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PUPILS at Gurnard Primary School have returned to a shiny new school after the half-term holiday.

The old school had become very expensive and time consuming to maintain, with a leaky roof, blocked drains and temperamental boiler.

The new building has larger classrooms, benefits from the latest facilities and is fully accessible for children and adults with disabilities.

Headteacher Vanessa Hicks said: "We are lucky enough to have two halls, two library spaces, music practice rooms and a specialist science lab.

"The learning environment in the new school is outstanding.

"The children are now designing our new back garden which will be created on the site of the old school (formerly Solent Middle School).

"This will include a natural playground, pond, wildflower meadow, forest school, orchard and allotment so were all very excited to see it develop."

According to the Isle of Wight Council, it upgraded or refurbished six schools last year and many more are set to benefit from millions of pounds of government funding.

In total, almost 2 million was invested by the council in major projects that have included modern classrooms, replacement roofing and windows, heating systems and electrical works.

However, a further estimated 12 million is set to be spent on the Island over the coming years through the government's Priority Schools Building Programme (PSBP).

The programme has already seen the refurbishment of Barton Primary School, Newport, and a new build at Queensgate Primary School, East Cowes which opened last week with major works also planned for Binstead, Brading, Dover Park (Ryde), Greenmount (Ryde), Wootton and Wroxall primary schools.

Cllr Paul Brading, Cabinet member for children's services and education, said: "We are continually investing in our schools to ensure our children have the best possible learning environment.

"Thanks to the strong working relationship between the Department for Education (DfE) and local authority, many Island schools are also benefitting from significant investment from the government's PSBP.

"Our push on improvements is helping to boost school results on the Island with outcomes improving at a much faster rate than schools nationally."

Godshill Primary School has recently undergone a 640,000 transformation with the council investing a further 790,000 in Cowes and Broadlea primary schools, with the latter benefitting from a brand-new roof.

Around 200,000 has been spent at The Bay Church of England School, Sandown, as part of a series of works which has included the refurbishment of the school dining hall.

Meanwhile, further investment has been made at St George's special school and Medina House School, both at Newport, to enhance fire safety.

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School's cool! Gurnard pupils return to a shiny new building after half term - Isle of Wight County Press

Megans Coffee Corner closed Saturday, Feb. 29, marking a decade in Bellevue. The coffee hut, which boasts two drive-thru and one walk-up window, will be replaced by a drive-thru only Starbucks.

If you ask locals, theyll tell you they are happy to have a Starbucks in the neighborhood, just like the one inside the Safeway about 500 feet from where Megans Coffee Corner sits. Or the Starbucks less than a mile away on 156th Avenue Southeast. What locals are not happy about is Starbucks adding another location by supplanting a local coffee stand.

The coffee stand originally opened under different ownership, in 1995. Megan Stoa, who started working at the coffee stand in 2001 and bought it in 2010, said she was disappointed to close down the shop, especially since it would be replaced by a corporate chain.

While her landlord is well within the legal rights, Stoa said she was alerted that he would not be renewing their lease on Feb.7, after a letter from earlier was sent to an old address.

It was heartbreaking. This is one of the last real neighborhoods in the area, Stoa said of her store closure and other local shop closures. You share a connection with many of the customers that Im just not sure a corporate chain will have.

Stoa said she was looking forward to spending more time with her kids and the lack of 3 a.m. alarms.

Karen Seely, a local to Bellevue for the last 18 years, said she has grown a special bond with the staff at Megans Coffee Corner.

Theyre more like family, Seely said. Ive even had a couple of (the staff) house sit for me and dog sit for me.

Seely admitted that as a business owner herself (she owns a hot tub service and repair company) she is partial to female-owned businesses in the community, but Im also partial to trying to keep our community, a community, she said. Theyre more than just drive-by and order a cup of coffee. Theyre very, very dear people.

A Starbucks spokesperson confirmed the company would be opening a new store at that location this summer.

Starbucks is always looking for great locations to better meet the needs of our customers and we are happy to confirm we will be opening a new location at 15100 SE 38th St. in Bellevue this summer, the spokesperson said. The drive-thru only store will employ approximately 15 partners (employees).

Seely said her experiences with Stoas staff have added more to her life than just friendly moments and dog sitting. She said shes gotten business through connections to other customers and that the staff at Megans will often help her find service from other businesses. Seely said her community NextDoor page (a social media for neighbors) was upset to hear that a local staple would no longer be in their community.

One of the baristas Seely has grown close to is Laura French, who has worked at the shop since 2016, commuting 45 minutes to an hour a day for work.

At first, I was kind of just trying to find a job to get me by, but once I started working here the environment was like something youve never really felt before, French said. We have a bond with our customers they tell us about their personal stuff were all friends here.

French complimented her boss work ethic, care for employees and kindness overall.

Stoa said she gained those traits from her great-grandfather, who started a carpet business, and her grandfather and mother who later inherited the business.

I grew up in a family business atmosphere, Stoa said. I learned that if the employees arent happy, the customers wont be happy.

Stoa, French and Seely all said they would miss the community of the coffee shop the most. Getting to know each other, and each others families, was what Stoa said inspired her to keep getting up at 3 a.m.

Im going to miss the customers in particular the dogs (Im going to miss) seeing kids and their pets grow up, Stoa said. Ive felt like Im going through a breakup. Im going through a real grieving process.

In consideration of how we voice our opinions in the modern world, weve closed comments on our websites. We value the opinions of our readers and we encourage you to keep the conversation going.

Please feel free to share your story tips by emailing editor@bellevuereporter.com.

To share your opinion for publication, submit a letter through our website https://www.bellevuereporter.com/submit-letter/. Include your name, address and daytime phone number. (Well only publish your name and hometown.) We reserve the right to edit letters, but if you keep yours to 300 words or less, we wont ask you to shorten it.

The menu and walk-up window at Megans Coffee Corner in Bellevue, WA, on Feb. 25, 2020. Mitchell Atencio/Staff Photo

The walk-up window at Megans Coffee Corner in Bellevue, WA, on Feb. 25, 2020. Mitchell Atencio/Staff Photo

A tip jar at Megans Coffee Corner in Bellevue, WA, on Feb. 25, 2020. Mitchell Atencio/Staff Photo

Laura French prepares a drink at Megans Coffee Corner in Bellevue, WA, on Feb. 25, 2020. Mitchell Atencio/Staff Photo

Mitchell Atencio/Staff PhotoAbove, Laura French hands a customer a drink at Megans Coffee Corner in Bellevue on Feb. 25. Below, the menu and walk-up window at Megans Coffee Corner.

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Megans Coffee Corner closing at the end of Feb., will be replaced by Starbucks in the... - Bellevue Reporter

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Microsoft is working on Server Message Block (SMB) over QUIC technology for use with "Windows, Windows Server, and Azure Files," according to a Monday announcement.

SMB over QUIC can serve as a virtual private network (VPN) alternative for securing mobile device connections. It can optionally replace "TCP/IP and RDMA" (Remote Direct Memory Access) protocols, as well, explained Ned Pyle, a principal program manager in the Windows Server engineering group. QUIC is seen as being a more secure protocol than TCP.

"Unlike TCP, QUIC isalwaysencrypted and requires TLS 1.3 [Transport Layer Security 1.3] with certificate authentication of the tunnel," Pyle added.

By using SMB over QUIC, Microsoft will just be replacing the transport protocol part.

"All SMB authentication still happens normally within the TLS tunnel (as if it was a VPN) so SMB is not relying on cert-based identity or auth -- it will still use NTLM or Kerberos (with KDC proxy)," Pyle explained in the comments section of Microsoft's announcement. "This model is just swapping out the transport, SMB is unchanged."

The idea behind SMB over QUIC is to prevent spoofing and man-in-the-middle attacks, including "NTLM [Windows NT LAN Manager] challenges," Pyle indicated. He also explained that the user experience won't change. TCP and RDMA get used, but QUIC transport also happens, and the end result is "seamless to the end user and their apps."

Pyle said that "QUIC's already in use in Windows 10 through the Edge browser and other apps,"but the arrival time for SMB over QUIC isn't yet known. He showed a demo of it, though, in the announcement.

QUIC, which stands for "Quick UDP Internet Connections," was developed by Google, which has its own "gQUIC" version that's currently used in Google Chrome Web browsers, according to Wikipedia's description.

The Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) currently maintains a draft of QUIC, but "QUIC" is considered to be the name of the protocol and not an acronym, according to the IETF. Wikipedia further explained that the IETF is planning to name "the HTTP mapping over QUIC 'HTTP/3' in advance of making it a worldwide standard."

About the Author

Kurt Mackie is senior news producer for 1105 Media's Converge360 group.

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Microsoft Bringing SMB Over QUIC to Windows - Redmondmag.com

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According to Craig Burley, Arsenal should look for Wolves striker, as a replacement for Alexandre Lacazette.

Raul Jimenez has impressed during his spell at Wolverhampton Wanders scoring 13 goals in both seasons.

The Mexico international was also a target for, Manchester United in January transfer window.

Burley believes Arsenal should make their interest in the striker, due to concerns over Lacazettes future.

Former Chelsea midfielder Craig Burley added:

He has experience but still at a good age, run the channels, Physical in air and works hard

Craig Burley feels alongside, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, He will be a big presence through the middle.

Lacazette lost his place in the side to Eddie Nketiah insisted that he will not push for an exit at the end of the season.

The Gunners have been tipped to make a move for Raul Jimenez. Arsenal can use him in the middle if they end up selling Lacazette.

Earlier this season, There were rumors about Jimenez transfer to Manchester United.

Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta has been itch to spend big on Raul Jimenez to bring him this summer at Emirates.

The Wolves striker has scored 13 goals in 28 premier league matches and nine goals in 12 Europa League matches.

Before, the January transfer window, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was keen on signing the striker.

With Marcus Rashford injured United thought Raul Jimenez will be an answer for their striker problems.

Manchester United end up signing Odion Ighalo on loan from Shanghai Greenland Shenhua.

Mikel Arteta is expected to make some changes to his squad, in the summer and potentially sell either Lacazette or Aubameyang, if they dont secure European football next season.

However, Both Manchester United and Arsenal can qualify for the Champions League football next season.

United are 5th in the Premier League table, and Arsenal are sitting on 10th, but just 5 points behind United.

The top four race is quite interesting, as teams can qualify including Wolves itself.

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Arsenal ready to replace outgoing striker with Man United's summer target - The twelfth Man Times

Lady Gaga's father is refusing to pay $260,000 in rent and fees for hisrestaurant at New York City's Grand Central Terminal, saying the homelesspopulation is hurting his business.

Joe Germanotta, owner of Art Bird & Whiskey Bar, said he wants theMetropolitan Transit Authority, which oversees the busy commuter train station,to renegotiate his rent or release him from his lease, which expires in 2028, TheWall Street Journal reported Thursday.

Germanotta and other business owners on the terminal's lower concourse saidthey are struggling because of a homelessness problem, rodent infestation, andoutdated furniture and facilities.

Top news stories in the tri-state area, in America and around the world

"I want to stay," Germanotta said. "I just can't afford tounder these conditions."

Several restaurateurs said that they regret securing a lease and that monthly payments consume 30% or more of their gross revenues double what they would expect to pay at another location in the city, the Journal reported in December.

The Journal reviewed a letter from the MTA to Germanotta telling him if hisdebt was not paid within two weeks, the authority would begin the process ofrepossessing the property.

If an agreement can't be reached with the MTA, Germanotta said, he plans toseek more than $1.5 million for investments in the restaurant, construction andloss of business.

Germanotta attended an MTA board meeting Monday and told commissioners thehomelessness and state of public restrooms is causing business owners in theterminal to struggle.

MTA board member Neal Zuckerman acknowledged the homelessness in theterminal, citing "loitering and frankly harassment" of commuters.

But MTA Police Chief Al Stiehler said officers will not eject people who areabiding by terminal rules.

"These are people, they are suffering, they need help, they needassistance and we will do everything we can every day to provide them the helpthat they need," Stiehler said. "We are very mindful to protect theirrights."

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Lady Gagas Father Says Homeless Population is Hurting His Grand Central Restaurant - NBC New York

An image of what a new bank building will look like at the corner of Main and Monarch streets. Construction begins March 1.Courtesy rendering

An image of what the Base2 Lodge would have looked like at the corner of Main and Monarch streets. Voters in 2015 shot the proposal down and a bank building will be constructed this year.Courtesy rendering

The Conoco gas station at 232 Main St. will be demolished in the next month to make way for a bank.Kelsey Brunner/The Aspen Times

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Construction is set to begin this week on a prominent corner in downtown Aspen on Main Street that will be the location of a bank.

Landlord Mark Hunt and his development partner Centaur Construction are building on the former site of Conoco gas station at 232 E. Main St., and demolition and tank removal are scheduled to take a month, with construction of the new building to be completed by this fall and interior work through early 2021.

Chase Bank will occupy the new building, which is designed as a contemporary interpretation of a mountain chalet.

Im really excited about this building, more than any other in our portfolio, said Spiro Tsaparas, CEO of Centaur, who along with Hunt, are developing several properties in town, including the redevelopment of the Crystal Palace into a boutique hotel on Hyman Avenue.

The Main Street property, which Hunt bought for $6 million in 2014, was originally envisioned to be developed into a commercial building.

But after Hunt was approached by then-Mayor Steve Skadron, who wanted to fill a niche of affordable accommodations in town, Hunt changed plans and designed a 37-room, three-story lodge.

But a majority of Aspen voters shot down the proposal in 2015 after City Council referred a ballot question that was initiated by a citizens group, led by Councilman Ward Hauenstein prior to him being elected.

The vote was instigated by a petition drive that successfully aimed to overturn City Councils variances given to the lodge. Those concessions included giving the lodge more than three times its allowable floor area for the site, 15,000 square feet, in addition to variances for employee housing and setbacks. However, the building met the allowable volume envelope requirements at the time, according to Tsapras.

Hunt and his team campaigned heavily, spending about $50,000, but it wasnt enough to convince residents that a lodge was better than a commercial building.

Unfortunately, all of our efforts of knocking on doors and campaigning did not yield a successful result for us, Tsaparas said. It was a business decision to make it a bank.

Instead of what could have been millions of dollars in sales tax revenue with a lodge and restaurant, the building will house what will be the towns eighth financial institution.

Over 60% of the electorate chose the commercial building over the lodge, because they worried about density, traffic and where guests were going to park since onsite parking was not part of the proposal.

The new building, which was approved by the citys Historic Preservation Commission in 2017, will be roughly 5,900 square feet and 21 feet tall.

The two-story building is well below the allowed height limit and is designed to blend into Main Streets historic district, according to the application filed with the historic commission by land-use planner Sara Adams.

It incorporates lively outdoor space to energize Main Street, and redefines the street corner, she wrote. The proposed building is a fresh approach to new construction in the historic district that blends Victorian and modern by drawing inspiration from the gable forms of the historic Victorians and the deep overhang of the chalet style represented by the Cortina Lodge (next door).

The corner lot also will have landscaped areas and sidewalks, creating a better pedestrian experience than what is currently there with the gas station parking lot.

Hunt will mitigate for nearly eight full-time employees generated by the development, which he will do with housing credits.

Chase, currently located in a Hyman Avenue Mall building Hunt and his investors own, is expected to move to Main Street next year.

csackariason@aspentimes.com

Originally posted here:
Construction of new bank on Aspen's Main Street set to begin - Aspen Times

By CANDY NEALcneal@dcherald.com

HUNTINGBURG McDonalds is looking to construct a restaurant in Huntingburg in 2021.

But, according to the development group who owns the property, the public should not get too excited yet since the plan is not yet set in stone.

I wouldnt hold my breath, said Mike Uebelhor of Uebelhor Developments, because they may change it again.

Uebelhor Developments owns the property destined for the fastfood restaurant, at the southwest corner of Main and Sixth streets, also known as U.S. 231 and State Road 64. The Huntingburg company will continue to own the property. McDonalds started leasing the land from the company this year, Uebelhor said.

Restaurant officials did not tell Uebelhor when construction would start next year.

They said the construction has been pushed back to sometime in 2021, he said. Its been one delay after another.

McDonalds representatives told city officials back in 2018 that construction would start in 2019 or 2020. The company received permits in 2018 for what was to be a $1.5 million project. Construction documents for a McDonald's restaurant in Huntingburg were also filed with the Indiana Department of Homeland Security that year.

The Huntingburg, Indiana area remains a viable option for a McDonalds location," a McDonald's spokesperson told The Herald last August. "However, there are no definitive details or timelines to disclose at this time. The Herald has reached out to McDonald's again for another updated.

Huntingburg Planning Director Paul Lake said that if the company is looking to build next year, it will likely need to renew permits. The company has not yet done that, he said, but it could be done later this year and still be ready for 2021 construction.

The land is the former site of a Marathon gas station that was demolished years ago.

The rest is here:
McDonald's still in the works for Huntingburg - The Herald

A new development will soon take shape in a major retail corridor in Mishawaka.

According to site plans, three new buildings will be constructed between Qdoba Mexican Eats at 5310 North Main Street and Portillos at 5102 North Main Street, to house four new businesses. Plans show that two businesses already have leases in the development Raising Canes Chicken Fingers and Mission BBQ Nebraska-based Access Commercial Real Estate company is overseeing the project.

Raising Canes Chicken Fingers is a Louisiana-based fast food restaurant known for fried chicken fingers baskets, cole slaw, Texas toast and more. According to the company website, the chicken finger business has dozens of restaurants across the country, predominantly in the Midwest.

A recent construction design release filed to the Indiana Department of Homeland Security shows the address for the restaurant as 4914 N. Main Street. It will occupy a 3,300-square foot, stand alone building. A spokesperson with Raising Canes would not confirm plans for the new location, stating many factors go into our decisions, and ever-changing market conditions can affect planned locations and launch dates.

A start date for construction and an opening date for the restaurant are not immediately clear.

Mission BBQ is also proposed to be a part of the development. The Maryland-based company offers a variety of barbecue, including St. Louis style spare ribs, North Carolina-style pulled pork sandwiches and Texas-inspired oak-smoked brisket. The company is also known for supporting military and first responders by donating to local groups and hiring veterans. A spokesperson with Mission BBQ said the restaurant is scheduled to open by the end of this year.

Mission will be in a multi-tenant building with its neighboring space 2,800-square feet still available, according to the listing site that was updated Feb. 3.

A third building, sizing up to be about 13,000-square feet, is planned to be next to Portillos. A tenant has yet to be announced.

Access Commercial listing agent Kirk Hanson did not respond to multiple requests for information regarding the project and its timeline. Mishawaka City Planner Ken Prince said the developments plans were approved late last year and the company could pull a permit and start construction anytime. Prince speculates the company will wait for the spring to break ground.

New yoga studio opens in downtown South Bend

A new yoga studio has opened in the Hibberd Building in downtown South Bend.

Bend Yoga, 321 S. Main St., began offering classes Saturday. According to its website, the studio offers several different classes, including power yoga, hatha yoga, core flow and mindful vinyasa flow. There are several membership options to choose from, as well as single class and drop-in options. According to its website, prices begin at $16 per session.

Have you heard?

A new virtual reality and video gaming business is up and running in Mishawaka. The Waypoint VRcade opened last Friday at 620 W. Edison Road. The business offers free-roam VR games to play and more. Find out more at http://www.facebook.com/Thewaypointvrcade. ... Fiddlers Hearth at 127 N. Main St. in downtown South Bend was recently listed as the best Irish food in Indiana, by Delish.com. ... Hop Station Craft Bar at 318 Union St. in Mishawaka was voted best beer bar in Indiana, by CraftBeer.com. ... LaSalle Grill at 115 W. Colfax Ave. in downtown South Bend was recently awarded a AAA Four Diamond Award, marking 23 consecutive years of receiving the distinction.

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Mishawaka development proposed to bring businesses like Raising Cane's and Mission BBQ - South Bend Tribune

Construction has begun on a $3.8 million project that will create a new baggage claim area for Lawton-Fort Sill Regional Airport.

The construction of a carousel-style baggage claim system similar to those seen in many other airports across the country is the first of three phases of construction that are calculated to modernize the airport terminal. This construction phase, awarded to Jet Commercial Construction in 2019, also will include upgrades in the general area of the terminal (non-passenger areas) and construction of a temporary secured holding area, which will operate as the holding area for passengers who have been screened but not yet boarded aircraft until the permanent holding area is built.

Airport Director Barbara McNally said crews with Jet Commercial Construction have erected wall barriers, which are keeping passengers out of the work area on the south end of the terminal. The walls designate a hard hat area, where construction will be under way for months, she said.

In the meantime, American Eagle has opened a baggage claim area on the north end of the terminal, in the ticketing area at what was the ASA/Delta ticket counter. That area had a conveyor belt for what had been checked luggage by ASA passengers, which has been reversed to allow luggage unloaded from the aircraft to be delivered inside.

Its an easier location to keep people out of the (construction) area, McNally said.

To compensate for the hardhat construction area, the airport also made minor changes in the entrance of the airports restaurant so it can continue to operate.

The project will replace what had been a series of garage doors that baggage handlers raised to place checked bags on small inside ramps. The system was crowded, as well as inefficient: the doors opened directly outside, making climate control difficult inside the terminal. The new system will be a traditional flat carousel which will allow baggage to be unloaded outside from a covered baggage cart area, then carried indoors, where doors will be opened for retrieval by passengers.

Contractors in this phase also will build out the back of the terminal to provide space for the temporary secured passenger holding area. That site will become operational during the next construction phase, when the existing secured passenger holding area will be closed and demolished, then replaced with space that will hold twice as many passengers. Once the new holding site becomes operational, the temporary site will be converted to other use, McNally said.

Other work will begin modernization of the non-passenger side of the terminal, to include removing some support pillars to provide more open space (the roof will be reinforced, airport officials said).

As construction on the baggage claim area is ramping up, another long-term airport project has ended: construction of a new Fire Station No. 2 on Bishop Road.

The ARFF (air rescue and firefighting building) is done, McNally said, adding the punch list of last-minute problems is done and the facility has been turned over to Lawton Fire Department.

While Station No. 2 is home to the specially trained firefighters who respond to aviation-related emergencies at the airport, its crews also respond to emergencies in south Lawton and the dual-use station is part of Lawton Fire Department.

McNally said Lawton fire administrators are deciding when the station will open, through a process that will move firefighters from the existing station to the new one. The airport will sponsor a ground-breaking ceremony for the structure.

They wanted to wait until the firefighters moved over to it, McNally said.

The new facility is immediately west of the old station. In January, two major projects were left for completion: a trench for a hot line or the hardware that links the fire station to the airports tower and completion of software for the security fencing; and installation of a commercial grade hood for the kitchens oven.

The $3.9 million station is one of two new fire stations that will open this year. This spring, the firefighting crews of downtowns Central Fire Station will move to the new public safety facility being built south of East Gore Boulevard, between Larrance and Railroad streets.

Original post:
Construction begins on airport's baggage claim area - The Lawton Constitution

Thanks to a grant from Kroger Mid-Atlantic, Richmond area families facing food insecurity will now have additional assistance. The grocer recently donated more than $10,000 to open a new school food pantry at Chimborazo Elementary and stock 16 other school pantries across the district.

After seeing a call for food assistance in October 2019, Kroger connected with local non-profit, Communities In Schools of Richmond, to offer its support.

After learning about the need for food pantry staples in our local community, we had to help, said Allison McGee, corporate affairs manager for Kroger Mid-Atlantic. This effort is perfectly aligned with our Zero Hunger Zero Waste mission at Kroger and our goal of eliminating hunger in the communities we serve.

The new school pantry at Chimborazo Elementary School is part of a coordinated school effort to help address the needs of Chimborazo families. In addition to supporting Chimborazo Elementary, this grant allows CIS of Richmond to help stock 16 other area school pantries with items including pasta, canned fruits and vegetables, and other shelf-stable items.

At Communities In Schools of Richmond, we are committed to delivering the five basics. Among those, a healthy start and a healthy future, said Dr. Harold Fitrer, President & CEO of Communities In Schools of Richmond. The reality is students cannot learn when they are hungry. It is impossible to focus in class when your stomach is growling or you are concerned if you will have dinner at home that night. We are thankful for this commitment from Kroger to Richmond students.

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Oldest restaurant in Scott's Addition sold to new owners after 23 years - rvahub.com