Home Builder Developer - Interior Renovation and Design

CBCCalgarywants to knowhow you are living these days. What are you doing differently? What makes you laugh? Cry? Scream? Have you started a new hobby? Let us know.

In this instalment of our series Dear Diary: In a Time of COVID-19, educator Greg Freer tells us what he misses most about being in a classroom with his students.This submission has been edited for clarity and length.

I hastily wipe paint off my hands,and answer the call from my principalon aSunday evening.

"So you heard the news?"

After spending all day elbow deep in paint on the final stretch of a two-month home renovation, the answer was a definitive no.

"They are closing down schools immediately,"he said.

I involuntarily blurted"OMG the kids", followed quickly by "our economy is toast".

I remember the moment I heard the news the Space Challenger exploded, when Gretzky was traded and when Princess Di was declared dead, and forever I will remember when I received the call that schools were closed. To so many students, schools are much more than a place to learn the "3 R's". Schools are a place they feel cared for, a place they feel safe. Schools are sometimes the only place students feel heard, a place for advice, a place that literally provides a shoulder to cry on. My career has spanned over a quarter century now, and I could write a book on staff providing food for students, clothing, tracking students down on the streets and sometimes even taking them into their own homes because they simply had no one else. Every year as my birthday rolls around I get a little grin as I remember eating dinner with my family "plus one" at a restaurant. You see, one such student had no place to go that night. Every once in a while I come across her academic report in my bottom desk drawer with other mementos, some pictures and kind letters from students and parents, some confiscated items ... but this single piece of paper is one of my favourites, because it states on it "high school diploma achieved".

For the next fourhours my principal and I began to think of some of our most vulnerable children, OUR children. How could we continue to meet their needs? Would we lose them? Eventually we talked about academics, what we would say to our staff, how we would continue to "educate" our students, but in the back of our minds we continually worried about, and discussions reverted back to "what about _____" and "who will ensure that he ..".

I was astonished as we met with staff Monday morning. The realizationthat we would be learning new technology and creating new unit plans wasbrushed aside immediately as one teacher simply said "we got this". Perhaps even more revealing werethe immediate emails and phone calls of support from parents. "How can I help you?" and "I'm so sorry". You see, parents get it, we are family. Like all families, we have good days, we have bad days, but in this new reality I find myself focusing on the good days, and long for a return to the past.

I remember onetime, back in the classroom.

"My out-of-town kids, raise your hands! Now my in-town kids, raise your hands."

"We are not your kids," the 17-year-old said to me.

"It does not matter how old you are or where you live, 30-40, in town, the M.D., on the reserve, you will always be my kids," I said.Most gave me an accepting grin, a few gave me a nod, and the lesson continued. That was about three months ago.

A couple of weeks later, I had a bad weekend, but as I made my commute to work I started to become revitalized as I got closer to the school. I just kept thinking, "I can't wait to teach my Grade 8's". Then a sick feeling in my gut, the realization set in, it would not be in our new reality.

Twenty-six years in, I still walk into a room with over 30 teenagers, lock the door and say, "I got this" and my God I love it. Sometimes they exhaust me and make me feel old, but most of the time they rejuvenate me, they give me purpose, they give me life.

I walk into the school, half the lights are on, half are off. I turn on my laptop the once relished tool has transformed into a despised burden. Daily lessons are posted, some assignments come in, the odd email question from a kid, a faithful two or three check in daily in the Google classroom. Many, many online Google meetings every day, keeping busy is not an issue, I am busier than ever. But I didn't sign up for this, none of us did. I long for the recent past, one of energy, human interaction, LIFE. I miss the smiles, the hugs, the fist bumps, all that was, before everything changed.

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Dear Diary: 'I long for the recent past'. Why this Pincher Creek teacher wants to see his students - CBC.ca

TORONTO -- There is little doubt COVID-19 has wreaked havoc on more than one wedding this season. And while I'm truly disappointed for couples who had big plans for their special day, the average cost of a wedding is not insignificant. Using a rough estimate, let's call it approximately $30,000. This is a big expense for one day, plus a honeymoon. Saving this sort of money takes discipline and hard work. Marriage is a huge milestone and can be celebrated in many ways.

1. In a unexpected twist, couples planning to tie the knot -- while disappointed their wedding plans have been cancelled due to COVID-19 -- are not letting that money sit idly. COVID-19 is not stopping them from building their life together emotionally and financially.

According to Rakhee Dhingra, CEO of Mortgage Savvy, "We recently had the pleasure of assisting a few first-time homebuyers who were scheduled to get married this summer. Unfortunately, due to the current environment they had to postpone their wedding. Based on the money they received back from their deposit cheques, they were able to allocate those funds towards buying their first home one where their family can build long-lasting memories and grow into long-term.

2. Another emerging trend is the backyard and home renovation. It is safe to say many are hesitant to travel this year until at least a vaccine is found and the result -- a staycation option. Rakhee herself has been putting off her backyard reno in favour of travel but has decided this year the travel budget is being shifted toward home investment.

She went on to say, "during COVID-19, weve been able to support many clients on the refinancing front. By leveraging existing equity in their homes, many clients have been able to do some much needed home renovations. Doing so, not only gives them the opportunity to invest back into their home and appreciate the overall value of their property, but also design their home to reflect more of their current needs."

Weeks of isolation has given us a very clear idea of where we spend our time in our home and highlights what has worked and what has been working as well. Our son Kev and his wife Ellen are literally expecting their second child in days. Currently living in a two-bedroom home is ideal for their current situation but are concerned as the family grows and did I mention their two dogs, their home isnt going to be as ideal as it once was. Thoughts of moving were explored and then tempered by the sheer logistics of it during a pandemic and the costs. Their solution is to build on the existing structure with great savings from the land transfer tax costs combined with real estate fees being redirected towards their home renovation.

For families that are growing, backyards that have overgrown, and with more Canadians working from home, a renovation can be both financially savvy and emotionally satisfying.

3. Cottage life isn't for everyone and travel to the cottage due to the pandemic has been restricted in some communities for now. However, that hasn't stopped people from exploring in a low-interest rate environment a second or even investment property. Land, water, fresh air and no air travel can be very appealing. It is still early days however, based on the number of requests I've had -- 3 to date from people thinking about buying in cottage country, you know waterfront supply and demand will soon kick in and prices will continue trend higher.

Real estate for most is our largest asset and our greatest liability. But our home is so much more, it is also a place of pride and comfort. During periods of difficulty hunkering down in your home can have a calming influence in a time when you feel you have little control over much else.

These may be just a few of the early and unintentional trends in real estate that have evolved out of a pandemic but that doesn't mean that it is a bad thing.

More here:
Pattie Lovett-Reid: Three real estate trends emerging from the coronavirus pandemic - CTV News

Team effort

The city brought in a Great Bend firm to scope the filtration system to determine where repairs were needed, and then hired a pipelining contractor to come in and complete the repairs.

Two layers of decking were removed from around the pool, and a channel was excavated around it. Crews also scraped and prepped the interior of the pool for new paint, sandblasted the seam and prepped for a new seal in the deep end where leaking may have been a problem as well.

This has definitely been a real team effort, Eilts said. We had our electric production guys do work here. We had parks, street and water departments. There wasnt a department that wasnt touched by this they did a lot of work.

And not at the expense of their regular workload, Eilts pointed out. A mild winter and spring without snow storms or flooding with the associated clean up involved was a big help.

With the pools decking removed, Haynes Electric Inc., Larned, installed eight LED pole lights and seven pool wall lights, and ran electrical and speaker wiring through new conduit around the pool. The city council will consider replacement speakers in 2021 or later.

A new $58,000 filtration system for the pool, manufactured and sourced locally from United Industries in Sterling, was delivered and set in place at the beginning of May. Installation will be completed soon. The unit can also be utilized in the future at a new pool when the city raises enough funds to make a project of that magnitude feasible.

Opening of the pool is still several weeks off. Once painted, there will be a curing period before the pool can be filled. At that point, the new lights will be tested, as well as the filtration system. When everything checks out, the channel will be filled and the new decking set. And, opening will also depend on how Governor Kellys reopening plan for the state progresses, Eilts added.

Read this article:
Larned pool renovation is on track - GREAT BEND TRIBUNE - Great Bend Tribune

West Australians could soon be able to skip planning approvals for small home renovation projects such as patios, decks and extensions under proposed State Government reforms.

The WA Government has brought forward its planning reform package after years of consultation in a bid to stimulate the economy and create jobs amid the coronavirus pandemic.

"For smaller projects in particular patios, for pergolas, or for shade sails we're going to remove the requirement for planning approval," WA Premier Mark McGowan said.

"A household who wants to put up a shed or a patio or some shade sails, to have to get planning approval from the local council is expensive and unnecessary."

Also included in the 26 proposed changes are measures to make the development application process easier for "significant, job-creating projects" over the next 18 months.

That would include projects valued at $30 million or more, residential projects of 100 homes or more, commercial developments sized at a minimum 20,000 square metres and some regional or tourism projects.

The Western Australian Planning Commission will act as the decision maker on those projects if the legislation to be introduced to Parliament is passed.

The Government announced the planned changes as WA reported no new cases of coronavirus overnight.

The state total remains at 557 with three active cases in the community.

There are no COVID-19 patients being treated in WA hospitals.

Mr McGowan said the reforms had been talked about for decades, were long overdue and were vital to help with the state's economic COVID-19 recovery.

"These reforms allow us to clear that red tape away and ensure that we get major developers and minor developers and householders and small businesses the opportunity to get their projects underway far more quickly," Mr McGowan said.

"With far less expense, with better design, with less bureaucracy."

Other reforms are aimed at giving small businesses and homeowners more flexibility and include a number of approval exemptions.

Those reforms include abolishing the small business change of use approval that Mr McGowan said had frustrated small business for years.

"That sort of red tape has driven small business people crazy," Mr McGowan said.

"It's cost us investment, it's cost us jobs."

When announcing the moves, Mr McGowan said he was hopeful the legislation would pass through Parliament quickly.

"So we can get jobs and activity back into the West Australian economy we can get something going after this pandemic and get those thousands of people who have lost their jobs back into the workplace," he said.

But the Government was unsuccessful when it tried to get the changes through the Lower House this afternoon just hours after releasing the bill, saying it was urgent because of the pandemic.

It later backed down with the bill now to be debated next week.

WA Opposition Leader Liza Harvey said she was furious with the Government's approach.

"How urgent is it for people to be able to put up a pergola or a patio without approval before June 30?" Ms Harvey said.

"You have not articulated that. You have not articulated why we have to trash parliamentary process.

"Give agreement to a bill we haven't seen, haven't had time to consult on?

"We are not here to rubber stamp legislation from a Government that has become arrogant in the extreme."

Ms Harvey said while her party had not yet adopted a formal position on the package, it seemed to significantly cut down on unnecessary bureaucracy.

"But we do want to make sure that there are some checks and balances in place because the community are very sensitive to planning issues," she said.

"We need to get across the bill to understand if there are any hidden grenades in there that might actually be detrimental to the community."

The WA Nationals have called for more time to consider the bill.

Housing Industry Association WA executive director Cath Hart praised the "bold planning agenda".

"Some builders have more work stuck in councils than they do on site," she said.

"With COVID causing a 50 per cent contraction in WA's residential building pipeline, getting work approved and on site is more critical than ever to support jobs and the industry."

Ms Hart said the reforms would play an important role in the industry's recovery.

If passed, the changes would give local councils less influence, a development that drew the ire of the local government lobby.

WA Local Government Association (WALGA) president Tracey Roberts said councils had been blindsided by the Government's move and she was only able to access the content of the bill after it was publicly announced.

"We are concerned because we've had no consultation," Ms Roberts said.

"There are concerns as to why this has been rushed through."

Here's a guide to help you work out what will be allowed from May 18 and what is still offlimits.

WA Planning Minister Rita Saffioti said the "significant, job-creating" projects would be a priority to ensure the state had a "pipeline of construction work".

"We need good quality projects and we need a faster way to do that. This is a significant reform for WA," she said.

"It will assist WA's economy and create jobs."

Building approvals for home projects will still be required under the changes.

"You need the planning approval and then the building approval, so we want to eliminate planning approval where we can," Ms Saffioti said.

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Coronavirus slowdown prompts move to axe WA planning approvals for small home renovations - ABC News

Kolkata: Almost after 48 hours the West Bengal government on Saturday called the Army for restoration of the situation post cyclone Amphan. The state government has also written a letter to the Railway Board, urging them to stop all trains carrying migrants till May 26 due to extensive damage caused by the cyclone.

In a letter written by the West Bengal Chief Secretary Rajiva Sinha to the Chairman of Railway Board, VK Yadav, the government said, The state has been severely impacted by Super Cyclone Amphan on May 20-21 which caused extensive damage to the infrastructure.

Photo: Debajyoti Chakraborty

Meanwhile, the state Home Department said the state government is mobilizing maximum strength in unified command mode on 247 basis for immediate restoration of essential infrastructure and services asap. Army support has been called for; NDRF and SDRF teams deployed; Railways,Port and private sector too requested to supply teams and equipment. Drinking water and drainage infrastructure getting restored fast. Generators being hired where necessary.

Photo: Debajyoti Chakraborty

In a tweet, the state Home Department said, More than a hundred teams from multiple departments and bodies working for cutting of fallen trees, which is the key to restoration of power in localities. WBSEDCL and CESC asked to deploy maximal manpower, even while lockdown significantly affects the deployment potential of the latter. Police on high alert.

Relief and other measures by Bengal governmentWest Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said in an administrative meeting in South 24 Pargana's most affected area Kakdwip area that The devastation and damage in the state amounts to one lakh crore loss. She said, Relief must reach people of the state immediately. There will be no compromise in this regard.

She also asked the administration to supply water pouches till water supply is restored in the state.

Mamata Banerjee expressed apprehensions that COVID-19 cases might increase now in post-Amphan situation. Post-Amphan, the damage and destruction is more serious condition than COVID-19, she said.

In South 24 Parganas alone, 45,000 electric poles have overturned. We have to reconstruct them again. We will focus on rebuilding the houses, Banerjee said. She urged people to take care and be patient.

More people should be engaged in 100 days work. More locals should be deployed and they should be utilized to clear the trees and contribute in the management of disaster, Mamata said.

Meanwhile, three columns of army have been deployed in Kolkata. The army already started removing trees in Rabindra Sarobar area, which fell due to Cyclone. Known to be the green zone of Kolkata and it has a huge number of trees. It is learnt that ten more NDRF teams are coming to West Bengal to help the state government on request.

Protests over power and Electricity disruption across West BengalProtests over power supply and water have been witnessed across the state, including Kolkata.

Citizens across Kolkata, from South to North in Jadavpur, Behala, Baishnaghata, Garia, Kasba and several others demanded power restoration and water supply after cyclone Amphan. The protesters claimed there was no water and electricity for the last three days.

A tree fell on our house. The house is damaged and we cannot enter the house because of it. The tree has not been cut after three days and we dont even know what is stuck below the tree, said Amit Sahu.

EM Bypass, the main lifeline of the city, was blocked by protesters. CESC authority has assured to restore power by tomorrow, Kolkata Mayor said. Many trees were uprooted and many have become homeless.

Photo: Debajyoti Chakraborty

CESC said power connection have been affected and there are all effort to restore it. Due to lockdown there were limited number of workers.

We have children and elderly persons at home. There is no water supply, not even drinking water. So we have blocked the road in our locality Baisnabghata and demanding immediate restoration of power, Mita Das said.

Not only Kolkata, people blocked Kalyani Expressway protesting in Nadia district demanding restoration of power and water supply.

Meanwhile, BJP and TMC activists clashed with each other on E M Bypass, after BJP state President Dilip Ghosh was prevented by police from travelling to Amphan affected districts of South and North 24 Paragans. Police said he cannot travel due to prevailing lockdown situation.

See the rest here:
West Bengal: Government urges Railway Board to stop Shramik Special trains till May 26 in view of Amphan - Mumbai Mirror

In the early 1970s, Bob Dylan was famously recorded on tape trying to wriggle out of a meeting with fan-turned-garbologist A.J Weberman by saying he needed to build some tables and shelves for his wife and hed been putting it way off.

During lockdown, and with his Never Ending Tour on hiatus, Dylan appears to have again put the home maintenance jobs on hold, having signalled his first album of original material for eight years.

After several years of releasing cover versions of Frank Sinatra lounge standards followed by a series of shows that placed his own canon firmly in that vein, the icon, who turns 79 on Sunday, appears back at his elusive best.

The new double album Rough and Rowdy Ways will be available from June 16, but Dylan has already dropped three of its songs online.

Such is the fervour of Dylans ageing audience of completists, theres little doubt the pre-digital types who have heard the songs will also buy the album not the least because he again appears to be giving hints about his world view.

On March 26, as the world was in the first weeks of lockdown, the 2016 Nobel laureate offered up a 17-minute opus on the assassination of President John F Kennedy, Murder Most Foul.

In a distinctly un-Bob-like message, Dylan thanks his fans for their support and loyalty, adding: This is an unreleased song we recorded a while back that you might find interesting. Stay safe, stay observant and may God be with you.

Given the reclusive star suffered in 1997 from a life-threatening fungal infection, histoplasmosis often caused by bird or bat droppings in the age of the coronavirus, it moved some fans to ask Is Bob OK?.

Turns out Dylans musings on all angles of JFKs demise was just the start of a promotional blitz for new material that offers a few hints into his thoughts on our current age.

Murder Most Foul is not perfect, its sprinkled with a fair share of clunky lines among the familiar Nobel-prize-winning brilliance, but it also places Dylan back in the spotlight as a chronicler of a place and time.

The day that they killed him, someone said to me, Son, the age of the Antichrist has just only begun, Dylan sings over lilting violin that channels the Sinatra crooning hes been practising on the road.

Air Force One coming in through the gate, Johnson sworn in at 2:38Let me know when you decide to throw in the towel. It is what it is, and its murder most foul.

The song then morphs into a series of playlist requests to radio DJ Wolfman Jack featuring classic songs and pop culture moments that may, or may not, have redeemed America in the years since the tragedy in Dallas.

If Bob had stopped at this track, the Dylanologists would have had a years worth of material to write about, but he followed up in April and May with two more tracks.

They also offered some intriguing lines, which may, or may not, show us what the great man has been thinking in the eight years since he released Tempest.

First was I Contain Multitudes a riff on the famous Walt Whitman poem, Song of Myself, which sees the protaganist muse: Today, and tomorrow, and yesterday, too. The flowers are dyin like all things do.

Follow me close,Imgoing to Bally-na-Lee. Illlose my mind if you dontcome with me. I fuss with my hair, and I fight blood feuds. I contain multitudes.

Bally-na-Lee was the home of Irish poet Anthony Raftery, the only one of nine children to survive a smallpox outbreak.

In the final lines the singer could be talking direct to death, albeit in the guise of a woman: Get lost, madame, get up off my knee. Keep your mouth away from me. Ill keep the path open, the path in my mind,Ill see to it that theres no love left behind.

Then if there was any doubt that Dylans new material is rooted in both the path and the present, the bluesy False Prophet appeared to provide even more proof.

Released with an image of a skeleton holding a blood filled syringe and the image of a hanged man with a suspiciously familiar Trump-quaffed hairdo, the growling stripteaser walks a fine line between the protagonist smiting false prophets or actually being one.

You dont know me, darlin. You never would guess. Im nothing like my ghostly appearance would suggest. I aint no false prophet. I just said what I said. Im just here to bring vengeance on somebodys head.

Hello, stranger. Hello and goodbye. You ruled the land. But so do I. You lost your mule. You got a poison brain. Ill marry you to a ball and chain.

With Murder Most Foul already topping the Billboard digital charts, Dylans first No.1 under his own name, theres little doubt the new album will be picked over as one of 2020s most intriguing comebacks.

He may have been putting off releasing new original music, but now Dylan has ticked that off the list he can get back to the home renovation jobs hes been putting way off and popping up some shelves like the rest of us.

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Rough and rowdy Bob Dylan gets around to some new music - The New Daily

When Singapore's circuit breaker period ends on June 1, more businesses and activities will be progressively allowed.

On Tuesday, the Government said there will be three phases in the reopening.

Phase one, from June 2, will last for at least four weeks as some restrictions are eased.

Phase two will last several months as even more measures are lifted. This will lead to phase three, which will be the "new normal" until a vaccine or treatment is found for Covid-19.

The Straits Times answers some questions about what you can do from June 2, when the first phase begins. Government agencies say some details are being ironed out. You can also send your questions toaskst@sph.com.sg.

A Companies must adopt telecommuting to the maximum extent. Employees who have been working from home so far should continue to do so.

They should go into the office only when the employer can demonstrate that it is necessary, such as to access specialised systems or equipment that cannot be accessed from home, or to complete a contract or transaction that is legally required to be completed in person and on site.

A You can return to the workplace if your company is on the list of businesses permitted to resume operations from June 2, and if your employer has put safe management measures in place.

Your employer must also demonstrate the business or operational reasons why you are unable to work from home despite reviewing and redesigning work processes.

Ministry of Manpower (MOM) inspectors will assess the efforts put in by companies to implement work-from-home arrangements, based on whether it is practical for workers to work from home, given the nature of their jobs.

A Employees must telecommute where possible. They can report workplace safety and health issues to MOM via the SnapSafe mobile application.

A School bookshops and retail shops selling school uniforms can resume activities.

Selected services, including motor vehicle servicing, air-conditioner servicing, basic pet services and full hairdressing services, can also resume.

Businesses that still cannot resume include bars, pubs, nightclubs, theatres and cinemas. They are deemed higher-risk because they draw crowds in an enclosed space.

To manage the risks of transmission, most retail outlets will have to remain closed until further notice. Department stores will remain shut.

All libraries will remain closed and their on-site services such as book drops and reservation lockers will continue to be unavailable.ST PHOTO: KUA CHEE SIONG

A No. Such sports and outdoor recreational facilities in HDB estates will continue to remain closed to the public. They will likely be able to reopen only in phase two, at least four weeks away.

Similarly, tennis courts, pools and other recreational facilities in condominiums remain closed. So will private gyms.

A The authorities will be giving more details on this in about a week.

A No. All libraries will remain closed and their on-site services such as book drops and reservation lockers will continue to be unavailable. You will not be fined if you have not returned material that is due. You will have three weeks after libraries eventually reopen to do so.

A No, these services remain closed. Beauty salons may continue to sell products online and deliver them to customers.

However, the good news is that hair salons will be able to offer colouring and chemical treatments from June 2.

A No, foot reflexology services will not be allowed in phase one.

A No. Car showrooms will remain closed and you still cannot test-drive a car. But motor companies can continue to sell vehicles online and deliver them to customers.

Motor workshop services, however, will be allowed to reopen and resume services. Currently, they can tend to only emergency cases.

Property viewings still cannot be conducted in person, but they can be done virtually. Agents also cannot meet clients face to face.ST PHOTO: GIN TAY

A No. Such home-based cleaning services are not allowed to resume.

A No. Property viewings still cannot be conducted in person. But you can do so virtually.

As for property agents, while they still cannot meet clients face to face, they can do so where the clients' physical presence is legally required to complete a transaction. The meeting must take place in the office of the real estate company.

A All construction work, including home renovation, will need approval from the Building and Construction Authority before they can restart. Priority will be given to projects that had started before the circuit breaker and were suspended.

New renovation works will depend on factors such as whether the renovation contractor has sent its workers to be tested for Covid-19. More details will be announced later this week.

Students can choose to wear a face shield or a face mask when they return to school from June 2.ST PHOTO: GAVIN FOO

A Yes, they can choose between a face shield and a face mask.

A No. Just as tuition and enrichment centres remain closed, face-to-face lessons by private tutors will remain suspended in phase one. Tutors and students can continue with online classes.

Bubble tea shops, as well as other outlets selling predominantly beverages, are not allowed to reopen. Food and beverage outlets, food caterers and canteens can provide only takeaway and delivery options.ST PHOTO: WANG HUI FEN

A No. Outlets selling predominantly beverages, such as alcohol and bubble tea, are still not allowed to reopen. Food and beverage outlets, food caterers and canteens are permitted to open, but can provide only takeaway and delivery options.

A It depends. Applications to resume business will be approved by the Monetary Authority of Singapore on a case-by-case basis.

This depends on whether a money changer is able to restrict the number of staff on site to ensure safe distancing, and whether it can implement safe management measures at its outlets.

A No. Maid agencies are not allowed to reopen their physical outlets. They can continue to operate online.

A No. To manage the risks of transmission, most retail outlets, including those selling health supplements, will have to stay closed until further notice. They may continue to sell their products online and fulfil the orders through delivery.

A No. They cannot reopen their physical outlets but can continue to operate remotely.

A No. Insurance agents still cannot have face-to-face meetings with clients, except where the physical presence of the client is legally required to complete transactions. These meetings must take place in the office of the insurer.

A Yes, basic grooming, animal physiotherapy and rehabilitation services for pets can restart on June 2.

But there will be restrictions. Grooming, for instance, includes the maintenance of skin and fur, teeth brushing, emptying of anal glands and medicated baths. It excludes cosmetic styling of pets' fur and spa baths.

If you are taking your pet for physiotherapy or rehabilitation, you will need a referral from a vet.

All services must be by appointment. Non-essential services such as pet-sitting, daycare for animals, walking, boarding and the sale of pets will remain prohibited.

See more here:
Circuit breaker to be lifted: What you can and cannot do from June 2 - straits times

Image caption Volunteers were needed to help prepare bodies for burial

Newham in east London has the highest proportion of deaths from coronavirus in England and Wales. BBC News looks at why, and what it means for the community.

For much of April, Ghouse Fazaluddin was consumed by one thought: "We couldn't just stand back and watch our dead be buried in mass graves."

Using his background as a telecoms project manager, he set to work.

A WhatsApp group was created, and volunteers from the Jamia mosque in Newham, where Mr Fazaluddin is a trustee, were recruited.

The task in hand was essential, but grim.

There had been so many deaths that a backlog of bodies had built up and people were required to prepare each person for burial.

A stream of people came forward, and over the course of 10 days, they cleansed and prayed for 32 people.

"The most important thing for me is how the community has come together," says Mr Fazaluddin.

"The common goal was, we cannot forget our deceased, we cannot just leave them to be buried without the ritual washing that takes place, and that people's dignity, the dignity of the deceased, was preserved."

To facilitate the process, a side room to the mosque was demarcated, with volunteers in personal protective equipment, sourced from builders' merchants, responsible for handling the bodies.

Adam Hussain, a 23-year-old furloughed maintenance engineer, felt a responsibility to step up.

"At first I was a little bit scared to volunteer, but I just couldn't stand back," he says.

"I thought, I'm doing this for the community, doing it for their family, and I just felt happy."

Covid-19 has preyed on Newham like nowhere else.

Data released by the Office for National Statistics shows the east London borough has suffered the highest proportion of deaths from the disease in England and Wales.

While there is local concern that some people did not take the virus seriously at first and continued mixing, a combination of deprivation and ethnicity has allowed the disease to exploit the area's mainly black and Asian population.

The victims have included key workers such as GP, Dr Yusuf Patel, teacher Dr Louisa Rajakumari, and Anwar Hussain Oli, one of several taxi drivers who've died, as well as at least nine residents of the Bakers Court care home in Little Ilford Lane.

"The past few weeks have been really depressing," says Ayesha Chowdhury, a Labour councillor in Newham who knows around 15 people who've died from coronavirus, many of them Bangladeshis.

"When they pass away, the community cannot participate in the funeral, they cannot visit the family so everything is completely shocking.

"Besides dealing with the sadness, they also have to think about the finances of a funeral."

Newham has long been recognised as one of the poorest areas of England, the 2012 Olympic Park was located there in an effort to regenerate the area.

That has brought benefits to some parts, but long-standing high levels of both overcrowding and underlying health conditions, such as cardiovascular disease and asthma, have remained.

Despite its problems, the government has cut around 6m, in real terms, from Newham's public health budget since 2016.

The recent ONS data, which showed people in poor areas dying at twice the rate seen in more affluent districts, mirrors earlier research on the impact of pandemics.

A 2012 paper, looking at the much smaller consequences of the 2009 swine flu outbreak in England, found deaths were three times higher in poorer communities and recommended socio-economic disparities be part of future pandemic planning.

Researchers say there is little evidence that happened.

"This is not an equalising virus. This is a virus with a disproportionate effect on poor communities," says Rokhsana Fiaz, Labour Mayor of Newham.

"If you want to avoid a second wave, if you want to minimise deaths, we've got to be given the resources and flexibility to spend at a local level.

"Top down, command and control, will not work in light of the evidence we have."

Public health experts agree that a targeted approach will be needed as the disease develops.

Jonathan Pearson-Stuttard, a public health researcher at Imperial College London, says communities deemed to be most at risk from Covid-19 should get priority whenever a vaccine is developed.

"Once those most in need, such as health and care workers are vaccinated, it's very reasonable to assume that those most at risk would be next in line to receive the vaccine."

In Newham, the community that has lived through this crisis, must now rebuild the borough.

At the East London Science School, they have been hit hard - about 40 staff members have had symptoms, at least 10 pupils have lost relatives and one staff member is caring for two children who have been orphaned after both their parents died of Covid-19.

For head teacher, David Perks, bringing hope means restoring normality.

"Being serious about the education we offer gives them a way of seeing a future for themselves," he says.

"We can't obviously turn things back, but the fact that they can see a future is the best thing we can give them."

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Coronavirus: Restoring hope in the hardest-hit community - BBC News

Construction is complete on VYV East, a 432-unit residential building at 444 Warren Street in Jersey City. Designed by Perkins Eastman anddeveloped by Brookfield Properties and G&S Investors, the structure is the second building to rise in the 18-acre Hudson Exchange West development following the completion of its sibling VYV at 474 Warren Street. Both edifices feature a curtain wall of dark gray brick and glass panels, and culminate in relatively flat parapets. The entire development will consist of 12 new towers with 5,400 units and 350,000 square feet of amenity, retail, and dining spaces.

A select few apartments on the southeastern corner of VYV East have balconies that run the height of the building from the top of the podium to the pinnacle. They provide views across the Hudson River of Hudson Square, Soho, Tribeca, and the World Trade Center in Lower Manhattan. The structure also contains 9,000 square feet of ground-floor retail space that is being marketed by RKF.

VYV (left) and VYV East. Photo by Michael Young

VYV East. Photo by Michael Young

VYV East. Photo by Michael Young

VYV East is bound by Warren Street to the west, VYV and its multi-story parking garage to the north, light rail tracks to the east, and Metro Plaza Drive to the south. The waterfront is only two blocks away to the east, while the Harsimus Cove Hudson-Bergen Light Rail station is right across Metro Plaza Drive. TheNewport Centre mall is a short walk from the front doors, as are big-box stores like Bed Bath & Beyond, BJs, and Shop Rite, which are located immediately to the west.

A completion date for the entire masterplan has yet to be announced, but is likely several years off.

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Construction Wraps on Hudson Exchange West's Second Tower, in Jersey City - New York YIMBY

A rendering of the Ellsworth building, planned on the southwest corner of Fifth and South Streets.(Photo: provided by the City of Lafayette)

LAFAYETTE Withother developments in various stages of completion around downtown Lafayette, financing for another new project adding both commercial and residential space was approved Thursday morning.

The newest project is The Ellsworth,a $17.7 million mixed-use project slated for downtown. The five-story building is planned to be built on the southwest corner of Fifth and South streets, on a parcel of land next to Regions Bank. Its development waspart of a resolution passed by the Lafayette Economic Development CommissionThursday morning.

Once completed, developers say The Ellsworth will include 97 loft-styleapartments, 2,000 square feet of commercial space along South Street and 40 public parking spaces in a garage during business hours.

More: $20M downtown Lafayette project aims to fill 600 block of Main Street for first time in half-century

The building will be designed to be C-shaped with the inside of the C facing downtown, Shelby Bowen, president of Rebar Development, said Tuesday. The shape will allow a second-story courtyard and dog park, and the fifth floor will have an outdoor patio space overlooking downtown Lafayette.

The Regions Bank parking lot, located on South Street between Fourth and Fifth Streets, Thursday, May 21, 2020 Lafayette.(Photo: Nikos Frazier | Journal & Courier)

Bowen said it was a five-year process to identify the right spot, then another two years to work with Regions Bank and get site control.

Lafayette is an attractive place for us to invest, Bowen said. It will be one of the jewels of downtown Lafayette.

Bowen said while working with Mayor Tony Roswarski on the project, Roswarski was insistent upon high-quality project that was going to look good now and look good in 100 years.

"It has been a long process, but we do want this to be a signature piece," Roswarski said. "It's a great project that helps to continue to increase that density in downtown, which keeps it vibrant and growing."

More: $16.8M Nova Tower planned as southern gateway to downtown Lafayette

The project was led by Rebar Development, a Fishers-based firm that focuses on downtown redevelopment projects and public and private partnerships in central Indiana.

In addition to The Ellsworth, Rebar Development has also worked on other mixed-use projects in central Indiana, including The Levinson in Noblesville, The Barlow in Plainfield and 1300 Block in Speedway.

The Ellsworth also received a $2.3 million redevelopment tax credit from the Indiana Economic Development Commission. After an investment has been made, the state is providing a tax credit that can be sold as equity to make the project possible, Bowen said.

To help fund the project, Lafayette will issue up to $4.5 million in bonds,which the city expects will be paid back with taxes generated by the new development.

This is not the only project currently being planned fordowntown Lafayette developers are also looking to fill a parking lot on Main Street across from Lafayette Brewing Co. with a $20 million project, 631 Main Street Apt & Retail with retail space and 100 apartments.

Among other projects finished or just started:The Marq at Second and Columbia streets; a $16.8 million, five-story Nova Tower project on South Fourth Street; and Pullman Station, a $10.5 million, five-story mixed-use project expected to feature 76 apartments and 7,900-square-feet of commercial and retail space on the first floor on a former Lafayette City Hall parking lot at Fifth and South streets.

Construction for The Ellsworth willbegin infall 2020.

Emily DeLetter is a news reporter for the Journal & Courier. Contact her at (765) 201-8515 or via email at edeletter@jconline.com. Follow her on Twitter at @EmilyDeLetter.

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$17M retail-apts project coming to Fifth and South, second in recent weeks for downtown Lafayette - Journal & Courier