Home Builder Developer - Interior Renovation and Design

11 March 2012 Last updated at 05:28 ET

Chatsworth House in Derbyshire has opened for the new season following a 14m restoration project.

Scaffolding has been removed from the 300-year-old property - home to the Duke and Duchess of Devonshire - after 12 months of work.

The stonework, carvings and 24-carat gold gilding have been repaired and cleaned on the south and west fronts.

Further work will be carried out to clean the East front over the next few years.

The project follows the refurbishment of the interior in 2010, and is the most extensive work on the house since it was remodelled by the 6th Duke in the 1830s.

The Duke of Devonshire said: "It's absolutely wonderful to see the house as it must have looked to my ancestors.

"It has always been a thrilling moment to see the house come into view as you drive across the park and now that view has been made even more magical.

"With the years of blackened grime now removed from the stone, it looks truly magnificent and I'm delighted that it has been preserved for many future generations of visitors to enjoy."

Chatsworth's head of special projects, Sean Doxey, said: "Although the building was in reasonably good condition, it would have started to deteriorate very quickly if we hadn't stepped in now to repair the worst ravages caused by the weather."

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Chatsworth open after restoration

Umno president Najib Tun Razak said that Shahrizat Abdul Jalil's position in Umno was "not an issue" only her position in federal Cabinet is.

(FMT) - Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak said the decision by Shahrizat Abdul Jalil to step down as the Minister of Women, Family and Community Development is appropriate and correct.

He said the resignation was perceived as a sacrifice in the interest of the government and party.

Although there is no proof so far that she had committed any offence in terms of law, because the NFC issue has drawn controversy and dispute, she was willing to withdraw from the government, he told reporters before attending a tahlil prayer for the late Tun Abdul Razak at Masjid Sultan Ahmad Shah, Pekan, here today.

Shahrizat, at a press conference in Kuala Lumpur today, announced her withdrawal as the Minister of Women, Family and Community Development when her tenure as Senator expires on April 8.

However, Shahrizat said she would remain as Wanita Umno head and Barisan Nasional (BN) Wanita head.

When asked of her status in the party, the Prime Minister said her position in the party was not an issue because it was different from her post in the cabinet.

This is because with regard to the NFC case, the debate was her position as a Minister in the cabinet, he said.

Najib also urged party members, especially Wanita Umno members, to continue supporting Shahrizat as the head of the Wanita movement.

Give her the support and cooperation because she (Shahrizat) has given her commitment to lead Wanita Umno and turn the movement into an important machinery for the general election, he said.

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Najib lauds Shahrizat’s ‘willingness’ to quit from govt

Cedar Rapids, IA (PRWEB) March 11, 2012

D. C. Taylor Co. is pleased to announce that Project Supervisor Luke King has been awarded the Most Valuable Player (MVP) Award for Outstanding On-the-Job Performance by the Roofing Industry Alliance for Progress. King and four other winners were announced at the National Roofing Contractor Associations 125th Annual Convention, which was held Feb. 20-24 in Orlando, FL.

Luke King has been employed at D. C. Taylor Co. for 26 years and is frequently assigned to manage and supervise the companys most difficult projects. This MVP award specifically recognizes his work on the Superior Dome reroofing project at Northern Michigan University in Marquette, MI. Given the slope of the dome, unique safety measures were required. Kings experience on a few other dome projects, coupled with his high-level of fall-protection knowledge, was invaluable.

King contributed to the planning of the wire rope horizontal lifeline system that was designed and installed around the cupola of the dome. He also effectively communicated and enforced the safe work practices necessary for 100-percent tie-off.

The Alliances MVP Awards program has been recognizing outstanding roofing workers for the past 12 years. King is the fourth D. C. Taylor Co. employee to win an MVP award.

D. C. Taylor Co. is a national roofing contractor with more than 60 years of experience installing, repairing, and maintaining roofs at commercial, institutional, and industrial facilities. With service centers in six states and more than 60 service and roofing crews, D. C. Taylor Co. is poised to respond to customer needs quickly and efficiently. For more information on D. C. Taylor Co., visit http://www.dctaylorco.com.

The Roofing Industry Alliance for Progress was established within the National Roofing Foundation (NRF) to create an endowment fund to serve as a highly focused resource for the roofing industry and its customers. More information about the Alliance is available at http://www.roofingindustryalliance.net.

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Roofing Industry Alliance for Progress Awards Luke King with MVP Award

Posted: Mar. 11, 2012 | 10:54 a.m.

Here is a listing of events designed for book lovers. Information is subject to change or cancellation without notice. Additions or changes to this listing must be submitted at least 10 days in advance of Sunday publication to Bookmark, Las Vegas Review-Journal, P.O. Box 70, Las Vegas, NV 89125. For more information, call 383-0306.

SIGNINGS

Stephen Nasser will sign "My Brother's Voice" at 1 p.m. today at Barnes & Noble, 2191 N. Rainbow Blvd.

Wendy Mazaros will sign "Vegas Rag Doll: A True Story of Terror and Survival as a Mob Hitman's Wife" at 1 p.m. Saturday at Barnes & Noble, 8915 W. Charleston Blvd.

EVENTS

"Literature That Lives: An Afternoon with Walter Mason" will feature Walter Mason presenting a collection of spoken words and music at 3 p.m. Saturday at West Las Vegas Arts Center Gallery, 947 W. Lake Mead Blvd. A reception will follow (229-4800).

"The Romance of Words," a Vegas Valley Book Festival pre-festival event, will feature romance authors Ann Aguirre, Zoe Archer, Vivian Arend, Lauren Dane, Tessa Dare, Megan Hart and Courtney Milan at 9 p.m. Saturday at Chapel of the Flowers, 1717 Las Vegas Blvd. South. A reception and book signings will follow the event (229-5431).

Book Lovers' Bistro meets at 5:30 p.m. the second Tuesday of each month at Whitney Library, 5175 E. Tropicana Ave.

The Breakfast Book Club meets at 11 a.m. the third Friday of the month at Sunrise Library, 5400 Harris Ave.

Read more:
Book Signings And Events, March 11-17

BY JENNIFER V. HUGHES

Tired of a clunky kitchen layout, the Burstein family had long yearned to renovate.

CARMINE GALASSO/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

John Wohlberg, left, and his crew working on a remodeling job in Leonia. 'Anyone doing home improvements now is doing it because they are staying,' says Wohlberg, whose contracting business is based in Ridgewood.

They have lived in their Harrington Park home since 1998, and the kitchen was OK, but the finishes were dated and the layout was poorly planned.

"It's tiny, and everything is all in one corner," said Cindy Burstein. "If more than one person wants to cook, everyone is bumping into each other."

But like many, the family had put it off because of the volatile economy and some job uncertainties. After things calmed down, she said, they decided they could do the kitchen.

She's picked out cabinets (a country white) and chose quartz for the counter tops. There will be an island in the middle and a pass-through window into the dining room. Burstein says she, her 16-year-old, her 10-year-old and her husband, Steve, are thrilled with the plan.

Growth expected

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Fixing it up and staying put

Building construction permits over $10,000 in value that were approved in Boulder between Feb. 20 and March 4, 2012. Listed below are: the case number; address; total project valuation; owner name; contractor (if applicable); and description.

PMT2012-00017; 2015 Bluebell Ave.; $150,612.38; Judith Volc; Pine Construction Co.; Second story addition of 804 square feet (conditioned), significant remodel on main level plus main level addition at location of demolished existing attached garage, and new attached garage. 364 square feet in decks and porches.

PMT2012-00432; 2119 Mapleton Ave.; $140,000; Judy and Eli Godec; Remodel of master bedroom and addition of 57 square feet on second floor of existing single-family detached home. Remodel of main floor kitchen and breakfast area and half bath. Repair of foundation, increase of basement ceiling height and basement finish.

PMT2012-00675; 3326 Loyola Court; $11,450; Allison McComiskey; Napp Landscape Service Inc.; Replacement of existing front yard deck with 302-square-foot deck, approximately 74 inches above grade.

PMT2012-00355; 800 Arapahoe Ave.; $185,000; Historic Boulder; Permeation grouting along sides and below foundation walls, installation of mechanical ties at cracks in masonry walls including repair or replacement of missing brick, and redirection of roof drainage and surface water to include back filling and site grading; all as detailed on landmark alteration certificate application dated Dec. 30, 2012. Owner/contractor.

PMT2012-00640; 3185 Endicott Drive; $38,283.45; Eric Koehler and Holly Burton; Lookout -- The Renovation Company; Basement finish of 465 square feet to create a family room (with egress), storage closet, finished storage area (wall must be less than 7 inches apart), full bathroom and mechanical room.

PMT2011-04046; 2210 Howard Place; $18,473.85; John and Susan Fontaine; Renew Construction LLC; Addition of 183-square-foot greenhouse at rear of single-family residence. Scope of work includes associated electrical and mechanical.

PMT2012-00723; 4120 S. Hampton Circle; $40,424.03; John and Laurel Hickman; Hickman Construction Inc.; Partial basement finish of 491 square feet including a rec. room and full bath.

PMT2011-04768; 1089 13th St.; $352,240; UFC Boulder; W.E. O'Neil Construction Co.; Exterior rehabilitation and modifications as approved under HIS2011-00191 and HIS2011-00195. Interior tenant remodel of 712 square feet on ground floor level to relocate liquor store within building. Some work to interior core of building (not in liquor store) to prep for anticipated future tenants (modified mechanical equipment room and create nested trash Dumpster area) -- no work on mezzanine level, no work for 7-Eleven tenant finish. Modified mechanical (new RTU) and associated plumbing for relocated DWV- and ANSI-compliant single-occupant bathroom.

PMT2011-05557; 2696 Broadway; $38,653.20; Community Plaza; Gerald H. Phipps Inc.; Plaza Community; Remodel of existing bank building to accommodate three new private offices for use by Vectra Bank staff. Area of remodel will be 540 square feet.

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Boulder building permits: March 12, 2012

Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban enjoys jokes. (Getty Images)UPDATE #1: Mark Cuban published a post on his personal blog discussing this matter on Friday afternoon. In the post, titled"Am I a Homophobe ?," the Dallas Mavericks ownercharacterizes the comment detailed below as "totally sophomoric" and writes that making it was a mistake. He alsoshares his thoughts on prejudice, his sense of humor and the challenges of "being the person I want to be." It's worth a read.

UPDATE #2: Deadspin's Erik Malinowski posted a recording of the relevant bit of audio on Friday afternoon, confirming the "you and your boyfriend" comment.

***

The final session of last weekend'sMIT Sloan Sports Analytics Conference was intended to be an entertaining spectacle, kind of an easy comedown after two full days of high-minded discussion of advanced statistics. The main attraction? A live recording of "The B.S. Report," the ESPN podcast hosted by columnist and Grantland.com editor-in-chief Bill Simmons, where "The Sports Guy" would interview Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban.

Cuban is a slam dunk at Sloan. For one thing, he's an owner with a high-tech background whose Mavericks have long been at the vanguard of the NBA's analytics movement. Cuban brought in Roland Beech, the creator of advanced stat haven 82games.com, to consult for the team, and actually had Beech seated behind the bench, there to "interface" with Mavs coach Rick Carlisle, during Dallas' championship run.

Beyond that, of course, Cuban's famously quotable, liable to say just about anything when put in front of a microphone.Hence the podcast. Simmons and Cuban have publicly sparred before why not close down the conference with them stepping back into their rhythm for some good-natured banter?

From the start, though, something seemed a little off. As Simmons and Cuban began to talk, what was intended as jocular back-and-forth felt a little more adversarial than it seemed like it should. The vibe felt off.

And then, as Carly Carioli of the Boston Phoenix wrote in a blog post accompanying an excellent feature story on the conference, "the atmosphere turned even weirder."

... Cuban began telling the story of how he'd almost fired a Mavs employee for encouraging Dallas fans to do the wave. Cuban hates the wave. "I'd rather have 60 minutes of Kiss Cam," he said, to laughs. Simmons has long been on record as being a fan of the Kiss Cam [...] and piped up in favor of it. "I like the Kiss Cam," Simmons said.

"That's because you and your boyfriend are always on it," Cuban spat.

Read more from the original source:
On Mark Cuban’s gay joke about Bill Simmons, what the NBA does about it and ESPN scrubbing the decks (UPDATES)

Burlington Baptist Church, 1225 Hagemann Ave., will hear the pastor, Kendall Adams, give the message, "Luke 4:14-20," at the 10:15 a.m. service Sunday, and his message, "Overcoming Temptation Part 2," at 6 p.m. Sunday.

Calvary Baptist Church, 2710 West Ave., will hear the Rev. Simeon give the message, "Final Instructions," at the Sunday morning service with the Scripture Acts 20:28-38. The evening service starts at 6 p.m.

Christ Episcopal Church, 623 N. Fifth St., will have a narrated Eucharist at 10 a.m. Sunday. Win Boyd will explain the Episcopal service and why the worshippers do what they do. There will not be a sermon.

CityChurch Burlington meeting at The Burlington, Third and Valley streets, second-floor ballroom, will hear Steve Youngblood speak at 10 a.m. Sunday. He will give the sermon, "The Power to Change." The first-floor Prayer Center is open from noon to 1 p.m. daily for community prayer and 6 to 8 p.m. Tuesday and 8 to 10 p.m. Friday for worship and intercession.

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Des Moines County Catholic Parishes are hosting Des Moines County Catholic Family Reunion, inviting those who have been away from the church to join a group from 9 to 10:30 a.m. Saturdays at SS. Mary and Patrick's Parish Center, 420 W. Mount Pleasant St., West Burlington.

Faith Lutheran Church, 3109 Sunnyside Ave., will hear the Rev. Wayne Weissenbuehler's sermon, "Such a Deal!" at the 10:30 a.m. communion service Sunday. Mid-week Lenten worship with Messiah starts with supper at 6 p.m. Wednesday. Council meets at 7:45 p.m. at Messiah.

First Christian Church, 1221 Park Ave., will hear Bill McConnell speak at the 8:30 and 10:30 a.m. services Sunday. He will give the first of a two-part sermon, "The Secrets of Spiritual Growth." A blood pressure clinic will be between services in Fellowship Hall. Crosstown High is 5:30 p.m. Sunday.

First Christian Church, 961 Walnut St., Hamilton, Ill., will show the movie, "Soul Surfer," at 7 p.m. March 16, inviting all ages for free. Popcorn and drinks will be provided.

First Congregational Church, 313 N. Fourth St., will hear the Rev. Jim Francisco's sermon, "Questioning Our Faith," at the 10:15 a.m. service Sunday. Melissa Fell will speak on her recent mission trip to Haiti at 6 p.m. Tuesday. Admission is free.

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Church notes

The Arlington County Board has approved a loan to a non-profit that would fund the construction of an 83-unit affordable-unit apartment building on Columbia Pike.

The Board voted 4-0 to lend up to $6 million to the non-profit developer AHC Inc., which is headquartered in Arlington. The building would be located at 5511 Columbia Pike and replace a Shell gas station, part of a parking lot, and some other undeveloped land.

Funding for the project would come from the county's Affordable Housing Investment Fund, as well as from the AHCMultifamily Revolving Loan Fund, which is made up of federal Community Development Block Grant funds.

It is through public-private partnerships like this that the County is working to preserve affordable housing opportunities on Columbia Pike as the corridor redevelops, County Board Chair Mary Hynes said in a statement. This is an important investment that will help ensure that Columbia Pike, even as it is revitalized with more ground-floor retail, more public spaces and new housing, remains affordable for working people.

The six-story structure would include nineteen apartments affordable to families making 50 percent of the area's median income ($53,750 for a family of four). 64 units would be affordable to families earning 60 percent of the area median income ($64,500 for a family of four).

Read more:
Arlington Approves Affordable Housing Loan

Kenneth Burnettes business supplying furniture production companies with plywood ended after a mass migration of the companies to China.

He decided to switch gears, buying an established company making custom countertops out of natural stone.

Last August, he bought Stoneworks Custom Countertops, a business that has been around for more than a decade that uses an elaborate computerized saw that cuts granite, marble and quartz to exact dimensions.

I was in plywood fabrication for more than 20 years, the Rocky Mount native said. As furniture plants began to shut down, my customer base began to disappear. I had to lay off 25 people and shut down.

Stoneworks uses a computer numerical control machine to slice the natural stone.

Some other companies carve out stone countertops with handtools in a garage, he said.

We have a $330,000 CNC saw. Its called a fabrication center, he said. The uniqueness of this company is that we create a digital file of the kitchen or the bathrooms, and that information is digitally transferred to the saw, so that the tolerances in which we operate are much tighter than without CNC equipment.

The countertops are made in Rocky Mount. His company serves Eastern North Carolina from Morehead City up to Rocky Mount over to Elizabeth City, with a sales office and showroom in Greenville.

That enables me to get business in Greenville, New Bern and Morehead City, he said.

His company has retained most of the employees who were working under the previous owner.

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Firm's success carved in stone