Home Builder Developer - Interior Renovation and Design

SALEM The City Council will consider tomorrow night whether the planned $246,930 renovation of the Town Pump Fountain should move forward.

City officials say its time the fountain at the corner of Essex and Washington streets got a makeover, but the best bid for the work came in about $97,000 higher than theyd hoped.

The city has found $163,000 in grants for the renovations, leaving it still about $84,000 short. Mayor Kim Driscoll has requested that city councilors fund the remaining amount from the citys Capital Outlay Renovation and Repair account.

The fountain is at the site of the water supply Nathaniel Hawthorne wrote about in his short story A Rill From the Town Pump. It hasnt been renovated since it was erected in 1976, and officials have long eyed altering or doing away with its stone-lined pool, which regularly attracts troublemakers who dump in soap to create bubbles.

Currently, the fountain is in a state of disrepair due to the age of the equipment, Driscoll wrote in a letter to the council. In addition, when it is operational, it has been a source of aggravation and a near-constant battle to keep it clean and free of soap suds.

The work would cut the size of the pool by half and install underwater lights so that they shine through the falling water, thereby enhancing the fountains nighttime appearance. The former part of the pool would be filled in with bricks and could eventually host tables or seats.

It is our hope that the project will activate this space by providing al fresco seating in the warmer months where passers-by can sit and enjoy the refurbished water feature at a key intersection in the heart of the downtown, Driscoll wrote.

The existing steps would be torn up and replaced with concrete blocks inscribed with text from A Rill From the Town Pump. Other work would focus on cleaning the sites bronze plaques and installing a new filtration system.

The fountains restoration would constitute the final of three phases of improvements to the Essex Street pedestrian mall.

The city previously rejected a $343,100 bid for the fountain work.

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Council to consider fountain renovation

KOTA KINABALU: Villagers at Kampung Kopungit in Luyang constituency here are worried that their safety is threatened by a landslide.

According to the village chief Geoffrey Kiun bin Salidou, he has notified the Luyang assemblymans office of their predicament.

Yesterday, two aides from the Luyang assemblymans office, Simon Yap Yen Fung and Noriah Onong, went to check on the landslide which is located just next to the community hall on top of the hill at Kepayan Ridge.

Also present with them during the inspection was the Village Development and Security Committee chairman of Kampung Kopungit, Peter Lajin Alousius, who highlighted several other problems like walkways, concrete steps, roads and drainage system that required attention.

Their inspection revealed that the landslide could endanger the side of the community hall and if not reinstated might cause further damages. The villagers here are worried that should the slope comes down during rainy weather, their access road would be totally cut off and the villagers will not be able to get in or out.

According to Simon, immediate remedial work needs to be done to protect the earth slope and the drains would have to be upgraded to effectively drain away the excess rainwater. The work would require a special allocation from the government fund, and this hopefully could be applied through the rural development fund under this years budget.

In thanking the Luyang assemblymans office for their attention, Geoffrey said though this village is in the heart of KK City, it is not always noticed. He hopes with the help of the Luyang assemblymans office, it will become better known to the KK people.

He said the proposal by the Luyang assemblyman for a viewing tower and platform to be built here is worth considering due to its unique and panaromic view of KK City from the top of the hill in the village.

This could benefit the village here as more visitors and tourists can come to the village. With more activities and visitors here, Kampung Kopungit may one day be transformed and developed into a model village within KK City.

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Site Last Updated 1:48 am, Thursday

Published: Wednesday, February 12, 2014 at 6:32 a.m. Last Modified: Wednesday, February 12, 2014 at 3:50 p.m.

New Hanover tweeted that 21 schools are without power and tree limbs are blocking roadways. The district said some custodial employees may be called in for maintenance work.

Meanwhile, the National Weather Service issued a winter storm warning for Coastal Pender County, Brunswick County and New Hanover County at 3:36 p.m.

Freezing rain is the only hazard listed in the warning, with an additional trace to one-tenth of an inch expected.

Temperatures are expected to remain in the low to mid 30s, according to the warning.

The risk for widespread power outages is high and these may persist for several days if not longer in some locations, the warning said.

Travel conditions are expected to remain risky, and the weight of ice on trees paired with winds of 15 to 20 miles per hour and gusts of 30 miles per hour could lead to downed trees and power lines.

- Pressley Baird and Adam Wagner

As of 3 p.m. Wednesday, Duke Energy Progress was reporting 50,886 customers without power in New Hanover County. That's 44 percent of all customers. Brunswick County has 5,739 customers without power and Pender County has 5,647.

Brunswick Electric Membership Corporation reported 13,783 outages in Brunswick County, or about 18 percent of its customers there.

Excerpt from:
3:45 p.m. update - New Hanover, Brunswick schools closed; power failure risk could last for days

Karney Tree Service - Tree Removal in time lapse 01
Karney Tree Service taking down a small tree in Winter Garden, FL. We used time lapse to speed up the process. Fun to watch. Check us out at http://www.karneytree.c...

By: Karneym

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Karney Tree Service - Tree Removal in time lapse 01 - Video

RALEIGH Snow and ice expected to fall on much of North Carolina could be followed by scammers seeking to take advantage of consumers who need help removing trees brought down by the storm, Attorney General Roy Cooper warned Wednesday.

Tree damage from ice storms brings out scammers trying to rip you off, said Cooper. After a bad storm, tree services will go door-to-door looking for customers. If you need help getting a fallen tree off your home or car, find someone qualified to do the work instead of falling for a scam.

While many tree removal companies are reputable, unscrupulous scammers often travel to areas that have been hit by natural disasters to take advantage of consumers. Consumers should report tree removal scams to local law enforcement and to the Attorney Generals Consumer Protection Division, Cooper said.

North Carolina residents can report scams and frauds to Coopers office by calling toll-free 1-877-5-NO-SCAM within the state or by filing a consumer complaint.

To avoid problems when hiring a tree removal service:

* Dont pay upfront. Be very wary of any request to pay deposits or other fees for tree work in advance. Out-of-state tree cutters have been known to collect deposits from entire neighborhoods and then disappear without performing any work. Only pay when the work is done and you are satisfied.

* Avoid fly-by-night companies. Tree services that knock on your door or that just arrived in town from another state may not stick around to finish the job. Choose local companies with good reputations for the best results.

* Check out the company. Contact our Consumer Protection Division and the Better Business Bureau to see if they have complaints against the company. Ask the company for local references, and look online for reviews of its work.

* Make sure the company is insured. If a tree removal service claims to have insurance, dont just take their word for it. Contact the insurer directly and ask them to send you a copy of the tree removal services certificate of insurance.

* Find out a fair price. Be skeptical of any price that seems unusually high or low. To find out the going rate for tree removal, get written estimates from more than one company. Check with friends whove had tree work done recently to see what they paid and who they would recommend.

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Watch out for tree removal scams, AG Cooper warns

Philadelphia, PA (PRWEB) February 12, 2014

The Nor'easter looks like it will deliver a heavy, wet mess in Philadelphia. After the massive damage created by last week's storm, Giroud Tree and Lawn provides actions homeowners can take to prepare for and stay safe when the Nor'easter dumps significant snow on Philadelphia, Bucks County and Montgomery County PA.

"Our main concern is family safety," says Lou Giroud, President of Giroud Tree and Lawn and an ISA Certified Arborist. Here are a few actions homeowners can take: 1. Park cars in an open area away from large trees. 2. Once the trees become weighed down with snow:

"Heavy snow and ice loads can weaken trees," says Lou Giroud. "Once the storm passes, it's a good idea to have a professional tree service company check the trees on the property for hidden damage." The following should be part of post-storm inspection and remediation: 1. Safety Inspection: Have an ISA Certified Arborist evaluate trees for cracked limbs, split trunks, weakened root systems and other safety hazards. 2. Remediation: Prune and thin trees that are at highest risk for winter storm damage to lighten the load. White Pines, Arborvitae and Japanese Maple are most susceptible to breakage. However, large deciduous trees such as Oak, Maple and Ash also were heavily damaged in the last storm.

By taking precautions before the storm and then having trees checked and pruned after the storm, homeowners have the power to protect family safety and prevent future damage.

About Giroud Tree and Lawn Giroud Tree and Lawn specializes in tree service, tree removal and lawn care programs that make customers love doing business with the company since 1974. Serving Bucks, Montgomery and Philadelphia Counties, the company offers professional tree and lawn evaluation, tree pruning, tree removal, insect and disease control, fertilizing, stump removal and traditional and 100% organic lawn programs to keep lawns healthy and green . Giroud Arborists are certified by the International Society of Arboriculture (ISA) and have the knowledge and experience required to properly diagnose, treat and maintain trees and lawn health. The company has been awarded the Angie's List Super Service Award every year since 2005. The Giroud Treework for Charity program donates free tree care services to parks, historical sites and other non-profit organizations located in the Companys service area. For more information, visit the company website at http://www.giroudtree.com or call 215-682-7704.

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Nor'easter is Heading Towards Philadelphia and Giroud Tree and Lawn Provides Actions Homeowners Can Take to Prepare ...

Lindsay Bustillos didnt realize her high-rise apartment building in West Los Angeles lacked sprinklers until a fire last fall made her unit uninhabitable.

The Oct. 18 fire at the Barrington Towers complex caused water and smoke damage that forced hundreds of residents to leave their apartments.

You would think that when you move into a place like this that they kind of have it nailed down, said Bustillos, 32, of the sprinker situation.

Although laws mandate that residential high-rises built before 1943 and after 1974 have fire sprinklers installed, that leaves a 30-year gap in which high-rises were built in Los Angeles without having to install sprinklers. By the citys count, 71 of the citys roughly 200 residential high-rises dont have fire sprinkler systems installed.

The gap has been debated for years, but the Barrington fire has brought the issue into focus again.

Disaster drives regulation, said Los Angeles fire Battalion Chief Timothy Kerbrat. If its a big disaster then the time to get the ordinance and changes take a little bit more time. If its not a big disaster, its a blip in the paper and we forget about it real quick.

Los Angeles officials first made a push to retrofit all high-rises commercial and residential - with sprinklers in 1988 after a fire at First Interstate Tower downtown killed one man and injured 40. But proponents opted to divide the proposal into two: one for businesses and one for residential.

Our strategy at the time was: If we try to do them both were afraid were not going to get anything at all, Kerbrat said.

Lawmakers approved retrofitting some 350 commercial buildings, but there was stronger resistance from residential building owners. The costs to retrofit were too high, they argued. Its the same argument that was made in 2004 after a woman was critically burned in a tower in Koreatown.

Were always interested in providing clean, safe affordable housing, said Jim Clarke, head of the Apartment Assn. of Greater Los Angeles. If it doesnt have fire sprinklers, it may not be the safest place to live, but at the same time youre bound. Your hands are tied because of finances.

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35% of L.A.'s high-rise apartment buildings lack fire sprinklers

Afghan Hospital Sheds Image of Corruption, Mistreatment
2014 - The Afghan Military Hospital has seen changes and improvements since a history of corruption and patient mistreatment marred its reputation just a fe...

By: ThePentagonChannel

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Afghan Hospital Sheds Image of Corruption, Mistreatment - Video

INDIANAPOLIS -

A familiar face is back in Indiana this week talking about his latest project.

In a week leading up to Valentine's Day, Tony Dungy is focused on a project that sheds new light on a personal love story.

A standing room only crowd of about 400 crowded the Cathedral High School cafeteria Tuesday to hear from the former Indianapolis Colts head coach. Dungy and his wife, Lauren, are on a multi-city tour to promote their new book, "Uncommon Marriage" - 230 pages of the personal and professional highs and lows stretched over 31 years of marriage.

"A lot of it was before we were in the limelight, before people thought of us as Super Bowl winners and it's just average stories that everyone can related to," Dungy said.

The book touches on his family's greatest moments, among them winning the Super Bowl in 2007, and the devastating time when they lost their eldest son to suicide. Through it all, they say it was their faith and a sense of purpose and partnership that saw them through.

"We were able to persevere and to get through the challenging times in a marriage - and all marriages have ups and downs and you can expect that - but it's how you navigate through them," Lauren Dungy said.

Coach Dungy has authored previous books that have reached the top of the New York Times bestseller list. He says when he left coaching, he didn't expect his career to include becoming a best-selling author.

"I really didn't. The broadcasting and doing the books is not something I anticipated, but it's just been an avenue the Lord has used and created a platform and it's been wonderful," Dungy said.

The Dungy's book tour will visit six Indiana cities, including Fort Wayne, Terre Haute and Bloomington, with a stop Thursday at the Walmart store on 151st Street in Carmel.

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Dungys' new book offers advice for marriage

Barclays CEO Antony Jenkins has promised big changes in the culture and behavior of the bank.

LONDON (CNNMoney)

The British-based bank said Tuesday that fourth quarter earnings before tax fell 86%, dragged down by a loss of 329 million in investment banking.

In a move that angered union and boardroom representatives alike, Barclays (BCS) said its investment bankers would share a bonus pot of 1.6 billion, up 13% on 2012, receiving 60,000 each on average.

"Despite claims there would be no return to its old ways, Barclays is increasing bonus pools for those already paid unimaginably high salaries," said Unite union official Dominic Hook.

A Barclays spokesman said 10,000 to 12,000 jobs would go in 2014, including about 7,000 in the U.K. The bank has about 140,000 employees worldwide.

Senior bankers won't be spared -- 220 managing directors and 600 directors will lose their jobs within the next month, the spokesman added.

Barclays is 12 months into a major overhaul initiated by CEO Antony Jenkins to repair the bank's finances, restore its reputation following a series of scandals, and withdraw from some businesses.

Related: Barclays investigating data theft

Jenkins has promised big changes in the culture and behavior of the bank. He took the job after Bob Diamond was forced out in the wake of the Libor scandal.

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Barclays stokes bonus row as 12,000 jobs go