Home Builder Developer - Interior Renovation and Design

Sarasota, FL (PRWEB) August 19, 2014

With recent shifts in technology, ecology and logistics, Harmony Brands, LLC is laying the groundwork for a more streamlined and simplified approach to outdoor living. Leading this evolution is Harmony Outdoor Brands, LLC, with industry veteran and new CEO Jim Doyle at the helm.

Growers unite to form new company

Two of the nations top sod producers in the U.S. Bethel Farms, LLLP and BuySod, Inc. , consolidated earlier this year to do business as Harmony Outdoor Brands, LLC. From the new headquarters in Sarasota, FL, the companys network of top-tier growers has more than 10,000 acres of turfgrass under production in 48 states. The merger makes Harmony Brands the largest supplier of retail sod nationwide, distributed through all major home improvement retailers. This "farm-to-yard" service model will provide premium turfgrass, home delivery as well as professional installation services.

Managing this evolution is CEO Jim Doyle, who joined Harmony Brands in June 2014. A well regarded consumer-focused leader, Doyle was previously Chief Marketing Officer and General Manager, at Central Garden & Pet, the countrys second largest lawn and garden business.

It is a truly exciting time for Harmony as it follows the integration of Bethel Farms and Buy Sod. The company now has a national distribution footprint. This makes Harmony a single destination point for all of our retail customers. It also provides a trusted brand name that consumers can easily recognize and rely upon. This will be key as we further build out our strategy on a national scale, he remarked.

I am truly excited to be able to contribute my expertise in business integration to make this phase a remarkable transformational time for Harmony Brands. The leadership needs of the company perfectly align with the experience I bring to the table. In addition, the company's culture and 'customer first' philosophy align precisely with my own guiding principles.

Outdoor living made even easier

Until now, consumers had no single nationwide source to buy, deliver and install their lawns. They were left on their own to research the best sod varieties for their growing zone, arrange for home delivery, and then install their own sod or try to locate professional installers.

In contrast, Harmonys farm-to-yard model is an ongoing collaboration with the local farm, off-site production managers, retailers and consumers. It starts with having a line of best-in-class grass varieties that are grown specific to each region of the country. Each retailer offers the Harmony turfgrass that is best suited for that particular zone. In addition to being sold at national home improvement chains, Harmony turfgrass is available for home delivery by visiting the store's pro desk or ordering through the retailer's websites.

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Harmony Outdoor Brands, Nation's Largest Supplier of Retail Sod Grasses, Appoints New CEO

SUNNYVALE -- Police are on the lookout for vandals they say used paint to deface cars, fences, sidewalks and the roadway along Santa Rosa Avenue late Sunday night.

Police said when officers responded to the neighborhood Monday morning, 16 cars had paint on them, and an additional four vehicle owners reported through the department's online reporting system that their cars had also been vandalized. Police added, however, that many of the cars did not sustain permanent damage, and the paint was removable.

Some residents told officers of a string of ongoing vandalism that had been happening in the neighborhood, including cars being scratched and tires being slashed. Officers have increased patrol in the neighborhood, but so far, no suspects have been caught.

Police have asked that if residents see more evidence of vandalism to contact the department at 408-730-7100.

Contact Katie Nelson at 408-920-5006 and follow her at Twitter.com/katienelson210.

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Sunnyvale: Police looking for suspects who splashed paint on cars, fences, road

Demolition began Tuesday morning on an empty Grand Circus Park building that for decades was the offices of AAA of Michigan and more recently featured in a Kid Rock video.

The five-story building at 139 Bagley was the sole structure standing in a triangular block of land that is the site of a proposed $35 million to $40 million development that would include up to 250 new apartments.

Around 10:30 a.m. Tuesday, excavators began to tear down the red brick wall with dozens of words painted in white, the largest of those words being CARE. In 2011, Kid Rock had the words painted on the building as the backdrop for a video for his song titled Care. By late Tuesday afternoon, most of the building was gone.

According to court filings, Kid Rock paid the building owners $5,000 to use the vacant structure in his video. Last year, the movie studio Paramount Pictures paid $35,000 to use the building for the filming of Transformers: Age of Extinction, according to court records.

The building is being demolished following a lawsuit filed by the city of Detroit against building owner Triple A Ventures. The city argued the building was in such bad condition that it was a public nuisance, according to court records.

Two weeks ago, a Wayne County Circuit Court judge agreed with the city and ordered the building be taken down.

The building used to house the offices of AAA of Michigan from 1926 until it was damaged in a 2005 fire, according to court records.

The empty land surrounding the building is controlled by the city of Detroit. In March, Farmington Hills-based Village Green Holding LLC unveiled plans for its Statler City Apartments project. Based on renderings, the projects footprint will take up the entire block. In addition to the apartments, the Statler City project would also include ground-floor retail, underground parking and a large electronic screen facing Grand Circus Park. Village Green owns or manages more than 130 properties in 13 states, including the Detroit City and Renaissance City apartments downtown.

Village Green and the citys Detroit Economic Growth Corp. are in the process of negotiating a development agreement. If things go as planned, the project could be finished in 2016.

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Demolition begins on Detroit building featured in Kid Rock video

The would-be developer of a historic Dunedin warehouse has threatened to try to demolish the building if he is not granted consent to convert part of it into apartments.

But an international steel manufacturer based next to the building says if consent is given for the 24 apartments, the result could be the closure of the foundry and the loss of 39 jobs.

A Dunedin City Council panel yesterday started considering an application from Russell Lund to convert the top floor of the Loan and Mercantile building, in the city's industrial waterfront area.

More submissions on the negative impact of residential encroachment on the industrial area are expected from other businesses and the Otago Chamber of Commerce today, as the hearing continues.

During the 90-minute delivery of his submission - to Crs Andrew Noone, David Benson-Pope and Lee Vandervis - developer Mr Lund referenced Richard Nixon and the Bible, called the Chamber of Commerce, which opposes his plans, ''a disgrace'', and made emotional statements about the national significance of the building and the financial commitment he had made to it to date.

He would reluctantly accept consent conditions of a ''no complaints covenant'' on the apartments' titles and mechanical ventilation, so residents could close windows and still have air circulating, as ways to manage potential issues with noise - the fundamental concern of city planners and submitters who opposed his plans.

But Mr Lund reminded the panel he had a legal right to make a viable income from his building.

''To make this 100% clear: if this application is declined, I could seek, via the courts, to have this fabulous (DCC's term) building demolished the very next day, and without doubt, whatsoever, consent would be granted,'' he wrote in his submission, which he read to the panel.

''Our application would be very brief,'' Mr Lund said.

''... the council in the planning report have made our case for us by confirming the building has been empty for 40 years and functionally obsolete and there is no other viable economic use.

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Demolition threatened; job loss possibility raised

APPLETON (WFRV) New home constructions is on a strong, steady course in our area. That's despite delays coming out of a cold winter and wet spring.

"All of those houses that were started late are starting to work themselves through. And hopefully, that bodes for a strong fall season as well," said Tom Rooney, Director of Sales and Marketing for Mark Winter Homes in Appleton.

In many areas, new housing starts for April through June are just below thouse for the same time last year. Builders credit pent up demand, especially in desirable school districts.

"The markets that seem to be hottest in our area are Hobart. The starts are strong there. I think it's pretty much across the board with Green Bay, Lawrence, Ledgeview, Suamico and Howard," said Paul Soletiski, Bay Lakes Builders of Green Bay.

Areas around Appleton North High School and Kimberly High School are also booming. But that's creating a shortage of building lots in some areas. Though that's helping the existing home market.

"Actually it's helping the pre-existing homes because we not seeing as much inventory as new construction, as builders really shift to building custom homes," said Rooney.

But for those who are looking to build brand new or find an existing home, builders say the time is now and time maybe limited.

"Interest rates are fabulous right now. We haven't seen a lot of great rises in pricing. And I think it's coming," Rooney said.

Local 5's Terry Kovarik has more.

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New home starts surnging in NE WI/Fox Cities

Secaucus, NJ (PRWEB) August 19, 2014

When the air begins to get colder, animals start their preparations for winter. Bears begin eating for hibernation, birds begin their long migrations south, and rodents search for shelter. Unfortunately for humans, rodents often find human homes to be convenient places to go. When they do, they bring with them the dangerous microbes that can cause very serious diseases.

Atticare, professional insulation contractors in new jersey, announced today a new attic insulation and clean-up special, extended to both San Francisco and New Jersey locations, so that more customers can take advantage; the deal starts as low as $99 per attic.

Rodent waste is often the primary culprit of rodent-caused disease, as it can dry out and then release virus-containing dust into the air. This is why it is important to have secure, sealed, and well-maintained insulation in all areas of a house, but most importantly, attic insulation, which is where rodents often show up. The warmth and relative peace of the attic is preferred by some rodents, who can use the attic insulation as bedding without much fear of being disturbed. Rodent removal is typically the best action to take when faced with this problem, and is performed by many companies, including Atticare in Secaucus, New Jersey.

Pests, like mice and rats, make their nests inside ducts and attic insulation, and their droppings, and sometimes decaying bodies, release disease-causing particles into the air. These particles then recycle through heating and cooling ducts, and are breathed in by humans. The microbes cause respiratory disease.

These rodent wastes can cause certain diseases, like Hantavirus, which is a potentially deadly pulmonary infection, Murine Typhus, which is transmitted by fleas carried in by rodents, Salmonella, a painful but rarely deadly disease, Leptospirosis, and Meningitis. Some diseases are carried by fleas or ticks that travel on the bodies of the rodents as well.

Rodent removal is necessary, but sometimes, just removing them is not enough. Making sure that insulation is secure and free of openings for rodents to enter is another vital step, as it will ensure that the pests cannot return, and therefore leave rodent waste in a home again. Sometimes, insulation removal altogether is required.This can also happen to crawl space insulation. Rats, mice, moths, and other vermin leave behind dangerous rodent waste in these areas too, which can be a major nuisance if left out of control.

It is also important to control molds, as they are another source of possible irritation and disease for humans. As part of AttiCares air duct repair service, they offer both mold removal and rodent control to get rid of rodent waste altogether.

About Atticare: As part of AttiCares air duct repair service, they offer both mold removal and rodent control to get rid of rodent waste altogether. They serve the entire New Jersey, Secaucus area for more than 15 years. Atticare is the biggest company in the Bay Area and New Jersey which specializes in Attic Cleaning Service, Crawl Space Cleanup, Rodent Waste Cleanup, Attic Insulating, Attic Insulation Removal and Air Duct Repair & Replacement.

To contact Atticare, please call 888-743-7243 or visit http://www.bayareaattic.com/contact-us/.

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Rodent-Related Diseases Can Be Deadly

August 19, 2014 Council urged to fix wall

By TESA GLASS tesa.glass@register-news.com The Register-News The Mt. Vernon Register-News Tue Aug 19, 2014, 06:14 AM CDT

MT. VERNON About 40 people blasted the City Council for choosing litigation over fixing a retaining wall on South 42nd Street.

In April 2012, Jon and Sarah Henninger addressed the council about problems with a retaining wall leaning over the sidewalk on North 42nd Street, asking the city to fix the problem before the wall fell on the sidewalk.

Since that time, the couple have filed a lawsuit against the city, and the wall has fallen onto the sidewalk. Last week, a sign was posted by the Henningers in their yard urging the city to please fix this wall.

According to City Attorney David Leggans, there is a legitimate dispute on the ownership of the wall. Its in litigation and being handled by the citys insurance carrier.

Resident Chris Donoho read a message from former Mayor Mark Terry, who explained the wall was built by the city.

Forty-second Street was widened during my last couple of years as mayor, Terry wrote. It was a city project, authorized, funded and directed by the city. If there was a design fault or construction fault by the contractor, that

caused the wall to fail, the city is responsible and should step up and accept responsibility. We can build beautiful water towers, spend thousands on signs to make sure we know where were going around the city and buy another study from every expert with a briefcase who drives through town selling his wares but sometimes we might just want (to) stop and look at the little things in the big scheme of things. This family did not cause this problem. They should not have to have a structural engineer on retainer to inspect this wall every year for structural integrity. The city should step forward, accept its responsibility, correct the problem and move on.

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Council urged to fix wall

Federal dollars whether they be used to reimburse homeowners who had major out-of-pocket expenses recovering from last September's floods or for building a new retaining wall on a critical stretch of the Big Thompson River was the theme Monday night at a town hall-style meeting in Longmont featuring the state of Colorado's flood recovery team.

For more information or to submit comments:

To review Colorado's Community Development Block Grant-Disaster Recovery draft "action plan," visit dola.colorado.gov/cdbg-dr.That's also where people can submit comments, or they can email their comments to dola_recovery@state.co.us until Aug. 30. The state will forward a final draft action plan to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development in September.

Molly Urbina, the state's chief recovery officer, walked the audience through a draft "action plan" that will be finalized before being sent off to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban development, which has announced a new round of flood recovery money totaling $199.3 million it wants to give to the state.

The money is designed to aid in recovery from any federally declared disaster in Colorado 2011 and 2013. That will include not just last September's floods but also the Black Canyon and Hyde Park fires.

But because the money is coming through the federal government's Community Development Block Grant-Disaster Recovery funds program, 80 percent of the funds must go to the three counties hurt most by September's flooding, and 50 percent must go to benefit low- and moderate income people.

"Reallocation of funds from the top down, and increased funding, is very important," said Deward Walker, one of about a dozen speakers state officials listened to.

Walker owns a tree farm in Four Mile Canyon that suffered a lot of damage in the flood, at least part of that damage due to scarred hillsides from a previous fire that didn't hold the water in September's heavy rains.

One woman spoke of refurbishing three 120-year-old cabins and turning them into resort cabins on property she owns at the base of Big Thompson Canyon. Even though the cabins were well out of the flood plain, the water during the flood scoured away the land, leaving two of the cabins to fall into the river and the third sitting just eight-feet from the sheer dropoff to the river that the flood left behind.

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Longmont host to regional flood recovery program

Lining the brightly lit hallways of Populous, one of the leading architectural firms behind college sports, there are hundreds of scale models and graphic renderings of college football stadiums in various stages of renovation and construction.

There are blueprints for Kyle Field at Texas A&M, in the midst of a $420 million redevelopment. There's a model of TFC Bank Stadium at Minnesota, the recent replacement for the Metrodome as home of the Golden Gophers. And there are pictures of McClane Stadium, the glitzy new home for Baylor.

Each project showcases ways Populous is helping schools to lure fans to their next-generation stadiums in an era where good seats are not enough: enhanced Wi-Fi, better video boards and party decks for socializing. The results are twofold: The flashy facilities offer a better game-day experience while also generating more revenue than their predecessors.

"When you do a stadium, it's not a normal building. It's a building, but it has to wrap this big stage where all this athletic drama takes place," explained Jeff Spear, a senior architect at Populous who's been responsible for many of the projects, including the Baylor stadium. "What they want is a reflection of their university and a stadium that sells their brand."

When it comes to trends in stadium design, the folks at Populous are experts. The Kansas City-based company traces its roots back more than three decades, and has been responsible for everything from Reliant Stadium in Houston to the main Olympic stadiums in London and Sochi, Russia.

"The thing about college football is it's this big event where you're rooting for your alma mater," Spear said, "and now your alumni are returning to campus and spending money."

That's the hope, anyway.

Flat-screen televisions have made the home viewing experience better than ever, and the rising costs of tickets and travel have sent many fans to watch games from the comfort of their couch. It's a problem that has plagued professional sports for years but has trickled down to colleges, where the prevailing notion was that the alumni would always show.

At Tennessee, in the heart of the football-crazed SEC, attendance sagged for years before a modest bounce-back last season. Yet empty seats still abound at cavernous Neyland Stadium, even with recent improvements that reduced capacity, improved premium seating and offered other enhancements, such as LED signage, better restrooms and wider concourses.

In the Big Ten, eight schools showed a decline in average attendance last season.

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Colleges Add Luxury Touches to New Stadiums

TRENTON -- Five Trenton residents were arrested on drug charges during a State Police raid on a Passaic Avenue house Saturday, authorities said today.

Police executed a search warrant on the 100 block of Passaic Avenue around 3:50 p.m. Saturday, seizing 898 decks of heroin with a street value of about $8,980, 2 grams of marijuana, a smoking pipe, packing material and $188 in cash, State Police Sgt. Gregory Williams said.

Arrested during the raid were Christopher Proctor, 19; Elijah Abdullah, 18; Daiquan Collier, 19; Hussain Abdullah, 29; and Najir Tripp, 19.

Proctor, Elijah Abdullah, Collier and Tripp were each charged with heroin possession and intent to distribute, along with minor marijuana and paraphernalia possession charges. Both were taken to Mercer County jail, Hopewell Township, in lieu of cash bail, according to police records.

Bail for Proctor and Collier was set at $200,000 each, Elijah Abdullahs was set at $150,000 and Tripps was set at $50,000, according to police records.

Hussain Abdullah was charged with minor marijuana and paraphernalia possession, along with two outstanding warrants, according to police records. His bail was set at $5,000, Williams said.

Keith Brown may be reached at kbrown@njtimes.com. Follow him on Twitter @KBrownTrenton. Find The Times of Trenton on Facebook.

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5 Trenton men arrested in State Police drug raid