Home Builder Developer - Interior Renovation and Design

One of Maryland Gov. Martin OMalleys (D) most powerful cabinet secretaries is stepping down after nearly three years on the job.

Transportation Secretary Beverley K. Swaim-Staley, the first woman to lead Marylands sprawling transportation agency, will leave her post at the end of June, according to OMalleys office.

Swaim-Staley has worked for the state for more than 25 years, including previous posts as deputy transportation secretary and overseeing operations at Baltimore-Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport following Sept. 11, 2001.

Aides said Swaim-Staley surprised OMalley with her decision late last week. They said the timing of her departure appeared motivated in part by a desire to give the governor time to find a replacement who could lead the agency for the second half of his final term.

Swaim-Staleys tenure has revolved in large part around funding challenges created by the states near bankrupt transportation trust fund.

She was a lead surrogate for OMalleys failed attempt this year to convince the states General Assembly to apply a 6-percent sales tax to gasoline. And she drew the ire of rural and Republican lawmakers for orchestrating a series of major toll increases to fund needed maintenance and operating expenses for state bridges.

Swaim-Staley also oversaw the completion of the Intercounty Connector and the beginning of greater use of public-private partnerships, in which Maryland has begun to lease state assets to private companies. While some remain mired in legal challenges, a partnership at the Port of Baltimore has been widely credited for creating jobs and readying the port ahead of other East Coast landings for larger ships that will soon be able to pass through the Panama Canal.

Beverley guided our transportation efforts during the most difficult economic downturn this country has faced in generations, OMalley said in a statement. Despite the economic challenges, we made significant progress including the development of an award winning public-private partnership at the Port of Baltimore and the opening of the Intercounty Connector. I thank her for her years of service.

Aides said OMalley would lead a nationwide search for a replacement.

It has been an honor to serve the citizens of Maryland throughout my professional career, Swaim-Staley said in a statement. I chose to make transportation the focus of my government service because I believe it is one of those key areas of government where you can make a positive impact on the lives of citizens across the state. I thank Gov. OMalley and the citizens of Maryland for this tremendous opportunity. I also thank the thousands of employees throughout MDOT who made our collective progress possible.

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O’Malley’s transportation secretary stepping down

Kathy Sweeney investigates: The case of the missing cattle Kathy Sweeney investigates: The case of the missing cattle

Updated: Thursday, April 26 2012 11:27 PM EDT2012-04-27 03:27:11 GMT

A 36-year-old cattle buyer disappears in Williamson County. As authorities investigate, they learn about several warrants out for the man's arrest in connection with stolen cattle.

A 36-year-old cattle buyer disappears in Williamson County. As authorities investigate, they learn about several warrants out for the man's arrest in connection with stolen cattle.

The StormTeam Digital Doppler image will be updated approx. every 5 minutes. This is a screen capture of what the StormTeam is looking at. So from time to time, the image might be zoomed in on different

Updated: Monday, April 30 2012 5:07 PM EDT2012-04-30 21:07:42 GMT

Police in central Kentucky say a young child found a gun and fatally shot a younger sibling.

Police in central Kentucky say a young child found a gun and fatally shot a younger sibling.

Updated: Tuesday, May 1 2012 7:50 AM EDT2012-05-01 11:50:22 GMT

JOPLIN, Mo. (AP) - A southwest Missouri man has been sentenced to life in prison for his young son's death, which he originally blamed on armed intruders. Thirty-1-year-old Eddie Salazar was sentenced

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Crews work on replacement span for Eggners Ferry Bridge

30-04-2012 08:56 This is my video where I talked about what we did this weekend. And our plans for the kids room.

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Vlog #20 Remodeling the kids room, facebook, subscribe, Ambassadors - Video

30-04-2012 10:50 New housing costs have you overwhelmed? Why not spruce up your existing home with help from the experts? With the proper skills, tools and experience, we specialize in a wide range of remodeling and renovation services. We work with you to create an exciting design, then our experienced and knowledgeable crews work quickly to complete the job to your satisfaction, while maintaining a high standard of excellence. Whether you want to remodel a single room or your entire home, call us today.

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Charlie's Handyman Services - Video

30-04-2012 10:50 New housing costs have you overwhelmed? Why not spruce up your existing home with help from the experts? With the proper skills, tools and experience, we specialize in a wide range of remodeling and renovation services. We work with you to create an exciting design, then our experienced and knowledgeable crews work quickly to complete the job to your satisfaction, while maintaining a high standard of excellence. Whether you want to remodel a single room or your entire home, call us today.

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Don Wojan Contracting - Video

You know youre getting older when you catch your adult kids walking around with a tape measure envisioning the remodel after youre dead. Actually, in our younger sons case, hes sort of hoping for the remodel before were dead.

You could really do something with this place, he enthuses hopefully when he and his wife and the kids and dog are down for the weekend. He envisions, at minimum, a second-story master suite angled to maximize what would be an unobstructable ocean view, a wrap-around front porch for waving to the neighbors in our family-friendly neighborhood, and reconverting the ill-considered 1955 garage remodel back into a garage (amen to that). Were very clear that his fantasies include a remodel to his specifications on our dime.

We couldnt agree more that this tiny house on a prime lot could be morphed into a really fantastic place. Its had a lot of interior upgrades over time, but it is still the original 1947 footprint. Its 1,600 square feet (including the nasty-wood-paneled converted garage) felt enormous when my ex and I bought it in 1973, much smaller when we added two kids, positively palatial when the kids departed, and now totally sardine-ish when both kids and families show up. We think it will make a wonderful remodel for someone. But were not those someones.

Ill confess that a part of me has always regretted that the timing was never right for that view remodel (divorce, college bills etc.). As weve explained to the kids, the house, the cars, and their educations are finally all paid off. Definitely not looking for more debt, except at tax time when we realize our deduction-less tax burden singlehandedly supports several branches of state and federal government.

Weve told our younger son that we think all of his remodel ideas are wonderful and that we will be happily looking down (or up) on them when the time comes. He actually owns his own house in L.A. so its not like he and his family dont have a very nice roof over their heads. But I think if you grow up in La Jolla, you never lose the draw to this place.

Of course, the other way you know youre getting old, besides the kids standing on the roof with a sketchpad, is you have to set up those nagging Living Will instructions. (Its pretty much all downhill once you wake up on your 50th birthday and find both an AARP card and an appointment for a routine colonoscopy in the mail.)

But one does have to decide at some point who will make decisions for ones healthcare once neither you nor your spouse are able to. Did we want to appoint our older son, the clinical social worker who runs programs for the homeless and has done hospice care? Or should we go for the younger son who has an MBA?

In our fantasies, the social worker kid is sitting by our bedside adjusting our blankets and patiently listening to our endless repetitious stories as he quietly strokes our hands. The MBA kid, we envision, is parked on the other side, iPod earbuds cranked up to 120 decibels to drown out the annoying stories, comforting us with one hand, and calculating the negative cash flow of long-term care on the estate on his Blackberry with the other. Next thing we know, Pffft! Someone accidentally trips over the plug and were buried in the backyard.

For the record, the MBA kid does not find this story funny at all, insisting that a business degree would hardly prevent him from making compassionate decisions about our care. And besides, he points out, theres barely enough room in the backyard for the two of us without having to replace the entire irrigation system. And wheres the economy in THAT?

Actually, said Olof, the tripping over the plug part, intentionally or not, didnt sound half bad. Put us out of our misery. Besides, for all we know, it was the social worker kid, driven cumulatively mad after the 500th repetition of the infamous possum incident, whose foot suddenly intersected with the power cord. And if it came right down to it, burying us in the backyard (despite being massively illegal) actually sounds kind of charming given our fondness for the place.

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Remodeling our estate plan

CHICAGO, April 30, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --Opal Enterprises, a Naperville roofing company, was recently named as a 'Best Pick' contractor for the third year in a row for its exterior remodeling services, including windows in Naperville and Wheaton doors.

To be named as a Best Pick, contractors must have received more than 100 positive customer reviews from customers. The research committee conducts interviews to determine the performance of contractors and only the best are named as a Best Pick and published in Best Pick Reports.

"When Best Pick Reports came to the Chicagoland market, we knew we wanted to get certified and qualified. It is a lot of work to gather all the customer information required to be a Best Pick. They ask nearly all of our customers about our service. Then they call our manufacturers to verify our certifications. It's a long process, but one that we think is well worth it," said Tara D. Opalski, Marketing Manager for Opal Enterprises (http://www.opalenterprises.net/).

Opal Enterprises can provide customers with siding in St. Charles, among other exterior remodeling services. The company holds some of the most advanced certifications in the industry and works hard to provide customers with personalized products and services in every project it completes.

"Over time, I have found that homeowners with an 'elite mindset' utilize Best Pick Reports because they themselves do not have the time to filter through contractors. We are pleased and honored to have been chosen again in 2012!" said Opalski.

About Opal Enterprises: Opal Enterprises (http://www.opalenterprises.net/) is a remodeling company that is family owned and operated. They have been installing windows, siding, and roofs for over 10 years. Located in Naperville, they are proud to serve the western suburbs of Chicago. Their niche is specific to better serve the homeowner in the needs of replacements and improvements of roofing, windows, doors, gutters and house siding in Lisle. Their focus is for their customers to have a pleasant experience while they tend to the end result of energy efficient beauty.

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Naperville Roofing Contractor, Opal Enterprises, Chosen As an EBSCO Research Best Pick™ For 3rd Year

PEABODY, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

Beacon Roofing Supply, Inc. (NASDAQ: BECN - News) (Beacon or the Company) announced it has promoted Kent Gardner to Executive Vice President-West Division. The Companys West Division is currently comprised of three regions: Shelter Distribution-Midwest, Shelter Distribution-Southwest and Pacific Supply.

Mr. Gardner started his career after serving in the United States Army and graduating from the University of Missouri. He joined Beacon in 2005 and was promoted to Vice President in March 2007 and to Senior Vice President in January 2011.

Paul Isabella, the Companys President & CEO, stated: Mr. Gardners leadership skills have been key to many of the important changes that we have implemented in several acquired companies over the years. In addition, the results for the regions he has overseen have improved significantly under his direction. Kents work ethic and team-building skills will continue to serve Beacon well in the coming years.

About Beacon Roofing Supply Inc.:

Beacon Roofing Supply, Inc. is a leading distributor of roofing materials and complementary building products, operating 193 branches in 38 states in the United States and across Canada.

Forward-Looking Statements:This release contains information about management's view of the Company's future expectations, plans and prospects that constitute forward-looking statements for purposes of the safe harbor provisions under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Actual results may differ materially from those indicated by such forward-looking statements as a result of various important factors, including, but not limited to, those set forth in the "Risk Factors" section of the Company's latest Form 10-K. In addition, the forward-looking statements included in this press release represent the Company's views as of the date of this press release and these views could change. However, while the Company may elect to update these forward-looking statements at some point, the Company specifically disclaims any obligation to do so other than as required by federal securities laws. These forward-looking statements should not be relied upon as representing the Company's views as of any date subsequent to the date of this press release.

BECN-F

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Beacon Roofing Supply Promotes Kent Gardner to Executive Vice President

May 1, 2012 - Northwoods League (Northwoods) Wisconsin Woodchucks (Wausau) - This weeks roster additions look to bolster the Woodchucks depth in both the infield and the outfield. Jacob Jelmini (College of the Canyons) and Eric Filia-Snyder (UCLA) will add to the already deep talent pool on the "Chucks roster.

Jelmini, a sophomore first baseman, will be transferring to the University of Oregon this fall. So far this season at the College of Canyons, Jelmini leads the team, by a large margin, with a blistering .430 batting average. He also leads the team with 9 doubles and 24 RBI, and is second with 4 home runs.

Outfielder Eric Filiia-Snyder is a freshman at UCLA this season. Before coming to the Bruins, Filia-Snyder player for the Wenatchee Apple Sox of the West Coast Collegiate League. He hit .294 with 2 home runs and 15 RBI in 34 games, and was selected to play in the leagues all-star game. Prior to playing for the Sox, Filia-Snyder was a decorated player for Edison High School. He earned league MVP honors his junior and senior year. Never hit lower that .350 all four years, including his freshman year where he hit .500, tying Jeff Kent for the single season school record in batting average, while also setting the school record in hits.

Make sure to stay tuned to Woodchucks.com, as well as Facebook and Twitter, for player updates, ticket information and much more. The Woodchucks look forward to seeing you on Opening Night, June 1st, presented by Delta Dental of Wisconsin.

Also, don't forget, single game tickets are now on sale!! Check out Woodchucks.com for all the details.

Discuss this story on the Northwoods League message board... Digg this story Add to Del.icio.us

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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Woodchucks Announce Two More Players

The story so far: Mario Beauregard published a very silly article in Salon, claiming that Near-Death Experiences (NDEs) were proof of life after death, a claim that he attempted to support with a couple of feeble anecdotes. I replied, pointing out that NDEs are delusions, and his anecdotal evidence was not evidence at all. Now Salon has given Beauregard another shot at it, and he has replied with a "rebuttal" to my refutation. You will not be surprised to learn that he has no evidence to add, and his response is simply a predictable rehashing of the same flawed reasoning he has exercised throughout.

In his previous sally, he cited the story of Maria's Shoe, a tall tale that has been circulating in the New Age community for decades, always growing in the telling. This story is the claim that a woman with a heart condition was hospitalized, and while unconscious with a heart attack, her spirit floated out of the coronary care unit to observe a shoe on a third-floor ledge. As has been shown, she described nothing that could not be learned by mundane observation, no supernatural events required, and further, that the story is peculiarly unverifiable: "Maria" cannot be found, not even in the hospital records, and no one has been found who even knew this woman. The entire story is hearsay with no independent evidence whatsoever.

Beauregard attempts to salvage the story by layering on more detail. The description of the shoe was very specific, he says, right down to the placement of the laces and the pattern of wear, and she could not possibly have learned this by overhearing staff talking about it because "it would have been difficult for Maria to understand the location of the shoe in the hospital and the details of its appearance because she spoke very little English." This is a curious observation; the claim is that she could not understand a description of the shoe, but she was able to describe the shoe herself to a woman, Kimberly Clark Sharp, who did not understand Spanish.

"When I got to the critical-care unit, Maria was lying slightly elevated in bed, eyes wild, arms flailing, and speaking Spanish excitedly," recounts Sharp. "I had no idea what she was saying, but I went to her and grabbed her by the shoulders. Our faces were inches apart, our eyes locked together, and I could see she had something important to tell me."

The question isn't whether a seriously ill woman with poor command of English could see the shoe; it's whether a healthy, ambulatory, English-speaking woman who has made a career out of the myth of NDEs could see the shoe. Beauregard's additions to the anecdote do not increase its credibility at all.

Beauregard adds another anecdote to the litany, the story of another cardiac patient who was resuscitated and later recounted seeing a particular nurse while his brain was not functional. Seriously more anecdotes don't help his case. He threatens to have even more of these stories in a book he's in the process of publishing, but there's no point. He could recite a thousand vague rumors and poorly documented examples with ambiguous interpretations, and it wouldn't salvage his thesis.

This new anecdote is more of the same. The patient is comatose and with no heart rhythm when brought into the hospital; over a week later, he claims to recognize a particular nurse as having been present during his crisis, and mentions that she put his dentures in a drawer.

I am underwhelmed. I must introduce Beauregard to two very common terms that are well understood in the neuroscience community.

The first is confabulation. This is an extremely common psychological process in which we fill in gaps in our memory with fabrications. I described this in my previous response, but Beauregard chose to disregard it. The patient above has a large gap in his memory, but he knows that he existed in that period, and something must have happened; he knows that he was resuscitated in a hospital, so can imagine a scene in which he was surrounded by doctors and nurses; he knows that his dentures are missing, so he suspects that someone put them somewhere, likely one of the people surrounding him during the emergency. So his brain fills in the gap with a plausible narrative. This whole process is routine and unsurprising, and far more likely than that his mind went wandering away from his brain.

The second term is confirmation bias. Only positive responses that confirm Beauregard's expectations are noted. The patient guessed that a nurse he met during his routine care was also present during his episode of unconsciousness, and he was correct. What if he'd guessed wrongly? That event would be unexceptional, nobody would have made note of it, and Beauregard would not now be trotting out this incident as a vindication of his hypothesis. This is one of the problems of building a case on anecdotes; without knowledge of the range and likelihood of various results, one can't distinguish the selective presentation of chance events from a measurable phenomenon.

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Near-death, rehashed [Pharyngula]