Home Builder Developer - Interior Renovation and Design

Posted: Wednesday, November 26, 2014 5:23 pm | Updated: 5:37 pm, Wed Nov 26, 2014.

CAPE ELIZABETH - A new, modern version of the Rudys of the Cape restaurant got mostly positive support from residents and the Cape Elizabeth Planning Board during a hearing on an updated site plan for the property Nov. 18.

But some residents, and one Planning Board member, continue to criticize the proposal. They say the new Rudys design is not compatible with other nearby buildings on Ocean House Road, better known as Route 77.

In a 5-1-1 vote, with Chairwoman Victoria Volent abstaining, the Planning Board approved several modifications to a previously approved site plan and resource protection permit for Rudys, including upgrades to lighting and curbing, the installation of raised planters, a generator, an entrance sign and more.

Because this was an amendment to a standing approval, they should be able to continue full throttle or at a speed the owner dictates on the project, while the plans are updated, Town Planner Maureen OMeara said after the meeting.

Part of the proposal, which is to use weathered steel siding on the lower portion of the building, has triggered mixed reviews from residents.

We have heard very different points of view from the public, said Planning Board member Elaine Falendar. Weve had as many emails in opposition as weve had speakers in support (of the project.)

While some residents say they love the one-and-a-half story, contemporary, cottage-style building that replaces the former Rudys diner and convenience store, others would prefer a design they say would blend in with Cape Elizabeths existing architecture.

I think if you look at it at the right angle, it looks like Darth Vaders helmet, resident Todd Colpitts said of the building. I do not think its compatible with the structures in the neighborhood.

Henry Steinberg, the only member who voted against the modified site plan, said Cape Elizabeth is a calm and relaxed community that projects an aura of tranquility.

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Despite critics, Rudys plan passes muster

NEW YORK, Nov. 26 (UPI) -- One day ahead of a key OPEC meeting in Vienna, crude oil prices were in negative territory amid early Wednesday signs of static production levels.

Iranian Oil Minister Bijan Zanganeh, who arrived early in Vienna, said his country was already producing below its capacity, so further cuts would be unfavorable for a country struggling to cope with sanctions targeting its energy sector.

Members of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries are working to shore up a market share in an era when U.S. dependence is plummeting because of the glut of oil from shale. Low prices mean less revenue for countries like Iran that rely heavily on export revenue.

"We need to speak to other [member states] and exchange views with them on how to deal with the situation," the Iranian minister said. "The most important thing for all of us is the unity and solidarity of OPEC."

The price for Brent crude oil, the global benchmark, shed more than 75 cents per barrel for the January contract to trade at $77.56 early Wednesday. That's down from the monthly average of $112 per barrel in July.

For non-OPEC members like Russia, oil prices could put pressure on an economy already reeling from sanctions pressure on its energy sector. But Russian Energy Minister Alexander Novak said he too didn't foresee a production cut from OPEC, saying such issues should be decided by the market.

Some analysts have said keeping prices low by keeping production levels static would squeeze U.S. shale output, where production is more expensive than elsewhere in the world. Last week, Jim Burkhard, vice president at IHS Energy, said in a statement to UPI oil production from the United States still increases in 2015 if oil prices drop below the $70 per barrel mark.

West Texas Intermediate, the U.S. benchmark, was down more than 50 cents per barrel to trade at $73.53 for the January contract.

2014 United Press International, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Any reproduction, republication, redistribution and/or modification of any UPI content is expressly prohibited without UPI's prior written consent.

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Brent sheds close to $1 ahead of OPEC meeting

Loved ones share stories about pancreatic cancer

Ten years ago Betty Aldridge lost her husband to pancreatic cancer and she fears shes about to go through it again with another family member.

Betty Aldridge of Ottawa, Ont., founder and president of the National Pancreatic Cancer Canada Foundation, was in St. Johns on Wednesday. She gave a presentation at the Health Sciences Centre in the evening. Photo by Joe Gibbons/The Telegram

What are the chances? she says.

Pretty high when you consider the statistics 4,700 Canadians will be diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and 4,400 will die in 2014, according to http://www.cancer.ca/en/cancer-information/cancer-type/pancreatic/statistics.

Visiting St. Johns from Ottawa, the founder of the National Pancreatic Cancer Canada Foundation is spending this week in the Atlantic provinces to try to raise awareness about the disease, which has a poor prognosis once detected.

Aldridge said her husband was a professional athlete with the Toronto Argonauts in the 60s and 70s and always took care of himself.

She said he was also a teacher who never smoked or drank.

Theres no early detection, no testing. Its pretty devastating. My husband died within six weeks of diagnosis, Aldridge told The Telegram Wednesday.

I not only lost my husband, but now my brother has it, she said.

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Campaign sheds light on deadly disease

(MENAFN - Arab Times) ROME Nov 22 (KUNA): Spouse of the Kuwaiti Ambassador to Italy Dr Sara Al-Rugayan has shed light at an international conference held here on problem of obesity in Kuwait affirming that it has become quite alarming. Dr Al-Rugayan speaking at the Second International Conference on Nutrition (ICN2) noted that the State of Kuwait devotes special attention to nutrition educating the public against unhealthy food intakes and enhancing their consumption awareness.

This conference is of particular significance for Kuwait which witnessed over the past decade an alarming hike in the number of citizens suffering from obesity particularly among teenagers 'regretfully placing Kuwait among the ten countries with the highest proportion of overweight citizens in the world.' Dr Al-Rugayan also an academic researcher invited to the convention as a representative of Kuwait said the Kuwaiti Ministry of Health has worked out a plan to treat non-communicable diseases in harmony with the World Health Organization's program in this regard.

The national program has succeeded in coordination with the WHO in cutting salt proportion in locallymade bread and cheese by 20 percent. The MoH abides by the WHO guidelines regarding detailed specifications of ingredients in food particularly fast-food meals where detailed information should be available for the consumer regarding number of calories amounts of fatty ingredients and sugar.

Moreover the Gulf State has recently established 'the public authority for food and nutrition' charged with supervising nutritious products to ensure they meet international standards. It is high time that families be educated about healthy eating habits 'so we may set the good example for our children and intervene before obesity undermine their lives' she said noting necessity of feeding on homemade meals and increasing exercise to try contain the problem. In conclusion she cited a saying by Prophet Mohammed (PBUH) advising against over-eating.

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Kuwait- Academic sheds light on 'efforts' to fight obesity

A long-awaited project is about to come to fruition as Symphony Animal Foundation is hoping to be open by Christmas.

Founder Laraine Harper said if Wulfenstein Construction paves the parking lot this week, as is scheduled, shell be ready for the final inspections and getting her certificate of occupancy.

The project began five years ago when Harper filed for a nonprofit status. The idea for a no-kill shelter is a result of the loss of her two beloved St. Bernards.

Im so thankful to have had them in my life and I want this shelter to be a tribute to them, Harper said. I loved them so much.

She said age and illness catches up quickly to larger breeds and if they live eight to 10 years, they have lived a long life.

After her nonprofit status was approved, Harper went before the County Commission to ask for a parcel of land the foundation could lease. Commissioners offered her two acres off of Siri Lane on a two-year lease but were going to require approximately two blocks of street to be paved.

There were other issues, including the astronomical cost of bringing water, sewer and power to the property.

I dont have that kind of money, Harper said.

She consulted with whom she calls the smartest man alive and her mentor, Ray Wulfenstein. Ray told me it was impossible.

Harper had three 24 x 60 double-wide trailer shells donated to her by Nye County Emergency Services several years ago when the project seemed to be spinning its wheels. The original buildings were donated to the emergency services by the Nye County School District to use as offices. It donated the remaining three to her foundation.

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No-kill shelter hoping for an early Christmas

Replacing a kitchen countertop means two things: (1) You're about to add a fresh, new surface to your area, and (2) it's time to spend some money.

But the good news is that there are also a number of color, texture and material options available when choosing a new countertop, making it possible for even the most budget-conscious homeowner to obtain a new surface for his or her kitchen.

Laminate countertops are one of the most cost efficient countertop options. These countertops are available in a wide variety of colors, textures and patterns, ranging from options that look like marble to ones that mimic the look of stainless steel. The average laminate countertop will cost you $20 to $60 per square foot.

On the other end of the price spectrum are stone countertops, including granite and marble. The cost of a these countertop will, of course, depend on the size of the surface area. However, the average natural stone countertop will cost approximately $50 to $100 per square foot. In addition, the cost will depend not just on surface area, but also on how thick you want the slab to be.

Less costly options include ceramic tiles and recycled glass. Both materials are applied with a tile adhesive, but can be arranged in a mosaic design or other creative pattern.

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Kitchen Countertop Prices - Home Design, Decorating and ...

By Lisa P. White Contra Costa Times

CONCORD -- A national chain restaurant may replace the long-vacant former Marie Callender's on Diamond Boulevard, not far from the Willows Shopping Center.

David Deutscher Company, a Pleasant Hill brokerage and development firm, plans to demolish the existing 10,162-square-foot former restaurant at 2090 Diamond Blvd. and build a 6,470-square-foot building for an eatery plus an adjacent 6,340-square-foot building with up to three tenant spaces.

This is the first proposal Concord has received for the 1.45-acre property since Marie Callender's abruptly closed in June 2011, according to Joan Ryan, city planner.

The company has submitted architectural plans to the city for the $2.6 million construction project, however, they are waiting until they sign a lease with the prospective restaurant tenant before putting in a formal application, Deutscher said.

He declined to name the restaurant because negotiations are ongoing, but he hopes to finalize the restaurant lease in another two-to-three weeks. The firm also is in discussions with a bank to lease one of the other tenant spaces, Deutscher said.

Since purchasing the 35-year-old building in August 2013, more than a dozen restaurants the company has approached have said they would only consider moving into a new building on the site at the busy intersection of Diamond Boulevard and Galaxy Way, Deutscher said.

"We tried very hard to lease the building as it was and because it was a very specific building built for Marie Callender's no restaurateur had been willing to come in -- nobody wanted a pie factory," he said, noting that the kitchen is three times the size a typical restaurant requires.

In October, the city's Design Review Board gave the developer feedback on the project's conceptual plans which include an outdoor dining patio, landscaping and lighting. Board members asked the developer to produce a more consistent design among the lease spaces and perhaps add architectural elements to the building at the corner, according to Ryan.

Deutscher said they are listening to the city's concerns.

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Chain restaurant may replace former Marie Callender's in Concord

Steven Schussler, CEO of Schussler Creative, made fanciful restaurants such as Rainforest Cafe, T-Rex Caf and Yak & Yeti become reality. His latest project is the under-construction Boathouse, a 400-seat eatery that will help transition Downtown Disney into a new incarnation known as Disney Springs. Schussler recently talked with Orlando Sentinel reporter Dewayne Bevil about how the nautical-themed, waterfront restaurant will work.

How long has the Boathouse been in the works?

This is something we've been pitching for six years. The waterfront here has always been the back of the house. It's unbelievable. So I've been giving talks saying we should be turning this into the front of the house, not the back of the house. Obviously, Disney Imagineering and executives have been feeling this way for a long time.

What have been the building challenges?

Three-quarters of it is built over water. So it's one of the hardest construction projects we have ever built. We're using stainless steel and using all kinds of materials that ordinarily you would never use, to preserve the integrity of everything from the pipes to the decks. It's built to last 100 years and to be able to sustain the rising and lowering of the water levels. There are environmental issues, there are construction issues, there's the issue of not making noise working at night, there's issues of bringing beams in here on barges. We had to put 175 beams in the water down X amount of feet just to support it all.

What will be happening inside?

A: We have six different rooms. Every room is decorated differently. Not only art deco, but remnants of boathouses from the past for instance, the old navigational tools that they've used. It's really refreshing all original, never been done before. You can't be at Disney and not be creative. There has to be a story. I'm very blessed to have Disney Imagineering tell the story. This is supposed to be an old boathouse and over the years we've added onto it.

What's up with the food?

We found Gibson's out of Chicago, the No. 1 steakhouse in Chicago. [It's the] first time they're leaving Chicago to come somewhere else. What I found is that whether you're creating something for teenagers or young adults or you're creating things for older people, everybody likes class, and everybody likes great food.

I know that we're building wows. I know that. But people come once for the wow factor. They come back for quality food and service. I really want to emphasis the food factor. Without that you have nothing.

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Creator: Water will work for Disney Springs restaurant

Epic Mario Jumpman! The Amazing Plumber!
Mario goes where no Mario has gone before. Somewheres where he can.. jump. This video took awhile to make and has over 100 and some different clips. I tried to fit in most of the levels. ...

By: DeadMerchant

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Epic Mario Jumpman! The Amazing Plumber! - Video

Staten Island plumber saves elderly woman in Harlem blaze
A Staten Island plumber named Anthony Tatulli, who survived pancreatic cancer, raced into a burning blaze in Harlem and rescued an elderly woman.

By: New York Daily News

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Staten Island plumber saves elderly woman in Harlem blaze - Video