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Blames unshuffled decks of cards

A New Jersey casino has sued a group of gamblers who won $1.5million after they allegedly realized the eight decks of cards used in a game of mini baccarat were not preshuffled.

The Golden Nugget in Atlantic City, N.J., filed suit against the gamblers and playing card company Gemaco after 14 players collectively won $1,536,700 in 41 winning hands.

As the same sequence of cards kept appearing April30, the players increased their bets from $10 to $5,000, the casino alleged.

"The gamblers unlawfully took advantage of the Golden Nugget when they caught onto the pattern and ... by passing money to fellow gamblers in order to place bets in excess of posted betting limits," the casino said in a statement.

In a lawsuit filed in New Jersey Superior Court, the casino cited gambling regulations that state gaming odds must be fair for both sides.

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New Jersey casino suing gamblers who won $1.5 million

23-08-2012 05:56

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Mount Rosary church construction in progress - Video

An advocacy group for people with disabilities is pushing to make Montreal's patios more wheelchair accessible.

Linda Gauthier, president of the Regroupement Activistes Pour l'Inclusion Qubec, or RAPLIQ, said Tuesday that most of Montreal's restaurant and bar terrasses are still inaccessible to wheelchairs.

"It's exactly the same thing that if there would be a black person they would tell him, 'You're not allowed on my terrasse because of your colour.' It's discrimination," Gauthier said.

An increase in the number of installations on sidewalks during the summer is also making it difficult to get into stores, she said.

"What was accessible for us like some stores, before, because of all the terrasses on the sidewalks, we cannot access it anymore."

Even those stores that can be navigated to are often inaccessible to wheelchairs, she said.

The city's Southwest borough is one of two with regulations forcing business owners to make their facilities wheelchair-accessible.

Vronique Fournier, a city councillor for the borough, said accessibility will become increasingly important over the next few years.

"We're going to be in an aging society in Quebec, and this issue will be very important in Montreal," Fournier said. "When you can go on a terrasse in a borough but on another one you cannot go, it doesn't make sense. If you want universal accessibility, it should be on all the territory of the city of Montreal."

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Group pushes for wheelchair access to patios

Incomplete roofing and remodeling projects at a few of the Billings Catholic Schools buildings didnt stop 1,003 students from their first day back to school for the 2012-2013 school year Wednesday.

Our total enrollment is higher than it has been at any time the past 10 years, said Kathy Harris, Billings Catholic Schools marketing director.

The roofing project at the Saint Francis Upper building is only about half done, even though the work was expected to be finished in August. Harold Olson, the school systems president, said the project should be done by the middle of week.

The 205 students who filled the building Wednesday didnt seem to be bothered by the construction, Olson said.

I visited most of the school and didnt really notice too much of a difference with the construction, other than precautions for safety so shingles dont drop from up above, Olson said.

The newly consolidated preschool at Saint Francis Primary hit full enrollment Wednesday with 112 students. Both daycare and preschool are being held in the churchs basement during projects to expand and remodel the building.

The sheet-rocking will begin Thursday and should take about a week to complete and we still have flooring and painting to complete, Olson said. We expect the entire project to be complete no later than Sept. 23, when we will bring the school alive and have all the preschool and daycare programs at one site.

The roofing construction at Central High is should start next week and may take up to five weeks.

Enrollment at Central hit 332 for this school year, Harris said.

Seven new teachers joined the system this year, including two kindergarten teachers, a K-5 counselor, a seventh- and eighth-grade science teacher, a high school choir teacher and a part-time high school biology teacher and part-time upper-lever Spanish teacher.

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Billings Catholic Schools roofing projects under way

TOLEDO, Ohio, Aug. 23, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --Demonstrating its ongoing commitment to roofing professionals, Owens Corning Roofing and Asphalt introduces a new collection of shingle samples. Designed to address specific needs articulated by contractors, this new approach to samples will help improve the sales process for professionals and their customers.

(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20120823/CL61741)

New samples are encased inside a clear vinyl sleeve, helping to prevent messy granule loss and eliminating the need for staples that can cause damage to surfaces in the home. The sleeves also work to protect samples against the natural wear and tear that occurs during storage and day-to-day use.

"Owens Corning Roofing regularly solicits feedback from its customers to help inform the development of new products and services that will address their unmet needs and ultimately help support their business," said Matt Lawver, Owens Corning Roofing and Asphalt contractor services leader. "We've taken a step away from the traditional sample board approach by developing a tool that works better for both the contractor and their end user, the homeowner."

The reinvented shingle samples fit inside an optional easy-to-carry case and weigh up to 80 percent less than traditional sample boards. The result is a light and organized sales kit that makes it more convenient for contractors to carry a variety of shingle colors and options in from the office or truck, compared to traditional sample boards.

Owens Corning Roofing Platinum Preferred Contractors, a selected group of top-tier roofing contractors, currently have access to the new shingle samples and the sample case through the Owens Corning ProConnect Resource center, http://ocproconnect.com. As an added benefit, sample orders are shipped to professionals in just 3-5 business days.

To learn more about Owens Corning Roofing and Asphalt, LLC, or the Platinum Preferred Contractor program, visit http://www.roofing.owenscorning.com.

About Owens CorningOwens Corning (OC) is a leading global producer of residential and commercial building materials, glass-fiber reinforcements and engineered materials for composite systems. A Fortune 500 company for 58 consecutive years, Owens Corning is committed to driving sustainability by delivering solutions, transforming markets and enhancing lives. Founded in 1938, Owens Corning is a market-leading innovator of glass-fiber technology with sales of $5.3 billion in 2011 and approximately 15,000 employees in 28 countries on five continents. Additional information is available at: http://www.owenscorning.com.

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Owens Corning Roofing and Asphalt Reinvents Shingle Sample Boards

MALVERN, Pa.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

Demand for residential roofing is expected to grow at a CAGR of 5% from 2011 to 2014. Overall demand is expected to increase to $13.6 billion, adding $2 billion in value during this period. The growth will be driven by the recovery of new construction and steady continued growth in reroofing overall.

Principia has released its latest multi-client edition of Residential Roofing 2012, an exhaustive market report that reveals key market data organized for strategic marketing and business planning. Principia conducted direct interviews with 150 professionals representing building product manufacturers, wholesalers, distributors, dealers, builders, contractors and installers.

John Calhoon, Principal, comments Only a minor share shift is anticipated among roofing products over the next three years. The combination of lower cost and improved performance is helping to drive the growth of asphalt shingles. Lifetime warranties offered on architectural asphalt shingles coupled with low installed cost will continue to support the popularity of these products. The bigger battle is among asphalt producers for share gains.

The report identifies best growth opportunities through 2014, strategies for value creation and competitive advantage, and the changes in distribution channels serving the residential roofing market. The report also provides business insights on:

The report also includes a unique interactive Market Model and Forecasting Tool that allows subscribers to model hypothetical market performance based on their own assumptions of metrics such as housing starts, the timing of new legislation and other factors using the data compiled in the report.

About Principia

Principia serves the building products industry through products and services aimed at profitable growth, helping clients grow market share and revenues and improve margins. Services include strategy consulting, market research, and industry conferences and reports. Principia is headquartered in suburban Philadelphia, with offices and affiliates worldwide. See PrincipiaReports.com, and PrincipiaConsulting.com.

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Residential Roofing Market to Reach $13.6 Billion in 2014 According to Latest Report from Principia

The deteriorating retaining walls along the River Raisin at Comstock Park will cost far more to replace than originally estimated, Adrian city commissioners were told Monday, but there is also more money than expected in the citys treasury.

Commissioners received a report showing revenue exceeded spending by $361,789 in the year-end unaudited financial report for the 2011-12 fiscal year.

Total revenue of $9,928,214 was hurt by a shortfall of $173,153 in property tax collections. However that was largely offset by unexpected revenue from oil leases ($160,000) and savings such as increased employee health care contributions ($177,000) and other factors.

Im very proud of the staff, city administrator Dane Nelson said. Overall, we managed very well.

After reviewing several options on the retaining wall project, the commission voted Monday to accept the low bid of $644,585 from LJ Construction Co. of Clifford to build a new retaining wall. The 7-0 vote came after bids exceeded the original estimate in March, which pegged replacing the wooden walls at $312,000 or a total of $340,000 to replace them with concrete.

Nelson told commissioners that actual bids came in about 40 percent more costly for all three options wood, concrete or block, and steel that the engineering firm considered.

The only other option I see is to get a different engineer, Nelson said. Of course that would put the project off another year. We have a dangerous situation in which the wall is falling. Wed have to shore that up.

The proposal by engineer ROWE Professional Services Co. of Flint includes building a cofferdam to divert water during construction, along with excavation, installation of steel panels, rebuilding the wall with block and terracing the hillside. The steel panels would then be cut near the water line and left in place to help prevent erosion under the base of the wall.

The proposed wall is expected to last for 70 years, Nelson said. Reinforced wooden walls such as the current one have about a 30-year lifespan.

Commissioner Jerry Gallatin asked if city staff agreed that a 70-year solution was the better option.

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Comstock Park retaining wall project costs grow

A New Jersey casino has sued a group of gamblers who won $1.5 million after they allegedly realized the eight decks of cards used in a game of mini baccarat were not preshuffled.

The Golden Nugget in Atlantic City, N.J., filed suit against the gamblers and playing card company Gemaco after 14 players collectively won $1,536,700 in 41 winning hands.

As the same sequence of cards kept appearing April 30, the players increased their bets from $10 to $5,000, the casino alleged.

"The gamblers unlawfully took advantage of the Golden Nugget when they caught onto the pattern and ... by passing money to fellow gamblers in order to place bets in excess of posted betting limits," the casino said in a statement.

In a lawsuit filed in New Jersey Superior Court, the casino cited gambling regulations that state gaming odds must be fair for both sides.

The Golden Nugget is seeking a return of the $558,900 it paid out to several of the players and the nearly $1 million worth of chips.

Anthony Smedile/The Press of Atlantic City/AP Photo

Benjamin Dash, attorney for the gamblers, said his clients, who did not know each other, were "playing the game lawfully."

After paying out a portion of the winnings, the casino managers became suspicious. Convinced they were watching a "sophisticated swindling and cheating scheme," they refused to cash in the remaining $1 million in chips.

No evidence of a scheme was found. On May 1, the Golden Nugget said it learned by "direct admission" from Gemaco's CEO that the decks used in the baccarat game were unshuffled, despite being touted as preshuffled, certified decks.

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Casino Sues Gamblers After $1.5M Loss

An Atlantic City casino is suing 14 gamblers who raked in more than $1.5 million in winnings after realizing that eight decks of cards had not been preshuffled and kept producing the same sequence of cards, over and over.

The gamblers kept raising their bets -- from $10 a hand to $5,000 -- and scored 41 consecutive winning hands of baccarat in April, the Associated Press reports.

As the payouts mounted, Golden Nugget Atlantic City flooded the area with security teams, convinced that someone was cheating, but were unable to figure out how.

In the end, the casino let nine of the gamblers cash out $558,900. The rest still have $977,800 in chips.

In its lawsuit, the casino cites state gambling regulations requiring all casino games to offer fair odds to both sides.

The casino's lawsuit argues that the gamblers and the casino both began the game believing it was legal and proper until the players kept winning repeatedly.

Benjamin Dash, a lawyer for the gamblers, counters that his clients did nothing wrong and deserve to be paid.

"The Golden Nugget appealed to gamblers to come in and play games licensed and sanctioned by the state of New Jersey," he says. "My clients did exactly that, and then were denied their winnings. There is absolutely no law in New Jersey that would permit the Golden Nugget to declare the game illegal because it failed to provide shuffled cards."

The casino also asserts in its lawsuit that Gemaco Inc., a Missouri playing card manufacturer, acknowledged it had provided a defective shipment of cards that were not preshuffled.

A message left at the company's administrative offices was not immediately returned Monday, the AP says.

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Unshuffled decks are big loser for N.J. casino

Bridie Willmette, Brodie Lucciannio, Maddi Abbott and Jess Maiden have customised skateboard decks for an exhibition.

Claudia Baxter

SKATEBOARD decks feature as improvised canvases in an exhibition by Rosewood State High School senior art students.

The talented group of students designed and painted 20 artworks on decks, which now hang in the Ipswich Art Gallery.

Titled Deck the Walls, the exhibition will remain on show until next Wednesday.

Councillor David Pahlke said students had dedicated the past two months to designing their artworks.

Arts, Community and Cultural Services chairman Charlie Pisasale said the show sampled youth and pop cultures.

"You don't have to look too far to see how popular skateboards are with young people; it's wonderful to see students using them to creatively engage with the arts," Cr Pisasale said.

Rosewood State High principal Lyn Culverhouse said she was proud the students were representing the school in the wider arts community.

The gallery opens daily from 10am to 5pm in d'Arcy Doyle Pl.

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Clever senior skateboard art