Home Builder Developer - Interior Renovation and Design

Carpenters use the adage "measure twice, cut once" as a reminder to double-check before committingand its uttered by a character in the new film Herself (2020) to a group of novice builders. But its also an apt metaphor for the entire journey of Sandra (played by Clare Dunne), a single mother in Dublin trying to solve her housing problem. The saying cautions her to plan and preparethen take action.

Having left her violent husband, Sandra has to declare herself homeless to qualify for government assistance. She is put up in an airport hotel, where she has to use the "poor door" to access the room she shares with her two daughters while she waits for her number 653 to come up on the public housing list. (Due to a dearth of available housing stock, Dublin has become one of the most expensive cities in the worldpricier than Tokyo, Sydney, and Singapore. Pre-pandemic, the number of people without housing had quadrupled in five years.)

After Googling "Self-Build + Ireland + cheap," she lands on irishvernacular.com, which offers free plans for a self-build home by architect Dominic Stevens. When Stevens built the original home for himself in 2008, it cost 25,000. Although Sandra makes a cogent argument to the city housing office that it would be a smarter, cheaper option for them to subsidize her construction than to pay for her lodging, the proposal is dismissed. But she pursues her quest with the help of a kindly contractor, a patron, and a ragtag group to build her dream house from scratch.

The tradition of building your own home might call up images of frontier homesteading in the U.S.whether its a log cabin, a saltbox, or a bungalow. Similarly, Ireland has a rich history of DIY buildingmany construction laborers in the U.S. and U.K. were Irish "before they inherited the farm," Stevens says.

Stevens thought he was exhibiting a 1960s counterculture Whole Earth Catalog sensibility, but he soon discovered he had tapped into Irelands deeply rooted traditions. And both nations have communal building customs. In the U.S., we barn raise; In Ireland, its called Meitheala term proudly used in Herself.

Herself,directed by Phyllida Lloyd, was Clare Dunnes idea, inspired by a close friends story. A single mother of three children was compelled to declare herself homeless when her landlord reclaimed her flat, and she could not find a replacement because of scarcity. Clare, a struggling actress in New York, took inspiration from both of their adversity stories and crafted this tale of empowerment.

Without realizing it, Dunne tapped into the maker movement where women are adept at construction, made feasible by cordless power tools requiring less strength, the ubiquity of big-box stores (Home Depot, Lowes, and Woodies in Ireland), and online tutorials.

The house itself is simple: three bedrooms, two stories, and 775 square feet. Stevens says "I drew upon my experience of modular building methods, the wonderful work of self-building pioneer Walter Segal, and the rural vernacular tradition of building your house instead of going and buying it." Segal (19071985) was a Berlin-born British architect who developed a self-build method that uses standard materials to create ecologically sound homes with minimal experience.

The exterior is vertically corrugated matte black Onduline, a French roofing material made from plant fibers compressed with bitumen. It can be cut with a handsaw, and its watertight. Stevens says it looks like "expensive black cartridge paper," and the application elicits the Irish currach boat, which sports a lightweight timber frame covered with stretched canvas. Stevens also cites the black cow sheds in Leitrim, the town where he built his home, and black Scandinavian houses like those on Fr Island (including Ingmar Bergmans home) that use pitch painted on timber.

Stevens self-build project grew out of his experience working in Berlin just after the wall came down. "We lived in a city that created itself," he saysand he carried this sentiment back to Ireland. However, he says "Until I made my own house, I felt like a fraud on every building site I ever was on, because I didnt really know what a builder went through."

Stevens sees possibilities brought on by the current pandemicthe previously anonymous residents of his apartment block have begun socializing at a distance, swapping tools, and banding together to negotiate with the landlords. "Its given people power," he says.

He is reminded of Le Corbusiers 1922 statement: "It is the question of building which lies at the root of the social unrest of today; architecture or revolution." As Stevens says on irishvernacular.com, "The purpose of this website is to place the knowledge of how to build a house once more in the commonsUse it, enjoy it, respect it."

Herself is now streaming on Amazon Prime Video. See plans to build the dwelling atirishvernacular.com.

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The rest is here:
Complete DIY Plans to Build the Home in the Film Herself Are Available for Free - Dwell

Amended plans for Westwood Lodge

An online meeting will be held to share updated plans for the development of 153 homes at the Westwood Lodge site in Poorhole Lane.

L&G Modular Homes have taken over the scheme and made a series of amendments to areas including moving new builds further away from the existing buildings and retaining more of the trees onsite.

Outline planning permission for the development, which is private land, was granted by appeal in 2017. The original application in 2015 was rejected by Thanet council for reasons including concern at additional pressure on Sandwich Bay protection area and a significant incursion of the built form into the green wedge.

The Planning Inspectorate decision overturning Thanet councils case said it was weakened by a lack of a 5 year housing supply plan and as the woodland visible along the northern and eastern site boundaries would be largely retained its distinctive landscape qualities would not be prejudiced.

The Grade II listed main house of Westwood Lodge, built in 1864, the 17th Century cottage and the gate piers will remain intact on the site.

Former developer applicant Places For People Homes Ltd pulled out of the scheme last year. During the second half of 2020 Rooksmead Residential Ltd agreed terms with L&G Modular Homes on a revised set of proposals.

An amended layout and detail with regard to the appearance, landscaping, and scale of the new development has since been submitted.

Documents for the amended plans say: The scheme has been developed with the heritage constraints in mind and has sought to preserve the immediate setting of the grade II listed main house and associated gate piers, as well as The Cottage.

The main changes are

No formal boundary is proposed between the new development and Westwood Lodge. This will remain as existing, with the boundary will be formed by existing trees, in order to protect the setting of the current building.

The listed entrance gates will be retained and opened up to pedestrian access along the carriage drive.

In February last year the Thanet Trees group held a protest at the site asking for halt in works for full ecology surveys, approval of planning conditions and for more information to be shared about a rumoured burial pit.

The group had concerns for birds, bats, slow worms and reptiles.

A statement in the amended plans says: The Westwood Lodge Estate represents a sizeable landholding requiring considerable capital to invest in maintenance and repairs.

Some of the buildings appear to have fallen into disuse and much of the walled garden is overgrown. Consideration may therefore be given to whether any broader conservation benefits may arise from the reuse of the buildings and spaces, such as the Coach House and walled gardens.

As appropriate, there may also be further potential for restoration of some of the features, including the historic metal fencing along Sloe Lane, reinstatement of iron railings at the entrance drive, and repairs to the balustrade of Westwood Lodges terrace, though these would not necessarily be predicated on the proposed development of the site.

L&G Modular Homes will host the virtual meeting on Tuesday, February 16 at 7pm.

Anyone who would like to attend is asked to email westwoodlodge@landgmh.com and a link to the meeting will be sent.

Find the amended plans on Thanet councils planning portal under reference R/TH/20/0174

Westwood Lodge was built in 1864 as a holiday retreat for Spencer Herepath, a Kensington stockbroker whose firm specialised in South American Railway securities.

The architect is not at present known but there is speculation that it could have been Henry Winnock Hayward (1825-1893) who had built houses of a similar style in Phillimore Place, Kensington near Herepaths London residence.

Herepaths daughter Marion married Linley Sambourne, the celebrated Punch illustrator, in 1874. After Spencer Herepath died in 1884, Mrs Herepath lived there until the property was sold in 1893.

The next owner was Harry Rickards (1841-1911), a celebrated music hall artist who became a music hall impresario in both England and Australia. This was his English estate. By 1911 he was considered probably the largest single-handed music hall manager and proprietor in the world. Subsequent owners were the Farrell family. The property has been in continuous ownership by one family from 1948 until the present day. From 1929 the estate was used for farming and market gardening.

The entrance piers, gates and wall to Westwood Lodge were built circa 1865 in Gothic style.

The 17th century flint cottage is possibly listed as no 599 on sheet 2 of the Tithe Apportionment of 1838 for St Peters and Broadstairs, a house and garden owned and occupied by Mary Packer, connected with three arable fields. After 1865 it came into the same ownership as Westwood Lodge.

Related

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Virtual meeting to hear about amended plans for housing at Westwood Lodge - The Isle of Thanet News

HealthMike Milen is a chief executive besotted with bikes whose charity - he says - tells people what they need to hear, but would not always rather hear."

Monday, 15th February 2021, 12:31 pm

His Redcar and Cleveland Voluntary Development Agency (RCVDA) is involved in everything from subsidised car hire, to environmentally-friendly housing, to community broadband projects.

However many people wont be familar with it. He talks to Local Democracy Reporter Stuart Arnold about how the elastic holding the voluntary sector together is becoming frayed, along with his hopes for the future.

Redcar and Cleveland Voluntary Development Agency has been in existence for more than 35 years. We exist to support, promote and develop volunteering and the voluntary sector and are striving to achieve this in an ever changing and more complex world. We have sister organisations attempting to deliver on the same mission in local authority areas across England to bring groups and sectors together, to share insight and intelligence and to help amplify the voice of groups and communities.

And what exactly does RCVDA do?

We help individuals who are interested in volunteering find the opportunities that best fit their requirements, we pull together meetings and conversations and try to make sure information, ideas and intelligence flows back and forth across the voluntary sector, also involving other stakeholders like health bodies and local government.

We help people set up new groups, social enterprises and charities and we offer organisations help with funding and other organisational challenges. We are often the ones telling people what they need to know, but would rather not hear.

Our staff have a desire to see local people take a lead on initiatives that help shift power and control towards communities and support improvements in the quality of life locally.

We have a board that trusts the staff, staff that trust and support each other and have a belief that the best solutions, even to the most complex social issues, start with local people making decisions about what matters to them.

We have a good relationship with Redcar and Cleveland Council and receive core grant funding from them, but nowadays like many organisations we have had to develop trading activities that assist in funding our activities.

What sort of activities do you mean?

Redcar and Cleveland Council helped us establish a subsidised car hire project to help people access job opportunities that wouldnt have been possible using public transport. We also run the Tees Valley Wheels 2 Work scheme on behalf of the Tees Valley Combined Authority.

We are in the process of developing a new urban mountain biking facility and are helping to roll out a community broadband service in Hartlepool. We are bidding to deliver employability support programmes, have developed our own housing company and we own a part of a modular housing business.

Why did you branch out into housing?

We work a lot with South Tees Public Health trying to address some of the long-term health inequalities that plague the area.

Through our core charity support work we have developed a partnership with a local social enterprise, Living Sober, that has seen us become increasingly involved in the development of housing for recovering addicts based on the US Oxford House model, such as Cromwell House in South Bank.

Having taken the decision to become a socially-aware housing association primarily in support of one niche, but important housing project, it soon became clear that there were many groups with a desire to progress housing related projects and numerous areas where the private rental and existing social housing market was failing to meet the needs of local people.

We could have marched or campaigned or lobbied, but to be honest we preferred to act. So we are now looking to disrupt things a bit and bring high quality housing solutions to those who generally have to accept what they are offered.

We are building eco-powered homes so that people dont have to worry about fuel poverty, basing them around small communities so that people have a chance to get to know their neighbours and setting up electric pool car schemes for residents so that they can remain independent for longer.

We will not solve the housing or public health problem that blight the area on our own, but hopefully we can shake things up and get other people engaged in providing solutions. We have made a few mistakes along the way and may make a few more, but we are learning and we will keep going.

What is the obsession with bikes?

I am besotted with bikes, I have ridden since I was a child and I try to ride as much as possible now. I think the bicycle is one of the most important inventions ever made.

As a child it gave me the freedom to travel and explore, as a teenager it provided me with a network of friends and I even met my wife through cycling. It has provided me with the things I value most in life and I want as many people as possible to get the opportunity to ride a bike.

I dont feel at risk when I ride, but I recognise that for some people, when starting out, or returning to cycling, traffic often makes them feel vulnerable. So we need places where people can gain confidence to learn to ride and become more assertive road users.

We have worked with Steve Mussett, Redcar and Clevelands Sport Development Lead, to pull together a proposal for development of a local urban mountain biking facility and we hope to hear back within the next couple of weeks from British Cycling whether or not they are going to back the project with a significant investment.

What next for RCVDA then?

Last year was tough and 2021 looks as though it will again be a challenging year for everyone. Many charities and local groups have stepped up during the pandemic to help their neighbours, their clients, or just those in need in whatever way they could, but the elastic that holds the voluntary sector together is beginning to fray.

Just as in the health service and many other areas relief from lockdown measures cannot come too soon, people and organisations are tired. I worry that we will lose some good local organisations to exhaustion or through financial difficulty.

But we know that the voluntary sector, like the population of the area, is resilient and I think in the longer term we will grow back stronger.I take some of what the Government says with a little scepticism, but I do think we will continue to benefit from significant inward investment.

There may be new and shiny buildings, but the challenge for the wider voluntary and community sector is how do we make sure we and the people we work with most closely dont miss out on a fair share of the rewards from any investment that comes our way.

What keeps you personally going?

I suppose I get up every day striving to make RCVDA irrelevant and myself redundant.

I am an optimist, I want to believe that the system will eventually figure out how to function so that not as many people fall through the gaps, that communities become much more assertive and demanding of themselves and others and agitate for change.

I want to see this as an area where the young choose to leave for the experience available elsewhere, rather than because they dont think opportunities exist for them here. I think we will probably be busy for a few years yet, but that does not mean positive change wont or cant happen.

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Meet the bike-loving chief executive who wants to make his charity and himself redundant - Yorkshire Post

Posted on Feb 16, 2021 in Latest News, Newsroom

(Waimnalo) Just after dawn, two officers from the DLNR Division of Conservation and Resources Enforcement (DOCARE) drove around the 16-acre former site of the Dragon Garden-Hawaii Bonsai Cultural Center in the back of the valley Waimnalo. They entered numerous structures to make sure there were no squatters, in advance of an enormous clean-up of the property.

Based on lease violations, lessees Walter Liew and Ann Liew lost their lease after a ruling from the Board of Land and Natural Resources (BLNR), last December.

Abandoned vehicles, illegal structures, an infinite variety of rubbish, and possibly hazardous chemicals leaking from discarded barrels or mixed in soil that was illegally dumped create a literal potpourri of useless junk.

During the clean-up work crews and heavy equipment will be working and could pose safety hazards to anyone in the area. DOCARE officers will continue to patrol the property. Anyone trespassing onto the property could be cited or arrested.

When the head of the clean-up crew from the DLNR Engineering Division surveyed the extent of the mess this morning, he estimated it will take several weeks to clear everything out.

The land is designated for agricultural purposes and is expected to remain as such, once the remediation is completed.

# # #

(RESOURCES)

(All images/video courtesy: DLNR)

HD video Property and SOTs (DOCARE officer Fagota Tataipu):

Photographs Property and DOCARE sweep:

https://www.dropbox.com/sh/cxrju2ggcwp60jx/AAAusKi3YtsNuFNTNt_mTJkra?dl=0

Media Contact:

Dan Dennison

Senior Communications Manager

(808) 587-0396

[emailprotected]

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DLNR NEWS RELEASE: DRAGON BONSAI GARDEN IN WAIMNALO IS SITE OF MASSIVE PROPERTY CLEAN-UP - David Y. Ige | Newsroom

The companies claimed to have made significant strides in reducing the use of child labor, but have failed to meet their goal because "the real magnitude of child labor in the cocoa supply chain and how to address the phenomenon were poorly understood" when they made the pledge in 2001, as Timothy S. McCoy, a World Cocoa Foundation vice president, explained to the Washington Post. They further stated that the blame for child labor cannot lay entirely with them, saying the West African government, NGOs, and other members of the international community must also accept some responsibility for the problem.

"This lawsuit does not advance the shared goal of ending child labor in the cocoa industry. Child labor is a complex, global problem, and tackling this issue is a shared responsibility. All stakeholders including governments, NGOs, communities, and the broader cocoa industry need to continue to address its root causes to have an impact," a Nestl spokesperson said in an email statement sent to Business Insider. Hershey's concurred in a similar statement, saying: "We have worked hard over the past several years to implement meaningful programs and work with our cocoa suppliers and West African governments to combat these issues and use our influence to make a positive impact," but addressing child labor "requires significant investment and intervention on the ground in West Africa, not in the courts."

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The Horrifying Reason These Major Chocolate Companies Could Be Facing Legal Action In The US - Mashed

SINGAPORE - Large swathes of Kranji woodland along the rail corridor were mistakenly clearedwhile the authorities were in the midst of biodiversity impact assessments there.

Aerial photos of the site showing the destruction of the woodland, a 70hagreen patch home to around 40 species of birds, emerged on social media on Sunday (Feb 14). One picture showed a narrow strip of trees surrounding the rail corridor, with much of the rest cleared.

In response to these posts, a JTC Corporation spokesman said on Tuesday that the land was "erroneously" cleared by its contractor before the completion of environmental assessments.

The National Parks Board told The Straits Times that it is investigating the unauthorised clearance at the site.

"We take a serious view of unauthorised greenery clearance and will not hesitate to take the appropriate enforcement action," it added.

Development projects in Singapore near sensitive nature areas are subject to greater scrutiny and may be required to carry out more detailed environmental studies.

Beginning at the end of last December, green patches were cleared on the site, slated for the Agri-Food Innovation Park, which is part of the Sungei Kadut Eco-District (Sked). The master plan for the latter, which seeks to support new growth sectors such as agri-tech and environmental technology, was announced in February last year.

Upon discovering the mistake during a site inspection on Jan 13, JTC instructed the contractor, Huationg, to stop all clearing works immediately.

No further clearing has taken place at the site since then and the contractor has been issued a stern warning, JTC said.

According to the statutory board, it had engaged an environmental specialist to conduct a biodiversity baseline study last December to create an environmental monitoring and management plan (EMMP) for specified plots of land within the area. These were expected to be completed around April before plans to engage stakeholders.

"JTC will continue with the baseline study and EMMP and will work closely with all relevant stakeholders...to ensure that the Sked redevelopment plans are carried out with due consultation and in an environmentally responsible and sensitive manner," the spokesman said.

"The findings of the studies will be publicly available when ready."

In a statement, Huationg apologised and said it was working with JTC on investigations "to determine the cause of this lapse, and to prevent future occurrences".

"We are also reviewing internally and working with JTC to strengthen our project management processes," the contractor added.

Members of the nature community were shocked by what had happened.

Mr Brice Li, who posted the photos, said: "My heart sank when I saw that around 40 to 50 per cent of the area was gone."

The green patches cleared were on a site slated for the Agri-Food Innovation Park. PHOTO:BRICE LI/FACEBOOK

Upon receiving a phone call about the situation, the creative art director visited the site to survey the damage on the first and second day of Chinese New Year.

"I usually share photos and videos showcasing the beauty of places but this was too much for me not to show," added the nature lover who had shot a video of the woodland in May 2019.

"This was a... human error that could have been avoided," he said.

One picture showed a narrow strip of trees surrounding the rail corridor, with much of the rest cleared.PHOTO: BRICE LI/FACEBOOK

On Monday, Nature Society Singapore (NSS) commented in a Facebook post that this was a "shocking and dreadful development".

"It's a huge oversight... We lost a sizeable natural habitat and a picturesque space for hikers along the northern sector of the rail corridor," said NSSconservation committee chair Leong Kwok Peng.

This will likely affect the ecological significance of the rail corridor, but the impact can be fully understood only with an environment impact assessment, said environmental consultant Tony O'Dempsey.

"If we take out the destinations that the rail corridor connects to, it has less utility as a corridor," he added.

Nature lovers recommended retaining the woodland as part of the design for the redevelopment.

The Kranji woodland is unique because it forms a direct connection between the mangrove-lined Sungei Pang Sua tidal canal and the rail corridor, said Mr O'Dempsey.

Birds and bats, which use the woodland for nesting and roosting, are important seed dispersers that contribute to the area's biodiversity.

"This would be a crowning feature of the (Sked) development, bringing some heart to the built environment," he added.

"We would have proposed a bigger width for the green buffer on both sides of the rail corridor and that the Kranji woodland be merged with Sungei Pang Sua as a single habitat," Mr Leong said, adding that wildlife tends to be richer with a water body.

"I am confident that whatever damage has been done can be restored... though it could take over a decade or so," said Mr O'Dempsey.

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NParks investigating after swathes of Kranji woodland along rail corridor were cleared by mistake - The Straits Times

Pierce Land Clearing has just included a new feature to their services recently which includes free lectures for the residents of the community of Texas.

WAXAHACHIE, TEXAS - Pierce Land Clearing (Waxahachie) has announced a new offer for their services. As a result of rising demand for land clearing and tree removal, which is Waxahachie forestry mulching, a new innovative and more efficient method of land clearing in Waxahachie, which involves the clearing of land with a specified machine to get more work done in a short period with optimum results. The CEO of the company further explained in a conference held early this year that the company has noticed that the people of Texas have little or no understanding of what method is best used when it comes to land clearing. Hence the introduction of forestry mulching Waxahachie, site prepping and mesquite removal, and many other things that relate to the clearing of land.

Furthermore, in line with the compliance with the Covid19 guidelines and precautions, the company also organizes a free consultation for the citizens on the various types of services offered by the company. The residents of the community turned up in masses with their face masks on. They also observed social distancing during the lecture and consultation sessions.

Nevertheless, the free consultation is only opened to our clients who observe the Covid19 guidelines and precautions. This is to help individuals keep safe and to prevent the further spread of the virus.

About Us

Pierce Land Clearing (Waxahachie) is a land clearing company that offers all kinds of land clearing services in Waxahachie, TX. The company has gained much relevance in the community since its establishment due to the quality of services provided.

Media ContactCompany Name: Pierce Land ClearingContact Person: Taylor PierceEmail: Send EmailPhone: (512) 883-1944Address:106 Hacienda Dr City: WaxahachieState: TXCountry: United StatesWebsite: piercelandclearing.com/

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Pierce Land Clearing (Waxahachie) adds a new feature to its services for the residence of Waxahachie, TX. - Press Release - Digital Journal

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Flights canceled at Nashville International Airport due to winter storm - WSMV Nashville

Steven Spearie|State Journal-Register

Editor's note:The State Journal-Register is making this story about winter weather free for everyone to view as a public service. If you already subscribe, thank you. If not, please do so today at sj-r.com/subscribenow.

The Springfield area was expected to get close to eight inches of snow Monday accompanied by single-digit temperatures and wind gusts of up to 25 MPH making for wind chills in the 20-below range.

The snow affected areatravel and schools.

Alex Erwin, a meteorologist with theNational Weather Service in Lincoln, said Springfield and Sangamon County remains under a winter storm warning until 6 a.m. Tuesday

The University of Illinois Springfield, Lincoln Land Community College and Lincoln College all went to remote learning on Monday. Midwest Technical Institute was not in session Monday because of Presidents Day.

Lincoln Land Community College announced all of its facilities would also be closed Tuesday with classes operate remotely. Students with face-to-face classes should check Blackboard/Canvas for instructions.

District 186 schools will be conducting remote learning only for all students on Tuesday.

There will be no in-person hybrid learning for A-day learners. Tuesday will be a remote learning day, and not an emergency snow day. Remote attendance will be taken and students will be expected to engage in synchronous and/or asynchronous learning, as assigned.

The SCOPE child care program will be closed.

District 186 will be serving meals remotely from 7 to 11 a.m.at Springfield,Southeast and Lanphier high schoolsas well as Franklin and Washington middle schools.

There will be no school in the Auburn school district Tuesday due to the extreme weather. It is a traditional snow day and will be made up at the end of the school calendar, according to the district's website.

Sangamon Valley schools (Illiopolis, Nianticand Harristown) will go to remote learning Tuesday as will Ball-Chatham schools.

Jacksonville public schools and Routt Catholic High School and Our Saviour's Grade School, alsoin Jacksonville, are closed Tuesday.

Also closed Tuesday are Springfield Catholic grade schools, Calvary Academy Williamsville-Sherman schools, Riverton schools and Edinburg

The winter storm warning remains in effect until 6 a.m. Tuesday with six to eightinches of snow predicted. Counties in that warning area include Sangamon, Christian, Menard, Macoupin, Montgomery and Greene.

A winter weather advisory is in effect for Cass, Morgan and Logan counties.

Light snow began fallingin the Springfield area in the early morning hours of Monday, with the brunt of the snowfall--about four to six inches--falling Monday afternoon.

A Wednesday storm system was thought to have more of an impact south of Interstate 70, Erwin said. There could be minor accumulations in the Springfield area at the time, Erwin said.

Lincoln hit another record cold highof 4 degrees on Sunday, eclipsingthe old record of13 in 1943. The city also tied a record low temperature of minus-6 Sunday. The old record was from 2020.

Lincoln also set a pair of temperature records Saturday.

A map of Sangamon County roads showedall roads either covered in snow and ice or mostly covered in snow and ice.

Menard County sheriff's deputies were reporting that east/west roads are drifting shut in some areas. Motorists are also advised to use cautiontraveling on State Park Road where cars are sliding down the hill onto Route 97.

Illinois State Police District 9 units respondedto several crashes in the surrounding Springfield area along Interstates 55 and 72.

Motorists were urged to useextreme caution if traveling through the area and allow extra time to get to a destination.

Taylorville Police reported a number of slide-offs, but no serious accidents, said Chief Dwayne Wheeler. There were up to two-hour waits for tow trucks, he said.

Sangamon Mass Transit District was asking passengers "to prepare for the possibility of suspended service Tuesday morning."

The City of Springfield has declared a snow emergency continuing through7 a.m. Friday. The declaration means the public is required to remove cars parked along snow emergency routes.

"It allows us to more efficiently remove the snow," said Nate Bottom, director of the Office of Public Works, about the snow emergency routes.

Sangamon County declared a Level 2 winter weather emergency late Monday afternoon until further notice.

County spokesman Jeff Wilhite said motorists are encouraged to stay off county roads unless it is absolutely necessary.

Under the Level 2 emergency, roadways are hazardous with blowing and drifting snow and maybe icy. There are areas where the roadways may be partially closed by the elements.

The Villages of Southern View and Jeromealso declared snow emergenciesthrough 7 a.m. Friday. The City of Jacksonville was under a snow emergency until at least Wednesda

Bottom said he anticipated the backshift drivers plowing most of the overnight into early Tuesday.

"We're definitely focusing our attention on the major arterials and then we'll move into the secondary roads," Bottom said.

Crews were using salt sparingly on trouble spots, Bottom added. While salt is less effective with the colder temperatures, it is alighter snow that crews were able to push off more easily, he said.

With the winds, snow has been drifting on Lenhart Road and Bissell Road "so we need to make sure we're clearing those areas as efficiently as possible," Bottom said.

It was light year in terms of use of salt until the pasttwo weeks when itpicked up substantially, Bottom said.

Public Works has used approximately 4,500 tons of its 6,000 ton allotment, though that cane be added to, Bottom said. Both of its salt domes are about three-quarters full, he said.

Motorists are reminded to watch for snowplowcrews and give them space to do their work. Residents and private snow removal crews clearing sidewalks and parking lots are prohibited by city ordinance from plowing the snow into the streets.

During a severe winter storm, residents can call the Office of Public Works toreport any problems or concerns at (217) 789-2246.

Residents and businesses need to make an effort to clear their sidewalks as a safety precaution, according to the city.

An ordinance cites that all sidewalks adjacent to their property shouldbe cleared of snow by 10a.m. on every morning of a snow event. Residents or businesses could be subject to a $250 fine for refusal to comply with the city ordinance.

Any concerns or complaints regarding sidewalk obstructions should be sent to the Citys Housing Division at (217) 789-2167.

Contact StevenSpearie: 622-1788, sspearie@sj-r.com, twitter.com/@StevenSpearie.

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Springfield area hunkers down: What to know about road conditions, upcoming weather - The State Journal-Register

Ocala Star-Banner

I never did get around to reading English novelist George Orwells Nineteen Eighty-Four: A Novel (frequently shortened to the minimalist 1984) but my parents decided we would see a movie based on that book decades ago when I was a teenager. It was playing at the old Boulevard Drive-In Theater in Miami.

I was a bit too young back then to fully appreciate what the production was trying to portray with its depiction of a totalitarian society, but I do remember thinking the film was interesting but thoroughly unbelievable with its Ministry of Truth, Ministry of Peace, Newspeak, Doublethink, Room 101, Thought Police, Big Brother and other plot devices dreamed up by Orwell. The film was aimed at American audiences, while a later version with Richard Burton released in October 1984 targeted United Kingdom audiences. The one we saw was the 1956 version with Edmund OBrien in the starring role.

I re-watched the entire film a few days ago, and no longer found it so thoroughly unbelievable as I had all those decades ago.

COVID VACCINE: I received a note fromLynn Miller,who wrote: We signed up for the Marion County Board of Health site in late December. We got numerous emails and finally Wednesday, a call for one of us to get a shot at Paddock Mall.

Last week I signed us up for the statewide list to ensure we were on all lists. The Publix one is a 1 hour 45 minute wait and when the window opens up, if you are lucky, you get an option to get a shot in DeLand or St. Augustine. You have to have your Medicare number for Publix but not for the Board of Health. The BOH only requires proof of residency. We used our drivers licenses but you can use a photo ID if you live in a 55 plus community.

My husband asked the fine lady who called from the Board of Healthif I was on the list, and I was. Later at 7:30 p.m., I got a call from them asking if I still wanted the shot. Of course I said yes. It is the Pfizer vaccine.

We got our first dose last Thursday night with staff from AdventHealth and some great folks from the EMTs of Marion County at the Paddock Mall. My left arm is still sore, though at the time of the shot I felt nothing. They had a great group of people and were very organized.

However, though we have had cancer and bypasses, other pals and neighbors have not gotten the call yet. Some have who are much older than we are.

I believe it is because there are not a lot of doses.Some neighbors have gotten shots previously from the Marion Department Of Health and one from Publix. We just have to sit tight, I suppose.

PLEASED CLIENT: I have written several times aboutRobert Hughesof B&H Tree Services. Hes a crackerjack handyman who can take care of most chores around your home, including land clearing, painting and many other tasks.Teresa Kerznerwrote: I would like to thank you for the recommendation of B&H Tree Services. He came the same day I called to give me an estimate, and showed up with a crew the next day. Theydid an excellent job in a very tight space. The wrangling they had to do to avoid damaging fence, landscaping, and non-replaceable lighting was amazing to watch. They were done in one day and left my yard cleaner than they found it. Thanks!

Yes, Teresa, Bob and his crew do a great job. Other readers who may want to use his services can contact him at 572-9911 and tell him Emory (and Teresa) sent you!

Please send your comments toslyguy73@gmail.comand include your FULL name, town and telephone number. This column appears eachThursday and Saturday on the Local & State page and atocala.com

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Emory Schley: Reflecting on the meaning of '1984' - Ocala