Home Builder Developer - Interior Renovation and Design

The Rayburn House Office Building (RHOB) is a congressional office building for the U.S. House of Representatives in the Capitol Hill neighborhood of Washington, D.C., between South Capitol Street and First Street.

Rayburn is named after former Speaker of the House Sam Rayburn. It was completed in 1965 and at 2.375 million square feet (220,644 m) is the largest congressional office building and the newest House office building (the only newer congressional office building is the Hart Senate Office Building, completed in 1982).

Rayburn was completed in early 1965 and is home to the offices of 169 Representatives.

Earlier efforts to provide space for the House of Representatives had included the construction of the Cannon House Office Building and the Longworth House Office Building. In March 1955, House Speaker Sam Rayburn introduced an amendment for a third House office building, although no site had been identified, no architectural study had been done, and no plans prepared.

The area west of the Longworth Building on squares 635 and 636 was chosen, with the main entrance on Independence Avenue and garage and pedestrian entrances on South Capitol Street, C Street, and First Street Southwest. The cornerstone was laid in May 1962, and full occupancy began in February 1965.

The Architect of the Capitol, J. George Stewart, with the approval of the House Office Building Commission, selected the firm of Harbeson, Hough, Livingston & Larson of Philadelphia to design a stripped-down classical building in architectural harmony with other Capitol Hill structures. However, while the interior design of the other House Office Buildings retains decor one would expect to see in House Office Buildings (with cherry wood paneling, brass railings, and marble floors), the Rayburn building possesses design style parallel to that of the 1960s, with chrome push bars, clocks, and elevators, and space-age fluorescent lighting fixtures.

The Capitol Subway System, an underground transportation system, connects the building to the Capitol. Pedestrian tunnels also connect the Rayburn building to the Capitol and to the Longworth House Office Building. This system allows the Rayburn building to be connected to most of the Congressional office buildings on Capitol Hill via tunnel (the Ford House Office Building is freestanding and attached to no other structures by tunnel).

For construction of the Rayburn House Office Building, the Congressional bill appropriated $2 million plus "such additional sums as may be necessary." Such additional sums eventually totaled $88 million. Congressional leaders inserted a gymnasium into the building plans, a fact that was not publicly known at the time of construction. The gym is below the sub-basement level, in a level of the underground parking garage, and according to The Hill, a capitol hill newspaper, "features dozens of cardio machines outfitted with TV screens, an array of Cybex weightlifting machines and free weights."[1] Also in the third floor basement is a shooting range run by the U.S. Capitol Police and a basketball court.[2]

On May 20, 2006 FBI agents raided the Rayburn Building office of Democratic Congressman William J. Jefferson in connection to an ongoing bribery investigation, marking the first time the FBI had raided the office of a sitting congressman.[3] The raid led to members of both parties questioning the constitutionality of the action,[4] and a subsequent hearing by the House Judiciary Committee.[5] The legality of the raid was challenged in court, where a federal appeals court ruled that the FBI had violated the Speech or Debate clause of the United States Constitution by allowing the executive branch to review materials that were part of the legislative process.[6]

On May 26, 2006, at 10:30 am local time, there were reports of the sounds of gunfire in the garage of the building. The Capitol complex was sealed off, and staff in the building were told to stay in their offices after the building was put into lockdown by the United States Capitol Police. Some parts of the lockdown were removed, though other areas remained sealed.

Congressman Jim Saxton was reportedly the source of the false alarm, after he mistook construction sounds in the garage for gunfire.[7]

The rest is here:
Rayburn House Office Building - Wikipedia

LOS ANGELES (AP) The tallest building west of the Mississippi River opened its doors on Friday in once-stodgy downtown Los Angeles, which is sprouting a crop of new skyscrapers.

Here are some things to know about the Wilshire Grand Center:

HOW TALL IS TALL?

The 73-story building has a huge spire that brings its height to 1,100 feet (335 meters), topping the nearby U.S. Bank Tower by more than 80 feet. The Bank Tower had held the height record since 1989.

Critics might argue that a spire rising nearly 200 feet above the top of the building should not count, but it meets the criteria of the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat, which lists the world's tallest buildings based on the "architectural top of the building." A 2-foot lightning rod at the very top, however, doesn't count.

The skyscraper is still dwarfed by buildings on the East Coast and overseas. In the United States, One World Trade Center is 1,776 feet tall, making it the sixth-largest completed building in the world. The tallest building, the Burj Khalifa in Dubai, rises 2,717 feet, or more than a half-mile high.

NO FLATTOP, PLEASE

The tower features a 100-foot-tall, sail-shaped crown built of glass and steel. It is the first modern high-rise in Los Angeles without a flat roof. Since 1974, high-rise buildings had to have helicopter pads in case of fires or other emergencies. The Wilshire Center obtained Fire Department permission to use other safety features, including a special landing platform and a dedicated elevator for firefighters. The city ended the flat-roof requirement in 2015.

LIGHTS, ACTION, ENTERTAINMENT

The building's spine and sail have programmable LEDs that can provide colorful illumination and visuals.

Ripples of rainbow illumination glowed and flowed all the way up the building's 73 stories on Friday night in its inaugural lighting.

The tower also includes an 889-room InterContinental hotel where rooms will go for about $400 a night; some 350,000 square feet (32,516 square meters) of office space; a shopping mall and an observation deck.

Restaurants range from the open-air, rooftop Spire 73 offering "chic fire pits" and signature cocktails to La Boucherie, with stratospheric steak prices and a wine list with 1,200 selections.

CONSTRUCTION

The building, located in the Financial District, cost about $1.2 billion to build. Construction began in 2014.

It reached a milestone that year when 21,200 cubic yards (16,208 cubic meters) of concrete, weighing 82 million pounds (37 million kilograms), were poured over a span of 18 hours to create the foundation. That broke the Guinness World Record for a continuous pour set during the 1999 construction of The Venetian hotel and casino in Las Vegas.

The record was eclipsed again this April when a foundation for a mall was poured in the United Arab Emirates.

Construction work on the tower was shut down for two days last year when an electrician killed himself by jumping from the 53rd floor.

The tower includes a massive, stabilizing central core and braces designed to act as shock absorbers to withstand gusty Santa Ana winds and earthquakes. Southern California has dozens of faults, and the building is designed to withstand about a magnitude-7.5 temblor.

JOBS, JOBS, JOBS

The building construction provided about 11,000 jobs. Los Angeles County Supervisor Hilda Solis says the tower and its many tenants will provide about 1,750 permanent jobs and the tourism and business it may bring could provide another 122,000 jobs indirectly.

ANOTHER BRICK IN THE SPRAWL

The Wilshire Grand Center is part of a construction boom in the resurgent downtown area that for decades emptied out at night as commuters headed for the suburbs.

The opening of the Staples Center arena in 1999 helped anchor redevelopment projects in the surrounding area. The Walt Disney Concert Hall, an internationally known architectural landmark designed by Frank Gehry, opened in 2003.

Vacant office buildings have become pricey lofts and apartments, a new art museum opened and with changes to density and zoning laws, plans are moving ahead to create gigantic complexes of residences, hotels and shopping districts. About 150 building projects are in the works, including some 20 skyscrapers of 35 stories or more.

Originally posted here:
Tallest building west of Mississippi River opens in LA - Quad-Cities Online

The city has launched an initiative to attract developers who want to build new office projects in East New York, Brooklyn, which was rezoned last year as part of Mayor Bill de Blasios plan to build and preserve 200,000 units of affordable housing over the next decade.

The New York City Economic Development Corporation released a request for proposals today seeking firms that want to build new office space or substantially renovate an existing commercial building in the working class neighborhood. The citys Human Resources Administration is looking for 250,000 square feet in the area, but it will commit to leasing anywhere from 50,000 to 300,000 square feet in a building, functioning as an anchor tenant. Ideally, the agency would fill no more than 50 percent of the project, according to the RFP. Its looking for a 20-year lease, with renewal options of five years each. The proposal is meant to support the mayors newly released jobs plan, which aims to create 100,000 good-paying jobs in the next ten years.

While the city might consider mixed-use developments with apartments, the real goal is to catalyze as much private sector office space in East New York as possible, said EDC spokesman Anthony Hogrebe. We believe there is some interest in building commercial space in East New York, and having an anchor tenant is one of the biggest obstacles to doing that.

Hogrebe said the city would be willing to help developers secure financing for a commercial project. HRA would enter into a lease agreement with the property owner before construction begins, and it could occupy one or multiple buildings.

Real estate values in the hood have heated up since the city kicked off the rezoning process in 2015. But building new office space is a tall order in an area where residential development struggles to get off the ground without financial incentives and zoning bonuses from the city.

Experts who know the market say the city would have to be willing to relax zoning requirements and offer commercial tax breaks.

East New York has a lot of commercially zoned land that is under-utilized because of certain parking requirements needed for office development, said Michael Hernandez, an associate vice president who handles industrial and office sales at TerraCRG. If the city can help with parking requirements and with being an anchor tenant, its going to be great, especially with the residential rezoning that just took place there. Itll give more commercial developers more incentive to take on these projects in East New York.

Other brokers wondered if developers would be able to find parcels in the area large enough to accommodate half a million square feet of commercial development.

Its hard to identify a lot that would give you the amount of FAR [floor area ratio] you would need, said Jonathan Berman, a director of investment sales at Ariel Property Advisors. I dont know where you would fit all that square footage in. You need to be near a subway, and you need a big footprint. In northern East New York, the only area I can think of is where Conduit [Boulevard] spills into Atlantic Avenue.

Timothy King, a managing partner at CPEX Real Estate, said the city might have to consider using eminent domain to assemble a large site. He compared the East New York development proposal to MetroTech Center in Downtown Brooklyn, which the city created by seizing 16 acres worth of private property through eminent domain.

When the city decided to rezone parts of Downtown Brooklyn and create a special zoning district, and Metrotech was built, the idea was to relocate office tenants from high priced Manhattan real estate to here, he explained. It was a struggle at first, but eventually it took off.

When the city struck a deal with Forest City Ratner to develop MetroTech, city agencies agreed to help anchor the sprawling commercial complex. Some still occupy the project, including the New York City College of Technology (aka City Tech) and the New York City Fire Department.

And King noted that it will generate huge economic benefits for the neighborhood, creating jobs and attracting more retail and services.

In year one or two it may still be a backwater, and employees may not be crazy about going there because there arent lots of services or amenities, he said. But as thousands of workers occupy the space, there will start to be shopping and dining. Youll start to see retail of all types coming in. There will be dozens of landlords and developers scrambling to have something near thisa fast food restaurant, a doc in a box, a shoe store that people who work and live there can take advantage of.

Continued here:
City Urges Developers to Build Office Buildings in East New York - Commercial Observer

A downtown apartment project stalled for months may finally start construction later this summer, but it would be without building owner Community Solutions, Inc. and its nationally-recognized founder, West Hartford native Rosanne Haggerty.

Developer RBH Group, of Newark, N.J., is purchasing the long-vacant office building at 370 Asylum St. near the western end of Bushnell Park as part of a $20 million rental conversion that would be heavily marketed to teachers.

The six-story Capitol Center building was donated to the nonprofit Community Solutions in 2011 by the foundation of Stamford industrialist Milton B. Hollander and his late wife, Betty Ruth.

Haggerty hoped to develop the building into mixed-income rentals much the same as another nonprofit she founded, Common Ground, had done with success on the next block, at 410 Asylum, which was also donated by the Hollanders and now bears their name. Both nonprofits have worked on developing permanent housing for the homeless and working poor.

Community Solutions embarked on converting Capitol Center in 2013. But after two failed attempts to put together financing, the nonprofit in 2015 sought out RBH as a partner. Community Solutions later agreed to sell the building and step back from the project, retaining only a stake that could give a share of future profits.

"I believe they felt a good project was happening and so, for them, it was mission accomplished," said Ron Beit, RBH's founding partner and chief executive.

Haggerty did not respond to multiple requests by phone and email for comment. A spokesman for Community Solutions also did not respond.

Beit said RBH's financing a combination of public and private funds is nearly complete, but it is under pressure to start construction. The Capital Region Development Authority is lending $4 million, but the authority says it is reluctant to sit much longer since RBH has been involved for about 18 months.

"This project has been one long slog," Michael W. Freimuth, CRDA's executive director, said, "it either starts this summer or we'll have little choice but to redirect our funds."

Beit said rising construction costs have made it increasingly difficult to live within the $20 million and has stretched out closing on financing.

Community Solutions also ran into problems with financing but it was tied more to wanting a higher number of units affordable to low- and moderate-income tenants. CRDA, a key source of taxpayer-backed funding for downtown housing projects, was focused on increasing market-rate rentals and could support the mix sought by Community Solutions.

The conversion now envisioned by RBH is for 60 studio, one- and two-bedroom units, with 70 percent market-rate and 30-percent based on income.

The inspiration for redeveloping Capitol Center comes from RBH's "Teachers Village" in Newark, N.J. The development transformed a rundown part of downtown Newark with the construction of school and affordable rentals, aimed at teachers. The goal was to create a community of teachers who instruct at nearby schools and collaborate where they live.

In Hartford, "Teachers Corner" would be on a far more modest scale, but with the same intent, with the preference for apartment leasing going to Hartford teachers, both public and private, Beit said. Some of the space will be used for space where teachers could pursue further education, he said.

Beit said he envisions plenty of demand in a city where the public schools employs 1,710 teachers. The starting salary for a first-year teacher with a bachelor's degree was $48,946 for the 2016-2017 school year, according to the Hartford Public Schools. The average salary was $76,694, the school system said.

Estimated rents for a studio would range from $747 for an affordable unit to $1,184 for a market-rate unit; $747 to $1,493 for a one-bedroom rental; and $882 to $1,751 for a two-bedroom apartment, Beit said. Parking, under the building, is not included.

Beit said he expects the units to be ready for occupancy for the 2018-2019 school year, with pre-leasing to begin this spring, an aggressive construction schedule.

Community Solutions still is pursuing the $32 million conversion of the historic Swift & Sons gold leafing factory in the city's North End.

The factory would be used as a Community Food and Job Creation Hub that will serve three neighborhoods in the northern half of the city. The space is expected to include commissary space for Bear's Smokehouse, an indoor aquaponics farm growing produce, food incubator space and a community health clinic.

Haggerty and Common Ground had gained national attention after converting a dilapidated hotel in New York's Time Square in the early 1990s to permanent housing for the homeless, part of a redevelopment wave that took Times Square from seedy to family friendly.

Here is the original post:
Work On Apartments For Teachers May Begin In Summer - Hartford Courant

This press release was orginally distributed by SBWire

Mount Ephraim, NJ -- (SBWIRE) -- 06/23/2017 -- The weather is getting warmer, which means energy bills are getting higher. AC units are working harder, and the sun is beating into homes. Luckily, New Factory Window Sales, Inc. can help homeowners cut down on their costs by installing brand new energy-efficient windows. In addition to windows, homeowners can also get vinyl siding installed in their Philadelphia home.

For over 40 years, their team has been the most reliable place to go for window replacements and installation. New Factory Window Sales, Inc. provides the highest quality windows on the market today, and they guarantee that they can save anyone money by installing new quality windows.

Their staff is professionally trained, and they are also fully insured. They offer a lifetime guarantee on all of their materials, and always make sure to get the job done right the first time. While their competitors usually have a quick turnaround with their sales and installation crews, New Factory Window Sales, Inc.'s crew has been with them for over 15 years.

On top of being the best window installers in the area, New Factory Window Sales, Inc. is also efficient at installing vinyl siding. They know how important it is for the outside of a home to look appealing, and that is why they provide several colors, textures, and sizes for customers to choose from. They can take care of any faded or damaged shingles, and get any home looking brand new again.

Those that are interested in vinyl siding in South Jersey or getting new windows should call 856-546-1120 or visit http://newwindowfactory.com/ for more information.

About New Window Factory Sales, Inc. New Window Factory Sales, Inc. is a custom window manufacturer based out of Mount Ephraim, New Jersey on the Black Horse Pike. Their teams of experts have decades of experience in the fields of custom window building and installation, as well as expertise in a wide variety of exterior renovation options like siding and doors. They can be reached by phone at 856-389-4143. Interested parties can also reach them via e-mail or by filling out a contact form on their website.

For more information on this press release visit: http://www.sbwire.com/press-releases/customers-go-to-new-factory-window-sales-inc-for-new-windows-siding-this-summer-824717.htm

See original here:
Customers Go to New Factory Window Sales, Inc. for New Windows & Siding This Summer - Digital Journal

Domestic roof construction is the framing and roof covering which is found on most suburban detached houses in cold and temperate climates. Such roofs are mostly built with timber, take a number of different shapes, and are covered with a variety of materials.

Modern timber roofs are mostly framed with pairs of common rafters or prefabricated wooden trusses fastened together with truss connector plates. Timber framed and historic buildings may be framed with principal rafters or timber roof trusses. Roofs are also designated as warm or cold roof depending on how they are designed and built with regard to thermal building insulation and ventilation. The steepness or roof pitch of a sloped roof is determined primarily by the roof covering material and aesthetic design. Flat roofs actually slope up to approximately ten degrees to shed water. Flat roofs on houses are primarily found in arid regions.[1]

In high wind areas, such as where a cyclone or hurricane may make landfall, the main engineering consideration is to hold the roof down during severe storms. Every component of the roof, as of course the rest of the structure, has to withstand the uplift forces of high wind speeds. This is accomplished by using metal ties fastened to each rafter or truss. This is not normally a problem in areas not prone to high wind.

In the UK, a concrete tiled roof would normally have rafters at 600mm centers, roof battens at 300mm centers and ceiling joists at 400mm centers. The United States still uses imperial units of measurement and framing members are typically spaced sixteen or twenty-four inches apart.

The roof framing may be interrupted for openings such as a chimney or skylight. Chimneys are typically built with a water diverter known as a cricket or saddle above the chimney. Flashing is used to seal the gap between the chimney and roofing material.

A simple rafter roof consists of rafters that the rafter foot rest on horizontal wall plates on top of each wall.[2] The top ends of the rafters often meet at a ridge beam, but may butt directly to another rafter to form a pair of rafters called a couple. Depending on the roof covering material, either horizontal laths, battens, or purlins are fixed to the rafters; or boards, plywood, or oriented strand board form the roof deck (also called the sheeting or sheathing) to support the roof covering. Heavier under purlins or purlin plates are used to support longer rafter spans. Tie beams, which may also serve as ceiling joists, are typically connected between the lower ends of opposite rafters to prevent them from spreading and forcing the walls apart. Collar beams or collar ties may be fixed higher up between opposite rafters for extra strength. The rafters, tie beams and plates serve to transmit the weight of the roof to the walls of the building

Pre-manufactured roof trusses come in a wide variety of styles. They are designed by the manufacturer for each specific building.

Timber trusses also are built in a variety of styles using wood or metal joints. Heavy timber rafters typically spaced 8 feet (2.4m) to 12 feet (3.7m) apart are called principal rafters. Principal rafters may be mixed with common rafters or carry common purlins.[citation needed]

Roof framing must be designed to hold up a structural load including what is called dead load, its own weight and the weight of the roof covering, and additional loading called the environmental load such as snow and wind. Flat roofs may also need to be designed for live loads if people can walk on them. In the United States, building codes specify the loads in pounds per square foot which vary by region. The load and span (distance between supports) defines the size and spacing of the rafters and trusses.[3]

The roofing material is primarily designed to shed water. The covering is also a major element of the architecture so roofing materials come in a wide variety of colors and textures. The primary roof covering on houses in North America are asphalt shingles, but some have other types of roof shingles or metal roofs.[4]Tile and thatch roofs are more common in Europe than North America. Some roofing materials help reduce air conditioning costs in hot climates by being designed to reflect light.

Ventilation of the roof deck speeds the evaporation of water from leakage or condensation and removes heat which helps prevent ice dams and helps asphalt shingles last longer. Building codes in the U.S. specify ventilation rates as a minimum of 1 sq. ft. of opening per 150 sq. ft. (1:150) with a ratio of 1:300 in some conditions.[5] Warm air rises so ceiling insulation is designed to have a higher r-value and the insulation is often installed between the ceiling joists or rafters. A properly insulated and ventilated roof is called a cold roof. A warm roof is a roof that is not ventilated,[6] where the insulation is placed in line with the roof pitch.[7] A hot roof is a roof designed not to have any ventilation and has enough air-impermeable insulation in contact with the sheathing to prevent condensation[8] such as when spray foam insulation is applied directly to the under-side or top-side of the roof deck or in some cathedral ceilings.[9]

A more recent design is the installation of a roof deck with foil-backed foam along with a second deck that is air-gapped away from the foil-backed foam to allow air to flow vertically to a ventalation outlet at the peak of the roofit is a double deck design with an air gap. This design improves efficiency.[10]

A steeply pitched, timber framed roof under construction in Japan

A heavy ridge beam and rafters. A tie or joist visible in foreground

A set of trusses placed atop a home under construction

A strongly reinforced roof structure in a cyclone-prone area

Applying corrugated iron sheeting to a house under construction. Shows two gables and external cyclonic fastenings

Example of architectural roof designs

A hip roof construction in Northern Australia showing multinail truss construction. The blue pieces are roll formed metal roof battens or purlins. This roof is built with purpose-made steel hook bracket which is bolted to the truss with M16 bolt. The bracket is bolted to an M16 bolt cast in situ, embedded 300mm into the reinforced concrete block wall. This system is typically in place every 900mm around perimeter

Originally posted here:
Domestic roof construction - Wikipedia

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KKTV) - Following an 11 Call for Action investigation by anchor Betty Sexton, the owners of Quality Roofing in Colorado Springs were arrested. On Thursday, the owners were in court, where they were formally told the charges they face.

11 News announced the arrest last week of Josh Noel and Christina Noel, both 42 years old. In court on Thursday, the judge said they each face one count of felony six theft, which amounts to a theft value between $2,000 and $5,000.

Victims previously reported to 11 News that they had entered contracts with Quality Roofing, and in many cases the work was never completed or even started.

Police say that since the arrest, additional victims have come forward alleging demands for money with the threat of property liens with the refusal to comply. These additional cases are still being investigated.

If you believe you have been the victim of contractor fraud involving Quality Roofing or if you have received a letter from Quality Roofing demanding money in lieu of a property lien and live within the city limits of Colorado Springs, please contact the Colorado Springs Police Department at 719-444-7000 to file a police report.

If you are a victim that lives outside of Colorado Springs city limits, please contact the El Paso County Sheriffs Office at 719-390-5555.

The Noels will be back in court July 5.

See the original post:
Call for Action: Quality Roofing and Construction owners in court - KKTV 11 News

Here's the afternoon forecast from the National Weather Service. It will cloudy gradually becoming mostly sunny with a high near 79 degrees. Winds will gust as high as 25 mph.

Tonight will be partly cloudy and breezy with a low around 55 degrees.

Huge stuffed cow saves 2-year-old boy after fall out window

Police in Massachusetts are crediting a huge stuffed cow with saving 2-year-old boy who fell out of a second-story window and onto concrete below. It happened Wednesday in Chelsea.

Police say the boy was playing in a bedroom with his 12-year-old sister and bouncing on the bed when he bounced out of the window. He fell 16 feet onto the concrete. Fortunately he was holding onto the stuffed cow which broke his fall.

Great uncle, Luis Estrada, said the boy takes the stuffed animal with him everywhere. The boy has some cuts and was taken to a hospital overnight for observation, but has since been released.

World's Ugliest Dog Contest awards underdogs' inner beauty

FILE - In this June 20, 2014 file photo, Peanut, a 2-year-old mutt is held by owner Holly Chandler after winning the World's Ugliest Dog Contest at the Sonoma-Marin Fair in Petaluma, Calif. The annual Worlds Ugliest Dog Contest celebrates homely pooches for their inner beauty in Petaluma. Organizers say the pooches will face off in a red carpet walk and "Faux Paw Fashion Show" during Friday's events. It's intended to show that all dogs, regardless of physical appearance, can be lovable additions to any family. (AP Photo/George Nikitin, File)

FILE - In this June 24, 2016, file photo, first place winner SweePee Rambo, a 17-year-old Chinese Crested Chihuahua, is cradled by her owner Jason Wurtz of Encino after the World's Ugliest Dog Contest at the Sonoma-Marin Fair in Petaluma, Calif. The annual Worlds Ugliest Dog Contest celebrates homely pooches for their inner beauty in Petaluma. Organizers say the pooches will face off in a red carpet walk and "Faux Paw Fashion Show" during Friday's events. It's intended to show that all dogs, regardless of physical appearance, can be lovable additions to any family. (Alvin Jornada/The Press Democrat via AP, File)

The World's Ugliest Dog Contest is celebrating today man's best friend's perfect imperfections in California.

The pooches many of which are adoptable or previously adopted face off in a red carpet walk and "Faux Paw Fashion Show," organizers said. The contestants are judged on first impressions, unusual attributes, personality and audience reaction.

A blind Chihuahua-Chinese Crested mix named Sweepee Rambo bested 16 other homely hounds in last year's competition and waddled away with $1,500, a trophy and a flight to New York with her owner, Jason Wurtz, for media appearances. The then-17-year-old champion proved that third time's the charm after falling short in the competition twice before.

By celebrating inner beauty, organizers said they hope to showcase that all dogs, regardless of physical appearance, can be lovable additions to any family.

Contest rules prevent owners from intentionally altering their animals to enhance appearance for the purpose of the contest. These pooches are celebrated for their natural ugliness, organizers said.

FILE - In this June 26, 2015, file photo, Quasi Modo wins top honors in the World's Ugliest Dog Contest at the Sonoma-Marin Fair in Petaluma, Calif. The annual Worlds Ugliest Dog Contest celebrates homely pooches for their inner beauty in Petaluma. Organizers say the pooches will face off in a red carpet walk and "Faux Paw Fashion Show" during Friday's events. It's intended to show that all dogs, regardless of physical appearance, can be lovable additions to any family. (AP Photo/Noah Berger, File)

Besides the main crown, the Spirit Award is presented to a dog and owner who have overcome obstacles or provide service to their community, organizers said.

The competition has been held in Petaluma for more than 50 years but is in its 29th year at the Sonoma-Marin Fair.

Chinese parents alarmed by miniature crossbow craze

A listing by a Chinese seller on eBay's U.S. site for a miniature crossbow capable of firing toothpicks is seen on a computer screen in Beijing, Friday, June 23, 2017. Powerful mini-crossbows that shoot toothpicks and needles are the new must-have toy for schoolkids across China - and a nightmare for concerned parents and school officials. Several cities have reportedly banned sales of the palm-sized contraptions, which are powerful enough to puncture soda cans, apples and cardboard, depending on the projectile. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)

Powerful mini-crossbows that shoot toothpicks and needles are the new must-have toy for schoolkids across China and a nightmare for concerned parents and school officials.

Several cities including Shenzhen and Qingdao have reportedly banned sales of the palm-sized contraptions, which sell for about $1 and are powerful enough to puncture soda cans, apples and cardboard, depending on the projectile.

The fad appears to have sprung out of the southwest city of Chengdu but quickly spread to China's east coast and even across the border to Hong Kong. In the Chinese territory of Macau, police issued a warning this week that using the crossbows might constitute a criminal offense.

Although there have not yet been widespread reports of serious injuries, parents across China have raised concerns with schools, with many circulating petitions on social media in support of a nationwide ban.

"People getting blinded will become commonplace, must ban!" said one user on the messaging forum hupu.com while another asked: "What was the inventor of this thing thinking?"

Taobao and JD.com, China's two most popular e-commerce sites, have responded in recent days by blocking sales. Searches for "crossbow" or "toothpick crossbow" now return empty.

Continued here:
Noon update: Sunny skies, ugly dogs and tiny crossbows - Quad City Times

Enhancing the appeal of downtown Marietta is the goal of Build Up Marietta, a new facade improvement program from Marietta Main Street and the Marietta Community Foundation.

This program is due in part to the hard work of our Design Committee and their focus on beautifying downtown, Cristie Thomas, executive director of Marietta Main Street said in a recent news release.

Through the Build Up Marietta program business and property owners in Mariettas downtown C4 district can apply for a matching grant of up to $3,000 to upgrade the front facades of their buildings.

Those improvements may include exterior painting, brick maintenance, new or replacement awnings and signage, lighting, door and window repair, or other upgrades that increase property value.

We hope that Build Up Marietta opens the door to new partnerships with property owners and business owners, as well as new opportunities for property maintenance through quality design by helping offset some of the financial burden, Thomas added.

Support for the grant funding comes from the Marietta Community Foundation.

The submission date for the first round of 2017 grant applications is no later than July 1. A second round of grant applications this year must be submitted by Oct. 1.

Applications for grant-funded projects will be taken on a quarterly basis and all submissions will be reviewed by a group with working knowledge of construction, design, historic preservation, and community development, according to Thomas.

Build Up Marietta is reminiscent of a similar facade improvement program that was funded through the citys annual Community Development Block Grant. But the city has not offered that program for the last several years.

We used to do that every year during my first administration, said Mayor Joe Matthews. And we would present plaques thanking those who took advantage of the program. Im glad Marietta Main Street is going to do something now.

Andy Coleman, the citys development director, said the CDBG-funded facade program was successful for the first few years, but interest in the program began to wane.

Anytime you use federal (CDBG) dollars for a project, you had to pay the prevailing wage, which apparently made it too expensive for those who wanted to do a facade project, he said.

Coleman noted the project cost was covered 50 percent by the city and 50 percent by the property owner. But having to pay prevailing wage for the work, under the federal Davis-Bacon Act, proved to be too costly for property owners.

Because the Build Up Marietta program is being funded with Marietta Community Foundation dollars matched by the property owner, the federal prevailing wage stipulation is not expected to apply to those projects.

Coleman said CDBG monies once used to fund the citys facade program now support projects like Paint Marietta and the Emergency Repair Program, aimed at improving housing within the city and preventing blighted properties.

Projects that qualify for both of those programs are 100 percent funded out of the grant, he said.

About the

Build Up

program:

Owners may apply for a matching grant of up to $3,000 to improve the facades of their properties, including painting, brick maintenance, awnings, lighting, signage, door and window repair, or other facade projects.

Grant applications from business and property owners in Mariettas C4 downtown district must be filed no later than July1 to qualify for the next award cycle. Applications will also be taken no later than Oct. 1 for a second grant cycle this year.

For more information contact Cristie Thomas at info@mariettamainstreet.org, or call 740-885-8194. Or visit the Web site at mariettamainstreet.org/build-up-marietta

Source: Marietta Main Street

Remnants of Tropical Depression Cindy hit the Mid-Ohio Valley Friday evening raising concerns about local ...

Events planned at Beverly pool The Beverly Pool is open and many events are planned in June and July: A ...

Summer kids event at Pioneer Presbyterian A summer kids event called Maker Fun Factory VBS will be hosted ...

BELPRE - About 50 community members attended a special meeting Thursday to hear about a proposed strategic plan ...

View post:
'Build Up' and beautify the city - Marietta Times

FAIRFIELD, Conn. PCB-containing paint has been discovered at Fairfield Ludlowe High School and the town plans a forum on the topic for July 11.

Those working on the window replacement project of the schools Building Committee discovered the paint, which has been encapsulated by years of repainting in the schools interior.

Environmental testing showed there are no air quality issues or health risks posed by the paint.

The Fairfield Ludlowe High School Building Committee, Fairfield Health Department, Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection and the Environmental Protection Agency are working closely with the town and its environmental consultants to determine details of the abatement plan for these areas as part of the building committees work.

Work on the window replacement project is not affected by the encapsulated paint.

School and town officials know the community will have questions about the issue, so a forum will be held at 7 p.m., July 11, at the Board of Education board room, 501 Kings Highway East. Experts from the town Health Department and the projects environmental consulting firm will be on hand to offer details and answer questions.

To sign up for Daily Voice's email news alerts, click here and select your town.

See the article here:
PCB Paint Found At Fairfield Ludlowe High School, Forum Planned ... - Fairfield Daily Voice