Home Builder Developer - Interior Renovation and Design

By MONICA DRAKE - monica.drake@oakpress.com; Twitter: @monica_adele

Students wait in the lunch line at Clarkston High School recently. The Clarkston School District is the subject of a $20 million bond issue that raises annual taxes by 1 mill per year for Clarkston residents. The Oakland Press/TIM THOMPSON

Residents within the Clarkston School District will have a decision to make on Tuesday, May 8 whether to support the $20 million school bond proposal.

The bond would be used for remodeling, equipping and furnishing school buildings; acquiring and installing educational technology in school buildings; and developing and improving athletic facilities and sites.

Every student and teacher within the school district would have access to a handheld technology device, such as an iPad, according to administration.

The current enrollment of the school district is about 8,100 students. The bond series would provide the district with $10 million in 2012 and $5 million each in 2016 and 2020.

Supporters, who call themselves Clarkston Kids First, stressed that this bond will allow the school district to catch up with surrounding districts.

Clarkston Kids First member Aimee Baker, mother of a fifth-grader and a ninth-grader, said, Were not trying to lead the way. Were just trying to catch up.

George White, former principal of Pine Knob Elementary and former Clarkston High School teacher, said, Were trying to provide an opportunity for our kids to be competitive when they leave Clarkston Schools and go into the work force so they have similar skills and a similar background to move forward.

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$20M school bond issue that includes remodeling and possibly an iPad for every student at forefront in Clarkston WITH ...

The Broadway Historic District of Rock Island is a roughly 30-square-block area between 17th and 23rd streets and 7th and 13th avenues.

The tract includes about 550 Victorian-era homes in the architectural styles of Queen Anne, Colonial Revival, Italianate and Second Empire. The earliest home was built in 1854.

About 25 years ago, more than half of the homes in the area below the hill had become rentals, some of them owned by absentee landlords who did not always keep them up and some with tenants who were known to deal drugs. The once-elegant residential neighborhood had fallen on hard times.

In 1988, a core group of strong-willed homeowners organized an association to help revitalize the neighborhood. They dubbed both the group and the area Broadway, which was 23rd Streets original name.

The association has spearheaded many projects over the years, including getting the area listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Other efforts are the annual tour of homes, a website (broadwaydistrict.org), the installation of sign toppers to identify the area and neighborhood unveilings in which neighbors gather to remove synthetic siding from homes.

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What is Broadway?

Marcia Heroux Pounds, Sun Sentinel

8:00 a.m. EDT, May 4, 2012

South Florida roofing company White Star Roofing Inc. has been cited by federal safety agency OSHA for eight safety violations.

OSHA initiated an inspection after a compliance officer noticed potential violations at a work site at 201 Seven Isles Drive in Fort Lauderdale , where the companys workers were putting a new roof on a building. Proposed penalties total $62,400.

In one instance, the company was cited for allowing workers to operate on a steep roof without a harness to prevent a fall.

White Star Roofing, which could not be reached for comment late Thursday, also was cited for seven safety violations that involve failing to train workers on fall-prevention awareness and on using harnesses, or providing other personal protective equipment such as gloves and eyewear on hot asphalt.

Falls are a leading cause of workplace fatalities, and workers deserve a hazard-free environment, said Darlene Fossum, director of OSHA's Fort Lauderdale-area office.

White Star Roofing has 15 business days to respond to or contest the citations.

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South Florida roofing firm cited for safety violations

05-05-2012 08:43 For Rent, $1675 - 507 Sandstone Trace, Prattville, AL BEAUTIFUL TWO-STORY home in the heart of Prattville in much desired Silver Hills Subdivision. Highly sought after DANIEL PRATT SCHOOL DISTRICT! Much preferred area amongst military families. Perfect for ACS/AWC students. Located in a family, friendly and quiet community with wonderful neighbors. Zoned for Daniel Pratt Elementary, Prattville Junior High & Prattville High Schools. Home features amazing hardwood floors, neutral colors, carpet, ceramic tiled floors, granite countertops, crown molding through out the house and so much more. Nice open floor plan, with raised ceilings. The split floor plan separates the master bedroom from the 3 supporting bedrooms. Master bedroom, located on the first floor, with trey ceiling and a walk-in closet in the master bath; linen closet, double/split vanity, garden tub, and separate shower. The great room has a beautiful window above the gas fireplace. In addition to the formal dining room, a breakfast room adjoins the kitchen. Kitchen has breakfast bar and lots of cabinets for storage. Next to the kitchen is the garage entrance, with the laundry room and a half bathroom. Ceiling fans throughout, partial window treatment and custom wood blinds on all windows. On the second floor, there are three nice size bedrooms, linen closet, full bath and an easy entrance to the floored attic - great for storage. Privacy fenced back yard with mature trees and a deck for entertaining; playground ...

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Rental Property - 507 Sandstone Trace, Prattville, AL - Video

05-05-2012 15:38 Beautiful Rental Property on a Cul-de-Sac BEAUTIFUL TWO-STORY home in the heart of Prattville in much desired Riverchase Subdivision. Highly sought after DANIEL PRATT SCHOOL DISTRICT! Much preferred area amongst military families. Perfect for ACS/AWC students. Located on a quiet CUL-DE-SAC, in a family friendly community with wonderful neighbors. Zoned for Daniel Pratt Elementary, Prattville Junior High & Prattville High Schools. Home features amazing NEW paint, NEW carpet, ceramic tiled floors, crown molding throughout the house and so much more. Nice open floor plan, with raised ceilings. The split floor plan separates the master bedroom from the 3 supporting bedrooms. Master bedroom, located on the first floor, with trey ceiling and a walk-in closet in the master bath; linen closet, double vanity, JETTED-GARDEN TUB and SEPARATE shower. The great room has lots of windows for lighting and a gas fireplace perfect for those cozy nights. In addition to the formal dining room, a breakfast room adjoins the kitchen. Kitchen has breakfast bar, pantry and many NEW cabinets for storage & NEW GRANITE counter tops. Next to the kitchen is the garage entrance, the laundry room w/ cabinets and a half bathroom. Ceiling fans throughout, partial window treatment and blinds on all windows. On the second floor, there are three nice size bedrooms, linen closet, full bath and an easy entrance to the attic - great for storage. NEW architectural roof. LARGE BACK YARD w/ privacy fence; a ...

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Rental Property: 109 Aberdeen Court, Prattville, AL - Video

05-05-2012 17:33 Beautiful Rental Property, Prattville, AL 36066 HIGHLAND RIDGE one of the Largest Floor Plan!! Beautiful 2-Story home. A much desired area for families seeking excellent schools & community. Highly sought after DANIEL PRATT SCHOOL DISTRICT! Extra space...large Bonus Room on the second floor (office, playroom, extra sleeping area). Home features amazing, neutral colors, carpet, ceramic tiled floors in the bathrooms, nice open floor plan, with raised ceilings, monitored security system available (not included in the rent) and so much more. The split floor plan separates the master bedroom from the three supporting bedrooms. Master bedroom, located on the first floor, with trey ceiling and a large walk-in closet in the master bath; double/split vanity, jetted tub, cable ready, and separate shower. The great room has a wooden fireplace. In addition to the formal dining room, a breakfast room adjoins the kitchen. Kitchen has hard tile granite breakfast bar and lots of cabinets for storage. Next to the kitchen is the garage entrance, with the laundry room. Ceiling fans throughout and custom blinds on all windows. On the second floor, there is the forth bedroom with access to large floored attic. Full bath with linen closet, and a large bonus room (could be used as an additional bedroom, playroom or if needed, as an office). Privacy fenced back yard, great place for children to play safely and deck for entertaining. Sprinkler system underground. Within walking distance to the ...

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Rental Property: 1033 Thistle Rd, Prattville, AL - Video

May 5, 2012 - Indoor Football League (IFL) Colorado Ice Fort Collins, CO-The Colorado Ice Professional Indoor Football team are proud to announce two new additions to the roster. The Ice have recently signed Cordera Eason and James Walton.

Eason is a 6'0", 225 lb. running back from Ole Miss, who was rated as the 35th best running back prospect in the 2010 NFL draft class. Eason's size and physical running style drew the attention of many scouts; eventually ending with him signing with the Cincinnati Bengals after his senior season. During his time at Ole Miss, Eason played in 46 games, accumulating 801 rushing yards, 4 rushing touchdowns, 14 receptions, 121 yards receiving, and 2 receiving touchdowns. Throughout his career at Ole Miss, Eason was part of one of the most dominate rushing attacks in the SEC, typically splitting carries with three other running backs. In his junior season, Eason finished second on the team in rushing yards, only behind Dexter McCluster (36th pick overall in 2010 NFL draft). In that junior season, Eason had 647 rushing yards, 3 rushing touchdowns, 10 receptions, 82 receiving yards, and 1 receiving touchdown.

Eason is originally from Meridian, Mississippi where he attended Meridian High. He rushed for 1,934 yards and 21 TDs as a senior. Eason earned 1st Team All-State Honors and received All American mention from SuperPrep and PrepStar. Off the field, Eason majored in social work at Ole Miss and was on the Athletic Associations honor roll in 2009.

Walton is a 6'3", 215 lb. WR from Truman State University. Walton is an IFL veteran and has been with the league for 6 seasons. He spent the 2007-2008 seasons with the Bloomington Extreme and was traded to the Billings Outlaws for the 2009-2010 seasons. He returned to the Extreme in 2011 following back to back championships with Billings. Walton was a finalist for IFL MVP honors due to his contributions to the Outlaws and their two championships. During his time in the IFL he has played in over 80 games, totaling 382 catches for 4,890 yards and 135 TDs.

During his career at Truman he played in 44 games accumulating 131 receptions for 1,979 yards and 12 TD's. He was also a D II National Champion in the long jump, and received All American honors numerous times. Walton set the long jump record at Truman State during his senior year with a jump of 25' 2.75".

The Colorado Ice are proud members of the Indoor Football League (IFL). All home games are played on Majestic Roofing Field at the Budweiser Events Center located in Loveland, Colorado. More information can be found at http://www.thecoloradoice.com.

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The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

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Colorado Ice Signs Offensive Standouts

Chris Johnston HELSINKI The Canadian Press Published Friday, May. 04, 2012 11:30AM EDT Last updated Friday, May. 04, 2012 5:38PM EDT

Brent Sutter was beaming after watching his Canadian team open the IIHF World Hockey Championship on a winning note.

But the 3-2 victory over Slovakia didn't come without some cause for concern.

Forward Alex Burrows suffered an apparent concussion just before the midway point of Friday's game, leaving his availability for the rest of the tournament up in the air. He was expected to be re-evaluated by team doctors on Saturday and was listed as questionable for a game later that night against the U.S.

Otherwise, head coach Sutter liked most of what he saw from a Canadian team that will need to find itself during the round robin after having little time to prepare as a group.

For our first game of the tournament, it was certainly a really strong effort, he said.

Canada controlled much of the play against Slovakia and sustained a balanced offensive attack. The goals came from Jamie Benn, Jordan Eberle and Andrew Ladd players that were slotted on different forward lines.

Sutter was forced to do some juggling after losing Burrows and chose to insert Evander Kane in his place on a unit with Eberle and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins.

The Vancouver Canucks winger was injured during his first ever game with the national team. He accidentally collided with Marcel Hascak in the offensive zone and appeared to hit his head on the ice. General manager Kevin Lowe called the injury real high upper body and one teammate said privately he thought it was a concussion.

He was doing OK, Lowe said of Burrows. He was doing fine in the dressing room.

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Canada opens worlds with win over Slovakia

May 4, 2012 - Central Hockey League (CHL) Allen Americans Allen, Texas-The Allen Americans Professional Hockey Team announces additions to its ownership and management. These changes are effective immediately.

Mike Modano, considered the greatest American-born hockey player, along with former Dallas Stars, Stanley Cup winning teammates Ed Belfour, Richard Matvichuk, and Craig Ludwig have all been added to the Allen Americans organization. Modano, Belfour and Ludwig have partnered as minority owners with current majority owner Doug Miller, owner Steve Duchesne, and minority partner and Team President, Matt Canavan. Richard Matvichuk will join the Americans in a hockey operations role.

In addition, the Allen Americans announced today that Head Coach & GM Dwight Mullins along with Associate Coach Bill McDonald will not be retained for the 2012-2013 season.

"This was a tough decision but one we feel was necessary," said Allen Americans Owner Doug Miller. "I would like to thank Dwight Mullins and Bill McDonald for their hard work and efforts over the past three seasons. They were instrumental in helping launch and establish our franchise. On behalf of the Allen Americans organization, I would like to thank them and wish them the best."

"Looking ahead to the new season, I am excited to have such a great group of former NHLers joining our staff. They will help take us to the next level in all aspects of the organization including hockey and business operations," said Doug Miller. "The group will begin immediately and one of their first tasks will be to identify and hire a coaching staff to build a championship team for the 2012-2013 season."

The group retains the experience of team owner Steve Duchesne. Duchesne was instrumental in building the franchise and brings a winning attitude and leadership to this already successful franchise. Duchesne played 16 seasons in the National Hockey League that included stops in Los Angeles, Philadelphia, Quebec, St Louis, Ottawa, and Detroit. He won a Stanley Cup with the Red Wings in 2002.

Craig Ludwig's experience includes 17 NHL seasons, two collegiate National Championships and two Stanley Cups (Montreal and Dallas). Craig is very familiar with the Americans organization as his sons, Tyler and Trevor, played during 2011-2012 season.

Former Dallas Stars defenseman Richard Matvichuk played the majority of his 14 NHL seasons in Dallas. Richard was most recently an assistant coach with the Dallas Stars Midget AAA team. He was also a member of the 1999 Stanley Cup winning Stars. Matvichuk joins the team as Assistant General Manager and Defensive Coach.

Former Dallas Stars goalie, Ed Belfour, played 18 seasons in the NHL acquiring 484 wins between the pipes, third all-time in the NHL. Belfour won the Vezina Trophy and won the Stanley Cup as a member of the Dallas Stars in 1999.

Finally, the Americans are honored to have Mike Modano as a member of the Allen Americans organization. Modano was the face of the Dallas Stars franchise from the time the team relocated to DFW in the early 90's until he left the organization in 2010. Modano was selected first overall by the Minnesota North Stars in the 1988 NHL entry draft. Mike is the all-time goal-scoring and points leader among American born players in the NHL. Modano won the Stanley Cup in 1999 as a member of the Dallas Stars.

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Americans Make Changes at the Top

By Ken Mosier, For Real Estate Plus Updated 2:43 PM Friday, May 4, 2012

Ten homes in Huber Heights will be featured in the Eco-Rehabarama Showcase being held in conjunction with the Dayton Home Builders Association and CountyCorps The Housing Source, which uses funds for the Neighborhood Stabilization Program of the Department of Housing and Urban Development.

These 10 homes will be unlike any Huber Home you have ever seen. All have undergone extensive rehabilitation and have features sometimes seen only in Homearama homes.

For the first time the Rehabarama is being held outside the city of Dayton.

This is the first time that weve called it an Eco-Rehabarama, which is an emphasis on green remodeling in this case, said Walt Hibner, executive director of the Dayton HBA. Its pretty unbelievable how much (the remodelers) have changed them. Some of these we have done room additions. Some of the Cape Cods, we have taken off the whole roof and put in a second story, and some houses went from three bedrooms and one bath to four bedrooms and three baths.

These arent your fathers Huber Homes, he said.

These homes in the Eco-Rehabarama are off the hook, said Adam Blake, housing development manager for CountyCorp. He explained how the showcase came about. We had already rehabbed 30 homes and we went to the contractors that were doing the Rehabarama and said, Heres your budget. We know how much this costs to do. The challenge for you is to go to your suppliers and your (subcontractors) and get them to play ball on the pricing so that you can make your home outstanding and really showcase your talents as remodelers.

We gave them the budget number for each house and gave the builders and remodelers leeway to get creative with what they wanted to do as long as it ended up being a marketable home, Hibner said. Each builder or remodeler kind of focused on a different theme.

The seven builders accepted the challenge. One added an outdoor living space covered by a pergola; one took the low-VOC/allergy-free route; another turned the top of a story-and-a-half home into a loft area; another put in a sun nook with wall windows as the kitchen was remodeled; and another used reclaimed materials from Dayton homes that had been deconstructed, including constructing custom kitchen cabinets from ash floorboards from a deconstructed home.

New windows, new roof, Hibner said, noting that the Huber 3/8-inch plywood sheeting on the roofs has been upgraded to code. New shingles, new doors. Essentially any framing that was bad inside the walls was redone.

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Ten Huber Heights homes featured in Eco-Rehabarama Showcase in May