Home Builder Developer - Interior Renovation and Design

This column is in memory of my mom, Loretta Edith McClure.

Born Dec. 19, 1915 Fort Collin, Colorado

Died Feb 3, 1999 Fort Collins, Colorado

As you can see by the above title, our mother spent all of her life in the same area.

This is what my mother wrote in her tiny handwriting in what I call my Heritage Book.

Loretta Edith Cogswell grew up near Wellington, Colorado with her parents on a farm. She attended school near Wellington and studied piano for several years by a teacher at the school When the instructor was no longer available she studied by correspondence with the American College of Music in Kansas City, Missouri. Following two years of high school in Wellington she moved with her parents to a fruit orchard near Fort Collins. She assisted her father with the care and harvest of the fruit and worked various jobs around and in Fort Collins. On August 28, 1936 Loretta and John Melvin McClure were married in Greeley, Colorado. John, formerly of Westfall, Kansas, came to Colorado from Kansas in 1934 working for various area farmers. After spending a month in Kansas following their marriage, John and Loretta return to Colorado, where John was employed by a farmer and sheepherder.

The following year February 1937 they rented an irrigation farm east of Fort Collins and one mile from the orchard where Lorettas parents resided. The owner of the farm Sam Kamp was well known as a producer of Japanese popcorn. He wished to retire. The corn was marketed as KempKorn which he canned and sold to Safeway Stores.

(Dad continued to grow corn for Safeway for a few years.)

That is all I know about my mother growing up. I never heard her play the piano. She did see to it that Elaine, Ginger and I received piano lessons for many years from Kathryn Sutherland. I inherited my dads tin ear and monotone voice. Playing the piano and keeping rhythm and timing were very difficult for me. Once in a while my mom would poke her head through the door while I was practicing and say, Ann start over or can you play something different? I played Christmas carols all year long, just so I could get them perfect at Christmas. I am sure my mother tolerated more than I know!

There are five kids in the family: John Jr, Virginia, Elaine and Jim, and I am the oldest. We all were born in Fort Collins and lived in the farm house north of Fort Collins.

My first recollection of celebrating my mothers birthday probably was when I was 6 or 7. Mom always baked her own birthday cake, chocolate angel food cake, and dad would give her a small present. One year he gave it to me to wrap, which I did with utmost care and great honor. I found real pretty wrapping paper and took a long time wrapping it. Those were the days of no Scotch tape, so it had to be tied with ribbon. I was so proud to hand it to her. Dad even said, thats real pretty, Ann. As I gave her the present, she looked at me a little sideways, her chin down and her eyebrow up, and said, This is Christmas wrapping paper; I guess I have to wait till Christmas.

Dad and I both convinced her it was a birthday present and that she could open it now. So on every birthday, I would remember this and always look for the prettiest birthday paper I could find in the middle of December. In later years she was emphatic about If you wrap my birthday present in Christmas paper I WILL NOT open it until Dec. 25!

In earlier years she fried chicken, mashed potatoes, made gravy and made her own biscuits for her own birthday dinner. I do not remember Dad ever taking her out to eat, which she probably would have declined anyway. And in later years he bought her flowers they did not have to be wrapped.

We had many birthday parties for her through the years and she was always a little embarrassed at all the fuss. And we never knew exactly how old she was. And she never told either!

If my mom was known for anything it was baking cookies. She baked cookies all year round. She baked tons of cookies for Christmas. Susan recalls when we moved to Alaska, she would send us baggies full of cookies, wrapped tightly with twist ties. Packing was crumpled newspaper, which we smoothed out and read. Then the shipping box was wrapped in brown paper and tied with twine. Still no Scotch tape. How did we ever do without scotch tape? She would ship us cookies throughout the year.

Mom loved flowers and spent many, many hours irrigating her yard full of lilies of the valley, cosmos, iris, marigolds, pansies, and tending to the big lilac bush. As I have mentioned before, she always carried a hoe everywhere to clean out the little irrigation ditches but most of all just case she saw a snake. Then she would do her snake dance, chop that little water snake into little bitty pieces, dig a little bitty ditch and scrape the remains of the little snake into the ditch. She would scrape some soil over the top of it tamp it down with the bottom of the hoe and then finish by stomping it with her feet. I still smile with this image.

Mom loved Christmas and she worked hard for us to have a beautiful Christmas tree, thoughtful presents, wonderful dinners and, most of all, her cookies. She would start the first of November making cookies and continue to bake them after Thanksgiving and a week before Christmas. She stored them gently and carefully in her big freezer. She doled them out carefully, and when the tray was down to crumbs, magically she would fill it again.

Her Christmas dinners were spectacular after the remodeling of the farm house. She worked even harder at her dinners and her baking. I can honestly say her most satisfying moments must have been when everyone seated at the dinner table complimented her on her dinners and her baking. She planned her life around baking and cooking.

My moms favorite cookbook was The Boston Cooking School Cook Book written by Fannie Farmer. I have this cookbook plus I have collected three more, one just recently.

During World War II, Mom helped Dad in the fields and then cooked meals. She sewed for us, washed clothes in her ringer washing machine in the basement, and carried the wet clothes in the basket up the stairs, out to the clothesline. They were hung on the clothesline in her orderly fashion so the occasional neighbors would not see our underclothes.

We would wait for the gentle Colorado breezes to dry them. She taught me how to carefully fold and place them in the basket. After we carried them in the house, we put the towels, sheets and pillowcases away, also the underclothes. Then the clothes that were to be ironed were laid out on the table. We would sprinkle them with warm water and fold them so they could be ironed the next day. That was done every Monday and Tuesday. Mom taught me how to iron so as not to have one wrinkle because what would the neighbors think if we had one wrinkle in our nicely starched clothes.

I find myself doing more and more things like my mother did, however, I do not iron clothes because my neighbors do not care if I have wrinkles in my clothes and neither do I. We have a simpler life compared to how it was in the olden days. I am not so sure its the best.

Happy Birthday Mom! I bet she is in Gods kitchen baking cookies!

BANANA BREAD: NEW, DIFFERENT, GOOD

Two eggs well beaten

3 large bananas mashed

1 cup sugar

2 cups flour

1/2 teaspoons salt

1 teaspoon baking soda

cup vegetable oil

1 cup chopped nuts

2 teaspoons vanilla

To the well beaten eggs, slowly add sugar. Add bananas to egg mixture. Add the oil. Mix and add flour, salt and soda. Blend well. Add vanilla and nuts. Pour into small greased loaf pans. It will take three small or a large loaf pan. Cook it 350 degrees F until tested with a toothpick about 45 minutes for small loaf pans and 60 minutes for large pan. (I mixed this all by hand not with a mixer.) Great texture and great flavor!

STIR-FRIED CASHEW CHICKEN

This tasty dish has the flavor of orange and ginger.

Prepare 4 cups of boiling water with 2 cups of white rice according to package.

1 pound of boneless skinless chicken thighs, or boneless skinless chicken breast, partially frozen so you can cut in thin strips.

2 large carrots, cut diagonally

2 ribs celery, cut diagonally

1 medium onion, cut in small chunks

red pepper and yellow or green pepper, cut in chunks

bag stir-fried frozen vegetables

1 small can sliced mushrooms or 1 cup of fresh sliced mushrooms.

Cut and slice chicken set aside. Slice vegetables set aside.

Combine the sauce:

34 cups orange juice

1 tablespoon cornstarch

3 tablespoons soy sauce, or according to your taste

14 cup corn syrup I used honey for better flavor.

12 to 1 teaspoon grated ginger or more depends on your taste (Keep ginger in freezer and grate it frozen.)

Combine and set aside.

Heat 1 tablespoon vegetable oil in large skillet or wok. Add carrots and celery. Stir and then add onions and peppers. Stir-fry 1 minute and add the half bag of frozen stir-fried vegetables. Stir-fry to desired crispy tenderness. Take out a skillet or wok keep warm. Add 1 more tablespoon oil. Stir-fry in small batches, until sliced chicken is no longer pink, about 3 minutes. Push aside in pan and add the orange juice, ginger, and soy sauce mixture stir quickly until sauce is cooked clear. Add the vegetables. Stir in. Place in warm bowl with 1/2 cup crushed cashew pieces sprinkled on top. Serve in individual bowls over hot rice. Four large servings. NOTE: To expand this: add 1 cup pineapple chunks, drained. If you do not have orange juice, use the drained pineapple juice in the sauce.

MEXICAN FIESTA BAKE

I found this on the back of a can. I have often thought I should name a cookbook I Found This on the Back of a Can or Box.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

1 pound ground beef, moose, venison or elk (I used to combine ground turkey half-and-half with the wild game.)

1 cup chopped onion

1 cup chunky style salsa

1 dry package taco seasoning mix

12 cup water

1 cup corn

12 cup sliced ripe olives, drained

Cook your choice of meat with the onion in a skillet until no longer pink. Drain off grease. Stir in salsa, taco seasoning, and water.

Bring to boil and reduce heat. Simmer for 5 to 6 minutes until thickened. Stir in corn and always. Spoon into an ungreased 8 x 8 inch baking dish.

Topping:

1 box of Jiffy Corn Meal Muffin Mix

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

1 4-ounce can diced green chilies about 12 cup

Prepare the batter for the corn muffins according to the directions on the package. Stir in cheese and chilies. Spread over top of meat mixture. Bake uncovered in preheated oven at 350 F for 30 to 40 minutes, until crust is golden. Top with more cheese and bake 5 more minutes. Cut in squares and serve with salsa, sour cream, chopped onions and shredded lettuce. I have another recipe similar title Enchilada Pie. Great company-coming dish!

SOUR CREAM LEMON PIE

I love lemon pie and this is especially good.

You will need one 8-inch baked pie shell

Mix:

1 cup white sugar

3 tablespoons cornstarch

1 tablespoon of flour

1 tablespoon lemon peel

13 cup lemon juice

1 cup light cream (I always use canned milk)

14 cup butter

Slowly bring to a boil on LOW heat, stirring constantly until mixture is thick and clear. You have to watch this because it burns easily. Cool to room temperature. Add 12 cup sour cream. Fold into lemon mixture until well blended.

For topping:

1 cup Cool Whip

12 cup sour cream

2 tablespoons powdered sugar, fold in until well mixed

12 teaspoon almond extract

14 teaspoon lemon extract

Fold in. Spread over pie and garnish with thin lemon slices. Chill 1 hour.

By ANN GRANNIE ANNIE BERG, For the Peninsula Clarion

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Pioneer Potluck: Memories of my mom on her birthday - Kenai Peninsula Online

This Charming Ranch: 3 BD, 1.5 BTH with open floor plan and addition on Cul de Sac. This home boasts more square footage than nearby comparable properties, and you cannot beat the location and school district. Quiet street, great neighbors, fenced back yard. Crestwood Elementary, Truman Middle, Lindbergh High. Full renovation 6 years ago including: New roof, NEW HVAC and NEW ductwork, NEW HOT H20 Heater, 200 AMP Electrical Panel, sewer stack, New garage Door, and side entry to detached 1 car garage, gutters on garage, Front Entry Door, Side Entry door from driveway to landing in basement, (walkout) exterior lights, beautiful counter tops and cabinets. Brand New (recent last 60 days): New basement steps, drainage system & sump pump, steps of back Deck, Front Storm Door, Laminate flooring in Master BD, new paint throughout, full and half bath completely remodeled, mini blinds, kitchen lights, and doorknobs.

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Homes Recently Listed in the Park Hills Area - Daily Journal Online

If you have flooring you dont like whether its carpet, vinyl or unappealing wood it can feel like theres no way to escape it, no matter how many rugs you pile on top. But if you have floors you love, walking across them can be a daily pleasure.

Thats because the floor is the base upon which all other decorating decisions are built. Change your floors, and you change the character of your home. Its as simple as that.

So its no surprise that new floors specifically, hardwood floors are at the top of many renovation wish lists. Not all wood floors, however, are equally appealing or appropriate for every space.

We look at a building holistically, so the walls and windows, and the environment that were in, all feed into the decision-making about the floors, said Paul Bertelli, the design principal of JLF Architects in Bozeman, Mont., whose firm chooses a different wood floor for almost every project.

The wood flooring industry has evolved considerably in recent years, as wider planks have increased in popularity and finish and installation options have expanded. Given all the choices now available, we asked architects and flooring professionals for advice on how to pick the right one.

Browsing through flooring samples to choose a type of wood and a color for your new floor is probably the most enjoyable part of the process. At this stage, much depends on personal preference and your overall vision for your home.

One of the most popular species is white oak, a classic, durable and widely available wood. It can also take stain very well, said Chris Sy, the president of Carlisle Wide Plank Floors. That means it can be customized for a wide variety of aesthetics, from bleached off-white to ebony.

Other types of wood offer different looks. Hickory has a lot of color variation, from light tones to dark tones, Mr. Sy said.

Those who want a rich, darker brown usually select walnut, while those who prefer blonder wood may opt for maple or birch.

As for choosing a stain, the current trend is toward subtle colors that leave the wood with a natural look. Some designers even eschew stain altogether.

We dont ever recommend staining floors, said Elizabeth Roberts, an architect in Brooklyn, though she does occasionally use oak darkened by a process called fuming.

If youre having trouble deciding which species and color is best for your home, consider the other wood elements in the room, Mr. Bertelli suggested. If you have walnut cabinetry, for instance, a walnut floor is an easy match; if you have oak doors, oak floors are a natural choice.

Limit the palette, he said, to make it more tranquil and serene.

The way that logs are sawed into boards has a big effect on the grain pattern thats visible in the floor.

With flat-sawn (or plain-sawn) boards, the grain has a wavy appearance. The defining feature is this arching cathedral, said Jamie Hammel, using the industry name for the pattern.

Mr. Hammel, the owner of the Hudson Company, a supplier of wood flooring and paneling, noted that quarter-sawn boards offer a more linear appearance, with faint striping: The prized feature are these medullary rays, which some people call tiger stripes.

Rift-sawn boards offer the straightest, cleanest grain, whereas live-sawn boards may include all types of grain patterns.

A floor can use one cut exclusively, or can incorporate various types of cuts. A mix of quarter- and rift-sawn boards, for instance, is a popular option for flooring with understated grain patterns. For a warm, woodsy appearance, using only flat-sawn boards might be the best option.

In addition to the way the wood is cut, you can choose how many knots and other distinguishing marks you want to see.

We call it character, Mr. Hammel said, noting that options include clear (no knots), light character (a few smaller knots) and character-grade (the most, and largest, knots).

Reclaimed wood is another option. Many flooring companies offer wood salvaged from barns, factories and other structures, which can have even more character with nail holes, cracks and saw-blade marks.

You can find oak siding off a 150-year-old building thats been weathered beautifully and use that for flooring, Mr. Bertelli said, adding that his firm frequently does just that. We want character in the floor, and our philosophy is that there are perfect imperfections.

Another major decision is whether to buy prefinished flooring, sold with its final color and topcoat in place, or unfinished flooring that can be stained and finished by an installer after its put down.

One of the advantages of prefinished flooring is that it can be installed very quickly, usually in a single day.

When floors are finished on site, the home has to be vacated to allow for sanding, staining and finishing, including drying time.

Its very messy work, and its very important that nobody step on it for days, or weeks, at a time, Ms. Roberts said. It really alters the construction schedule.

Because prefinished flooring is made in a factory, companies can also produce it with a wide range of exotic finishes that might be difficult for an installer to recreate on-site and with great consistency.

You know what youre going to get, said Jane Kim, an architect in New York. Some installers who do their own finishing, she noted, may not have the experience to get the color you want, especially if you want shades of gray or a really pale finish.

A key difference, however, is that prefinished boards usually have beveled edges to allow for slight irregularities, which creates more pronounced lines between the boards after installation.

Because unfinished flooring is sanded flat after it is installed, the finished floor typically looks more like a solid plane, without gaps.

Most hardwood floors today have a finishing coat of clear polyurethane. Polyurethane essentially sits on top of the wood, protecting it from moisture, wear and staining, Mr. Hammel said.

Water-based polyurethanes have grown in popularity in recent years, and the finishing sheen can range from matte to glossy.

A polyurethane finish is very durable, but once damaged or worn, it can be difficult to repair, Mr. Hammel said, because it typically requires refinishing an entire board, if not the whole floor.

An alternative is an oil-based finish. Oil penetrates into the wood and therefore tends to make it look a bit richer, he said. And because it doesnt leave a film on top of the wood, it allows for relatively easy spot repairs.

The downside to an oil finish is that it requires more regular maintenance. An oil floor will dry out over time, Mr. Hammel said. But it can be easily refreshed, with more oil.

Solid wood is just what it sounds like: a plank of your chosen wood, cut from a log. An engineered wood floor is composed of a thinner layer of your chosen wood on top of a manufactured base of layered wood, like plywood.

Engineered wood has a number of benefits. Its built to be more dimensionally stable, Mr. Hammel said. It will expand and contract less, reducing the chance that the boards will warp or shrink over time.

Engineered flooring is especially good in basements, in high humidity areas and over radiant heating systems, he said.

And in homes with concrete subfloors, like many high-rise apartments, engineered flooring can be glued directly to the slab, whereas solid wood usually requires a plywood subfloor so it can be nailed in place.

If your ceiling height is low, saving that extra bit of space by using engineered flooring can be important, Ms. Kim said: Some clients are really obsessed with getting the highest ceiling possible, so if they can save an inch on the floor, theyre going to go with engineered flooring.

But it isnt always the best option. Some people simply like the idea of solid hardwood better, and in extremely dry areas, solid wood may perform better.

Engineered floors are made to work best in environments that stay above 30 percent relative humidity, Mr. Sy said. If the environment is going to be consistently below that, engineered floors may experience slight cracking in the wear layer.

Also, depending on the thickness of that top layer, engineered floors may allow for sanding and refinishing only once or twice or perhaps not at all while solid wood can be refinished many times. (To avoid this limitation when buying engineered flooring, look for a product with a thick top layer.)

Narrow boards with widths of about two to three inches were once standard for hardwood flooring. Not anymore. Five- to eight-inch widths are now commonplace, and some homeowners opt to go even wider, with broad planks measuring up to a foot wide and beyond.

We make floors up to 20 inches wide, Mr. Sy said.

In general, the wider the boards, the higher the cost. And the wider it gets, the less stable it gets, because the wood wants to move, Ms. Roberts said. When we get into really wide flooring, we almost always recommend an engineered floor, because that prevents it from cupping and warping.

Most floors are installed with the boards in straight lines, but there are many alternative installation patterns, including herringbone and chevron, which are enjoying renewed popularity.

More complicated installation patterns also tend to increase the overall cost of the floor, as they require additional labor for installation and result in more wasted wood from the multitude of cuts.

How do you decide which board width and installation pattern is best? Consider the proportions of your space, and the style you want: Bigger rooms tend to look better with wider boards, and a herringbone or chevron pattern adds a touch of tradition.

You can also mix it up. Ms. Roberts sometimes uses wider boards and complicated installation patterns in the primary living spaces, and narrower boards in a straightforward arrangement in secondary spaces, like hallways and bedrooms.

This approach has been favored for centuries as a way to save money, but it can also prevent extravagant flooring choices from overpowering smaller rooms.

Remember, Ms. Roberts said, the goal is to create something timeless not to make your entire home look like its three boards wide.

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How Hard Can It Be to Choose a Hardwood Floor? - The New York Times

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. (Edited News Release) -- The Greene County Commission will officially adopt the 2020 County budget on Thursday, Jan. 9.

Each year everyone at the County works very hard to develop a budget that best uses taxpayer funds all while providing the services required in our community, said Presiding Commissioner Bob Dixon. This year, like all years, there were items that had to be cut from the budget, but I commend the judges, officeholders and directors for looking ahead, making the most of the resources available and working collaboratively to make this years budget possible.

In all, the Greene County Commission held 31 public meetings to reach the final budget. Department directors are originally asked to submit needs requests in September each year. That information is then compiled and line item reviewed before determining what areas will be funded. More than $14.8 million was cut this year from these original need requests.

For 2020, budgeted expenses for all funds total $233,745,400. Total budgeted revenues for General Revenue I (considered the general operating fund for the County) and General Revenue II (funds from the sales tax revenue approved by voters in 2017) equal $71,253,289. In General Revenue I, salaries and benefits comprise 72.4 percent of that overall budget. It is important to note, collections for General Revenue II began in 2018 and actual collections were very close to budget. Specific obligations were made to voters in regard to how that money will be spent, and that commitment was honored throughout the budget decision process. Finally, it is the fiscal policy of Greene County to maintain 90 days of general revenue operating expenses in cash reserve. The County projects the 2020 cash reserve balance to be $22,988,231.

The 2020 Greene County budget will be available at: greenecountymo.gov/budget/.

2020 budget highlights:

An increase of $1,050,971 toward election expenses. The 1% annual cost of living adjustment and mid-year service based 1.5% salary structure increase were preserved for County employees. Building operations:o $30,000 toward new SMMS software to effectively schedule, track and prioritize maintenance activities on County-owned equipment.o $75,000 toward new HVAC equipment to be funded out of General Revenue I.

Courthouse special projects:o $57,500 to replace carpet in the Treasurer and Assessors Office; replace HVAC units, install new AC and heat in bathrooms, and convert storage to office space.

Judicial Courts special projects:o $233,112 in General Revenue II to replace hot water pumps, change out chiller, change out carpet in courtrooms, change out VA boxes in courtrooms, install sound-reducing materials in courtrooms, paint and replace trim.

$150,000 ankle monitoring services for Pre Trial. Cost is split between General Revenue I and General Revenue II.

Family Justice Center:o $34,000 toward contract services such as security alarm monitoring, building and grounds maintenance and janitorial service. $44,000 toward wraparound services such as assistance with medical, mental health and housing, victim transportation assistance and public outreach.o $715,000 has been allocated toward construction, capital and equipment for the recently acquired Tefft building.

$150,000 has been set aside for the potential cost for the external state audit. Over $470,000 budgeted for network supplies, wireless, telecommunication, upgrades and replacements. $604,180 in LEST II funds toward replacing end-of-life vehicles for the Sheriff's Office, which includes equipment to outfit the vehicles. With focus on Mental Health, Greene County is collaborating with various community groups to develop a drop-in center to benefit the citizens of Greene County. In addition, the program will hire community health advocates. In total, the county has set aside $1.25 million toward these efforts as well as to provide assistance to specialty courts and it will be funded out of General Revenue II. More than $45 million will be spent toward the jail expansion project.

Critical needs that still need to be addressed:

Ongoing replacement of vehicles and upgrading of software and aging equipment throughout the County. Space being rented for several Greene County offices and departments. There is still a long-term need to provide proper square footage to meet those departmental needs, which would save the County $400,000 a year in rent.

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Greene County reveals what's in, what's out in the 2020 budget - KY3

My girlfriend and I are apartment hunting. We browse listings online, tour neighborhoods and compare floor plans. Our ideal apartment is within walking distance of work, groceries and public transportation. Wed prefer an airy and clean space with good ventilation.

Goals are easier to set than achieve. In urban Honolulu, rents are high and housing stock is decades old. Many units were built in the 1970s and havent been substantially renovated since. This is unfortunate, as poor design decisions were made long ago.

For instance, many older units are stuffy and require air conditioning. Some designers installed wall-to-wall carpeting in these units, ignoring the humid climate. Now, 40 years later, these units are host to toxic mold.

Zoom out, and poor design is repeated at the metropolitan level. Zoning rules designed to separate commercial from residential areas have created automobile dependence and permanent traffic.

Design decisions are durable; they affect people long after architects and urban planners are dead. As developers and politicians make workforce housing a priority, they should be careful to avoid the short-sightedness of designers past.

Rents are high in downtown Honolulu, seen here along Honolulu Harbor with Aloha Tower.

Cory Lum/Civil Beat

This week, Im in Bangkok on vacation. Bangkok is a bustling and sprawling metropolis, yet it feels more vibrant than Honolulu, even in outlying neighborhoods.

In Bangkok, theres no hard line between commercial and residential space. Even Silom and Sukhumvit, the commercial centers of the city, are peppered with residences. Towers rise out of indoor malls, with a dense population able to support an array of businesses below.

Bangkok began operating its first rapid transit system in 1999. Twenty years later, the BTS skytrain and MRT train lines crisscross the city.

Bangkoks investment in public transportation has allowed the city to transcend car-dependent design.

Commercial spaces in Bangkok arent required to build gigantic parking lots. Instead, most people rely on public transportation and ubiquitous taxi service. The result is an efficient use of commercial space and a relatively convenient and affordable transportation system.

True, traffic can sometimes turn bad, but the same is true of Honolulu. The difference is that most people in Bangkok dont need cars to manage their daily commute and errands. And the elevated rail lines arent affected by the traffic below.

The infrastructure has shaped the environment for the better.

City official are hoping rail helps alleviate congestion and opens up new housing opportunities for Honolulu residents.

Cory Lum/Civil Beat

Rail may help Honolulu enter a new age of transportation, but its not enough. Rather than relying on rail to bring workers in from the west side, we should strive for increased density within the urban core.

Kakaako is developing; Kapalama is next. This area is adjacent to the central business district. Government can aid in the development of Kapalama by reconsidering zoning, investing in infrastructure and streamlining the permitting process.

Zoning regulations are invisible infrastructure, and they shape development. If we dont like the neighborhoods we live in, we should think first of the rules that govern building decisions.

A central error in our current design paradigm is the emphasis on single-use zoning, with rigid separation of commercial and residential space. Drive through Kapalama now, and you can see this segregation. Vast swaths of warehouses and strip malls. Clusters of apartment buildings and houses. No overlap.

As we proceed, we should strive for mixed-use development.

In his book, The Geography of Nowhere, James Howard Kunstler argued against single-use development. His TED Talk provides a succinct version of the argument, as he notes that single-use development results in places not worth caring about. In Kunstlers mind, the strip malls and office parks of Honolulu are design disasters and should not be repeated.

The architect Christopher Alexander made a positive argument for mixed-use design in his books, The Timeless Way of Building and A Pattern Language. Alexander advocated for an organic blend of commercial and residential space. This is the pattern of great European cities like Paris and Rome, London and Amsterdam. But building regulations arent construction. For that construction, we need tangible infrastructure.

Right now, the only profitable developments are luxury condos.

Anthony Quintano/Civil Beat

Some people argue that developers dont pay their fair share for access to infrastructure. I think this concern is narrow.

Making development more profitable means more development. Given our current housing shortage and the aging of our housing stock, new construction is necessary. Thus, government should invest more in infrastructure.

Of course, people will object that this is a giveaway for developers. Thats the point. Right now, the only profitable developments are luxury condos because infrastructure costs are added to already high land, labor and material costs. In order to incentivize mid-market construction, one of these four expenses has to be reduced. Otherwise, well keep getting the $36 million penthouse at Waiea.

Returns on infrastructure investment are delayed but substantial. And infrastructure projects can prop up the construction industry in times of cyclical downturn. According to state economist Eugene Tian, we are in a period of slowing growth. Now is a good time to build.

Finally, government can reform the permitting process.

A recent audit indicated that Honolulus Department of Planning and Permitting is slow.

Slow processing doesnt only add cost to construction. In some cases, it means that projects arent conceived. If investors sense that slow permitting will tie up resources for years, theyre likely to favor other options.

Our next mayor should make reforming the department a priority. Systems should be refined to allow speedy permit processing. And the department should favor mixed-use projects.

We need housing development around the rail stops, especially in the urban core. To help meet this need, state and county governments should coordinate to change zoning regulations, invest in infrastructure, and reform permitting.

The decisions that officials make now will determine the future of Hawaii.

Thirty years from now, will young professionals struggle to find apartments in the urban core?

Will they wonder why their parents and grandparents decided it was a good idea to maintain bankrupt policies favoring single-use development and automobile dependence?

Or will they take an elevator from their apartment down to the adjacent mall and rail station, ride to work in air-conditioned comfort, and pretend to understand when grandpa repeats his stories of traffic?

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Sterling Higa: Why Can't I Find An Apartment To Rent In Honolulu? - Honolulu Civil Beat

This week the Main Street contractor began installing street trees that will line both sides of 236th St SW between I-5 and 56th Ave W. The trees are being planted in tree pits that are covered by a metal grate. Ultimately 20 trees will be installed on the project.

The type of tree is called the Autumn Blaze Maple, which is a hybrid of the silver maple and the red maple. The Autumn Blaze Maple is a fast growing species that has leaves that turn a raspberry-red color during the fall. The Autumn Blaze Maple does not produce the helicopter seed pods that many other maple trees produce.

In addition to the 20 street trees the project will install over 1,200 more plants, a combination of shrubs, groundcover and perennials. Shrub species include blue mist dwarf fothergilla, birchleaf spirea, white azalea, blush pink heavenly bamboo, purple gem dwarf rhododendron, concorde Japanese barberry, magic carpet spirea and Himalayan blueberry. Groundcovers include archers gold lemon thyme and waterperry blue speedwell. Perennials are purple de oro daylily. The majority of these plants will be located in ground-level planting areas.

At key locations there will also be concrete planters that will have some Town Center neighborhood branding features.

This post on Strong Towns describes why street trees are so essential to our communities:

Street trees provideplenty of pragmatic benefitsin terms of urban planning and environmental wellness, such as shade from heat and relief from humidity, making streets more walkable and bikable andlowering the average electricity bills of surrounding households. They alsolower the average driving speed,making roadways safer for pedestrians and drivers alike. Theres even evidence that theyimprove the health of nearby residents,lower crime rates, and drastically increase property valuesin an area.

More here:
Street Trees Planted Along 236th St SW for Main Street Project - nextmlt.com

As the official trailer/motorcoach dealer of Dragzine, Flying A Motorsports extensive lineup of new and used motorhomes and toterhomes, race car trailers, stacker trailers, car haulers, and cargo trailers will be highlighted here in a monthly feature, Rig Of The Month.

For the new year, Flying A Motorsports is highlighting a 32-foot Auto Master SS model from Continental Cargo Trailers. Continentals background is building solid and fully customizable trailers. Cape notes their Auto Master trailers are a well-built no-nonsense line with plenty of options for every level of customer.

Inside the heavy aluminum cabinetry, the concealed electrical service is located beside a winch plate with cable access opening. A Boss stereo system and provisions for electronics charging are also wired within.

The Master SS line has very good bones with the same axles, wall thicknesses, and frame layout as models from higher-end manufacturers, Alan Cape from Flying A explains. It is a more mass-produced trailer compared to some other manufacturers who build their trailer on a one-by-one basis. Relate this to a reliable Chevy Caprice, but not a BMW (laughs).

This brand new trailer has screwless aluminum side walls made from .040-inch thick aluminum. It also features a one-piece aluminum roof. The aluminum walls are insulated for comfortable work in all weather.

LED light technology is used throughout the interior and exterior. The new lighting technology makes working on your car at night easier in the pits. The trailer is also braced and wired, ready for installation of a roof air conditioning system.

The industry-standard Dexter axles are 6,000-pound models set-up in a spread axle layout. Options such as Aluminum wheels are featured on this unit along with a 5-foot extended tongue that combines with the spread axles for improved pulling stability.

Continental's own upper and base L-shaped cabinets use heavy hinges and corner bracing and are matched with a bright aluminum workbench surface. The floor span and ramp door are covered in rubber coin flooring while all of the interior walls are carpet-lined.

Black rubber coin flooring is utilized on this trailer, and protective carpeting protects the interior walls around the entire interior perimeter. The carpet extends three-feet up the walls.

As you can see by the list, these Continental Cargo Trailers have a long list of equipment features within them, Cape continues. These are affordable and ideal for the 99-percent of racers who arent running a national tour. For the racer who competes within a couple of state area, you can have a good, cost-effective workhorse.

Features found in more expensive trailers are included in Flying A's inventory of Continental Cargo trailers. An extended tongue, triple 6,000-pound axles featuring a spread layout along with LED lighting and an insulated generator area are just a part of this loaded options list.

A 24- x 24-inch drivers closet extends up to the ceiling height for storing all your personal items and safety equipment. The Boss brand stereo system also features an amplified subwoofer built into the base of the drivers closet.

For power, this trailer has a 50-amp electrical service installed. The trailer is prepped for a generator with an insulated generator compartment covered by a 36- x 36-inch vented generator door along with a generator slide-out for easy access.

The Auto Master line is a sturdy standard trailer that can handle the miles regionally, Cape describes. If you want to travel within a couple of hundred-mile radius regularly, this will be a great option for a sportsman racer. Continental stands behind its products and services them very well for their customers.

Trailer Specs:

Continue reading here:
Rig of the Month: 2020 Continental Cargo 32-Foot SS Race Trailer - Dragzine.com

The branding has been led by Manchester-based True North and positions the new museum with all the charm, appeal and entertainment value of a top-bill seaside attraction.

Dedicated to the towns historic and continued contribution to the UKs entertainment landscape, next year will see the opening of Blackpools first ever museum. Showtown will celebrate the comedians, dancers, circuses, performers and characters that have propelled the seaside towns narrative.

As part of the museums offering, a playful, flexible brand has been created by Manchester-based studio True North. The team got involved with the project via competitive pitch, with managing director Ady Bibby commenting it was an ideal brief for the studio.

A number of us in the studio actually did our formal professional training in Blackpool, and so have personal interest in the area, he adds.

The brand identity for Showtown revolves around a series of brand blocks which have been designed to represent the range of experiences visitors can have inside the museum. The blocks have been given a modular design featuring bright and contrasting colours, taking inspiration from the town itself, according to Steve Royle, creative director at True North.

We knew whatever we created needed to reflect the vibrancy of Blackpool, he says, The town is an assault on the senses, where everything is vying for your attention and Showtown needed a brand that could compete with that.

The blocks feature in the Showtown logo and further applications of the system aim to tell stories in playful and engaging ways. These include depictions of seaside entertainment staples like clowns, ice cream and circus characters, all built out of the block system.

Crucially, says Royle, the system isnt set in stone. True North has worked with exhibition designers Casson Mann and designers at Why Not Associates and Studio Treble to further extend the branding across wayfinding, digital and interiors.

The system should be as fluid and playful as the stories it helps tell, Royle says.

A large part of Showtowns identity will be its position alongside Blackpools other attractions, Royle says. In the context of Blackpools famous promenade, the museum needed to feel as much an attraction as the rollercoasters and rides he adds.

This is echoed by senior designer Victoria Pinnington: The museum essentially has to function as a hybrid there will be the objects and artifacts that you would expect to see in a museum, but there will also be plenty of hands-on experiences to be had.

To effectively marry these two ideas, she says the team decided on something that appears fun, but that also evoked a sense of nostalgia. Its a brand that will get older generations reminiscing, and younger generations discovering.

The Showtime museum is projected to open in 2021. The project represents a 13 million investment from both the government and external sources. It follows the installation of the Blackpool Comedy Carpet along the towns seafront in 2011, which was designed by Gordon Young and Why Not Associates.

Though construction to the space is ongoing, exhibitions scheduled for its opening as reported by the Live Blackpool website include Beside the Seaside, which explores Britons love for the beach; Wonderland, a look into Blackpools Golden Mile sideshows and its role in the development of magic; and Everybody Dance Now, which celebrates the town as the spiritual home of ballroom dancing.

The rest is here:
Showtown: Blackpool's first museum inspired by joy and whimsy of city - Design Week

Sabine Marcelis wins Wallpaper* Designer of the Year 2020

Between fountains for Fendi, donut-shaped rugs, and a takeover of Mies van der Rohes Barcelona Pavilion, Dutch-Kiwi designer Sabine Marcelis has widened the spectrum of what light, glass and resin can do

It is fitting that Sabine Marcelis experimental focus is the diffusion of light: few other forms of energy translate into such a wide spectrum of colour, shape and unpredictable phenomena. And indeed, in the past year the work of the Netherlands-based New Zealand-born designer has widened the spectrum of what light, glass and resin alongside more unexpected materials can do.

Take, for example, the stretch between two projects produced in quick chronological order: there was the serene and flowing elegance of Fendis The Shapes of Water for 2018s Design Miami and then the childlike abandon of the Donuts rug conceived for Carpet Sign, presented during last years Milan Design Week. The former pushed the conceptual boundaries of what Marcelis does best: the 10 fountains devised for the Italian fashion house showed an intricate pas de deux between light and water, but used architectural references to transport the installations beyond the context of their glass and resin containers for instance, one of the fountains referenced the arches of the Palazzo della Civilt Italiana, Fendis Roman HQ. The latter was a 12x12 grid made up of ring-shaped confections, but created by robotic tufting machines with wool. It was as comically earnest as it was carefully constructed, and revealed a willingness to present complex manufacturing in straightforward packages. In fact, that approach extended to one of her more recent projects, the Xmas Donuts. The pieces, meant to be used as Christmas tree ornaments, were cast from leftover resin in her Rotterdam studio. As the designer joked on her Instagram account, twas indeed the year of the donut.

Sabine Marcelis amid materials and works in progress in her Rotterdam studio, as seen in the March 2017 issue of Wallpaper*.Photography: Marlene Sleeuwits

Or, more broadly: it was the year Marcelis expanded her field of material and conceptual experimentation with exciting results. Her Dawn lights and Candy Cubes now sit next to onyx tables and ghost mirrors; pixelated cubic tapestries that reveal stereoscopic layers; award trophies that snap like chocolate bars; and soap-like columns and furniture that trick the hand and the eye. And, of course, there are donuts.

Since opening her studio in 2011, her practice has mainly been based on capturing the wide-ranging effects of light hitting curiously diverse types of mass. Her pieces have thus become an intellectually hearty and chromatically thrilling condensation of large-scale natural happenstances, such as the moment sunlight converses with the mountains and the sea, into functional objects and compact installations brought down to their essence. We understand how challenging that process can be: weve attempted to condense the superb creative streak and the aesthetic impact shes had into a compact gesture: our Designer of the Year award for 2020.

Go here to see the original:
Sabine Marcelis wins Wallpaper* Designer of the Year 2020 - Wallpaper*

MutualArt spoke to Vernon Ah Kee as his exhibition Vernon Ah Kee: The Island opened at Campbelltown Arts Centre in Australia.

Vernon Ah Kee, survive the ocean, 2018, Installation view, Vernon Ah Kee The Island, Campbelltown Arts Centre, 2020, Gloss red vinyl 340cm x 200cm. Photo: Document Photograph

Vernon Ah Kee: The Island, opened at Campbelltown Art Centre on January 2, as Australia was (and still is) burning from over 10.7 million hectares of unprecedented bushfires. Globally, and at home, the consensus accepts the link between the scale of fires and human-made climate change. However, inaction from the government to target the unfolding ecological crisis reverberates throughout other divisions of Australian attitudes. One of the most frustrating aspects of the bush fires is the decision to ignore the traditional custodians practice of land management.

The way the government treats Aboriginal knowledge is underpinned, for Vernon Ah Kee, by the denial circuiting around the extremely racist context of Australia. In a conversation with the artist about his exhibition, Ah Kee likens the denial to a fire burning behind your back, but adds, you can turn your back on it, but someone's got to deal with that fire. Ah Kee cannot shy away from these attitudes, and in turn creates art that is jarring, confronting, and causes discomfort, because for himself, and many others in Australia, this is what they face every day.

(Left work) Vernon Ah Kee, Belief Suspension, 2007-2009 Installation view, Vernon Ah Kee The Island, Campbelltown Arts Centre, 2020 Single channel digital video, colour, stereo sound 04:47 minutes, Director and Editor Suzanne Howard, Sound David M Thomas Regards David M Thomas (Right work) Vernon Ah Kee, cantchant (series), 2009, Installation view, Vernon Ah Kee The Island, Campbelltown Arts Centre, 2020 Digital Print 120cm x 70cm each Photo: Document Photography

Vernon Ah Kee: The Island is the second exhibition Ah Kee has presented with Sydney Festival, the first being at the National Art School two years ago that presented his drawing works. In 2020, this exhibition returns to text-based works alongside installations that are all enhanced by the video works they left out of the first exhibition. The artist has known Sydney Festival Director, Wesley Enoch, since the early 90s in Brisbane; "when we were both just young blackfellas in Brisbane just starting out, he shares. Because we've known each other for so long I think there's a comfort there between us, a shorthand.

The artist has worked collectively throughout his career, which spans over two decades. He was one of the founding members of the proppaNOW collective, a Brisbane art collective that focused on urban Aboriginal art. Working in this way has helped shape the art industry in Australia as we know it, tackling confronting issues through the medium of contemporary art. As Ah Kee shares, "in the work that we make... it's okay to say these things, or it's okay if you don't want to say these things, if it's too hard for you we understand why it's too hard.

Vernon Ah Kee: The Island reflects this mentality in the largest survey of Ah Kee's video works. Campbelltown Arts Centre's walls have been painted black and black carpet fitted in a conducive space for the light and sound of the video, transforming the gallery into a black box, reverberating an intimate atmosphere. The exhibition features a mix of existing works and new commissions, such as Lullaby (2019) and, title work, The Island (2018). As well as older works like tall man (2010), which follows the Palm Island Riots, and Belief Suspension (2007-2009), which hones in of surfing culture in Australia.

Vernon Ah Kee, The Island, 2018, Installation view, Vernon Ah Kee The Island, Campbelltown Arts Centre, 2020, Three channel digital video, colour, stereo sound, 10:16 minutes, Commissioned by Griffith University Art Museum, 2018. Photo: Document Photograph

The Island is a three-channel work that reflects the brutality within the immigration system, drawing parallels between the treatment of Aboriginal people. I think things have gotten worse, Ah Kee shares on reflection of racism. The progression in Australia's immigration policy [has shifted] towards brutality, he continues, what we've seen are endless racist platforms [within] politicians campaigns. In the artwork, the artist recounted the experience of an Afghani couples journey to Australia; their subsequent treatment [after] fleeing quite dire circumstances from there in their homeland.

The artist's familiar motif of text feeds into the new exhibition, and for The Island, due to legal advice, they couldn't share the faces of the couple and instead used visual elements to tell their journey. The video work also lights up the text piece opposite the installation, creating a personal and touching retelling of the experience that is unique to the viewer. I've always been interested in font, and the way alphabets are designed, Ah Kee explains. [I realised] the way advertising uses fonts and text and that words have a weight and power to them.

Vernon Ah Kee, kick the dust, 2019, Installation view, Vernon Ah Kee The Island, Campbelltown Arts Centre, 2020, Rocks, acrylic riot shield fragments. Photo: Document Photograph

Text and language also play in Lullaby, the new commission by Campbelltown Arts Centre. I wanted to make something to commemorate 2019 being the year of indigenous languages, Ah Kee shares. Visually, it's simple, it's a mother playing with her child, and it's called Lullaby because she sings a lullaby to put [her son] to sleep. The artist decided to have the entire video in Farsi, the Iranian mothers language, and so for the none-Farsi speaking audience, the artwork becomes about the different types of communication that we employ. From the way we breathe, the tone we use, the vocalization, the pronunciation of certain words all these are informed by cultural background.

Ah Kee decided to use Farsi as he believes, it is probably the most loaded language in this country right now because of Australia's immigration policies and racism against the Muslim community. The treatment of refugees in Australia pulls on familiar strings for the artist when he began to draw on the parallels between the judgement and confinement in detention centers to the 1920s and 30s in Queensland, in places like Palm Island where the artists mother is from. For me, it's fairly obvious the parallel between Manus and Nauru and Palm Island, being island communities and places of hopeless confinement, Ah Kee continues. Plus, the cruel processing systems that they have in place.

Vernon Ah Kee, scratch the surface (riot shields), 2019, Installation view, Vernon Ah KeeThe Island, Campbelltown Arts Centre, 2020, Acrylic riot shields, charcoal, Dimensions vary. Photo: Document Photography

All of this comes together when the Kuku Yalandji, Waanji, Yidindji, Koko Berrin and Gugu Yimithirr artist reflects on his status in Australia. He was born in far north Queensland just before the 1967 referendum that allowed the Australian public to vote whether to include Aborigines as citizens of Australia. When I was born, I wasn't a citizen in any way as an Aborigine, Ah Kee shares. Blackfellas could be citizens, but you had to promise to be a white man, and by promising to be a white man, that meant not associating with Aborigines. Because of this, the artist believes that Aboriginal people should be speaking to and for refugees, we should be the chief advocates for refugees because we know what we're talking about.

In the artwork born in this skin, Ah Kee is displaying the historic Yuendumu Doors which feature traditional ochre ground painting, reflective of the Warlpiri peoples Dreaming symbols that rarely leave the South Australian Museum. In the installations, juxtaposing the beautiful hand-painted doors are another series of (now infamous) doors taken from Cockatoo Island on Sydney's harbor, from the dockworkers' toilets which are vulgar with racist slurs graffiti across them. However, hanging over the exhibition is the violence that continues today as the recent death of Yuendumu resident, 19-year-old Kumanjayi Walker, in November 2019 at the hands of a police officer adds another layer of sensitivity to the Yuendumu doors. (In a rare event, the police officer has actually been charged with murder). As Ah Kee muses, "it's so easy to shine a light on things that it's almost too arbitrary, but you have to do it because that denial overrides everything over and over and over again.

Vernon Ah Kee: The IslandJanuary 2 - February 23, 2020Campbelltown Arts Centre

Following Campbelltown Arts Centre, Vernon Ah Kee: The Island will be touring around NSW by Museum and Galleries NSW.

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Continue reading here:
Vernon Ah Kee's The Island: "Someone's Got to Deal With That Fire - MutualArt.com