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The regions office construction market is making a strong comeback, driven by the expansions of medical and biotechnology companies that are funding new buildings going up in Bostons Seaport District, East Cambridge, and suburbs along Route 128.

More than 4.7 million square feet of office and laboratory space is under construction in the Boston area, up from just 430,000 square feet in summer 2011, according to the real estate firm Richards Barry Joyce & Partners.

The increase bodes well for the states construction industry, which has lost 5,200 jobs this year and has yet to rebound from a recession that halted building activity. Real estate specialists said that is bound to change in coming months as the fundamentals of the market continue to improve, with many companies looking to add space.

The office market overall is in good shape, said Joe Fallon, managing principal of the Boston office of Cassidy Turley, a national real estate services firm. Vacancy rates are down and rents are increasing. The laws of supply and demand are working more favorably now than they were 24 or 36 months ago.

The construction upturn is largely tied to the growth of biotechnology and medical companies that are building offices because of a lack of existing space in desirable areas such as Cambridge and Bostons Seaport District, which has been renamed the Innovation District by Mayor Thomas M. Menino.

But construction activity is not limited to those types of firms. Liberty Mutual Life Insurance Co. is building a tower in Bostons Back Bay, and State Street Corp. is planning a new complex in the Seaport District. Also, Keurig Inc., the coffee brewer, is constructing a headquarters in Burlington, and EF Education First, a for-profit provider of travel and academic programs, broke ground this week on an office building in Cambridge.

Most of the additional space is already leased to specific companies, with developers still unwilling to risk building on a speculative basis in a slowly recovering economy. But one spec building recently got underway in Burlington, the first such project to move forward since 2008.

Bob Richards, a partner with Richards Barry Joyce, said Burlington and other northern suburbs along Route 128 have experienced a growth spurt in recent months. Overall, tenants in that market accounted for 580,000 square feet of additional space in the last quarter.

Thats the best net absorption weve seen in that area in 12 years, Richards said. Its clearly amazing news for that segment of the market.

Real estate specialists said those communities are landing more companies because of their growing mix of popular restaurants and retailers, as well as new apartments and ownership units to house employees.

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Office construction makes a comeback in Boston area

HAMPTON Edward Joseph Moriarty of Hampton, beloved husband of Ida L. (Beale), died peacefully Friday, Sept. 21, 2012, at Portsmouth Regional Hospital in Portsmouth, following a period of failing health.

Edward was born Sept. 8, 1931, in Boston, Mass., the son of Michael J. and Anne (Murphy) Moriarty.

He worked for Colonial Tanning in Boston for many years. In 1966, he moved to the New Hampshire Seacoast and made Hampton his home. There he worked, until retirement, at Prime Tanning as a trouble-shooter and quality controller.

Ed was a homebody who enjoyed the quiet of his family, most especially his wife, Ida. A talented woodworker, Ed envisioned great things for his home. He completed such projects as the addition of a sunroom and a barn. His love of these projects was evident and his family often joked that if he had not run out of land, he would have kept building.

An avid baseball fan, his love of the game began at a young age, as he was a catcher for the Christian Youth Organization's team as a teenager.

Ed and Ida enjoyed quiet time spent together, whether in New Hampshire or in Panama City Beach, Fla., where they wintered. Playing cards was always on the agenda. Proud of his Irish heritage, Ed's sense of humor and warmth will be greatly missed.

In addition to Ida, his wife of 34 years, Ed is survived by his children, Sharon (Mrs. Roger) Clark of Tampa, Fla., Michael J. and his wife, Susan, of Exeter, and Edward J. and his wife, Anne, of Portsmouth; Ida's children, Richard G. and his wife, Claire Miller, of Niceville, Fla., Paula J. (Mrs. John) Harvey of Cape Elizabeth, Maine, and Christine E. (Mrs. Paul) Stover of Strafford; and grandchildren Avery Clark, Matthew J. Moriarty, Adam J. Moriarty, Patrick Moriarty, Jack F. Moriarty, Capt. Matthew P. Miller, U.S. Air Force, Capt. Christopher J. Miller, U.S. Air Force, Richard A. Miller, Nicholas K. Harvey, Julie A. Harvey, Ryan J. Harvey, Cassandra L. Stover and Alexandra L. Stover.

SERVICES: Family and friends are invited to call from 7 to 9 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 27, to the Robert K. Gray Jr. Funeral Home, 24 Winnacunnet Road, Hampton. Funeral services will be held at 10 a.m. Friday, Sept. 28, at Trinity Episcopal Church, 200 High St., Hampton. In Ed's memory, contributions may be directed to Seacoast Visiting Nurses Association, 29 Lafayette Road, North Hampton, NH 03862. Arrangements are under the direction of the Robert K. Gray Jr. Funeral Home.

You may leave your condolences or share memories by signing the Guest Book here

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Edward J. Moriarty

Posted on: 10:07 pm, September 28, 2012, by Melissa Reid, updated on: 10:16pm, September 28, 2012

NORTH RIDGEVILLE, Ohio Cambridge Drive in North Ridgeville is a quiet street, but several homes were burglarized overnight Wednesday while the residents were asleep.

He went into my sunroom, grabbed a table and took it to climb up to my window. He sliced the screen and just came into my house, said Erika Wuorinen, who lives on Cambridge Drive.

Police said the suspect looks for an open or unlocked window and then steals purses or easily grabbed items.

He just took cash, nothing traceable. My smartphone was sitting there, my credit cards were all still sitting there. It was just cash, said Wuorinen.

And thankfully, nothing else.

As soon as I realized that someone had been here, I immediately ran upstairs and checked on my kids. Fortunately, they are good sleepers. Im grateful that none of us had to confront him, added Wuorinen.

Police said the break-ins are also happening during the day.

In fact, in addition to the nighttime burglaries, police said people have reported almost 100 break-ins the last three months, the most the department has ever seen.

Its kind of scary that you cant leave your window open, said John Mundell, a neighbor.

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Burglars Target North Ridgeville Neighborhood

WALLINGFORD An ethics complaint was filed against two town councilors with various affiliations to Holy Trinity School, saying they should not have discussed town obligations for repairing a retaining wall on the schools property at two separate council meetings.

Yet nearly all of Wallingfords nine councilors have connections with the 143-year-old Holy Trinity Church, its 99-year-old school, or both.

Many councilors say that in a town of Wallingfords size, everyone is connected somehow to everything.

To me its got to be (a) direct benefit to a councilor for there to be the appearance of an ethics violation in a vote, said Jason Zandri, a Democrat.

Though the Ethics Code in the Town Charter states that no officer ... shall have any interest, financial or otherwise, direct or indirect, which is in conflict with the proper discharge of his or her official duties, Zandri said the councilors cant recuse themselves from everything to which they have some relationship or they would rarely be able to vote. Zandri used himself as an example, as a utility ratepayer in town and yet voting on items that affect the towns Electric Division and Water Department.

Zandri said he feels that the relationships of Republicans John LeTourneau and Tom Laffin with the school are too fringe to merit ethical concern. LeTourneau and Laffin are the two councilors resident Robert Gross has charged with ethics violations in discussing the wall at June 26, 2012, and Sept. 11, 2012, meetings.

LeTourneau has grandchildren at the school and a daughter on the school board, and Laffins son goes to Catholic education classes once a week at the school through the church, though the complaint alleged his son attended the school.

Both councilors have disputed the charge and will attend a Board of Ethics meeting on Tuesday at Town Hall.

Despite his grandchildrens enrollment at Holy Trinity School, and daughters seat on the board, LeTourneau is not a member of Holy Trinity Church. Laffin is a member of the church, and attended the school.

Several of the councilors not named in the complaint are parishioners at Holy Trinity Church.

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Is the Holy Trinity connection a Wallingford ethics concern?

In gardens and on porches near and far, chrysanthemums are as iconic to the autumn season as pumpkins and cornstalks.

You can find them at just about any supermarket or garden center, and this time of year, they reach a crescendo at Toadflax Nursery in South Glens Falls.

The chrysanthemum, from Chrysous a Greek word for golden, and anthemon, meaning flower is a perennial introduced to Europe in the 17th century. It is a member of the Asteraceae family.

Toadflax owner Rich Morris said he gets bored with the general mums that are everywhere, so he carries at least 50 Belgian types, like allegro yellow, coparo pink, Milano white and conaco gold, known for their copious numbers of buds, unique color and flower shape, growing habits and resistance to disease.

Theres lots that goes into choosing them, Morris said. Were looking for a mum thats going to perform in the landscape.

If you choose to put them in a planter, you dont have to be limited to just one color or flower shape. Morris likes to mix them in complementary or contrasting blends or in any of a number of combinations with dwarf bidens; carex, Juncus or purple fountain grasses; heuchera, frost-hardy calibracoa and flowering kale plants.

He advised choosing mums based on their size, their height when mature and what you plan to mix with it.

Once the end of the season comes and your mums look tired in the container, pull them out and plant them in the ground rather than throw them out with your annuals so theyll come back next year. Just be sure to keep them watered and well mulched around the crown.

Allison Steele, a growers assistant at Toadflax, said the orange, reds, yellow and occasionally whites are traditionally hardy, but even the unconventional pinks, corals and purples might do well if they are placed in a sheltered location.

I just dont want to tell people that all varieties are perennials, because thats not absolutely the case. With a little help, a little love and a little attention, certainly they could make it that way, she said.

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For fall color, mum's the word

The Southern Arizona branch of the American Institute of Architects is giving a peek into some impressive homes this year.

The AIA's Home Tour, slated for next Sunday, includes homes that look futuristic, one that looks like a shipping container (because it is), and a home with a modest exterior but wows inside.

This year marks the 20th that the AIA here has sponsored the tour. Among those in this year's event:

Tucson Mountain House - A custom-built rammed-earth home with a music recording studio.

Mabel Street Residence - A 1927 bungalow that has been remodeled.

The Tuesday + Thursday House - The two-story home has a glass railed stairway and a cistern to collect rainfall.

Sentinel Plaza Senior Housing - The first major residential development in Rio Nuevo.

Wetlaufer Residence - A contemporary take on traditional objects and materials.

Shipping-Container House - Intermodal containers transformed into a living space.

If you go

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Architects' tour features some intriguing homes

Iwi found at Kawaiahao Church, construction halted

When the Kawaiaha'o Church started work on its multipurpose center in 2009, crews discovered several sets of iwi, and more turned up as construction continued.

"At this point we know that 600 burials have been disinterred," said David "Kauila" Kopper from the Native Hawaiian Legal Corporation. That is why Dana Naone Hall, who has ancestors buried at the Kawaiaha'o cemetery filed a lawsuit, saying the church needed to complete an archeological survey before continuing construction.

"What bothers me is what would bother a lot of people if their family burials were being disinterred without their consent," said Hall.

Hall, represented by the Native Hawaiian Legal Corporation, lost the initial lawsuit but appealed. On Friday, the Intermediate Court of Appeals issued an order barring the disinterment of anymore remains.

"The wheels of justice turn slowly, but they are finally turning in the right direction," said Hall. "I am very grateful to the ICA for its injunction. I think it has been long overdue."

The court used a recent Hawaii Supreme Court decision as the basis for issuing its injunction. Last month, the Hawaii Supreme Court ruled the City of Honolulu had to do a full archeological survey before continuing its rail project.

"Both involve the State Historic Preservation Division to follow the historic preservation due process." said David Frankel, who represents Hall. A spokesperson from the church issued a statement saying, "Kawaiaha'o Church will continue to follow the direction of the courts and the agencies exercising oversight on the project. We are reviewing the ruling and considering our options."

The injunction is in effect until the appeals court makes its decision. Hall says that decision should come soon.

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Kawaiaha'o Church ordered to stop construction

A Longview architectural firm and Spring Hill ISD will be recognized in Austin this weekend for the outstanding design of the districts new high school. Thacker-Davis Architects designed the $24.7 million school that opened in 2011 about $1.8 million under budget.

The firm submitted photos of the school to the Exhibit of School Architecture Awards competition this summer and was notified this past month of the award.

Weve won about 15 awards over the last 20 years, but this may be the first design award weve won, said Phillip Thacker, architect with Thacker-Davis Architects.

The Spring Hill High School submission was one of about 80 in the competition, according to Thacker, which includes any newly constructed or renovated school in the state.

Awards are given in the areas of value, process of planning, design, educational appropriateness, innovation and sustainability. Each school is eligible to receive multiple awards.

The design of Spring Hill High School was created in order to build a bridge between the old and new, Thacker said.

We wanted to complement the existing architecture on the site, but add something modern and new, Thacker said.

All submissions will be included in the Texas Association of School Administrators, Texas Association of School Boards and Texas Society of Architects Exhibit of School Architecture in the annual TASA/TASB convention this weekend in Austin.

Thacker-Davis is also responsible for the designs of new sites and renovations in Hallsville, Gilmer and Pine Tree school districts. The architects are working on a $29.9 million bond project for Tatum ISD.

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Architects, Spring Hill ISD receive design award

HONOLULU

The Intermediate Court of Appeals panel unanimously issued an order Friday morning barring Kawaiaha'o Church from the disinterment of iwi from Kawaiaha'o Church grounds that are related to the church's multipurpose center project and from all construction activities related to its project that could result in the disinterment of iwi, according to the Native Hawaiian Legal Corporation.

The church started construction on a multipurpose center on church grounds in January 2009.

The church immediately encountered burials. By the summer of 2009, the church had discovered sixty-nine burials.

Dana Naone Hall sued to stop Kawaiaha'o Church from digging up more burials in August 2009.

Hall's family members were buried on church grounds. During the course of her lawsuit, hundreds more burials have been unearthed.

The Intermediate Court of Appeals determined that there is a substantial likelihood that we will conclude that the State Historic Preservation Division should have required Kawaiaha'o Church to complete an archaeological inventory survey before state approval of the project.

The court also said that the State Historic Preservation Division violated its own rules in failing to require an AIS before permitting the project to go forward.

"This case spans the end of the Lingle Administration and the first years of the Abercrombie Administration, during which time the SHPD has routinely failed to follow its own rules to the detriment of historic properties and burial sites. I am very grateful to the Intermediate Court of Appeals for reaffirming that there is a vital public interest in protecting human skeletal remains and burial sites 'regardless of race, religion, or cultural origin,'" said Hall. "Although approximately 700 individuals have been disturbed at Kawaiaha'o, there are many hundreds more who can continue to rest in peace."

Kawaiaha'o Church Senior Pastor Kahu Curt Kekuna said the church will continue to follow the direction of the courts and the agencies exercising oversight on the project. The church is reviewing the ruling and considering our options.

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Court bars Kawaiaha'o from iwi disinterment

HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) -

A state appellate court today ordered Kawaiahao Church to halt all construction on its $17.5 million center after hundreds of burials were uncovered at the site.

The Hawaii Intermediate Court of Appeals issued a preliminary injunction after the state Supreme Court in August put a temporary stop to the city's $5.3 billion rail transit project.

"The wheels of justice are starting to turn slowly but now it's turning in the right direction," said Dana Naone Hall, a Maui cultural practitioner who sued to stop construction at the church.

"Now, we have a chance to prevent ... the excavation of many hundreds more."

Hawaii News Now first reported last month that the church had unearthed as many as 579 remains at the site of Kawaiahao Church's multipurpose center.

The burial discovery -- which comes after the church unearthed more than 69 remains in 2009 -- is one of the largest ever, experts have said.

Friday's decision was in direct response to the state Supreme Court ruling in August to halt the city's rail transit project. The High Court said then that the city did not conduct a full archeological inventory on the entire 20-mile rail system before it started construction.

In her case, Hall alleged that Kawaiahao Church worked with the state to circumvent the need to conduct a similar archeological inventory survey.

A Kawaiahao Church said it is reviewing the decision and is reviewing its options.

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Court orders halt to Kawaiahao Church construction