Home Builder Developer - Interior Renovation and Design

By Susan Salisbury

Palm Beach Post Staff Writer

WEST PALM BEACH Rene Jaimes, general manager of Skyhigh Siding & Roofing, holds a state license to perform roofing services, according to the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation.

That license was granted despite a felony conviction in federal court in Texas that Jaimes did not disclose on his Florida application, according to public records in Florida and Texas obtained by The Palm Beach Post.

In 2005, when Jaimes filled out a roofing contractor's application, he checked "No" to the question that asked about criminal convictions, a copy of the application provided by DBPR shows .

"Have you ever been convicted of a crime, found guilty, or entered a plea of guilty or nolo contendere (no contest) to a crime, even if you received a withholding of adjudication?" the application asks.

Failure to answer the question accurately may result in the denial or revocation of a license, according to the application.

Documents filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas in Dallas show that Jaimes' response should have been "yes." In 1994, Jaimes pleaded guilty to encouraging unlawful residence of an illegal alien in the United States, according to federal court records. Jaimes was sentenced to nine months in prison and ordered to serve three years of probation, which ended on July 13, 1998.

When asked why he did not disclose the Texas conviction on his Florida application, Jaimes said he would ask his attorney Robert Lewis to respond.

"Why are you picking on me?" Jaimes asked.

See the article here:
Roofing manager got license despite conviction

March 30, 2012 - South Atlantic League (SAL) Asheville Tourists The Colorado Rockies have assigned 25 players, including 13 pitchers, two catchers, six infielders and four outfielders, to Asheville to open the 2012 South Atlantic League season. The players along with manager Joe Mikulik, pitching coach Joey Eischen and hitting coach Mike Devereaux are scheduled to break camp in spring training in Arizona this weekend before meeting the media in Asheville at 3 p.m. on Tuesday, April 3, and participating in their first practice at McCormick Field, beginning at 4 p.m.

Mikulik will open his 13th consecutive season at the Tourists' dugout helm, which is the longest current string for a skipper with the same full-season minor league team. He will be guiding five players who have played with Asheville in recent seasons. The returners include relief pitchers Craig Benningson, Taylor Reid and Rafael Suarez, outfielder/first baseman Tyler Massey and outfielder Delta Cleary, Jr.

The tentative Asheville starting rotation is projected to consist of all righthanders in Daniel Winkler, Ben Alsup, Chris Jensen, Alex Gillingham and Vianney Mayo. The Tourists' bullpen will feature closer Nelson Gonzalez as well as fellow righties Russell Brewer, Jefri Hernandez, Geoffrey Parker, Reid and Suarez. Benningson and Kenneth Roberts are the lone southpaws on the Opening Day roster. The hurlers will be working with Will Swanner, the projected starting catcher, and Ryan Casteel.

The projected starting infield has Harold Riggins at first base, Taylor Featherston at second base, Sam Mende at third base and Trevor Story, the Rockies' first-round draft pick in 2011, at shortstop. Rosell Herrera will also see plenty of activity at shortstop, second base and designated hitter, while Massey will divide his time between first base, the outfield corners and DH.

In the outfield, the Tourists are led by Cleary, who will patrol center field and lead off in the batting order. Cleary was with Asheville in 2009 and 2010 before spending last season at Class A Modesto. Australian native David Kandilas is projected to start in left field, with Jared Simon manning right field. Brian Humphries will be a reserve in the garden while also seeing some duty at DH.

Three of the Tourists were ranked among the Rockies' Top 30 prospects over the winter by Baseball America magazine. Story was ranked sixth, followed by Herrera at No. 16 and Swanner at No. 21.

The Tourists open the 2012 season at McCormick Field on Thursday, April 5, against the Delmarva Shorebirds, the first part of a seven-game homestand to christen the campaign. Single-game and season tickets are available at the McCormick Field box office. For more information, contact the Tourists front office at (828) 258-0428.

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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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Tourists Announce 2012 Opening Day Roster

Credit: WFAA

Abortion foes say Planned Parenthood is trying to sneak a new clinic into southwest Fort Worth. One subcontractor didn't find out what he was to work on until just a few hours before he was to pour concrete footings this week. When he discovered it was a new Planned Parenthood health center where abortions will be performed, he told the general contractor his religious convictions wouldn't allow it.

by JIM DOUGLAS

WFAA

Posted on March 30, 2012 at 7:41 PM

FORTWORTH - An unmarked construction site on John Ryan Drive in southwest Fort Worth will house a two-story office and surgical clinic to replace Planned Parenthood's current outdated building in Fort Worth.

The organization says the new facility will help meet rising demand for its services to clients who have no health insurance.

Planned Parenthood has confirmed that abortions will be performed in the new building. When a major subcontractor learned that news earlier this week, he left the job just hours before he was to begin pouring concrete. The general contractor told News 8 that a few subs have now dropped out due to religious objections, delaying construction by one to two months.

The owner of the DeMoss Company said his decision to build the clinic could hurt future business, too. Several churches, including the Catholic Diocese of Fort Worth, have now withdrawn their referrals, and today the company removed them from its website.

But Jim DeMoss said other firms are offering to step in to complete the Planned Parenthood job, and he's confident it will be finished. He also said building it is the right thing to do.

See more here:
Construction of Planned Parenthood clinic in Fort Worth spurs controversy

When Tropical Storm Tingting struck eight years ago, the hill beside the Barcinas residence in Merizo collapsed, sending rocks and mud tumbling toward the house.

The mud built up against the wall and was almost up to the windows, Dolores Barcinas remembers. Even after the wind and rain had passed, things didn't get better.

"I heard this big noise," she said. "It was a big rock that rolled down from the back of the hill."

Later her son discovered a tree branch had somehow broken through his bedroom window.

But yesterday, after several years of dealing with the unstable mounds of dirt left by the storm, the Barcinases celebrated the return of their backyard.

Gov. Eddie Calvo and some legislators gathered at the house, which is on the main road that weaves through Merizo, for a ribbon-cutting ceremony of a federally funded retaining wall. The wall protects the Barcinas house and the heavily trafficked road from future soil erosion.

The project, which took a month to complete, was the last of seven Tingting projects funded through the Emergency Watershed Program, said Jeff Wheaton, an engineer at the United States Department of Agriculture Natural Resources Conservation Service.

The projects -- totaling $2 million -- started soon after the storm, but took time to complete because each site had specific engineering requirements, and there was a lack of resources, he said.

The Merizo wall resembles a giant staircase, and is constructed out of wire baskets filled with heavy stones. The project cost about $200,000.

Calvo joked the wall would be a good place to hang orchids, though the family has said they want to grow beans there.

Read more from the original source:
Retaining wall helps Merizo family

Stroll the boardwalk like a Norwegian? You bet! Launching in April 2013, Norwegian Breakaway will feature The Waterfront and 678 Ocean Place two unique places for guests to relax and enjoy their experience at sea. These new spaces will include an oceanfront boardwalk lined with shops, restaurants and bars along with three flowing decks filled with dining, bars, entertainment areas, gaming, and more. The Waterfront is a large boardwalk at sea lined with a variety of seaside venues offering stunning ocean views. 678 Ocean Place fits in seamlessly, interconnecting three decks of entertainment and dining areas. These two new locations will include a total of 17 dining venues and 12 bars and lounges.

In addition to all of these exciting dining and entertainment areas, Norwegian Breakaway will have the biggest youth and teen facilities in the fleet. For the first time on any Norwegian Cruise Line ship, the new Splash Academy youth area will span across two decks located close to the ships family staterooms. The youth area will feature sections designed specifically for three age groups: Turtles for ages 3-5; Seals for ages 6-9; and Dolphins for ages 10-12. Splash Academy will also offer activities for Guppies tiny cruisers under the age of 3. Parents with young children under 3 can enjoy fun events with their child, including sensory play classes and Motion in the Ocean, a parent and tot mini workout session.

Splash Academy is located on Norwegian Breakaways Decks 12 and 13. On Deck 12, parents and kids will enter the reception area and register their children using Norwegians e-Youth tablet-based electronic registration system. Once inside, the 3-5 year olds will find their own colorful space willed with wall-mounted activities and child-sized furniture. In a separate area nearby, 6-9 year olds will find their place to play filled with building block activity centers, a dedicated space with popular video game stations, an interactive dance area, and much more.

Upstairs on Deck 13, 10-12 year olds have their own place to hang out complete with dedicated gaming stations, a cool lounge area, multipurpose visual dance space with a touch screen jukebox, and an activity zone with tons of supplies for arts and crafts. Comfortable seating and vibrant colors will make this the in space for tweens to chill on their cruise.

Located separately on Deck 16, Entourage is designed to be a high energy zone exclusively for teens ages 13-17. This hot spot includes air hockey; foosball, and an arcade center with five separate areas equipped with large screens for playing the latest video games. At night, Entourage turns into a teens-only nightclub with a dance floor, video jukebox, and large screen television. Entourage is conveniently located near the video arcade and an outdoor eatery and refreshment area, perfect for teens who just want to stay and play.

Norwegian Breakaway will be based year-round in New York City. The ship will sail to Bermuda during the summer months and to The Bahamas & Florida and the Caribbean during the rest of the year. For more information, visit http://www.breakaway.ncl.com, contact your favorite travel agent, or call Norwegian Cruise Line at 1-800-327-7030.

More:
Norwegian Breakaway Debuts Innovative New Features

Someone forgot to tell Erie County officials that Harley and Melinda Frazier arent a nuisance after all.

The countys health department and the prosecutors office filed a lawsuit against the Fraziers March 9, demanding the couple abandon the septic tank at their South Campbell Street home in favor of a sewer line connection.

While the lawsuit repeatedly refers to the Fraziers as a nuisance, it would appear the lawsuit is the hen-pecker in this case. Records from Erie Countys environmental services department show the Fraziers hooked up to a sewer system months ago.

The hookup passed inspection Sept. 20.

Thursday afternoon, Melinda walked out onto the front porch of her home and pointed to a mound of dirt running through the front yard. It was one of the telltale signs a sewer line had been installed.

Obviously, they made a mistake, she said, referring to the countys suit.

Melinda, who stays at home caring for her handicapped son, said her husband made some calls as soon as they discovered they were being sued.

Erie County assistant prosecutor Jason Hinners, who filed the lawsuit on behalf of the health department, said Thursday the lawsuit will be dismissed.

It must be a mistake, health commissioner Peter Schade said. We were probably never notified that they put the line in. We dont go out every month to check. Its probably poor communication.

The Fraziers live in the 5100 block of S. Campbell St. Pointing down the street toward homes south of Bogart Road, Melinda said everyone on the street is being asked to tie into the sewer line, although some of her neighbors are still fighting it.

Read more:
Erie County Health Dept. mistakenly sues Sandusky couple

BERNARDSVILLE Plans to enclose two front porches and pursue interior renovations at The Station Pub & Grub at 45 Mine Brook Road received approval from the Planning Board on Thursday, March 22.

In response to complaints from two neighbors about noise, the board asked for an extra front enclosure that would put a second set of doors between the dining facilities and the outside.

The changes inside would expand the bar from a corner into more of a square, make the seating areas more open, add ceiling-to-floor windows, new lighting, and more sound-absorbent floor and ceiling materials, according to Harold J. Imperatore of Hampshire Destination Properties, which owns the site.

Hopefully it will be more inviting, he said.

Construction is planned for the summer and will probably close the establishment for a short period of time but nothing more than a few weeks, he added.

The Stations faade now features a vestibule in the middle and open porches on either side behind columns.

Project architect Philip Kennedy-Grant said the vestibule would be removed, with that area and the two front porches to be enclosed by a fundamentally glass wall that would stand behind the columns.

The move would enclose 14 dining seats but total seating would remain at 119. The Station, which presently has 89 seats inside and 30 outside, would instead have 103 inside and 16 outside.

An initial request to add 20 extra seats was dropped.

Imperatore, who also runs The Bernards Inn, told the board he did not like The Stations interior look. He characterized the lighting as horrible and the acoustics as poor, and saw a need for a full bar, which would be enlarged from 12 seats now to 29.

See more here:
Historic Station Pub in Bernardsville gets green light for upgrades

Bathroom remodeling is hot right now. Homeowners in Fairfax County are opting for high-end finishes. (Courtesy of Oak Hill Building & Remodeling)

Colleen Kelleher, wtop.com

FALLS CHURCH, Va. - Four of the five top areas for estimated annual remodeling spending in the South are in the D.C. metro region, with Falls Church and Arlington County ranking No. 1 and No. 2 respectively, according to the National Association of Home Builders.

At the same time, Fairfax County ranked among the top four counties in the South in total county remodeling expenditures per year.

The home builders association analyzed data collected from the U.S. Census Bureau between 2006 and 2010 to estimate how much homeowners in each region of the nation spent on remodeling. The organization then applied the statistical data to the county level to come up with its rankings.

In Falls Church, homeowners spent an average of $6,099 per year on remodeling over those five years, the association says. Nantucket County, Mass., and Marin County, Calif., led the rankings for the Northeast and West, with yearly spending averages of $8,520 and $7,782. Cook County, Ill., ranked as the top spot in the Midwest, with average remodeling expenditures of $3,466.

In addition to Falls Church and Arlington, D.C. and Alexandria are in the top five for home-owner spending in the South.

Here are the estimated remodeling figures for the top counties and cities in the South:

The NAHB breaks the owner-occupied remodeling data down for every state and county on its website.

"Residential remodeling is one of the housing industry's bright spots, and in some parts of the country this is more true now than ever," said NAHB Remodelers Chairman George "Geep" Moore Jr., in a news release.

See the rest here:
Falls Church homeowners top remodeling spenders in South

By Jerome Aning Philippine Daily Inquirer

MANILA, PhilippinesThe resort town of Sagada in Mountain Province will finally have its first Roman Catholic Church whose construction is set to get underway this year, the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippine said Friday.

The Sagada Catholic church will serve as the new center of the Vicariate of Bontoc-Lagawe.

In our desire to expand the Catholic presence in Sagada, we see the need to continue the construction of a shrine. The church will also provide a devotional destination for Catholic tourists who are looking for a church nearby where they can pray or celebrate the Eucharist, Fr. Pablo Lumiwan, Sagada Mission rector, was quoted by the CBCP as saying.

The ground breaking for the church was held in 2009 but its construction was delayed due to lack of funding.

A popular tourist destination, Sagada boasts of cloud covered mountains, pine forests, magnificent caves, graceful rice terraces and dramatic falls for adventure tourists to explore.

The dominant church in the mountain town is Episcopalian, whose first missionaries arrived in the area in 1907. Sagada is said to be 95-percent Episcopalian. The Episcopalian Church in the Philippines celebrated its centennial there in 2007.

On the other hand, the Catholic mission of the Vicariate of Bontoc-Lagawe is still confined to the far-flung Barangay of Kilong, which is a 30-minute drive from the town center.

Until now we still have no Catholic Church in the town proper for our Catholic tourists to visit or attend Masses, Lumiwan said.

A fund-raising concert in Manila has been set for May to augment the Sagada mission centers limited resources for the church-building project.

Read more:
Sagada to have its 1st Catholic church

The first phase of construction has begun at Assembly Row, slated to be the largest residential real estate project under construction in this region, according to a press release.

AvalonBay Communities, a real estate investment trust with multi-family apartment communities across the country, announced last week that it has begun construction on the residential component of the first phase of development at Assembly Square that will feature two distinctive living options in separate residential buildings Avalon at Assembly Row and AVA Somerville.

This is the cornerstone residential component within Federal Realty Bostons overall master redevelopment plan for Somervilles Assembly Square. The $100 million development will reshape the residential landscape of Somerville, totaling over 470,000 square feet and 448 apartment homes plus more than100,000 square feet of retail space to be owned and operated by Federal Realty.

We are pleased to be an integral part of Somervilles ongoing renaissance, said Scott Dale, senior vice president of development for AvalonBay Communities, Inc., in a press release. Were also looking forward to introducing for the first time in New England our new brand, AVA. Our community at Assembly Row will provide two distinctive living options in one of greater Bostons most exciting new neighborhoods.

This critical residential component is the first step in bringing the new Assembly Row to life. One of New Englands largest developments, Assembly Row is a new, mixed-use, transit oriented neighborhood spanning more than 50 acres on the banks of the Mystic River. It is expected to bring in significant new revenues for the city and state.

The most exciting aspect of Assembly Row is that its an entirely new urban neighborhood that incorporates the best of Somervilles popular residential, business and entertainment districts, said Mayor Joe Curtatone. The retail, office and river-view park elements are all important but getting the housing element right is absolutely critical. Thats why were so enthusiastic about AvalonBays participation in Assembly Row. They have the experience and the creativity to do a truly outstanding job and we look forward to working with them.

Avalon at Assembly Row will be a traditional Avalon luxury apartment building, appealing to residents seeking upscale apartment living and high-end amenities with 195 generously-sized apartment homes, consisting of studio, one, two, and three bedrooms units, and will offer the high-end amenities and services.

AVA Somerville will be a modern, urban lifestyle apartment building, designed to attract the increasing number of people who want to live in close proximity to restaurants, nightlife, shopping and public transportation. With 253 apartment homes, consisting of studio, one, and two bedrooms, it will feature innovative design elements geared specifically towards active urban lifestyles, with many apartments engineered for roommate living. A new residential concept first introduced in late 2011, AVA communities feature modern design, a technology focus, and amenities that maximize the social experience of residents that will be the first of its kind in New England.

With 1.75 million square feet of new office space and over 50 retail outlet shops, several restaurants, a 60,000 square foot AMC Theatre, and a newly constructed public park along the Mystic River, Assembly Row will provide a new, fresh setting for the stimulating, active urban living experience preferred by so many young professionals, couples, and growing families. The MBTA will an a new Orange Line T station there too, the first new MBTA station to be built in over 25 years.

The two AvalonBay communities at Assembly Row will feature an array of first-class amenities, including expansive common spaces with multiple indoor resident lounges and outdoor courtyards, state of the art fitness center, and uninterrupted views of the Mystic River and Boston skyline. Its proximity to the new Assembly Square Orange Line T station, which will transport residents into downtown Boston in mere minutes, makes Avalon at Assembly Row and AVA Somerville new, dynamic places to live in the greater Boston area.

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Assembly Row construction begins in Somerville