Home Builder Developer - Interior Renovation and Design

by: Todd UlrichUpdated: Aug 23, 2017 - 11:24 PM

ORLANDO,Fla. - Several customers called Action 9 literally hot under the collar about their home warranty company. They claim it left them without AC for days, even weeks after they called for warranty repairs.

It was 90 degrees inside their homes and the AC system was torn apart on the garage floor.

For a Kissimmee couple, it was day 32 without air conditioning and they blamed their home warranty company. I think you have to suffer a heat stroke before they consider it an emergency, said Rodney Mason.

He bought an American Home Shield warranty for peace of mind. But he claims for months it sent a local AC repair contractor that kept patching, not fixing, the unit. Then it shut down and he says he's been waiting on replacement parts since July.

Mason said he was beyond frustrated, On a scale of 1 to 10, let's say a 12.

Since last year, eightAmerican Home Shield customers contacted Action 9 for help.Most were for AC repairs.

It was 92 degrees in the house, said Lourdes Silva. She said the contractor left her without AC for 12 days then charged her $700 for parts she never even got.

Have you been paid back yet? asked Action 9s Todd Ulrich.

No. I've been calling and emailing and Im still waiting, Silva responded.

Many customers who contacted Action 9 felt their AC repair was a low priority since they had a home warranty.

They thought hiring their own AC contractor could be faster and cheaper.

Should we just be paying out of pocket and not even worry about this home warranty? asked the homeowner.

Since 2014, the Florida Attorney General has 45 complaints against AHS.

After we contacted American Home Shield, it said Masons AC will be fixed tomorrowandblamed delays on a back-ordered part, and said its AC contractor promised Lourdes Silva a refund this week.

Was it peace of mind? asked Ulrich.

Not really. I was stressed, you know, we were hot, said Silva.

The company told Todd Ulrich if it fails to meet expectations, the situation will be resolved and nationwide it's paid $1.8billion in repairs and replacements.

If you just bought a house, a warranty the first year could pay off.

Overall, many consumer experts say no, better off paying as you go and picking your own repair companies.

American Home Shield's response:

"One of the delays in resolving this matter was due to a backorder from the needed factory OEM coil to repair his unit. This is not an AHS issue but a manufacturer delay.

The contractor looked all over the nation to try and find this specific coil but it was not available, and we could not use any other factory OEM coil because it would invalidate his manufacturer warranty that is still in place on this unit.

Our home warranties do not cover expenses associated with gaining access to lines that run throughout his home for this repair. However, as a gesture of goodwill we are going to pay for those expenses.

The customer did request to change vendors through this process, which added an additional delay to service.

Our contractor has taken the appropriate steps to ensure his unit has no issues, such as offering to run several diagnostic tests. The customer initially declined and then later requested that tests be performed."

Information on contractors and service:

Contractor must meet a number of criteria before being approved to service American Home customers, including background checks. In addition, we regularly review every contractor to ensure they are meeting our quality and performance standards. Customer feedback is extremely important factor in how we manage our network.

Over the past five years, we have responded to more than 16 million service requests and have paid more than $1.8 billion in repairs and replacements on behalf of our customers.

As the largest home warranty company in the nation, we receive and pay more in claims than any other provider in the country.

At American Home Shield, we take great pride in providing quality service and valuable protection to our customers and if we fail to meet these expectations, we work to do the right thing and ensure any situation is properly resolved.

We regret the inconvenience that Mr. Mason experienced and have an appointment scheduled tomorrow to resolve this matter. There are elements that are not covered under his contract; however, as a gesture of goodwill, we will pay those expenses on his behalf.

American Home Shield regularly reviews every contractor to ensure they are meeting our quality and performance standards. We actively work to resolve customer concerns and to understand why and where breakdowns may occur in the service journey, so that we can continue to improve the services we provide to our customers.

2017 Cox Media Group.

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Action 9 investigates home warranty company - WFTV Orlando

FORT MOHAVE Its a lot cooler being at the home of Jon and Martha Evans now that the air conditioning is working again. The Fort Mohave couple went for more than a month with it not working properly -- and three weeks with it not working at all.

After a second visit and a total of three new parts being installed over the two visits, the repair person was able to complete the work on the unit mid-week.

Im getting to where I can organize myself and get back on schedule, Martha said Sunday. Having the house back to normal is a blessing.

Jon was able to sit in his favorite living room chair and watch the Los Angeles Dodgers play against Detroit Tigers. Martha was in the dining room talking about their month-long home appliance drama. They still run a lot of fans to circulate the cooled air around the house. The unit is kept at 78 degrees most of the time. Martha will move it down to, say, 77 degrees when shes doing a lot of housework.

Jon and Martha both contend with physical problems but Jon is undergoing treatment for stage 2 cancer and also has emphysema and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. His health further suffering because of a failed air conditioner was Marthas primary worry, though the cost for trying to make the situation remotely tolerable was constantly on their minds as well, she said.

They were upset their home warranty provider wasnt responding in a timely fashion to their need for relief especially with Jons health challenges. That the local repair contractor wouldnt come out until the insurer gave an OK to do the work also proved stressful.

But now that the unit is working again, Jon and Martha were able to celebrate an important event now that their home is cool enough to tolerate Jons grandsons first birthday.

Little Kevin Jon (his grandfather is called Jon Kevin) was the guest of honor Saturday. A Happy Birthday banner still hung near the ceiling in the living room Sunday. Martha was looking at pictures of the toddler taken with her smart phone and laughed as she showed a video of Kevin sitting in a high chair as he attacked a smash cake, mouth-first.

If we hadnt gotten the air conditioner fixed, we wouldve had to go to a restaurant, Martha said. It would have been more expensive and less relaxed.

Martha also worried about the dogs not being able to tolerate the hot house especially their 10-year-old black Labrador mix named Dakota. The dogs contented face reflects his age with a generous amount of gray fur around his eyes and mouth,as Martha scratched the back of its head.

Dakota was sleeping on the hard tile floor in the kitchen to try to stay cool. His spending so much time on that surface was likely hard on his older bones, joints and muscles, Martha said.

And I was worried all the dogs werent drinking enough water and eating enough, she said. I didnt want to end up with any of them getting dehydrated and needing to go to the vet.

Their two other dogs are Gunnar, 3 and Bear, 2. All three are larger dogs with dark fur.

Being able to take a shower without feeling as if shes in a sauna is a relief. And offers of help to get the situation resolved were greatly appreciated. However, the Evanses are preparing to change their home warranty provider and Martha is putting together complaints for the Better Business Bureau about the matter.

Somebody needs to keep these people from doing this, she said about their long wait for the work to be complete. The first visit, which came after three weeks, didnt fully alleviate the problem and the house still wasnt cool enough until a second repair was made about 10 days later. Its been a big nightmare.

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Couple cool and comfortable finally - Mohave Valley News

Mold was removed from the basement of the Lunenburg Town Hall and on Thursday a couple of employees from ARS Restorations Specialists where finishing up the job by putting a coat of paint on the walls. Luis Puerie mixes some more paint as they work on getting the job done. SENTINEL & ENTERPRISE/JOHN LOVE

LUNENBURG -- Mold abatement in the basement of Town Hall is underway, and on Thursday crews were finishing up the $47,000 project.

Wearing a head-to-toe hazmat suit, project supervisor Edwin Albaladejo stood outside Town Hall and explained the process for eradicating the mold.

"We stripped everything out. Basically, if there's no wood, there's nothing to grow on," said Albaladejo.

Town records stored in the basement were removed before abatement began, said Albaladejo.

Town Manager Heather Lemieux said the basement can no longer be used for storage.

"We cannot store anything in the basement from this point on," said Lemieux.

Mold was removed from the basement of the Lunenburg Town Hall and on Thursday a couple of employees from ARS Restorations Specialists where finishing up the job by putting a coat of paint on the walls. Luis Puerie mixes some more paint as they work on getting the job done. SENTINEL & ENTERPRISE/JOHN LOVE

Lemieux said the attic at Town Hall is no longer a viable option for storing records, because "structurally the building can't handle the weight that's in the attic."

The $47,000 abatement project comes after the town spent $7,000 cleaning up waste left behind from birds living in the attic.

Lemieux recommended records currently stored in Town Hall be moved to classrooms at the T.C. Passios building, where the schools superintendent and her staff have offices -- and where the Board of Selectmen wants to move town offices.

"All the records need to be moved out so we have to address how that's going to happen," said Lemieux.

Selectmen Bob Ebersole at Tuesday's Board of Selectmen meeting said the records that cannot be stored digitally must be kept in a location that will not be susceptible to damage by mold.

"Any record has to be protected ... it all has to be kept safe and secure," said Ebersole.

On Aug. 15, the Board of Selectmen voted to continue the process that would move municipal offices -- and 56 employees -- into the Passios building. A study commissioned by the town a year and a half ago determined that could be the best option.

Lemieux has said the Passios building requires remodeling, including an update to its electrical and heating systems. The cost of the renovations has not yet been determined.

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Big bill for mold removal in Lunenburg - Sentinel & Enterprise

Like most HGTV addicts, I caught the home renovation bug early on. It's difficult to avoid when designers are throwing around phrases like "clean and open" and "repurposed and refreshed." And yet, there's another phrase that isn't said nearly enough: return on investment (ROI).

Curb appeal, durability, and ample living space are important to prospective buyers, as evidenced by the upgrades listed in Remodeling Magazine's 2017 cost vs. value national report. Ifselling your home is on the horizon, keep these 10 renovations and their ROIs in mind to help you secure a greater profit.

image source: Getty images.

1. Entry door (90.7%): Form and function meet when you replace your entry door with a reinforced steel door. The appeal of safety coupled with an updated look will allow you to recoup nearly all of your investment.

2. Manufactured stone veneer (89.4%): Vinyl siding won't earn you as much when it's time to sell, but replacing it with a stone faade will increase your home's value by about $7,000.

3. Garage door (76.9%): A steel-tracked model with built-in insulation will cost you about $1,750, but this upgrade will appeal to buyers who value car safety and a warm commute during the winter months.

image source: Getty images.

4. Vinyl window replacement (73.9%): Old homes have a certain charm, but not if they're drafty. This update is an expensive one at $15,282, but you can tout a commitment to energy efficiency on the MLS listing once it's complete. You'll also qualify for a tax credit if your windows are certified by Energy Star (more on that here.)

5. Siding replacement (76.4%): Siding protects your home and brightens up an outdated property. Buying and installing 1,250 square feet of vinyl siding will cost just over $14,500, but the low-maintenance material will last decades longer than other siding options..

image source: Getty images.

6. Minor kitchen remodel (80.2%): The kitchen is the heart of the home, and it's no surprise that buyers are interested in aesthetic appeal. A $21,000 budget will allow you to reap a decent return, but keep in mind that this number can decline quickly if you make too many costly changes.

7. Two-story addition (71.1%): Adding a second floor to your home may seem over the top, but it's worth it when the housing market is booming. For instance, while Remodeling Magazine's national report estimates a 71.1% return, their regional report for Seattle projects a 90.6% return due to a competitive market. Take a closer look at the earning potential in your neighborhood to learn if adding an addition is a lucrative option.

8. Basement remodel (70%): Basements are usually reserved for the ever-popular man cave or children's playroom. Cash in on nostalgia by updating the sub-level floor of your home. Renovations that include weatherproofing could also lower your home and flood insurance premiums.

image source: getty images.

9. Grand entrance (70.1%): A fancy entrance gives your home that "wow" factor buyers are looking for, and adding a simple fiberglass gable above your front door's exterior can make your property more inviting.

10. Family room addition (69.3%):Open floor-plans are all the rage in today's market, and adding 400 square feet of living space can set you apart in an older neighborhood. This renovation doesn't come cheap at an average cost of $89,500, but the rewards could be greater depending on your location.

image source: getty images.

These upgrades sound great, but earning a profit means closing the gap between your initial investment and the estimated payout. While your ROI potential depends largely on your local real estate market, save as much renovation money as possible with these options:

image source: getty images.

image source: getty images.

It's still a buyer's market in most U.S. neighborhoods, but it's possible to secure a seller's profit with a little creativity. Take advantage of your local market research and look for ways to make your home the best on the block.

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10 Home Upgrades That Boost Resale Value -- and How to Pay for Them - Motley Fool

GREENCASTLE, Pa. Unlike the solar eclipse that delayed the start of the 2017-18 school year by a day, Greencastle-Antrim students reported to classes Tuesday with nothing unusual to report from the district's new superintendent.

Probably not unlike many of the students, Kendra Trail said she was feeling anticipation and excitement to begin her first year overseeing the district.

Overall, the day went extraordinarily well, said Trail, who attended the elementary and middle school "welcome-back" assemblies.

We expected transportation to run later in getting students home; however, that routinely happens on the first day and even first week, she said.

Trail had moved the planned opening day of school back a day because of a concern for childrens' safety during the solar eclipse.

A lot of rehabilitation work had been performed in the primary and elementary schools during the summer, including new heating, air-conditioning and ventilation systems.

All classrooms in the two schools also have had new carpeting installed, but Trail said carpet work still needed to be completed in the schools' hallways.

The hallway-carpet installation is being done during nights and weekends.

Earlier this month, Trail announced a change in the school district's traditional open campus, closing the campus for public use during school hours.

My first priority is to strengthen the safety of students and staff," she said. "The first step was taken to have a 'closed campus' during the hours of 7 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., which took effect (Tuesday). ... I am continuing to assess the safety issue.

Trail estimated last week that enrollment was up by 30 students from last year, but she wasn't ready Tuesday to tally the total number of students.

We still have students enrolling," she said. "On the third day of school, we will assess that information.

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Greencastle students back in class after first day eclipsed - Herald-Mail Media

They say God never gives you more than you can handle, but its been getting close lately, said Thysen Scott with a laugh, referring to the amount of catering jobs that he and his wife, Debi, have been booking for their business, God Bless Food Catering.

Faith is important to the Scotts, self-described committed Christians who donate 10 percent of their earnings to their parish, the Oak Bay Baptist Church in Port Hadlock. Just as important to them is carrying on a family tradition, and treating their customers as though they are members of their extended family.

Thysen is well steeped in the food service industry, with a father who has owned seven restaurants on the east side of Seattle, an aunt who owns three catering companies in the same city, and family roots in the Taco Time chain. Yet, in spite of spending two years working as a manager for his dad, Thysens primary business is carpet installation.

I did the floors at the Port Townsend paper mill, but I would always bring Rita Hubbard some soup or a sandwich, Thysen said.

She liked his food so much that, four years ago, she decided to upgrade her catering by hiring him instead, for their Christmas party, Debi Scott said.

With six weeks to prepare and no actual catering company at that time, Thysen and Debi nonetheless managed to serve more than 200 partygoers, paving the way for their return to the paper mill every Christmas since then.

Our first year, we had just a handful of gigs, but word of mouth spread fast, Debi said. Our second year, we catered 40 events, which went up to 70 in our third year. This year, weve already catered more than 100 events, and its not even over yet.

In addition to serving meals at the Port Townsend Elks Lodge every Tuesday, God Bless Food is also a fixture at annual community events ranging from Hadlock Building Supplys customer appreciation day to the upcoming Port Ludlow outdoor movie night Aug. 27.

Weve catered fundraisers for the North Olympic Salmon Coalition and Chimacum High School, Thysen said. We go to peoples homes and teach clinics on how to make pizza dough or lasagna. Ive done events at cost, and then given away auction prizes like free dinners to boot.

We dont have as much time as wed like to volunteer for organizations, Debi said, so this is our way of giving back.

Regardless of where they show up, the Scotts have developed a fan following, to the point that Thysen cant even shop at the QFC in Port Hadlock without folks checking out what he has in his shopping cart.

I just use the best fresh ingredients, preferably by local companies, Thysen said. I slow-cook the meat, and I cut the salad 20 minutes before I serve it. A lot of my stuff is from scratch. Its a matter of timing and attention to detail, so you know how long to cook each item, and when it should come out.

He just has a natural talent for flavoring, seasoning and layering that you cant train, Debi said. He can throw together amazing dishes, like baked potatoes infused with butter, garlic and cheese; smoked salmon thats like candy; and chowder thats white gold.

Thysen was humbled when a readers poll conducted by The Leader named him the best chef in the area, especially since his catering companys motto is He makes it, I put it together, with He referring to God.

Thysen eventually hopes to operate out of a food truck, but in the meantime, he and Debi are inviting people to taste their chowder at the Port Ludlow outdoor movie night for the second year in a row.

We start serving at 6 p.m., and the movie starts at dusk, Thysen said. I make my chowder on site with only 10 or 11 ingredients, in a huge cauldron that I stir with an oar, he said, laughing. We want to feed the world, but well start with Jefferson County.

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God Bless Food enters 4th year of serving community - Port Townsend Leader

It is sculpture thats largely invisible, announcing itself subtly, almost stealthily. Walk an unpaved path through a eucalyptus grove at UC San Diego, and suspended tones with no apparent source weave their way into the already densely layered soundscape. Traffic on the adjacent road, jets rumbling overhead, clicking spokes of passing bicycles, the frictive thrum of a skateboard, the crunch of your own footsteps all shift from background noise to counterpoint for the tones emanating from above.

"The Wind Garden" is the new work of Pulitzer Prize- and Grammy-winning composer John Luther Adams. Its his first permanent outdoor art installation and the latest addition to the Stuart Collection of commissioned, site-determined sculpture on campus.

The works tones are generated by 32 small, tubular devices that Adams has positioned on tree branches. A speaker assigned to each is mounted nearby, and four subwoofers in steel boxes are inconspicuously arrayed on the ground, atop the carpet of dried leaves. The wind's activity, time of day and season all determine what tones will charge the space.

Lighter, higher sounds in major tonalities dominate the day. At night, the register lowers, minor keys are invoked, and (thanks to the subwoofers) the sounds drop down from the canopy to the level of the body.

"You have to move through the piece, or sit for a long time and let it move through you," said Adams, 64, who was in La Jolla to make adjustments to the piece before its opening this month. Long and lanky, in a working uniform of jeans and baseball cap, Adams paced the path before settling onto a bench of reclaimed eucalyptus in what he considers the apse of his "arboreal chapel."

"In recent years, space has become a fundamental compositional element for me, in the way that it would be for a sculptor," he said, referring to the present work as well as music he has written to be performed outdoors, by ensembles dispersed across a landscape.

"Yes, I mean poetic space, a sort of metaphorical space, and temporal space, but I also mean physical, volumetric space. Everything about this piece is meticulously composed, but the thing that gives it its life, its breath, is the way we're working with the space the placement of this particular tone in that particular tree, in relation to that tone at the other end of the grove."

Erik Jepsen / UC San Diego Publications

John Luther Adams' composition notebook.

John Luther Adams' composition notebook. (Erik Jepsen / UC San Diego Publications)

Adams called himself a Luddite by disposition.

I love that the conduit in the ground, the computer in the closet [in the nearby Mandell Weiss Theatre], all the sensors, all the data that's feeding this it all disappears, he said. When you walk through here, it's just you and the trees and the wind and the sound. It's certainly not about technology. It's about listening."

A dozen students arrived and fanned out across the grove, the sonic architecture of the piece choreographing their movement and their stillness.

"I find it to be very zen," says Mary Beebe, founding director of the 19-piece Stuart Collection. "It takes you out of the university, into another part of the world, and maybe another part of your head."

Beebe invited Adams to roam the 1,200-acre campus and conceive a project nearly 10 years ago. Long evolutions are not unusual for works in the collection, in part because artists are encouraged to stretch into new territory, and also because the logistics of site and engineering usually deliver surprises. Not long after "The Wind Garden" was first installed last fall, a fierce storm felled one of the largest trees in the grove, requiring months of recalibration.

Erik Jepsen / UC San Diego Publications

Looking up into the eucalyptus trees, where Adams' tones drift down and blend with ambient sounds on the ground.

Looking up into the eucalyptus trees, where Adams' tones drift down and blend with ambient sounds on the ground. (Erik Jepsen / UC San Diego Publications)

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For Adams, the origin of the piece was his "spur-of-the-moment" wedding in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge 29 years ago.

"No one was there, just a couple of friends, Adams said. Our orchestra was an aeolian harp, a wind harp that I'd brought with me to record up on the arctic coastal plain. I spent much of that trip standing on the tundra with this harp on my head, like a weathervane, playing with different tunings, trying to catch the wind. Hours upon hours, day after day, with this music coming out of the sky and down into my body and into the earth. It was a profound experience, and I think it has influenced a great deal of my music ever since. You might say that this piece is a big wind harp, and that the strings of the harp are the trees."

Adams lived for 30 years in Alaska, working for the Northern Alaska Environmental Center, the Wilderness Society and the Alaska Coalition. He keeps a one-room cabin studio there, as well as an apartment in New York, and he spends a good deal of time on the road.

A current of activism continues to run through his work.

"Music," Adams said, "has a particular power not just to illustrate or instruct but to allow us to be more fully present in the world. I actually do believe that music can serve as a sounding model for the renewal of human consciousness and culture."

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Composer John Luther Adams' new campus 'Wind Garden' art ... - Los Angeles Times

Mohawk Industries (NYSE: MHK) and Interface (NASDAQ:IFSIA) are both consumer discretionary companies, but which is the superior stock? We will compare the two businesses based on the strength of their institutional ownership, risk, earnings, dividends, valuation, profitability and analyst recommendations.

Analyst Recommendations

This is a summary of current ratings and recommmendations for Mohawk Industries and Interface, as provided by MarketBeat.

Mohawk Industries presently has a consensus target price of $266.50, suggesting a potential upside of 7.43%. Given Mohawk Industries higher possible upside, equities analysts clearly believe Mohawk Industries is more favorable than Interface.

Valuation & Earnings

This table compares Mohawk Industries and Interfaces top-line revenue, earnings per share (EPS) and valuation.

Mohawk Industries has higher revenue and earnings than Interface.

Insider & Institutional Ownership

76.5% of Mohawk Industries shares are held by institutional investors. 17.1% of Mohawk Industries shares are held by insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that hedge funds, large money managers and endowments believe a stock will outperform the market over the long term.

Profitability

This table compares Mohawk Industries and Interfaces net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

Summary

Mohawk Industries beats Interface on 6 of the 8 factors compared between the two stocks.

Mohawk Industries Company Profile

Mohawk Industries, Inc. is a flooring manufacturer that creates products for residential and commercial spaces around the world. The Company segments include Global Ceramic, Flooring North America (Flooring NA) and Flooring Rest of the World (Flooring ROW). Its manufacturing and distribution processes provide carpet, rugs, ceramic tile, laminate, wood, stone, luxury vinyl tile and vinyl flooring. The Global Ceramic segment designs, manufactures, sources, distributes and markets a line of ceramic tile, porcelain tile and natural stone products used in the residential and commercial markets for both remodeling and new construction. The Flooring NA segment designs, manufactures, sources, distributes and markets carpet, laminate, carpet pad, rugs, hardwood and vinyl. The Flooring ROW segment designs, manufactures, sources, distributes and markets laminate, hardwood flooring, roofing elements, insulation boards, medium-density fiberboard (MDF), chipboards, and vinyl flooring products.

Interface Company Profile

Interface Inc. is engaged in design, production and sale of modular carpet, also known as carpet tile. As of January 1, 2017, the Company marketed its modular carpets in over 110 countries under the brand names Interface and FLOR. The Company operates through three segments: Americas, Europe and Asia-Pacific. The Company distributes its products through two primary channels, including direct sales to end users and indirect sales through independent contractors or distributors. The Company sells an antimicrobial chemical compound under the trademark Intersept that the Company incorporates in all of its modular carpet products. It also sells its TacTiles carpet tile installation system, along with a range of traditional adhesives and products for carpet installation and maintenance that are manufactured by a third party. It also provides turnkey project management services for national accounts and other customers through its InterfaceSERVICES business.

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Financial Survey: Mohawk Industries (MHK) vs. Interface (IFSIA) - TrueBlueTribune

Beth McCracken started skipping across the floor during a recent tour of the renovated Hastings Public Library.

Is that your happy dance? library director Amy Hafer asked her.

One of them, the HPL education librarian responded.

Neither woman could stop smiling while touring the downtown building that has been closed since Feb. 24, 2016. Since March 24, 2016, the library has operated out of the Hastings Museums east gallery.

I dont think you can prepare yourself for how excited you feel when you see the almost-finished product because I think youre caught up in the details of the planning and so you think youre just going to be bogged down in the details forever, Hafer said. When you see the almost-finished product it brings back to home all that youve been working toward. Its so gratifying and so exciting you cant put into words what it means that this is going to be in your community and what it means that this is going to be your library.

Even seeing new bookends with rubber clamps that are easier to move than the old bookends made her happy.

Darrion Freeman, lead installer from Midwest Storage Solutions, Inc. of Omaha, works on the shelving units in the children's area at Hastings Public Library Thursday.

It really is the little things, she said.

McCracken said seeing the almost-finished library brings to mind the transition of paper to reality.

Im very visual, so seeing something on paper and then seeing it in real life makes it more exciting, she said.

In addition to donations, the citys current half-cent sales tax helped fund the $5.7 million library renovation.

Each year, the sales tax generates about $1.7 million. Currently, 60 percent of that revenue goes to street repairs, 25 percent to Duncan Field renovations and 15 percent to Hastings Public Library renovations.

Shelving began arriving Aug. 7, the installation of which is scheduled to take two weeks of four 10-hour days.

The final furniture installation is scheduled for Sept. 6.

The museums east gallery will close Sept. 11. Library staff will work out of the Abbott Room, so the community will have access to DVDs, newspapers, magazines, audiobooks, wireless internet, holds, returns and other basic services.

The library will be closed all day Sept. 28 for staff training.

The library will close to the public Oct. 1 for the final move of all materials and staff items remaining at the museum.

The downtown building is anticipated to open toward the end of October.

Weve enjoyed our time at the museum but that time has come and gone, Hafer said. (Staff) are so excited about the new opportunities, the new technologies, the new carpet, the new shelves just having new things. Its like back to school shopping for them in a way, having new stuff to play with and to work with.

Hafer joked that library employees, having not been inside the building for six months, were holding their own Hunger Games to see who gets in first. It turns out the entire staff toured the library together on Aug. 13.

They were so anxious to load the books on carts and get out of here that they did it in less time than we planned, Hafer said. I think theyre going to be twice as fast to load the books to move back in here.

In addition to the boiler room and storage, the basement previously unavailable to the public will be home to the librarys maker space that will contain a laser cutter, 3-D printer, a green screen studio, sewing machine and serger, button maker and Cricut machine.

Hastings Public Library director Amy Hafer stands in the building's basement Thursday. Dubbed the "Maker Space," the basement will be home to a laser cutter, 3D printers, sewing machines, a green screen and room for DIY projects.

Money the library has received each of the last three years during Give Hastings Day more than $20,000 has totally funded maker space equipment.

Because staff oversight is needed, the maker space will be open to the public about four hours every day except Wednesdays, when it will be closed but could be used for classes and library events.

Education Librarian Beth McCracken stands among new shelves in the children's section at Hastings Public Library Thursday. The shelves are 48 inches tall.

As a librarian you can only dream about working in a library like this thats brand new, Hafer said. Not every librarian ever gets an opportunity to do this, so to look at it and think we get to work in this library is breathtaking. Thats whats so exciting.

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Library set to reopen in October - Hastings Tribune

TODAY'S TOP STORIESMitch Albom tells Oprah about lessons that still resonate from 'Tuesdays with Morrie' | 0:37

Free Press columnist and author Mitch Albom is to appear on Oprah Winfrey's "SuperSoul Sunday" on OWN about the 20th anniversary of the publishing of his best-selling memoir, "Tuesdays with Morrie," and the lessons that still resonate. Kristen Jordan Shamus, Detroit Free Press

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WTSP Meteorologist Bobby Deskins says Hurricane Harvey is not letting up as it heads toward the Texas coast. USA TODAY

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In this June, 2015 photo, a contracted demolition crew from Detroit-based Homrich demolishes a house on Dolphin Street, as part of the city's blighted house demolition program.(Photo: Keith Matheny, Detroit Free Pres, Keith Matheny, Detroit Free Pres)

WASHINGTON The state of Michigan charged a federal fund dedicated to housing relief and tearing down abandoned homes more than $330,000 to give employees free parking, an audit found today.

The Michigan State Housing Development Authority (MSHDA) responded to the claim, which was contained in an audit that found millions in what a special inspector general in Washington characterized as unnecessary expenses charged to the federal Hardest Hit Fund by various states, saying the charge was reasonable.

"The parking for contract employees who work in downtown Lansing -- where parking is not free and is actually at a premium because it is the state capital -- was essential to meet staffing levels required for the important work of helping families in Michigan avoid foreclosure," said Katie Bach, a MSHDA spokeswoman. "Not paying this expense would have put (the state) at a disadvantage in attracting and retaining the talent required."

The number of contract employees receiving the benefit has fluctuated over time, from between 65 to nearly 100 at the height of the program.

Bach said the MichiganHomeowner Assistance Nonprofit Housing Corp., which MSHDA created to oversee the Hardest Hit Fund in the state, approved the charge,believing it was "a reasonable and customary expense of doing business, withwhich previous federal audits have taken no issue."

The Hardest Hit Fund, created in 2010 under the Trouble Asset Relief Fund to help keep residents in their homes and stabilize neighborhoods in the wake of the housing crisis, has committed a total of about $761 million to Michigan since its inception, about half of which has been targeted for demolitions, especially those in Detroit.

In previous reports to Congress and the U.S. Treasury, Christy Goldsmith Romero, the special inspector general for the TARP, has found instances of alleged waste, including last year uncovering what it said was $8.2 million in waste and abuse in Nevada that included car allowances, rent payments and overhead expenses Romero concluded were unjustified.

In the most recent report, which was sent today to Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin, Romero and her auditors found that state agencies in Michigan, South Carolina, Nevada, Rhode Island, Ohio and California charged TARP more than $600,000 for transportation costs which would have been more appropriately paid for by the states themselves.

It recommended the states be required to pay back the money.

The Michigan state agency charged TARP $330,575 to give all employees the perk of free parking, the audit said. The Michigan state agency decided at a Board of Directors meeting in February 2011 to provide free parking for employees working on the Hardest Hit Fund.

Every dollar spent on unnecessary expenses is a dollar that is no longer available for homeowner assistance, the audit said, noting that funds were charged to cater barbeque dinners in North Carolina and to pay back rent on offices in Rhode Island among other expenses.

Michigan officials didn't immediately respond to the suggestion that the funds be repaid.

In Michigan, the audit also found charges of $77 for refreshments for a meeting with Treasury officials in 2015; $55 for gifts for employees from Bed Bath and Beyond and some $6,000 in other charges for food and beverages over the last seven years.

The Hardest Hit Fund and the demolitions it largely funds in Detroit have become a source of controversy, which questions being raised about costs and payments made to contractors. This week the Detroit Land Bank Authoritys demolition director resigned after just seven months on the job and a federal investigation into Detroits aggressive demolition program is continuing.

The citys inspector general also said this week that two contractors submitted doctored photos of sidewalk repairs done in connection with the demolition program in order to get paid.

Contact Todd Spangler at 703-854-8947 or at tspangler@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter at @tsspangler.

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Feds: Michigan charged housing, demolition fund $330000 for parking - Detroit Free Press