Home Builder Developer - Interior Renovation and Design

James Bruggers, jbruggers@courier-journal.com 9:13 a.m. EST December 24, 2014

The State cites safety as a concern because of the distance the trees Tafel planted are from the roadway. A distance of at least 6 feet. "There are hundreds of telephone poles and other trees planted around the city that are closer to the roadway than these trees," Tafel said. Tafel has been given thiry days to remove the trees, or the State Highway Dept. will remove them and charge Tafel for the labor. Dec. 1, 2014(Photo: Alton Strupp/The Courier-Journal)

The state highway department has agreed to delay the removal of 17 trees that were planted along Brownsboro Road without permit.

A temporary reprieve was granted after a lawyer representing the City of Rolling Fields asked for more time to resolve the matter.

"We are honoring their request for an additional month," said Matt Bullock, the chief engineer for the Kentucky Department of Highways District 5.

"The City needs a bit of time to try and find an informal solution," Rolling Fields attorney John Singler wrote to Bullock on Dec. 12. "It would be most appreciated if you could hold off the chainsaws for a month to allow us to get together and see if some kind of mutually agreeable solution can be found."

COURIER-JOURNAL

Lawyer asks Kentucky to "hold off the chainsaws"

The trees were planted earlier this year after road construction had forced the removal of a number of shade trees. State officials said the trees will grow too big, will become a threat to motorists and increase road maintenance costs.

State officials have said any object including trees placed in a right of way of a state road needs an encroachment permit, and that Kentucky officials seek to preserve a "clear zone" to limit dangers to motorists. No trees can be planted in a clear zone with trunks wider than four inches in diameter at maturity, they said.

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Kentucky delays Brownsboro Road tree removal

SINGAPORE: A couple have successfully appealed against a district judges decision ordering them to pay their neighbour for his work in building their dream home, with the High Court ruling instead that the man must pay them more than S$67,000 in damages for failing to complete certain rectification work.

The court battle started last year when retiree Edward Teo, 61 who was hired by the couple to transform their property in Sembawang into an English country-style house similar to his sued them for failing to pay him for the renovation work he had done.

In turn, the couple Air Force Lieutenant-Colonel Ng Boo Han, in his 40s, and his wife Madam Audrey-Ann Koo OiLian, in her 50s sued MrTeo for delivering shoddy work and failing to rectify defects, but they lost the suit.

The couple had earlier asked MrTeo to renovate their home after seeing his house. In January 2011, an agreement was signed stating that the renovation works would be completed by Aug 11 that year, within a budget of S$350,000, from which MrTeo could draw S$17,500 as wages.

Their relationship soured after the couple became dissatisfied with the renovation work and refused to pay MrTeo the remaining 20 per cent of the contract price.

MrTeo sued them for S$89,000 which he said was the money owed to him for his work and additional tasks. He said the renovation work was done to imitate the rustic concept of his own house, but that the rusticity was seen as defects by the couple, who demanded rectification.

In December last year, District Judge Loo NganChor awarded MrTeo S$47,000 in damages. The judge also commented that the couple had been flim-flamming (MrTeo) and squeezing him for more, and that they had been trying to extract their pound of flesh, when they were not even entitled to a jot of blood.

The couple, having unsuccessfully counterclaimed almost S$200,000 for rectification work, then appealed against Judge Loos decision.

In the High Court ruling, which was released yesterday, Judicial Commissioner Edmund Leow based his decision on reports by a surveyor, identified as MrLoggie in court documents, whom the couple had hired to give expert evidence on the defects to their property.

JC Leow granted claims for six of the 15 allegedly defective items listed in the appeal such as the use of a zinc roof, instead of a ceramic tile roof as listed in the contract; and the use of a 4mm-thick glass for the study room panel, which is considered too thin, unsafe and below industry standards.

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Renovation Spat: Couple Win Appeal, S$67,000 in Damages

Craig and Tanya Bell thought of themselves as big-house, backyard suburbanites until Craig accepted a work-related assignment in Germany.

Living in Dusseldorf introduced the couple to the advantages of public transportation and being able to walk to the neighborhood market or bakery. It was with that in mind that the Bells bought a Victorian townhouse on Charter Oak Place when they moved back to the United States in 2011 and settled in Hartford.

"We realized city living was the way to go," said Craig, 45, then a vice president of sales and marketing at Henkel Corp., the parent company of Loctite adhesives.

Built in 1880, the three-story Fenn-Eaton House is one of several historic brownstones on the quiet street, conceived by Samuel Colt as a residential enclave for mid-level managers at the Colt Armory. The neighborhood is perched on a hill just off Main Street and a few blocks southwest of Hartford Public Library and city hall. Once a duplex, but now subdivided into condominiums, the Bells' is the largest of the five units at just over 1,800, square-feet. The iconic blue dome of the armory can be seen from the home's third floor deck.

Craig credits Tanya, 51, with seeing the potential of the house and updating it in ways that preserve its classic features while giving it a more contemporary feel. Except for the hardwood floors, pretty much everything has been redone, he said, including a gut rehab of the kitchen and upgrades to the two full bathrooms. He and Tanya, an artist, did much of the work themselves, he said.

Craig describes his wife as a "stay-at-home renovator" and her artistic flourishes are everywhere. She did the tile work in the bathroom and most of the painting, he said.

The once-white walls are now soothing shades of green and blue and, in the living room, she used white paint and black trim to make the previously dark woodwork around the fireplace pop. A breezy mix of mid-century and older furnishings, bold fabrics and artwork brightens the otherwise stately rooms. Twelve-foot ceilings and minimal window treatments make them feel airy and big.

"It feels roomy indoors and there's a lot of space to live in because it's so open," Craig Bell said. "I like the classic woodwork. Those are the things that attracted us."

The sleek remodeled kitchen features a commercial gas range, cork floors and a new half bath. A closet in one of the renovated full bathrooms has been converted to a second floor laundry area. The improvements meld beautifully with the Victorian features of the home and even enhance them by setting them off. The grand foyer, with its massive double front doors and marble floor, looks much the same as it must have in Mark Twain's day. The brass door knobs and hardware is original, said listing agent John Balf Morgan, with Berkshire Hathaway Homes Services, as is a pair of hardwood pocket doors used to divide the living and dining rooms.

Craig said he and Tanya used the living room fireplace nightly in the colder months. And in the summer, they often pulled the dining room table onto the back deck for outdoor dinners with friends. The home is the ninth he and Tanya have owned in 22 years. Much of that time, they lived in Michigan.

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Moving Out: Charter Oak Place

You've probably seen a number of movies where a small amount of smoke triggers all of the sprinklers in a building, soaking everyone and everything inside. But did you know that sprinklers aren't even triggered by smoke, and they don't all go off at once? Fire sprinkler systems are actually heat activated, one sprinkler head at a time, and most fires usually require only one or two sprinklers to be extinguished. These are just two of the many misconceptions about fire sprinkler systems. In this article, we'll dispel other myths and learn the ins and outs of this important safety technology.

You might think installing a fire sprinkler system is like choosing water damage over fire damage. This belief is a spinoff from the myths we just mentioned -- that sprinklers are activated by smoke and every sprinkler head goes off at the same time. If that were the case, sprinkler systems could potentially cause more harm than good. After all, if you burned a piece of toast, every sprinkler would go off, soaking all of your belongings, even though there never was any real danger of fire. Fortunately, the clever engineers who developed these systems designed them to reduce the damage to your property from water, smoke and fire.

Fire sprinkler systems have been around for more than two centuries and have seen significant improvements over the years. It's true that early versions weren't very reliable and caused significant water damage. But today, sprinkler systems are credited with reducing deaths and loss of property by more than 65 percent [source: Fleming]. Since each sprinkler head is automatically triggered by fire-specific temperature, just one or two sprinklers can quickly extinguish and/or contain a fire to the room where it started and cause little property damage. And because sprinklers use about six times less water than a fire hose, they're actually less harmful to your property than a visit from the fire department.

Still convinced you know everything you need to know about fire sprinklers? We'll address another common myth and discuss the details of how sprinklers work on the next page.

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How Fire Sprinkler Systems Work - HowStuffWorks

Okay, the planning's done, you've bought all the parts, now you're in the yard, shovel in hand, ready to start. In this helpful video, we'll show you the steps to a perfect sprinkler system installation, including trenching, connecting the water source, installing shut-off valves, working with PVC pipe, building a valve manifold, connecting wires, installing sprinklers and flushing your system.

Place a stake or flag at every sprinkler location as indicated on your layout. Use string to show where the pipe will run.

STOP! Make sure you know where all gas lines, power lines and cable TV lines are before you start to dig. Be sure to call your utility companies if you need help.

Dig trenches following the string. Mark the sprinkler locations with flags or the stakes. Typical trench depths range from 6 to 12 inches.

To run pipe under existing walkways you can "drill" using water pressure. Get a piece of PVC long enough to go under the walk, glue a slip-female thread adapter to one end and attach a hose. On the other end glue a slip-male thread adapter and connect a Jet Spray Nozzle (available at most home improvement and home & garden retailers).

Dig your trench up to the walk on both sides. Now turn on the water and work your way through. It may take a while, and it will get muddy so turn off the water once in a while to let the water soak in.

To make trenching easier ask your local tool rental supplier about a "power trencher." If you are using a Poly Pipe, ask about a pipe pulling machine, which will bury pipe without digging up your lawn. Be sure to put enough space between valves on the manifold so that they can be removed in case they ever need to be replaced.

Hook up your water supply. Did you check with your Rain Bird Dealer to find out which connections are right for our local codes and conditions?

Assemble your valve manifold. Connect the back-flow preventer if required.

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Sprinkler System Installation Guide - Rain Bird: Sprinkler ...

HENRICO COUNTY, Va. Avenue, a womens clothing store, was evacuated Wednesday afternoon after Henrico Fire crews responded to a fire inside the store located at 9077 Staples Mill Road.

Henrico Fire Battalion Chief Eugene Gerald said it appeared the fire started at about 1:04 p.m. in the main part of the store. The exact cause of the fire has not yet been determined.

Inside the Avenue clothing store fire crews found a small fire that had been extinguished by the stores sprinkler system, Henrico Fire spokesman Danny Rosenbaum said. There was minor smoke, water and fire damage done to the Avenue clothing store. The GameStop next to the store suffered minor water damage and the Sweet Frog had no damage.

Chris Jarvis and his youngson took a shopping break to watch his heroes in action.

It looks like it was pretty serious, Chris Jarvis said. Hes a fan of fire trucks. So, we wanted to make sure everything was alright.

No injuries were reported as a result of the fire.

Photos taken at the shopping center showed Henrico Fire crews in the parking lot. One witness said he saw smoke coming from Avenue, but never saw any flames.

Nearby stores and restaurants such as Sweet Frog andGameStop were temporarily closed while Henrico Fire crews investigated,Gerald said.

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Sprinkler system controls fire inside West End store

Ray McDonald Search Warrant Sheds New Details Into Alleged Sex Assault
Police released the search warrant in the Ray McDonald sex assault investigation, unveiling new details into the alleged crime. Mark Kelly reports. (12/22/14)

By: CBS SF Bay Area

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Ray McDonald Search Warrant Sheds New Details Into Alleged Sex Assault - Video

Discount Garden Wooden Shed
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Discount Garden Wooden Shed - Video

Papa Oo, 12, benefits from the Light a Candle Christmas Appeal. Picture:Rob Leeson Source: News Corp Australia

LIFE has been tough for brave Papa Oo, but her smile still lights up the room.

Born legally blind and deaf in Myanmar, all the 12-year-old ever wanted was to go to school.

Now, with the help of Vision Australia and a number of charitable Victorians, she is living her dream.

I love school, Im going again next year. Im really happy, Papa said.

Papa was raised in a Myanmarese orphanage, her CHARGE syndrome preventing her from ever going to school with the other kids.

But just over a year ago, she was brought to Melbourne on a medical visa by Sister Catherine Brabender to live with her new family, humanitarian Moira Kelly, miracle conjoined twins Trishna and Krishna and Iraqi-born brothers Emmanuel and Ahmed.

After one year, her English is nearly fluent and shes being supported through school by Vision Australia, and is now throwing her support behind their Light A Candle Christmas Appeal.

I like Melbourne, I like school, I like maths, Papa said.

She likes school so much that last holidays she walked to Our Lady Help of Christians primary and cried because the gate was locked, not understanding school was closed during holidays.

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Papa sheds light on life-changing program

A HAMPSHIRE grandmother is half the woman she used to be after shedding ten stone in 18 months.

Marjorie Boyle has her knees to thank for her dramatic weight loss after she was told doctors could not perform a knee replacement due to her size.

The 63-year-old grandmother who lives in Fordingbridge now no longer needs the knee surgery either thanks to her new weight of 8st 13lbs.

She said: During my first knee replacement operation there were a few complications and afterwards my doctor advised me that they would not be able to replace the other knee as it was too dangerous due to my weight.

That proved to be the final straw for Marjorie who joined her local Slimming World group at the Avonway community centre.

I had tried every diet over the years and I didnt think this would work because you eat so much food but its not really a diet, its all about eating the right foods.

Marjorie who has dropped from a dress size 30 to a size ten, says she is enjoying a new lease of life.

Marjorie before the weight loss

Im a carer for my husband who is disabled and it used to be a struggle just to bend down to put on his shoes. But now life is so much easier my health is better. My blood pressure is back to normal and I dont get out of breath anymore.

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Hampshire gran sheds 10 stone in 18 months