Home Builder Developer - Interior Renovation and Design

By Andrea Rose

Most people who are searching for a home are looking to find something that fits their family's needs, whether it be more bedrooms, a bigger kitchen or a safer community, and they need the home to fit their price range.

But Dwaine Gipe is on a different kind of house hunt. He isn't looking to buy.

Gipe, 81, is searching for homes in this area that were built by his father, Edgar "Murphy" Gipe.

Building a family home

Gipe was born and raised in Franklin County, spending his early life in the Marion area before his parents moved to 606 S. Washington St., Greencastle.

His dad built the stone home over the course of a couple years. The homestead began with a garage. "We lived above dad's workshop and garage from 1945 when I entered seventh grade until the home was finished in 1947," Gipe, 81, recalled. "It was the first home east of Mississippi River with radiant heat in ceiling plaster, installed by Howard Cook, a plumber in Marion."

Gipe said the house was built with local materials. "The beautiful blue limestone came for a mine in West Virginia," he said. "It was my father's dream home.As most examples go, this dream home didn't come without a cost.

"This home, when registered, became one of the highest taxed homes in the county," Gipe said. "Contrary to much of today's thinking, my dad was proud to be paying the fiddler."

The elder Gipe built homes and barns, updated businesses, made bridge repairs and completed church renovations throughout Franklin County, including Marion, Greencastle and Chambersburg, as well as Halfway, Maryland, from probably 1925 through 1970.

"The part of Chambersburg most interesting was a group of properties covering about three blocks from the square to a Waffle House. Dad worked long-term in the late 1930s updating the right-hand side of old U.S. 11 south. The properties were owned by a Jerry B. Hanks or Henks by my memory and guess at his last name. He was a single poor farmer who owned a beautiful farm near New Franklin. I never saw this person wearing anything but coveralls," Gipe recalled. "The faces of the buildings were upgraded, but in keeping with design of the times. On occasion Jerry paid in hams, beef or other farm-raised foods. We ate well when Jerry came up a little short," Gipe said with a chuckle.

"In Fort Loudon, Dad turned a bank barn into the retail and mail-order business, home of the worldwide known Hawbaker's Trappers Supply."

Beyond his childhood home and a few places in Chambersburg he can recall his father working on, Gipe can't identify other properties his dad built or worked on.

He knows the accomplished craftsman sent somewhere in Virginia, working for Civilian Conservations Corps for several years in the 1930s.

His lack of knowledge clearly has nothing to do with lack of memory.

Gipe was just a boy when his dad was zig-zagging across the county working to feed his family. The young man was focused on things beyond his father's construction business.

Quest for knowledge

Gipe, who now lives in the Williamsport, Pennsylvania, area, kept busy as a young man.

When he moved to Greencastle from Marion, he had a paper route for the Echo Pilot and Grit.

During high school he participated in Fred Kaley's gym circus, played varsity basketball and became a Troop 13 Eagle Scout, working seven years at the Boy Scout's Camp Sinoquipe in Fort Littleton.

He was also a junior Rescue Hose Co. fireman under Chief Dave Warren.

Gipe went on to become recognized as a top amateur Pennsylvania archer at the Greencastle Sportsman's Association's Archery Club and shot in his first Professional Archers Indoor Tournament in Chicago earning 37th among the nations best tournament archers.

He went on to marry his high-school sweetheart, Elizabeth Ziegler, and the couple raised two boys, Daniel, now a dentist in Portland, Oregon, and Douglas, a retiring professional fireman.

He graduated from Shippensburg State College in 1959 and taught for three years in the Waynesboro Area School District at Clayton Avenue and Hooverville elementary schools, before taking a job as principal of a county-run school for children with special needs in Pond Bank.

Gipe then took a job with Boy Scouts of America as a district scout executive in Williamsport, before working a variety of other jobs, including salesman, boiler restoration, tool franchise operator and doll restoration doctor.

Having worked most of his life, Gipe wasn't about to rest on his laurels in retirement. He focuses on his work with a camera as a freelance photographer and is hoping to combine his passion for photography with his desire to document some family history.

Anyone who has knowledge of homes or businesses built or worked on by Edgar "Murphy" Gipe can email Gipe at dolldoc4@comcast.net.

"I'd like to see some of the stuff my dad built," he said.

If he can find the properties, he plans to photograph them. "Hopefully, our children and grandchildren will enjoy the photo scrapbook of our family interests," he said.

Contact Andrea Rose at arose@therecordherald.com or 717-762-2151 or on Twitter@AndreaCiccociop.

See the article here:
Area native seeks homes his father built - Waynesboro Record Herald

Most of approximately 1,000 displaced Bedford County residents were allowed to return to their homes this weekend after a train derailed last week and caught fire.

Tests on air quality led the railroad companyCSX, an incident management team and environmental specialists to decide that it was safe to reduce the evacuation zone to a limited area immediately surrounding the derailment site in Hyndman, about 100 miles southeast of Pittsburgh, a CSX spokesman said Saturday.

The remaining evacuation zone affecting about 30 homes is intended only to protect residents from the impact of site restoration activity, which would involve "heavy truck traffic, movement of derailed cars and other noisy, disruptive activity 24 hours per day," the company said.

Thirty-two cars, some containing hazardous materials, derailed Wednesday morning as a train with five locomotives and 178 rail cars was heading from Chicago to Selkirk, New York. Cars containing liquefied petroleum gas and sulfur caught fire. One house was sheared in half and a garage caught fire. No injuries were reported. The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating.

CSX said liquefied petroleum gas, molten sulfur and asphalt spilled from derailed tank cars and caught fire, and nonhazardous soybean mill and calcium phosphate also spilled but weren't affected by the fire. The company said examination of "a highly sensitive air-quality sample" analyzed by an American Industrial Hygiene Association-accredited lab and other tests prompted officials to decide it was safe for residents to return home.

"It is highly unlikely that there will be any long-term health effects from this event," CSX said. The company said, however, that people with asthma, heart disease, lung disease and those who are elderly, pregnant or infants might be more sensitive and should consult with doctors if necessary. There was no indication that city or well water was affected, CSX said.

CSX said it would be setting up an outreach center at the HOPE for Hyndman Charter School to allow compensation for affected residents and reimbursement of related expenses such as lost earnings. Residents were asked to bring driver's license or other identification, proof of residency, receipts for expenses and proof of lost earnings.

Gov. Tom Wolf said his administration would work closely with CSX and federal and local officials "to ensure the safety and well-being of the residents in the days ahead.

"I want to thank the residents of Hyndman Borough for their patience as CSX worked to resolve this incident with assistance from many first responders and officials from various agencies," he said in a statement.

See the rest here:
Residents Allowed Home After Hyndman Train Derailment - 90.5 WESA

Francisco Rodriguez wore a white prison uniform with the letters "ICE" U.S. Immigration Customs and Enforcement emblazoned in black across his back. He had a weary smile on his face as we sat down in a family meeting room at the Suffolk County House of Corrections on a recent afternoon. There were games and puzzles stocked on shelves and Sesame Street posters lining the walls. Rodriguez's family, though, hasn't been able to visit him since he was arrested on July 13.

"I miss everything. Honestly, I miss everything," he said.

Rodriguez's wife gave birth to their first son last week, but he has yet to meet the newborn. Rodriguez requested to visit his son and wife in the hospital but his request was denied by ICE, which cited his ongoing court case and potential safety concerns.

Rodriguez says the whole ordeal has been hard on his family, especially his 10-year-old daughter Mellanie.

"She was, she was having nightmares about me that she, she sees me dead," Rodriguez says. "And she was crying a couple days."

Rodriguez, who has no criminal record and works as a janitor at MIT, arrived in the U.S. in 2006 after fleeing gang violence in El Salvador. He was denied asylum in 2011, but had been routinely granted permission to stay in the country under what's called prosecutorial discretion. Then last month he was taken into federal custody during a check-in with ICE.

Shawn Neudauer, a spokesman for ICE, said in a statement that Rodriguez was arrested after he failed to make timely arrangements for his departure back to El Salvador.

The day after he was detained, Rodriguez'sdaughter Mellanie spoke to the media, fighting back tears.

"The president said he was only taking criminals out of this country and my dad doesn't have any criminal record," she said with a whimper. "I hope and I'm going to pray for my dad to be together with all my family again."

Rodriguez has become a public figure in the debate over immigration. His case exemplifies ICE's expanded enforcement priorities, and he's gained the support of the state's congressional delegation, with Massachusetts U.S. Sens. Elizabeth Warren and Edward Markey both calling for his release.

In order to really understand Rodriguez's situation, we need to go back to 2005, before he left El Salvador.

"I study, I do my college in El Salvador. I have my own business selling cars and have a car wash too. And I was, I was doing wonderful but I have an issue with the gang members. They try extortion and they kill one of my employees too," he recalls in imperfect English.

Rodriguez filed a police report in 2005 documenting a fight between one of his employees and a gang member. Rodriguez broke up the fight andthe alleged gang member threatened to kill him.

The gangs showed up later at his car wash demanding money, according to the police report. Shaking down local business owners is a routine way for gangs to make money in El Salvador. The car wash was on a busy commercial street which was good for business but, Rodriguez says, it was also in between two different gang territories: split betweenMara Salvatrucha, or MS-13, and 18th Street.

Rodriguez paid for private security for a while but says he never really felt safe. So in 2006 he illegally crossed the U.S.-Mexico border.

"It was like a life decision, to stay or not stay, because you have to find a way to live," he says.

Rodriguez eventually applied for asylum, but he was denied. Since 2011 he's checked in regularly with ICE agents and has been routinely granted permission to stay in the country under prosecutorial discretion. During that time, he's created a life in Chelsea where he started his own carpet cleaning business.

"I'm focused on, on work and support my family and follow all the rules from the government," he says. "Just try to deal with everything that I had to be responsible. Tried to live, I would say, the American dream. I don't know, now it's the nightmare dream or something like that."

ICE agents have been given broader authority under President Trump's beefed-up enforcement policies,arresting more immigrants with no criminal backgrounds whose only offense may be entering the country without authorization.

Rodriguez pauses for a moment when asked what might happen if he's deported to El Salvador, where he fears retaliation from the gangs. He says he's easily identifiable because of a purplish skin discoloration that he callsa birthmark. He drops his head, full of thick white hair, into his hands and begins to cry.

"I don't know if I can keep helping my children. I don't know howbut I have to be a ghost over there. My problem is, like you see, is I have this birth mark. I'd be so obvious," he says. "That's very easy to get recognized. Over there is a small country."

Rodriguez'slegal team is exploring the appeals process and in the meantime heremains at the Suffolk County House of Corrections. He says he knows these things take time and he's trying to be patient.

Read the original post:
'I Miss Everything': Chelsea Man Awaits Deportation Ruling From Behind Bars - WBUR

Im adding a 94-year-old company with a 31-year history of dividend growth to the Safe Income Tier of our model portfolio; the company is a leader in the rapidly growing field of sustainability, notes Chloe Jensen Lutts, income specialist and editor of Cabot Dividend Investor.

Get Top Pros' Top Picks, MoneyShows free investing newsletter

Ecolab (ECL) was founded in St. Paul, Minnesota in 1923. The companys original product was a hotel carpet cleaner called Absorbit.

Now, 90 years later, Ecolab operates in 170 countries and still provides cleaning products and training to the hospitality industry. But the company has expanded broadly largely through acquisitions and now also serves companies in the food, healthcare, industrial and energy industries.

Most products are related to cleaning or water, and generally help customers be both more efficient and more environmentally friendly.

For example, Ecolabs 3D TRASAR technology monitors the water conditions in industrial cooling systemslike those used in power plantsso they operate more efficiently and use less water.

In the food processing industry, Ecolabs antimicrobial wash for fruits and vegetables reduces spoilage and food waste, while also preventing food-borne illnesses like E. coli and Salmonella.

But because Ecolabs technologies are indispensable to those who use them and the company is the undisputed leader in the space, the vast majority of its revenues are recurring and cash flow is rock solid.

Over the past five years, free cash flow per share has increased every year by an average of 18% per year.

Visit link:
Ecolab: Clean Gains & Sustainability - Moneyshow.com (registration)

Vaughan, ON - Finding a reputable and experienced carpet and duct cleaning company can be extremely difficult for a home or business owner. More often than not, an untrained eye cannot assess or examine the quality of service after the service provider leaves. To solve this dilemma for home and business owners, Vaughan Carpet and Duct Cleaning has launched a new website that caters to the York region of Ontario. This will help educate and teach their customers some of the common carpet and duct misconceptions out there.

Vaughan Carpet and Duct Cleaning owes its rapid growth and success to their excellent and high-quality service that leaves fully-satisfied customers. Whether you are a homeowner, condo owner, apartment renter, or a small business owner, our goal is to provide 100% satisfaction guarantee. We are skilled, easy to work with, and we treat the art of duct and carpet cleaning with respect, says company representative.

Aside from duct and carpet cleaning, they also provide an upholstery cleaning service. They understand that every piece of upholstery is different. Hence, they adjust their cleaning techniques depending on the kind of piece they encounter. They couple their 15 years of experience with sufficient technical knowledge and the latest carpet cleaning techniques. More importantly, they keep a consistent price rate for their clients without any hidden or additional charges once the final bill is presented. As true professionals, they will find a way to minimize the expense of their clients never pressuring them into buying something they will not need. They have put that commitment in writing on their 'About Us' section which can be accessed here: http://www.carpetcleanersvaughan.com/about-us.html.

Vaughan Carpet and Duct Cleaning is well known for the affordability of their services. They are fully committed to offering the best quality of carpet, duct, and upholstery cleaning for the residents in Vaughan, Ontario, and the surrounding York regional area. They have been in the carpet and duct cleaning service industry for over 15 years which has allowed them and their technicians to do thousands of residential cleaning projects. To learn more about their company and their services, visit their website at http://www.carpetcleanersvaughan.com/. Customers and prospects can give them a call at (905) 231-3082 or send an email to vaughanductandcarpet@gmail.com for any questions or concerns.

Media ContactCompany Name: Vaughan Carpet and Duct CleaningContact Person: Terence JacksonEmail: vaughanductandcarpet@gmail.comPhone: (905) 231-3082City: VaughanState: Ontario Country: CanadaWebsite: http://www.carpetcleanersvaughan.com/

Read more:
Vaughan Carpet and Duct Cleaning Launches their Website and is Serving the York Region in Ontario - Digital Journal

The Trump administration is changing the way it protects the greater sage grouse in an effort to provide states more flexibility in how they deal with the imperiled bird.

Interior Secretary Ryan ZinkeRyan Keith ZinkeFederal employees step up defiance of Trump Why our large-scale national monuments should stay intact Climate change and oil prices should bury Arctic drilling forever MORE publicly released a 53-page report Monday from an internal review committee and ordered his department to implement numerous recommendations from the report.

The strategy answers longstanding complaints from the oil and natural gas industries, ranchers and others, as well as some Republican state officials in the West, who said the Obama administrations conservation strategy was too restrictive and costly.

The 2015 plan set new management standards for federally owned land in the birds 11-state rangeand sought to coordinate with states on other policies.

It was seen at the time as a way to avoid listing the sage grouse as threatened or endangered, a more blunt instrument that would have been far more restrictive.

In a letter to Deputy Interior Secretary David Bernhardt Monday, Zinke ordered the implementation of nine broad recommendations, including re-evaluating habitat protections, allowing states to set population objectives, providing more flexibility in management decisions, clarifying standards for waivers to habitat protections and changing the policy on oil leasing in affected areas.

I am particularly interested in assisting the states in setting sage-grouse population objectives to improve management of the species, Zinke wrote. I also believe we should examine a program to enhance scientific research.

Population standards were a top request of opponents of President Barack ObamaBarack ObamaDemocrats introduce another 'false hope' act to immigrants Illinois makes 'Barack Obama Day' a state holiday GOP senator: I wish Republicans had stood up to birtherism MOREs policy, but conservationists criticized the idea as a poor measure of recovery.

The internal task force said population standards can be good, but they shouldnt be relied on too heavily.

The best method for determining [sage grouse] viability will be to assess a combination of habitat availability and populations, which are inseparable, it wrote.

Green groups sharply criticized Zinkes new plan.

The recommendations are a sideways attempt to abandon habitat protection for unfettered oil and gas development and in favor of discredited, narrow tools like captive breeding and population targets, Nada Culver, senior director of policy and planning at the Wilderness Society. Gutting the structure of these plans puts the entire landscape at risk.

When you hear the same message from western governors, ranchers, your own wildlife biologists and land managers and you still ignore it, that's a problem, said Kate Kelly, public lands director at the Center for American Progress and a former Obama administration Interior official.

These recommendations confirm that Zinke is on a path to derail years of collaborative work, putting an entire landscape and the economy that relies on it at risk.

The recommendations stem from a June secretarial order Zinke wrote seeking a full review of sage grouse policies.

Read more from the original source:
Trump administration to overhaul sage grouse conservation strategy - The Hill

Auburn Universitys College of Agriculture has launched a project to establish a highly productive, on-campus teaching garden that will give greater visibility to active agricultural fieldwork at Auburn and enhance the legacy of the historic Old Rotation.

Faculty from three of the colleges academic departmentsHorticulture; Crop, Soil and Environmental Sciences; and Entomology and Plant Pathologyand an Auburn architecture faculty member are finalizing the master design for the 11.3-acre garden, which will be adjacent to the Old Rotation on Lem Morrison Drive.

The garden also will extend to the edge of Auburns Donald E. Davis Arboretum.

Featuring a broad spectrum of ornamentals, crops, trees and turfgrasses, the hands-on teaching garden, designated on the universitys comprehensive campus master plan as Field Lab No. 1, will be a significant resource for Auburn agriculture students and faculty, garden steering committee chair Dave Williams says.

We want to create an experience for our students, said Williams, Department of Horticulture professor and department head. The garden will be an outdoor classroom, a living lab for instruction. Its going to provide support for numerous courses within the college and, in the future, courses in other colleges and schools across campus.

The working garden also will enhance the legacy of the Old Rotation, circa 1896, the longest continuous cotton experiment in the world.

An 1892 map of what was then the Agricultural and Mechanical College of Alabama shows that the vast majority of the campus was agricultural experiment land, but today, agriculture is almost invisible here, Williams said. This garden, which well use for research and demonstration as well as teaching, will expand the spirit and range of the Old Rotation and be a reminder that Auburns roots are in agriculture.

Charles Mitchell, for one, says its about time. Mitchell is professor emeritus in the Department of Crop, Soil and Environmental Sciences and was long-time manager and curator of the Old Rotation. Several times over the past 40 years, Mitchell and others have pushed for a teaching, research and demonstration garden on the site where the first agricultural research was conducted after Auburns designation as a land-grant institution for Alabama in 1872.

Im thrilled to see this finally happening, said Mitchell, who remains involved as a steering committee member. Finally, were seeing progress toward creating a real facility on the Auburn campus that will showcase our land-grant mission in the plant sciences. Students, gardeners, homeowners, faculty and friends will have a place they can use and enjoy and share with others the beauty and productivity of the plant sciences at this university.

In developing the master plan, the steering committee called in David Hill, chair and associate professor of landscape architecture in the College of Architecture, Design and Construction at Auburn and owner of Hillworks, an Auburn-based architecture and landscape architecture design studio. The complete master plan for Field Lab No. 1 at the historic Old Rotation can be found online at http://www.hillworks.us/fieldlab.html.

The design calls for the garden to be divided into field plots that will include, among its offerings, an ornamental shade garden, teaching orchards, turfgrasses, field crops, an ornamentals garden and maze, fruit and vegetable crops, trial gardens for annuals and the existing medicinal plant garden which, along with the field crops, will be moved to the new site from its current location on the old agronomy farm on Woodfield Drive.

Physical structures include a pavilion, which will be used for classes and outreach events, and greenhouses. Williams is especially excited about the greenhouses.

Were collaborating with Glenn Loughridge, director of Campus Dining, toward development of hydroponic greenhouses where our students, as well as other interested Auburn students, can work and raise produce that will be served in dining venues across the Auburn campus.

Although the committee and Hills design team continue tweaking the plan, preliminary site work has begun.

In addition to Williams and Mitchell, steering committee members are Professors Joe Eakes and Wheeler Foshee, Associate Professors Glenn Fain and Jay Spiers and Assistant Professor Daniel Wells, all in the Department of Horticulture; Professors Scott McElroy and Dennis Shannon and Extension Specialist Dennis Delaney, all in the Department of Crop, Soil and Environmental Sciences; and Professor Art Appel in the Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology.

Jamie Creamer is an employee of Auburn University.

See more here:
Auburn's College of Agriculture planning to add on-campus garden as outdoor classroom - Opelika Auburn News

Japanese architectTadao Andohas concealed ahuge stone statue of the buddha within ahill covered in lavender plants at theMakomanai Takino Cemetery in Sapporo.

The top of thestatue's head just crests through a circular well at the centre of the verdant mound, which iscarpetedin150,000of the purple-flowering plants.

Visitors must pass through a 40-metre tunnel to get to the foot of the 13.5-metre-tall statue.

Madeup of arches of folded concrete, the tunnel is dimly lit to create a "womb-like" atmosphere, while the opening at the centre is naturally litand surrounded by concertinaed concrete walls that narrow towards the sky.

Ando completed the Hill of the Buddha at theMakomanai Takino Cemeteryin northern Japan in late 2015, but photographs and aerial drone footage of the project have just begun to circulate.

"The aim of this project was to build a prayer hall that would enhance the attractiveness of a stone buddha sculpted 15 years ago. The site is a gently sloping hill on 180 hectares of lush land belonging to a cemetery," Andowrotein an essay for Domus magazine.

"Until now, the buddha statue has stood alone in the field, giving an unrestful impression. The client wanted to give visitors a more serene appreciation of the buddha," he continued. "Our idea was to cover the buddha below the head with a hill of lavender plants. We called the idea the 'head-out buddha'."

The vegetation provides a seasonally appropriate backdrop for the statue, changing from green in spring topurple in summer and finally white in winter, when the mound is heaped in snow.

A water garden at the base of the mound is surrounded by tall cast-concrete walls and a small border of grey gravel.

"One of the cemetery's charms is how well it achieves harmony with the natural landscape," said theMakomanai Takino Cemetery.

"Surprisingly, one only sees the head of the statue surrounded by the landscape of the hill," it continued.

"Atama Daibutsu (The Buddha's Head) was named for its novel, impressive appearance. It stands in perfect harmony with the surrounding landscape in all seasons. Thus a new symbol of the cemetery been established."

"The whole body of the Atama Daibutsu can't be seen from outside. Snow accumulates on its head in winter. What remains hidden from view sparks the creativity," addedAndo.

A self-taught architect, Ando has become one of the mostrenowned in his field,winning the Pritzker Prize in 1995, the RIBA Royal Gold Medal in 1997 and AIA Gold Medal in 2002. He ranked at number 16 on the inaugural Dezeen Hot List.

Manyof Ando's recently completed projects have been in Mexico, including aconcrete house and art centre for a picturesque seaside site, and aschool of art, design and architecture at theUniversity of Monterrey.

This project exhibits some of the keycharacteristics of Ando's work namely the use of raw concrete, dramatic play of natural light, and the interplay of interior and exterior spaces.

Go here to see the original:
Tadao Ando surrounds huge buddha statue with lavender-covered mound at Sapporo cemetery - Dezeen

English Heritage has revealed an archaeologists findings after a dig at Marble Hill House in Twickenham.

Archaeologists have begun their second phase of investigations after discovering the remains of a historic ninepin bowling alley next to the historical building - dating back more than 250 years.

The new dig will take place over four weeks and members of the public will be able to get close to the action learning more about the works going on thanks to a series of excavation tours and archaeology workshops throughout August.

Megan Leyland, senior properties historian at English Heritage said: After such an exciting find in the previous dig, we hope this round of archaeological investigations will uncover even more details about Marble Hills hidden landscape.

Archaeologists will be opening up two areas to the north and west of the grotto to try and find out its original extent, how its appearance changed over time and if there were any related structures.

English Heritage has commissioned archaeologists from Historic England to carry out the dig as part of its Marble Hill Revived Project, which aims to transform the house and park.

Theyll also be looking for a pergola which is shown on the c1752 plan, trying to establish what it was made from and how it was built as well as investigating the landscaped terraces that used to run across the lawn between the house and the river, added Ms Leyland.

The finds will help the charity to restore Marble Hills lost 18th century Pleasure Grounds, a small but historically significant area of landscape which lay between the house and the River Thames.

In the 18th century, ninepin bowling was a popular outdoor garden game and the historic alley was a key part of Marble Hills landscape.

The findings suggested many games were played at Marble Hill, as the surface appears to have been patched up due to wear and tear over time.

In addition to the ninepin alley, English Heritage is hoping to reinstate a number of other historical elements of the landscape such as tree avenues and groves, a hedged arcade, flower garden, orchard, terraces, and serpentine paths.

Continued here:
A 250-year-old bowling alley has been discovered in Richmond - Richmond and Twickenham Times

President Trumps low favorability rating and the ongoing probes into Russian election meddling have ignited speculation that he could be the first sitting president to face a primary challenge since George H.W. Bush beat back conservative firebrand Pat Buchanan in 1992.

Most party strategists say a challenge to the incumbent president from within Trump's orbit is unlikely in 2020.

The blunt-talking commander-in-chief remains popular among Republican voters, and GOP leaders and conservatives on Capitol Hill have largely stood by their controversial standard bearer.

Still, in this volatile Trump era, few outside the White House would argue that a Republican challenge to Trump is unforeseeable. If the 2020 GOP primary is contested, Trump would be the clear favorite and would have the Republican National Committee behind him. Yet, such a challenge could weaken Trump before the general election as it did Bush in 1992 before he lost to Bill ClintonBill ClintonClintons attend private screening of 'Wonder Woman' America celebrates personal merit US immigration should too Clinton chief of staff compares Trump White House 'chaos' to 'telenovelas' MORE.

Here is a look at how the landscape of potential Trump challengers is shaping up, one that could include senators, past presidential rivals and even celebrities.

The senators

Sen. Jeff FlakeJeff FlakeGOP senator: I wish Republicans had stood up to birtherism Sunday shows preview: Senators tout bill to protect Mueller 5 things members of Congress are doing over August recess MORE (R-Ariz.) said Thursday hes not running for president in 2020, but you could be forgiven for wondering if hell change his mind.

The 54-year-old first-term senator has been everywhere popping up in cable news interviews and penning op-eds as he promotes his new book, which takes direct aim at Trump and the GOP leaders who Flake says enabled the presidents rise.

To carry on in the spring of 2017 as if what was happening was anything approaching normalcy required a determined suspension of critical faculties. And tremendous powers of denial, Flake writes in his book, Conscience of a Conservative.

Asked by MSNBCs Andrea Mitchell if he was eyeing a 2020 White House bid, Flake replied: No, I'm running for reelection right now.

Before any possible presidential run, Flake will first have to survive his 2018 race for a second term in the upper chamber.

A new poll found that 62 percent of Arizona voters disapproved of Flake, while only 18 percent approved. And White House officials have been meeting with candidates who are taking on GOP incumbents or mulling a challenge. That includes former GOP state Sen. Kelli Ward, who unsuccessfully challenged Sen. John McCainJohn McCainBrexit leader: People voted for change with Trump, GOP blocking it GOP senator: US-Russia relationship 'not good right now' because of Putin Five tough decisions for the GOP on healthcare MORE (R-Ariz.) in a primary during the 2016 cycle and has launched another one against Flake.

There isn't much buzz for Flake to run in 2020 he is a conservative but would be coming at Trump from the left on immigration, a hot-button primary issue.

Another conservative freshman senator, Ben Sasse of Nebraska, is also mentioned by some as a possible Trump opponent.

Two former Never Trump Republicans that spearheaded the Free the Delegates movement, Regina Thomson and Beau Correll, told The Hill separately that Sasse, 45, is the quintessential conservative that could pose a real threat to Trump in a primary.

Sasse has maintained both his credibility and dignity prior to Trump's election and afterward, Correll said. He calls it as he sees it, which will be highly regarded amongst well-reasoned Republican primary voters.

But in an email, Sasse spokesman James Wegmann called these 2020 primary stories bonkers. It's 2017 and Ben has the only callings he wants: raising his three kids and serving Nebraskans, Wegmann said.

Meanwhile, Sen. Tom CottonTom CottonAmerica celebrates personal merit US immigration should too GOP senator: US-Russia relationship 'not good right now' because of Putin White House warns potentially ambitious Republicans about 2020 MORE (Ark.) has positioned himself nicely as an ally of the administration with foreign policy credentials and the respect of the base. However, Cotton is only 40 years old and running against Trump could hurt his political future. He's also up for reelection in 2020.

Senator Cotton is focused on serving the people of Arkansas and advancing the presidents agenda of growing the economy and opportunities for Arkansans lowering taxes repealing and replacing Obamacare and fixing our broken immigration system, said Cotton spokeswoman Caroline Rabbitt.

The centrists

Ohio Gov. John Kasich was the last GOP challenger to Trump in 2016, not because of his primary success, but because everyone else read the writing on the wall.

Republicans say they dont know what Kasich is planning, but theyre sure hes up to something.

That could mean an independent run, potentially on a bipartisan ticket with a fellow centrist, like Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper, a Democrat.

But no one would be surprised to see Kasich challenge Trump in the primary again.

Kasich, who has been on a book tour, will be out of the governors mansion in January 2019 and seems eager to tout his version of conservatism as an alternative to Trumps.

Still, many Republicans would view a primary challenge as an ego-fueled vanity project. As a moderate with views on immigration and healthcare that are anathema to the base, Kasich is not a good match for the GOP primary electorate. He won only one state in the 2016 primary his home state of Ohio.

All this makes for interesting cocktail chatter, even with the waterboarding of Pence and little Nicky in the White House basement, said Kasichs political strategist, John Weaver, referencing the blowback Pence and his chief of staff Nick Ayers received in response to the Times story on the vice presidents political ambitions.

Governor Kasich is only focused on being the very best executive for the people of Ohio and on policy issues like healthcare, national security, trade, economic expansion and ending the growing gap between the haves and have-nots.

House conservatives

Most of Rep. Justin AmashJustin AmashOvernight Defense: Military won't lift transgender ban until Trump sends directions | House passes national security spending | Russian sanctions bill heads to Trump Overnight Finance: House passes spending bill with border wall funds | Ryan drops border tax idea | Russia sanctions bill goes to Trump's desk | Dems grill bank regulator picks House approves spending bill with funds for Trump's border wall MOREs attacks against the president come in a venue Trump knows well: Twitter.

The Michigan Republican, a co-founder of the conservative Freedom Caucus and one of the nations most well-known libertarians, has mocked Trumps understanding of the Constitution; questioned whether the presidents global investments and projects pose conflicts of interest; and signed onto legislation calling for an independent probe into Russian election meddling.

Amash, who backed Sen. Rand PaulRand PaulFive tough decisions for the GOP on healthcare Moderates killed ObamaCare repeal will they kill other conservative priorities? When financial transparency becomes personal tyranny MORE (R-Ky.) in last years GOP primary, also was the first Republican in Congress to raise the possibility of impeaching Trump. If its determined that Trump pressured his then-FBI director, James Comey, to end his investigation into Trump campaign associates, Amash said in May, then that would be grounds for impeachment.

National Republicans are skeptical, noting that Amash lacks name recognition and a national fundraising network and hails from the Libertarian wing of the party, which has historically underperformed in GOP primaries. Through his spokeswoman, Amash had no comment.

The celebrities

Trumps shocking rise bolstered by his celebrity and near-universal name recognition has greatly expanded the field of candidates that political operatives are likely to view as legitimate contenders.

While many Republicans might believe its safer for their political futures to remain on the sidelines rather than get in the ring with Trump, a well-funded outsider could see an opening to shake things up in the GOP primary rather than take the third-party or independent path, which is viewed by most experts as hopeless.

On this front, the Democrats have a more robust bench, but there are a handful of celebrities with mixed political backgrounds that could consider a GOP run if they think Trump is vulnerable.

Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban has relished sparring with Trump. Cuban, who has become more recognizable from the hit TV show Shark Tank, has liberal social views, but has said he is otherwise more in line with Republicans.

"I have been contacted by people from both parties, although not by the national organizations, Cuban told The Hill in an email. It's something I am considering but am not ready to make a decision on.

The actor and former wrestler Dwayne Johnson is awash in social media buzz and has publicly expressed his interest in running. The Rock is a registered independent but has attended the national conventions for both Democrats and Republicans.

Another wealthy independent, former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, will generate speculation until he definitely rules out the possibility of running. The billionaire founder and CEO of Bloomberg financial services and media company has been both a Republican and a Democrat. Bloomberg, 75, indicated earlier this year that his political aspirations are over: "Ive got plenty of things to do. And maybe Ill run for president of my block association, but not much more than that."

Waiting in the wings

GOP strategists and insiders interviewed by The Hill remain skeptical that anyone will enter a primary challenge against Trump, describing the endeavor as a suicide mission.

But a raft of high-profile Republicans are believed to be keeping their fingers on the pulse of the terrain so that theyre ready in case the 71-year-old president is politically crippled by the Russia investigations, loses his base of support and/or simply determines that hes happier as a private businessman. However, people in Trump's orbit have said the president will run again.

If there is a Trump-sized void, Pence would instantly become the front-runner. Pence, 58, has conservative bona fides and the Trump campaign has essentially never ended, so the vice president continues to bank fundraising and email equity.

Florida Gov. Rick Scott (R) has been making moves behind the scenes in preparation for national office. Trump has publicly called on Scott to run against Sen. Bill NelsonBill NelsonOvernight Tech: Senate confirms two FCC commissioners | Dems want more time on net neutrality | Tech groups push White House on 'startup visa' Senate confirms two new FCC commissioners Overnight Tech: Senate panel approves FCC nominees | Dem group invests in progressive startups | Tech groups rip Trump immigration plan MORE (D-Fla.) in 2018.

And then there are the 2016 runners-up: Sens. Ted CruzTed CruzFive tough decisions for the GOP on healthcare Dems face fundamental problem in Texas: Getting people to vote George Will warns grotesque is becoming normal for GOP MORE (Texas), Marco RubioMarco RubioSantorum: How to get family policy right for working families Overnight Finance: Trump-Russia probe reportedly expands to possible financial crimes | Cruel September looms for GOP | Senate clears financial nominees | Mulvaney reverses on debt ceiling Florida Dems hosting fundraiser for GOP lawmaker MORE (Fla.) and Paul, as well as Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker, all have appeal among sections of the GOP primary electorate and could be eager for redemption, even if a unilateral challenge to Trump is unlikely.

View post:
The five kinds of Republicans who could primary Trump - The Hill