Home Builder Developer - Interior Renovation and Design

You cast your votes. We counted them. And now we present the winners of the2019Dans Best of the Best contest! Below, youll find all the winning businesses, organizations and personalities in the many South Fork Home & Personal Services categories!

Dans Best of the Best 2019 Winners: North Fork Home & Personal Services

Keep your eye out as we announce more 2019 winners online, but you can find them all in theDecember 6, 2019 issue ofDans Papers!

View all our2019 Dans Best of the Best winners, and dont forget to visitDansBOTB.comto rate and review all your East End favorites.

BEST AUTO BODY REPAIR SHOPPlatinum Rubio Premier MotorsGold Joes GarageSilver Village Auto BodyBronze Corwiths Auto Body

BEST AWNING COMPANY*Hall of Famer East End AwningPlatinum Brock AwningsGold The Awning Company Inc.Silver C.E. King & Sons

BEST BUILDERPlatinum TelemarkGold Eastbay BuildersSilver G.B. Construction and Development, Inc.Bronze Farrell Building Co.

BEST CAR WASHPlatinum Hampton Auto WashGold Strebels Hand Car WashSilver Beach Hand WashBronze Southampton Car Wash

BEST CHIMNEY SERVICEPlatinum Ace Chimney Experts, Inc.Gold Done Right Roofing and ChimneysSilver Advanced Chimney Inc.Bronze Cunningham Duct Cleaning

BEST CLEANING SERVICEPlatinum A Votre Service!Gold Schindler Carpet & Upholstery CleaningSilver Cs Home & Office Management, Inc.Bronze New Yorks Little Elves

BEST CLOSET DESIGNPlatinum California ClosetsGold Custom Closets DirectSilver Long Island Closet DesignBronze Hampton Closet Company

BEST CONTRACTORPlatinum G. B. Construction and Development, Inc.Gold Farrell Building Co.Silver Eastbay BuildersBronze Kean Development Co.

BEST DOMESTIC AGENCYPlatinum Hamptons Employment AgencyGold Hire SocietySilver Al Martino AgencyBronze Hampton Domestics

BEST ELECTRICIAN/ELECTRIC COMPANY*Hall of Famer Ocean ElectricPlatinum Leos ElectricGold G. Craig ElectricSilver All Wright Electric

BEST ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICESPlatinum Eastern Environmental SolutionsGold TechClean IndustriesSilver Affordable Cesspool Sewer & Drain, Inc.Bronze ACV/Clearview Environmental

BEST FENCE COMPANYPlatinum East End Fence & GateGold Craftsman Fence Corp.Silver Safe HamptonBronze The Deer Fence

BEST FIREPLACE STOREPlatinum Hampton HearthGold Beach Stove & FireplaceSilver Sag Harbor Fireplace

BEST FLOORINGPlatinum Well Floor U Inc.Gold CarpetmanSilver Cancos Tile Corp.Bronze Long Island Paneling, Ceilings & Floors

BEST HANDYMANPlatinum All Island HandymanGold Southampton HandymanSilver BEST LevelBronze Baywood Construction

BEST HEATING/AIR CONDITIONING*Hall of Famer Flanders Heating & Air ConditioningPlatinum Hardy Plumbing & HeatingGold Kolb Mechanical Corp.Silver East End Heating and Air ConditioningBronze Nugent & Potter

BEST HOME INSPECTIONPlatinum AC&E Home Inspection Corp.Gold Southampton Home InspectionsSilver A-Pro Home Inspection East Hampton

BEST HOME STAGERPlatinum Styled and SoldGold Home Staging by SPCSilver Dream Windows & InteriorsBronze D & J Concepts

BEST HOUSE PAINTER/PAINTING COMPANYPlatinum Joes Custom Home Decorating Inc.Gold DiNome PaintingSilver Roses Painting ServiceBronze Kaplan Painting

BEST HOUSE WATCHER/PROPERTY MANAGEMENTPlatinum TA Property ManagementGold A Votre Service!Silver HCMC Home Care MaintnenanceBronze Chaloners of the Hamptons

BEST INTERIOR DESIGNPlatinum Dream Windows & InteriorsGold Styled and SoldSilver D & J ConceptsBronze Sea Green Design

BEST IRRIGATIONPlatinum K. Clemenz IrrigationGold RB Irrigation, LLCSilver Irrigation SolutionsBronze Irrigation Man

BEST KITCHEN/BATHPlatinum Ciuffo CabinetryGold All County MillworkSilver Ron Morizzo Kitchens & BathsBronze Green Art Kitchen and Bath

BEST LANDSCAPER/GARDENER*Hall of Famer Unlimited Earth CarePlatinum Natures Guardian Inc.Gold Stinchi LandscapingSilver Creative Design LandscapesBronze Jose Camacho Landscaping

BEST MASONRY/STONE/TILEPlatinum Southampton MasonryGold Ace Chimney Experts, Inc.Silver BEST View Landscaping & MasonryBronze Eastern Concrete

BEST MOLD INSPECTION/REMOVAL*Hall of Famer Mildew BustersPlatinum Enviroduct CleaningGold East End WaterproofingSilver AC&E Home Inspection Corp.Bronze Mold Pro Inc.

BEST MOVING COMPANYPlatinum Despatch of SouthamptonGold Hall LaneSilver Twin Forks Moving & StorageBronze Plycon Plycar

BEST OIL/GAS/PROPANE COMPANY (Learn More)*Hall of Famer Paraco GasPlatinum Suburban PropaneGold PetroSilver Danisi FuelBronze Twin Forks Oil

BEST PARTY RENTAL/SERVICES (Learn More)Platinum Bermuda Party RentalsGold Sperry Tent HamptonsSilver American Tent CompanyBronze Darling Events

BEST PEST CONTROL*Hall of Famer East End Tick & Mosquito ControlPlatinum Fox Tree ServiceGold Twin Forks Pest ControlSilver Natures Guardian Inc.Bronze ArborTech

BEST PLUMBERPlatinum Ken Massa Plumbing & HeatingGold R. Essay Plumbing & HeatingSilver Hardy Plumbing & HeatingBronze J.P. Mulvey Plumbing & Heating

BEST POWER WASHERPlatinum Schindler Cleaning CompaniesGold Clearview House Washing ServiceSilver Hamptons Power Wash

BEST REMODELINGPlatinum G. B. Construction and Development, Inc.Gold Eastbay BuildersSilver Joe Burns Contracting Corp.Bronze Gutierrez Home Improvement Inc.

BEST ROOFERPlatinum M. Stevens RoofingGold Fast Home ConstructionSilver Line Home ConstructionBronze Martins GC

BEST SECURITY ALARM COMPANYPlatinum Intelli-Tec Security ServicesGold All Suffolk SecuritySilver Briscoe Protective

BEST SHIPPING/PACKINGPlatinum Navis Pack & ShipGold The UPS StoreSilver EB Dunkerley & Sons

BEST SWIMMING POOL BUILDERPlatinum Spring & Summer ActivitiesGold M&M PoolsSilver Prestige PoolsBronze Casual Water Pools

BEST SWIMMING POOL SERVICEPlatinum Aquaman Pool ServicesGold Spring & Summer ActivitiesSilver M&M PoolsBronze Prestige Pools

BEST TREE SERVICEPlatinum Fox Tree ServiceGold Natures Guardian Inc.Silver Jose Camacho LandscapingBronze Integrity Tree

BEST WASTE MANAGEMENT/TRASH DISPOSALPlatinum Mickeys CartingGold College Hunks Hauling JunkSilver Emil Norsic & Son Inc

BEST WATER SERVICESPlatinum Better WaterGold Simply PRSilver Casola Well Drillers

BEST WINDOW CLEANINGPlatinum Schindler Cleaning CompaniesGold We Do WindowsSilver Crystal Clear Window CleaningBronze Triple C Window Cleaning

BEST WINDOWS/DOORS/GARAGE DOORSPlatinum AJ Garage DoorsGold All Island Garage DoorSilver Long Island Egress ProsBronze New York Window Film Co.

More here:
Dan's Best of the Best 2019 Winners: South Fork Home & Personal Services - Dan's Papers

There was a time when it was enough for pubs to serve a decent pint of beer and get away with it, but increasing variety in customer profiles and drinking habits means the back bar now has to service a range of functions.

Theres a need for ample refrigeration for craft and world beers and ciders, an attractive and efficiently organised spirits bank to cope with long mixes and cocktails, and enough space for soft drinks, tea and coffee to meet the needs of those who arent drinking.

And customers have become more demanding than ever before, with the instant ability to publicly call out bad service, putting bar hygiene high on the agenda. It helps to keep on top of latest developments to allow the back bar to evolve organically, while refurbs offer a perfect opportunity to get things right in one big hit.

If you are going the whole hog soon, many suppliers offer a full back bar design service. London-based Nelson says that a well-run bar attracts customers but a well-designed one ensures they return.

It says its bespoke service trumps modular configurations by incorporating irregular shapes so the space can be used to its best effect, with workstations accommodated in optimum locations and dirt-traps eliminated.

Power points can be installed so equipment such as ice makers and crushers, blenders, coffee machines, glass-frosters, bottle coolers and EPoS stations are sited conveniently.

Nelson specialises in glasswashers and its latest addition is the Compact, designed for small spaces but which it says has washing power to rival machines twice the size. It has a soft start option to prevent chipping and rinse arms at both top and bottom to give a better wash finish.

IMC also offers a full back bar design service to improve speed of service and effective operation.

UK head of sales Martin Venus says: The type of equipment, and where it is positioned, is crucial to the smooth and successful operation of a pub or bar, and its important that its tailored to individual establishments.

Before we advise any outlet on layout design and equipment, we assess their needs and understand what they want to achieve, so space can be maximised.

We find out how many staff there will have to be behind the bar at busy periods, whether the glass washers and ice machines will be front-of-house or in the back, and whether they have handwashing facilities within reasonable distance, to adhere to health and safety regulations.

It also takes into account the contribution to a venues sales from draught product, single-serve bottles and made-from-scratch drinks.

The priorities for a cocktail bar and a real ale pub will be very different, adds Venus, who suggest creating workstations for each staff member, with beer taps, cocktail ingredients, glasses and a till all within easy reach.

Every minute a bartender isnt in front of a customer, service is slower, which affects sales and profits, he adds.

If there was one piece of kit I would advise investing in, it would be an IMC glass refresher.

This sprays a jet of cold water and is great for glasses that are still hot from the washer. It enables bar staff to serve drinks quickly, without having to wait for glasses to cool.

The sheer range of drinks a busy pub has to be prepared to serve means the amount of useful kit on offer grows all the time.

Jestic supplies a number of high-spec Vitamix blenders designed for making quality smoothies and blended cocktails.

Sales director Steve Morris says: Ensuring consistent quality when it comes to a diverse cocktail menu requires consideration of the type of blending equipment used.

As they are on display to the customer and used regularly throughout the day, operators need to ensure their equipment is not only capable of delivering an excellent product, but also looks good and, most importantly, is reliable.

The range includes the Bar Boss Advance. It features automatic shut-off, which allows the operator to prepare the beverage and start the blend before continuing with the rest of the customers order, safe in the knowledge the unit will automatically stop when finished, says Morris.

The widespread awareness of quality cask beer and the resurrection of keg as a result of the craft beer craze has made beer line cleaning more important than ever.

Chemisphere UK specialises in drinks dispense system hygiene and says its Pipeline detergents range is uncompromising and totally effective in the removal of yeast deposits, biofilm and bacterial and protein growth.

Its purple cleaner changes colour if the line is dirty, but if it stays purple pubs can be confident lines are free of yeast and bacteria.

Cocktail and soft drinks service also requires a clean and efficient postmix dispense system. Abbeychart, which specialises in Wunder-Bar and Schroeder bar gun equipment, offers an intensive deep clean and refurbishment service for post-mix kit, over and above a pubs regular daily cleaning.

It includes a complete strip-down, deep-cleaning, sanitising and replacement of seals and plastic parts.

Most people would be quite surprised at the amount of unsightly residue and grime that accumulates on bar guns, particularly with heavy use over the summer, says managing director Mark Taylor. This harbours germs and undoubtedly has a detrimental effect on the taste of drinks.

Hubbard Systems offers a next day delivery service for replacement Scotsman icemakers, which could be a boon if things go wrong during busy periods such as Christmas.

The range includes the EcoX EC, an eco-friendly machine that produces long-lasting supercube ice, and comes with capacities ranging from 25kg to 170kg a day.

Marketing manager David Rees says theres a lot that pubs can do themselves to maintain existing machines that hopefully wont mean them having to rely on an emergency bailout.

Ventilation grills need to be kept clear of obstruction, filters replaced at least every six months, and the scale guards and air filters cleaned regularly.

If it gets clogged with dust it will make the icemaker less efficient, so youll get less ice, says Rees. If its a quality icemaker this should be a simple, two-minute job.

Having a maintenance schedule for the components that need regular cleaning will help keep the equipment in peak condition.

Rees also warns not to ignore warning lights.

If the machine has self-diagnostics itll indicate whats wrong, and should be sorted straight away, he says. Dont wait. If necessary, call in the equipment service provider. If the icemaker isnt being looked after by a service company, get one in sharpish.

Excerpt from:
Why your pub's back bar should be front of mind - MorningAdvertiser.co.uk

Updated December 06, 2019 15:03:30

When the demand for electricity exceeds supply, sometimes people need to be cut off from power to prevent the whole system from collapsing.

This is called load shedding.

Here's how it works.

Load shedding is when power companies reduce electricity consumption by switching off the power supply to groups of customers because the entire system is at risk.

This could be because there is a shortage of electricity supply, or to prevent transmission and distribution lines from becoming overloaded.

A number of factors can result in load shedding, including extreme weather and infrastructure outages.

In January, a perfect storm of events placed the energy system under unusual strain.

While temperatures soared into the 40s in much of Victoria and South Australia, driving demand for air conditioning, three electricity generation units at coal-fired power plants in the Latrobe Valley were out of action, reducing the amount of available power.

To restore the balance, the Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO) instructed electricity networks to reduce load, which left more than 200,000 customers without power for up to two hours.

It's important to note that such load shedding is different to planned local outages, such as for maintenance, and unplanned ones caused by damage to wires by events such as storms, bushfires or car accidents.

AEMO decides when load shedding is needed in the National Electricity Market (NEM), which includes Queensland, New South Wales, the ACT, Victoria, Tasmania and South Australia.

Before it turns to load shedding, AEMO has other measures it takes to try to overcome a power shortfall, such as importing more power from other states and tapping into emergency energy reserves (such as South Australia's diesel-powered generators which were switched on for the first time last summer).

It can also appeal to consumers to voluntarily reduce their energy consumption for example by postponing their use of dishwashers and washing machines and pay large industrial electricity users such as Alcoa's Portland aluminium smelter in western Victoria to power down for a period of time

But after exhausting these options, if it still needs to reduce demand, AEMO instructs electricity transmission and distribution companies to carry out load shedding.

AEMO tells the companies how much power needs to be saved, and the transmission and distribution companies then work out how to achieve those reductions.

Approaches vary between the states and territories, and each has a plan in most cases developed by the state or territory government in collaboration with the electricity industry for how load shedding is to be carried out in their jurisdiction, including a schedule for the sequence in which particular loads will be shed and restored.

These plans are based on nationally consistent principles and seek to maintain critical services and spread the inconvenience equitably: a limited disruption to many, rather than more significant disruption to a smaller number of customers.

In Victoria, in its special role as the state's transmission system planner, AEMO works with the State Government to determine the priority order of load shedding.

In WA and the NT, which aren't connected to the National Electricity Market, state and territory authorities decide when load shedding is necessary and how it's carried out.

Areas are disconnected from the power supply by distributors switching off the feeder serving that area.

A feeder is a high-voltage line that could supply anywhere from a few hundred to many thousands of customers.

Which feeders get switched off depends on a number of factors, including where the area sits in the state or territory's priority order of load shedding, how much power needs to be saved and which areas are using the most energy.

The penetration of solar energy also plays a part.

Some areas with a lot of solar panels could be feeding more energy into the grid than they are using.

These areas are unlikely to be disconnected, as to do so would make the shortfall worse.

AEMO says it works with the electricity industry to minimise the impact on the community, particularly major health facilities, emergency services and public transport.

But it says such services can still be affected by load shedding and should have backup arrangements in place.

Distributors also say they seek to avoid disconnecting power to other kinds of critical infrastructure, such as sewerage and water pumping stations, and to large shopping centres.

Energy Queensland said it first switches off "controlled load" energy. These customers receive lower prices in exchange for allowing the distributor to switch them off for a few hours each day.

The impact of this is generally less than other options, because these tariffs are typically used for non-essential equipment such as pool pumps.

Energy Queensland also has demand management agreements with a number of large industrial customers, which are offered lower bills throughout the year in exchange for being available to reduce their consumption at peak times.

In general, the first areas to be turned off will be mainly residential.

Victorian distributors CitiPower, Powercor and United Energy say they annually review the types of customers connected to each feeder in their networks, to determine which should be given priority because they serve critical customers.

Distributors try to minimise the impact of load shedding by rotating the disruptions between different areas: for example, disconnecting one area for a period of up to two hours before restoring its power and disconnecting another area.

"Typically, critical customers are last to have power turned off and first to have supply restored," said Andrew Dillon, the chief executive of Energy Networks Australia, which represents electricity transmission and distribution businesses.

Feeders serving hospitals are less likely to be disconnected, but being located near a hospital doesn't necessarily mean you share its feeder.

Living near a big industrial energy user is unlikely to have any bearing on whether you lose power.

Victoria's biggest energy user, Alcoa's Portland smelter, is served by its own dedicated transmission lines.

If load shedding is necessary in your area, you may not get any advance warning.

"Networks are often only given short notice by AEMO that load shedding is required," Mr Dillon said.

"This may be because a generator fails, creating an unexpected and rapid drop in supply."

When load shedding was ordered in Victoria in January, the rapidly moving situation seemed to take even the state's Energy Minister, Lily D'Ambrosio, by surprise.

On the morning of January 25, Ms D'Ambrosio told a media conference she didn't anticipate load shedding being necessary.

Later that morning, AEMO ordered load shedding.

South Australia publishes a list of which feeders are next in line for load shedding, based on which areas were shut off last time.

It is the only jurisdiction to publish its arrangements.

Michael Brear, the director of the Melbourne Energy Institute at the University of Melbourne said if other jurisdictions were as transparent as South Australia about their plans, it might help reassure people that load shedding was being implemented fairly.

"I think it would be a good thing if they did it [published plans] in all states, so that everybody realises that there's no sort of political or other, less legitimate considerations involved," he said.

"Some people might think, 'They'll turn off that seat because it's a safe seat, but not that one because it's a swinging seat,' or something like that. That doesn't come into play."

Professor Brear says the alternative to manual load shedding would be more widespread and longer-lasting interruptions to power supply.

"There are very good reasons as to why we load shed and why we do it in a systematic way. It's to minimise the inconvenience and share this inconvenience across the whole population so that collectively we don't experience much worse.

"The choice is not between manual load shedding and continuing to have your air conditioning on and drinking your cold beer," he said.

"The choice is between coordinated and controlled load shedding and uncoordinated, uncontrolled load shedding, which might lead to greater problems."

AEMO's summer readiness plan, released this week, warned of a risk of blackouts across the national market but particularly in Victoria, New South Wales and South Australia, due to a combination of extreme weather, bushfires and plan outages.

The state most at risk is Victoria.

In August, AEMO warned that more than a million Victorian households were at risk of being without power this summer during extreme heat if two of the state's power plants which are out of action following faults earlier this year are not returned to service in time for peak periods.

AGL said this week its Loy Yang A coal plant in Gippsland would be back online by mid-December, while Origin said its Mortlake gas plant would not be operational again until the end of the year.

The market operator and Victoria secured extra power reserves ahead of summer to reduce the blackout risk, but Ms D'Ambrosio was not giving any guarantees this week.

"I don't think it's a sound position for anyone to give guarantees [about power] when effectively the Victorian Government doesn't own any of these generators," she said.

Professor Brear said since the closure of Victoria's Hazelwood coal-fired power station in 2017, which removed 1,600 megawatts of generation capacity, the state did not generate enough power to meet demand at its peak.

As for whether load shedding will be necessary this summer, he said it would largely depend on the weather, as well as the preparedness of coal and gas-fired generators.

Weather conditions influence demand for electricity as well as how much wind and solar energy is generated, and how reliably the state's remaining coal-fired power plants operate.

Longer term, he said Victoria needed more capacity to generate dispatchable power power that can be turned on when it's needed, even if the wind isn't blowing and the sun has set.

He said this could be delivered with more batteries, gas plants or pumped hydro.

"We could do with a new power station," he said.

Topics:business-economics-and-finance,industry,electricity-energy-and-utilities,melbourne-3000,australia,vic,nsw,qld,tas,act,sa,nt,wa

First posted December 06, 2019 05:48:49

The rest is here:
What is load shedding and who decides whose power is cut when there's not enough electricity? - ABC News

BILOXI, Miss. (AP) His mobile home was rotting around him and Johnny C. Owens had no money for repairs.

The Vietnam veteran had been living alone for eight years in the woods of South Alabama. Although he was no longer drinking, his old enemy depression had beaten him down.

Suicide seemed like the only way out. A couple of friends had killed themselves, but he didn't want to leave a mess in his bedroom like one of them did. So he practiced outdoors with his shotgun.

Then one day, he picked up a card that had been laying around. It was for a veterans' crisis line. He called.

The crisis line connected him with services offered through the Gulf Coast Veterans Healthcare System, which stretches from Hancock County to Panama City, Fla.

The VA determined Owens was essentially homeless. Before long, two men from the nonprofit group Soldier On showed up at his trailer, packed up his belongings and moved him to an apartment in Biloxi, where he has lived for five years.

"I started on my way up," said Owens, 77. "I'm doing good now. I've got some good people around me."

The safety net that caught Owens has for four years in a row housed every homeless veteran who wanted a home. The homeless rate for Coast veterans is "functional zero," a standard few communities in the United States have achieved.

It means South Mississippi has enough beds available for homeless veterans who want them.

This has been no small feat. In its first year of success, 2015, the veterans program housed 276 veterans. Success followed each year, with 147 veterans housed in 2018. With fewer veterans to house, the VA has more time to spend on prevention.

"If somebody is a veteran who is homeless, it is his decision to be homeless," said Judy Hearn Cottrell, who has worked with the homeless for 10 years, most recently as pastoral director of Seashore Mission in Biloxi. "I don't see any veterans on the street who are homeless unless they elect to be."

Further, the employment rate for veterans in supportive housing who can work was 90.83 percent for fiscal year 2018-19, the second highest in the nation.

The VA has achieved its success by working with community partners through the Open Doors Homeless Coalition, a nonprofit organization based in Gulfport that has more than 50 member agencies focused on a variety of services.

Under Executive Director Mary Simons, the ODHC is focused on ending homelessness not just for veterans but for all of South Mississippi.

"What we have found was that there were lots and lots of people, veterans included, falling through the cracks because the assistance was siloed," Simons said. "What we noticed was, if we were going to end anything, we needed to know what we were ending.

"We needed to know all the services being provided. We needed to break down those silos. Now, we couldn't imagine any other way of doing it or how we would manage without these partnerships."

The ODHC works off a database of the homeless, built through surveys that member organizations began conducting in 2015 while counting the homeless population annually through the U.S. Housing and Urban Development's Point in Time count.

The survey specifically asked about veteran status, health-related problems, services needed and other issues so that respondents could be linked to available community services.

Veterans were a priority, but the ODHC and its members are applying lessons learned to the larger homeless population.

Performance measures show 96 percent of Gulf Coast service area veterans stay in a home while enrolled in the supportive housing program. Two years after discharge, only 10 percent return to homelessness, Simons said.

"We are one of the few communities that has sustained an end to veteran homelessness," she said, "and that is a result of the community partners doing this work."

" . . . We certainly don't want to leave anyone behind. The lessons we're learning from an end to veteran homelessness we're applying to other things."

Owens isn't flourishing only because he secured an apartment through the partnership between the VA and HUD, which supplies housing vouchers that help qualified applicants with rent. A support system surrounded him and continues to be there for him.

The VA's supportive housing program provides case management based on an individual's needs, including licensed clinical social workers, registered nurses, budgeting classes, peer support specialists, and drug and alcohol rehabilitation.

Community partners working with the VA include ODHC members Back Bay Mission in Biloxi, the Hancock County Resource Center and Oak Arbor based in Hattiesburg.

Veterans in the HUD-Veterans Assistance Supportive Housing program go through phases of case management, said Jodie Picciano-Swanson, Homeless Program manager for the Gulf Coast VA.

The veterans start with a two-week orientation that teaches them everything from getting along with neighbors to managing their money. Some veterans have no income when they enter the program.

The VA works with them to find and enroll for any benefits to which they might be entitled, including Social Security and service-connected benefits such as health care.

The assistance he received, and the friends he's met along the way, have made all the difference for Owens.

He had previously cycled through drug and alcohol rehabilitation and psychiatric units.

Owens said his problems seemed to start as soon as he stepped off the airplane in 1964 on his return from 14 months' service in the Air Force as a member of the First Communications Group during the Vietnam War.

He doesn't think of himself as a hero, not at all. Instead, he said, he gives all the credit to those who were engaged directly in combat.

"I just felt guilty," he said. "Why should I be back and not them?"

During the war, he discovered alcohol and drugs, which were cheap and plentiful. He continued to drink when he returned home. He worked for less than two years at Keesler, where he taught math, electronics and communications.

His family came with him, but the drinking eventually chased off his wife and two children. After an honorable discharge, he wound up homeless and without work. He said he rode freight trains all over the country.

His family in Alabama didn't want him around and he didn't want to be around them, either. He eventually settled in that trailer in the woods.

His depression became unmanageable after both his parents died, he said.

"I just didn't care about life anymore," he said. "Depression got me good. That depression is fierce."

His apartment and supportive services saved him. He has made friends through the VA and still attends a veterans support group weekly. He also has friends and neighbors in his Biloxi apartment complex off Pass Road.

They share meals and good times. And he's back on speaking terms with his family, proudly displaying pictures of their get togethers in his apartment.

He loves to cook and enjoys reading about astrophysics, theoretical physics, astronomy and philosophy.

"I've got some special people around me," he said. Oh, man!

See the original post:

Group helps Vietnam vet find new life on the Coast - The Edwardsville Intelligencer

By Ally Tobler, Capital News Service

Tap water at the majority of Maryland utilities, or public water systems, had levels of contaminants that exceeded health guidelines established by the Environmental Working Group (EWG), a non-profit focused on environmental health issues.

According to EWGs 2019 update, predominant chemicals included nitrates, arsenic, trihalomethanes which includes chloroform among other contaminants.

The EWG published drinking water contamination data for nearly 50,00 community water systems nationwide, including 468 utilities located in Maryland.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) doesnt have a tap water contamination database and doesnt provide any information on specific contaminant levels at water systems. But according to EWG Senior Scientist David Andrews, they should.

Instead, the EPA has a database listing which utilities are not following legal requirements when it comes to safe drinking water, but not the actual testing results showing chemical levels. For these compliance-based violations, the EPA assigns point values to noncompliant utilities based on the severity of the violation.

There are 38 utilities in Maryland with the highest amount of tap water violation points from the EPA. These utilities serve over 2,189,000 residents and have collectively accrued nearly 573 violation points.

Out of the 38 utilities with the highest violation points, 11 are listed as mobile home parks communities. Andrews explained that smaller water systems such as mobile home parks are more likely to have water quality violations compared to larger water systems.

This is often due to resources in terms of source water choice, water treatment and testing, he wrote in an email. Big city water systems will often draw water from upstream, or a protected reservoir if available while smaller systems will get water from a nearby stream or from a well drilled directly down.

Many large water systems, such as the city of Baltimore, draw their water from multiple sources, and people within different parts of the system may get different fractions of water from each source. Baltimore, for example, sources its water from Gunpowder Falls, North Branch Patapsco River and the Susquehanna River.

Graphic: Capital News Service

EWG tests both groundwater and surface water, and either at treatment plants after it is treated or at individual sources.

Many contaminants do not have legal limits defined by the EPA and those that do often havent been updated in recent years. The EWG decided to fill that gap by creating health guidelines based on the latest scientific evidence and health advisories.

High levels of total trihalomethanes (TTHMs for short), a group of contaminants that includes four different chemicals, were found in the majority of utilities in Maryland. The EWG guideline for TTHMs is 0.15 ppb (parts per billion) or less, but the highest amount found was 56.3 ppb, 375 times that guideline. TTHMs are cancer-causing contaminants that are produced during water treatment with chlorine, according to the EWG.

Out of the large utilities that had the most tap water violation points from the EPA, all of them exceeded the EWGs TTHMs concentration guideline. Freedom District in Carroll County had the highest level of contamination at 49.3 ppb. The legal limit for TTHMs is 80 ppb.

TTHMs arent the only carcinogenic contaminants found among tap water in these public water systems. Nitrate, radium, chromium, cadmium and arsenic are also listed as chemicals that can lead to cancer.

Graphic: Capital News Service

Eighty-seven percent of utilities with the most tap water violations had at least one of these cancer-causing contaminants that exceeded EWG health guidelines.

Seventy-three percent of mobile park homes that had a significant amount of tap water violations had nitrate levels above the EWG health guideline. The highest was found at Bohnak Mobile Home Park in Fruitland, Maryland at 8.9 ppm. The legal limit is 10 ppm.

The EPA has failed to update chemical guidelines in recent years, according to the EWG.

[They have] not added a new contaminant to its list of regulated tap water contaminants in nearly 20 years, said Andrews. Yet science continuously advances, allowing us to understand more about how contaminants in drinking water can harm human health, even at low concentrations.

For example, PFOA and PFOS, which are used in many consumer products such as nonstick pans and stain-repellent clothing, are a few of many contaminants that do not have a legal limit set by the EPA. According to the EWG, this contaminant group can cause cancer, hormone disruption, as well as harm to the liver, fetal growth and immune system.

Everyone should be aware of the quality of the water they drink and how that water measures up to rigorous, health-based standards, said Andrews.

An EPA spokesperson outlined the process for adding to the regulated contaminants list. Under the 1996 Safe Drinking Water Act, the agency is required to issue contaminant candidate lists, collect information on the occurrence of unregulated contaminants in drinking water, and make determinations on whether or not to regulate contaminants. This occurs on a five-year cycle.

EPA reviews existing national primary drinking water regulations and, as appropriate, revises them to improve public health protection, said the spokesperson.

See the original post:

Maryland Water Systems Found To Contain Worrying Levels Of Nitrate, Arsenic And Other Chemicals, Nonprofit Says - CBS Baltimore

Broderick Johnson

Nearly 20 years ago, President Bill Clinton said, Together we have the power to determine exactly what we want the Internet to become. And what we want it to do is to be an instrument of empowerment, education, enlightenment, and economic advance[ment] and community building all across America, regardless of the race, the income, the geography of our citizens.

Sadly, the Internet has not lived up to these goals, and the digital divide is a reality for too many urban and rural communities across New Yorkincluding those in Rochester. In fact, more than a third of households in Monroe County with an annual income of less than $20,000 do not have access to the internet at home. These inequities exacerbate economic disparities because the Internet is an increasingly essential access point for job hunting, health care, and education. The result is a homework gap for students, persistent health care deserts for rural patients, and a digital divide that we havent been able to closeyet.

But recently, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) approved the T-Mobile-Sprint merger, helping to clear the path for a new competitor that will drive innovation and consumer benefitsparticularly for underserved consumers.

The joint spectrum portfolios of T-Mobile and Sprint will enable New T-Mobile to significantly accelerate 5G deployment throughout New York, which will force Verizon, AT&T, and other providers to up their investments. It will also create a massive amount of network capacity that will put downward pressure on prices, helping to keep more money in the pockets of lower-income consumers who often depend on wireless service to stay connected. New T-Mobiles plans will drive industry prices down while improving service for everyone.

Following the merger, the company will dedicate itself to putting this massive network capacity to work for good. The new company will work with civil rights leadersNational Urban League, National Action Network, Asian Americans Advancing Justice-AAJC, OCA-Asian Pacific American Advocates, League of United Latin American Citizens, and UNIDOSUS to ensure these benefits reach those most in need. In partnership with these organizations, New T-Mobile committed to significant philanthropic investments in institutions serving disadvantaged or underrepresented communities to support tech entrepreneurship and to bridge the gap in literacy, job training, and participation in the digital economy for communities of color.

The new company also committed to expanding wireless offerings to low-income citizens, underserved populations, and insular and rural areas after the merger. Two such programs were just announced for New T-Mobile after the mergers closeProject 10Million and T-Mobile Connect. Project 10Million aims to end the homework gap by offering free service, hotspots, and low-cost devices to 10 million households and families over five years, and T-Mobile Connect will make wireless more accessible for underserved communities by slashing the price of T-Mobiles current lowest-cost wireless plan in half.

The New T-Mobile will not only help improve New Yorks digital connectivity, it will also support the states economy through its new proposed Customer Experience Centers in the Rochester area and Nassau County, which Gov. Andrew Cuomo himself has praised. The new centers will bring nearly 1,000 new high-quality jobs with good benefits to each area.

But New T-Mobile can only fulfill these commitments if the merger closes. With the next generation of wireless service5Gon the horizon, we can either embrace this major step forward or allow millions of lower-income and rural Americans to fall farther behind. We can and should do betterfor everyone.

Were still a long way from the equity and access envisioned by President Clinton nearly 20 years ago. T-Mobile and Sprint have formally pledged to help close the digital divide in the United States following the merger, and the combined company will have the scale, resources, and culture to ensure that everyone has access to the tools to thrive in todays economy. I urge all of New Yorks leaders to support the merger and bring good jobs, lower prices, and increased broadband access for those who need it most across the state.

Broderick Johnson served as Assistant to the President and Cabinet Secretary under President Barack Obama, Deputy Assistant for Legislative Affairs under President Bill Clinton, and is currently an advisor to Sprint and Senior of Counsel with the law firm Covington & Burling LLP.

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New York needs New T-Mobile to reach communities across the digital divide - Rochester Business Journal

2020: The year of the home improvement

Posted: Wednesday, December 4, 2019 9:01 am

2020: The year of the home improvement Brandpoint (BPT) Mountain Grove News-Journal

(BPT) - A new year is an opportunity to bring fresh life into your home through renovations, both large and small. Want an updated kitchen? A patio addition? New floors? Every homeowner has a different vision for their space, so make 2020 the year your home improvement dreams come true. But where should you start?

Affording your renovations

The cost of home renovations deters many from updating their homes, but there are financing options that can make costs more manageable. Consider a home equity line of credit (HELOC), which gives you the flexibility of a credit line you can access as you need funds for your renovation projects. At Bank of America, you can get a HELOC with no fees to open or maintain it. You pay only for the funds you use.

Now that you have the finances sorted out, what home projects should you consider?

But, what if you arent a homeowner yet?

If you're not yet a homeowner, make 2020 your year to own your home. Upfront costs dont have to be a barrier.

The Bank of America Community Homeownership Commitment(TM) helps eligible homebuyers with the upfront costs of purchasing a home by offering:

For more information about the Community Homeownership Commitment, HELOCs and other ways to make your 2020 home dreams a reality, visit http://www.bankofamerica.com.

Posted in Home Improvement on Wednesday, December 4, 2019 9:01 am.

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2020: The year of the home improvement - Mountain Grove News Journal

Refinery29 is proud to partner with theNational Association of REALTORS(NAR) to share real womens stories about finding, buying, flipping, and paying off their homes. Ahead, read one womans testament to homeownership, and discover the power of a REALTOR.

It should come as no surprise that a couple in the suburbs might decide to take the plunge and buy a home together. But heres the thing: When my partner and I began the process, we werent married. We werent engaged, either. And we had never lived together. In fact, neither of us had ever lived anywhere aside from our childhood homes.

Sure, marriage isnt a prerequisite here but as partners, we were admittedly a bit non-traditional in our approach to a mortgage. After six years together, we were making the decision to take on the biggest financial commitment of our lives thus far without even knowing what it was really like to share a bedroom.

When we told friends and family, they were often openly disapproving. To them, it felt impulsive and irresponsible. But in spite of all the naysayers, we both felt, deep down, that this was the right choice for us. While living with our respective parents and siblings retiring each night to our childhood bedrooms we both desperately craved a space of our own. Neither of us was paying rent, our savings were growing substantially, and we often fantasized about what our life might look like under a shared roof.

At the time, I was working as a full-time editor in New York City making $65,000 a year, and my partner was working in construction making $110,000 a year. Between us, we had about $30,000 in savings, and we were ready to put that towards a down payment somewhere in Long Island.So we tracked down an agent from the National Association of REALTORS through Douglas Elliman one who was openly supportive of our decision and we got to work.

Of course, we knew that renting an apartment together was the more logical next step. We understood this would be a safer way of testing the waters without, well, diving right in. But we both wanted to settle close to our families, our agent assured us that the market looked good, and most adults we knew in the area were already owners. Buying simply felt like the smartest step it was what we wanted in the long term, and paying rent rather than working toward that goal felt counterproductive.

Still, in all honesty, I occasionally felt myself wavering. What if his propensity to leave dirty glasses in his bedroom for days on end pushed me over the edge? How would he feel about me once he realized I had never really learned how to do laundry correctly? Were we being completely delusional?I thought about making an ultimatum: We could get a house if he proposed but at the same time, I didnt want a proposal he felt pressured into. In fact, I felt that purchasing a house together was, in some ways, a bigger commitment than a ring. It was this enormous investment, both financially and emotionally, in our future life together. And our agent was fully prepared to help us take the plunge.

After shed sat down with us a handful of times to talk seriously about our game plan, she helped us to narrow our search. We talked through what Long Island neighborhoods we were interested in, the condition of our future home, the importance of a spacious backyard, and plenty of other things. Then she showed us options. We perused countless places online together and visited many an open house while she offered us details about levels of buyer interest and potential for kitchen remodels.

Then finally, after one particularly long day spent perusing various open houses, our agent convinced us to stop by a home we hadnt been interested in when wed viewed the listing online. She insisted it would be worth the trip, so we agreed, reasoning that she hadnt let us down yet.

As soon as we entered the space, something shifted. We looked at each other we knew this was it. Walking through the rooms, we could both imagine our futures here, in each of these vacant rooms, and it felt right. That night, we called our agent and told her we wanted to make an offer.The place was listed at $399,000, which wasnt so far beyond our target price.

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The rest of the home buying process was centered around financial logistics the particulars of which our agent dexterously helped us navigate. It forced us into a number of conversations about finances that many couples dont have until marriage (not fun, but necessary). We met with a lawyer about the details that surrounded putting both of our names on the deed. With Sandys help, we eventually negotiated the price down to $365,000. And eventually, closing day arrived.

Our agent and our lawyer worked together to make sure things ran smoothly. Once the paperwork was squared away, I felt myself loosen up. I began to feel a particular sense of elation. This was our home this was where the life wed been imagining together for the past six years would take place. That evening, we began to move some of our things in (just a rug or two, some end tables, a favorite chair), and, one piece at a time, the space started to look less like a vacant structure and more like a home.

Less than a year into living together, he proposed. And now, nearly three and a half years after that first day in our new house, were married, we have a baby, and we still love our home. Scheduling aside, buying was the right choice for us we knew this place would be the setting for our entire lives together.

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My Boyfriend & I Had Never Lived TogetherUntil We Bought A Home - Yahoo Finance

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Wondering what buildings are coming down or going up in Oakland? Local building permit data can shine a light on what's under construction near you.

In the past week, the city issued 82 building permits, according to data from BuildZoom, a platform that helps homeowners and businesses with new construction and remodels.

None of those permits were for new building construction last week; all were for repairs and renovations.

Read on for a selection of the most noteworthy new permits.

Contractor Cero Construction was issued a permit for repair/renovation of a residential structure at 6071 Colton Blvd. The permit defines the project's work scope as: "Non-structural remodel of two bathrooms at existing single family dwelling."

Contractor FWH Acquisition Co LLC received a permit for repair/renovation of a residential structure at 9800 Macarthur Blvd. The work is described as: "Remove and replace water heater for unit #202 to be located in exterior cabinet of multi-unit apartment building."

Contractor Source Planning & Construction Inc. was issued a permit for repair/renovation of a residential structure at 1901 Harrison St. The work is described as: "Plumbing tenant improvement to reconfigure partitions and remodel restrooms with ADA upgrades on the first third fourth and sixth floor."

A permit was issued for repair/renovation of a residential structure at 8216 Olive St. In the permit, the work scope is described as: "Non-structural kitchen remodel."

Applicant Wci Gc Inc. was issued a permit for repair/renovation of a residential structure at 1999 Harrison St., Suite 1500. The permit defines the project's work scope as: "Electrical tenant improvement. Create office spaces with new partitions and finishes."

A permit was issued for repair/renovation of a residential structure at 1064 Clarendon Crescent.The permit defines the project's work scope as: "Bath remodel including replacing tub and shower walls, vanity and fixtures."

Applicant Roto Rooter Services Company received a permit for repair/renovation of a structure at 900 Fallon St. In the permit, the work scope is described as: "Repair/replace building sewer."

Contractor A Taylor Made Window received a permit for repair/renovation of a residential structure at 796 Rosemount Road.The work is described as: "Replace six existing windows for single family dwelling."

Applicant Todd Zaionz Construction received a permit for repair/renovation of a residential structure at 250 Frank H. Ogawa Pz. The permit defines the project's work scope as: "Remove and replace one sheet of sheet rock to install electrical equipment underneath in print shop on first floor."

This story was created automatically using local building data from BuildZoom, then reviewed and augmented by an editor. Click here for more about what we're doing.

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82 building permits issued in Oakland last week - Yahoo News

Photograph courtesy of Tim Hortons

For Restaurant Brands International, two out of three is bad.

In the companys third quarter, for instance, both Burger King and Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen generated strong salesin the U.S. and internationally.

But Tim Hortons didnt quite match its sister chains performance.

Systemwide sales at the Canadian coffee-and-doughnut chain declined by 0.1% in the quarter. By comparison, Burger Kings system sales rose 10.7%, thanks to international growth and the chains Impossible Whopper in the U.S.

Popeyes, buoyed by its incredible chicken sandwich success, increased sales by 15.6%.

Jose Cil, CEO of RBI, suggested that Tim Hortons focus has been off, and said it needs to work more on long-term sales-building strategies.

Weve seen a little bit of fluctuation, ups and downs, in sales performance over the last few quarters, partly, I think, because weve been focused on somewhat short-term opportunities, he told investors this week, according to a transcript on the financial services site Sentieo.

I think we need to be focused on the core, on the long-term initiatives that are going to have a big impact on the business, he added.

Cil said the long-term strategies include work to improve the companys beverages, store remodels, drive-thrus and technology such as its new loyalty program.

Tim Hortons was a well-established business in Canada when Burger King bought the company in 2014 and created Restaurant Brands International. Yet that combination has been slower to develop for Tims than it was when 3G Capital bought Burger King in 2010, or even when RBI bought Popeyes in 2017.

Consider this: Systemwide sales at Tims grew 9.3% in the first year after the 2014 merger. That growth has slowed every year since, and systemwide sales growth has averaged just 0.7% so far this year.

Unit count growth has also been slow: Tims has 4,887 global locations now, up less than 5% since 2014. By contrast, Burger King operates 18,232 restaurants globally, up 27% over that period.

Much of that is likely due to the chains different structures. Burger King operates with larger franchisees, including many joint ventures internationally where unit growth is paramount. Tims in its home market of Canada operates largely with smaller operators that are less likely to open new units.

And Tim Hortons has struggled in the U.S., where unit count has declined by 14% since 2013. The U.S. was supposed to be a key early growth market for the brand.

Still, Tims represents 60% of RBIs revenuesand half of its adjusted earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization, or EBITDA. That makes the brand vital to RBIs overall performance. So while the other two brands performed well, its overall business is weighted toward Tims.

The brand has some real strengths that Cil believes to be a strong foundation for future growth. In Canada, it remains the dominant restaurant chain, particularly in the mornings. In Canada, Tim is an amazing business with a tremendous market share, he said. We have a very loyal following of guests that come, in many cases, two or three times a day.

That, he said, gives the company a really strong market share and compelling unit economics.

Cil believes the company has opportunities to increase growth in its core menu products. That includes both hot and cold beverages. One strategy is the addition of new coffee brewers designed to improve the consistency of those drinks.

The chain has also improved its beverage lids and opened a new Innovation Cafe in downtown Toronto to work on new products. It is also focused on drive-thru technology to speed service there.

Loyalty might be the biggest opportunity for the chain. The company launched its new loyalty program in Canada earlier this year and it became popular quickly. As many as half of the chains transactions come from program members.

Cil said the company will be able to focus on one-on-one marketing while using the program to get a better idea of what gets customers into its stores. Thats the work that were doing now that we think over time will allow us to drive sales through the loyalty platform, he said.

To be sure, Cil didnt fully write off short-term sales strategies such as limited-time offers. Theres always a balance in this business, especially when youre a market leader, he said, noting that the chain needs to focus on quality, value and convenience. Those are the things that are going to give us a competitive advantage in the market and continue to hold our really strong position and start growing long term.

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Tim Hortons starts thinking long term - Restaurant Business Online