Home Builder Developer - Interior Renovation and Design

BAY CITY, MI A Midland Street business owner is grateful for his sidewalk deck, but said the rules that govern it are costing him money.

Kevin Novellino owner of Brooklyn Boyz Pizzeria and Italian Restaurant, a sitdown restaurant at 507 E. Midland St., and Brooklyn Boyz at 612 E. Midland St., which sells pizza by the slice and deli items went before the Bay City Commission tonight to ask members to consider lengthening the hours the decks can be used.

"For some of us it's become a financial hardship, closing it so soon at 12. What I'd like to ask is extending it an hour and a half, to 1:30," he said.

In 2008, the city approved use of structures that can extend up to 10 feet into the roadway. Sales or service must stop by 11:30 p.m. and all areas must be vacated by midnight.

Most of Novellino's business is on Friday and Saturday nights between 11:30 p.m. and 2 a.m., he said. Allowing customers on the decks until 1:30 a.m. still would give owners enough time to clear their entire facilities by the state-mandated 2 a.m.

A former city commissioner, he helped bring the decks into being, but said the rules need tweaking. At his smaller business, which does not serve alcohol, the pizza ovens can keep the indoor temperatures in the 90s, but at midnight the customers no longer can use the decks to eat their slices.

Novellino also had not foreseen the ban of smoking inside bars. "After midnight it forces all of the smokers outside on the sidewalks; they're not allowed on the decks."

Not only would a change benefit his customers, he said, it would make it easier for police to pick out people who are just hanging out on the sidewalk, not doing business anywhere and potentially causing trouble. "They'll stand out more to the police that they're underage, they're just loiterers."

Novellino said the lucrative Fourth of July weekend will pass with the midnight curfew, but perhaps commissioners can enact something later this month. "It'll give us the second half of the season to show as business owners that we are mature and can manage our decks."

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Brooklyn Boyz owner wants customers allowed on Midland Street decks until 1:30 a.m.

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New York Department of Transportation Commissioner Joan McDonald is joined by local, state and federal officals to announce New York Worksproject on Congress Street Bridge Monday, July 2, 2012 in Troy. (J.S. Carras / The Record)

By James V. Franco jfranco@troyrecord.com Twitter.com/francorecord

Troy Mayor Lou Rosamillia speaks in front of local , state and federal officals during announcement of New York Works on Congress Street Bridge Monday, July 2, 2012 in Troy. (J.S. Carras / The Record)

TROY Work on the decks of 11 bridges in the Capital District is underway, including on the Congress Street Bridge which, links the Collar City to Arsenal City.

The work $19.9 million of federal and state money that will be spent in the Capital District is part of the NY Works, program included in the 2012-13 state budget proposed by Gov. Andrew Cuomo and passed by the Legislature.

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Work on 'key corridor' Congress Street Bridge underway

SKATERS and skating enthusiasts alike gathered at the Putrajaya Challenge Park for a day of fun at Go Skateboarding Day 2012.

The event, organised by skate brand Vans and RSH (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd to support the local skating community, was part of worldwide Go Skateboarding Day celebrations.

The highlights of the event were the Vans Trick Dice and Vans Highest Ollie competitions.

The Vans Trick Dice category is for amateurs, where participants have to roll a single die to determine which skating trick they have to perform, said Vans brand manager Emilia Ag Dahalan.

The Vans Highest Ollie is for professionals, who have to skate and clear an obstacle of a certain height, she added.

Some 200 skaters participated in the two competitions this year, which is a similar number to the previous years event that was held at a shopping mall in Kuala Lumpur.

While the competitors showcased their talents, non-competitors took the opportunity to hone their skateboarding tricks like kickflip, ollie and pop-shuvit at the park that was designed to appeal to the skating and stunt biking community.

The champion of the Vans Highest Ollie received RM1,000 cash, RM300 Vans gift voucher and Vans merchandise, Oakley sunglasses and a Wrigley prize pack.

The second prize winner walked away with RM500 cash, RM300 Vans gift voucher and Vans merchandise, Oakley sunglasses and a Wrigley prize pack, while the third place winner bagged RM300 cash, RM300 Vans gift voucher and Vans merchandise, Oakley sunglasses and a Wrigley prize pack.

The top three winners of the Vans Trick Dice category each won a RM250 Vans gift voucher, Vans merchandise, Oakley sunglasses and a Wrigley prize pack.

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Skateboarders take flight with their skills on the decks

A NewsChannel 3 investigation into moldy military housing first brought the dangers to light.

If mold is not cleaned up right the first time, families can get sick in their own homes.

But now, a new Virginia law that took effect over the weekend is making it harder for homeowners to find the right experts to help them.

A leaky roof, water damaged windows and wet drywall canalllead to mold problems.

And for the past year, mold inspectors and mold remediators, the professionals you turn to for help, have all been licensed by the state of Virginia.

The law was passed in 2009 to make sure that everyone who called themselves an expert in the field had some sort of education and training behind them.

But over the weekend, the entire mold remediation and inspector licensing program ended at the hands of Governor McDonnell in his mission to streamline state operations.

His commission on government reform and restructuring put the recommendation forward late last year. Everyone on the 31-member board voted to stop the licensing program.

Their reasoning? They say the environmental protection agency does not see a need to regulate mold remediation nationally, so Virginia was over-regulating where the EPA did not and they wanted to get rid of what they called a barrier to business.

Both the House of Delegates and the Senate then passed their own versions of the bill during the 2012 general assembly.

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Gov. McDonnell ends mold remediation and inspector licensing program

Published: Mon, July 2, 2012 @ 12:03 a.m.

By Peter H. Milliken

milliken@vindy.com

POLAND

Completion of a $4.25 million sanitary sewer installation will improve quality of life, raise homeowners property values and bolster economic development potential, the township administrator said.

Sewer lines, gas lines, waterlines any utility makes any community more attractive to businesses. This can only benefit us. It can never hurt us, said James Scharville, Poland Township administrator.

Scharville was referring to the South Struthers Interceptor Sewer, which will eliminate 165 septic systems, many of them failing after having been in use for more than 50 years.

Ive heard many reports of people complaining about odors, especially in the summertime, and there are places where you can actually see black water in the roadside ditches. So this will be a very environmentally favorable project, said J. Robert Lyden, Mahoning County sanitary engineer.

The quality of life for these citizens here will be improved with the sanitary sewer. It will be a benefit to the streams and to the Mahoning River, he added.

The project includes installation of nearly five miles of plastic sewer pipe, carrying sewage to the Struthers sewage treatment plant.

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Poland official touts sewer project benefits

ERIC CONOVER/Staff Photographer Richard Wech, Hazleton code enforcement officer, inspects a home on Vine Street, Hazleton, on Monday as he and other city officials start to enforce quality-of-life offenses. Three tickets were written for trash, an old vehicle on the property and indoor furniture on the porch.

Hazleton Code Officers Richard Wech and Mary Ann Thomas began walking on Vine Street, looking at yards and porches for weeds, garbage and other violations of city ordinances Monday morning.

At one house, they found two tires by a front door. In a lot next to a vacant house, weeds grew knee high.

On another lot, Thomas placed a ruler next to a clump of weeds. They were taller than the 10-inch limit, so the owner was fined $25.

The code officers, helped by health officers and firefighters, swept through Hazleton while inspecting properties as part of a campaign to maintain the city's quality of life. In addition to Vine Street, they checked center city, the Heights and Terrace sections and the Beech Street neighborhood. They plan to continue inspections during the week.

Following a checklist, the inspectors looked for weeds, vehicles, trash, indoor furniture or appliances placed outdoors and 15 other possible violations including unlicensed food carts, littering and improper storage of recyclables or hazardous waste.

While inspectors have inspected properties during other summers, this week's patrol is different because owners get tickets without being warned.

The effort was publicized previously in the Standard-Speaker; a Spanish newspaper, Molinegocios USA Inc.; and on local television news programs, yet the lack of warning upset residents when inspectors handed them tickets.

Diana Anciburo said she pays attention to raising children, not watching the news. Plus she was out of town during the weekend when some of the stories were published.

"Why don't they give a warning?" Anciburo said after Wech handed her three tickets - one each for a vehicle with expired registration, for trash in the backyard and for indoor furniture on the front porch - totaling $75.

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Code officers issue citations as part of new city initiative

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LaVerne Donato shows the smashed windshield of her car on Monday at the Winston Garden senior apartments in Oroville. (Mary Weston/Staff Photo)

LaVerne Donato, 71, said somebody smashed the windshield on her minivan and the windows on several other vehicles.

Monday, a man walking down the street said the vandals had smashed the windows on a friend's car down the street.

Other residents had items stolen off of their porches.

Donato said it's an ongoing problem that starts in the spring and continues through the year, with people driving in pickups and loading up the senior's plants and yard decorations and vandalizing their cars.

She said there are known gang residences on a street north of the apartments and at a large apartment complex to the south of the senior housing.

"They are at war with each other, and we are in the middle of it," she said.

She said the gang members from both sides run through the apartment complex and jump over the fence to get to each other. They also congregate in Play Town USA Park on Fifth Avenue.

Her car has been vandalized three times in the last year, and residents have had many items stolen from their yards, she said.

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Seniors upset about raids by vandals in Oroville

Ready to remodel?

Let's face it: Home renovations can be expensive. It's tough nowadays to find the kind of money it requires, but you may not need to put off those upgrades. Other Americans aren't. There's been a 17 percent increase in kitchen and bathroom remodeling projects over the past two years, according to a recent survey from the National Association of Home Builders. Other popular projects, according to the survey, are replacing windows and doors, repairing property damage, and adding rooms.

If you want to start your dream renovation project, you can do so by finding creative ways to work within your budget. One of the best ways to save is being flexible in your design. It's not hard to find stores carrying discontinued, overstock or unneeded special-ordered items, and that can mean big savings for you. Leah Ingram, founder of SuddenlyFrugal.com, saved 50 percent on her patio pavers by shopping at a store that was closing. "It may limit your color or what you're able to do with design," she says, "but for us, price was more important."

Here are five other ways to save when renovating your home.

Buying lights, tile, faucets and even appliances online can make sense, but know what you're getting and don't let delivery costs eat up the savings.

The pros: You can save hundreds of dollars on an item by searching online for the best price using the model number, says Dan Fritschen, author of "Remodel or Move? Make the Right Decision." Make sure to include shipping costs, he adds.

The cons: If you haven't seen the item in person, it may look different than its online photo. And if it's not what you want or is damaged, returns can be a hassle. "My issue with buying stuff online for home renovation is if you have a problem," says Ingram. "I'd feel much more comfortable buying that stuff in person."

Keep in mind: If you want to buy online, do it far in advance, says Fritschen. It could arrive damaged or delayed. "Delaying your remodel to save $100 is typically not a savings," he says. Also make sure you know the store's return policy and customer service availability before buying.

Are you buying a lot of tile for your bathroom? Ask for a volume discount. Think outside the box: Get more customers for the vendor, and use that to wrangle a lower price. When Ingram installed a new fence, she contacted interested neighbors. "By getting more business for the fence company, we were all able to get a discount," she says.

The pros: "If you are friendly and considerate, oftentimes you can get a small discount of up to 10 percent," says Fritschen. If you're not comfortable with being nice and asking for a discount when hiring a contractor, just be upfront and say, "This is what I want to get done, and this is my budget. How can you work with me?" says Ingram. An interested contractor will offer creative ways to save money, such as sourcing closeout products or leaving easier jobs for you to do.

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5 tips to save money on home renovations

Click here for a gallery of the final service at Blessed Sacrament.

WINDSOR, Ont. Parishioners say the spirit will live on after a west end church closes at the end of the month and becomes a support centre for the needy.

Blessed Sacrament was sold by the Diocese of London to the Society of St. Vincent de Paul for one dollar and will be used as a food hub, resale store and hospitality centre when the transfer takes place on July 27.

This place was always all about the poor. We helped the poor a lot and now its staying that way, just without the masses, said Margaret Murphy, lay pastoral minister for the church since 1995 and parishioner for nearly 30 years.

The spirit is still there and its just heavenly that they got it for $1. Were all very happy about that and it makes our transition out of here a little easier.

Murphy said what shell miss most about the church is that it was like a second home and family to her. She not only worked at the church, but also attended three masses there a week and the hominess and humbleness are at the root of all the memories shell always cherish.

The pews were packed at the farewell mass for the 75-year-old church Sunday and seven priests, along with Bishop Ronald Peter Fabbro, attended to celebrate the ceremony and mark the occasion.

Sisters Marilyn Fahringer, Laura Mazzali-Gingrich and Pat Steed grew up at the church and had all their sacraments done there, along with four other siblings. They lived in a house just down the street from the church and their parents, Peter and Vicki Mazzali, got married at Blessed Sacrament a year after it was built.

Steed, whos 73 years old, had to change churches a number of years ago because she requires a wheelchair but Blessed Sacrament is not wheelchair accessible. She wanted to return for the final mass, however, so the priest, Fr. Joe Langlois, agreed to meet her out front of the church moments before the mass began to give her communion.

It means a lot because I was baptized here as a baby so its kind of special, said Steed, who still resides on the citys west end.

Continued here:
With Vid: 'Spirit will live on' at former Blessed Sacrament church

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -

A church on Jacksonville's westside held a service on Sunday, just days after being flooded by Tropical Storm Debby's heavy rains.

The 103rd Street Baptist Church suffered thousands of dollars worth of damage to its floors and walls earlier in the week.

The inside of the church more closely resembled a construction zone on Sunday morning.

Images: Church rebuilds

Long-time church members like Earl Graves have been working hours on end and the repairs have only just begun.

"You just have to take it one room at a time. Just do what we can do," said Graves.

The church has made remarkable progress over the last few days. Gone is the floodwater -- but so is much of the carpet and drywall.

Pastor James Turner said the concern now is mildew and bacteria.

"Mud, skinks, frogs. I mean, all kinds of stuff. We had to get all the creatures out first, and then still found some in the walls as we were going," he said.

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103rd Street Baptist Church damaged by Tropical Storm Debby