Home Builder Developer - Interior Renovation and Design

Are you an ant or a grasshopper? As one who tends toward instant gratification, I admire people who are patient with small daily incremental successes in pursuit of a long-term goal. That ant-like approach can be powerful in the context of federal projects.

Two subjects of my annual interviews with Service to America Medal finalists show what I mean.

The first,John Melle, retired earlier this year. He did the intricate legwork leading to the U.S.-Mexico-Canada trade agreement. His title at the time was assistant U.S. Trade Representative for the Western Hemisphere. (His co-award recipient is Maria Pagan, deputy general counsel at the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative.)

In many ways Melle is as much ambassador as trade negotiator. He sounds State Department-ish. As a career civil servant, he had to run up and down the continent dealing with other government types, trade unions, industrialists and their inevitable phalanxes of lawyers to get consensus on every little thing. It took 14 months.

Melle added, I didnt even mention the other U.S. government agencies that are involved. All of them, of course, have big stakes in their sectors of the economy and the programs they run.

The other is just a few years into his career. Mark Barza, 32, is an assistant program manager in the Navys in-service aircraft carrier office. With an age and title like that, youd expect him to be in charge of, say, the vegetables supply chain for the ships galleys. But no. In fact, hes overseeing the mid-life overhaul of the U.S.S. John C. Stennis. The multi-billion-dollar effort involves new radars and defensive electronics, new crew accommodations and a host of other upgrades and repairs. The carrier will be able to handle the F-35 and a the new MQ-25 unmanned aerial vehicle. (The nuclear refueling is the responsibility of another office.)

Braza emphasized the fact that the ship, while an expensive instrument of national security, is also home to thousands and thousands of sailors over its 50-year life cycle.

A big part of the job, Braza said, is pulling together all of the contracting and contractors required. Theres a prime, Newport News Shipbuilding, and its 5,000 line item contract. But it also requires many subs and the need to meet small business goals.

You thought your last kitchen remodeling took too long. It takes four years to overhaul an aircraft carrier, and Braza says theyre on time. Brazas Service to America Medals citation states he negotiated a way to trim 160,000 man-hours out of the work by figuring out the right incentives for the contractor.

Like an international trade agreement, a carrier overhaul requires a steady end-state vision while the patience to do a million details correctly day by day.

Many years ago, the legendary editor of The New Yorker, William Shawn, remarked of the editing process, It takes as long as it takes. Yes, but publications, ship rebuildings and trade agreements have deadlines and budgets. As a grasshopper, Ive always liked relatively high frequency publishing because youve got to finish the work, touch it up, and push it out. Long ago I loved seeing a byline on a newspaper story Id written hours earlier appear on a still-damp copy that had been printed in the basement.

It takes a special person, though, to shepherd something both complicated and long term, especially when the project involves so many people and organizations. Suzette Kent, the federal CIO, commented the other day that the payback from agencies moving to shared services can run seven to ten years, and that its hard to get people excited about and undertaking like that.

The Veterans Affairs and Defense Departments are replacing their electronic health records. The vendor common to them both is Cerner. Julie Stoner, Cerners vice president for government services, told me that on the VA side it will have been a 10-year effort before every location is up and running. Lets hope the agencies have people who can sustain their enthusiasm to see it through.

Unlike dollar savings, a relaunched ship, an acclaimed trade agreement, and a new system are tangible. You can see and touch them. Scores or hundreds of individuals, groups, offices or bureaus can threaten such projects with indifference, objections or incompetence. Thats one reason why it takes special people to see them through.

Melle was not new to this sort of work when he undertook the new trade agreement. Hed been on the staff that worked out the North American Free Trade Agreement during the Clinton administration. I discussed the U.S.S. Gerald Ford, Americas newest carrier, with Braza. Its launched and undergoing sea trials. I joked that, in 25 years, Braza could still be on the job, and be there to oversee the Fords mid-life overhaul. He answered with a laugh, I very well may, yes.

ByAlazar Moges

The idea of Fathers Day was conceived more than a century ago by Sonora Dodd of Spokane, Washington. Dodd wanted a special day to honor her father, William Smart, a widowed Civil War veteran who was left to raise his six children on a farm.June 19 was chosen for the first Fathers Day celebration in 1910.Fathers Day has been celebrated annually since 1972 when President Richard Nixon signed the public law that made it permanent.

Source: Census Bureau

Read more from the original source:
In public service, the ants tend to prevail - Federal News Network

About 15 years ago, Peninsula Temple Sholom in Burlingame installed a set of windows in the religious school engraved with the names of some 175 prominent Jews, from biblical figures to famous actors.

One of them, sandwiched between Zionist leader Vladimir Jabotinsky and former Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan, was Judah Benjamin, the most prominent Jewish official in the Confederacy. Benjamin, who enslaved 140 people on a Louisiana sugar plantation, served variously as the Confederate attorney general, secretary of war and secretary of state.

The inclusion of Benjamins name on the wall didnt arouse much protest until 2013, about eight years after the installation. That was when a congregant named Howard Wettan listened to a podcast about the Civil War as his daughter attended Hebrew school in the building.

I connected the dots, Wettan said. I saw the name once more and said theres something really wrong with that.

Wettan launched a years-long campaign that coincided with a national reckoning over Confederate monuments and eventually persuaded the synagogue to grapple with the names significance. Benjamins name is now covered in tape and will be replaced, along with two other names, later this year.

The first handful of times I noticed it, I wasnt sensitized, Wettan said. It was just an historical artifact and I didnt place a lot of meaning behind it.

Wettans complaint brought a version of a much larger debate over national historical memory to a synagogue far from the former Confederate States.

Across the country, Confederate monuments have drawn challenges for years from people who say they glorify those who enslaved Black people and fought against the United States. Defenders of the monuments, including some white Southerners, have argued that the monuments are necessary to teach about a painful moment in American history.

But the statues that memorialize those leaders were largely erected long after the Confederacy was defeated, many in the 20th century in support of white supremacy at a time when Southern governments were fighting to maintain legal racial segregation.

A poll released Wednesday shows that a majority of Americans favor taking down those monuments. Protesters over the past few weeks have pulled down monuments on their own, as others did during demonstrations in years past.

Peninsula Temple Sholom did not put Benjamins name on the window to glorify white supremacy. The idea was to include names of significant figures from all corners of Jewish history, according to the synagogues chief community officer.

I believe the original intention was to create a wall that was somewhat educational, said Karen Wisialowski. It hasnt really served that purpose.

Wisialowski added: Having names of folks on our wall to a viewer would feel as if these were people that we were admiring and expressing pride in, and ultimately thats why we decided to take the names down.

Relatively few memorials to Benjamin exist as opposed to, say, the plethora of monuments to Jefferson Davis or Robert E. Lee. But Peninsula Temple Sholom is not alone in Jewish history when it comes to honoring the Confederacys most senior Jewish official.

In the late 19th and early 20th century, according to Jewish historian Shari Rabin, there was a general American tendency to paper over the worst aspects of the Confederacy, as well as a general interest in the war. Jews of that time, she said, celebrated Benjamin in that context, including by publishing a childrens book about him.

In the decades after the Civil War, there was a general celebration of service, and Jews want to write themselves into that history, said Rabin, a professor of Jewish studies at Oberlin College. Theres a history of Southern Jews and also American Jews more broadly using Judah Benjamin as a way to show Jewish contributions and to make a claim to Jewish belonging.

Benjamins role as a leader of a white supremacist rebellion was the main problem with that approach, Rabin said, but it wasnt the only one for specifically Jewish memorials. Benjamins opponents tarred him for his Judaism, but he never really embraced being a Jew. He married a Catholic woman, raised his kids Catholic and was not involved in Jewish institutions. He fled to the United Kingdom after the war.

By the time of the Civil War, he was pretty far removed from organized Jewish life or personal Jewish commitment, Rabin said. The people who were calling Benjamin a Jew were the people who didnt like him.

At first, Peninsula Temple Sholom responded to Wettans complaint by doubling down on the wall as a teaching tool. Wettan would come to religious school classes and teach the students about Benjamin and the Civil War. But after the August 2017 far-right rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, which was sparked by the removal of a Lee statue, Wettan again asked the synagogue to erase Benjamins name.

After some back-and-forth, Wettan requested at a synagogue board meeting in December 2018 that the name be removed. In the end, a task force was formed to address the issue, and Benjamins name was covered up with tape. Some months later, the synagogue began the process of contracting an artist to replace the name.

There was a lot of concern about how weve got names literally etched in glass and someone who we think is perfectly fine on the list today we might not think is fine on the list tomorrow, Wisialowski said. Should we pull the whole wall down? Should we pull them down and recognize that we might need to make changes in the future as well, if issues come to light that are counter to our values as an organization?

In the end, the congregation opted to keep the wall but replace three windows bearing what they deemed to be problematic names at a cost of approximately $7,500.

Along with Benjamin, the congregation is removing the names of Rabbi Shlomo Carlebach, a prominent Jewish musician who died in 1994, and the actor Dustin Hoffman. Both Hoffman and Carlebach have been accused of harassment and assault by several women, in Carlebachs case posthumously.

The congregation has taken the new windows as an opportunity to include more womens names. The names will be replaced by those of the biblical figure Deborah, the prominent Jewish musician Debbie Friedman and Regina Jonas, the first woman to be ordained as a rabbi.

(Asked whether the windows also included the name of Woody Allen, the filmmaker accused of child sexual abuse, Wisialowski said, Amazingly, no.)

If an issue pops up again, if lots of issues pop up again, then we will have to also handle them based on our values, which are really, really clear about the kind of organization we want to be and the kind of message that we want to put into the world about the importance of individuals and social justice and equality, she said.

Looking back, Wettan says the years-long process gave the congregation an opportunity to articulate its values and come to a deliberate decision. It also showed him, he said, how fraught it can be to deal with historical memory and an engraved memorial.

Its easy for someone in Northern California to look at the South and say thats them, not us, he said. Its hard to change. To change, you cant be afraid to acknowledge that maybe you didnt get something right the first time.

Visit link:
Why Burlingame synagogue covered up name of Confederate Jewish official in window - The Jewish News of Northern California

When the NBA announced their plan to resume action later this July with 22 qualifying teams in Orlandos Disney World, it was no surprise when we found out the Boston Celtics had made the cut.

Prior to the COVID-19 induced hiatus on March 11th, the Cs managed to muster up a record of 43-21, ranking them third in the Eastern Conference standings, fifth in the entire NBA and, with their victory over the Indiana Pacers on March 10th, were on their way to their sixth consecutive postseason appearance.

Now, as the countdown begins for when the league will resume action assuming it still will despite contradicting reports , its understood that players and team personnel are gearing up for what many project to be a deep playoff run, what with their fifth-ranked placement within NBA.coms most recent power-ranking.

Currently rostering one of the best core groups in these bubble games, the Celtics look to be a matchup nightmare for virtually any team they could face in the early rounds of the playoffs. With guys like Jayson Tatum, Kemba Walker, Jaylen Brown, Gordon Hayward, and Marcus Smart, its easy to see why.

However, thats not to say the rest of their roster is as sound as it is at the top.

From their lackluster scoring punch off the pine to their underwhelming center rotation, there are quite a few holes within the rotation that could use some patching up.

Now, due to the newly reported transaction window that will allow teams to add players via free agency, G-League call-ups, or conversations of two-way/ 10-day contracts, theres a chance the Boston Celtics could look to add some extra talent for a presumed deep playoff push.

However, with additions, there are bound to be subtractions.

Read on to see who on the active roster may be at risk of being replaced in the lineup via the upcoming transaction window:

See the original post:
Boston Celtics: 2 players that could be replaced during transaction window - Hardwood Houdini

The Reno County Commission on Tuesday will review plans for four major restoration or repair projects at the Reno County Courthouse that are cumulatively estimated to cost more than $3.2 million.

The largest project, which is expected to take a year to complete, is the repair and restoration of deteriorating windows on the historic six-story building, estimated at just under $1.6 million.

Other work, which will be partially covered by insurance, is for more than $1 million in structural and plaster repair work for damages from last years pair of 4.0-plus magnitude earthquakes.

The final project is a proposed general weatherization and tuck-pointing maintenance project recommended to occur every 10 years, now a year overdue, on the outside of the building.

Reno County maintenance director Harlen Depew will update the commission on the four projects, including updated cost estimates, funding recommendations, and project timing. No action is scheduled to be taken by the board.

Windows

According to a memo from Depew, all but a handful of the 212 windows in the 91-year-old courthouse are original to the building. Since the building is a registered national historic place, replacing the windows is an option the Kansas State Historical Society would likely not approve.

In December, the county commission contracted with Wichita-based GLMV Architecture to put together bid documents for the window project.

The length of the project is dictated by the window sashes having to be removed from their frames a few at a time and taken to a contractor shop for restoration work, Depew noted.

The window frames themselves are anchored in the walls of the building, and so will have to be restored on site.

"There is a lot of plaster repair within many of the window openings from years of sunlight, condensation, and in some cases, water infiltration, that will need to be completed as part of the project," Depew said.

Another cost is removing and then rebuilding various trim materials that have been added in different locations during interior remodeling projects over the years that obstruct access to the window frames.

Other issues

Theres also a unique issue on the west side of the building.

"When the building was constructed, the west side of the third floor, where the Division II courtroom is now located, was a mirror image of the east side courtroom, which is two stories high," Depew said.

The west side, however, was left unfinished with the intent of finishing out a second "grand courtroom" in the future.

When a decision was finally made to add a second courtroom on the third floor, "presumably sometime during the 1960s," Depew said, it was created only as a single-story courtroom, with a floor added above it to create the Division IV courtroom on the fourth floor.

When that was done, new wood stud frame walls were built on the interior of the original exterior west wall of the building, which covered up the tall windows on that side of the building and made them inaccessible. The new walls were filled with insulation, which is visible through windows and has started to sag in places.

"During the window restoration project, this wall will need to be opened up to gain access to the windows, and we would recommend that we take this opportunity to clean up this visual eyesore by finishing out the walls in a way that will once again reveal these windows from inside the building," Depew said.

"Doing so will provide natural light to the third and fourth floors and leave the restored windows accessible from inside the building for future maintenance purposes," he said.

Replacing non-functional blinds or other window treatments in some of the windows is also included in the cost.

The $1.597 million project estimate from Pishney Restoration Services is based on the project being done in a single phase. If spread out over multiple phases, the cost would be expected to ride, Depew said.

Weatherization

The window project as well as the one to weatherize and tuck-point the outside of the building, estimated at more than $604,000 should qualify for a 25% reimbursement through Kansas income tax credits, Depew said.

The weatherization project must be done periodically to maintain the integrity of the stone and masonry exterior of the building.

The work consists of an inspection of the building exterior which will be done using drone photography then cleaning all the surfaces, patching or replacing any broken material, cutting out and replacing deteriorating mortar joints, caulking around doors, windows and other penetrations, and finally applying a water repellant product to the surface.

Since the building was listed as a historic place in 1999, weatherization projects have been done twice.

Since there is no longer a Reno County-based architect that specializes in historic restoration projects, however, Depew is recommending contracting with GLMV to do the drone photography and create project specifications for up to $93,000, which is not included in the project estimate.

Earthquake damage

In August 2019, a 4.2 magnitude earthquake caused significant damage to the upper dome of the building, shifting stone slabs, blowing out mortar joints between them and leaving some stones significantly out of alignment, Depew reported.

Temporary repairs were done in late 2019 to seal up the open joints to prevent freeze-thaw damage, pending the creation of a plan to make permanent repairs.

Hutchinson structural engineer Brent Engelland determined through 3D modeling that adding reinforcement to the steel trusses in the roof system will be required under modern building codes, but it would also minimize the chance of repeat damage from future quakes.

The estimate for repairs, which includes the added steel, disassembling the stone veneer on the dome to reset it properly, and new mortar and caulking is about $420,800. Architectural services are another $94,500.

Since the expense should be covered by the countys insurance coverage, the project is not eligible for tax credits.

Besides the doom repairs, an initial estimate for plaster repairs is around $600,000, Depew said, which should also be covered by insurance.

Timing

Depew is recommending the weatherization and earthquake repairs to the dome be done this summer, using Capital Improvement Project dollars in the 2020 budget, and that the window and plaster projects be done in 2021.

"(We) would be able to fund the windows through our CIP fund, or the Board may wish to consider utilizing the Public Building Commission as a means of funding this project over several years," Depews memo said.

Link:
Estimated $3.2 million in courthouse work on commission agenda - The Hutchinson News

In normal times, many professionals can give their homes a cooling break all day long while they're at work during the summer. This year, however, many offices still have work-from-home policies in place. And kiddos who usually enjoy camp from May to August are also stuck at home. This means your air conditioning units are working harder to ensure a comfortable body temperature and sanity.

Though seemingly necessary, all that air conditioning can run your electricity bill incredibly high. After all, there's a big difference between just cranking up the AC at night versus having it blasting an icy breeze all day long.

Since you don't want to be sweating as you take another Zoom meeting, but you also want to be mindful of your budget, how can you save money this season? Here, home experts offer their most cost-effective strategies for keeping a cool space.

Consider where you spend the most time during the day: The home office? The living room? Kitchen? Rather than having the AC running through every room, it's better for your wallet to select specific areas only. Unfortunately, this is tricky if you have an older unit, or your home hasn't been recently updated. Luckily, recent tech developments have created a loophole via smart thermostats, according to home flipper and Villa Real Estate Realtor AJ Olson Whitfield.

"It is time to invest in a thermostat that allows you to set a range. This helps your unit from working in overdrive to maintain a constant temp," she explains. "Also, smart thermostats have eco settings to help you save on your energy bills. Look for the leaf on packages."

Try this: Google Nest Learning Thermostat ($224, originally $249; amazon.com)

Google Nest Learning Thermostat

This is the first smart thermostat to receive Energy Star certification, and the company estimates it can pay for itself in bill savings within two years. As an additional benefit, you can geek out via its app, which shows your energy history, humidity levels, trends and more.

Believe it or not, your outdoor landscaping can have a significant impact on your indoor temperatures, according to interior designer Jodi Davison. By selecting climate-smart greenery and planting it on the sunny side of your home, you cut back on the sunlight that pours through your windows. Also, indoor plants create humidity from the leaves, cooling the air around the plant and room. Davison recommends ficus trees or ferns for the best results.

Try these: Ficus Lyrata Plant in 9.25 in. Grower Pot ($25.23; homedepot.com)

Ficus Lyrata Plant in 9.25 in. Grower Pot

As beautiful as they are useful, consider purchasing a few of these. It's a win-win for home decor and temperature regulation.

_____________________________________________________________________________

Fiddle Leaf Fig ($195; bloomscape.com)

Measuring about 4 feet tall, this gorgeous plant comes with a planter in a lovely muted shade, and with plenty of instructions on how to keep it alive and thriving.

Have you looked up recently? There's a reason ceiling fans have never gone out of style, since they are one of the easiest and most efficient ways to cool down any area.

"They continually circulate air throughout the room like a cool breeze and help to make the room feel colder than it really is," explains Ward Schraeder, a DIY home improvement expert and co-host of "Bargain Mansions" on HGTV. In the summer, he says, the blade rotation should be set to force the air straight down for the best results.

Try this: Merwry 52 in. Integrated LED Indoor Ceiling Fan ($119; homedepot.com)

Merwry 52 in. Integrated LED Indoor Ceiling Fan

With more than 2,000 reviews, this sleek, energy-efficient fan is loved by reviewers, and it's available in three colors: white, brushed nickel and matte black. The best part? It comes with a remote control, so you can turn it on without leaving your couch or bed.

Whitfield says the saying "If it ain't broke, don't fix it" does not apply to your air conditioning unit. How come? She explains it's a hard-run piece of equipment that requires frequent cleaning and maintenance.

"Replace those air filters and hose down/clean those fan coils, so your units are running at optimum efficiency," she says. "This will save on your energy consumption and make sure you get through the hottest days with a functional unit."

Try this: LG Electronics 14,000 BTU Dual Inverter Smart Window Air Conditioner ($549; homedepot.com)

LG Electronics 14,000 BTU Dual Inverter Smart Window Air Conditioner

If you're due for a new window unit, try this Wi-Fi-enabled smart option from LG. Its line of inverter window models has been recognized by Energy Star's Most Efficient Products, and it earned Emerging Technology Awards in 2018 and 2019.

One of the most stressful times to break out in a sweat is while you're trying to fall or stay asleep. Rather than blast freezing air conditioning throughout the night or have a fan blowing on your face, experts like Davison recommend rethinking your bedding. A simple change in sheets, pillows and mattress protectors can make a big difference in your ability to catch z's comfortably.

Try these: Celliant Sheets by Sleepletics (starting at $114.99; amazon.com)

Celliant Sheets by Sleepletics

These sheets are considered an FDA-determined medical device, offering luxury hotel-like feel with impressive technology to keep you fresh. They're created with sateen, long-staple cotton and patented Celliant polyester yarns, and reviewers say it really does feel like they're adjusting throughout the night to ensure you aren't overheating.

_____________________________________________________________________________

Brooklyn Bedding Luxury Cooling Mattress Protector (starting at $99; brooklynbedding.com)

Brooklyn Bedding Luxury Cooling Mattress Protector

You can turn off the fans and the AC with this uber-cooling mattress protector. Pair with cotton or humidity-fighting sheet sets, and you'll enjoy those summer nights.

_____________________________________________________________________________

Tempur-Cloud Breeze Dual Cooling Pillow ($169; tempurpedic.com)

Tempur-Cloud Breeze Dual Cooling Pillow

While most of the time folks flip over their pillows for the chilly side, with this option, every angle will offer a break from sweating. Thanks to the double layer of Tempur-Breeze Gel, you'll also sink into comfort when you rest your head.

You may never enter your attic in the summer months, but it is hot, and that heat permeates the rest of your house. That's why Whitfield suggests installing a solar attic fan to draw that hot air out and promote fresh air circulation.

"It costs a few hundred dollars, but it's worth it, plus with the solar power you aren't adding to your monthly energy bill, a definite win," she adds.

Try this: Remington Solar 25-Watt 1450 CFM Black Solar Powered Attic Fan ($339; homedepot.com)

Remington Solar 25-Watt 1450 CFM Black Solar Powered Attic Fan

Not only does this lower the temps in your attic, but it also fights moisture that could promote mold growth. As a bonus, it takes the pressure off your HVAC system, thus lowering your electricity bills.

When you're under stress say, from working remotely it's easy to get overheated. The uptick in anxiety causes a physical response too, which could make you feel super-hot for a short period of time. Rather than cranking up the AC, Davison suggests having a personal fan nearby that you can flip on when you need it.

Try these: Honeywell TurboForce Air Circulator Fan Black ($14.94, originally $15.99; amazon.com)

Honeywell TurboForce Air Circulator Fan Black

This small but mighty fan offers a breeze you can feel from 27 feet away. Compact enough to fit on a table or cool down an entire room, it features three different speeds and a 90-degree pivoting head so you can aim it exactly where you want.

_____________________________________________________________________________

Gulaki Hands Free Portable Neck Fan ($23.99, originally $29.99; amazon.com)

Gulaki Hands Free Portable Neck Fan

Wrap it around your neck and take the cooling powers of the fan wherever you go. Imagine how nice this would feel if you're working outside, too.

If you've been cooped up in the house more than usual, you may crave the outdoor breeze more than ever. To keep your space cool, though, Whitfield suggests opening the windows in the early morning and late evening to circulate the air in your area.

Try this: Deconovo Room Darkening Window Curtain ($13.99; amazon.com)

Deconovo Room Darkening Window Curtain

When you aren't letting the outside in, keep your shades pulled to reduce heat indoors. And to sleep in a little later, consider blackout curtains like these that will prevent even the smallest ray from sneaking through.

If you live in an apartment or smaller home and don't want to buy separate air conditioners for the living room and the bedroom, consider investing in a high-quality portable option. This way, you can take the cool air with you, and you avoid having two units running at the same time.

Try this: Dyson Pure Hot + Cool Air Purifier Fan ($608.19, originally $649.99; amazon.com)

Dyson Pure Hot + Cool HP04 Air Purifier Fan

Though expensive, this Dyson hot and cool air purifier fan is among the highest-rated out there. Not only will it clean your air, but it cools it down with 10 fan speeds. You set the preferred temp and then let it do its magic year-round. That's right: It also works in the winter to save you money. It's a smart choice for those with babies as well, since it's Quiet Mark-certified, so it won't wake them from slumber.

Though it may be a pricey upfront investment, installing energy-efficient blinds, like cellular shades, can reduce the overall AC use in your home. As Schraeder explains, a well-made window covering can reduce heat transmission from the outside in.

"If you keep them closed during the day, especially on the south side of your home, your energy bill will be substantially reduced since your AC will not have to work as hard," he says.

Try this: Levolor Light-Filtering Cellular Shade ($78.88; homedepot.com)

Levolor Light-Filtering Cellular Shade

Sometimes called honeycomb blinds, this type of window covering filters the light that flows into your home. This not only creates a pretty ambient effect that makes for beautiful light, but the cell shape builds a barrier between the window glass and your space. In other words: It keeps it more refreshing.

If your home is multilevel, remember that heat rises and cold air falls, Schraeder says. Thus, one of the easiest ways to reduce waste in your cooling bill is to shut your lower-level AC vents and open the upper-level vents. Or vice versa, depending on where you spend the majority of the day.

"If you wish to have a more consistent temperature throughout the home, run your fan continuously and make sure your cold air returns are unobstructed," he continues. "This allows just the fan to circulate cool air throughout the home."

Try this: Lasko 2510 Oscillating Tower Fan, 36 Inch ($50.99; amazon.com)

Lasko 2510 Oscillating Tower Fan, 36 Inch

From one of the most trusted brands for high-quality products, this oscillating tower fan from Lasko can cool a larger area. Plus, it has a variety of colors and designs, so you can find something that seamlessly blends into your home decor.

Note: The prices above reflect the retailers' listed prices at the time of publication.

See original here:
11 cost-effective ways to cool your home this summer - CNN

Ensemble activity and perception

The mechanisms by which sensory percepts are encoded in neural ensembles are still incompletely understood. Chong et al. used single-spot optogenetic stimulation to control neuronal activity in mouse olfactory glomeruli in space and time. Animals were trained to recognize a learned activity pattern that was likely perceived as a specific odor. The authors then systematically varied the activity patterns by changing either the activated glomeruli or the timing between activation of glomeruli to evaluate their impact on odor recognition. Glomeruli that were activated early during the synthetic odor contributed more to odor recognition than glomeruli that were subsequently activated. This approach allows neuroscience to explain how features combine in complex patterns to generate perception.

Science, this issue p. eaba2357

Advances in monitoring brain activity at large and fine scales have revealed tremendous complexity in how the brain responds to, and represents, the external world. Although many features in brain activity patterns (which brain cells fire and when) are found to correlate with changes in the external sensory world, it is not yet known which activity features are consequential for perception and how they are combined to generate percepts. Some studies have shown that many of these correlated changes in activity may be redundant or even epiphenomenal.

To address how brain activity generates perception, we directly and systematically manipulated neural activity in the mouse olfactory system while measuring perceptual responses. Mouse olfaction is an attractive model system because the relevant brain circuitry has already been carefully mapped out and is accessible for direct manipulation. We used genetically engineered mice in which brain cells can be activated simply by shining light on thema technique known as optogenetics. Optogenetics allowed us to directly generate and manipulate brain activity in a precise and parametric manner. We first trained mice to recognize light-driven activity patterns in the olfactory system, or synthetic odors. Subsequently, we measured how recognition changed as we systematically manipulated learned activity patterns. Some manipulations led to larger changes in recognition than others, and the degree of change reflected the importance of each manipulated feature to perception. By the additional manipulation of multiple features simultaneously, we could precisely quantify how individual features combined to produce perception.

The perceptual responses of mice not only depended on which groups of cells were activated, but also on their activation latencies, i.e., temporal sequences akin to timed notes in a melody. Critically, the most perceptually relevant activation latencies were defined relative to other cells in a sequence and not to brain or body rhythms (e.g., animal sniffing) as previously hypothesized from observational studies.Moreover, earlier-activated cells in the sequence had a larger effect on behavioral responses; modifying later cells in the sequence had small effects.To account for all results, we formulated a simple computational model based on template matching, in which new activity sequences are compared with learned sequences or templates.The model weighs relative timing within each sequence and also accounts for the greater importance of earlier-activated cells.Based on our model, the degree of mismatch between the new sequence and learned template predicts the extent to which recognition should degrade as neural activity changes across many different manipulations.

We developed an experimental and theoretical framework to map a broad space of precisely and systematically manipulated brain activity patterns to behavioral responses. Using this framework, we uncovered key computations made by the olfactory system on neural activity to generate percepts and derived a systematic model of olfactory processing directly relevant for perception. Our framework forms a powerful, general approach for causally testing the links between brain activity and perception or behavior. This framework is especially pertinent given the continued development of advanced tools for manipulating brain activity at fine scales across various brain regions.

(A) We trained mice to recognize synthetic odor patterns: artificially stimulated neural activity in the olfactory bulb. Patterns were defined in space (top right) and time (bottom right). (B) Perceptual responses were measured across systematic modifications of trained patterns. (C) Template-matching model of pattern activity (left) accounts for perceptual responses (right).

How does neural activity generate perception? Finding the combinations of spatial or temporal activity features (such as neuron identity or latency) that are consequential for perception remains challenging. We trained mice to recognize synthetic odors constructed from parametrically defined patterns of optogenetic activation, then measured perceptual changes during extensive and controlled perturbations across spatiotemporal dimensions. We modeled recognition as the matching of patterns to learned templates. The templates that best predicted recognition were sequences of spatially identified units, ordered by latencies relative to each other (with minimal effects of sniff). Within templates, individual units contributed additively, with larger contributions from earlier-activated units. Our synthetic approach reveals the fundamental logic of the olfactory code and provides a general framework for testing links between sensory activity and perception.

Read more from the original source:
Manipulating synthetic optogenetic odors reveals the coding logic of olfactory perception - Science Magazine

In April of 2019, we told you about the upcoming new Flying Pie Pizzaria location on Overland Rd. in West Boise. The new restaurant the local chains sixth would bring habanero pies, beers and more to the area.

Earlier this spring, most of the construction work wrapped up on the new restaurant in the Elms Park Shopping Center at Overland and Five Mile. Hiring started. Now, with summer days away, the restaurant sits empty.

While our attempts to contact Flying Pies ownership went unanswered, they recently started the hiring process again in the wake of COVID-19. Scores of social media comments from customers asking when the new restaurant also went unanswered.

The $1,000,000 buildout converted two spaces in the shopping center next to Hooligans Pub. The location will use the bistro format first launched at Flying Pies Broadway location, adding items like pastas, chicken wings and more to the traditional pizza menu.

The chain launched its first restaurant in 1978 and grew slowly over its first few decades. It built up to three locations, then back to just two after closing a spot near Boise State.

In 2011, original owner Howard Oliver (the guy behind theexclamation point on the Boise Library!)sold the businessto Florian Penalva. Under Penalvas ownership, Flying Pie started to expand again, nearing six locations.

More here:
Construction on the new Flying Pie is done. When will it open? - boisedev.com

I'm hearing a great deal of frustration from folks who are upset that today'sstory didn't name the five local restaurants experiencing outbreaks of COVID-19.

Last week, it was churchgoers wondering if an outbreak at a place of worship was at their own. All along I've been hearing from families with loved ones in nursing homes, assisted living facilities and group homes calling for more specifics.

Unless a business, church, restaurant, construction site, etc., tells people it is having an outbreak, there is no way to know and to verify.

The Virginia Department of Health claims state code bars it from identifying any restaurant, church, nursing home or any other place of business where an outbreak of the virus has closed. The business can choose to do so itself, but state government bars itself from such disclosures.

The Northam administration interprets state code this way:

The State Health Commissioner is required by Va. Code 32.1-41 to preserve the anonymity of each patient and practitioner whose medical records are examined as part of a disease investigation. Disease reports submitted to VDH are confidential per 32.1-36, and that section provides that the patients identity and disease state shall be confidential. VDH is not able to release disease information at the facility level to the media, because that would compromise the anonymity of the patient.

In addition, per 32.1-38, neither the name of any person reported to VDH nor the name of any person making a report shall be disclosed to the public. According to Va. Code 32.1-3, person means an individual, corporation, partnership or other legal entity. Thus, VDH cannot release the name of a facility that made a disease report.

The administration has chosen not to disclose the county or city in which the business is located, providing information only at a "health district" level, which mostly includes multiple counties.

If you think this hampers your ability to understand risks from a public health perspective, to decide where you would like to eat, whether you are comfortable sitting in a church pew or if the people caring for your mom have been exposed to the virus, tell the governor, your delegate or your state senator.

While I don't mind answering your calls or replying to your emails, I have no power beyond asking the same questions and getting the same answers.

If you want change, go here to find your delegate and senator, and here to contact the governor.

And here's the other thing. It really doesn't matter if the outbreak is at the ABC or the XYZ restaurant. What you need to know is that COVID-19 is still widespread and as people move about, so does the disease.

Act accordingly. Myself, I leave home only when necessary. I wear a face covering, wash my hands, wipe down my car and other surfaces, and visit with family and friends only outside and at a distance. We get takeout, but I'm not ready for outdoor dining. And last I saw my youngest daughter was in March Pre-pandemic, she came home for 24 hours every other week just for a hug and for us to take her to dinner.

Our social calendars used to be as packed as our work ones. I miss much and would like to reclaim some of the old normal. But for my age and my health, this is my level of risk.

Perhaps, your risk tolerance is greater. Just be aware that anyone, including you, could be carrying the virus and spreading it. So wear a face covering and patronize only places that require them. Thank you.

Here is the original post:
Med Beat: Here's why we don't tell you every restaurant and place there is an outbreak of COVID-19 - Roanoke Times

Claus Bienek was the chef-owner of Claus on Juneau, an influential high-end restaurant at 134 E. Juneau Ave. from 1985 to 1989. Bienek died June 7 in Norway.(Photo: Milwaukee Journal Sentinel files)

Not all customers knew what to make of the fine-dining restaurant Claus on Juneau, which operated in downtown Milwaukee from 1985 to 1989with crystal, Villeroy & Boch china and Italian silver settings on the tables.

The food wasn't heaped on the plates, it wasbeautifully arranged so much so that itwas the subject of a cover story in the Milwaukee Sentinel's Food section in April 1986.

"The dishes are sheer art," wrote the Food editor, Lee Aschoff.

The chef-owner, Claus Bienek, told Aschoff, "the most important thing is the color. For example, we might have a plain white fish. So what you try to do is build it up, using the red tomato-butter sauce underneath, black mushrooms, some fresh dill and a red crayfish.

Then you have a little picture there, he said. It looks nice and, if they taste it, its even better.

Claus on Juneau, which was at 134 E. Juneau Ave.,was awarded four stars by The Milwaukee Journal's dining critic, Dennis Getto, who later called it "one of Milwaukee's star restaurants in the 1980s." As such, Bienek was at the vanguard of chefs modernizing dining in Milwaukee.

The funeral was this week for Bienek, who died June 7, the day before his 74th birthday. The German-born chef died in Norway, where he had lived and worked before moving to Milwaukee with his young family, and where he returned after his time in Wisconsin.

Before coming to Milwaukee, he led Blom in Oslo, a restaurant frequented by artists and authors since the 19th century; was afood and wine critic for Norway's national newspaper, Aftenposten; and openeda restaurant called den Glade Laks (the Happy Salmon) on a fishing trawlerthat took daily trips around Oslo's fjords.

"His guests were so lucky to see him dive into the ocean from the boat and pop out with a salmon in his hands," Bienek's daughter Charlotterecalled via email from Norway.

Christopher Kuranz, now a partner in Public Table restaurant in West Allis, supplied Bienek with hard-to-find produce, game and fish through Kuranz's company at the time, The Fresh Connection.

That meant items like radicchio, baby zucchini with the flowers still attached (so the chef could stuff the flowers), and Belgian endive, which he'd halve, roast,braise with white wine and aromaticsand serve with a warm blue cheese sauce.

"I havent made that in a long time. I should make that," said Kuranz, who also helped in the kitchen at Claus on Juneau on occasion and kept in touch with him over the years.

Evenfresh herbs were exoticathatcouldn't be found in grocery stores then, Kuranz said. In summer, the chef kept a garden behind the restaurant where he'd grow herbs and vegetables, Charlotte Bienek recalled, and visited farmers markets for local ingredients.

The menu was brief usually four appetizers, four entres and a few desserts that changed fairly frequently, Kuranz recalled.The dining room likewise was small for the era, about 50 seats.

Bienek conceded he initially lost customers who expected a strip steak and onion rings, but the restaurant soon thrived.

His plating was considered unusual for the time but elements becamestandard in fine dining, such as placing the sauce under the fish instead of over.

Who in the hell can see the monkfish (on the plate) whenthey come in? The construction of the fish is so nice and it looks so nice, so let the fish be a fish and look like a fish, Bienek said at the time.

"He would just constantly push the envelope," Kuranz said of Bienek.

Bienek would acquire live turtles and butcher them at the restaurant for turtle soup and other dishes, Kuranz recalled.

Who knows how to butcher a turtle? Whos buying turtles? I didnt know anybody who was doing that but him, Kuranz said.

Bienek sold his restaurant after having heart surgery in early 1989. His first turn back in the kitchen was a private dinner that June for 125 people where former President Jimmy Carter and former first lady Rosalynn Carter were the guests of honor.

Tom Sietsema, then the Food editor of The Milwaukee Journal and now food critic for the Washington Post, referred to Bienek's restaurant as"the late, great Claus on Juneau" in writing about the Carter dinner.

The chef was in chargeof appetizers, sides and dessert, preparing dishes like jumbo white shrimp marinated with gingerroot and cilantro, andimported prosciutto with asparagus and lemon mayonnaise.

After selling Claus on Juneau, Bienek became chef at what was then Strong Corneliuson Capital Management in Menomonee Falls from 1990 to 2004, according to Charlotte Bienek.

Besides overseeing the company cafeteria, he prepared VIP dinners for former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, publisherSteveForbes, singer Jimmy Buffett and others.

Bienek is survived by his wife, Anne Brita, whom he met after winning a culinary competition in Germany that led to a job atthe hotel in Norway where she also worked; their children Charlotte, Henriette, Kai Boris and Therese Maria; and six grandchildren.

Contact dining critic Carol Deptolla atcarol.deptolla@jrn.com or (414) 224-2841, or through the Journal Sentinel Food & Home page on Facebook. Follow her on Twitter at @mkediner or Instagram at @mke_diner.

Our subscribers make this reporting possible. Please consider supporting local journalism by subscribing to the Journal Sentinel at jsonline.com/deal.

Read or Share this story: https://www.jsonline.com/story/entertainment/dining/carol-deptolla/2020/06/18/bienek-one-milwaukees-top-chefs-1980-s/3205954001/

Follow this link:
Bienek was one of Milwaukee's top chefs in the 1980s, helping usher in a modern era - Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

This week, we caught up with Michael Babcock and Wayne Coats, best known for their past work at Welcome Diner and now partners at Instrumental Hospitality. With two other partners, Paul Waxman and Robert Cissell, they had planned to open a two-story southeast Asian eatery in spring 2020. But Belly has been delayed. And the restaurant scene has capsized.

We linked up by phone to chat about projects, curveballs, strange days, long trips, and good food. Coats was sitting outside within sight of the sand of Venice Beach, California, cloudy but refreshing in a picture he texted. He was sipping nitro cold brew a block outside his Airbnb, watching everyone strolling around in masks as California takes the pandemic, compared to Arizona, much more seriously.

Babcock was in Phoenix, laying low after a busy Hood Burger popup the day before. This charitable project he is co-heading has been fundraising for various causes, including some connected with domestic violence and Black Lives Matter. Hes about to go camping on the Mogollon Rim with his dog, seeking escape and a little isolation time.

Left to right: Michael Babcock, Wayne Coats, Paul Waxman, and Robert Cissell, together the Instrumental Hospitality Group.

Matt Martian

Phoenix New Times: How has your 2020 been so far?

Michael Babcock: A living, breathing nightmare.

Wayne Coats: Definitely a sense of a dreamlike world so far in 2020. Constantly shot. Constantly wondering what the hell could even happen next.

New Times: How has your charitable Hood Burger project been?

WC: It has been inspiring to do the Hood Burger project, led by Michael and [chef-bartender] Tyka Cheng. Doug [Robson] at Gallo [Blanco] was really helpful in providing the parking lot in Garfield. That turned into other homies being really generous. Genuine Concepts loaning us a food truck. Going to Thunderbird [Lounge].

As the Hood Burger project evolved, it was really inspired by that generosity. It was kind of a reminder of what it was like to be around people, to run a service, figure things out, work as a team. It has been the opposite of Michaels nightmare.

MB: The menu has changed a couple of times as the partnerships have changed. Yesterday, we did a classic Royale burger with cheese and chips. It was cool to go to Gracies [Tax Bar, where that popup was] and not be squished.

New Times: Last year, you guys traveled to research for Belly, your forthcoming southeast Asian restaurant in Melrose. How was that?

MB: That trip deserves its own documentary. It was just so epic and absurd. We were only supposed to be gone for nine days in one country. We ended up going for 20-something days and going to three countries. We stayed for three days in Tijuana, seven or nine days in Japan, and seven or nine days in Vietnam. We just went on a global bender around the world.

The point of the trip was to gain inspiration through southeast Asia. We want to be able to offer something more unique than pho and banh mi. I love those things. I eat that shit daily. Theres just a whole palate to explore within southeast Asia that we wanted to throw some shine on. We were really inspired by the street food vendors in particular.

New Times: Belly will have strong southeast Asian roots. How do you approach cooking foods outside your cultures?

MB: The thing about being a professional chef, our whole job, if done right, is to absorb the culture around us, honor it, interpret it, and share it with others. Im opening up a Vietnamese restaurant with a lot of reverence. The research trip was just a drop in the bucket in my relationship with Vietnamese food.

WC: Yeah, he was cooking Vietnamese for dinner parties at 22 years old.

MB: I was raised in part by my Japanese grandmother. My palate for Asian cooking is geared to that. Its how I eat at home.

Chefs have a responsibility to honor the culture theyre representing. If you do things right with the right intentions, all youre doing as a chef is celebrating the cultures youre inspired by. Making fried chicken and biscuits [at Welcome Diner, where he was head chef until last year], this is something Ive thought about a lot.

Belly is set to open in spring 2020.

AWE Collective

New Times: How is Belly coming along?

WC: Construction delayed our opening, which was first looking like the middle of March. I cant imagine what our industry brothers and sisters went through in March and what theyre still dealing with.

Through all this, the construction has been going. We put the countertops in. The walls are painted all the tiles laid and set. Were getting really close to the construction guys handing over the keys to our team.

MB: We have no trajectory on when our opening date is. Were very elastic on that.

New Times: Will we see any more of Belly, maybe through popups, before opening?

MB: I think with the climate were in, we want to focus on the causes that matter now. Bellys going to be an awesome project, but its not really time for us to be focused on that. Were focused on our charity efforts.

New Times: How are you feeling about the future of Phoenix dining?

MB: I dont know, man. I dont think its going to be good, though. I dont mean to be super negative, but the reality is the restaurant industry was unsustainable to begin with. The way our labor networks work. The way food costs work. Price points. If theres any positive from this, maybe it accelerates what that transformation needs to be.

WC: Im really proud of our homies fighting hard to hit those numbers to stay open. There are people out there really pushing and trying to adapt to how things are changing. Its inspiring and motivating to see that.

Note: This conversation has been condensed and lightly edited for speed and clarity.

Chris Malloy, former food editor and current food critic at Phoenix New Times, has written for various local and national outlets. He has scrubbed pots in a restaurant kitchen, earned graduate credit for a class about cheese, harvested garlic in Le Marche, and rolled pastas like cappellacci stuffed with chicken liver. He writes reviews but also narrative stories on the food world's margins.

Read this article:
Q&A: Michael Babcock and Wayne Coats on Belly, Hood Burger, and the Future of Phoenix Dining - Phoenix New Times