Home Builder Developer - Interior Renovation and Design

By Suzanne Baker sbaker@stmedianetwork.com April 24, 2014 8:17PM

Students enter the main door at Longwood Elementary School in Naperville. The Indian Prairie School Board is wrestling with a consultant's estimate that it will cost $3.2 million over the next 20 years for general upkeep of the school because Longwood is only one of 33 schools in the district. | Suzanne Baker ~ Sun-Times Media

storyidforme: 65384007 tmspicid: 23385358 fileheaderid: 11414386

Updated: April 25, 2014 10:08AM

Indian Prairie School District 204 Board members initially appeared a bit shell-shocked after finding out it could cost the district $176 million over the next two decades for needed school maintenance work.

Board members are wrestling with the cost of fixing district facilities against the cost of reducing class sizes, providing air conditioning, and other issues facing the district.

District 204, which experienced a building boom in the 1990s, now is looking at the cost of general facility repairs or replacements at the schools that are turning around 20 years old.

To help the district determine the urgency of the repairs, the district hired consultant EMG Inc. to perform a facility assessment of the districts 33 schools and administration building.

Jay Strang, assistant superintendent for business, said setting aside money for maintenance has not been a priority in recent years.

We have deferred maintenance over the last four to five years to deal with the difficult economic times, and we are running into a situation where some of our bigger systems our roofing systems, our HVAC systems need some attention and that will be a priority, Strang said.

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As its facilities get older, District 204 weighs the price of repairs

Boss 8 Gauge Complete Amplifier Kit Wiring Installation | B8GK
Check out this amplifier wiring kit: http://www.vminnovations.com/Product_50549/Boss-B8GK-8-Gauge-Complete-Amplifier-Kit-Wiring-Installation.html Included: 2...

By: vminnovations

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Boss 8 Gauge Complete Amplifier Kit Wiring Installation | B8GK - Video

NEW BERLIN, Wisc. The ABB Low Voltage Products division has introduced a new line of heavy duty safety switches for commercial and industrial applications, meeting the necessary UL98, CSA and NEMA KS-1 standards for the most demanding service-entrance and motor-load applications.

The 600V and 200kA rated switches use the same globally rated bodies as ABBs market leading rotary-style switches, providing increased performance, reliability and safety to the heavy duty market segment. They are the first heavy duty switches in the industry to offer touch-safe visible blades and operating mechanisms that are fully enclosed and protected from dirt and debris. All enclosure types come with gaskets, are free of sharp edges and offer a spacious interior for easier and safer wiring and installation of optional accessories.

The new ABB heavy duty safety switches range from 30 to 1,200 Amperes, and are available as fused and non-fused, with Types 1/12/3R/4X steel or stainless steel enclosures. They are suitable for many heavy commercial and industrial applications including heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC), food and beverage processing, material handling and conveyors, water and wastewater treatment, commercial construction, marine, petrochemical processing and mining.

"The new ABB heavy duty switches use the same proven, state-of-the-art switch bodies and technology as our rotary switches, which are generally regarded as the best in the industry," said Russ Janowski, ABB project manager. "We are pleased to extend this technological leadership to the safety switch market."

The EOH Series of the new Heavy Duty Safety Switches line won the "Power - Energy, Power Protection" category of the Control Engineering 2014 Engineers' Choice Awards.

The new ABB safety switches are maintenance-free, unlike competitive switches that require regular lubrication, and are fully field-serviceable, with the switch body, mechanism, fuse-holders, handle and enclosure door easily and quickly replaceable.

Additional features of the new line include: Dual color handles: highly visible red marking clearly indicates when the switch is "ON." Auxiliary contacts: mountable inside switch mechanism; same as those used with ABB rotary style switches, for lower cost and reduced inventory. Optional viewing window: factory installed in enclosure door to safely see status of switch inside without opening door. Fuse adapter kits: field adjustable to accommodate class R, L, J or T fuses.

The new ABB line of heavy duty safety switches is now available from authorized ABB distributors. Visit the Heavy Duty Safety Switches online portal at http://www.abb.com/safetyswitches for more information and a product video.

About ABB ABB (www.abb.com) is a leader in power and automation technologies that enable utility and industry customers to improve performance while lowering environmental impact. The ABB Group of companies operates in around 100 countries and employs about 130,000 people.

About ABB Low Voltage Products The ABB Low Voltage Products division (www.abb.us/lowvoltage) manufactures low-voltage circuit breakers, switches, control products, wiring accessories, enclosures and cable systems to protect people, installations and electronic equipment from electrical overload.

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Heavy-Duty Safety Switches have touch-safe, visible blades.

EBENSBURG Would-be copper thieves, be warned.

Anyone trying to steal copper wiring from any of the 17 towers that make up Cambria Countys 911 communications system will be caught on camera.

A $230,000 grant sought by the countys department of emergency services has allowed for installation of cameras at the towers with a direct line to screens at the dispatch center in Ebensburg.

Weve had so many copper thefts. They steal the ground lines and anything that is copper, county chief clerk Steve Ettien said. Its costing us thousands of dollars.

Not only are the thefts expensive, but they also affect the 911 system, potentially impacting the safety of everyone in the county, Ettien said.

The grant was obtained through the federal Department of Homeland Security and was sufficient to cover all of the costs involved in providing the security cameras and the links to the center, the commissioners said Thursday in announcing the project.

As soon as there is motion inside the fence, the cameras turn on and capture the images, President Commissioner Douglas Lengenfelder said. It sends an alarm to the 911 center, and the operator there has the ability to watch what is going on at the tower site.

Robbin Melnyk, deputy director of emergency services and county 911 coordinator, was credited with landing the grant.

Not only did the grant pay for multiple cameras at the towers, but there was funding to improve exterior security outside the county human services building where the 911 center is, Melnyk said.

The technology is state of the art, Ettien said.

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Cambria adds security to thwart copper thefts

The long-awaited traffic light on Route 7 at the driveway of The Regency at Ridgefield, Laurel Ridge and Ridgefield Crossings should be up and working soon.

Its going in slowly, First Selectman Rudy Marconi said Monday.

The posts are up. Theres some wiring thats been done. All were waiting for is the delivery of the lights to actually be hung and be connected. I do think its not that far around the corner where well see this completed.

Town Engineer Charles Fisher said Tuesday morning that the contractor on the job, NY-CONN Corp., hadnt given him a date that the light would be put up.

I still do not have confirmation of the actual traffic signal installation, he said.

Fred Greenberg, director of traffic services at BL Cos., the engineering firm on the project, said the basic operation of the signal system would be coordinated with the light at routes 7 and 35 to reduce Danbury Road delays.

Normally, traffic on Route 7-Danbury Road would have a green light. Cars waiting to exit the driveway on the east side of Route 7 would result in a brief red light for Danbury Road being worked into the cycle though not instantaneously in order to maintain Danbury Road flow.

There will also a push button for pedestrians who want a red light on Route 7 to allow them to cross.

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Traffic light on Route 7 should be coming soon

cleaning

Karen B. Gibbs TODAY contributor

April 24, 2014 at 8:42 AM ET

AnikaSalsera / Featurepics.com

Would you prefer to have household cleaners with ingredients that you can actually pronounce? From laundry detergent to an oven degreaser, we rounded up D-I-Y green-cleaning recipes that promise to tackle the toughest messes. Theyre easy to make, easy on the wallet and, best of all, easy on Mother Earth.

All-purpose cleaner and wipes

Whether youre cleaning a messy tabletop or sticky hands, Leslie Reichert, cleaning expert and author of "The Joy of Green Cleaning," suggests using a microfiber cloth and this D-I-Y cleaning solution: Mix one cup of 3-percent hydrogen peroxide, one cup of white vinegar, half a cup of lemon juice and eight drops of tea tree oil. Make wipes for on-the-go spills by soaking paper towels in the mixture and storing them in a Ziploc bag.

Cleaning scrub

To make your own all-natural cleaning scrub, try this simple scrubbing paste recipe from Kris Koenig, founder of Natura Clean, a Wisconsin-based eco-friendly cleaning company. Mix a half cup of baking soda with liquid castile soap until its the consistency of frosting. Scrub whatever surface needs cleaning, then rinse with water.

Laundry detergent

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Green cleaning: D-I-Y natural cleaners that actually work

NEW ORLEANS, LA (WVUE) - Two downtown window washers are safe and sound Friday after the scaffolding they were on gave out 40 stories high.

A spokesperson with the New Orleans Fire Department says around 9 a.m., the cables on the scaffolding snapped causing them men to dangle 40 stories above Common St at the Capital One Building. The pair were wearing safety harnesses that prevented them from falling.

The fire department, along with a glass contractor who was already doing some work in the building, made their way to the 40th floor and broke a window allowing the men to be pulled through safely.

The two men, George Gomez and Willis Everidge, say they were hanging from the side of the building for 20 minutes before rescue crews could get to them.

The two men were visiably shaken, but refused treatement from New Orleans Emergency Medical Services personnel.

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Window Washers in New Orleans Rescued after Scaffolding Cables Snap

Great Falls, VA (PRWEB) April 25, 2014

Vic's Tree Service has been servicing Arlington, Alexandria, Great Falls, and all of Northern Virginia since 1978. Their annual spring promotion entitles all customers to 15% off their tree removal and tree service invoice.

"We want to extend this offer to our loyal customers because we believe that developing a relationship based on quality and safe service is the only way to go about it," states Vic Price, owner of Vic's Tree Service.

Vic's Tree Service is a full service tree company, offering tree removal, tree trimming, general landscape cleanup, and fertilization. Their team is dedicated to making sure that their customers are completely satisfied with their services. Operating for over 35 years, Vic's is dedicated to preserving the integrity of any trees in a safe manner.

About Vic's Tree Service Vics Tree Service has been serving the residents of Northern Virginia with excellent tree care and maintenance for over thirty years. They specialize in enhancing the aesthetic and functional value of their customers landscape, while simultaneously improving the health of their trees. They are fully licensed and insured and provide exceptional service around the clock even in the event of an emergency. For more information about Vics Tree Service please visit their new website at http://www.vicstreeservice.com.

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Northern Virginia Tree Service Company, Vic's Tree Service, Announces Their Spring 2014 Promotion

Washington, DC (PRWEB) April 25, 2014

Casey Trees Tree Report Card, the only independent assessment of D.C.s trees on both public and private lands, gives the nations capital a B- for 2013. Despite advancements, including a reported 10,232 total trees being planted collectively by individuals and groups across the District, overall performance was thwarted for a third straight year by shortcomings in tree protection.

The overall grade was brought down by the impact of the Urban Forest Preservation Act (UFPA) landmark legislation when passed in 2002. While record-keeping for Special Tree removal (trees 55 inches and circumference or greater) has improved, there still are no mechanisms in place to determine if trees planted to replace them are surviving for the long term. Only if trees live until maturity can the lost tree canopy be offset.

The Tree Report Card continues to function as intended tracking progress toward meeting the Districts goal of achieving 40 percent canopy by the year 2032, said Casey Trees Executive Director Mark Buscaino. Tree planting once again is at record-high levels due in large measure to the great work of the Urban Forestry Administration. Tree Protection, however, remains deficient because there are no systems in place to track the survival of replacement trees. We sincerely hope the District will address this critical deficiency.

Recommendations put forth by the Tree Report Card include strengthening the UFPA by mandating survival checks for replacement trees, adjusting the fee structure 11 years out of date to account for inflation, and; to redirect most Tree Fund expenditures to support planting trees on private lots.

The argument for more trees to be planted on private residential property is where the theme for this years Tree Report Card Private Action for Private Good comes from. When trees are added to private lots, they get more of what they need but often do not get in cities: soil. Greater soil volumes lead to larger, healthier and longer-lived trees. Property owners are also more likely to water trees planted on their land leading to higher overall survival rates.

Since its first publication on Arbor Day in 2009, the Tree Report Card has given the District an overall grade for tree-related activities performed the previous year on public and private lands located in D.C. This grade is based on the average of four key performance metrics Tree Coverage (A-), Health (B-), Planting (A+) and Protection (D-).

The 2013 Tree Report Card and those from previous years may be viewed in their entirety at caseytrees.org/treereportcard. ###

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D.C. Earns Another B- Grade On Sixth Annual Tree Report Card

WILMINGTON, NC (WECT) - The DEA calls Kratom one of its "drugs of concern." It's legal and it's growing in popularity in Wilmington, along with another drink called Kava.

Kava is made from the roots of a shrub that grows in the South Pacific. It can either be served as a drink or in pill form. Many people who use Kava say it helps them to relax.

Kratom, however, is a stimulant. In the UK, Kratom is known as "herbal speedball." It comes from a tropical tree that grows in Thailand. It can also be served in pill form or in a tea.

In some countries and a few states, Kratom is illegal.

At Kat 5 Kava, a Kava and Kratom bar in downtown Wilmington, nearly every seat is taken.

It's 3:30 on a Wednesday afternoon.

The crowd includes people of all ages.

William Fairall, a local DJ, is one of the regulars here.

He drinks both Kava and Kratom.

Fairall described the feeling he gets when he drinks Kratom, "It's a happy feeling. It's a happy euphoria. A pick me up."

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Kava and Kratom: a natural high or dangerous drinks?