Home Builder Developer - Interior Renovation and Design

SERVES:

48 cookies

2 sticks room temperature unsalted butter 8-ounces room temperature cream cheese (regular or light) 2 cups all-purpose flour

all-purpose flour as needed for rolling out dough

approx. 1 cup strawberry jam

Add two sticks of room temperature unsalted butter to an electric mixer with one 8-ounce room temperature block of cream cheese and cream that until it's nice and smooth.

Slowly add 2 cups of all-purpose flour on low speed and turn the machine off when the flour is incorporated.

Then use your hands to finish shaping that into a nice ball of dough.

Then place that onto a sheet of plastic wrap and tightly wrap it up and place it into the fridge for at least an hour or two.

Once the dough has firmed up, heat the oven to 350 degrees and place the dough onto a well floured work surface and cut it crosswise into 4 equal sections.

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Strawberry Rugelach

COLUMBIA For the first time, Room at the Inn Columbias winter shelter will be open for roughly 36 hours during both the Christmas and New Year's holidays.

Broadway Christian Church,2601 W. Broadway, will open at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday and close at 7 a.m. Friday. Admission to the shelter will only be on Wednesday. Hours for New Year's will be the same: from 6:30 p.m. Dec. 31 to 7 a.m. Jan. 2.

Room at the Inn opened for the year on Dec. 11 and will operate through March 10. Its operation is supported by 20 to 25 faith-based congregations.

This is the first year Room at the Inn has been open in December, said Debby Graham, outreach coordinator at Broadway Christian Church, which is one of four churches that serve as venues for the shelter.

"We missed the cold snap in November, but no one can predict the weather in Missouri," Debby Graham, the outreach coordinator at Broadway Christian, said. "It requires extra volunteers and extra funding. We just go on faith that enough money will come in. We are hoping and praying that the support from the community will help us. It always seems to work out."

In addition to Broadway Christian, the host churches are Missouri United Methodist Church, 204 S. Ninth St.; First Baptist Church, 1112 E. Broadway; and, for the first time, Fairview United Methodist Church, 3200 Chapel Hill Road.

Supervising editor is Elizabeth Brixey.

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Room at the Inn offers shelter on Christmas Day for first time

A local plumber accused of stealing jewelry from a home in Potomac while on a service call pleaded guilty to a charge of theft on Monday .

Matthew Christian Trigger, 36, of Frederick initially was charged with theft of between $10,000 and $100,000 in October after a 68-year-old woman reported that six pieces of jewelry, worth $40,500, had gone missing after Trigger came to her home in September.

Trigger pleaded guilty to a lesser charge theft of under $10,000 for taking the two pieces of jewelry that police could confirm had been in Triggers possession a 36-inch woven gold chain necklace and a Canadian coin necklace with an 18-karat gold chain.

Triggers attorney, Rosalyn Tang, told Montgomery County District Court Judge Eugene Wolfe on Monday that her client was completely embarrassed and completely ashamed of his actions, and that Trigger had been driven to steal by an addiction to the painkiller Percocet that he developed after injuring his hand. She also said Trigger vehemently denied stealing the other four items police accused him of taking.

Trigger was employed by Michael & Son Services until late September, when he lost his job because of the charges against him, Tang said.

Wolf gave a Trigger a suspended sentence of 18 months in jail as well as three years of supervised probation. He also ordered Trigger to complete a drug treatment program.

dleaderman@gazette.net

Continued here:
Plumber pleads guilty to theft from Potomac home -- Gazette.Net

A local plumber accused of stealing jewelry from a home in Potomac while on a service call pleaded guilty to a charge of theft on Monday .

Matthew Christian Trigger, 36, of Frederick initially was charged with theft of between $10,000 and $100,000 in October after a 68-year-old woman reported that six pieces of jewelry, worth $40,500, had gone missing after Trigger came to her home in September.

Trigger pleaded guilty to a lesser charge theft of under $10,000 for taking the two pieces of jewelry that police could confirm had been in Triggers possession a 36-inch woven gold chain necklace and a Canadian coin necklace with an 18-karat gold chain.

Triggers attorney, Rosalyn Tang, told Montgomery County District Court Judge Eugene Wolfe on Monday that her client was completely embarrassed and completely ashamed of his actions, and that Trigger had been driven to steal by an addiction to the painkiller Percocet that he developed after injuring his hand. She also said Trigger vehemently denied stealing the other four items police accused him of taking.

Trigger was employed by Michael & Son Services until late September, when he lost his job because of the charges against him, Tang said.

Wolf gave a Trigger a suspended sentence of 18 months in jail as well as three years of supervised probation. He also ordered Trigger to complete a drug treatment program.

dleaderman@gazette.net

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Plumber pleads guilty to theft from Potomac home

Walnut Creek, CA (PRWEB) December 23, 2014

YLighting, the leading retailer for the best in modern and contemporary lighting, has named its top design picks of 2014. From floor lamps and pendants to outdoor lighting and chandeliers, the selection of standout lighting features striking, impeccably made fixtures that are destined to become design classics.

Among the featured items are:

Mod 548 Table Lamp Mounted on a tubular stem in polished or burnished brass, the Mod 548 emits reflected and diffused light. An elegant brass bar at the base acts as a counterweight.

Swirl 1 Pendant Light A fresh take on the classic craftsmanship of the storied Le Klint brand, the spiral panels and transparent diffuser ensure no glare from the light source.

Chou Floor Lamp Recalling illuminated lanterns in Hong Kong streets, this floor lamp is available in various FSC-certified wood veneers. The durable fixture features a base and handle in black-lacquer spun metal.

About YDesign Group YDesign Group is an online-led retailer offering the best in modern and contemporary lighting, furnishings, and decorative plumbing to design driven consumers and trade professionals. Our extensive, yet carefully curated selection ranges from iconic mid-century designs to todays most innovative products.

YLighting, our flagship brand that launched in 2001, is the leader in modern lighting sold online in the US. YLightings extensive selection of modern lamps, pendant lights, contemporary chandeliers, modern track lighting, table and floor lamps and ceiling fans represents the best modern designers and brands. The assortment features more than 10,000 designs from top international brands like Artemide, FLOS, Nelson Bubble Lamps, and Louis Poulsen.

In 2008, we launched YLiving to provide our customers access to exceptional modern furniture and accessories. YLiving offers thousands of modern furnishings from such renowned brands as Herman Miller, Knoll, and Kartell, as well as from up-and-coming companies. In 2013, we expanded into the decorative plumbing category and in 2014, we launched YBath, our third store.

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YLighting Announces Best Designs of 2014

mold remediation KINGSTON NY 12401 Companies
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By: Bonita Jauregui

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mold remediation KINGSTON NY 12401 Companies - Video

ORLANDO, Fla. (WOFL FOX 35 ORLANDO) -

Four people are recovering in the hospital after a fiery crash in Orange County. It happened on Narcoossee Road near Emerson Lake Boulevard just after noon on Monday.

The Florida Highway Patrol said a Mercury Marquis driving southbound on Narcoossee Road lost control and sped over the median into oncoming traffic. The car hit a lawn care box truck right near its diesel tank, causing an explosion.

Troopers said both vehicles caught fire and several people were stuck inside. That's when Good Samaritan Stuart Chaffin rushed into action, pulling people out of the burning vehicles. Some of them were on fire as well, so I threw them down and helped put them out by rolling them and pulling off their clothes, Chaffin said.

Northbound Narcoossee Road was shut down for hours Monday while crews cleaned up the scene.

The four people hurt during the wreck were taken to Orlando Regional Medical Center for treatment. Two of the victims remain in critical condition, while the other two are listed in stable condition.

Excerpt from:
4 injured in fiery crash; Good Samaritan speaks out

Letters to the Editor

Why is Senator Nick Xenophon so surprised that the ironically named Department of Human Services would splurge $500,000 plus fighting one of its customers over a $6000 dispute, while knowing it was in the wrong ("Department of Human Services spends $500,000 on legal fees fighting $6000 child support dispute", canberratimes.com.au, December 22)?

As those who think that government exists to advance and protect the interests of citizens rudely discover through direct experience, government sees its principal role to keep citizens "in their place" so it can busy itself advancing its own self-interest.

Money, particularly that belonging to taxpayers, is no object when it comes to that imperative.

John Richardson, Wallagoot,NSW

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No end to DHS debacle

Your article "Obsession with secrecy, red tape at DHS" (December 19, p5), sums up this department to a tee. As a former employee I can attest to that. The fetid culture of arrogance and disregard for transparency, disregard for customers and its own employees, as well as the government and the media has become worse under the current management team.

To say there are "cultural issues and management system issues" at the Department of Human Services is akin to saying Cyclone Tracy was a light breeze. Most of these cultural issues and toxic management styles emanate from Centrelink, which is almost cult-like in its attitude.

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Inhuman services

AN interior designer has started a new company in central Winchester.

In a bid to bring a more personal London-chic service to Winchester Emma Hooton has launched Emma Hooton Ltd, based in Jewry Street.

Mrs Hooton, who trained at KLC Design School in Chelsea Harbour, began her career in South Kensington for a top London interior designer before going out on her own four years ago.

Now she runs a studio working with other trained designers, interior architects and project managers to bring the most up-to-date styles to Winchester homes.

Her company has seen a huge increase in demand since she started with clients calling from as far Berkshire and West Sussex.

Many of our clients are Londoners relocating to the countryside, looking for a London-calibre designer who can offer a more personal localised service with access to all the top craftsmen and specialists outside the city as well as London contacts where required, Mrs Hooton said.

One of the key aims for us as a company is to develop long-standing relationships with trusted, talented, quality craftsmen in and around Hampshire to give clients a higher, more personal level of service and better value than those based in the city.

Mrs Hooton said one key area shes seen a rise in trade for is the boutique hotel look a mix of classic and contemporary using soft velvet and natural linens.

We also work on much of the technical design that is required in the early stages of new build or renovation projects such as furniture layouts, extensive lighting and electrical designs, detailed drawings for joinery, kitchens and bathrooms as well as the finishing schemes, she added.

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Interior designer opens shop in central Winchester

Frank Azack doesnt bother to lock his door anymore.

Theres nothing to take, he chuckled. The house is totally empty!

Standing in the echoey, gutted remains of the tiny structure in Toms River that he and his wife used to call home, its easy to see what he means. The walls are gone, leaving exposed pipes and wiring; the floor is warped, and theres still evidence of mold in some places. For Azack, its a depressing sight.

The insurance company told me that I should have the floors ripped out, put new beams in, replace the plywood, clean out the crawlspace, and repair any cracks with epoxy adhesive, he said. Like putting a Band-Aid on it, you know? Its not going to work.

Not going to work because theres a crack in the foundation, and the house is slowly sinking into the ground. Essentially, its a total loss. Azacks insurance company finally acknowledged as much, cutting him a check in mid-2013 for $74,000 dollars, 82 percent of the structures value. But town officials initially said his losses were much less. It took Azack another year to get a letter from Toms River, declaring his home substantially damaged.

Every time I called downtown, Id get put to a different department, I got hung up on. Call Engineering. Call Planning. Call Zoning. I kept getting put all over the place, Azack recalled. Nobody would give me a solid answer. And I just needed a letter stating how much damage I have. We dont have those letters. Thats what I was told.

The reason this matters is because after Sandy, the state of New Jersey gave priority to grant applicants who submitted substantial-damage letters from their towns, showing their homes had lost more than 50 percent of their value. While Azack was calling around, trying to get that document, the grant deadline passed, so he lost out on up to $150,000 he desperately needed to rebuild his home.

For all the homeowners whove successfully navigated the complicated recovery process, sorting through mountains of paperwork, making countless trips backs and forth to meet with their housing advisors, and spending hours on the phone with government bureaucrats, all to earn a spot in line for aid, its hard to know just how many people are in situations like Azack.

Of the nearly 9,000 New Jersey residents whove received preliminary approval so far through the states largest grant program, fewer than 300 have gotten funding and completed construction on their homes. Among themultitude of reasonswhy Sandy aid has taken so long, for some storm victims, obtaining this elusive document from their towns was part of the problem. Looking back, critics say theres plenty of blame to spread around, from municipal officials uncertain of their duties to the state for not clarifying grant requirements from the outset to the feds for failing to mandate training for the local floodplain managers responsible for issuing these letters. In some cases, it appears that attempts by bureaucrats to control the process and manage the flow of applications actually made things more confusing and left homeowners twisting in the wind.

The Department of Community Affairs has resolved to eventually provide funding for all grant applicants, including those who were unable to obtain substantial-damage letters, but the added delays have been difficult and stressful, and many residents will likely still fall through the cracks. Whatever lessons can be drawn from this experience, for some unfortunate homeowners, those lessons come too late to help.

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The Piece of Paper Standing in the Way of This Man and His Home