Home Builder Developer - Interior Renovation and Design

Contractors for the Fox Metro Water Reclamation District are proceeding with the installation of sanitary sewer lines in Oswego's Cedar Glen Subdivision and a portion of the Windcrest Subdivision located east of Ill. Route 25, north of Waubonsie Creek.

Jeff Humm, Fox Metro engineering supervisor, estimated the project is currently about 50 percent complete.

Jim Detzler, Fox Metro Board president who lives along Route 25 at the entrance to Cedar Glen, said Monday he and other Fox Metro officials understand the construction is an inconvenience for homeowners in the two subdivisions and their continuing patience is appreciated by Fox Metro and the contractors.

"It will be a real nice improvement once all the work is completed," Detzler said.

Humm said sewer lines have been installed in the right-of-way along Elmwood Drive, Oaklawn Avenue and Evergreen and Glendale drives.

"We've also done Ashlawn (Avenue) from Elmwood up to Eastway (Drive)," he said.

Still yet to be completed, Humm said, is the old portion of the Windcrest Subdivision up to Windcrest Drive near the south end of the project area, and Eastway and Cebold drives on the north end.

Humm added that if weather conditions permit, contractors should have all of the sewer lines installed by the end of June and the streets resurfaced in July. Final landscaping would then be installed in August, he said.

Fox Metro hired Len Cox & Sons Excavating of Joliet to complete the project at a total cost of $1,892,867 last spring and the firm began work in September.

The agency is financing the project through a low interest loan obtained from the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (IEPA).

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Oswego sewer project about 50% complete

After 19 years, Keystone Evangelical Free Church in Paradise is about to undertake its first building project.

To commemorate the occasion, the church held a ground-breaking ceremony last week at the site across from the current facility at 6 Pequea Drive.

Although it was a cold, rainy morning, 200 members of the congregation attended the ceremony that included a special worship service, a few words from guest speakers. Members of the congregation even pitched in to pull a plow through the ground to signify the beginning of the project.

Senior pastor Keith Rohrer said a blueprint of the new building was painted on the ground and church members engaged in a "prayer walk" around the outline.

Rohrer said construction of the 33,000-square-foot facility will begin this month and is expected to be finished in January 2013.

The new facility will include a auditorium that will seat 600 people, education rooms, a fellowship hall and kitchen. Offices and much of the youth ministry, which has been a centerpiece of Keystone's work, will remain at the present church.

S.E. Smoker Inc. of Strasburg is the firm that has been chosen to design and build the church, which is expected to cost $3.7 million.

So far, more than $1 million has been pledged by the congregation of about 400 people.

Keystone has come a long way since its humble beginnings when members met in a bar at a banquet facility, Rohrer said. Two years later, a congregation of about 110 people took over the building formerly home to Paradise Baptist Church.

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Paradise church breaks ground on new project

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. --

A year has come and gone since the deadly tornado ripped through Tuscaloosa, but scars of the storms destruction are still visible.

Central Church of Christ is hoping new construction will help repair their wounds.

The entire church was damaged during the storm, but that didn't keep the congregation from pitching in.

Longtime member Bert English said, The whole twelve months we've still been involved in helping those who are less fortunate that we are. We individually have homes. So many people around us here did not have homes. And so to some degree we're still helping people even now, a year later.

English has been a member of the church for more than fifty-years. Despite being grateful for being able to meet at the Alabama Fire College, he said he's excited to have their building back.

Members of the church are hoping that the first phase, which will go right about here, will be completed within a year.

The new building will be in the same place as the old one. But it doesn't take a pile of bricks to make the place a church.

Campus Minister Trae Durden said, We've actually grown during this time without a building. So we're really looking forward to having a building again. Hopefully all the different aspects of our service to the community, I'm hoping that that will continue even after we have a building.

Some of the services still include helping other tornado victims recover a year later.

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Tuscaloosa church rebuilds after tornado

LOS ANGELES, April 30, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- When home appliances break down, some of the most important tasks around the house are going to become major chores. For locals, appliance services and repairs is no longer a hassle though, as AM PM appliance service company is now offering same day services for all major products and brands.

Countless people come to rely on their appliances throughout the day.Many may not even notice how important their appliances are to them until they begin to break down and they realize just how difficult it becomes to cook food, clean dishes, wash clothes, and keep the house comfortable.When this happens, it is time to find a Miele, LG, or Subzero appliance repair specialist that is going to be able to carry out appliance services quickly and affordably.

As a Los Angeles appliance repair company, AM PM has been working with residents of Los Angeles and the surrounding area for over 15 years. They maintain g a fleet of service vehicles that are available 24 hours a day 7 days a week. Unlike many other Electrolux, Asko, Miele, and Thermador appliance repair companies, AM PM is dedicated to carrying countless factory parts on hand so that many repairs can be made on site and on the same day.

For all those that are looking towards this spring and summer to enjoy holidays or social events with friends, a broken appliance is a hassle that no one needs to deal with. This is why AM PM is offering everyone the chance at keeping their home running smoothly.

About AM PM Appliance Repair Los Angeles

AM PM has set itself apart from the competition due to their excellent customer service and friendly staff that have been assisting locals for over 15 years.They are available 24 hours a day for all Bosch, Magic Chef, Sharp, Kenmore, and Viking appliance repair.

Contact AM PM Appliance Service Los Angeles

You can call (800) 343-6011 or visit http://www.ampmappliancerepair.com to learn more about the brands and appliances they repair and the discounts they provide.

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Los Angeles Appliance Repair Company, AM PM, Offers Same Day Repairs on All Leading Brands

Photo by Don Shrubshell

Construction continues Tuesday morning on a 100-unit apartment complex at Walnut Street and College Avenue. The developers also are seeking to rezone land on the south side of Walnut, just across from the property, to construct an additional 120-unit building.

By Andrew Denney

Tuesday, May 1, 2012

Negotiations between the North Central Columbia Neighborhood Association and the developers of a new student apartment complex at College Avenue and Walnut Street hit a snag last night after the neighbors asked that the developers put $1 million into a trust fund for neighborhood improvement projects.

The developers, Nathan and Jon Odle, are seeking approval for a rezoning request to allow the construction of a 120-unit apartment building on the south side of Walnut, across from a 100-unit apartment building scheduled to open this fall. The developers have been in talks with neighbors to gain their support for the rezoning request, which could be brought before the Columbia Planning and Zoning Commission on May 10.

Over the past few weeks, neighbors have met with Nathan Odle and Craig Van Matre, an attorney for the developers, to work out terms of a contract to require the developers to restrict traffic from the complex onto the Ash Street bike boulevard and encourage apartment residents to use nonmotorized transportation. But after further discussion with other area residents, neighbors involved with the negotiations said they think the developers should pay more for their support.

"The feeling of the neighborhood association is if we're going to do it tit for tat, then let's do it tit for tat," said Mara Aruguete, who lives on Hubbell Street. Nina Wilson-Keenan, who lives on St. Joseph Street, said in an email that money from the developers could be used for neighborhood betterment projects such as a property rehabilitation grant program and green-space preservation.

Van Matre said there is "no way" he would be able to get his clients to agree to give $1 million to a trust fund for the association. He said if his clients' refusal to give to the trust fund is a "deal breaker," then "the deal is broken."

"I wouldn't be able to get them to agree to it if I held a gun to their head," Van Matre said. "If I waterboarded them, they wouldn't agree to it."

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Neighbors want $1 million from apartment developers

Those thick swarms of termites appearing nightly throughout South Mississippi wont eat your house for dinner, authorities said.

The mass of winged varmints -- called swarmers -- are most likely Formosan termites, one of three species of termites found on the Coast. The non-native, invasive species first made its way to the state in the mid-1980s and is spottily distributed in the lower half of Mississippi, according to a report by Mississippi State University Extension Service.

Eastern subterranean termites can be found throughout the state and southeastern drywood termites dont venture far from U.S. 90.

JOHN FITZHUGH/SUN HERALD Dead termites can be seen inside the globe of a light fixture of a Bilox house on Tuesday. Formosan termites swarm early May to early June, which is their mating season.

The swarms of Formosans mean the bugs mating season has begun, said Bobby Ware, president of Terminator Pest Control.

Typically, young swarmer termites attempt to pair up with a member of the opposite sex from early May to early June, fall to the ground together, shed their wings, mate and find a protected site in the ground to begin a new colony, he said.

Swarms around a house dont necessarily mean the home is infected by termites, but seeing the buggy mass should serve as a reminder to have the home inspected, Ware said.

Nothing beats a thorough inspection, he said.

Ware said several pest control companies on the Coast offer free home evaluations.

He warns that homeowners should use only certified inspectors and make sure to see proof of damage and activity before purchasing services.

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Termite swarms are signs of mating season

Town houses and single-family residences are in the works in northwest Midland after two votes by the Planning & Zoning Commission on Monday.

In two unanimous votes, the commission approved a zone change for a nearly 40-acre tract on the west side of Holiday Hill Road, as well as a preliminary plat for 135 residential lots.

The land, which is a proposed expansion of the Los Patios Addition and is just south of Briarwood Avenue, was first annexed in 2009, said Jim Compton, senior planner. At that time no development proposal for the area existed so it was zoned for "future development."

The developer requested the zone be changed to that of a town house dwelling district and one family dwelling district. The single-family zone would take up just more than 36 acres of the proposed neighborhood. Compton said the construction proposal calls for a slightly higher density than is typical but the plan is consistent with what already exists in the Los Patios area.

"We just see this as an expansion of the subdivision design that has been successful in the past," Compton said.

The developer will have to add public improvements.

Compton said the plan is to extend Crowley Boulevard through the west end of the subdivision and to add a new collector street on the north end.

The neighborhood will be a welcome addition for the housing industry. The Permian Basin Board of Realtors reported last week there were just 170 homes for sale, down from the more than 600 for sale in April 2011.

The Planning and Zoning Commission also approved a zone change for Glen Miller Homes' construction in section eight of the Greathouse Addition.

The change will allow for the homes proposed along a cul-de-sac to be constructed with a 10-foot setback from the street rather than the typical 15 feet.

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Planning and Zoning approves Los Patios housing expansion

The youthful energy that filled the air at Chester Heights Campmeeting on Saturday was a stark contrast to the pall of helplessness that has hung over the historic site in the wake of two arson fires in the past six months.

Every April, the Eastern Pennsylvania Conference of the United Methodist Church organizes a small army of volunteers to visit the historic site for some hands-on fellowship. But this year, the devastation of the recent fires made the annual spruce-up campaign an even more welcomed breath of fresh air.

This is healing, and shows that there are people who want to help, said a grateful Chester Heights Campmeeting Board President Pat Smith.

Chester Heights Campmeeting was established by the Methodist-Episcopal Church of Philadelphia in 1872, with most of the 65 summer cottages on the 31-acre site being built around 1900.

Many of the cottages have now fallen into disrepair, but the locale was placed on the National Historical Register in 2000, and is one of about 30 campmeetings still in existence in Pennsylvania today.

The recent efforts of 11 cottage owners, who painstakingly rehabbed their summer cabins back to attractive structures, were recognized through a 2011 Heritage Commission Award from Delaware County Council. Sadly, one of those restored cottages was burned to the ground during the Feb. 18 fire that claimed a total of 10 buildings.

But the sense of loss at Chester Heights Campmeeting goes beyond the cottage owners. Many of the 75 volunteers who turned out last weekend (a new record for team size) had visited the Campmeeting before, and grief over the fires was universal.

Many of these willing workers would have liked to have started removing the charred debris that still clutters the central area of the Campmeeting. The dozen structures lost in the two fires are still being treated as a crime scene, however, so the volunteers could not go near the blackened rubble.

On April 21, less than a week after electricity had been restored to the Campmeeting, there was no shortage of work to be found elsewhere, as several cottages were in desperate need of TLC.

Dividing into 12 work teams, the eager workers spread out amongst the clustered cottages. Projects included landscaping, power-washing the open-air youth temple, removing or repairing dilapidated porches and roofs, applying fresh paint to exterior walls, and tearing down a two-story cottage that was beyond repair. Continued...

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Chester Heights Campmeeting gets helping hand from Methodist youth

VOORHEES, N.J.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

The New Jersey Board of Public Utilities (BPU) today approved new water and wastewater rates for New Jersey American Water, effective immediately. The new rates recognize the more than $300 million the company has spent over the past two years to replace and upgrade its complex web of nearly 9,000 miles of water and sewer mains in order to continue providing customers with uninterrupted access to high-quality, reliable water service. While the new rates represent a $30 million increase in revenues for the company, the cost of tap water for customers remains less than a penny a gallon.

We are certainly aware and sensitive to the difficulties the current economic situation that many of our customers face, and we are mindful of that as we strive to ensure that the communities we serve never experience the potentially disastrous results of a failing water system, said David K. Baker, president of New Jersey American Water. We are committed to maintaining that balance for our customers. Keeping our rates less than a penny a gallon means that water remains quite a value, and is one of the lowest utility bills for homeowners.

For more than a century we have provided quality, reliable water service and fire protection in New Jersey. When we put in the water mains for Thomas Edisons West Orange laboratory in 1904, the cast iron main cost about 45 cents a foot. That same operation today costs hundreds of dollars a foot.

Water system improvements that will be completed by the company and recovered in the new rates include:

Our capital expenditures have not only improved the reliability and quality of our water service to customers, but have also contributed to approximately 2,000 direct and indirect jobs statewide, said Baker.

The company has also been making significant progress to reduce its operating expenses. We have instituted several initiatives to drive down the costs of providing our customers with water service, said Baker. Weve reduced our operating expenses by nearly $10 million over the last couple of years.

Another aspect of the BPU decision was the recognition of declining water consumption, which was reflected in the revenue allowances. Our customers are using less water than they have in the past, however the infrastructure required to bring water to homes, businesses and fire hydrants still needs to be properly maintained, said Baker. This decline in demand is a result of many factors, which include the wider adoption of more efficient washing appliances, low-flow toilets, and personal conservation. More and more, customers recognize that the water they use is a critical, but limited resource.

Since filing for the rate increase in July 2011, New Jersey American Water's request underwent extensive public and regulatory scrutiny. The ratemaking process required a lengthy and detailed review by the staff of the BPU, the New Jersey Division of Rate Counsel, the Office of Administrative Law, and more than a dozen interested groups, who the state of New Jersey granted full intervener status in the proceedings. The process also included several public hearings for customer input before an Administrative Law Judge.

The new rates granted by NJBPU continue to provide help for customers who have been particularly hard hit by the current economic environment. In addition to providing customers with financial assistance through the companys low-income programs, eligible customers are able to receive a comprehensive telephone audit of their water use; free water-saving retrofit kits; as well as plumbing assistance to install water-efficient devices. For those families who are struggling to pay their bills, we want them to know that assistance is available through our H2O Help to Others Program, said Baker. The program offers grants of up to $500 and a discount on the monthly service charge, and is administered by New Jersey SHARES (1-877-652-9426 or 1-877-NJAWH2O).

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New Jersey American Water Granted New Rates by NJ Board of Public Utilities

MEMPHIS, TN -

(WMC-TV) The renovation of the Vasco Smith Administration Building downtown is projected to cost Shelby County some $20 million.

But officials claim they're not trying to outfit it like a Cadillac.

"No sir," said County Engineer Tom Needham. "Not like a Cadillac at all."

Needham showed Action News 5 the plans and said added expense will be spared.

"Let's say more like a Chevrolet with leather," said Needham.

But one man familiar with the project e-mailed us his concerns about the costly countertops specified in the plans. They're to be made of a sustainable recycled glass material called Icestone. The architect calls for a pattern known as "snow flurry" to top reception counters in the lobby areas on all 11 floors.

"It could run from $85 to $150 dollars a square foot," said Needham.

That is significantly more than the quartz or granite countertops on display at Premier Countertops in Olive Branch.

"I would say your average pricing for granite is gonna be anywhere from $60 to $70 a square foot," said Carol Jameson. "And that's nice granite."

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Expensive countertops on taxpayers dime