Home Builder Developer - Interior Renovation and Design

Editors note:The following is an edited excerpt from the new book, House Lessons: Renovating a Life, 2020 by Erica Bauermeister. All rights reserved. Excerptedby permission of Sasquatch Books.

THE HOUSE STOOD at the top of a hill, ensnarled in vegetation, looking out over the Victorian roofs of Port Townsend and beyond, to water and islands and clouds. It seemed to lean toward the view as if enchanted, although we later learned that had a lot more to do with neglect than magic. The once-elegant slopes of its hipped roof rolled and curled, green with moss. The tall, straight walls of its Foursquare design were camouflaged in salmon-pink asbestos shingles, the windows covered in grimy curtains or cardboard. Three discarded furnaces, four neon-yellow oil drums, an ancient camper shell and a pair of rusted wheelbarrows lay scattered at odd angles across the overgrown grass, as if caught in a game of large-appliance freeze tag.

Hugo House:Erica Bauermeister will read from her book at 7 p.m., March 24.

Third Place Books, Ravenna:A Literary Luncheon is scheduled for 1 p.m., March 25.

More information:Additional purchasing options can be found atericabauermeister.com, along with more information about the author, coming events and her other books.

The yard was Darwinian in its landscaping an agglomeration of plants and trees, stuck in the ground and left to survive. Below the house, I could just see the tips of a possible orchard poking up through a roiling sea of ivy. In front, two weather-stunted palm trees flanked the walkway like a pair of tropical lawn jockeys gone lost, while a feral camellia bush had covered the porch and was heading for the second story. Someone had hacked away a rough opening for the front stairs, down which an assortment of rusted rakes and car mufflers and bags of fertilizer sprawled in lazy abandon. In their midst, seemingly oblivious to its setting, sat a rotting fruit basket, gift card still attached.

The Backstory: When where you live becomes how you live and, even more foundationally, who you are

That one, my husband, Ben, said, as he pointed to the house.

Its not for sale, I noted.

I know. But it should be, dont you think?

Our son and daughter, 10 and 13, stared out the car windows, slack-jawed.

Youre kidding, right? they asked. But I think they already knew the question was rhetorical.

WHEN I WAS young, my mother used to take all five of her kids on an annual quest for the family Christmas tree. We would travel around Los Angeles in our wood-paneled station wagon, from one lot of precut evergreens to another, searching for the perfect tree. As the trip dragged on, there were times I questioned my mothers sanity, and yet when my mother found her tree, it created a satisfaction within her that I could see even if I didnt always understand. Maybe a particular height reminded her of being a child herself; perhaps a certain shade of green reached into her soul. I never really knew, and perhaps knowing was never the point. When I would ask what she was looking for, my mother would just smile and say: It has to talk to me.

Any honest real estate agent will tell you that most homebuyers decisions are no more rational than my mothers with her tree. There was a time in my life, years after I first encountered that ramshackle house in Port Townsend, when I was an agent myself, walking buyers through the process and dutifully helping them draw up their lists of requirements. I would listen to a couple emphatically assert that they needed four bedrooms, two baths and a no-maintenance yard and then watch as they fell in love with a tiny garden-becalmed cottage that they spotted on the way to the house that met every one of their specifications. It happened over and over and over. While we might like to believe that our house needs are pragmatic line items, our true needs, the ones that drive our decisions, come far more often from some deep and unacknowledged wellspring of memories and desires.

Because heres the thing we arent looking for a house; were looking for a home. A house can supply you with a place to sleep, to cook, to store your car. A home fits your soul. In ancient Rome, the term domus, from which we get the word domicile, meant both people and place, an unspoken relationship that we feel like a heartbeat. A home fulfills needs you didnt know you had, so it is no wonder that when pressed for an explanation for our choices, we give reasons that make no sense, pointing to a bunch of dried lavender hanging in the kitchen, a porch swing, the blue of a front door almost always things that could be re-created in a house that fit the list. But sense is not the point. These small details are simply visual indicators of an architectural personality that fits our own, that reminds us of a childhood home, or a house, filled with color and the laughter of children, that we visited on a vacation in Mexico.

And yet a choice of a home is not just about where weve been or what we remember; its also about who we want to be. As Winston Churchill famously said: We shape our buildings, and afterwards they shape us. When we choose a house, we are making a decision about how we will live. I dont mean in the obvious way of how long your commute to work will be, or whether there are schools or stores or friends nearby although all of those things are important and will impact your life. What I am talking about is something far more subliminal. The designs of our homes quite literally change us. An eating nook for two invites a busy couple to slow down every morning for coffee. A courtyard in an apartment building helps create community. A south-facing window encourages optimism, while alcoves foster book lovers. Perhaps one of the strongest blows for feminism came from the first sledgehammer that opened a kitchen to a family room and changed the view of the cook, from both sides of the wall.

It is the rare buyer who sees these things for what they are. We are understandably distracted by the stress of what is for many of us the biggest financial decision of our lives. Our minds are busy. But we feel those subtle calls. We see that bunch of lavender. And, as often as not, we leap.

THEY ARE GLORIOUS things, these leaps into love. We catch the wind of our own enthusiasm, and off we go, into the sky of a new future. But are they really as untethered as they seem? In his book Blink, Malcolm Gladwell talks about our instantaneous decisions flashes of insight he says are messages from the adaptive unconscious, the part of the brain that sifts through the bits and pieces of what is before us, focusing in on what is truly important. The process, Gladwell assures us, is a rational one; it simply moves a little faster and operates a little more mysteriously than the kind of deliberate, conscious decision making that we usually associate with thinking. We meet a stranger and experience an instant aversion or affection. We walk in a front door for the first time and feel at home.

Its not just our minds that make these decisions, however. We live in bodies with five senses, and the stimuli they receive from our external environments have a far greater effect upon our thinking than we know. It doesnt take much to tip our decision-making scales, either. In one study, something as simple as the weight of a clipboard affected subjects opinions of the professionalism and intellect of the otherwise-equally qualified candidates they were interviewing. The heavier the board in the subjects hands, the more likely they would be to hire the candidate. Our physical senses are busy little puppeteers, playing with the strings of our emotions. So watch out for the pleasurable feel beneath your fingers of that smooth door handle, the satisfying click of the latch as it closes tight and secure. From such seemingly innocuous interactions are big decisions made.

It can be hard to accept that our choices are being swayed by our senses, or that there is a hidden part of our brain that knows our needs better than we do ourselves. And yet what would be wrong with a moment of unconscious communication between house and human the kind that allows for that back-of-the-mind sorting of memories and desires, along with the equally unspoken delight our senses take in a curving front path or a kitchen that smells like home? It is the totality of each of us that will live in the house, after all.

And thus, if we leap, perhaps it is with a greater safety net than we thought flying toward a house that calls us by a name we have long forgotten, or simply need to grow into.

BUT WHY THAT HOUSE? my mother asked me a question I found amusing, coming from Our Lady of the Christmas Tree. But my mother had good reason to be skeptical. Among the five kids in our family, my role had always been the cautious one. In addition, while wed lived in four houses while I was growing up, none of them had been more than 25 years old, and there hadnt been much need for remodeling. So while Ben and I had made some changes to our Seattle home, there wasnt much reason to think that I would want to take on, let alone be successful at, the complete renovation of a 92-year-old house crammed with trash.

What I find to be the loveliest bit of irony, though, is that the seeds of the desire to save the house in Port Townsend were actually planted by my mother, long before I even knew what a mortgage was. My mother loved books and always made sure we had plenty of them. As a young child, perhaps my favorite was Virginia Lee Burtons The Little House. It tells the story of a small pastoral cottage that is slowly but surely surrounded by the city, growing more and more decrepit and forgotten until finally someone finds it, picks it up and moves it out to the country again. Each time my mother read the book to me, I could feel the houses happiness, then sadness, then joy. I wanted to live in its glowing early iteration. When the city came in and the house despaired, all I wanted to do was save it.

I think anyone who saves an old house has to be a caretaker at heart, a believer in underdogs, someone whose imagination is inspired by limitations, not endless options. When I was a real estate agent, I used to ask my clients how they cooked. They usually thought I was trying to find out what kind of kitchen they wanted and that was true, in part. But the question was really a way to find out how they approached life. Those who had little interest in cooking generally had even less in home maintenance and remodeling. Chefs who loved the planning of a meal from researching recipes to finding the right ingredients often had the temperament to design their own homes, and they could envision stunning remodels. But a fixer-upper requires a different kind of creativity, the kind that you often find in a cook whose mind is awakened by opening a refrigerator to an odd assortment of ingredients, knowing that dinner must come out of it. A cook sees leftovers as a chance to make something new and beautiful, and when someone with this kind of personality sees an old house, she is likely to want to save it. Save being the operative word, because for this group, the relationship with the house will be extremely personal and interactive.

I am a cook, a champion of underdogs not just leftover ingredients, but long-forgotten novelists; stray pets; and, especially, houses. My children learned early on to divert my attention any time we passed a falling-down barn, or a house with good bones and paint that was peeling like a third-degree sunburn.

Moms going to want that one, my son would say, shaking his head.

It needs us, Id answer. But in the past, Id never done anything about it. Wed driven on, and Id held those enchanting wrecks in my mind, and at night when I couldnt sleep, I would mull over the possibilities of how I could save them, the same way other people count sheep.

But why was it that house, out of all the ones Id seen over the years? Did I see symmetry and balance in its shape? Did I see a project, an outlet for a frustrated mind? Was it the big, wide porch underneath that rampant camellia, a vision of a time when people used to sit in rocking chairs and call out to their neighbors as they passed? Or was the house just the equivalent of picking up a lost puppy, on a very large scale?

I couldnt have told you then. At the time, the back of my mind was doing the thinking, efficiently spinning through all the intricacies of the decision and finding the real reasons underneath. Maybe it knew better than I that I wasnt ready to acknowledge the lessons I needed to learn, the ones the house could teach me. So among all the details, it grasped on to the delicate, undulating curves of a corbel, an unnecessary architectural flourish tucked in the corner where the front porch pillar met the roof, far above the trash, and handed that image to my conscious self. Said: Here you go. This is what you want.

A moment of beauty. A glimpse of a slower life in the midst of chaos.

It has been many years now since that day. During that time, the house has been just what the corbel promised. It has also been the exact opposite. But in the end, the back of my mind was right this was the house I needed. I just didnt understand why yet.

Erica Bauermeister is a bestselling author of four novels. She is a founding member of Seattle7Writers and lives in Port Townsend, in the house she renovated with her family. Mike Siegel is a Seattle Times staff photographer.

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A Washington author renovates a Port Townsend house, and her life - Seattle Times

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LPG honors its Showroom of the Year | 2020-02-29 - Supply House Times

FINANCIAL SERVICES

West-AirComm Federal Credit Union

West-AirComm Federal Credit Union has been a proud part of Beaver County for more than 70 years. Founded in 1949 by the employees of Westinghouse Electric, the credit union has its roots deep within the industry of the region.

West-AirComm serves more than 20,000 members with both technology and personal service. The financial services include investments and loans at some of the best rates in the region, free checking, first mortgages and home equity loans.

West-AirComm puts the credit union mission of People Helping People into motion on a daily basis. The staff offers personal service if you have questions about your finances.

The staff also volunteers their personal time to charitable organizations in the community. In 2019, they volunteered more than 1,200 hours and raised $11,000 for the spotlight charity, Operation Troop Appreciation.

West-AirComms 2020 charity initiative Cruisin for a Cause, will benefit the Beaver County Association for the Blind. The nonprofit organizations mission is to provide services to blind and visually impaired persons that promote their independence, prevent blindness and give those who are blind or disabled employment opportunities. The money raised help to fund the associations goal to provide a better means of transportation to the visually impaired.

From being deeply rooted in industry to providing financial services and supporting the communities it serves, West-AirComm cares about its members.

For more information, visit http://www.westaircomm.com or visit any one of the branches in Beaver, Aliquippa or Moon Township.

Farmers Building and Savings Bank

ROCHESTER Farmers Building and Savings Bank, 290 West Park in Rochester, specializes in mortgage loans, home equity loans and home improvement loans. The bank also offers do-it-yourself construction loans to enable those who have construction knowledge to assist in the building of their home.

The bank has drive-through facilities and off-street parking. It is handicapped accessible.

Farmers provides premium-rate passbook savings that earn interest from day of deposit to the day of withdrawal.

What is unique about our passbook savings accounts is that they are not internet accessible. This helps alleviate identity theft issues, said Dennis L. Goehring, president and managing officer. You, the account holder, bring in your passbook for transactions. Its simple and safe.

Farmers also offers Christmas club accounts and direct deposit of payroll, Social Security and pension checks. Funds are insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp.

Farmers Building and Savings Bank is one of Beaver Countys few remaining independent financial associations. All employees and managers are from the Beaver County area and boast more than 150 years of combined banking experience. They include Martin Samchuck, Rita L. Hinton, Sarah Brogley, Pamela Locke and Dennis L. Goehring. Since the bank was founded in 1894, theyve employed only 17 individuals.

More information is available by calling the bank at 724-774-4970. Youll speak with a real person, not an automated answering system.

Friendly Federal Credit Union

ALIQUIPPA Friendly Federal Credit Union, 2000 Main St. in Aliquippa, is a full-service institution that continues to expand its offerings and membership.

Friendly Federal offers auto loans, home equity loans, holiday and vacation clubs, mortgages, IRAs, certificates of deposit, money markets, free checking, direct deposit, a youth club, debit and credit cards, home banking, bill pay and an onsite ATM machine.

For the past 18 years, the institution has received the Bauer Financial five-star rating for exceptional performance. This year, it celebrates 65 years of service.

The credit union was founded in 1955 as the J&L Service Department Employees Federal Credit Union. The J&L Byproducts, Seamless and Steelworkers Credit Union joined the institution. In 1986, the financial facilitys name was changed to Friendly Federal Credit Union. Today, the credit union has assets of more than $53 million, with a membership of about 5,000.

Cynthia Hladio is the chief executive officer/manager. Phyllis Heckman is the branch manager. Carl E. Hennen is the chairman; Ed Murphy is the treasurer; and Lynn Nero, Helen Pane, Sue Ronosky, Amy Walker and Deanna Ross are directors.

The branch office is located at 384 State St. in Baden.

Information: 724-375-0488; 724-869-3500; http://www.friendlyfcu.org.

AUTOMOTIVE SERVICE

Myers Service Center & Quality Quick Lube

BEAVER In January 1990, Rick Myers and his sons, Rick and Ron, opened an auto repair business at 475 Buffalo St. in Beaver. They wanted Myers Service Center & Quality Quick Lube to do three things: be honest and upfront with customers, provide quality, affordable work each and every time, and earn the continued loyalty and trust of each customer.

Thirty years later, the Myers family has been blessed to have so many returning customers, many of whom they consider extended family, and blessed to have dedicated auto technicians and employees.

To Mark, Matt, John, Paige, Gray, Alaina and Paul, thank you for your dedication and for giving customers excellent service day-in and day-out. That commitment to excellence is what makes the business successful.

The Myers family business couldnt have succeeded without these great employees and loyal customers. Thank you. Myers Service Center and Quick Lube looks forward to continuing such service for many years to come.

Information: 724-774-7655.

EDUCATION

Geneva College

BEAVER FALLS Geneva College prepares undergraduate students to serve faithfully and fruitfully in their lifes work. With a vocational focus and liberal arts core, a Geneva education is grounded in Gods word, enabling students to think, write and communicate well in todays world.

For traditional students, Geneva offers more than 145 majors and programs, including biology business, communication, computer science, education, engineering, nursing, psychology and student ministry. The faculty cares about the success of each student, and the 13-to-1 student-faculty ratio makes that possible. Geneva professors have real-world work experience, academic achievements, and are actively engaging the culture through research and writing while professing an active Christian faith.

In addition, Geneva fields 18 varsity sports teams in NCAA Division III athletics for men and women, hosts intramural sports leagues and coordinates more than 200 student activities each year.

Adult undergraduates can earn a degree at Geneva in as few as 16 months and complement their professional and family commitments with full online programs.

The masters degree programs MBA, counseling, cybersecurity, higher education and leadership studies can help students excel toward a more promising future. These high-demand professional degrees equip students for principled Christian service to their organizations and the world.

In 2019, U.S. News & World Report ranked Geneva as the No. 3 Best Value Regional University for combining high academic quality with affordability. Kiplingers Personal Finance also lists Geneva on its prestigious list of national Private Universities of Value.

Genevas main campus is located in Beaver Falls. The college is governed by the Reformed Presbyterian Church of North America.

Geneva College does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, sex, disability, and national or ethnic origin.

Information: 800-847-8255; http://www.geneva.edu.

Penn State-Beaver

CENTER TWP. Penn State Beaver offers the personal experience of a small campus with the resources of a Big Ten research university. Students come from western Pennsylvania as well as 28 states and seven foreign countries to live in our newly remodeled residence hall, participate in our championship-winning intercollegiate sports and learn from award-winning faculty.

Students and the community now have an opportunity to participate in the Beaver Valley LaunchBox, a signature program of Invent Penn State, a commonwealth-wide initiative to promote entrepreneurship and innovation in the region and help spur economic development, job creation and campus-community collaboration.

The LaunchBox is powered by community business leaders, professors and ambitious students to provide subject matter expertise and training to help local entrepreneurs and innovators to build and grow their businesses and convert their ideas into a reality successfully. We have partnered with the Beaver County Library System to establish Creative Corners in each of the countys public libraries. We also offer community workshops in the libraries and on the Penn State Beaver campus.

To learn more about the Beaver Valley LaunchBox and our community programs visit on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and at beavervalley.launchbox.psu.edu.

Pennsylvania Cyber Charter School

MIDLAND Educating children in kindergarten through 12th grade, the Pennsylvania Cyber Charter School, better known as PA Cyber, is one of the largest and most experienced online public schools in the nation.

Students will find creative online learning environments, personalized instruction and top-notch curriculum at PA Cyber. Qualified, state-certified teachers use rich academic content that is aligned to state standards and meets the approval of the Pennsylvania Department of Education.

PA Cybers instructional model focuses on its students. It recognizes their changing developmental stages while respecting their differences and unique abilities. Using a flexible but focused learning model, PA Cybers teachers create a personalized education program for each student.

Headquartered in Midland, PA Cyber has offices throughout Pennsylvania. They serve as a hub for enrollment, orientation and enrichment. The nearly 10,000 students enrolled in PA Cyber belong to a real community, where they grow academically, emotionally, socially and physically.

PA Cyber offers choices for live and self-paced instruction, along with a variety of opportunities for interaction with teachers and peers. The extensive course list and program offerings include the creative and performing arts, STEM and gifted programs, advanced placement classes, and a variety of clubs and other activities. Certified faculty and staff are available to engage with students and families at their convenience.

PA Cyber provides a tuition-free, accredited curriculum with access to all technology and the personal guidance students need for success. The technology platforms are leading edge, user-friendly and enhance the educational experiences of the students. Each student receives a laptop, printer, textbooks and online connectivity, as well as an expert technological support team that is responsive, skilled and dependable.

PA Cyber graduates can be found attending highly regarded universities, colleges, professional academies and vocational schools. Any school-aged child living in Pennsylvania may enroll.

Information: 888-722-9237; http://www.pacyber.org.

Community College of Beaver County

CENTER TWP. Community College of Beaver County, the second smallest community college in Pennsylvania, accomplished big things in 2019 on its Center Township campus.

In March, Roger W. Davis was named the colleges ninth president after serving as interim president since May 2018. Davis, who holds a doctorate in urban educational leadership from Morgan State University in Baltimore, is the colleges youngest president. He joined CCBC in July 2016 as executive vice president and provost.

Academically, CCBC launched the School of Industrial Technology and Continuing Education. The School of Aviation Science founded by James M. Johnson was renamed in his honor. The program, which celebrated 50 years of flight, offers the No. 1 aviation training program in the nation. It includes four two-year degree programs professional pilot, air traffic control, aerospace management and unmanned aerial vehicle (drones).

Additionally, Nursingprocess.org ranked CCBCs nursing school fifth in the nation, and G.I. Jobs magazine named the community college a military-friendly school. CCBC also received the Carnegie Science Award for Leadership in STEM education of its high school academies, and is the first non-profit higher education program in the state to provide digital textbooks for a single low-cost fee.

For more than 50 years, CCBC has been a gateway to success for area students and continues to provide a path to prosperity and family-sustaining careers.

Clarion University of Pennsylvania

Clarion Universitys more than 4,700 determined students are building a bright future through challenging academics and diverse interests, all while living in a charming, civic-minded town that embraces them.

Clarion offers undergraduate and graduate degree programs in business, education, health science and the arts with a 19-to-1 student-to-faculty ratio, and nationally and internationally accredited programs. The university leads Pennsylvanias State System of Higher Education with 28 national accreditations and offers a multitude of internship and study abroad opportunities that give students hands-on experience in their chosen field and in research before they earn their degree.

The university is comprised of its scenic campus in Clarion, which has evolved since its seminary beginnings in 1867, its Clarion University-Venango campus in Oil City and Clarion Online, which offers excellence in education from anywhere in the world.

The 2020 US News and World Report ranks Clarion Online in its Top 100: best online bachelors programs and business programs, best online nursing graduate programs and best online master of education programs.

With a focus on professional development, the university has launched inventive programming and certificates. The Respiratory Care three-year bachelors program prepares students to be registered respiratory therapists and work in diverse roles through the health care delivery system.

The Department of Special Education and Disability Policy Studies and the Competent Learner Model Center of Excellence announced new, online certificate programs. Undergraduate and graduate level certificates in assistant applied behavior analyst and competent learner model are available as well as an advanced competency certificate program for special education students.

The university also offers an online opioid treatment certificate, the first of its kind in the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education.

More than 160 student organizations complement 175-plus academic programs, including academic, Greek, political, multi-cultural and service groups. Students from 42 states and 15 countries attend Clarion which boasts 58,236 alumni worldwide.

ENTERTAINMENT

Sheffield Lanes, Lounge

ALIQUIPPA Once again this summer, Sheffield Lanes and Lounge in Aliquippa will expand.

Owners Rick and Jeannie DAgostino and their son, Zach, plan to enlarge Rickey Dees Pizza kitchen. Since it reopened in 2009, the former Crescent Township-based business has become an integral part of Sheffield Lanes.

During these winter months, live entertainment continues. With the vinyl sides down, the veranda, warmed by a gas fireplace and heaters, is the perfect place to enjoy local musicians, wonderful food and a beverage. The veranda, which opened last May and provides customers with a non-smoking area, is a great place for private parties.

Sheffield Lanes offers a comfortable smoking lounge and wide selection of bourbon and Scotch, as well as many domestic and craft beers. The lounge also features a humidor stocked with premium cigars. Local musicians play several evenings during the week.

The state-of-the-art Pro Shop, managed by Matt Mowad, recently completed its third second year of business and is quickly becoming a premier spot for bowlers to upgrade their equipment or buy their first bowling ball. The Pro Shop opens at 1 p.m. on Monday, Tuesday and Friday, and at 11 a.m. on Wednesday and Saturday.

The lower-level Fallout Shelter, which will celebrate its 12th anniversary in March, is an intimate venue for live music, special events and private parties. The Shelter is a host to the Beaver County Cigar Club which meets the Thurd Thursday of each month. The cigar club plans to hold its fourth Knob Creek Single Barrel Bourbon release party this summer.

Sheffield Lanes has been a local landmark since it opened in 1950 as a 12-lane duckpin center. Now, the landmark is a 20-lane, 10-pin center that hosts mens, womens, mixed and youth bowling leagues. During the week, Sheffield Lanes offers open bowling specials including Family Funday on Sunday and Electric Bowl on Friday and Saturday. The facility also hosts birthday parties, corporate events, and family and class reunions.

Sheffield Lanes is a go-to spot for league and recreational bowlers who enjoy music, good food, and a well-stocked bar. The friendly staff knows many of their patrons on a first-name basis and strives to keep things running smoothly.

Sheffield Lanes is looking forward to summer with the veranda, open-air deck and bocce courts. Stop by.

Information: 724-375-5080; http://www.sheffieldlanes.com.

FOOD

Oram's Donut Shop

BEAVER FALLS For more than 80 years, Orams Donut Shop, 1406 Seventh Ave. in Beaver Falls, has delighted customers with its famous cinnamon rolls and donuts. Orams takes pride in making fried pastries the old-fashioned way from scratch with quality ingredients and original family recipes.

Customers in Beaver County show appreciation to Orams year after year by voting it the Best Doughnut Shop in The Times Best of the Valley contest. Orams appreciates the community support and will continue to produce the best sweet treats for Beaver County.

Each week, the creative staff at Orams comes up with exciting new flavors. Past specials have included the original cinnamon roll with maple-cream cheese icing and a pumpkin cream cheese-filled doughnut rolled in cinnamon-powdered sugar. To learn about the weekly specials at Orams, follow the shops Facebook, Twitter, Google and Instagram accounts.

Customers can now order their favorite doughnuts online by visiting the shops website, http://www.Orams.com. Online orders require a minimum of a dozen doughnuts and orders must be submitted before 8 p.m. for next day pickup. Orams continues to take orders by phone.

Hours: 5 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday through Saturday.

To order: 724-846-1504; http://www.orams.com, http://www.facebook.com/oramsdonuts

Rosalind Candy Castle

NEW BRIGHTON Rosalind Candy Castle, 1301 Fifth Ave. in New Brighton, is a full-line chocolate candy manufacturer, wholesaler and retailer. Specialties include custom favors for weddings, showers and anniversaries, fund-raising candy and gifts for all occasions.

Rosalind Candy Castle has been in business for 106 years and employs 30 people. The century-old business offers an extensive line of chocolate confections made from scratch.

Jim Crudden is the president of Rosalind Candy Castle. His children Michael, vice president of operations and Jennifer, vice president of sales and marketing are carrying on the family tradition of manufacturing chocolates using the original recipes. Crudden believes the business is successful because of the passion and dedication of its employees, who treat each other like family.

The business continues to expand through new retail outlets and popular fundraising programs, used by many schools and organizations throughout western Pennsylvania. The redesigned company website also has led to growth throughout the United States.

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PROGRESS 2020: Business briefs - The Times

Meteorologist Jonathan Cubit has an update on the conditions expected to hit Wyoming, Chautauqua, Allegany, Cattaraugus and southern Erie counties at 10 p.m. Wednesday.

The blizzard warning will be in effect until 4 p.m. Friday.

MORE | Blizzard Warning issued for parts of WNY

Driving in Winter Conditions

Blankets or sleeping bags

Rain gear, extra sets of dry clothing,mittens, socks, and wool hats

Newspapers for insulation

Plastic bags for sanitation

Canned fruit, nuts, and high energy snacks(Include a non-electric can opener if necessary)

Warm broth in a thermos and several bottlesof water

Keep a cell phone or two-way radio withyou. Make sure the battery is charged.

Plan to travel during daylight and, ifpossible, take at least one other person with you.

If You Become Stranded

Snowstorms& Extreme Cold

Winterstorms create a higher risk of car accidents, hypothermia, frostbite, carbonmonoxide poisoning, and heart attacks from overexertion. Winter storms andblizzards can bring extreme cold, freezing rain, snow, ice, and high winds. Awinter storm can:

IFYOU ARE UNDER A WINTER STORM WARNING, FIND SHELTER RIGHT AWAY

HOWTO STAY SAFE WHEN A WINTER STORM THREATENS:

Prepare NOW

Survive DURING

RECOGNIZE AND RESPOND

Read more:
Blizzard Warning takes effect tonight in southern half of Western New York - WIVB.com - News 4

Not long ago, Washington lawmakers seemed ready to require public and private schools to test their drinking water for lead.

Since then, a lot has changed. The bill asked for less. A key advocacy group dropped its support. As of Friday, the measure appeared dead in the Senate.

What happened? Schools, both public and private, came out in opposition of the measure, lawmakers weakened the proposal and it failed to clear a key legislative deadline.

To Heidi Speight, who works in transportation policy, it was disappointing to watch. The initial bill, she said, would have been a fitting tribute to her late husband.

Bruce Speight, former executive director of the advocacy group Environment Washington, spent years lobbying state lawmakers to pass such a mandate. But he died in September, before state Rep. Gerry Pollet, D-Seattle, refiled legislation this year to require water quality tests in schools.

"Bruce's name has been on this from the beginning, and (it's) a really beautiful way to honor him," Speight said of House Bill 1860, known as the Bruce Speight Act.

Although the measure never got a hearing last year, it appeared to have momentum this year: HB 1860 won unanimous votes in the House education and budget committees. And all 98 state representatives voted in support of the bill last month.

But after public and private schools came out against the measure -- partly because they viewed it as an unfunded mandate -- lawmakers removed much of the teeth in the original proposal. The threshold for when schools had to act on elevated levels of lead got looser, and schools would be exempt from making any fixes unless and until they received money from the state to pay for remediation.

Those changes prompted the Environment Washington Research & Policy Center to withdraw its support of the bill.

"Safe drinking water shouldn't be optional," said Pam Clough, interim director of the advocacy group, which initially supported HB 1860 but reversed course after lawmakers weakened the proposal.

"We don't make fire codes or building safety codes optional" for schools, Clough added. "We do advocate for more state and federal funding, but if we wait for that first, we may be waiting too long to fix this critical issue."

The changes disappointed Heidi Speight.

"It's really sad to see legislators wringing their hands over the opportunity to protect children in their (legislative) district," she said, "and then try to weaken standards below what medical professionals recommend."

Commonly found in old paint and plumbing, lead is poisonous to everyone, but poses a greater risk to children, whose bodies more readily absorb the heavy metal. Exposure to lead can cause learning disabilities and behavioral problems, and in elevated cases, lead can damage the kidneys, blood and nervous system.

Currently, Washington doesn't require schools to test their drinking water for lead or any other contaminant. But two years of voluntary testing at 199 elementary schools across the state revealed that 97% of schools had at least one water source with levels of lead above one part per billion.

About 61% of the total fixtures tested at or above one part per billion, a threshold recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics.

HB 1860 would have required all public and private schools to test every outlet used for drinking water or cooking at facilities built before 2000. Schools would have to close access to any outlet with lead levels at or above five parts per billion and notify the state about the test results within 24 hours.

Schools then would have 30 days to either permanently shut off the water source, provide an alternative source of safe water or install a certified filter.

While the state would have reimbursed schools for the costs of the water quality tests, it would not have provided funding for any remediation of water sources that exceeded the new threshold.

Lance Goodpaster, superintendent of Franklin Pierce Schools south of Tacoma, testified against HB 1860.

"We certainly care about the water our children are drinking at school," Goodpaster said in an email, adding that his school district conducts its own testing. He suggested schools should be held to a looser standard -- 15 parts per billion -- set by the federal Environmental Protection Agency.

The bill, he added, "imposed new costs that the Legislature did not fund."

Suzie Hanson, executive director of the Washington Federation of Independent Schools, said her group opposed the measure because legislators developed it without the input of private schools.

"It seems that private schools were put into the bill as an afterthought," Hanson said. "Assumptions are being made that there is a problem with lead in private school facilities. This is speculative."

She also suggested the proposal did not clarify which state agency would be responsible for oversight of private schools.

Following that opposition, lawmakers changed HB 1860 to exempt schools from remediation if they don't receive a state or federal grant to pay for it. The revised legislation also specifically said schools "may not" conduct remediation for any remediation costing above $2,000 per building.

Lawmakers also decided to loosen the threshold for when schools needed to take action -- from five parts per billion to nine parts per billion. And the Washington State Department of Health would not be able to revisit that standard until 2030.

Now, none of that appears likely to happen. The Senate Education Committee needed to vote on HB 1860 by Friday to keep it alive during this year's short legislative session, but it didn't.

And although any policy idea can reemerge before lawmakers adjourn, it's unclear whether the Bruce Speight Act will survive as an amendment to another bill or the state budget.

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Why a Proposal to Require Schools to Test Their Drinking Water for Lead Crumbled in Olympia - Centralia Chronicle

Fredericks Landing in Wilder has a long history, going back to its construction by the Army Corps of Engineers in 1965. Back then, it was designed as a flood zone to hold back the waters of the Licking and Ohio rivers.

Its been a park for decades with a playground,boat launch, picnic tables, and a shelter. The federal government transferred ownership of the land to Wilder, a city of 3,000 people, in 2004.

City officials now have ambitious plans for Fredericks Landing envisioning it as a focal point of the citys redevelopment. High on the priority list is a $1.4 million amphitheaterthat would be the scene of concerts and other events to bring people to the park.

Fredericks Landing is really the crown jewel of Wilder, sayscity administrator Terry Vance. Its a hidden secret for most people unless you boat.

The project received a big boost recently with the award of a $250,000 state grant. The Land and Water Conservation Fund grant provides money to help construct the new community amphitheater as well as the surrounding improvements that need to be made, such as enhancementsto parking, sidewalks, lighting, landscaping, and underground utilities to support the new structure.

In 2018, Wilder officials surveyed residents and had a comprehensive plan drafted that was called Growing Wilder: Envisioning Tomorrow. City leaders saw a need to attract new residents and businesses to the city and encourage those already there to stay.

The plan prioritizes land use that encourages outdoor recreation and community gatherings over theproliferation of businesses such as convenience stores and bank branches.

Included in the plan is a dining establishment that would overlook Fredericks Landing and the Licking River and a splash park.

The state grant will provide the impetus to move forward on the project because the money must be used by the end of 2022, according to Vance.

Wilders grant was the largest of four made in Northern Kentucky from the Land and Water Conservation Fund. The others were:

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The 'crown jewel' of Wilder would be a secret no longer with these ambitious plans - Soapbox Cincinnati

Kitchen cabinets are a significant focal point when looking to renovate your kitchen. In essence, they are also the most expensive components of a kitchen that takes about the lions share of your expenses. According to Remodelings_2018 Cost vs. Value report, any midrange kitchen remodeling incurs a cost of more than $50,000. The cost of kitchen cabinets itself takes about 15-20 percent of the cost.

That hurts, right? Fret not. There are still alternate ways to find attractive, modern kitchen cabinets that dont burn your pocket and in this post, we are about to explore the same.

For people who are looking to keep the cost of kitchen cabinets under check, ready to assemble is a great option. If you are remodeling your kitchen for the very first time, its worthwhile to note that ready to assemble cabinets presents before an impressive storage option since they are mass-produced and highly flexible compared to pre-made designs.

Plus, not to forget the customization feature which works great if you are little space crunched in your kitchen. If you are a DIY kind of person, thats one more reason to love ready to assemble cabinets that are shipped with an easy to follow manual that saves you from spending money to hire a professional.

Does the term second hand irk you away? Wait! Theres more to the story than one knows. Sure, the second-hand market is a tad dicey, but if you are careful enough, you may land yourself some amazing deals with the cost of kitchen cabinets going as low as $5000-8000.Facebook marketplace, Craigslist and thrift stores are good places to check for cheap kitchen cabinets, where you can find such deals from folks shifting town or leaving the county for work, which makes it impossible for one to carry their cabinets along. Just ensure to call up the seller in person and discuss the distance and transportation costs involved.

That being said, no one can stop you from getting yourself a good deal on kitchen cabinets. Apart from used kitchen cabinets, one can also consider buying display kitchen cabinets which generally rest between a new and a used one. Although one may find them in a little beat-up state, they are far better than a used kitchen cabinet. Also, the dirt and dust that it receives have nothing to do with food or cooking residue as display cabinets are mostly kept in a home improvement store.

Owing to advanced production, Chinese kitchen cabinets have been successful in making a strong foray into the market. The cost of kitchen cabinets from China is surprisingly low compared to American made. Furthermore, modern-day Chinese cabinets use a wide variety of materials that range from wood, plywood, particleboard, and medium-density fibreboards.

The cost of production itself is quite low compared to other countries and comes with easy to assemble features like cam locks. Apart from intelligent installation features, Chinese cabinets also bespeak beautiful Asian artistry that renders simplicity and elegance in equal measures. If you plan to sell or rent out your property, China made modern kitchen cabinets are great options to consider.

The most inexpensive way to go about remodeling your kitchen cabinet is painting and staining. One can either do it by himself or call a professional. Now, if you plan on working alone, know that the process would take at least two to three weeks to be completed. It would require one to remove all hardware including the cabinet doors and clean them thoroughly before you start painting. Put primer like painting walls if you like working with a paintbrush.

Lastly, refacing is another process to make your kitchen cabinets look attractive all the way and is a worthy alternative to buying a new one. Refacing involves applying laminate veneer or wood in thin layers right over the cabinet boxes. You will be amazed to witness the difference in looks that refacing can bring. One can also choose from several designs to style it the way you want.

However, before you take to reface your cabinets, ensure that they are in good condition and can withstand the application of laminate veneer. Modern kitchen cabinets that have slab doors or flat panels can be refaced easily compared to other types, where it calls for a complete replacement of the doors. Also, while choosing to reface or repaint, it is advised that you install new hardware and locks as well, to complete the overall look.

So, you see, buying an attractive kitchen cabinet doesnt have to incur heavy on your pockets. With a little bit of research and luck, you should be able to keep the cost of kitchen cabinets under check and find a piece that fits your budget, style, and space in tandem.

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How to Find Attractive Yet Affordable Kitchen Cabinets this Holiday Season? - The Hear UP

CT-N

Peter Lewandowski of the Office of State Ethics reading testimony that lawmakers have heard before.

Civics teachers, try asking this on your next pop quiz: What parts of the state ethics code stop Connecticuts part-time lawmakers from voting for legislation or otherwise acting in a way that provides a financial benefit to their private employers?

OK, its a trick question. There is no such prohibition.

The code currently bars legislators from voting on matters that uniquely provide a monetary gain to them. There is no conflict unless the gain is greater for them than is realized by any other member of the same profession, occupation, or group.

In other words, a plumber could vote to exempt plumbing supplies from the sales tax, something that would benefit every plumber. He could even vote for a tax break that only would benefit his plumbing company, so long as he did not have an ownership interest.

The Office of State Ethics is proposing a modest change: Lawmakers still could act on matters uniquely benefitting a company that provides them or their spouse with a paycheck, but they would have to disclose the conflict and declare in writing why it was in the public interest for them to vote on the matter.

The purpose of this requirement is to create transparency in the process, said Peter Lewandowski, the executive director of the Office of State Ethics. It does not further limit the actions of the elected official.

To whom, you might ask, are they proposing this?

That would be the Connecticut General Assembly. The Office of State Ethics is responsible for enforcing the ethics rules, not writing them. Ethics rules affecting legislators are written by legislators and set in state law.

The ethics proposal was the subject of a brief public hearing Friday before the legislatures Government Administration and Elections Committee, where some version of the measure has been pitched for the past decade. It cleared the committee on a unanimous vote last year.

Versions were passed unanimously by the Senate in 2017 and 2019, only to languish on the House calendar without a vote.

Weve been gaining traction, said Lewandowski, who was named director last year after 13 years as a staff attorney.

Lewandowski made his pitch Friday, reading testimony little changed from previous years.

No one asked a question.

The standard for conflicts of interest has remained unchanged for more than a decade, at least as it applies to rank-and-file lawmakers.

About two-thirds of state lawmakers typically hold jobs outside the State Capitol. Legislative salaries range from $28,000 for the rank-and-file to $38,689 for the leaders, plus an expense stipend of $4,500 for House members and $5,500 for senators.

Recusals by lawmakers are rare. When they occur, they usually are voluntary, an effort to avoid the appearance of a conflict, not an actual one as defined by state law.

John Kissel of Enfield and Kevin Witkos of Canton, two Republican senators employed by the power company, Eversource, recuse themselves from energy bills, though they are not required to do so.

In 2017, a state representative, Melissa H. Ziobron, lobbied her colleagues to support a bill crucial to the survival of her husbands employer, the Millstone nuclear power station. A lobbyist publicly objected, but she was doing nothing wrong under the ethics code.

House Speaker Joe Aresimowicz, D-Berlin, is employed by Council 4 of AFSCME, a major public-employees union. But the code does not bar him from voting on contracts negotiated by AFSCME or bills favored by the union, as the office advised him in December 2016 before he became speaker.

In sum, there is simply nothing in the Code nor in the more than thirty-five years of precedent interpreting it that would bar Representative Aresimowicz from serving as Speaker while engaging in his pre-existing employment relationship with the union, or from taking official action on union matters in the absence of a direct financial impact on himself or his family members, he was told in a written opinion.

Lawyers are the leaders of the other three legislative caucuses: Senate President Pro Tem Martin M. Looney, D-New Haven; Senate Minority Leader Len Fasano, R-North Haven; and House Minority Leader Themis Klarides, R-Derby. All have private practices, and Looney also teaches college part-time.

House Majority Leader Matt Ritter, D-Hartford, also is a lawyer. Senate Majority Leader Bob Duff, D-Norwalk, is a Realtor.

Link:
A tighter ethics code? Maybe third time is the charm. - The CT Mirror

Every individual likes the right roofing solution. It helps people in maintaining suitable conditions inside the location where the roofing is provided. It is important to provide proper care so that the building can get the right amount of insulation from external conditions. Various roofing contractors are available with the right knowledge to handle the roofing solution.

Gilpinroofinginc.com is one such organization which is dealing with providing the right roofing solution. They are having expert people who have the right experience in their respective fields. Hence you can have the best services with suitable guidance, which you might require for roofing maintenance. Also, they help you with the selection of the roofing which can match your requirements.

Why Choose Gilpin Roofing and Siding Inc.?

You will see various organizations in the market which are providing roofing solutions. This makes it obvious to have a question of why one should choose gilpinroofinginc. Several reasons like experienced contractors, variety of roofing solutions, best maintenance of roof and other such factors make them better over their competitors. Even you will never be disappointed with the kind of environment maintained by the roofing solution which they provide.

Gilpinroofing also provides a large variety of roofing materials. It helps in having the right selection of the material which can be used over the roof. One should select the roofing material which can suffice their needs. Even selection of the right organization to help with roofing solution will help you to reduce the damage which might be caused due to water leakage from the roof.

Normally the roof comes with a warranty of 20 years; still, one should have regular maintenance of the same. Doing that will help them have a longer life for the roof and also minimizing the damage which might be caused to the roof material. They should also regularly check for the roof insulation to ensure that the region inside the building is properly insulated.

We at Gilpinroofingincconsist ofa group of people who are experts in dealing with the roofing issues. They are well versed in solving any of the issues of our client. Even they will provide required guidance to avoid any such issues which might arise in the future. One can contact our contractors when there is urgent work needed in their roofing. It helps you to have the right support at the right time when required.

With regular maintenance by our people, you wont be facing issues in the nearby future. Hence, you can perform your daily tasks without worrying about any external intervention. You will also be provided with the right guidance about the signs in which one should look in their roofing for damage and the requirement of maintenance.

Many people are confused with roof plumber, roofer and roof contractors. One can consider roof plumbers as one who is trained in installing gutters, downpipes, rainwater tanks, and flashings. A roofer is a person who is working over the roofs. As compared to that roof contractors are possessing a government-issued license. This license certifies that he/she is skilled or trained in fixing, repairing or replacing the roofs.

Media ContactCompany Name: Gilpin Roofing and Siding IncContact Person: Steve GilpinEmail: Send EmailPhone: (757) 363-8802Address:5051 Euclid Rd City: Virginia BeachState: VA 23462Country: United StatesWebsite: http://www.gilpinroofinginc.com

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Gilpin Roofing and Siding Inc: Difference Between Roof Plumber, Roofer and Roof Contractor - Press Release - Digital Journal

One would expect, when hiring a plumber, that the plumber will not cause a fire when using a blowtorch and solder. If a fire breaks out shortly after the plumber used a blowtorch and solder, in the vicinity of his/her work area, one might assume that the fire was caused by the plumbers work. However, this assumption alone will not suffice to establish negligence.

In Metropolitan Toronto Condominium Corporation No. 1100 v. A. & G. Shanks Plumbing & Heating Limited (MTCC 1100),[i] a fire destroyed a historic mansion, which was part of a condominium development. The fire was detected shortly after a plumber employed by A. & G. Shanks Plumbing & Heating Limited (Shanks) had repaired a leaking pipe in the basement ceiling, using a blowtorch and solder. The plumber finished his work at around 2:45 p.m., conducted a fire watch until 3:15 p.m., and then left at 3:20 p.m. Half an hour later, at 3:51 p.m., a 9-1-1 call was made reporting a fire at the mansion. It was determined that the fire originated in the ceiling, near the location of the plumbers work. The condominium corporation (MTCC 1100) sued Shanks in negligence for close to $5.5 million in damages.

MTCC 1100 adduced expert evidence that the fire was caused by the flame of the plumbers torch coming into contact with combustible materials in the work area a fairly confined space between the basement ceiling and the floor above, where the leaking pipe was located. The trial judge had some difficulty with this expert evidence. One of MTCC 1100s experts opined that the combustible materials located above the work area must have been ignited by an open flame directed upwards. However, the parties had admitted, in an agreed statement of facts, that the plumber pointed his blowtorch downwards towards the ground when he was doing the soldering work. Hence, the factual foundation for the expert opinion (an upward open flame) was contradicted by the evidence (a downward open flame). MTCC 1100 unsuccessfully argued that there was no other explanation for the fire. The trial judge wrote:

While the evidence is somewhat problematic, in that [the plumber] was the only one working in the immediate vicinity of the location where the fire originated, and in that soon after his work a fire started, there was no evidence that anything he did caused the fire.[ii]

The trial judge also took issue with the lack of evidence on the applicable standard of care. At the commencement of trial, MTCC 1100s counsel stated that no expert on a plumbers standard of care would give evidence as it was obvious that [the plumbers conduct] fell below the necessary standard of care.[iii] MTCC 1100 argued that the plumbers conduct was egregious, such that expert evidence on the standard of care was not necessary. MTCC 1100 relied on 495793 Ontario Ltd. (Central Auto Parts) v. Barclay,[iv] in which the Court of Appeal discussed two exceptions to the general rule that it is not possible to determine professional negligence without the benefit of expert evidence:[v]

The trial judge disagreed that the plumbers conduct was egregious. The plumber testified at trial about the numerous precautions he had taken while doing his work. He also testified that he pointed the flame of the blowtorch in a downward direction and away from the wood structures above him. The trial judge found his testimony credible.

MTCC 1100 suggested that the plumber could have used a rigid fire shield or a heat barrier spray. The difficulty, however, is that no expert testified that the plumber should indeed have taken such precautions. MTCC 1100 tendered some evidence on the standard of care by reference to the National Fire Code of Canada 2005 and the Fire Code, O. Reg. 213/07. The trial judge refused to consider the National Fire Code of Canada 2005, as there was no expert evidence that it formed part of the standard of care applicable to plumbers in Ontario in 2009. As for the Fire Code, O. Reg. 213/07, it did not include soldering as part of its Hot Works regulations at the time of the fire, and was therefore inapplicable. The trial judge held:

There was a debate not only as to what regulatory standards applied in 2009 but also as to how those standards should have been applied by [the plumber]. In my view it was incumbent upon the plaintiffs to lead expert evidence to establish the appropriate standard of care in order for the court to find that it had been breached. They did not do so and because of this their claims must be dismissed.[vii]

MTCC 1100 appealed from the decision, and argued that the trial judge should have drawn inferences of a breach of the standard of care and of causation based on the circumstantial evidence, namely, that a fire occurred under the plumbers watch, with no alternate explanation for how the fire occurred.[viii] While the Court of Appeal agreed that such inferences could be drawn, it noted that they can also be rebutted by the defendant, including by pointing out to other non-negligent causes of the fire or adducing evidence that supports the exercise of reasonable care. The Court of Appeal held that the trial judge was entitled to conclude that, considering all the direct and circumstantial evidence, [MTCC 1100] had failed to discharge their burden of proving a breach of the standard of care.[ix]

Whether a plumber should use a rigid fire shield or a heat barrier spray is technical in nature and not within the knowledge of the ordinary person. Thus, this called for expert evidence. Also, it does not appear that the conduct of the plumber was egregious in any way. As noted by the Court of Appeal in Barclay: Dictionary definitions of egregious include synonyms such as shocking, appalling, terrible, awful, horrendous, frightful, atrocious, abominable, abhorrent, and outrageous.[x] Absent any negligent conduct that clearly falls within that definition, a plaintiff should consider adducing expert opinion on the applicable standard of care of a tradesperson or professional. Otherwise, the Court may not be able to determine whether the conduct was negligent under the circumstances.

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Appeal Dismissed: There Was No Other Explanation for the Fire, but There Was Also No Expert Evidence - Lexology