Home Builder Developer - Interior Renovation and Design

HICKORY --

Dratted bugs! They flit, bite and sting. They creep, crawl and gnaw. Theyre everywhere, and way too soon for most people.

The good news is we dont have more bugs because of the warm winter and a hot spring, they just woke up early.

Thats the consensus of agricultural and entomological experts.

The natural cycle is about two months early, said Bruce Beerbower, lead naturalist at Catawba Science Center.

Beerbower gets a lot of calls about insects and he said everything from bugs to pollen is out early this spring. Butterflies are fluttering ahead of schedule.

Last Sunday night, I saw fireflies that normally I dont see until May, Beerbower said. He told of a Mountain View resident who saw a snapping turtle. Cooters (thats a nickname) doesnt usually appear until June. And there was a call about a swarm of bees in a house.

Thats a problem, Beerbower said. There isnt a lot you can do on your own about a swarm thats inside. They shouldnt be stirring yet, but they are.

Jeff Carpenter, Cooperative Extension agent for Catawba County, said climate doesnt have much effect on insect populations. He pointed out that Canada has bitter cold weather, but that doesnt stop clouds of insects from breeding in warm summer months.

We wont have more insects, Carpenter said about the mild winter, theyre just out earlier than were used to.

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More pest? Not really, they're just early in the Hickory area

MARTINEZ -- The outdoor dining trend sweeping the Bay Area could reach downtown Martinez as early as this summer.

Currently, places to eat or drink in dedicated spaces on the street are limited to a smattering of tables outside Starbucks and the brick patios in the 500 block of Main Street.

The idea for a "flex space" program emerged last year from a series of workshops designed to develop a vision for a thriving downtown. At a public meeting last week, consultant Susan Moeller, who led the workshops, said a growing number of cities are promoting outdoor dining as a way to draw more people and activity to neglected city centers.

The draft policy would allow downtown Martinez restaurants, ice cream parlors, delis, and wine bars and pubs that serve food to use up to two parking spots for outdoor dining space. Both the landlord and the business owner would have to submit an application for the space.

Under the proposal, the city would remove the platforms in November and replace them at the end of the rainy season, typically at the beginning of April. Given the fickle Bay Area weather -- this winter, of course, was unseasonably dry -- several people at the meeting advocated leaving the dining platforms in place year round.

Sonja Snavely, who has owned clothing store Noodles for Kids on Main Street for 20 years, said that in Paris and in her native Sweden restaurants use heat lamps and enclose outdoor dining spaces during

Dave Scola, Martinez public works director, said seasonal use of the platforms would minimize the possibility of flooding.

"Taking them out those five months is foolproof," he said. "Is it necessary? Even I'm willing to say we need to take another look at it."

Four interlocking panels forming a platform 7 feet wide and 16 feet long will take up a single parking space.

City staffers have recommended using brushed aluminum panels, but a variety of finishes are available -- including vinyl and carpet -- so business owners could customize their space. Each platform must have a guardrail along the street side and at each end and may include an optional railing on the sidewalk side. In each block, a maximum of four spaces on each side of the street could be used for dining.

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Martinez seeks to expand outdoor dining downtown

Q. Our board has established a committee to devise a policy to allow our members to add patios to the first-floor units. In past years, the members had voted down any plans to allow patios. It seems like each year the board keeps bringing up the same question and it is coming up again this year. How many times can the board present the question to the members to vote? Can we put an end to this amendment that keeps coming up?

R.M., Clearwater

Thank you for understanding that my column is an educational resource and not to be accepted as legal solutions or legal opinions. My answers are intended as a source of information. There may be other answers that will solve the question, maybe better than my answer.

As to your question about voting over and over on the same motion, I have found over the years that some people will not accept one answer. Until you change the leadership in your association, my guess is that the matter will not go away.

The statutes clearly state that no owner can use the common areas exclusively unless it is approved by the members. Another minor problem is that any such addition must have proper permits. What that means is that the county records would have to be amended for the units that made additions. That would mean that their tax base should increase.

The condominium must also establish a maintenance responsibility and use policy. The board would most likely have to establish an architectural policy that defines size, material and construction details. I would also suggest that the association attorney become involved as to the wording and voting of the motion.Q. We are a HOA. For the past few years it has been very difficult to get any volunteers to serve on the board of directors. This year we were forced to reduce the number from seven directors to five directors. Would it be legal to have the members vote to exempt the directors from paying their fees? If this were feasible we think we would no longer have a shortage of volunteers. We feel that this would be cheaper than to hire a management company.

H.F., Inverness

FS 720.303 section 12 does not allow directors to be compensated for serving. That also means a forgiveness of any fees due would not be allowed, and that directors cannot receive any gain or special benefit. It is not the duty or responsibility of the directors to save money. It is their responsibility to properly operate, maintain, and spend the funds wisely; a fiduciary duty.

Here is what I suggest to get volunteers. Start with better communications. Go out and meet the members and ask them to help face to face. I call it knocking on doors and meeting your neighbors. Create a comfortable environment for volunteers. Face the facts: A director must volunteer to work and give time to the operations. Why not hire a manager to do the day-to-day work and assist the board? Saving money and giving your time is not a way to attract members to do day-to-day work. Explain to the members that if they volunteer and a manager does the daily work, all they would have to do is provide the guidance and oversight.

You need to explain that a failure to volunteer to serve your community will result in lower property values and can result in higher fees. As directors, you must think of operating a big business, not a mom-and-pop shop. Hire professionals to help provide guidance and labor and you will find that your association will operate better and increase the propertys value. It will also reduce the number of hours directors must work to manage the association.Q. Our HOA board of directors is currently considering a significant special assessment to compensate for nonpayment of monthly dues by many homeowners. It is unfair to impose this penalty on owners who always pay their dues. It is equally unfair to allow the delinquent owners to have their dues paid for them by others and let them get away without paying their fees.

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Can condo owners build patios?

Spring is a coveted time for locals in Summit County, because come April the fuss of ski season quiets down, the weather warms up and aprs moves outdoors.

But this year, with an abnormally warm March, spring has dawned early, extending the much-anticipated deck season.

Enjoying aprs outside, right off the slopes without feeling the need to curl into a ball by a fireplace or sink into a hot tub to defrost is liberating, so weekend afternoons on Summit County's best decks tend to have live music, a good mix of people and an unmistakable party atmosphere.

The Kickapoo Tavern at Keystone Resort leverages that atmosphere to the hilt in the spring. The big, open patio offers European-style seating at picnic tables overlooking Dercum Mountain from the edge of the River Run Village.

It's just a great location to sit back and drink beer after a long day on the mountain, manager Billy Wheat said. Or a short day. They don't even have to ski, we'll let them come in.

Happy hour includes beer specials and $1 off wells and wine. The tavern specializes in American pub food with Southwestern influences. Kickapoo is known for its nachos, getting rave reviews from nearby customers who heard us discussing them.

On Sundays, local rock and soul musician Arnie J. Green plays the Kickapoo deck and today the tavern's Kickafools patio party will pair mustache, best retro ski outfit and nacho eating contests with the live music. The parties will continue next weekend, when both Keystone and Kickapoo will wrap up the winter season.

In Frisco, a central Main Street deck at the Boatyard Grill opened earlier this season than it ever has thanks to the warm weather. The backyard deck is tucked away from Main Street, making for one of the quieter and more peaceful outdoor dining environments. Boatyard's deck offers great views of Mount Royal, which towers right above Frisco and, in the later spring and summer is ringed in flowers and greenery.

It's beautiful, owner Cindy Spaulding said of the deck. Frisco's a beautiful place and it takes advantage of all the views Frisco has to offer. Plus it comes with our great menu.

The grill's huge and diverse menu is a refreshing departure from the heavier slope-side pub fare, with a great selection of unique salads and a smattering of Asian and Mediterranean options.

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Eat, Drink, Play: Prime time patios

ST. LOUIS It was the oldest dwelling in the city. Local tradition claimed the hot dog was invented within its limestone walls.

None of that was enough to save the Jean Baptiste Roy home, a crumbling and vacant two-story structure at 615-17 South Second Street that dated to 1829. Despite earnest efforts to preserve it, demolition began March 31, 1947. There was talk of reassembling it for a museum, but its building stones were scattered.

The building, two blocks south of the Gateway Arch grounds, probably would not have survived a lot longer anyway. The Poplar Street Bridge, running directly over the site, opened in 1967.

Roy, a fur trapper and explorer, had the home built on land he bought from Pierre Chouteau Jr. Whether he and his family lived there isn't clear. Nor is when he died, probably in 1847.

In 1874, a butcher named John Boepple bought the house from Roy's descendants and turned it into his meat shop. Boepple and his business partner, William Tamme, made sausage.

That's how St. Louis' claim to the hot dog evolved. The story has it that Anton L. Feuchtwanger, who peddled Boepple-Tamme sausages on city streets, suggested putting them between buttered buns.

Who knows? Other claimants hailed from Coney Island, N.Y., and Frankfurt, Germany. But the St. Louis version was catchy enough to spice up the effort to save the Roy house.

By 1946, the building was crumbling and empty. A homeless man who had spent a few nights there told a reporter, "Even the rats don't come 'round much."

Charles van Ravenswaay, director of the Missouri Historical Society, campaigned to save the building. The St. Louis Star-Times newspaper managed to delay demolition. A Harvard University professor, Kenneth J. Conant, who also was president of the American Society of Archaeological Historians, toured the home in January 1947 and declared it worthy.

"It is part of the birthright of the city," Conant said. "You will be surprised how elegant a restoration would be made of this building."

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A Look Back • 1829 building, said to be home of the hot dog, demolished in 1947

30-03-2012 19:08 - Bath Room Remodel Company, home improvement remodeling companies in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Custom Remodeling, Licensed & Insured.

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Custom BathRoom Remodels Baton Rouge - Video

A long-reach excavator rips apart the roof of the Rose City Press building Saturday.

CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- Workers with Rodney Loftis and Son Contracting brought down the Rose City Press building -- an old office supply store -- Saturday morning.

The block of Virginia Street between Capitol and Hale streets was closed Friday afternoon and is scheduled to reopen at 8 p.m. Sunday.

Several spectators watched the demolition Saturday, and some snapped photos as crews used heavy construction equipment -- such as a long-reach excavator -- to chew the building to bits.

City National Bank officials decided to raze the building to create a private parking lot for the bank's downtown branch.

The block of Virginia Street between Capitol and Hale streets was closed Friday afternoon and is scheduled to reopen at 8 p.m. Sunday.

Several spectators watched the demolition Saturday, and some snapped photos as crews used heavy construction equipment -- such as a long-reach excavator -- to chew the building to bits.

City National Bank officials decided to raze the building to create a private parking lot for the bank's downtown branch.

Continue reading here:
The walls come tumbling down at Rose City Press

H. David Burton, longtime presiding bishop of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and the genial public face for the faiths decadelong effort to build a mammoth urban community of residences, retail shops and office space in downtown Salt Lake City, was released Saturday from the ecclesiastical post he has held since 1996.

The announcement by Dieter F. Uchtdorf, second counselor in the First Presidency, that Burton and counselors Richard C. Edgley and Keith B. McMullin would step down from their duties came just nine days after the church and Taubman Centers Inc. opened the retail component of Citys City Creek Center, across the street from Temple Square and LDS Church headquarters. The five years of construction began with the demolition of the old KeyBank tower and the Crossroads and ZCMI malls. It was a project that Burton, 73, helped guide since it was announced to the public in 2003.

At 700,000 square feet, City Creek is special for several reasons. Burton and his secular counterpart William Taubman developed the megamall at a time when retail projects of that size arent often constructed anymore. Whats more, the project, estimated to cost up to $2 billion, was bankrolled by the development arm of the Utah-based faith, which did not use outside financing or draw on tithes made by its worldwide membership. Finally, the massive project provided close to 2,000 construction jobs at a time when the economy was in a deep recession.

While Burton may be best remembered for his efforts over more than a decade to shepherd City Creek in to life, he first came to wide notice in the clash over the churchs Main Street Plaza, which closed Main Street between North Temple and South Temple. Court fights ensued. Community schisms appeared. Finally, in a controversial land-for-peace compromise, Salt Lake City, led by then-Mayor Rocky Anderson, gave up an easement on the plaza allowing the LDS Church to control speech and behavior there in exchange for cash and a community center in the west-side Glendale area.

Burton differed with Anderson over the mayors opposition to a Main Street sky bridge linking City Creeks east and west retail components. Anderson disparaged it as a "gerbil tube." Approval of the elevated walkway came after Andersons second term ended and Mayor Ralph Becker took the citys reins.

As presiding bishop, Burton and his counselors were in charge of the churchs land, buildings and commercial businesses.

But though an economics degree from the University of Utah and his masters degree in business administration from the University of Michigan prepared him for a business-focused career, Burton has said that his most satisfying moments were working with humanitarian groups in Utah and around the world.

Within a day of Haitis devastating earthquake in 2010, LDS officials in Salt Lake City mobilized the churchs extensive resources to help with disaster relief. Burton led the effort.

"Whether its with The Road Home here in Salt Lake City to provide transitional housing or shelter for the homeless or with the Red Cross and the Red Crescent in Africa to provide measles vaccinations, we are anxious to collaborate in unprecedented partnerships to help people, to alleviate suffering and to give individuals and communities the wherewithal to help themselves," Burton said last year upon receiving the Salt Lake Chambers Giant in Our City award.

Bishop came to the post of presiding bishop at age 57. He had served as a counselor in the Presiding Bishopric since 1992. Before then, he worked as its executive secretary and spent a year as the assistant church budget officer. He also worked for Kennecott Copper and the Utah Tax Commission.

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LDS presiding bishop, face of City Creek Center, released

SOLDIER OF GOD: MacArthur's Attempt to Christianize Japan, by Ray A. Moore. Merwin Asia, 2011, 167 pp., $35.00 (paperback)

India, the jewel in the crown of the British Empire, the largest the world has ever known, was won mainly by attrition, though some of the later additions to it, like Burma, were taken by force. Almost no attempt was made to interfere with native religion. The enduring image of the 19th-century "scramble for Africa", however, was of rapacious Europeans with a Bible in one hand and a gun in the other.

"Soldier of God" deals, as the subtitle tells us, with Gen. Douglas MacArthur's attempt to Christianize Japan after its own imperial ambitions had been forcefully subdued in World War II. It is a story that the author, Ray A. Moore, has studied for a long time, and which begins in the 16th century, when Catholic missionaries first arrived on these shores. After the closing of Japan to the outside world in the Edo Period (1603-1868), Christianity was proscribed, eventually on penalty of death.

When Japan was forced open again to trade in 1853, the status of Christianity was less certain, though it soon became apparent that the edicts banning it would no longer be enforced, and so the missionaries gradually returned. Initially there was a spread of enthusiasm, with many conversions, though this went into retreat in the 1890s. By then, however, Christians were well established in the fields of medicine and education in which they had attempted to exert influence and win converts.

The largest influence was perhaps in education, but Christian schools and colleges of all stripes came under pressure from growing nationalism in the 1930s. Most of them were encouraged by the government to unite as a single entity, while many foreign missionaries went home. But some form of educational work continued, even though its religious aspect was more restricted: "What really disrupted the Christian church and school activities was the American government's decision to subject all of Japan's cities to destructive firebombing," says the author.

The remaining Christian organizations, though not banned, were under Japanese control during the war, while foreign missionaries plotted their return, with clear encouragement from President Harry Truman. "Reform in every sphere of Japanese society would be required," as part of the re-establishment of civil liberties, and democratization. Gen. MacArthur, the Supreme Commander of the Allied Powers, had remarked enigmatically on the need for "spiritual recrudescence", and proved to be sympathetic.

Even before MacArthur issued an order allowing the missionaries to enter Japan, some had already come in with the occupation forces. Both Catholics and Protestants were urged to participate and to help "subvert Japan's native religious beliefs and replace them with Christianity." As part of this policy, the emperor was to be spared and the imperial system retained. Stability would thus be maintained, even as extensive changes were made to other areas of social and economic life.

Seeing himself as "an emancipator of an Asian people", MacArthur encouraged missionary endeavor, and presented himself at home as a "'soldier of God'" while exaggerating the numbers involved (at best 1 percent of the population was Christian). The General's notion that Japan must become Christian in order to become democratic produced unease among the Japanese, and was not unchallenged by his American colleagues. Moore is alert to all the nuances of this encounter.

Much of the second part of the book is concerned with moves to save the emperor from trial as a war criminal: "The general's personal belief in the transforming power of the cross added a peculiar dimension to his relationship with the emperor," explains the writer. This was reinforced by accounts of interest in Christianity within the imperial family itself. In part this had to do with the privileged education they had received from missionaries. Thus education had remained important.

Key to the negotiation was an American missionary of long residence and with imperial family connections, Merrill Vories (1880-1964), whose diary is quoted. But a certain amount of mendacity was also involved in the promotion of Christian sympathies, and the suggestion of belief at this high level. Nevertheless, the crown prince (now the emperor) was duly inculcated with such ideas in his private education. That Christianity might also be used as a counter to communism was not at first foreseen.

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Japan's 'spiritual recrudescence'

New Delhi, March 23:

The decks have been cleared for the dismantling of Specified Undertaking of the Unit Trust of India (SUUTI) and transfer of its equity holdings in various companies to a new special purpose vehicle (SPV).

It is likely to be named National Assets Management Company.

The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) on Friday approved dismantling of SUUTI, created in 2002 after the erstwhile Unit Trust of India (UTI) was wound up. The specified undertaking was tasked to oversee the assured-return plans of UTI.

The undertaking has significant stake in three listed blue-chip companies ITC (11.54 per cent), Axis Bank (23.6 per cent) and Larsen & Toubro (8.3 per cent) together valued at about Rs 38,000 crore at current market prices.

It also holds over one per cent stake in 16 companies. Its significant holdings in unlisted firms include the 16.96 per cent stake in Stock Holding Corporation of India.

The Economic Affairs Secretary, Mr R. Gopalan, said that the new special vehicle would help the Government's disinvestment programme, as it can buy shares of the divesting companies even when the market conditions are not conducive for public offers.

The special vehicle can take loans from banks backed by its key holdings to buy the Government stake being divested. The funds could be borrowed through negative lien under which shares cannot be sold without permission of lenders and the Government.

However, certain quarters feel that banks may not be too willing to lend money to the special vehicle against pledging of such shares.

The Cabinet committee nod is only for transfer of SUUTI's holdings to a special vehicle. No decision has been taken on pledging the shares with banks, official sources said. The decision on pledging is likely to be left to the board of the proposed vehicle.

Continued here:
Cabinet nod for winding up UTI's specified undertaking