Home Builder Developer - Interior Renovation and Design

As I was watching this video by Youtubers Mike and Alex of This is Mystical, I kept thinking to myself, "Why has this never been done before?"

It seems like fencing with literal fences should be a thing. Yet my half-hearted internet search for "fencing sport with picket fences" brought up lots of, well, fences.

So, touch to Mike and Alex for bringing the world this new sport and to Sam the "real fencing guy" for teaching us fencing's basics.

Big DT writes: Whilst pedalling today my mate Paul went to put his bike over a fence. Half way though he realised that it was electric! So he dropped it on the fence. This is a video of him and my mate Al trying to get it off! Please excuse the swearing and oh yes []

Rgraves says: I literally had JUST built this fence to keep Stella in the yard and was admiring it

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Fencing with picket fences / Boing Boing - Boing Boing

A 25-year-old alleged burglar and stalker proved good at jumping fences. So did Officer Joshua Castellano.

The pairs fence-jumping skills were on display in the Hill neighborhood Monday afternoon in a chase that ended up in the 25-year-old mans arrest.

Heres what happened, according to police spokesman Officer David Hartman:

A DeWitt Street homeowner saw a man crawling through a bedroom window at house around 3:45 p.m., screamed, slammed the door and called 911.

Officers Castellano and Jeremy Mastroianni responded.

The 25-year-old was by the house and saw the officers arrive. So he walked across the street, into a backyard, then took off running when Castellano ordered him to stop. Castellano chased him in a pursuit that found them both hopping the fences of eight residential properties.

Mastroianni, meanwhile, hopped in his cruiser, and saw the man fall to the pavement trying to scale a tall fence on Rosette Street. Mastroianni handcuffed and arrested him.

A 16-year-old woman from the neighborhood subsequently told police that shed seen her ex-boyfriend in the neighborhood and suspected he was hunting for her. (Police had arrested the man weeks earlier after he allegedly threatened her.) It turned out that 25-year-old fence-jumper was the same guy and had an outstanding domestic violence warrant.

Police charged the man with second-degree burglary, eight counts of third-degree trespassing, staking, and interfering with an officer.

Another foot chase took place four and a half hours later Monday, also in the Hill. This one didnt involve fences. It did involve a U-Haul truck.

Heres what happened, according to Hartman:

Cops were on the lookout for a stolen U-Haul. At 8:17 Officer Christian Carfora saw a driver of a U-Haul truck run a stop sign on Washington Avenue. So he pulled the truck over as it entered a deli parking lot on Ella Grasso Boulevard.

The trucks passenger bolted. Two offers who arrived on the scene, Garry Monk and David Lavorgna, chased the man on foot while Carfora stayed with the U-Haul driver.

The fleeing man had a pistol in his hand. The officers drew their guns as the man brought his hands together in a firing stance. The man then obeyed an order to drop the gun. A fight ensued on school property, ending with the officers wrestling the 26-year-old man to the ground and handcuffing him. The man, a convicted felon, had a loaded and chambered semi-automatic 9mm handgun on him. Cops charged him with a variety of weapons, interfering and reckless endangerment offenses.

Meanwhile, the 28-year-old man in the U-Haul drivers seat told Carfora that he didnt know the man whod fled from his passenger seat moments earlier that he was just some guy whod been helping him. Police charged the driver with having a weapon in a motor vehicle, running the stop sign, and driving with a suspended license.

It turned out the truck was not the stolen one cops had been looking for.

I never had my license suspended, but I would not have thought DMV would let you keep it. And I would have thought any rental company would need to see a license before letting a vehicle.

Wow, the second case with the U-Haul clearly could have led to a shooting, whether at or by the police. Assuming all as reported is accurate, hats off to Officers Garry Monk and David Lavorgna for their bravery and restraint in not firing on a man in a firing stance with a loaded and chambered semiautomatic handgun. Thats the best kind of police work! Thank you!

I think its pretty amazing that the cops didnt shoot this guy after he assumed a firing stance. With all of the complaints on this site about perceived police brutality, this tells you a real story about the NHPDs temperament and discipline.

25 year old dating a 16 year old? Thats not cool - and it sounds like he puts his hands on her based on the domestic violence warrant.

High school students are still developing and learning to cope with adversity or even trauma - this nonsense has a seriously detrimental impact on their social and emotional maturation. Hopefully this young man can change his ways and treat women with respect. Also, I hope this young lady gets some counseling and understands that she is too good for men that disrespect her.

Police Chief Anthony Campbell said he wanted to focus on ending domestic violence in New Haven. Does NHPD offer any services for victims? Does NHPD attempt to address root causes of domestic violence? The laundry list of charges he faces are irrelevant to the issue that has caused all of this: domestic violence.

The UHaul..good job by good cops!

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Cop, Suspect Hop Eight Fences | New Haven Independent - New Haven Independent

By Dan Clasgens • Aug 6, 2017

Getting players at a value is the goal of any fantasy owner. Having players produce well past their value is what wins fantasy leagues.

Weve already taken a look at both quarterbacks and running backs with extremely high ceilings, now we turn our attention to some upside wide receivers.

Heres a look at the players with the highest potential that are currently being selected outside of the top 15 wide receivers on the board, according to FantasyFootballCalulator.com:

With Watkins it all comes down to health. He was limited to just eight games in 2016 following surgery to repair a fracture of his fifth metatarsal and he had a second surgery this offseason. Hes now missed 11 games over the past two years. Even when he played last year Watkins wasnt very effective, finishing with just a pair of touchdowns while averaging just 3.5 receptions and 53.8 yards per contest.

The Bills declined to pick the option on his rookie contract this offseason, but lets not forget that Watkins put up top-five numbers during the second half of the season in 2015 when healthy. He averaged 100 yards and scored seven times during his final nine games of that campaign and helped deliver many fantasy owners to championships. Despite flashing a very high ceiling at times, Watkins has still just finished as a top-24 fantasy producer in 15 of his 37 career outings.

Buffalo lost 171 wide receiver targets from a year ago and a have a new offensive coordinator in Rick Dennison, who is expected to bring some life to the teams passing game. His current late-third-round price tag makes the Bills wideout one of this years highest-risk/highest-reward players heading into the 2017 fantasy season.

While Bryant delivers great upside, he comes with more risk than any other player on this list. Still not fully reinstated yet from his one-year suspension, the Steelers receiver is one slip-up away from another lengthy suspension. When on the field though, there is no denying his playmaking ability.

In the 10 games, he started in 2015 Bryant averaged five catches for 77 yards and scored seven touchdowns. In both 2014 and 2015 Bryant finished inside the top-15 at the position in fantasy points per game (standard). Pittsburghs offense is more explosive when Bryant is on the field. Over the last three seasons theyve scored 5.5 more points per game in the games hes played than the contests he has missed.

Theres hope that he could improve even more. At 6-foot-4 you would think hed better in the red zone, but to this point weve yet to see it. During his breakout campaign two years ago he only pulled in one of his nine targets inside the 10-yard line.

Few players in the league are capable are doing more with the ball in their hands than Hill, as evident by the fact that he scored a touchdown on every 9.4 touches in 2016, the best mark in the league of players with at least 75 touches.

After a slow start to the season, the fifth-round pick finished his rookie year 1,836 all-purpose yards and 10 total touchdowns, including 24 carries for 267 yards and three touchdowns rushing. He played limitedly in college as a receiver and it took time for him to get going a year ago. He showed some signs of progress down the stretch though, by averaging five catches for 47 yards receiving over the final 10 games. That, coupled with injuries elsewhere, led to increased playing time as he played 56 percent of the teams snaps during the final nine weeks after being in on just 20.8 percent of the plays during the first seven games.

The Chiefs were confident enough in Hill to let Jeremy Maclin go earlier in the summer and that will translate into more snaps and targets for the second-year wideout. If Hill can stay healthy and get in the ballpark of 100 touches he should have no problem delivering on his current WR2 price.

DeVante Parker, Miami Dolphins (8.02, WR37)

The first two seasons of his career havent quite been what the Dolphins were hoping for when they invested a first-round pick on Parker two years ago. Yet it hasnt been a total disappointment either. He pulled in 64 percent of his targets and had a 13.2-yard aDOT finishing while scoring 2.0 fantasy points per reception in 2016.

Parker reportedly has looked impressive to start camp, but like other weapons in the Dolphins passing attack the news of the Ryan Tannehills injury could have a negative impact. The hype train was starting to roll a bit fast on the third-year wideout so maybe this speed bump will help the breakout candidate still come at a good value in later drafts.

John Brown, Arizona Cardinals (8.09, WR41)

There are plenty of reasons to be skeptical of the Cardinals aging passing attack in 2017, but Brown may be the exception. After battling sickle-cell issues a year ago, the speedy wideout is a prime bounceback candidate heading into this season. He should play a major role in the Bruce Arians vertical passing game as the clear-cut favorite to be the WR2.

Brown bulked up this offseason to 185 pounds and has been drawing rave reviews during most of the teams offseason program. He could easily approach his 2015 numbers when he finished as WR21 in standard formats by pulling in 65 of his 99 targets for 1,003 yards and seven touchdowns. The fourth-year receiver has dealt with soft-tissue injuries since arriving in the league and is now currently nursing a quad injury. If he can stay healthy hell far outperform his current value.

Tyrell Williams, Los Angeles Chargers (9.02, WR43)

With Keenan Allen back healthy, at least for now, and the team drafting rookie wide receiver Mike Williams, many owners dismissed Tyrell Williams and his 2016 production. That is not an advisable approach. After Allen went down for the season with a Week 1 ACL injury, Williams emerged as the Chargers No. 1 wideout as he pulled in 69 catches for 1,059 yards and seven touchdowns. He had 60 or more receiving yards in 11 of the teams 16 contests last season.

His combination of size, speed, and athleticism make him a legit NFL weapon. Allen will likely be the primary option in the passing game, but with Mike Williams status in question and Allens injury history Tyrell Williams has a ton of potential and is going off the board in the latter rounds of fantasy drafts. Even if Allen stays healthy he should manage to post decent WR3 numbers.

Josh Doctson, Washington Redskins (12.06, WR56)

If healthy, Doctson will have a chance to compete for a big role in the high-powered Washington passing attack. The 2016 first-round pick played in just two games as a rookie and finished with 66 yards and two catches. With DeSean Jackson and Pierre Garcon leaving via free agency, the second-year wideout will battle Jamison Crowder and newcomer Terrelle Pryor for wide receiver target shares in D.C. He is expected to Garcons role in the offense as the Z receiver.

Prior to entering the NFL, Docston was a highly touted prospect. His overall grade of 92.0 is the highest PFF grade to date for a college wide receiver. With Kirk Cousins and the Redskins poised for another big passing season there are very few players going off the board in Round 12 or later of fantasy drafts with more upside than Doctson carries in 2016.

Tyler Lockett, Seattle Seahawks (13.12, WR63)

Lockett was a popular breakout candidate a year ago after making some eye-popping plays as a rookie in 2015, but he could never get going and most of his second season as a pro was marred by injury. Before he suffered a broken leg in Week 16 though, Lockett was having a strong finish to his sophomore campaign, with 16 catches for 209 yards and a touchdown over his final three complete games, Weeks 13-15.

He has 4.4 speed and is electrifying when he gets the ball in his hands. Lockett was just activated from the PUP list this past week and is on pace to be a full go for the start of the season. Lockett is a dart worth throwing in the latter rounds on draft day. If he can beat out Paul Richardson and Jermaine Kearse to be the teams WR2 big things could be ahead for this post-hype sleeper.

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Swing for the fences: The highest-upside WRs at every ADP ... - Pro Football Focus (subscription)

Good fences make good neighbors or so the old saying goes. And its true, to a point. A moderate amount of privacy is a valuable commodity.

But giving up some degree of personal privacy to work closely with neighbors can break down social fences and allow us to learn about our community.

A group of volunteers organized through Mancelonas Pathway Community Church this week leaped over social fences to lend their construction skills to neighbors. Several teams of three or four volunteers each participants in the Hands and Feet Camp tackled a variety of projects during the course of three days.

They just kind of threw us in, said volunteer Hannah Riffell. When people think of mission work, they think you have to go to Africa. But you can find mission work right in your own backyard.

Any communitys collective backyard is made up of all local residents backyards and front yards. Privacy is valuable, but so is the willingness to notice neighbors in distress and perhaps lend them a hand.

Strong communities rely on citizen involvement and on neighborly concern. That concern can be exercised in council meetings or in volunteer work. Participation in the community requires some breach in the wall of privacy. A cohesive community cannot truly exist without communication and cooperation.

The Hands and Feet Camp in Mancelona started with someone noticing that neighbors could use a little assistance. That, in itself, was a bit of an invasion of privacy but in a good way.

Everyone values privacy. It can feel awkward if neighbors are having a formal garden party and you want to catch some rays in your unfenced backyard. But, like everything in life, the quest for privacy can go too far.

Fences so tall they block the sun make it impossible to enjoy your own backyard. Social fences so sturdy that they prevent interaction with neighbors make it difficult to make friends and influence people. Not all fences are made from wood. Some are constructed of an uncaring attitude.

The practice of ignoring neighbors can turn us into a community of hermits, a collection of individuals who share a physical location but little else.

Paying attention to people who live down the street, particularly those who are elderly or challenged, can help us understand our community and our place in it. Responding to those residents needs by doing something replacing a worn wheelchair ramp, mowing a lawn or painting a house builds a stronger community.

The issue

n Neighbors helping neighbors

Our view

n Work given freely results in a more cohesive community

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Editorial: Leaping social fences helps build community - Traverse City Record Eagle

Sandusky Register

Norwalk taking steps to improve safety for walkers Sandusky Register The state-sponsored initiative provides funding for dedicated walkways and other related features signs, signals and speed measuring devices, for instance alerting drivers to pedestrians. Other communities, such as Sandusky, Perkins Township ...

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Norwalk taking steps to improve safety for walkers - Sandusky Register

Georgetown County denies it acted with negligence in connection to a Delaware woman who fell on a damaged beach walkway in North Litchfield this spring.

Denise Stasulli was visiting the beach April 9 when she fell on the stairs of Walkway 52. A stair board was missing and there was no handrail, according to her lawsuit, which names the county as well as the Litchfield Beaches Property Owners Association as defendants.

Another media outlet reported Stasulli broke her wrist in the fall.

Stasulli is seeking actual and punitive damages and claims the defendantsacted negligently by not maintaining the walkway, which was damaged by Hurricane Matthew, and failing to warn people about the dangerous conditions.

In its answer to the lawsuit, the county denies the allegations and says Stasulli acted with negligence by, among other things, failing to keep a "proper lookout" and "walking in an area that was designated off limits to the public."

The county requests that the suit be dismissed.

After the lawsuit was filed in May, County Councilman John Thomas told the South Strand News the county took steps to make people aware of damaged walkways, including putting up barriers such as caution tape, nailed boards and closed signs.

But people ignored or removed the barriers, Thomas said at the time. Ive personally seen boards with nails ripped down, he said.

The walkways are owned by the county.

Litchfield Beaches Property Owners Association has not filed its answer to the complaint, according to online court records. Court documents show the association was served with a summons and complaint July 24.

County Public Works Director Ray Funnye said Aug. 1 repair work on damaged walkways in North Litchfield is 98 percent complete.

"We have a couple of punch list items that are left to be completed and we'll be finished," he said.

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County denies negligence in beach walkway lawsuit - South Strand news

While Fyre Festivals glamorous Bahamian location and exorbitant ticket prices may mean its still destined to take out the prize for biggest festival screw-up this year, the organisers behind Liverpudlian music event Hope & Glory have plenty to answer for themselves, after the dangerous event was shut down after just a single day.

As NME reports, the 12,500 capacity event was taking place over the weekend with a lineup of well-known British bands set to play, but quickly devolved into another tale of stranded fans, unsafe conditions, and organiser finger-pointing.

Concerns were first raised to police when the festival area became dangerously overcrowded on the first day, with the thousands in attendance complaining of being unable to access basic needs like food, drink and bathrooms, and police announced they were working with stewards at opening up another entrance in an effort to relieve the overcrowding.

Now, in a story with a happy ending, this would be where festival organisers worked with authorities to fix the shortfalls before the festival commenced its second day, and a crisis was averted but no.

Instead, organisers took the drastic step of singling out the events production manager, blaming him solely for the issues and even posting his full name and email address on the event page.

The production manager who did not complete the site in time and did not provide the planned bridged walkways into the garden was Richard Agar, the post read, kicking off a string of events that would quickly lead to the cancellation of the event in the messiest way imaginable.

While festival promoter Lee OHanlon told the Liverpool Echo that steps had been taken to ensure another great day of entertainment, and that the festival would go ahead as planned, the organisers took to Twitter to announce that there would be no festival today, adding in another post that Following the unfair and vitriolic comments, some of us have decided not to proceed.

With what little professionalism was left thrown entirely out the window, local council were left with no choice but to shut the area down and post notices explaining it to attendees as best they could.

The event management company who were responsible for delivering the Hope and Glory event have decided to cancel todays festival, the notices read. Liverpool City Council has no choice but to accept this decision.

Understandably, punters were furious, with one describing it as an absolute shambles, while another compared it to the aforementioned Fyre Festival, but with none of the lols.

Fans reported that tickets cost them 90 (almost $150 AUD), with bands like James, Hacienda Classical (featuring members of the Happy Mondays), Razorlight, Ocean Colour Scene, The Fratellis, The View, Reverend and the Makers, Badly Drawn Boy, The Pigeon Detectives and more, but hardly any of the punters were even able to navigate to the stages on the first day, and transport from the venue was also deemed a nightmare.

Can you see us in at the hope and glory festival from your tower? one fan tweeted at a local radio station, pretty much summing it up: We are basically trapped. So dangerous.

Now, in the wake of the fallout, the festivals Twitter account is demonstrating the worst way of going about explaining the situation to disgruntled music-lovers, offering petulant responses amid claims theyve been threatened with physical violence.

They have promised a full official statement of some kind, but for now are directing refund requests to ticketing companies.

While we await an explanation of how and why the event went so horribly wrong, for now it seems to be another example of organisers making some serious planning errors, and then shooting themselves in the foot by throwing the PR handbook out the window.

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Like Fyre Festival but with none of the lols UK festival disaster goes from bad to worse - The Industry Observer

MARGATE Three days after a deluge created a lake behind a newly built sand dune at Delavan Avenue, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has begun pumping the stagnant water over the dune.

We expect our contractor to begin pumping water out of the basins sometime today, Army Corps spokesman Stephen Rochette said Tuesday morning. The lake, which formed after a 5-inch rainfall Saturday, remained 15 inches deep in places Tuesday.

Rochette said the state and Army Corps collaborated on the plan, which uses submersible pumps to pump the water over the dunes, allowing it to flow into the ocean.

The Army Corps would also build temporary elevated walkways between the bulkhead and the dune, he said.

Over the weekend, beachgoers had to trudge through knee-deep water and jump over washed-out walkways to get to the ocean side of the dune. The city erected no-swimming signs to warn people about the dangers of swimming in the water, which is not protected by lifeguards.

Since then, Margate Beach Patrol Chief Greg Smallwood has closed off all access points at street ends that lead to the standing water. Caution tape has been put across the steps to keep people out of standing water he said was a public health threat.

The citys Board of Commissioners will hold a special meeting 11 a.m. Wednesday at City Hall to discuss the possibility of hiring outside counsel to institute legal action against the state Department of Environmental Protection and the Army Corps.

Some residents believe they need to find a better solution to getting rid of the water and protecting the beach.

Its a disgrace. Pumping doesnt do anything, said Michael Fishbein. They need a remedy. Its a short-term fix. When it rains, its going to happen again.

More permanent and more proven effective measures like jetties and bulkheads are a one-time project, said Vincent Castronuovo, 67, of South Argyle Avenue. They are more expensive but last longer, work better and are also effective at eliminating future sand-moving projects.

Fishbein, 64, has lived on the 100 block of South Barclay Avenue for 14 years. Hes afraid of whats going to happen to the sand underneath.

The water is getting more and more stagnant, filling up with bird feces and becoming more and more polluted, said Fishbein. Its creating a public health hazard.

Rochette said the Army Corps is also considering filling in some of the basins created as part of the project.

Contractors had scraped away several feet of sand over a 100-foot-wide area from the bulkhead to the toe of the dune to essentially create a detention basin that would hold stormwater temporarily. Army Corps engineers said any water that collected in that area would percolate into the ground within 24 to 36 hours.

Were still determining next steps on potentially filling in the basins to a different elevation, Rochette said.

About 60 residents held a protest Sunday atop the dune demanding the state and Army Corps fix their beach.

The project is part of the $63 million Absecon Island project. Margates initial replenishment and dune construction may be 100 percent funded by federal post-Sandy emergency money. The project calls for the construction of nearly 13-foot-tall dunes on the barrier island.

The city filed to obtain an injunction in federal court but received only a partial victory in trying to stop the project.

A federal judge ruled the state would have to file to take easements needed to build the dune by using the federal governments eminent domain law, but that the city did not provide enough evidence to prove the project would create a public nuisance.

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Margate holds public meeting to discuss dunes project | Top Stories ... - Press of Atlantic City

From decluttering your home to having it professionally staged, there are a number of ways to potentially decrease the amount of time it spends on the market -- and not all of them need to cost an arm and a leg.

Kitchen remodels are one such improvement that should be kept simple and cost-effective. Sellers should aim to enhance the visual appeal of their kitchen without going overboard, real estate experts say.

According to Cedric Stewart, team leader of Entourage RG in the Washington D.C. area, sellers shouldn't spend more than 10 percent of their home's value on a kitchen remodel.

Making improvements to increase the homes value is a delicate process, Stewart told Quicken Loans ZING blog.

Fully renovated kitchens with high-end appliances and finishes usually get folks excited and a nod of approval from appraisers, but one must be careful not to overdevelop the home," he said, adding that"clean, modern, functional kitchens sell faster in todays market.

To help your home sell faster, real estate experts like Stewart recommend focusing on projects that will enhance the visual appeal of your kitchen. These can help make a good first impression on potential buyers, making them more likely to make an offer.

In its blog, Quicken Loans names several kitchen upgrades that can enhance the look of your kitchen without driving up costs.

Originally posted here:
Remodeling your kitchen for resale - ConsumerAffairs

You have heard it said that the kitchen is the heart of the home, but in the world of real estate does it still remain number one in the heart of the buyer? Sellers take note: the answer is a resounding yes. However, your local REALTOR is a good resource to consult before diving in to an expensive and life altering kitchen renovation. Most real estate experts would advise that the cost of your kitchen should reflect your home and your neighborhoods market value. Another consideration would be how soon you are planning to sell after a remodel.

Outdated kitchens make it difficult to sell a home, but many cringe at the thought of upending life to get that dream kitchen. Good news from Remodeling Magazines Cost vs. Value Report 2017: A minor kitchen remodel (averaging around $20,000) showed an 80.2 percent return on investment while a major kitchen remodel (averaging around $60,000) held a 65.3 percent return on investment.

With this in mind, here are SEVEN ways to put your homes kitchen in the plus column for a buyer:

Visit http://www.talktotucker.com/talk for more tips on prepping your home for sale.

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A Cook's Kitchen: 3 Top Kitchen Trends Important to Buyers - WISH-TV