Home Builder Developer - Interior Renovation and Design

Deirdre Shesgreen, dshesgreen@usatoday.com 4:13 p.m. EDT October 24, 2014

One of Marek Tyszkiewicz's campaign signs(Photo: Provided )

WASHINGTON Marek Tyszkiewicz always knew he'd face a tough landscape in his bid for Congress, but he didn't think the hurdles would start in his own front yard.

That changed Friday, when the 2nd District candidate got a note from a neighbor demanding he take down his "Tyszkiewicz for Congress" yard sign. Tyszkiewicz, a Democrat, is vying to unseat incumbent GOP Rep. Brad Wenstrup, R-Columbia-Tusculum.

While his blue-and-white campaign sign might be a staple of American elections, it apparently violates the local housing covenant in Tyszkiewicz's neighborhood Overlook of Ivy Hills, part of Anderson Township.

"Signs are not allowed in our yards except as when used to advertise a home for sale," LeAnn Burke, who lives down the street from Tyszkiewicz, wrote in an email to the House candidate Friday. "Therefore we must ask that you remove any signs from your yard" that do not comply with the rule.

Burke did not immediately respond to voice mail and email messages seeking comment.

But Tyszkiewicz is standing his ground - literally.

"I'm not going to take the sign down," he said. "It's my own name in my own yard."

He said there are democratic principals at stake - not to mention political advantages.

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Anderson man's battle for Congress moves to his yard

The typical American home landscape is 80 percent Asian plants. Most are beautiful, and some provide shade, shelter and maybe a little nectar and pollen. But otherwise, they have little to offer indigenous insects, birds, and other wildlife in the local ecosystem.

Rick Darke and Doug Tallamy, coauthors of "The Living Landscape: Designing for Beauty and Biodiversity in the Home Garden," aren't suggesting we nuke our nonnative crape myrtles (or roses or tulips). Better to add layers of native trees, shrubs, perennials and vines to the mix, "creating landscapes that support life without sacrificing traditional aesthetic values."

Native serviceberry trees are just as pretty as crape myrtle. They also support 124 species of caterpillars, the larvae of butterflies and moths, which birds love.

"So crape myrtle is great," Tallamy says. "Just don't make it the only plant in your yard."

In your newfound native zeal, don't rip up the entire yard all at once. Remove pieces over time, adding diverse plantings as you go.

Buy small plants or grow from seed.

The plants will have plenty of time to root and adapt to weather extremes and soil. "If you're willing to watch plants grow from seed," Tallamy says, "you can have an oak tree for free in not too many years."

Think of all plants as "organic architecture."

Use them "to organize the spaces in your garden," Darke says, "to find refuge, create places to sit, walk, read, play, throw a ball for the dog or the kids."

-- Tribune News Service

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Book helps you invite the natives to your yard

Welsh rugby star, Gareth Thomas, in on the shortlist for the William Hill Sports Book of the Year Award the richest and longest-running prize for sports writing, it was announced today.

Celebrated sports figures feature highly on the diverse list and include rugby Gareth Thomas the first professional sportsman to come out whilst still playing for his autobiography, Proud; A biography of iconic figure skater JohnCurry, Alone, written by documentary maker Bill Jones.

Both books document personal struggles to keep their sexuality a secret whilst maintaining their public sporting personas.

Joining Thomas and Jones on the prestigious list is a biography of footballing legend Bobby Moore by The Times chief sports correspondent, Matt Dickinson; BobbyMoore: The Man in Full ,explores the dark personal story behind the sporting success of the World Cup captain.

Also in the running for the top prize is Run or Die, the autobiography of Spanish endurance athlete and 2014 National Geographic Adventurer of the Year, KilianJornet, which charts his journey from an 18-month-old who regularly hiked in the mountains for five hours at a time to becoming the fastest person to run up and down Mt Kilimanjaro.

Australian author Anna Krien also makes the list with Night Games: Sex, Power and Sport, which takes the high-profile rape trial of a young Australian Rules player as the starting point for a wider examination of the darker recesses of sport.

The shortlist is completed by two histories of sport Played in London and Floodlights and Touchlines. The former, by journalist Simon Inglis has already changed the landscape of London, as his research for the book has been credited with the Grade II listing of five sporting buildings. The latter, by sports journalist and university lecturer Rob Steen, explores spectator sports intrinsic place in culture via a thematic history of professional sport.

Both Inglis and Steen as well as Jones have previously been shortlisted for the William Hill Sports Book ofthe Year Award.

The seven titles in the running to be crowned the winner of the 26,000 prize are as follows (alphabetically by author surname): Bobby Moore: The Man in Full by Matt Dickinson (Yellow Jersey Press)

Played in London: Charting the Heritage of a City at Play by Simon Inglis(English Heritage)

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Welsh rugby star shortlisted for William Hill Sports Book of the Year

New Choice - Interior Designer and Decorator in Kolkata
New Choice is the definitive resource for interior designers, architects and other design pros, featuring groundbreaking projects, innovative new products, r...

By: Addsbridge Organization

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New Choice - Interior Designer and Decorator in Kolkata - Video

Photos courtesy of Wyckoff Police Department

Suspects videotaped at the scene of the most recent burglary in Wyckoff.

Wyckoff - In the wake of a fourth home burglary since Oct. 13, Police Chief Benjamin Fox issued an advisory Friday, Oct. 24, urging residents to be "the eyes and ears" of the community to assist law enforcement in preventing crime.

Fox said in a press release that two males in masks concealing their faces were captured on video walking to the front door of a home on Bridle Path at 7 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 23, and kicking open the door.

Once inside, Fox reported, the alarm system and siren speakers as well as wiring were torn from the walls. The master bedroom, he said, was ransacked.

The homeowner, who returned two hours later, reported that jewelry had been taken.

Detective Sgt. Michael Musto, Sgt. Jack McEwan and Patrolman Mark Tagliareni investigated.

Three other homes were burglarized between Oct. 13 and Oct. 15.

"We are now approaching the holiday season when homes tend to be unoccupied more often and there are early hours of darkness - both of which lead to increased instances of burglaries," Fox said.

Residents should not feel they are immune because their homes are equipped with alarm systems and cameras.

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Fourth Wyckoff home burglarized in 10 days

Fly away home: This bird was an Etsy find.

THE HOME

A three-bedroom house set back from a main road in Queanbeyan, with a large converted factory out the back.

WHO LIVES HERE

Home sweet home: There is large painting by Queanbeyan artist Claire Primrose behind the sofa. Curtis double-glazed the windows. Photo: Rohan Thomson

Glass artists Matthew Curtis and Harriet Schwarzrock, who run a glass art studio in the backyard, and their two sons, Oscar, 14 and Hugo, 11, two large dogs, a cat and a pet snake.

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WHAT WE DID

We bought the property 11 years ago without seeing the whole thing, the place was far worse than anticipated one of the back rooms looked as though it had been a drug den.

Eclectic mix: Their house is filled with art, family clutter and interesting beachside finds. Photo: Rohan Thomson

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Home of glass artists Matthew Curtis and Harriet Schwarzrock

CTV Winnipeg Published Friday, October 24, 2014 7:15AM CST Last Updated Friday, October 24, 2014 7:16AM CST

If your house is forty to fifty years old, you might want to take a closer look at what's coming out of your electrical panel.

Winnipeg homeowner, Bev Masters, said shes had five fixtures melt on her over the past few years. Simple tasks like flicking a switch or pulling out a plug make her cringe.

Masters believes the problem is the aluminum wiring running through her home, so shes going to pay nearly $15,000 to switch it.

Masterss home is one of thousands in Winnipeg built in the fifties and sixties, when electricians chose aluminum wiring over copper to save money.

Fire investigator Ken Swan said he sees about two to three fires a year that can readily be identified as aluminum wire fires.

Swan said the material of the wire isnt the issue. Unmaintained points of connection and the use of unrated fixtures create what he calls cold flow.

"It tends to pull away from a tightened connection making a very loose, bad connection that is going to inherently arch and spark and create heat," said Swan.

Electrician Chuck Lewis said he's completely rewired four houses this year, some at the request of the insurance provider to eliminate risk.

"If that risk is aluminum wire, they take it away, now they've got a safe investment," said Lewis.

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Aluminum electrical wire in homes linked to fires

Gutter Cleaning with Sullivan Window Cleaning
Lee Sullivan demonstrates how Sullivan Window Cleaning clean gutters using carbon fibre poles from the safety of the ground.

By: Sullivan Window Cleaning

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Gutter Cleaning with Sullivan Window Cleaning - Video

A Brooklyn bowling alley closed up shop Thursday night for cleaning when it was discovered that New York Citys first Ebola patient had visited the popular spot the night before he was rushed to the hospital. Health officials are working to retrace Dr. Craig Spencers steps, and three contacts have already been quarantined. New Yorkers are now asking: Can you get Ebola from a bowling ball?

The Gutter, a bar in Williamsburg with eight vintage bowling lanes, apologized to its customers via Facebook late Thursday, saying the decision to close was simply a precautionary measure. Spencer went bowling Wednesday night before he had any symptoms, according to health officials. The Gutter has been in constant contact with New York City Department of Health officials, who determined staff and customers are not at risk. Still, the business closed its doors Thursday night to have the bar area cleaned and sanitized under the health departments supervision. They expect to reopen sometime on Friday, according to the Facebook post.

Many people posted on the Gutters Facebook page to show their support and appreciation. One fan wrote: Thank you for caring enough to close and sanitize! Some were annoyed at Spencer: I am so sorry you are going to be affected by the act of one stupid person. And others speculated whether sanitizing the bar would be enough: What if his feet were sweaty in a pair of rental shoes?... Are you going to replace all of the shoes since you dont know which pair he wore?

A New York Times article delved deeper, asking: Can you get Ebola from a bowling ball? The short answer: No. According to Donald G. McNeil Jr., a science and health reporter for the newspaper, it is unlikely because the virus is fragile and normally doesnt survive for more than a few hours on a hard, dry surface such as a bowling ball. Also, experts say the disease cannot be transmitted before the appearance of symptoms and Spencer was symptom-free the night he bowled.

Spencer, a New York City-based physician, contracted Ebola while working with Doctors Without Borders in Guinea to help contain the deadly outbreak. Spencer returned to the city on Oct. 16 and showed no signs of the disease until Thursday, when he was rushed to Bellevue Hospital Center with a fever and diarrhea. Spencer, 33, tested positive for Ebola and was isolated immediately, said New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio at a press conference Thursday night. Officials are still working to piece together Spencers movements and contact since he left West Africa. Spencers fianc and two friends have already been quarantined.

The mayor assured the city there was no need to panic. There is no reason for New Yorkers to be alarmed. Ebola is an extremely hard disease to contract, de Blasio said. Bellevue Hospital is specially designed for isolation, identification and treatment of Ebola patients. Every hospital in the city is prepared in the event that other patients come forward.

Panic has quickly turned into a torrent of jokes for some on social media.

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The Gutter, Brooklyn Bowling Alley Where NYC's First Patient Visited, Closed For Cleaning; Panic Turns Into Puns

[Update: The Department of Health has given the all-clear for The Gutter to reopen!] Williamsburg's beloved bowling alley and music venue, The Gutter, closed yesterday after it was revealed the NYC doctor who tested positive for Ebola had been there on Wednesday night. The Gutter issued a statement this morning:

City officials have emphasized that the Ebola patient, Dr. Craig Spencer, was not ill when he went out on Wednesday (besides going to The Gutter, he went to the High Line; ate at The Meatball Shop; took the 1, A and L trains; took an Uber) and that Ebola is not airborne. NYC Health Commissioner Dr. Mary Bassett said, "People with Ebola are contagious when they are sick, and what's contagious about them are body fluids." The NY Times also explained it's extremely unlikely one would get Ebola from a bowling ball.

One Williamsburg resident wants Mayor de Blasio to show his confidence:

Update: Dr. Don Weiss of the Health Department said during a press conference outside The Gutter, "We came to see that there was no exposure meaning there was no bodily fluids that were here. We confirmed that. The place can reopen and we hope that people will come back." He said of The Gutter, "Theyve been cooperating fully."

From the NY Times:

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Update: The Gutter Declared Safe For Bowling And Fun