Home Builder Developer - Interior Renovation and Design

Duro-Last, Inc. has announced the winners of its annual category-specific Duro-Last Project Awards. The Saginaw, MI-based manufacturer of custom-fabricated, thermoplastic single-ply roofing systems announced the news earlier this year at the companys national sales seminar in Orlando, FL. These Project Awards were created to honor Duro-Last contractors who complete outstanding commercial roofing projects in various categories. We know our contractors work hard all year and want to recognize them for outstanding workmanship, best practices, and innovation while using Duro-Last products, said Steve Ruth, vice president of sales and marketing.

Project of the Year: JBK, Inc. of Corbin, KY Project: Lynn Camp Elementary SchoolRoof leaks had started to interfere with the daily activities of Lynn Camp Elementary School in Corbin, KY administrators knew it was time for a new roof. To maintain the buildings current design and blue color, JBK, Inc. presented a metal retrofit option using the Duro-Fleece membrane with the Duro-Last Vinyl Rib system more than 52,000 linear feet. By utilizing this system the project was completed in 90 days, several months sooner than a new metal roof would have taken.

Custom-Fabrication: Roof Management Co., Inc. of Farmington Hills, MI Project: Cambridge Plaza After repairing the roof and working with property manager Ross Financial for years, Roof Management was hired to install a custom-fabricated 50 mil Duro-Last membrane on the 103,000 square foot Cambridge Plaza project in Hazel Park, MI. They were able to complete the entire project with no disruption to any of the building tenants.

Edge-to-Edge & Deck-to-Sky: Baker Roofing Co, Inc. of Stockton, CA Project: E & J Gallo Winery Since 1933, the E & J Gallo Winery has been producing high-quality wine in Northern California. When Baker Roofing Company was selected to install a new roof on one of the buildings on the vineyards grounds, they were honored to work with a company with so much history. This distinctive building required several Duro-Last and EXCEPTIONAL Metals products, including edge metal that needed to match the metal on the windows. With the help of the EXCEPTIONAL Metals team, which worked directly with the glass company to make sure the colors matched, the end result was striking.

Metal Roofing: Moser Roofing Solutions LLC of Lancaster, PA Project: OST Trucking Inc. For a busy trucking warehouse like OST Trucking in Baltimore, MD, shutting down operations to install a new roof is not an option. When Moser Roofing Solutions proposed installing the EXCEPTIONAL Metals EM Retro-R, a metal roofing panel designed to go directly over an existing metal roof, the answer was clear. At more than 68,000 square feet, the large project required a combination of the EM Retro-R panel in white and white 50 mil Duro-Last membrane. This solution allowed for OSTs operations to continue running smoothly during construction and avoided the costs of a tear-off.

Sustainability: Roof Right, Inc. of Hampstead, MD Project: Ceresville New Holland When agricultural machinery dealer Ceresville New Holland of Frederick, MD approached Roof Right, Inc. with a roofing job that included more than 900 penetrations due to solar panels, Duro-Lasts custom-fabricated membrane and accessories were the ideal solution. The efficient process allowed Ceresville New Holland to remain open during construction.

Specialty Membrane Roofing: K2 Summit, LLC of Deerfield Beach, FL Project: Flamingo South Beach Center Tower Situated on Miami Beach and towering over its neighbors, the Flamingo South Beach Center Tower apartment building poses a unique roofing challenge. K2 Summit determined the best roofing solution would be a hybrid system that used both adhered Duro-Fleece Plus membrane and mechanically attached Duro-Last. Since the building is 32 stories tall, wind was a major concern, so installing a perimeter enhancement around the entire roof helped it meet wind uplift requirements.

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Duro-Last Roofing Project Awards Announced - Facility Executive Magazine

RubberGard EPDM Sealants for Firestone Building Products are designed for use with EPDM roofing systems. They include Lap Sealant HS, EcoWhite EPDM Lap Sealant, Pourable Sealer S-10 (Parts A & B), and FillGard M Pourable Sealer. Shelf life for each one is one year when stored in original, sealed containers at temperatures between 60F and 80F.

Lap Sealant HS is low volatile organic compound (LVOC) with less than 2.1 pounds per gallon. It is designed for use with Firestone Splice Adhesive SA-1065 for seam edge treatment applications and as a sealant in other applications. Lap Sealant HS is black with an EPDM rubber base and Light Aliphatic solvent. It is 80% (minimum) solids by volume and weighs 11.2 to 12.2 pounds per gallon with 1.34 to 1.46 specific gravity. Lap Sealant HS is packaged in five gallon pails (W563587032), plastic pails of 28-11 fl oz cartridges (W563587031), cardboard cartons with 25-11 fl oz cartridges (W56358703E), and cartons with 20-20 fl oz sausage chubs (W563587030).

EcoWhite EPDM Lap Sealant is LVOC (less than 2.1 pounds per gallon) and designed for seam edge treatment and other applications for EPDM roofing. It offers adhesion to a variety of surfaces and in conjunction with Firestone EcoWhite EPDM Systems. The sealant is white with a solvent based cure system, an EPDM rubber base, 80% (nominal) solids by volume, UV and ozone resistance, and 1.40 to 1.46 specific gravity. Packaged in 10.3 fl oz cartridges (W56358703A), EcoWhite EPDM Lap Sealant comes in a carton of 25 cartridges that weighs a total of 18 pounds.

The two-component Pourable Sealer S-10 (Part A & Part B) has a polyurethane base and creates a watertight seal around small pipe penetrations, clusters of pipes, I-beams, etc., in a penetration pocket detail. Part A is light gray, weighs 10.4 pounds per gallon with 1.25 specific gravity, and is packaged in one gallon cans. Part B is black, weighs 9.5 pounds per gallon with 1.14 specific gravity, and is packaged in one pint cans. Once mixed Pourable Sealer S-10 (W563587065) is black in color, contains zero VOC content, and is 100% solids. Cartons include four one gallon cans and four one pint cans and weigh approximately 46 pounds total. Mixing ratio is one can of Part B to one can of Part A. Pot life is 30 minutes (maximum) at 72F.

FillGard M Pourable Sealer is a two-component polyurethane sealant for sealing penetration pockets in conjunction with Firestone EPDM roofing systems. Part A is light gray and weighs 9.15 pounds per gallon with 1.10 specific gravity. Part B is black and weighs 8.57 pounds per gallon with 1.03 specific gravity. Once mixed, FillGard M is black in color, contains zero VOC content, and is 100% solids by volume. FillGard M Pourable Sealer is dispensed using FillGard M Battery Powered SBA+ (available from Adco Roofing Products) or a pneumatic applicator tool. Each carton includes four FillGard M Kits (W563587088) and five Static Mixers. Kits include Cartridge Part A and Cartridge Part B attached side by side. Each cartridge weighs 25.4 fl oz, carton weight is 20 pounds, and each pallet contains 48 cartons.

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Firestone RubberGard EPDM Roofing Sealant - Facility Executive Magazine

Warning: Spoilers ahead for the tiny details that differentiate the 2017 remake of Beauty and the Beast from the 1991 animated version.

Theres been a fair bit of controversy over Bill Condons live-action remake of Disneys animated 1991 classic Beauty and the Beast, mostly centered over Condons proclamation that hes given Disney its first canonically, openly gay character. In an interview with Attitude, Condon described that character, the villains sycophantic sidekick LeFou, as if his sexuality was a significant, foregrounded part of the plot, and as if it ultimately arrived at some major moment of truth:

Hes confused about what he wants. Its somebody whos just realising that he has these feelings. And [actor Josh Gad] makes something really subtle and delicious out of it. And thats what has its payoff at the end, which I dont want to give away. But it is a nice, exclusively gay moment in a Disney movie.

But when it arrives, that nice, exclusively gay moment is a one-second shot of LeFou in a fancy ballroom-dance finale, accidentally shoved into the arms of a nameless man whos wearing drag because of an earlier sight gag. It isnt an exclusively gay moment, its about a dozen vaguely campy frames. Much like Finding Dorys controversial, much-ballyhooed lesbian couple two women who appeared in a extremely brief, silent reaction shot in the film LeFou is all PR blitz and no actual payoff. But the tepidness of this built-up moment hasnt stopped the predictable backlash, from online complaints to an Alabama theater noisily pulling the film from its lineup (proving the bigoted old chestnut why are they pushing their views on us is still alive and well in the world) to Malaysia banning the film. To Disneys credit, the company has refused to recut the film to appease Malaysian censors, which is an admirably principled stand to take over a single second of footage.

The LeFou imbroglio is an immense wasted opportunity. Promoting Beauty and the Beast by touting its daring inclusivity (or, grotesquely, its tribute to lyricist Howard Ashman), makes for a lot of attention-grabbing articles. But the actual execution is dull or mildly offensive, given that Disneys first official gay character (ignoring its coded ones and fan-canon ones) is a catty, clingy, regressive, confused stereotype. Beauty and the Beast isnt necessarily the right forum to explore the nuances of the gay experience. But given how much virtual ink the character has gotten, its baffling how little there is to him, not just as a gay man, but as a developed figure of any kind.

Its largely a frustrating clone of the original movie

And he isnt the only wasted opportunity in Condons remake. Its largely a frustrating clone of the original movie same songs, same script, often even the exact same shot choices but it replaces every moment of authentic or moving emotion with bombast and hyperbolic overemphasis. It slows down the flow of the familiar music by jamming in extra phrases, and builds up the energy by jamming nonstop, busy action onto the screen. Its a garish, strident film, as well as a profoundly unnecessary one. And wherever its creators come up with fresh subplots or new character details, they tend to be poorly integrated, slapped erratically over the existing narrative like a half-assed coat of paint. Among the other things the film throws out and instantly discards:

The prerelease hype around LeFou was mirrored by the prerelease hype around Belle, with Emma Watson, who plays her in the film, telling EW that Belle is now the talented inventor, rather than her father Maurice. The idea was to give Belle more of a background, and more of a purpose in life than wandering around singing about how her community disappoints her. In practice, though, her big background development consists entirely of a scene where she uses a barrel and a donkey to do her laundry so she has more time to read. She doesnt actually use her newfound inventing skills to any meaningful narrative purpose. When she needs to escape a cage, Beasts servants help her; when she needs to pick a lock, Maurice handles it. Any ambitions she has as an inventor are never verbalized, and her theoretical skills never become useful. Past the brief laundry sequence, inventing never comes up again. Its not part of the story, its a random, unattached moment.

In the same way, theres a quick shot of Belle teaching a young girl to read, and angering the local peasants, who quickly stop her. Apparently female literacy is anathema in a fantasy villa where only the boys are seen going to school. This is meant to explain why the entire town is so obsessed with Belle being, as the opening song says, very different from the rest of us and a beauty but a funny girl. The idea of Belle trying to overcome institutionalized sexism in a provincial town is a pretty heady one. But again, the film does nothing with it, apart from a single line from Belle, late in the film, complaining about how she doesnt fit in with the locals.

Less hyped, but still strangely underlined in the new movie, is the idea that the villainous blowhard Gaston (Luke Evans) is such a jerk because hes a professional soldier with no battles left to fight, and he longs to return to a simpler, more purposeful time in his life. He and LeFou know each other from the war, where they were comrades in arms. Its a potentially meaningful relationship that explains why Gaston blankly tolerates LeFous creepy handsiness, and why LeFou sticks with a loudmouthed bully. Its mildly implied that Gastons temper and inability to control his rage comes from his past, and that LeFou is an actual friend who shares Gastons history and honestly respects and understands him. Thats another potentially powerful development, but it mostly surfaces via a couple of throwaway lines, and one joke about LeFous Gaston-whispering talents.

The heel-face turn is a great tradition in stories about villains, and its given American pop culture some of its most memorable story endings in Return of the Jedi, in Dr. Seuss How the Grinch Stole Christmas!, even most recently in Moana. So the idea that LeFou might not play out entirely as a villain is potentially intriguing and certainly in keeping with Condons larger intentions for the character. Bad enough for Disneys first supposed openly gay character to be swishy, obsessive, and annoying without him also being an irredeemable villain. If only the characters development had any meaningful roots in the earlier parts of the story. There are tiny hints at him having a personality past sidekick in his emotional support of Gaston, but as character development goes, its a thin soup. At most, he gets a couple of lines to support the idea that he has his own morals and goals the best one is a new addition in The Mob Song, as Gaston whips the villagers into a fury against the Beast. His Meh, Ive decided to switch sides! line is particularly offhanded and silly.

One of the minor problems viewers grumbled over in the original Beauty and the Beast was the question of why Beasts servants Lumire, Cogsworth, Mrs. Potts, et al stand by him and seem to care so much about him, when he brought a magical curse down on them by being a selfish brat, and has subsequently turned into a temperamental, dangerous tyrant. That isnt actually much of a plot hole. Of course they stand by him and serve him hes their only chance at getting the curse lifted. Their affection for him is largely crisis management and mollification. And where can an anthropomorphic candlestick, clock, and teapot expect to go if they leave the enchanted castle?

When the film does try something new, its via halfhearted throwaway lines

But Condons version of the film does expressly take up the question. Mrs. Potts has a little monologue explaining how Beasts mother died early and his father was a vain tyrant who turned him into a vain tyrant in return. The servants did nothing to stop any of this, so they feel responsible. Screenwriters Stephen Chbosky and Evan Spiliotopoulos try hard to bring an old-world servant-and-master relationship into a 2017 setting, where loyalty and service are expressly about emotional responsibility and the idea that all awful behavior has its roots in childhood trauma. But this quickie application of plot-spackle raises more questions than it answers. Where is Beasts father? Why did the servants think they had any responsibility, or ability, to fix a prince following in a kings footsteps? Why is Disney so obsessed with dead mothers? If the servants are only hanging around because they feel they owe Beast for not interfering in his upbringing, why arent they making any efforts at all to help him improve his awful personality and terrible behavior?

Disney has struggled to define exactly what it wants to do with its seemingly endless (and depressingly profitable) run of live-action remakes of animated classics. Are they meant as homages, updates, brand deposit reminders of existing franchises, or just high-profile cash grabs? The answer varies slightly from film to film. Alice in Wonderland didnt feel like a remake so much as a new version of Lewis Carrolls classic novel, strained through Tim Burtons house brand of morbid whimsy and the cultural landscapes contemporaneous obsession with young-adult-novel-worthy teen action heroines. Maleficent tried to give Sleeping Beautys villain a tragic backstory, and wound up as a pretty but uncomfortably imitative merging of Disneys film and the Broadway hit musical Wicked. Cinderella made the title character more bland and passive, ramping up the villains personality at everyone elses expense. So far, only The Jungle Book has made it to the screen with a strong point of view and additions to the story mostly from Rudyard Kiplings original Jungle Book stories, but in part original creations that deepen the characters and make their conflicts more meaningful.

In Beauty and the Beasts case, virtually all of the new additions to the story are aimed vaguely in the same direction. As the marketing suggests, the updates are all about backstory, about trying to make the characters more three-dimensional, to make their choices more meaningful, their origins clearer, and their traumas more involving. But few of the new ideas have any sort of depth or dedication to that cause. Theyre shallow, surface additions that dont add to the story, or change its direction, or reveal anything new.

one character shows how much better this all could have been

The updates in Condons Beauty and the Beast arent exclusively superficial. Beast finally gets a song to himself, and its a powerful musical moment, even when it improbably transforms him from what Belle describes as sweet, and almost kind and so unsure to a bellowing operatic hero, as ostentatious and over-the-top as the evil Gaston. Lumires feather-duster girlfriend Plumette (voiced by Gugu Mbatha-Raw) and the living wardrobe Madame Garderobe (Audra McDonald) get slightly larger roles, giving the story a place for actors of color, even if theyre mostly offscreen voices matched to animated objects.

And most significantly, Belles dad Maurice has been upgraded from a wacky cartoon eccentric to a more nuanced character, a grieving widower doing his best to support a headstrong daughter. His embellishments include a sweet (and too short) song of his own, and a history that explains the decisions he faced when Belles mother died. (Of course she did; this is still a Disney movie.) Kevin Kline plays him as sentimental and struggling, and gives him a backbone in the moments where it counts. But more significantly, his backstory is more than an idle joke or a tweaked line. Its an integral part of the story. It affects Belles character, and alters her actions, and leads to a strong new scene that deepens Belles relationship with Beast. It hints at how much better and more committed the other character changes could have been as well.

In an interview with USA Today, actor Josh Gad boasts that the film improves LeFou, a character originally defined by cartoon conceits, by expanding on that, giving him dimension, making him human. Thats a worthy goal that might have made Beauty and the Beast feel less like an empty experiment in visual hyperbole, or at best, a timid toe testing the waters of diversity. But for the most part, the 2017 Beauty and the Beast doesnt follow through on Condons promises about LeFou, or on Gads enthusiastic claims. It doesnt follow through on many of its gambits. Its much more dedicated to copycatting a classic, while making it bigger, louder, and broader. For a $160 million movie, endlessly hyped and trumpeted as a ground-breaking act of creativity and imagination, thats a remarkably small and unworthy goal.

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The Beauty and the Beast remake is a long series of wasted opportunities - The Verge

JUPITER, Fla. Earlier this week, Nationals pitching coach Mike Maddux praised Erick Feddes competitiveness, the way he seems to want to beat each hitter, the way he never backs down. But competitive fire can manifest itself in unhelpful amounts of emotion. Asked if Fedde seemed able to handle his, Maddux admitted he could not tell.

Weve only had success, said Maddux, who watched Fedde allow no runs and three hits through his first seven innings in big league camp. Failure would be the only stress test for that competitive nature everyone mentions when they talk about Fedde. Maddux joked that he hoped Fedde would never fail, so no one would have to learn how his fire held up to disappointment.

But Friday, the day finally came, as Maddux and others knew it would. Fedde failed, ending his quest to be the first pitcher in baseball history to enjoy only success. In a start scheduled to last at least four innings, Fedde could not escape the second. He allowed five runs on four hits and struggled with command, walking three men and hitting another. He threw 51 pitches, 26 of them for strikes, an uncharacteristic set of numbersfor a pitcher whohas a sported a strikeout-to-walk ratio in two minor league seasons better than 4 to 1.

[Dusty Baker thinks WBC is hurting Daniel Murphy]

I think I just kind of let the game speed up, Fedde said. My fastball command was bad, and that just kind of led to the hitters staying off of everything else.

Fedde faced a Marlins lineup that included most regulars not at the World Baseball Classic. He allowed a bunt hit to Dee Gordon to start the game, then four more base runners before he got out of the first. In the second, he walked Gordon, hit Derek Dietrich, and hung a slider to Marcell Ozuna who redirected it over the left field foul pole.

Its really a completely different game, just the way hitters approach at-bats. Thats the thing Ive probably learned the most, just how the hitters approach the game and what theyre looking for and how they sit on pitches, Fedde said. If you dont have good command, theyll wear you out for it.

Fedde said Maddux talked to him after the game, and reminded him that things like deep breaths and stepping off the rubber can help slow escalating trouble in its tracks. But Fedde could not slow the game down in time Friday.

He was barely missing with all his pitches, and when he got behind, he didnt know those hitters, but theyve got a good-hitting club, said Dusty Baker, who noticed Fedde missing with his slider, and up and out with his fastball. He said in-season scouting reports probably would have discouraged Fedde from throwing a slider to Ozuna, who the Nationals know well. But Friday, Baker felt Fedde was missing just enough to cause problems.

[Max Scherzer offers glimpse into baseball truth: Sometimes, youve gotta play hurt]

By Feddes next turn in the rotation, Tanner Roark could be back from the WBC. Max Scherzer will be back in the rotation, too. The Nationals could, therefore, move Fedde back to minor league camp to continue preparation for the minor league season. Once the rotation begins to fall into place, once Opening Day sits just a few turns away, carrying extra starters can limit the preparation of the others. When the Nationals begin to line up their rotation, Fedde and A.J. Cole seem likely to be the last men bumped out.

This has been a great experience. Everything is just preparing me for the future, Fedde said. Im really happy I got to have this experience, coming to early camp. It will be something Ill definitely be happy with when the time comes.

>>>>> After Feddes early struggles, then an RBI triple from Wilmer Difo in the fifth, the Nationals found themselves trailing by four in the seventh inning. By then, most of the major league players were out of the game, leaving a comeback in the hands of a few non-40-man additions to the travel roster. Those additions compiled a four-run rally, which included hits from Adrian Sanchez, Caleb Ramsey and Ike Ballou. Ballous two-run single tied the game, scoring speedy outfielder Rafael Bautista, whose run tied the game at five. It finished tied at five, too.

The Nationals optioned Bautista out of major league camp before Fridays game, a day after he lost a flyball in the sun in center field and got picked off second base. Baker said those moments were the only lows of an otherwise impressive spring, and that he plans to bring Bautista back to big league games over the next week to see more of last years minor league stolen base king.

You dont know when hes around, but he always pays attention. Hes fundamentally sound, Baker said. I told him yesterday, of all the young hitters here, you work on hitting more than anybody. You watch his batting practice, and its not slugging practice, its batting practice.

Baker, who does not usually gush much about young players before they prove themselves, continued.

Hes definitely on the radar. You see hes back today. Hell be back tomorrow and back the next day, Baker said. Hes an outstanding outfielder with a good arm, got speed, and hes learning how to drive the ball. Hes potentially a five-tool player, which is rare.

Bautista is one of several speedy young outfielders in the Nationals system, along with Andrew Stevenson, Victor Robles and others, all of whom impressed Baker this spring. But none earned quite as much praise as Bautista, who was hitting .333 in 16 games when the Nationals optioned him to Syracuse Friday morning.

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Right-handed prospect Erick Fedde struggles for the first time this spring - Washington Post

The journey from best friends to bitter enemies has made the United States championship match between Kevin Owens and Chris Jericho a must-see attraction at WrestleMania 33.

Tim FiorvantiESPN.com

We are just over two weeks away from WrestleMania 33. Take that in for a second. We've gone from one match on the card to 11 (with a few more likely additions) in the past couple of weeks, and it feels like now is as good a time as any to take one last breath and take stock of where things stand.

The WWE on ESPN staff got together to answer three big questions -- what we're most excited about, what's the biggest problem and what realistic change we would make to make the biggest positive impact on the show.

Here's what we came up with, and we'd love to get your opinions as well, so tweet your answers to @WWEonESPN and get ready for the home stretch on the "Road to WrestleMania."

With personalities as big as their in-ring skills, the battle of former best friends will unquestionably arouse the crowd from start to finish. Few other performers in the business can entertain and captivate the way Kevin Owens and Chris Jericho can, and the soap opera between the two is that much more fascinating after their acrimonious split during the Festival of Friendship. Whatever the outcome, there's a good chance it will be the highlight of the show. -- Matt Wilansky

All the matches. All the events. Everything you want to know about the biggest week and biggest event of the year in wrestling.

Drink it in, man

KO vs. Jericho. It's going to be the best match of the night. I also expect the video package that runs before the match to be Oscar-worthy. -- Steve Braband

I think I'm most excited to see the Seth Rollins versus Triple H match ... if that's ever officially announced. While the storyline has been disjointed with a lack of air time by Triple H for most of the winter, and then the injury to Rollins, I think the build and emotion is there to make this one of the must-see matches of the night. It's likely a payoff that leads to much of what we'll see going forward between the two of them, and whoever else gets pulled in by proxy. -- Andrew Feldman

Since their poorly received WrestleMania match back in 2011, The Miz and John Cena have both shown significant improvement in the ring and on the microphone. Combined with the seemingly real-life hostility between Maryse and Nikki Bella, the foursome's mixed tag team match should be very entertaining. With Cena and Nikki's mainstream popularity and the rumored possibility of a postmatch marriage proposal, look for this match to gain headlines well outside the world of sports. -- Nick Irving

Say what you will about pairing AJ Styles with Shane McMahon, but they have the potential to create multiple WrestleMania moments built upon risks and acrobatics in this encounter. Could Styles have put on a classic five-star match with a superstar who had more of a prototypical wrestling style? Of course, but that's not what this is about. It's about the spectacle and the moments. It's about the memories, and I'm certainly excited about it. -- Sean Coyle

There have been two long-term stories that have been properly set up for big payoffs at WrestleMania, but I'll single out the Bray Wyatt vs. Randy Orton match for the WWE championship. At times the story of the Wyatt Family got a little rocky in the past few months, but the big moments -- their Survivor Series win, the tag title victory, all of the acrimony involving Luke Harper and finally Orton committing Arson in burning down the Wyatt compound -- all rang true. Wyatt's further decent into madness will be fun to watch in the coming weeks, and I don't think this match will be the end of things by a long shot -- Tim Fiorvanti

The main event, plain and simple. If it's Brock Lesnar-Goldberg, there is a serious risk of ending the show with a dud of a match, a la WrestleMania 20, especially since Goldberg hasn't competed in a bout that has gone longer than 90 seconds since his comeback. If it's Roman Reigns-Undertaker, the final image cannot (I repeat, cannot!) be the self-proclaimed Big Dog standing victorious over his fallen opponent. Just imagine that particular crowd's reaction. The best option seems to be Randy Orton and Bray Wyatt, but I'm not sure that has the same cachet as the other two matches to close out the biggest day of the wrestling year. -- Wilansky

I'm nervous that the WrestleMania main event will be the shortest one in WrestleMania history. If Goldberg and Brock Lesnar close out the show -- and that seems likely at this point -- there's a good chance the match doesn't reach five minutes in length. That would be a major disappointment. The WrestleMania main event should be geared toward magnificence; the Goldberg/Lesnar outcome seems to be more geared toward making a definitive statement. -- Coyle

There was minimal significant in-ring action on SmackDown Live, but AJ Styles' efforts outside of the ring resulted in a WrestleMania match against Shane McMahon.

Austin Aries won a five-way elimination match Tuesday on 205 Live to seal his spot in a match against Neville for the cruiserweight championship at WrestleMania 33.

After the early part of Monday Night Raw followed a familiar pattern, the second half created the perfect kind of chaotic energy that should be abundant with two weeks before WrestleMania 33.

2 Related

I could write an essay about the downfall of the tag team division, but in honesty, my biggest disappointment is the disappearance of Luke Harper in the past few weeks. He was on the precipice of what could have made for a very interesting dynamic in a triple threat match for the WWE championship, but after losing in a very entertaining qualifying match with Styles, he has completely disappeared. Harper played a big part in making Wyatt-Orton so special, and he deserves more than a run-in or a token spot in the Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal.

I think there are a number of disappointments, but the Braun Strowman omission in a significant match is probably on the top of my list. He's been built so well since the draft, only to be used as a stepping stone for Reigns on his path to The Undertaker. Strowman has earned his WM spotlight and deserves to be booked better in Orlando, so we'll have to see how the next couple of weeks go. -- Feldman

For the second WrestleMania in a row, Styles will be in a midcard match. At nearly 40 years old, how long can he maintain his exciting in-ring style? His match with Shane should be fun, but the WWE could be wasting one of AJ's prime years in which he could have easily produced a match of the year candidate against someone like Wyatt, Cena, or even a debuting Shinsuke Nakamura. -- Irving

My biggest concern is how Samoa Joe, Finn Balor, Sami Zayn, American Alpha and other young superstars are used. They need to get their moment, and at this point it does not look like that will happen. -- Braband

I'm stating the obvious, but a legitimate Reigns heel turn would send the crowd into a frenzy and set up months of fresh, compelling storylines. Ironically, it might also help garner the fan support the WWE brass has long wanted for Reigns down the line. True, many have hungered for this character change for a long, long time to no avail, but, c'mon, it's WrestleMania -- bring on the swerve. -- Wilansky

Shane. McMahon. Dude went through a car window on an episode of Smackdown. Imagine what's next. He's going to win the "top moment" of Wrestlemania for the second straight year. -- Braband

The realistic change I'd like to see in the next few weeks is adding Strowman into the WrestleMania match between Reigns and The Undertaker. He deserves to be in the spotlight and has the agility to make this match shine, and can help patch over some holes that might otherwise show in a match between just Reigns and Taker. On another note -- can we make Shane versus AJ Styles a no-DQ match? -- Feldman

The SmackDown Live women's division has been one of the highlights of the show Tuesday nights, but the multiwoman match at WrestleMania seems a bit thrown together. NXT women's champion Asuka puts her title on the line the night before at NXT TakeOver: Orlando and could lose it on the one-year anniversary of her championship victory. Insert her into this match the next night as a surprise entrant, give her the title and create a memorable moment. -- Coyle

The Styles-Shane McMahon match should be filled with a ton of aggression and will undoubtedly include some exciting spots. But what if Styles attacks Shane again on SmackDown next week, sending him to the hospital and no longer allowing SmackDown's commissioner to fight at WrestleMania? Needing a replacement, GM Daniel Bryan announces that Styles will have to instead fight someone he knows very well from his time before the WWE -- Nakamura. -- Irving

While the Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal will get a lot of guys on the card, I think the cruiserweight division deserves a little more love than (the admittedly exciting) title match between Neville and Austin Aries. What about including six-to-eight of them in a ladder match to conclude the kickoff show and amp up the crowd heading into the main card? It could be for the next in line to be the No. 1 contender for the cruiserweight title, or their own version of Money in the Bank. Akira Tozawa, Rich Swann, TJ Perkins, Brian Kendrick, Mustafa Ali, Ariya Daivari, Jack Gallagher, Noam Dar and Tony Nese could each benefit from the showcase, and any of them could be the next one up, and it would be a shame to end the streak of entertaining ladder matches at WrestleMania. -- Fiorvanti

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Taking stock two weeks out from WrestleMania 33 - ESPN

ACCA applauds the National Association of State Energy Officials (NASEO) board of directors for passing a resolution that highlights the importance of quality HVAC installation practices. TheSupporting Quality Installation of Residential Energy Efficiency Projectsresolution is an important step toward ensuring that HVAC systems are properly installed and that consumers are benefiting from their investments. As a close partner of NASEO, ACCA has been working to increase State Energy Offices awareness of the value of quality installations as a part of energy efficiency programs," said Paul T. Stalknecht, ACCA president and CEO. "We are pleased that their board of directors has passed a resolution that encourages energy offices to include quality installations as a key component of their programs."

"The resolution passed by NASEO is a key step towards getting quality installations and verification into state energy programs," said Steve Lauten, president of Total Air & Heat in Plano, Texas, and chairman of the ACCA board of directors. "Having support from the leaders of the state energy offices, will help ACCA and the industry promote the value of having a professional contractor, who follows industry recognized standards, install heating and cooling systems. We are excited to work with these groups, so that we can ensure that homeowners' equipment meets its energy efficiency ratings, and they are seeing the energy savings they are seeking."

For the many State Energy Offices overseeing policies and programs in residential energy efficiency, quality installations are crucial to reducing costs and improving comfort for homeowners, said David Terry,NASEO executive director. NASEO appreciates the comprehensive research and analysis conducted by ACCA and the National Institute of Standards and Technology highlighting the importance of sizing, selecting, and installing HVAC equipment correctly, and we look forward to working with ACCA and the State Energy Offices to advance the important recommendations in this resolution.

You can read the full resolution at http://www.acca.org/naseo-qi-resolution.

Publication date: 3/17/2017

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ACCA Applauds the NASEO Board of Directors - ACHR NEWS

ENERGY STAR Verified HVAC System Installation Certificate

Kennesaw, GA (PRWEB) March 17, 2017

Reliable Heating & Air, a leading provider of heating and air conditioning, plumbing, electrical and home performance (residential and commercial) service, is proud to offer its customers the ENERGY STAR Verified HVAC Installation (ESVI) program, in partnership with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Southface Energy Institute. Reliables first ESVI certificate was awarded to an Acworth homeowner earlier this year and included upgrading from a traditional maintenance plan to ReliableGuard, a 24/7 HVAC monitoring service.

According to the EPA, the average American household spends more than $2,200 a year on energy bills, with nearly half going to heating and cooling costs. EPA has long-encouraged consumers to look for energy-efficient heating and cooling systems with the ENERGY STAR label to help reduce these costs, while improving home comfort and helping to protect the environment. While purchasing energy-efficient equipment is an important first step, studies indicate that nearly half of residential HVAC equipment is not properly installed, resulting in higher utility costs for consumers, reduced comfort, and potentially reduced system life. Through its newly re-launched ESVI program, EPA is helping consumers ensure that their new HVAC systems are designed and sized properly, airflow is optimized, the proper amount of refrigerant is installed, duct systems are evaluated and improved, and the entire installation is quality verified by an independent third party.

Being a part of the ESVI program is very close to the heart of Reliable Heating & Airs owner, Dan Jape. An HVAC industry veteran since 1978, it is important to Mr. Jape to ensure the quality and excellence of Reliables installations and his passion has always been to provide the best in class service and product to Georgia homeowners.

When we first started developing ReliableGuard comfort monitoring three years ago with Emerson Climate Technologies, we had no idea that it would change the entire industry, said Mr. Jape. I knew that I was signing my customers up for maintenance plans for decades and only seeing their equipment twice a year. The fact is two annual visits are not necessarily required nor is it mandatory to keep a warranty in place. ReliableGuard offers a vast improvement in the way we can provide quality service to our customers. For the first time in history we can verify the efficiency of a customers HVAC unit remotely. We can respond to potential issues before they manifest into a no-heating or cooling scenario. As an innovator, we take pride in setting the path for the future in HVAC monitoring.

For more information about Reliable Heating & Air visit online at http://www.ReliableAir.com or for more information about the ENERGY STAR ESVI program visit online http://www.EnergyStar.gov/esvi

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Reliable Heating & Air Issues the Nation's 1st ENERGY STAR Verified HVAC System Installation Certificate - PR Web (press release)

Times Record News Published 9:26 a.m. CT March 17, 2017 | Updated 6 hours ago

JC Penney(Photo: Matt Slocum/Associated Press)

The Wichita Falls JCPenney store, the first one to open in Texas back in March 1917, has survived the chopping block as the retail chain announced early Friday morning which of the 138 it will close over the next few months.

No other Texas stores in the Wichita Falls area were on the list, but Altus, Oklahoma, was on the list of stores targeted for closure. A full list of the closings can be found on the J. C. Penney Company Investor Relations website here.

The JCPenney store in Sikes Senter will remain open although the national chain plans to close 138 of its department stores, the company announced Friday.(Photo: Torin Halsey/Times Record News)

"As part ofacontinuing effort to advance sustainable growth and long-term profitability,J. C. Penney Company, Inc. will be closing138 stores, one supply chain facility in Lakeland, Florida, and relocating one supply chain facility in Buena Park, California,to align the Companys physical store footprint andomnichannel network.Approximately5,000 positions nationwide will be impacted by the store closures,most of which will occur in June," the company said in a news release.

The Wichita Falls store went through a few modifications in recent years when it incorporated cosmetic retailer Sephora into the local store, which has anchored the east end of Sikes Senter since the mid-1970s. JCPenney also re-entered the retail appliance business in July when it carved out a section on the south end of the store just for washers, dryers, ranges, refrigerators and more.

J. C. Penney Company made the decision in 2015 to begin selling appliances again in 22 stores throughout the country, and when that proved to be a profitable move, they expanded that initiative to about 500 stores.

The company announced on Monday that they would also get into another line of business that would continue to target its primary demographic - women - with JCPenney Home Services, an offering that "will provide turn-key services for heating and cooling systems, bathroom remodeling, quick ship and installed blinds, whole home water solutions and awnings, as well as easy-to-install smart home devices."

Marvin Ellison, chairman and CEO of JCPenney, said, "With the resurgence of the housing market, consumers are spending more than $300 billion annually to upgrade their homes since nearly two-thirds of the nation's homes are over 30 years old.* There is a tremendous opportunity to capture additional revenue and minimize our dependence on apparel by catering our services to female homeowners who represent over 70 percent of our loyal customer base, and make the primary decisions regarding any home renovations."

A display-only format of JCPenney Home Services will be located in about 100 stores during the test run of the new program.

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Wichita Falls JCPenney survives the cut - Times Record News

Enhabit to provide smart thermostats to 500 homes in Multnomah County.

One of the leading residential retrofit programs in the country is bringing a new initiative to the region to provide smart thermostats and energy-saving devices to Gresham homes.

Enhabit, formerly known as Clean Energy Works, announced on Thursday, March 9, that its Smart Stat program will come to Multnomah County.

The nonprofit group's goal is to install 500 thermostats locally, which will provide residents up to 20 percent in savings on their energy bills.

The devices provide energy savings by allowing homeowners to control their thermostats remotely. Smart thermostats will adjust the temperature automatically based on the inhabitants' habits.

The organization will install the smart thermostat for a fee, while conducting a free home assessment.

As a bonus, Enhabit home advisers also will install a free energy savings kit containing LED light bulbs and faucet aerators through May 30 as supplies last.

Those interested should apply at http://www.enhabit.org/smart.

Upgrade incandescent bulbs to energy-efficient lighting. LEDs use 75 percent less energy and last 25 times longer.

Heating water accounts for approximately 15 percent of a home's energy use, making hot water the second biggest expense after heating and cooling. Replacing an old water heater can save money and energy.

Cracks and openings in doors, windows, ceilings, walls and floors can allow air to leak into and out of your home. Sealing those cracks will cut drafts, and a modern ventilation system will circulate fresh air to keep indoor air quality high.

Insulation is the best way to prevent heat loss. Look for areas in your attic, walls and floors that need more insulation. Ductwork should also be well insulated.

You can manually adjust your thermostat to use less energy when you're not home.

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Local nonprofit offers energy savings initiative - Pamplin Media Group

MBG Renovation, a reputable home renovation company based in Des Moines has just announced the expansion of its services to offer kitchen and bathroom remodeling. This comes shortly after the company announced an increase in the number of clients it has been serving in the Des Moines market, and not long after it launched new basement remodeling designs.

Des Moines, IA - MBG Renovation, a reputable home renovation company based in Des Moines has just announced the expansion of its services to offer kitchen and bathroom remodeling. This comes shortly after the company announced an increase in the number of clients it has been serving in the Des Moines market, and not long after it launched new basement remodeling designs. The move to offer kitchen and bathroom remodeling seeks to address the surging number of requests for these services from clients.

MBG Renovation has built its reputation on providing services that reflect the imagination of clients, said Mike Butterworth, a renovation expert and owner of the company. Our methods ensure that clients are listened to and their ideas incorporated into the renovation work. In all the improvements that we have undertaken, we have received a positive review, and this has enabled us to grow due to reputation. To address the growing number of bathroom and kitchen remodeling requests, we decided to expand.

According to Butterworth, the company wanted to get more established before venturing into new fronts. This has helped it garner professionals and needed equipment to get the job done. The objective of the company is to expand upon the customer base it has created. MBG was founded out of a passion for remodeling on the principles of excellent customer service, according to a business spokesperson. As a customer-focused feature, clients can monitor the progress of their progress through the Builder Trend app.

For the past few years, MBG has built the capacity to accommodate a high number of projects and offer a wide range of services including kitchen and bathroom remodeling. Currently, the company offers basement, kitchen and bathroom remodeling, and designs custom pieces to enhance the beauty of homes as well as full-service remodeling for residential and light commercial services. To complement these services, the company offers design services that offer solutions for room size, traffic flow, and lighting in homes.

Following the expansion of service, the award winning Des Moines kitchen remodelers have received numerous accolades on social media and on consumer review sites. The BBB-accredited business has also been more active on these platforms in a bid to create awareness and promote its services. According to Mike, the company is working with several projects at any one time, a factor that has facilitated the growth and the prompted the expansion. In the future, the company plans to introduce even more remodeling designs.

For more information visit: http://www.mbgrenovation.com

MBG Renovation is located at 3749 E University Ave. #101 in Des Moines, IA (50317).

The company can be contacted via phone at (515) 897-0696 or at their website: http://www.mbgrenovation.com/

Media Contact Company Name: MBG Renovation Contact Person: Mike Butterworth Email: sarah@mbgrenovation.com Phone: (515) 897-0696 Address:3749 E University Ave. #101 City: Des Moines State: Iowa Country: United States Website: http://www.mbgrenovation.com/

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Des Moines Remodeling Company Expands Operation, Adds ... - Digital Journal