Home Builder Developer - Interior Renovation and Design

The Elk Lake School Board on Wednesday opened the door to a pair of maintenance projects in the weeks ahead.

It awarded to A.R. Popple Construction of Wilkes-Barre a $42,000 bid for the removal and demolition of a boiler.

Board members also granted permission to send out for bids a window replacement project which will replace all of the windows in the high school with new windows that meet or exceed energy codes.

Energy manager Kim Guiton who oversees an energy efficiency plan for the school district will be taking bids as soon as the plans can be drawn up and sent out with a pre-bid and walk-thru meeting on June 14.

Work is to be completed by Aug. 18.

In other business, the board entered into a Memorandum of Understanding for 2017-18 with the Northeastern Intermediate Unit which prescribes courses of action which the body undertakes on behalf of its 19 member school districts.

The board also approved a new school policy on student wellness.

It gave a first reading for new policies dealing with immunizations and communicable diseases, and another with attendance.

The board also looked into proposals for health care benefits for employees and recommended the one with Highmark with rates essentially the same as last year.

The board approved hiring Laura Mitchell to a 12-month business office secretary position; also a special education teacher for summer position to Jon Sova; and two special education summer associate positions with Terri Bennett working with elementary students and Tammy Conrad working with secondary students.

The board also approved adding returning college student Megyn Stevens to the summer student worker list.

At the beginning of the meeting, business secretary Jeanie Rogers read letters of resignation by Iris Hoffman and Denise Churchill, two associates in the special education program which the board accepted with regret.

There was little discussion about the 2017-18 budget with a notation that it would be voted on at the next regular board meeting June 22.

In its role as school board for the Susquehanna County Career and Technology Center, members heard from director Alice Davis who shared TV news clips from WNEP Channel 16 and WBRE Channel 28 about Mountain View High School senior Darion Brodeur who received a car that had been rehabbed by automotive students so when Brodeur graduates from high school shell have a vehicle to get her to and from Lackawanna College where she plans to further her education.

Davis also talked about a 1250-hour barbering course, SCCTC is considering offering; along with community service projects of building dog houses for a local shelter and free libraries at fire houses in Susquehanna County with funds provided by Southwestern Energy; as well as a nutrition program with Elk Lake elementary grades.

The board also was apprised of talks which might lead to an out-of-state articulation agreement with the State University of New York at Cobleskill, with visitors on the SCCTC campus May 23.

Davis noted on Wednesday that 145 SCCTC students were eligible to graduate the next night.

She also said that a health careers day camp would be held July 10-13; and on July 13, Claverack REC would be having its annual picnic at Elk Lake with 1300 chicken dinners expected to be served utilizing resources of the SCCTC culinary arts program.

Board members also approved Jeannie Rogers to continue to serve as board secretary for the next 12 months at $3,800 for the year, no increase.

They also okayed renewal of clinical nurse supervisor contracts with Christopher Drake on a month-to-month basis and to Chelsea Lunger as a part-timer three days a week.

The board also accepted a $2500 grant from the Tulsa Foundation for its welding program, and granted approval to the administration to apply for a Perkins grant which could add $139,039 to the budget.

The board noted that SCCTC was also looking for a substantial Plan Con J reimbursement from the state.

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Elk Lake board gives green light to summer work - The Wyoming County Examiner

The Connecticut House of Representatives approved a bill this week that forces window manufacturers to include replacement and labor costs in product warranties. The bill now goes to Gov. Dannel Malloy, a Democrat, for approval. The legislation was strongly opposed by the Window and Door Manufacturers Association (WDMA).

S.B. 821, which passed by a vote of 80 to 70, requires window, roofing and siding manufacturers that offer warranties to pay any claim made for materials and labor, and to repay the full price of materials and labor the consumer was charged. In addition, manufacturers must act on claims within 30 days. After that, the claim is automatically considered approved, and manufacturers must pay the claim within the following 30 days.

WDMA is strongly opposed to this legislation and is extremely concerned about the circumstances surrounding its passage, said Michael OBrien, WDMA president and CEO. The bill is problematically vague and unfair to manufacturers. Its passage confirms Connecticuts reputation of being hostile to business and manufacturing in particular. Furthermore, the bill and its ramifications were not given adequate scrutiny during the committee process and the fiscal impact is grossly understated.

According to WDMA, the vague language of the bill opens the door for warranty coverage ofimproper installation or use of aproduct.

WDMA argues that the new lawis unnecessary because consumers are already covered by product warranties that protect them from legitimate product defects or failures. Many of those warranties will cover replacement costs. In addition, manufacturers provide specific instructions for the installation of products, along with maintenance and other important documents.

The association says that making all warranties cover all labor costs for product defects is unreasonable because products can fail for many reasons, such as improper installation, misuse or modification after installation, or improper maintenance.

WDMA thanks all members who contacted the General Assembly in opposition to the bill and we call on Governor Malloy to immediately veto this misguided legislation, said OBrien.

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Connecticut Passes Onerous Window Warranty Bill - DWM Magazine

Jeff Malachowski Daily News Staff @JMalachowskiMW

MARLBOROUGH A recently devised multi-year capital plan will help city officials effectively strategizefor the future, Finance Committee members said Monday.

The city last year received a $30,000 grant through the state'sCommunity Compact program to partner with the Edward Collins Center for Public Management at UMass to create a five-year capital improvementplan. Department heads met with center officials to discuss the in-depth capital needs of the city and createda plan thataddresses57 capital projects.

This $142.3 million all-funds, five-year capital improvement plan will make major inroads into addressing significant infrastructure needs that exist in Marlborough today, Mayor Arthur Vigeant wrote in a letter to the City Council.

Some of the big-ticket projects featured in the plan include $34 million to build a new elementary school, $23 million to renovate and expand the citys more than century-old library, $20 million for roadway maintenance and reconstruction and more than $8 million for a west side fire station.

The city is applying for state grant funding for the school and library building projects. The grants would likely cover about 50 percent of the cost of the projects. Communitiesreceivestate funding for roadway repairs each year. Other federal and state grants, free cashand funds from the operating budget will also pay for the upgrades.

"One-hundred fifty million is not going on the backs of the taxpayers," the mayor said.

Finance Committee member Kathleen Robey expressed some concerns that some smaller projects may be dependent on the city receiving grants.

Other projects in the plan include repairs to the City Hall bell tower, interior masonry work, roof and skylights; repairs and window replacement at the Public Works headquarters; upgrading Ghiloni Park; modernizing the Pleasant Street apartments; various police and DPW vehicle replacements; replacing the Hildreth and Whitcomb School roofs; and purchasing a 14-passenger van for the Council on Aging.

"I think the department heads did a real nice job outlining their needs for the next five years," said Finance Committee Chairman Michael Ossing.

To view the full capital plan visit http://www.marlborough-ma.gov.

Jeff Malachowski can be reached at 508-490-7466 or jmalachowski@wickedlocal.com. Follow him on Twitter @JmalachowskiMW.

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Marlborough: Committee members say capital plan will help planning - MetroWest Daily News

NORTHEAST, Wis. (WBAY) - Central air conditioning is a luxury not a necessity. But, after serving their country two local veterans are being treated to new units.

At the home of Adam DeJardin in Bonduel, a fan and a window unit provide some relief from the heat.

According to DeJardin, "It gets pretty warm up there in summertime, last week has been pretty rough."

Jordan Polzin from Green Bay had central air, sort of. He says, "Last year it would work probably, maybe about 60% of the time and this year it was barely working."

But thanks to two different Green Bay heating and cooling companies, that were running separate contests to give a deserving veteran a new AC unit on Flag Day, neither man needs to worry about how they'll keep themselves and their families cool anymore.

"A guy from Brown County Veterans Services called me, told me I was one of the finalists and then Bay Area Services came out and told me I won basically," says DeJardin.

Polzin adds, "I was nominated by Andy Bussiere from the Wisconsin Desert Vets and I was selected."

A crew from Bay Area Services showed up early this morning to begin the installation of Dejardin's new Trane unit.

"It's just great to give back to deserving veterans. We like to help anybody that we can, anytime that we can," says Shannon Beyersdorf from Bay Area Services.

Bay Heating Service along with American Standard had Polzin's old unit out and the new one in before noon.

According to David Drews from Bay Heating, "He does a lot for the veterans in the community and we really wanted to give back to him because he gives back so much."

And while neither man served their country to receive recognition, they're touched by the cool opportunity.

Polzin says, "I'm the second VP of the Wisconsin Desert Vets and we help other people out and me being helped out is, I just didn't expect it."

"It's going to mean a lot, save a lot of money. It's about $3,000 that they're putting in to this for us, so appreciate that a lot," adds DeJardin.

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Two Veterans, Two Companies, Two New AC Units - WBAY

A little light could mean big bucks for the Sewanhaka Central High School District.

With the installation of solar panels at its five high schools in the final stages, the district is projecting that theywill cut its energy costs by $250,000 each year, according to a news release.

The district has finished installingthe panels at New Hyde Park Memorial High School, Elmont Memorial High School and H. Frank Carey High School in Franklin Square.Floral Park Memorial High School and Sewanhaka High School will have them before the start of the next school year in September, the district said.

The panels are part of a larger project to cut the districts energy costs under an energy savings performance contract, an arrangement in which future savings pay for the necessary hardware and construction. Altogether the work could save the district nearly $950,000 annually, the district says.

The goal of all of these measures was to be environmentally conscious and to save money, Ralph Ferrie, the districtsuperintendent, said in the news release.

Other cost-cuttingprojects includeinstalling new energy-efficient lighting, revamping heating and air-conditioning systems and using other strategies to cut electricity use, according to district documents.

Some of the savings are showing up already. In April 2012, before the workstarted, New Hyde Park Memorial High School racked up an energy bill of $11,319.50, the district said. It was down about $9,100 in April of this yearto $2,203.22.

District officials have said the solar panels will generate 35 percent of that schools energy. Once all the panels are installed, the district says, it will be one of the largest solar energy producers in the state.

Utilizing green power is reducing our electrical costs, James Reddan, a Sewanhaka school board trustee from the New Hyde Park-Garden City Park school district, said in an email. When all 5 high schools are fully functional we should see a dramatic reduction in energy costs.

The district approved the energy performance contract with NORESCO, aMassachusetts-based energy services firm, in May 2015.

Under the agreement, the firm installs the energy-saving equipment in exchange for a portion of the money thats saved as a result. The companyguarantees the district will save a projected amount of money and makes up the difference if thesavings fall short.

A 2014 auditby state Comptroller Thomas DiNapolis office of nine energy performance contracts in eight school districtsquestioned the pacts efficacy.

Seven of the nine projects achieved projected savings, but only six of those saved as much as their contracting firm projected, the audit says. And most of the savings camefrom grants or state money that helped fund them.

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Solar panels to save Sewanhaka $250K each year - The Island Now

This press release was orginally distributed by SBWire

Langhorne, PA -- (SBWIRE) -- 06/14/2017 -- FINE Cabinetry Kitchen and Bath Co., a cabinet installation and remodeling company based out of Langhorne, Pennsylvania, provides many services for kitchen and bathroom remodeling in Bucks County. Their Langhorne showroom displays their services and kitchen specialties from 10 a.m.-5:30 p.m. on Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday,,10 a.m.- 4p.m. on Saturday and 10 a.m.-8 p.m. on Tuesday. Other times are available by appointment.

FINE Cabinetry Kitchen and Bath Co. is dedicated to making kitchen cabinets both look beautiful and stay sturdy and durable for a long period of time. An experienced designer will arrive for a consultation at homes upon appointment and create a cabinet design that suits the home and the needs of the kitchen and the owner. The customer is then able to choose to either book an installation or order the design and install the cabinets themselves or hire their own contractor.

FINE Cabinetry Kitchen and Bath Co. also conducts full kitchen remodels in Bucks County and surrounding areas. Kitchen remodelers walk customers through all design and price options that will make kitchens look their best and be durable and practical. FINE Cabinetry Kitchen and Bath Co. is a top choice for remodeling kitchens in Bucks County because of the commitment, experience and talent of their designers and installation team.

FINE Cabinetry Kitchen and Bath Co. also remodels kitchens in Bucks County with return on investment in mind. If customers are remodeling the kitchen to sell the home, the contractors at FINE Cabinetry Kitchen and Bath Co. keep that in mind to create a design plan than will benefit the kitchen and the home for years to come.

For more information on kitchen cabinets, kitchen remodeling, and bathroom remodeling in Bucks County and surrounding areas, contact FINE Cabinetry Kitchen and Bath Co. at 215-392-4584 or info@finecabinetryllc.com

About FINE Cabinetry Kitchen & Bath Co. With over 60 years of cabinetry design and remodeling experience, FINE Cabinetry Kitchen & Bath Co. has been offering the finest cabinetry designs and solutions to the people of Bucks County, Pennsylvania. They also offer a complimentary in-home design service with their very qualified and talented design professionals.

For more information on this press release visit: http://www.sbwire.com/press-releases/fine-cabinetry-kitchen-and-bath-co-remodels-kitchens-in-bucks-county-820667.htm

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FINE Cabinetry Kitchen and Bath Co. Remodels Kitchens in Bucks ... - Digital Journal

Pearl District - KATU image.jpg

PORTLAND, Ore. A Portland resident took a stand against the construction of a building that he believes is disrespectful to the heart of the Pearl District.

Construction has already been approved to allow a 6-story, 100-foot office building with a penthouse at the corner NW 13th Avenue and Glisan Street.

John Hollister lives in the Northwest 13th Avenue Historic District in Portlands Pearl District. The section was designated on the National Register of Historic Places in 1987, and includes 20 buildings dating between 1900 to 1945 that have been restored and preserved.

The new building was approved for construction in a spot currently used as a parking lot.

Hollister spent $5,000 to appeal the final approval of the building to Portlands City Council. That appeal was denied Wednesday afternoon.

Hollister believes the new building doesn't meet the historic district guidelines for height and visual compatibility.

Its just too tall and its going to create some real economic pressure and development pressure on some of the smaller buildings," said Hollister. "I just don't want to see it change. With all of the building going on around it, I'd like to have one area that stays the same."

Hollister is worried if its built, similar buildings will spring up in the future, eventually hiding the historic brick buildings in canyons of steel and glass. Hes also concerned that there may be less concern in the future for preservation due to costs of upgrading and retrofitting those existing structures.

The argument for the height of this new structure is based on information recorded in the Citys database. Hollister researched the building heights in the area and discovered city records had incorrect height information for at least two existing buildings.

Hollister has done other research and gotten the support of an architect who will testify at City Council along with him.

"He says anyone who is dedicated and committed to tall buildings has to be equally committed to protect the villages within those tall buildings. And thats what Im trying to do here, said Hollister.

While he doesnt expect a unanimous vote, he is hopefully his argument will win most of the councilors over.

Im totally fine when I go to City Council to have a three, two vote in my favor, he said.

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Resident fights new 6-story office building in historic Pearl District - KATU

Sacramento Bee

Replacing those aging state office buildings will have to go on California's credit card Sacramento Bee Gov. Jerry Brown has been vocal about his preference for pay-as-you-go instead of borrowing when it comes to funding public works projects. We got to belly up to the bar and start spending money, Brown told reporters in February. A budget bill ...

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Replacing those aging state office buildings will have to go on California's credit card - Sacramento Bee

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Raymond buys 55-acre Napa Valley vineyard

North Bay professionals news: June 5, 2017

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Wine Train plans downtown Napa resort

JEFF QUACKENBUSH

NORTH BAY BUSINESS JOURNAL | June 14, 2017, 9:45AM

06/14/2017

Napas plan to build a new City Hall on existing property and relocate staff to temporary space during construction comes as available office space downtown is at a premium.

The City Council on May 30 picked a proposal from Los Angeles-based Plenary Group for a 4-story civic center, 250-room hotel, 60-plus residential units, 11,000-square-foot grocery store and a 6-story expansion to the Clay Street parking garage. Details will be hashed out in months to come, but the proposed timeline calls for construction to start next year and wrap by early 2020.

In the meantime, workers from the current City Hall and surrounding office buildings would shift to temporary quarters, called swing space, until the new facility would be ready to occupy. How much space will be needed is still being worked out, according to city officials. Local real estate experts estimate it could be tens of thousands of square feet of office space.

But as it is, the office vacancy rate in Napa city limits is estimated to be under 5 percent, less than half whats considered to be a balanced market of landlord supply for tenant demand.

Theres scarcity of inventory in all segments in commercial (real estate) right now, said Michael Moffett of Coldwell Banker Commercial Brokers of the Valley. Its slim pickins and very much a landlord market.

And such lack of options, called tightness in a market, is reflected in rising rents property owners are asking for, Moffett said. The longtime rate for nicer space of $2.50 a square foot per month for full-service accommodations is now in the $2.70$3 range.

The interim space they are going to need will be tough to find, because of the tightness of the market, Moffett said. And it will be hard to be considered by landlords for a two- or three-year lease, knowing they will be gone. They may have to move people into county business parks to get that done.

There is roughly twice the office-space availability in the business parks around Napa County Airport south of the city. The first-quarter vacancy rate was estimated to be 8.8 percent of 2.79 million square feet by Keegan & Coppin Co. Inc./Oncor International and 9.7 percent of 1.67 million square feet by Colliers International.

Reasons for the tightness of the Napa office market includes a lack of new construction since the economic recession nearly a decade ago and a rush of local-government workers into temporary space after the August 2014 Napa quake damaged buildings.

The Plenary proposal noted five possible in-town swing-space locations for city workers:

First American Building, 1700 Second St., with 45,000 square feet available next year.

Napa County Assessor Building, 1127 First St., 26,000 square feet next year.

Young Building, 801 Coombs St., 17,000-20,000 square feet this year and next.

The Wiseman Companys new 1300 Main Street project, mid-2018.

Napa Countys former Health & Human Services Department campus, 2344 Old Sonoma Road, this year.

Plenary estimated space available at those locations to be roughly 150,000 square feet between them, some of those locations already are largely spoken for. For example, the First American Building actually has only 1,000 square feet available, according to owner Eric Lehman, whose Lehman & Lehman accounting firm also is in the building.

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I talked to them in the past about the citys acquiring it under eminent domain, Lehman said, noting that conversation was roughly five years ago.

Jim Keller, an agent with Coldwell Banker Brokers of the Valley, owns the Young Building as part of a roughly 50,000-square-foot commercial-property portfolio in Napa, about half of which is office space and much of it occupied. He helped the county with 8,200 square feet of swing space in the building after the quake, and those workers are set to leave in September. All together, the Young Building will have about 10,000 square feet available this year, though 2,500 square feet of that is ground-floor space better-suited to retailers, Keller said.

Not only are we low on vacancy, but I think there is a waiting list for office space, in particular, for small users looking for single- or double-occupancy spaces, Keller said. But three new buildings in the downtown area are set to bring at least 53,000 square feet of offices next year. But the space has been rapidly leasing to wine industry and financial-services companies.

At 1300 Main St., Solano County-based The Wiseman Co. is under construction on a 3-story building, the Solano County-based companys third office building in Napa since First & Main in 2001 and Main Street West in 2008. Certificates of occupancy are expected to be ready for the two 7,000-square-foot floors of offices, with the 6,000-square-foot ground floor completion expected by year-end, according to Chris Economou, director of acquisitions and Brian Wills, chief operating officer.

I cannot respond to people fast enough about the office building and ground floor, Economou said. Prospects are said to include longtime Napa Valley companies and large companies with valley holdings.

Part of the 325,000-square-foot First Street Napa mixed-use project are two office buildings: 1300 First St., with 28,630 rentable square feet, and the renovated Gordon Building at 1136 First, with 9,849 rentable starting next spring, according to a spokeswoman for the redevelopment team of Zapolski Real Estate and Trademark Property Company.

In addition to the Archer Hotel Napa, retail and office tenants signed so far include, a Maris Collective boutique, Lush, Compline Wine Bar, Silicon Valley Bank, Pacific Union International, Napa Valley Jewelers, Eikos Sushi, Charlie Palmer Steak, Brown Estate and, new last week, John Anthony Vineyards, maker of JaM Cellars and FARM Napa Valley wines.

Shops and restaurants are set to start opening in the project this fall.

Jeff Quackenbush (jquackenbush@busjrnl.com, 707-521-4256) covers the wine business and commercial construction and real estate.

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Napa copes with office-space crunch - North Bay Business Journal

Portland Business Journal

New office project, led by Williams & Dame, on its way up at the north end of the Pearl District (Photos) Portland Business Journal Designed by Hacker and GBD Architects and being built by Howard S. Wright Construction, the building will include extensive bike parking, showers and locker rooms, a bike repair station and a valet. "We're really excited about the location, " said Mark ...

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New office project, led by Williams & Dame, on its way up at the north end of the Pearl District (Photos) - Portland Business Journal