240,000 for the work, which would allow HUD-eligible improvements to private, owner-occupied homes.

That should allow us to do (about) nine projects, said Friends Executive Director Scott Campbell.

PUBLIC HEARING

That could mean roof replacement, new siding, doors, windows and heating systems. It could also address failed water or septic systems.

Its pretty comprehensive, Campbell said of the types of work allowed by the program, which is administered by the New York State Office for Community Renewal.

The Block Grant Program, for homeowners of median income, focuses on improving health and safety and making a residence more energy efficient.

A public hearing set for6 p.m. Monday, Dec. 16, at the Town Hall, located at 18 North Main St. in the Black Brook hamlet of AuSable Forks, will give homeowners an opportunity to learn more.

MASS MAILING

The rest is here:
Black Brook seeks HUD funding