Image Resources' financial returns for its North Perth Basin mineral sands project just got a whole lot better with increases in the prices of titanium dioxide and zircon mineral sand products.
Tellingly, the increases would boost the Internal Rate of Return (IRR) of the project to 47% at the current A$/US$, up from 43%. The net cash flows for life of the mine to $381 million, up from $259 million.
The capital for the project would be repaid from cash flows after just 13 months of operation, previously 18 months.
Capital costs are estimated at $84 million.
The project would produce some 1,393,000 tonnes of ilmenite, 85,000 tonnes of rutile, 193,000 tonnes of zircon and 93,000 tonnes of leucoxene over a twelve year mine life.
Image has commenced a Feasibility Study on the North Perth Basin project.
Environmental consultants are carrying out baseline studies and the environmental permitting of the Atlas deposit, the first of the deposits to be developed.
Bulk samples from the Atlas and Red Gully deposits are being collected in preparation for further metallurgical test work to be carried out during the first quarter 2012.
This test work is expected to demonstrate that metallurgical recoveries for these resources can be improved.
There has been an 80-85 per cent increase in rutile prices and 85-90 per cent projected increase in synthetic rutile prices next year. While zircon prices are expected to flatten early next year after strong increases the last few years.
The pigments are used in paints and other building materials and then on-sold to China and other developing countries.
While new supply is coming on stream, the new suppliers will simply help satisfy the demand growth out of China.
The key markets for zircon, a product used in ceramics and tiles, are generally outside of the regions affected by the current sovereign debt issues. zircon in particular, the ceramic-centric cultures, the tile-centric cultures tend to be Latin American, Asian, Islamic and the Middle East.
With very strong demand for minerals sands products the outlook for Image's North Perth Basin mineral sands project is very solid based on projected financial returns.
If Iluka is anything to go by, Image presents a real opportunity for investors with booming mineral sands prices and demand for rutile and zircon.
Iluka is up more than 470 per cent since the lows of July 2009 and is up more than 86 per cent since January. In comparison, the ASX 200 index is down about 13 per cent this year.
While Iluka is an industry leader, it was not always the case and in 2009 was down and almost out. For keen investors, there is an opportunity to potentially catch a wave with Image riding high demand for minerals sands products as it moves closer to development of its Perth Basin mineral sands project.
2011年12月29日星期四
2011年12月28日星期三
Family’s new home plea over asbestos
A FORMER soldier fighting a legal battle against a housing association has received the backing of Melton Royal British Legion.
Nigel Grant, of Winster Crescent, Melton, is making a desperate plea to the Loughborough-based De Montfort Housing Society to re-home him and his family from their current property which he claims is ‘covered’ in black mould. He is also concerned about levels of asbestos in the property’s flooring.
At Mr Grant’s request the society has made the decision to rip up all the tiles from the dining room, living room, downstairs hallway and cupboard under the stairs. It also plans to rip out the fireplace, which has patches of black mould, and inspect the living room floor for damp.
However, the association has refused to rehome Mr Grant’s family while work is being carried out for a week from January 9, and once work is finished it will not be providing replacement tiles.
The father-of-three, who served his country in Iraq during 2008, fears his family’s health may be affected if they are forced to remain in the property and is working with the Royal British Legion to try to resolve the issue.
He said: “I have researched the affects of asbestos and mould exposure and am very concerned.
“My children suffer from chronic asthma and my four- month-old son Lochlan has developed a bad cough.
“I am doing all I can to ensure my family has somewhere safe to live but feel like I’m just going round in circles and it’s putting an unimaginable amount of stress on myself and my partner Elaine Godfrey.”
Mr Grant has raised his concerns with Melton Council. Environmental protection and safety manager Victoria Clarke said: “Asbestos should not be removed unnecessarily as it can be more dangerous than leaving it in place. We are therefore liaising with the housing association to ensure the work is carried out safely.”
Said Gurmeet Virdi, director of operations for De Montfort Housing Society, said: “We have discussed with the family whether or not they would prefer to stay in a bed and breakfast at our expense on the first night while the tiles are removed and will carry out air tests to check that it is safe before they move back in.”
Nigel Grant, of Winster Crescent, Melton, is making a desperate plea to the Loughborough-based De Montfort Housing Society to re-home him and his family from their current property which he claims is ‘covered’ in black mould. He is also concerned about levels of asbestos in the property’s flooring.
At Mr Grant’s request the society has made the decision to rip up all the tiles from the dining room, living room, downstairs hallway and cupboard under the stairs. It also plans to rip out the fireplace, which has patches of black mould, and inspect the living room floor for damp.
However, the association has refused to rehome Mr Grant’s family while work is being carried out for a week from January 9, and once work is finished it will not be providing replacement tiles.
The father-of-three, who served his country in Iraq during 2008, fears his family’s health may be affected if they are forced to remain in the property and is working with the Royal British Legion to try to resolve the issue.
He said: “I have researched the affects of asbestos and mould exposure and am very concerned.
“My children suffer from chronic asthma and my four- month-old son Lochlan has developed a bad cough.
“I am doing all I can to ensure my family has somewhere safe to live but feel like I’m just going round in circles and it’s putting an unimaginable amount of stress on myself and my partner Elaine Godfrey.”
Mr Grant has raised his concerns with Melton Council. Environmental protection and safety manager Victoria Clarke said: “Asbestos should not be removed unnecessarily as it can be more dangerous than leaving it in place. We are therefore liaising with the housing association to ensure the work is carried out safely.”
Said Gurmeet Virdi, director of operations for De Montfort Housing Society, said: “We have discussed with the family whether or not they would prefer to stay in a bed and breakfast at our expense on the first night while the tiles are removed and will carry out air tests to check that it is safe before they move back in.”
2011年12月27日星期二
Sanderson Street fire one of many this season
Thirty-one people have been left homeless in a rash of fires throughout the area since Christmas Day. This morning 13 more people were added to that list after some Sanderson Street residents woke up to find the three family home on fire just before 6:30 this morning.
"I woke up to my dog barking and then I came outside and the alarms went off. And in the kitchen the furnace was on fire," fire victim Coral Carattini said.
Carattini lives in the first floor apartment where the fire started. Officials tell CBS 3 Springfield the furnace duct work overheated, igniting the first story home and sending flames throughout the building.
"I could see them coming through my wall in the outside," second floor resident, Pedro Torres, said.
The fire was put out in just about 30 minutes. And although all the residents escaped they're now left homeless as the Red Cross assists in getting them shelter.
"This morning with the 13 we helped them meet their emergency housing needs. If they didn't have a place to stay we were able to find them lodging where they're safe and warm," Red Cross Director of Disaster Services, Mary Nathan, said.
According to Nathan, the winter months tend to be the most challenging.
"We're averaging about 100 fires a year and most of them are from Nov. 1 to March. It goes along the heating season," Nathan said.
But there are ways to make yourself safer during these cold months. Here's a list of safety tips courtesy of the Red Cross:
If you must use a space heater, place it on a level, hard and nonflammable surface (such as ceramic tile floor), not on rugs or carpets or near bedding or drapes. Keep children and pets away from space heaters.
Keep all potential sources of fuel like paper, clothing, bedding or rugs at least three feet away from space heaters, stoves, or fireplaces.
Portable heaters and fireplaces should never be left unattended. Turn off space heaters and make sure any embers in the fireplace are extinguished before going to bed or leaving home.
Never use a cooking range or oven to heat your home.
Keep fire in your fireplace by using a glass or metal fire screen large enough to catch sparks and rolling logs.
Never leave cooking food unattended.
Stay in the kitchen when you are frying, grilling, or broiling food. If you must leave the kitchen for even a short period of time, turn off the stove.
If you are simmering, baking, boiling, or roasting food, check it regularly, remain in the home while food is cooking, and use a timer to remind yourself that the stove or oven is on.
Avoid wearing loose clothing or dangling sleeves while cooking.
Keep kids away from cooking areas by enforcing a "kid-free zone" of three feet around the stove.
Keep anything that can catch on fire—pot holders, oven mitts, wooden utensils, paper or plastic bags, food packaging, and towels or curtains—away from your stove top and oven or any other appliance in the kitchen that generates heat.
Consider purchasing a fire extinguisher to keep in your kitchen. Contact your local fire department to take training on the proper use of extinguishers.
Always check the kitchen before going to bed or leaving the home to make sure all stoves, ovens, and small appliances are turned off.
Smoke alarms save lives. Install a smoke alarm near your kitchen, on each level of your home, near sleeping areas, and inside and outside bedrooms if you sleep with doors closed. Use the test button to check it each month. Replace all batteries at least once a year.
Remember that lit candles are fire. Keep them at least 12 inches from anything that can burn, such as curtains, bedding, mattresses, paper, books, flammable decorations, clothing, and upholstered furniture.
Always extinguish candles before leaving the room or going to bed. Do not leave a room before blowing out all candles.
Use candle holders that are sturdy, won't tip over easily, are made from a material that cannot burn, and are large enough to collect dripping wax.
Place candles where they cannot be reached or knocked over by pets and children.
During an emergency, always use flashlights and not candles as light sources.
Never leave a child unattended in a room with a candle. And keep all matches and lighters out of reach and out of site of children.
Visit www.redcross.org/homefires for more information on how to keep your home fire safe.
Tips like these could prevent you from losing your home to a devastating fire.
"I woke up to my dog barking and then I came outside and the alarms went off. And in the kitchen the furnace was on fire," fire victim Coral Carattini said.
Carattini lives in the first floor apartment where the fire started. Officials tell CBS 3 Springfield the furnace duct work overheated, igniting the first story home and sending flames throughout the building.
"I could see them coming through my wall in the outside," second floor resident, Pedro Torres, said.
The fire was put out in just about 30 minutes. And although all the residents escaped they're now left homeless as the Red Cross assists in getting them shelter.
"This morning with the 13 we helped them meet their emergency housing needs. If they didn't have a place to stay we were able to find them lodging where they're safe and warm," Red Cross Director of Disaster Services, Mary Nathan, said.
According to Nathan, the winter months tend to be the most challenging.
"We're averaging about 100 fires a year and most of them are from Nov. 1 to March. It goes along the heating season," Nathan said.
But there are ways to make yourself safer during these cold months. Here's a list of safety tips courtesy of the Red Cross:
If you must use a space heater, place it on a level, hard and nonflammable surface (such as ceramic tile floor), not on rugs or carpets or near bedding or drapes. Keep children and pets away from space heaters.
Keep all potential sources of fuel like paper, clothing, bedding or rugs at least three feet away from space heaters, stoves, or fireplaces.
Portable heaters and fireplaces should never be left unattended. Turn off space heaters and make sure any embers in the fireplace are extinguished before going to bed or leaving home.
Never use a cooking range or oven to heat your home.
Keep fire in your fireplace by using a glass or metal fire screen large enough to catch sparks and rolling logs.
Never leave cooking food unattended.
Stay in the kitchen when you are frying, grilling, or broiling food. If you must leave the kitchen for even a short period of time, turn off the stove.
If you are simmering, baking, boiling, or roasting food, check it regularly, remain in the home while food is cooking, and use a timer to remind yourself that the stove or oven is on.
Avoid wearing loose clothing or dangling sleeves while cooking.
Keep kids away from cooking areas by enforcing a "kid-free zone" of three feet around the stove.
Keep anything that can catch on fire—pot holders, oven mitts, wooden utensils, paper or plastic bags, food packaging, and towels or curtains—away from your stove top and oven or any other appliance in the kitchen that generates heat.
Consider purchasing a fire extinguisher to keep in your kitchen. Contact your local fire department to take training on the proper use of extinguishers.
Always check the kitchen before going to bed or leaving the home to make sure all stoves, ovens, and small appliances are turned off.
Smoke alarms save lives. Install a smoke alarm near your kitchen, on each level of your home, near sleeping areas, and inside and outside bedrooms if you sleep with doors closed. Use the test button to check it each month. Replace all batteries at least once a year.
Remember that lit candles are fire. Keep them at least 12 inches from anything that can burn, such as curtains, bedding, mattresses, paper, books, flammable decorations, clothing, and upholstered furniture.
Always extinguish candles before leaving the room or going to bed. Do not leave a room before blowing out all candles.
Use candle holders that are sturdy, won't tip over easily, are made from a material that cannot burn, and are large enough to collect dripping wax.
Place candles where they cannot be reached or knocked over by pets and children.
During an emergency, always use flashlights and not candles as light sources.
Never leave a child unattended in a room with a candle. And keep all matches and lighters out of reach and out of site of children.
Visit www.redcross.org/homefires for more information on how to keep your home fire safe.
Tips like these could prevent you from losing your home to a devastating fire.
2011年12月26日星期一
A view of Italy
Today we wrap up our discussion on balconies with a little construction strategy.
First, your balcony will consist of a cantilever-style structure, which, like the nose on your face, will simply protrude from the exterior wall.
Supporting a balcony via pillars or fibreglass columns from below would certainly be an easier strategy to follow, construction wise, and would certainly suit a home where the balcony was placed over the front entrance, however, pillar support is not quite the style we're shooting for.
Will our balcony not need some type of support system? Of course, if you're in the blueprint stage of your future new home, your architect will be able to modify the floor system so that the engineered joists extend past the exterior wall the desired number of feet, or that the joists be designed to accept some form of steel framework.
When adding a balcony to an existing home, whereby the use of columns underneath is not possible, or just not desired, then the manner of installation will have to be examined by a contractor and further okayed by an engineer, in order for you to get a permit.
A cantilever-style balcony isn't like any other deck, since the outer perimeter will seemingly be defying gravity. Realizing that nothing defies gravity, at least not for long, a support structure (as unintrusive as possible) will need to be installed underneath the balcony platform. This support structure should, no doubt, be made of steel, to ensure a long lasting, maintenance free quality.
If the steel's angled support structure isn't in line with the style or decor of the home, the beams could be easily covered with foam mouldings. These mouldings would, in turn, be coated with a stucco-type product that would duplicate the texture of stone or concrete.
Or, you could conceal the supports in true Italian fashion with the always classic statue of Zeus or Atlas, whereby the statue's form, usually starting at the waistline, protrudes from the wall.
The stylish effect of your platform resting on Atlas' shoulder, with arms raised in support, would be impressive indeed.
Now, if the likes of Zeus, Atlas, or any of the Greek or Roman gods, don't hold any great historical or ancestral significance to you, but you still like the statue idea, perhaps the likes of Big Joe Mufferaw, or Canadian strongman Louis Cyr, or Cornwall's legendary football great Moe Racine, would provide that statuesque, yet closer to home, desired effect.
The challenge, of course, would lie in finding a sculptor, a profession that really lost its market about 500 years ago.
Balcony framework?
I like the steel frame, poured concrete floor best.
Steel is forever, and so is the concrete, especially if it's coated with a porcelain or slate tile.
Railing systems?
Again, consider the maintenance free, everlasting quality of steel, aluminum or cast iron spindles.
What about glass?
Glass looks great, but may not suit your traditional or formal stone type home, and would definitely clash with your Moe Racine, dueling statue support system. However, for a contemporary home, glass panels are perfect.
First step to balcony success?
Contact your contractor and explain your vision. If this initial visit is positive, meet with your engineer, since the project will require some structural expertise.
If all goes as planned, you're well on your way to a very special home feature indeed.
First, your balcony will consist of a cantilever-style structure, which, like the nose on your face, will simply protrude from the exterior wall.
Supporting a balcony via pillars or fibreglass columns from below would certainly be an easier strategy to follow, construction wise, and would certainly suit a home where the balcony was placed over the front entrance, however, pillar support is not quite the style we're shooting for.
Will our balcony not need some type of support system? Of course, if you're in the blueprint stage of your future new home, your architect will be able to modify the floor system so that the engineered joists extend past the exterior wall the desired number of feet, or that the joists be designed to accept some form of steel framework.
When adding a balcony to an existing home, whereby the use of columns underneath is not possible, or just not desired, then the manner of installation will have to be examined by a contractor and further okayed by an engineer, in order for you to get a permit.
A cantilever-style balcony isn't like any other deck, since the outer perimeter will seemingly be defying gravity. Realizing that nothing defies gravity, at least not for long, a support structure (as unintrusive as possible) will need to be installed underneath the balcony platform. This support structure should, no doubt, be made of steel, to ensure a long lasting, maintenance free quality.
If the steel's angled support structure isn't in line with the style or decor of the home, the beams could be easily covered with foam mouldings. These mouldings would, in turn, be coated with a stucco-type product that would duplicate the texture of stone or concrete.
Or, you could conceal the supports in true Italian fashion with the always classic statue of Zeus or Atlas, whereby the statue's form, usually starting at the waistline, protrudes from the wall.
The stylish effect of your platform resting on Atlas' shoulder, with arms raised in support, would be impressive indeed.
Now, if the likes of Zeus, Atlas, or any of the Greek or Roman gods, don't hold any great historical or ancestral significance to you, but you still like the statue idea, perhaps the likes of Big Joe Mufferaw, or Canadian strongman Louis Cyr, or Cornwall's legendary football great Moe Racine, would provide that statuesque, yet closer to home, desired effect.
The challenge, of course, would lie in finding a sculptor, a profession that really lost its market about 500 years ago.
Balcony framework?
I like the steel frame, poured concrete floor best.
Steel is forever, and so is the concrete, especially if it's coated with a porcelain or slate tile.
Railing systems?
Again, consider the maintenance free, everlasting quality of steel, aluminum or cast iron spindles.
What about glass?
Glass looks great, but may not suit your traditional or formal stone type home, and would definitely clash with your Moe Racine, dueling statue support system. However, for a contemporary home, glass panels are perfect.
First step to balcony success?
Contact your contractor and explain your vision. If this initial visit is positive, meet with your engineer, since the project will require some structural expertise.
If all goes as planned, you're well on your way to a very special home feature indeed.
2011年12月25日星期日
When it comes to flooring, it’s comfort vs. cost
Watch any episode of HGTV’s House Hunters and it’s clear that hardwood floors provide the ‘wow’ factor for those in pursuit of a new home.
Local flooring salespeople agree, saying that hardwood floors, or their look-a-like laminates, are top sellers.
Real hardwood floors are still big in newly constructed homes, said Vicki Crook, office manager at Valley Carpet in Bay City.
But homeowners that are remodeling and upgrading floors prefer laminates, Crook said.
Laminate floors look like real wood, are one-half-inch thick or less, and with their floating, tongue-in-groove, snap-in construction, can be easily installed overtop of existing floors.
But their best feature may be that they are scratch and dent resistant, making them ideal for families with children, pets, or both.
“The only thing more durable than a laminate is ceramic tile,” Crook said.
A home may have an existing wood floor that has been carpeted for many years and is in poor condition. Covering the floor with a laminate is often easier and not nearly as messy as tearing the floor out or sanding it down.
Laminate floors cost less, too, Crook said.
“They’re less expensive than real wood, which has to be nailed, stapled or glued,” she said.
Don Grubb, owner of D & R Floor Covering, 515 Vance Road, said that while he sells a lot of wood laminate floors, the real deal is the first choice for his customers.
“It’s a good value,” Grubb said. “It’s something that is pretty much a permanent floor for the home, as compared to carpeting or vinyl, which would be more temporary. Wood also has a natural beauty and warmth that you can’t get with vinyl.”
But vinyl has become a more popular option over the last year or so, Crook said. Vinyl is less expensive, is durable and easy to maintain, she said. Another reason for its comeback may be that in an uncertain economy people often will go back to something they know and trust, she said.
Engineered wood flooring is made by pressing and gluing several layers of plastic laminate veneer and real wood together. It is different from a laminate floor in that laminate does not contain any real wood.
It’s advantage is that it has the beauty of a solid wood floor, but is more stable in areas where there is high humidity, Grubb said. It is perfect for homes that are located next to lakes, he said, and can be used in basements.
But it’s not necessarily less expensive, he said.
“It really takes more of a manufacturing process to create them,” he said.
When buying engineered flooring, look for a surface layer that is at least two millimeters thick, he said.
Whether installing a hardwood, laminate or engineered floor, a homeowner will have to decide what color to use. In general, light-colored woods may be more stylish in casual rooms, while darker stains may look better in more formal rooms. But, as with most decorating choices, a homeowner’s budget and personal style are what matter most.
The hardness of the wood is also important, with Brazilian cherry being one of the most durable flooring woods, according to the Janka system, which assigns a rating based on how much force is needed to embed a steel ball into the wood.
Flooring is also graded on things such as color, grain and markings. Wood that is harder and more consistent in grain and color tends to be more expensive.
While hardwood and laminate floors remain the No. 1 choice for homeowners, carpeting also remains a top seller, Crook said, especially in bedrooms.
“People like the warm and fuzzy under their feet when they get up in the morning,” she said.
Rubber floors made from recycled tires and floors made from cork are also being used in more homes, Crook said. Both eco-friendly choices are attractive, are easy to clean and maintain and feel warm, offering some insulation.
Local flooring salespeople agree, saying that hardwood floors, or their look-a-like laminates, are top sellers.
Real hardwood floors are still big in newly constructed homes, said Vicki Crook, office manager at Valley Carpet in Bay City.
But homeowners that are remodeling and upgrading floors prefer laminates, Crook said.
Laminate floors look like real wood, are one-half-inch thick or less, and with their floating, tongue-in-groove, snap-in construction, can be easily installed overtop of existing floors.
But their best feature may be that they are scratch and dent resistant, making them ideal for families with children, pets, or both.
“The only thing more durable than a laminate is ceramic tile,” Crook said.
A home may have an existing wood floor that has been carpeted for many years and is in poor condition. Covering the floor with a laminate is often easier and not nearly as messy as tearing the floor out or sanding it down.
Laminate floors cost less, too, Crook said.
“They’re less expensive than real wood, which has to be nailed, stapled or glued,” she said.
Don Grubb, owner of D & R Floor Covering, 515 Vance Road, said that while he sells a lot of wood laminate floors, the real deal is the first choice for his customers.
“It’s a good value,” Grubb said. “It’s something that is pretty much a permanent floor for the home, as compared to carpeting or vinyl, which would be more temporary. Wood also has a natural beauty and warmth that you can’t get with vinyl.”
But vinyl has become a more popular option over the last year or so, Crook said. Vinyl is less expensive, is durable and easy to maintain, she said. Another reason for its comeback may be that in an uncertain economy people often will go back to something they know and trust, she said.
Engineered wood flooring is made by pressing and gluing several layers of plastic laminate veneer and real wood together. It is different from a laminate floor in that laminate does not contain any real wood.
It’s advantage is that it has the beauty of a solid wood floor, but is more stable in areas where there is high humidity, Grubb said. It is perfect for homes that are located next to lakes, he said, and can be used in basements.
But it’s not necessarily less expensive, he said.
“It really takes more of a manufacturing process to create them,” he said.
When buying engineered flooring, look for a surface layer that is at least two millimeters thick, he said.
Whether installing a hardwood, laminate or engineered floor, a homeowner will have to decide what color to use. In general, light-colored woods may be more stylish in casual rooms, while darker stains may look better in more formal rooms. But, as with most decorating choices, a homeowner’s budget and personal style are what matter most.
The hardness of the wood is also important, with Brazilian cherry being one of the most durable flooring woods, according to the Janka system, which assigns a rating based on how much force is needed to embed a steel ball into the wood.
Flooring is also graded on things such as color, grain and markings. Wood that is harder and more consistent in grain and color tends to be more expensive.
While hardwood and laminate floors remain the No. 1 choice for homeowners, carpeting also remains a top seller, Crook said, especially in bedrooms.
“People like the warm and fuzzy under their feet when they get up in the morning,” she said.
Rubber floors made from recycled tires and floors made from cork are also being used in more homes, Crook said. Both eco-friendly choices are attractive, are easy to clean and maintain and feel warm, offering some insulation.
2011年12月22日星期四
Shaw Achieves LEED Gold Certification for Georgia Facility
Shaw Industries Group, Inc. today announced it has received Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Gold Certification from the United States Green Building Council (USGBC) for Plant 95, an administrative facility on its corporate campus in Dalton.
Plant 95 is the first building in Dalton to achieve certification under the LEED Existing Buildings: Operations and Maintenance rating system, and the second Shaw facility to achieve LEED certification. The 32,335 square foot facility was previously first privately owned building in Dalton to achieve the US EPA Energy Star rating.
“The social and environmental responsibility of all our facilities is a fundamental part of our commitment to sustainability. We are continually assessing the infrastructure and processes at all our facilities to find new ways to increase water and energy efficiency, and to reduce the overall impact of our buildings,” Shaw Corporate Facilities Director Jason Bowling said. “Plant 95 is a great example of this commitment – our consistent investment in improving the environmental responsibility of this facility made LEED certification a logical next step.”
According to Bowling, the high level of energy efficiency that helped the building garner Energy Star also made a significant contribution towards the building’s LEED rating. Shaw Corporate Facilities Manager Rhonda Allen, one of the project leaders, agreed. “Thanks to the building’s already high efficiency, achieving LEED certification did not require extensive capital investment; instead, we simply had to work with USGBC to provide the appropriate documentation and tracking for the work we had already done,” Allen said.
In addition to energy efficiency, the building scored very highly in several other areas of the rating system, including water efficiency, water efficient landscaping, environmentally responsible sourcing and purchasing, green cleaning, waste reduction and recycling, and lighting, according to Allen.
“Plant 95 is now serving as a model for moving other Shaw facilities towards the LEED standard,” she said.
“Sustainable organizations require sustainable facilities,” said Shaw Vice President of Sustainability Paul Murray. “Achieving LEED certification for our key buildings is one of the many ways we are working to ensure we’re upholding the most rigorous standards for environmental efficiency in all facets of our business – from product to manufacturing to our physical infrastructure.”
Shaw’s Patcraft brand achieved LEED Gold certification for its Chicago showroom in early 2010, and several other Shaw facilities are currently at some stage of the LEED certification process, including two additional facilities in Dalton and the Shaw Contract Group showroom in Shanghai, Murray said.
Shaw Industries, a subsidiary of Berkshire Hathaway, Inc., is the world's largest carpet manufacturer and a leading floor covering provider with more than $4 billion in annual sales and approximately 24,000 associates. Headquartered in Dalton, Ga., the company manufactures and distributes carpeting, rugs, hardwood, laminate and ceramic tile for residential and commercial applications worldwide.
Plant 95 is the first building in Dalton to achieve certification under the LEED Existing Buildings: Operations and Maintenance rating system, and the second Shaw facility to achieve LEED certification. The 32,335 square foot facility was previously first privately owned building in Dalton to achieve the US EPA Energy Star rating.
“The social and environmental responsibility of all our facilities is a fundamental part of our commitment to sustainability. We are continually assessing the infrastructure and processes at all our facilities to find new ways to increase water and energy efficiency, and to reduce the overall impact of our buildings,” Shaw Corporate Facilities Director Jason Bowling said. “Plant 95 is a great example of this commitment – our consistent investment in improving the environmental responsibility of this facility made LEED certification a logical next step.”
According to Bowling, the high level of energy efficiency that helped the building garner Energy Star also made a significant contribution towards the building’s LEED rating. Shaw Corporate Facilities Manager Rhonda Allen, one of the project leaders, agreed. “Thanks to the building’s already high efficiency, achieving LEED certification did not require extensive capital investment; instead, we simply had to work with USGBC to provide the appropriate documentation and tracking for the work we had already done,” Allen said.
In addition to energy efficiency, the building scored very highly in several other areas of the rating system, including water efficiency, water efficient landscaping, environmentally responsible sourcing and purchasing, green cleaning, waste reduction and recycling, and lighting, according to Allen.
“Plant 95 is now serving as a model for moving other Shaw facilities towards the LEED standard,” she said.
“Sustainable organizations require sustainable facilities,” said Shaw Vice President of Sustainability Paul Murray. “Achieving LEED certification for our key buildings is one of the many ways we are working to ensure we’re upholding the most rigorous standards for environmental efficiency in all facets of our business – from product to manufacturing to our physical infrastructure.”
Shaw’s Patcraft brand achieved LEED Gold certification for its Chicago showroom in early 2010, and several other Shaw facilities are currently at some stage of the LEED certification process, including two additional facilities in Dalton and the Shaw Contract Group showroom in Shanghai, Murray said.
Shaw Industries, a subsidiary of Berkshire Hathaway, Inc., is the world's largest carpet manufacturer and a leading floor covering provider with more than $4 billion in annual sales and approximately 24,000 associates. Headquartered in Dalton, Ga., the company manufactures and distributes carpeting, rugs, hardwood, laminate and ceramic tile for residential and commercial applications worldwide.
2011年12月21日星期三
"Survivor South Pacific" Finale Recap And Final Thoughts
After 39 days of close challenges, blindsides, dumb moves, and a whole lot of Bible-thumping, we finally have our winner for "Survivor: South Pacific." We have two hours of events to talk about so let's get right into it.
We start with Brandon arriving at Redemption Island and explaining his dumb move in the last episode. Ozzy notes that Brandon wasn't playing a game built around loyalty, but rather around blind faith, and that blind faith was not in God but in people that wanted to win a million dollars way more than he did.
Over at Te Tuna, the remaining Upolus try to gather themselves after a very turbulent Tribal Council, and Albert angers Coach when he says he had no idea that Brandon was going home. This, of course, is not true, since Coach and Albert had discussed who they were going to vote out at that Tribal Council and Coach had told Albert in no uncertain terms that he was targeting Brandon no matter what. Coach then goes off on a rant about how he is sick of people "being holier-than-thou" and not owning up to their deception, and he yells at Albert for not being straight with him. The entire discussion can be summed up like this:
The next day, Ozzy and Brandon receive tree mail telling them that they are about to compete in the final Redemption Duel. They head over to the arena where Jeff Probst explains that the challenge is a simple endurance test: cling onto a pole for as long as you can. They will start at the top of the pole, and there are several notches along the pole for them to slide down onto in case they lose their footing. Last person standing gets back in the game. After 45 minutes, both players were struggling to hang on, but Brandon fell down first and became the seventh juror, while Ozzy returned to the game for a second time.
Brandon left the game saying he forgives the people that backstabbed him and will leave the game with his head held high. After all the emotional turmoil he experienced in this game, I hope Brandon will be able to take this and become a better person, but let's face it: until he made that final dumb move, he made for horrible television. Hopefully this will convince the casting team to stop being lazy and picking people based on nepotism. I don't want another Hantz on this show, and neither do a lot of people.
With Ozzy back at the Te Tuna camp, Coach immediately sits down with him and reaffirms the final three deal he made with Ozzy on Redemption Island. He tells Ozzy that if he wins the next immunity, he will give him his hidden immunity idol and keep him safe. Ozzy nods his head through the whole discussion, but in an confessional he admits he does not buy anything Coach says. Coach thinks it is his game to lose because everyone wants to take him to the final three. Did it ever occur to him that the reason everyone is sticking with him is that, one, he has the idol and therefore no one dares to target him, and two, the jury probably doesn't like him because of his honor speeches?
Now it's time for the first of two immunity challenges. In this challenge, the players must use their left arm to pull down on a pulley that will level out a balancing board. Then, using their right hand, they must use wooden tiles to create a tower tall enough to pass a red marker. They each have a limited number of tiles, and if they do not keep the pulley steady, the board will tilt and the tower will fall over. First player to create a tower tall enough to reach the required height wins immunity.
The game starts, and Coach, Sophie, and Ozzy pull away from Albert and Rick. Then, Coach's tower falls over while Ozzy and Sophie run out of tiles to use, forcing them to take apart some of their tower and find a new approach. In the process of rebuilding, both Ozzy and Sophie lose some tiles as they fall to the ground and out of their reach. Sophie asks Albert to drop his stack and help her by picking up her tiles. Albert refuses and Sophie begins yelling at him until Probst reminds her that this is an individual challenge and no one is allowed to help each other. "If you want Ozzy out of this game," he says, "Beat him."
Eventually, Sophie's tower falls again, leaving it race between Ozzy and Coach, and in a season filled with close, riveting challenges, this one was incredibly fun to watch. You can see the sweat pouring down both of the vets' faces as they slowly place more tiles on their stacks. After a long, tense struggle, Ozzy finishes his stack first, and with a victorious punch to destroy his stack, celebrates another challenge victory while the Upolus prepare to do some scrambling.
Back at camp, Coach and Albert discuss voting out Rick, since both of them feel that the jury would vote for him because they like him and his work ethic. Ozzy, however, isn't going to let it be that easy, and he plans to sow seeds of discontent amongst his competitors. He proposes to Albert that they vote out Sophie because she is a brat, and he uses her behavior at the challenge as an example. He then tells Albert about his final three deal with Ozzy. When Albert confronts Coach with this information, Coach simply responds by saying that he can't wait to get Ozzy out of the game.
At Tribal Council, everything is put out on the table, including the Coach/Ozzy deal and Ozzy's belief that Sophie is a brat. The latter especially hurts Sophie, as Ozzy tells her that while he was on Redemption Island, every person that talked with him called her arrogant, spoiled, and childish. That was a little brow-raising for me. I never saw Sophie that way, but it could be because I was too focused on people like Brandon and Cochran to notice. Sophie breaks down and says this is the first time she has ever been called such things, and that it is really hard to hear Ozzy make such personal statements.
We start with Brandon arriving at Redemption Island and explaining his dumb move in the last episode. Ozzy notes that Brandon wasn't playing a game built around loyalty, but rather around blind faith, and that blind faith was not in God but in people that wanted to win a million dollars way more than he did.
Over at Te Tuna, the remaining Upolus try to gather themselves after a very turbulent Tribal Council, and Albert angers Coach when he says he had no idea that Brandon was going home. This, of course, is not true, since Coach and Albert had discussed who they were going to vote out at that Tribal Council and Coach had told Albert in no uncertain terms that he was targeting Brandon no matter what. Coach then goes off on a rant about how he is sick of people "being holier-than-thou" and not owning up to their deception, and he yells at Albert for not being straight with him. The entire discussion can be summed up like this:
The next day, Ozzy and Brandon receive tree mail telling them that they are about to compete in the final Redemption Duel. They head over to the arena where Jeff Probst explains that the challenge is a simple endurance test: cling onto a pole for as long as you can. They will start at the top of the pole, and there are several notches along the pole for them to slide down onto in case they lose their footing. Last person standing gets back in the game. After 45 minutes, both players were struggling to hang on, but Brandon fell down first and became the seventh juror, while Ozzy returned to the game for a second time.
Brandon left the game saying he forgives the people that backstabbed him and will leave the game with his head held high. After all the emotional turmoil he experienced in this game, I hope Brandon will be able to take this and become a better person, but let's face it: until he made that final dumb move, he made for horrible television. Hopefully this will convince the casting team to stop being lazy and picking people based on nepotism. I don't want another Hantz on this show, and neither do a lot of people.
With Ozzy back at the Te Tuna camp, Coach immediately sits down with him and reaffirms the final three deal he made with Ozzy on Redemption Island. He tells Ozzy that if he wins the next immunity, he will give him his hidden immunity idol and keep him safe. Ozzy nods his head through the whole discussion, but in an confessional he admits he does not buy anything Coach says. Coach thinks it is his game to lose because everyone wants to take him to the final three. Did it ever occur to him that the reason everyone is sticking with him is that, one, he has the idol and therefore no one dares to target him, and two, the jury probably doesn't like him because of his honor speeches?
Now it's time for the first of two immunity challenges. In this challenge, the players must use their left arm to pull down on a pulley that will level out a balancing board. Then, using their right hand, they must use wooden tiles to create a tower tall enough to pass a red marker. They each have a limited number of tiles, and if they do not keep the pulley steady, the board will tilt and the tower will fall over. First player to create a tower tall enough to reach the required height wins immunity.
The game starts, and Coach, Sophie, and Ozzy pull away from Albert and Rick. Then, Coach's tower falls over while Ozzy and Sophie run out of tiles to use, forcing them to take apart some of their tower and find a new approach. In the process of rebuilding, both Ozzy and Sophie lose some tiles as they fall to the ground and out of their reach. Sophie asks Albert to drop his stack and help her by picking up her tiles. Albert refuses and Sophie begins yelling at him until Probst reminds her that this is an individual challenge and no one is allowed to help each other. "If you want Ozzy out of this game," he says, "Beat him."
Eventually, Sophie's tower falls again, leaving it race between Ozzy and Coach, and in a season filled with close, riveting challenges, this one was incredibly fun to watch. You can see the sweat pouring down both of the vets' faces as they slowly place more tiles on their stacks. After a long, tense struggle, Ozzy finishes his stack first, and with a victorious punch to destroy his stack, celebrates another challenge victory while the Upolus prepare to do some scrambling.
Back at camp, Coach and Albert discuss voting out Rick, since both of them feel that the jury would vote for him because they like him and his work ethic. Ozzy, however, isn't going to let it be that easy, and he plans to sow seeds of discontent amongst his competitors. He proposes to Albert that they vote out Sophie because she is a brat, and he uses her behavior at the challenge as an example. He then tells Albert about his final three deal with Ozzy. When Albert confronts Coach with this information, Coach simply responds by saying that he can't wait to get Ozzy out of the game.
At Tribal Council, everything is put out on the table, including the Coach/Ozzy deal and Ozzy's belief that Sophie is a brat. The latter especially hurts Sophie, as Ozzy tells her that while he was on Redemption Island, every person that talked with him called her arrogant, spoiled, and childish. That was a little brow-raising for me. I never saw Sophie that way, but it could be because I was too focused on people like Brandon and Cochran to notice. Sophie breaks down and says this is the first time she has ever been called such things, and that it is really hard to hear Ozzy make such personal statements.
2011年12月20日星期二
Ceramic Harmony is observing 25 years of old world ambiance in tile and stone
Twenty-five years in business. Twenty-five years of selling tile and stone for bathrooms, kitchens and other rooms.
In the beginning, Ceramic Harmony was a small tile-setting shop at the corner of Airport Road and South Parkway in southeast Huntsville.
Today, it's in a 12,000-square-foot facility at 11317 S. Parkway. Out front, the marquee proclaims, "Old world ambiance in tile and stone.''
There's a large showroom and a fabrication shop, where upscale installations - including a stone hood that's 62 inches long - are made for kitchens, bathrooms and floors.
"It used to be, when we first started, there was hardly any tile 25 years ago," said Werner Stark, Ceramic Harmony's owner and president. "There was standard tile.
"When we came in town, we brought in materials and stone from Italy, Germany and Spain.''
By and by, there was "a lot of ceramic tile in the early 1990s,'' Stark said. In the last 10 or 15 years, he said, the trend was more marble, granite and stone.
"Nowadays," he said, "our business consists of 50 percent stone and 50 percent tile."
Nowadays, Ceramic Harmony is observing its 25-year anniversary in business.
It was started in 1986 by Dr. Klaus and Leka Medenbach. Stark's involvement in the business began that year, after he responded to Medenbach's ad in a tile magazine.
Medenbach was looking for a master craftsman, as Stark recalled. He was plenty qualified, having completed four years of training in Europe.
His roots in the business were deep. Stark's father had operated a similar business in southern Germany, near Stuttgart, and Werner had risen to become its chief executive officer.
But he had always wanted to come to America.
Ultimately, he left the family business to move to Florida. After four weeks there, he returned to Germany, uncertain of where his career was headed.
"You have to have a dream, and it will come true if you stick to it," Stark said.
In his case, it was realized after he saw Medenbach's ad in the tile magazine. He responded to the ad and joined the company within a couple of weeks.
There have been challenges in the company's 25 years.
In November 1989, for instance, the showroom had recently been remodeled when a tornado barreled down Airport Road, destroying the showroom and office.
By 1998, though, Ceramic Harmony's business was such that it needed a larger location. The opening of the company's first fabrication shop on Triana Boulevard in the early 1990s had helped expand operations.
Today, many of Ceramic Harmony's customers are seeking the "wow effect," as Stark calls it. An example is one customer who told him, "I want a (master) bathroom where people come in and just go 'wow.' "
Price of that master bathroom: $80,000, said Stark's brother, Jim, who handles business operations.
"That's top of the line," Werner Stark said. "$60,000 to $70,000 is common."
But there are also the more moderately priced projects.
"Over the years, the customer base is people can't afford $80,000 (bathrooms), but they save up their money and they want something nice,'' Stark said. "They come to us. They know it's done right and ever-lasting, and it looks beautiful."
In the beginning, Ceramic Harmony was a small tile-setting shop at the corner of Airport Road and South Parkway in southeast Huntsville.
Today, it's in a 12,000-square-foot facility at 11317 S. Parkway. Out front, the marquee proclaims, "Old world ambiance in tile and stone.''
There's a large showroom and a fabrication shop, where upscale installations - including a stone hood that's 62 inches long - are made for kitchens, bathrooms and floors.
"It used to be, when we first started, there was hardly any tile 25 years ago," said Werner Stark, Ceramic Harmony's owner and president. "There was standard tile.
"When we came in town, we brought in materials and stone from Italy, Germany and Spain.''
By and by, there was "a lot of ceramic tile in the early 1990s,'' Stark said. In the last 10 or 15 years, he said, the trend was more marble, granite and stone.
"Nowadays," he said, "our business consists of 50 percent stone and 50 percent tile."
Nowadays, Ceramic Harmony is observing its 25-year anniversary in business.
It was started in 1986 by Dr. Klaus and Leka Medenbach. Stark's involvement in the business began that year, after he responded to Medenbach's ad in a tile magazine.
Medenbach was looking for a master craftsman, as Stark recalled. He was plenty qualified, having completed four years of training in Europe.
His roots in the business were deep. Stark's father had operated a similar business in southern Germany, near Stuttgart, and Werner had risen to become its chief executive officer.
But he had always wanted to come to America.
Ultimately, he left the family business to move to Florida. After four weeks there, he returned to Germany, uncertain of where his career was headed.
"You have to have a dream, and it will come true if you stick to it," Stark said.
In his case, it was realized after he saw Medenbach's ad in the tile magazine. He responded to the ad and joined the company within a couple of weeks.
There have been challenges in the company's 25 years.
In November 1989, for instance, the showroom had recently been remodeled when a tornado barreled down Airport Road, destroying the showroom and office.
By 1998, though, Ceramic Harmony's business was such that it needed a larger location. The opening of the company's first fabrication shop on Triana Boulevard in the early 1990s had helped expand operations.
Today, many of Ceramic Harmony's customers are seeking the "wow effect," as Stark calls it. An example is one customer who told him, "I want a (master) bathroom where people come in and just go 'wow.' "
Price of that master bathroom: $80,000, said Stark's brother, Jim, who handles business operations.
"That's top of the line," Werner Stark said. "$60,000 to $70,000 is common."
But there are also the more moderately priced projects.
"Over the years, the customer base is people can't afford $80,000 (bathrooms), but they save up their money and they want something nice,'' Stark said. "They come to us. They know it's done right and ever-lasting, and it looks beautiful."
2011年12月19日星期一
4 Elements HD
For those not satisfied with downloading and playing clever and colourful little games on their phones, now you can download and play them on your console at home. Or, at least you can play 4 Elements. The new block breaking puzzler available on the PlayStation Network.
4 Elements, from developer Boolat Games, is sixty-four levels of high-def brain bending puzzles with a fairy guide, set to a soundtrack of twee fairytale music. And although there is fun, you can’t escape the feeling that you'd get the same fun from a dozen other games on your phone.
Still, like all good puzzle games, 4 Elements HD starts out simple but quickly turns into hours of random controller abuse - or Move controller abuse, if you’re that way inclined. Add to this plenty of muttered profanities, cries of ‘that’s not fair’ and ‘it’s impossible, stupid game’, and you have all the joyous frustrations that are essential to the genre.
The way it works is there are four elements. If you’re an Avatar fan (Aang, not the big blue alternative) you know they are earth, fire, air, and water. You, with the help of your little fairy guide, have to save your kingdom by restoring the power of the 4 elements. And you get to build a picture of a castle as a reward.
At the beginning of each level you get a screen full of little tiles. Your task is to break open a path through the tiles allowing one of the four elements to reach its destination. So you might be getting water to a tree or fire to an alter - you get the idea.
Each of the tiles has a symbol and colour representing one of the elements. What you have to do is find three or more of the same tile in a line. If you click on one, drag the pointer across the others and release, the tiles are destroyed and the water can get that much closer to the tree. Simple enough.
But, like the best games the challenge ramps up quickly, especially when there is no obvious path to follow. What you can do, when you get blocked, is find a line of more then three tiles. Do this and the last in line will explode, taking out all the tiles around it. Even better, the longer the line the bigger the explosion.
As you progress you also get power-ups corresponding to the four elemental colours. Break enough yellow tiles and you can swap two tiles. While other power-ups let you break a tile that you can’t get to, blow up a small area of tiles or rearrange the whole screen.
Add to the mix rocks and ice that block the way, arrows that can clear a path across the whole screen, and enormous levels that you can only see small sections at one time. This can mean that the action gets frantic, as you have to quickly break tiles as you scroll across vast levels. All in all it’s a game that’s enjoyable, clever, and at times surprisingly complex.
But, it’s still a phone app for your console. The story is pointless and the rewards, like adding a fence or sky to the picture of your castle, are a joke. At least I think it’s a joke, because if it’s not - remember there is a fairy guide as well - it makes 4 Elements a game just for seven-year-old girls.
Still, if you like a little Bejeweled, or something like it for your PS3, then 4 Elements is for you. You can blow up blocks, check your scores on the online leader boards and stomp your controller into expensive little pieces of plastic as you time runs out and the sheer mind-melting complexity of the whole thing finally gets the better of you. But, isn’t that the whole point of a good puzzler?
4 Elements, from developer Boolat Games, is sixty-four levels of high-def brain bending puzzles with a fairy guide, set to a soundtrack of twee fairytale music. And although there is fun, you can’t escape the feeling that you'd get the same fun from a dozen other games on your phone.
Still, like all good puzzle games, 4 Elements HD starts out simple but quickly turns into hours of random controller abuse - or Move controller abuse, if you’re that way inclined. Add to this plenty of muttered profanities, cries of ‘that’s not fair’ and ‘it’s impossible, stupid game’, and you have all the joyous frustrations that are essential to the genre.
The way it works is there are four elements. If you’re an Avatar fan (Aang, not the big blue alternative) you know they are earth, fire, air, and water. You, with the help of your little fairy guide, have to save your kingdom by restoring the power of the 4 elements. And you get to build a picture of a castle as a reward.
At the beginning of each level you get a screen full of little tiles. Your task is to break open a path through the tiles allowing one of the four elements to reach its destination. So you might be getting water to a tree or fire to an alter - you get the idea.
Each of the tiles has a symbol and colour representing one of the elements. What you have to do is find three or more of the same tile in a line. If you click on one, drag the pointer across the others and release, the tiles are destroyed and the water can get that much closer to the tree. Simple enough.
But, like the best games the challenge ramps up quickly, especially when there is no obvious path to follow. What you can do, when you get blocked, is find a line of more then three tiles. Do this and the last in line will explode, taking out all the tiles around it. Even better, the longer the line the bigger the explosion.
As you progress you also get power-ups corresponding to the four elemental colours. Break enough yellow tiles and you can swap two tiles. While other power-ups let you break a tile that you can’t get to, blow up a small area of tiles or rearrange the whole screen.
Add to the mix rocks and ice that block the way, arrows that can clear a path across the whole screen, and enormous levels that you can only see small sections at one time. This can mean that the action gets frantic, as you have to quickly break tiles as you scroll across vast levels. All in all it’s a game that’s enjoyable, clever, and at times surprisingly complex.
But, it’s still a phone app for your console. The story is pointless and the rewards, like adding a fence or sky to the picture of your castle, are a joke. At least I think it’s a joke, because if it’s not - remember there is a fairy guide as well - it makes 4 Elements a game just for seven-year-old girls.
Still, if you like a little Bejeweled, or something like it for your PS3, then 4 Elements is for you. You can blow up blocks, check your scores on the online leader boards and stomp your controller into expensive little pieces of plastic as you time runs out and the sheer mind-melting complexity of the whole thing finally gets the better of you. But, isn’t that the whole point of a good puzzler?
2011年12月18日星期日
Wonderful Assistance For Each Type Of Do It Yourself Venture
Do it yourself is known as the well-liked notion now, especially with an undesirable economy. People can only afford to pay for to make improvements of these building every time they carry out some or each one of the function their very own. When the home owner has some knowledge in the basics, a do-it-on your project could be a smart selection. This short article helps direct you to produce your own advancement property a success.
Everyone loves a great toilet. Every little thing this by getting a whole new descend or lavatory and getting nice new cupboards. Modernizing your restroom is among the best ways to boost your own home and it’ll also boost the web value to the family selling it on the market today.
When painting your home, use neutral pigments. Neutral dyes will help you represent far more gap. To improve the volume of floor space that any place smells like they have used, you can include larger, much larger baseboards. Both of these alternatives can be achieved to acquire reduced price and will definitely boost the look of your own home.
Reuse if at all possible during your house progression to save money and help the ecosystem. If you possibly can paint your racks to offer them a new seem, using them? Replace the knobs or mug handles on them as well to update their search. Think about painting ceramic tile instead of replacing it to spruce up an area.
To provide an innovative look to a vintage brass fireplace revolve around, paint round the brass with ever increasing-the heat paint who is particularly made for painting timber-ranges and other supplies that see intense warmth. These paints are an affordable method to kitchen area updated an outdated surround and may alter the look the whole area.
Be safe in the home improvement task! Turn off the natural gas collection after you’re functioning in the vicinity of a fireplace, in almost any resist, in almost any basement or all around almost every other plumbing are generally a gasoline collection. Building construction in the existence of natural gas can be very dangerous! Make sure you know area shut off valve is! Also, ensure you know in which the natural gas outlines are so you don’t accidentally touch just one.
Are you searching for a relatively inexpensive remedy to add a bit of session to your house? One great way to add an acceptable spice of class to your dwelling designed is usually exchange your doorway bell with a brand new one. If you have this, any just one who sees will instantaneously purchase an unique sense of your own home.
As mentioned higher than, home improvement anticipates can be loads of fun, the actual they may be daunting numerous. If you possess the correct aid and trusted advice, you’re raise the danger of a venture running nicely. From the ideas you might have just analyze, when you plan and doing a do it yourself project.
Everyone loves a great toilet. Every little thing this by getting a whole new descend or lavatory and getting nice new cupboards. Modernizing your restroom is among the best ways to boost your own home and it’ll also boost the web value to the family selling it on the market today.
When painting your home, use neutral pigments. Neutral dyes will help you represent far more gap. To improve the volume of floor space that any place smells like they have used, you can include larger, much larger baseboards. Both of these alternatives can be achieved to acquire reduced price and will definitely boost the look of your own home.
Reuse if at all possible during your house progression to save money and help the ecosystem. If you possibly can paint your racks to offer them a new seem, using them? Replace the knobs or mug handles on them as well to update their search. Think about painting ceramic tile instead of replacing it to spruce up an area.
To provide an innovative look to a vintage brass fireplace revolve around, paint round the brass with ever increasing-the heat paint who is particularly made for painting timber-ranges and other supplies that see intense warmth. These paints are an affordable method to kitchen area updated an outdated surround and may alter the look the whole area.
Be safe in the home improvement task! Turn off the natural gas collection after you’re functioning in the vicinity of a fireplace, in almost any resist, in almost any basement or all around almost every other plumbing are generally a gasoline collection. Building construction in the existence of natural gas can be very dangerous! Make sure you know area shut off valve is! Also, ensure you know in which the natural gas outlines are so you don’t accidentally touch just one.
Are you searching for a relatively inexpensive remedy to add a bit of session to your house? One great way to add an acceptable spice of class to your dwelling designed is usually exchange your doorway bell with a brand new one. If you have this, any just one who sees will instantaneously purchase an unique sense of your own home.
As mentioned higher than, home improvement anticipates can be loads of fun, the actual they may be daunting numerous. If you possess the correct aid and trusted advice, you’re raise the danger of a venture running nicely. From the ideas you might have just analyze, when you plan and doing a do it yourself project.
2011年12月15日星期四
Shaw Receives Seventh Consecutive California Waste Reduction Award
Four Shaw Industries Group, Inc. manufacturing facilities in California have been recognized by the CalRecycle Waste Reduction Awards Program (WRAP) for the seventh consecutive year. The awards are designed to recognize the leadership of businesses and organizations with highly successful waste-to-landfill reduction initiatives.
“Earning recognition from CalRecycle through the WRAP awards for seven straight years is a great honor,” said Shaw Vice President of Sustainability Paul Murray. “It is also a source of motivation for us to continue seeking out new opportunities and channels to further reduce waste at these facilities and all Shaw facilities – as well as to work to improve our existing processes.”
The four California facilities, which support manufacturing for the Shaw Tuftex carpet brand, frequently serve as examples of the company’s commitment to Sustainability through Innovation – the Shaw Green Edge, Murray added. “From Zero Waste to Landfill status to demonstrating best practices for water conservation and efficiency, these facilities continue to help us raise the bar on the environmental responsibility of all our operations,” he said.
According to Jim Cusick, director of manufacturing for the Tuftex division, the facilities diverted a combined total of 8.5 million pounds of waste from landfill (3.8 million lbs reused and 4.7 million lbs recycled), generating more than $1.3 million in landfill, waste reduction and reuse costs in the process. “Reducing and eliminating waste from our operations is a fundamental part of the way we work,” Cusick said. “We are proud to serve as an example of how environmentally responsible practices can help improve overall operational and business practices.”
“This year’s WRAP winners are evidence that businesses and organizations of all sizes are achieving significant waste reduction and recycling goals, all while helping protect the environment and preserve our natural resources,” said CalRecycle director Caroll Mortensen.
“Earning recognition from CalRecycle through the WRAP awards for seven straight years is a great honor,” said Shaw Vice President of Sustainability Paul Murray. “It is also a source of motivation for us to continue seeking out new opportunities and channels to further reduce waste at these facilities and all Shaw facilities – as well as to work to improve our existing processes.”
The four California facilities, which support manufacturing for the Shaw Tuftex carpet brand, frequently serve as examples of the company’s commitment to Sustainability through Innovation – the Shaw Green Edge, Murray added. “From Zero Waste to Landfill status to demonstrating best practices for water conservation and efficiency, these facilities continue to help us raise the bar on the environmental responsibility of all our operations,” he said.
According to Jim Cusick, director of manufacturing for the Tuftex division, the facilities diverted a combined total of 8.5 million pounds of waste from landfill (3.8 million lbs reused and 4.7 million lbs recycled), generating more than $1.3 million in landfill, waste reduction and reuse costs in the process. “Reducing and eliminating waste from our operations is a fundamental part of the way we work,” Cusick said. “We are proud to serve as an example of how environmentally responsible practices can help improve overall operational and business practices.”
“This year’s WRAP winners are evidence that businesses and organizations of all sizes are achieving significant waste reduction and recycling goals, all while helping protect the environment and preserve our natural resources,” said CalRecycle director Caroll Mortensen.
2011年12月14日星期三
Where 1 +1 Equals a Roomy 25 Feet
For more than three decades, the Turners and Usdans lived side by side in two of the smallest 19th-century brownstones in Manhattan. Now, they are ready to move on, again in tandem: They put their twin, 12?-foot townhouses on East 78th Street on the market together.
In the arithmetic of New York real estate, one plus one often equals far more than two, and the families are working together to sell their tiny homes to a single buyer as a 25-foot-wide mansion. The asking price: a combined $11.95 million.
From the street, the compact townhouses are mirror images of each other. With the exception of the building numbers, one in brass, the other in ceramic tile, they already appear to be a single building.
Inside, the rooms measure a maximum of 11 feet wide. They are smaller where there are fireplaces or built-ins, and they are far narrower in the center, where one can just about touch a finger on a stair banister and the other on the far wall.
Yet the interiors are remarkably different: one is glitzy and modern, the other preserves Victorian touches.
In Manhattan, there are only three homes under 12 feet wide, with the slimmest at nine-and-a-half-feet on Bedford Street in Greenwich Village, according to city tax records.
But there are about 60 houses between 12 and 13 feet wide, the logical result of a grid of streets laid out in 1811 with standard lots that were 25 feet wide and could be divided. These small lots can be a tough sell, in the age of McMansions in the suburbs and sprawling penthouses in the city.
So the hope on East 78th Street is to sell the well-preserved houses on a quiet residential block off Lexington Avenue to a family or a developer looking to create a single 25-wide mansion by breaking through the wall between the houses.
"Somebody could create a gorgeous piece of architecture," said Anne Snee, a Corcoran broker who helped the Turners buy their house in 1977 and is now working with both families.
It is not clear whether an eventual buyer would remove a staircase and open up and preserve the existing features, or tear down both houses and start from scratch. The houses are just outside the bounds of an historic district, and the property can be developed for commercial as well as residential use.
This has raised worries on the Upper East Side.
"We are always concerned when older and more or less intact buildings are getting torn down to be replaced with something new on a block that has a lot of character," said Tara Kelly, the executive director of Friends of the Upper East Side Historic Districts.
Pamela Usdan, a television producer, and her husband, Morton, a yarn manufacturer, bought 153 East 78th Street in the spring of 1978 for $185,000.
That was only about six months after Jon Turner, a professor at New York University's Stern School of Business, and his wife, Margaret Helfand, an architect and former president of the American Institute of Architects' New York Chapter, paid $165,000 for their slightly smaller house.
The two families kept their rear yards open, separated by a row of hedges with an opening, so that they could borrow each other's yard when holding parties or barbeques.
The couples spent many New Year's Eves together and were friends over the years, according to Mr. Turner. They hired a contractor to restore both facades at the same time.
In the late 1970s, as the city recovered from a deep fiscal crisis, real-estate prices were depressed. Mr. Turner said he and his wife bought the townhouse on the rebound after being outbid by a few thousand dollars on a co-op on Central Park West with a 50-foot long park view. Their bid on the co-op: $78,000.
The Usdan house is fiercely modern with black walls for accent and track lighting; walls and even a ceiling in one room are covered with mirrors to expand the sense of space.
Next door, Ms. Helfand, though known for her contemporary designs, restored and preserved ornamental plaster details in the ceilings, and saved old molding and etched glass pocket doors in the living room.
After his wife died of cancer in 2007 at the age of 59, Mr. Turner decided to spend most of his time at an apartment he owns San Francisco. Mr. Usdan had died the year before at age of 70.
In the arithmetic of New York real estate, one plus one often equals far more than two, and the families are working together to sell their tiny homes to a single buyer as a 25-foot-wide mansion. The asking price: a combined $11.95 million.
From the street, the compact townhouses are mirror images of each other. With the exception of the building numbers, one in brass, the other in ceramic tile, they already appear to be a single building.
Inside, the rooms measure a maximum of 11 feet wide. They are smaller where there are fireplaces or built-ins, and they are far narrower in the center, where one can just about touch a finger on a stair banister and the other on the far wall.
Yet the interiors are remarkably different: one is glitzy and modern, the other preserves Victorian touches.
In Manhattan, there are only three homes under 12 feet wide, with the slimmest at nine-and-a-half-feet on Bedford Street in Greenwich Village, according to city tax records.
But there are about 60 houses between 12 and 13 feet wide, the logical result of a grid of streets laid out in 1811 with standard lots that were 25 feet wide and could be divided. These small lots can be a tough sell, in the age of McMansions in the suburbs and sprawling penthouses in the city.
So the hope on East 78th Street is to sell the well-preserved houses on a quiet residential block off Lexington Avenue to a family or a developer looking to create a single 25-wide mansion by breaking through the wall between the houses.
"Somebody could create a gorgeous piece of architecture," said Anne Snee, a Corcoran broker who helped the Turners buy their house in 1977 and is now working with both families.
It is not clear whether an eventual buyer would remove a staircase and open up and preserve the existing features, or tear down both houses and start from scratch. The houses are just outside the bounds of an historic district, and the property can be developed for commercial as well as residential use.
This has raised worries on the Upper East Side.
"We are always concerned when older and more or less intact buildings are getting torn down to be replaced with something new on a block that has a lot of character," said Tara Kelly, the executive director of Friends of the Upper East Side Historic Districts.
Pamela Usdan, a television producer, and her husband, Morton, a yarn manufacturer, bought 153 East 78th Street in the spring of 1978 for $185,000.
That was only about six months after Jon Turner, a professor at New York University's Stern School of Business, and his wife, Margaret Helfand, an architect and former president of the American Institute of Architects' New York Chapter, paid $165,000 for their slightly smaller house.
The two families kept their rear yards open, separated by a row of hedges with an opening, so that they could borrow each other's yard when holding parties or barbeques.
The couples spent many New Year's Eves together and were friends over the years, according to Mr. Turner. They hired a contractor to restore both facades at the same time.
In the late 1970s, as the city recovered from a deep fiscal crisis, real-estate prices were depressed. Mr. Turner said he and his wife bought the townhouse on the rebound after being outbid by a few thousand dollars on a co-op on Central Park West with a 50-foot long park view. Their bid on the co-op: $78,000.
The Usdan house is fiercely modern with black walls for accent and track lighting; walls and even a ceiling in one room are covered with mirrors to expand the sense of space.
Next door, Ms. Helfand, though known for her contemporary designs, restored and preserved ornamental plaster details in the ceilings, and saved old molding and etched glass pocket doors in the living room.
After his wife died of cancer in 2007 at the age of 59, Mr. Turner decided to spend most of his time at an apartment he owns San Francisco. Mr. Usdan had died the year before at age of 70.
2011年12月13日星期二
Tooled up for Christmas
My garden gift wish-list doesn't change much from year to year.
At the top is a sizeable Lotto win, thanks, so I can bulk buy plants and rent a bloke in little shorts to plant them so The Partner can be put to work on more creative pursuits.
Second is a pair of really fabulous, high quality, top of the line secateurs that cost about $50, not $5, and that have a device attached which makes a high-pitched screaming noise when they are imprinted with any fingerprints but mine. If you have a friend or rellie who's a real gardener, even a pair without the screaming device will be hugely appreciated, I bet.
A six-pack of really girly garden gloves that a blokey landscaper would be ashamed to be seen in.
Garden belt. My former mother-in-law wore hers like other people wear watches, and she was, therefore, never caught short when something needed a quick cutback or a flower simply begged to be cut and brought inside.
A really good torch. You may have to force yourself to remember to do this, but prowling about the garden in the pitch dark with a torch is fascinating. Not only can you catch the criminals who are eating your basil and violating your strawberries, but you'll see everything else in (literally) a new light.
Temperature and rain gauge. These make great gifts for anyone who is interested in the weather.
And in the same gift box, a compass, thanks. It's always useful when you're about to plant something in a secluded corner and you're not quite sure exactly where north is, and if you're ever looking at a new property, you can't go past it.
It's always difficult buying decorative gifts for other people's gardens because tastes vary, but a posh copper garden light is hard to mess up. If the recipient doesn't absolutely love it he or she can camouflage it under a fatsia, say.
Pots and containers are easier. Surely everyone loves beautifully shaped urns and terracotta olive jars, whether empty or planted. If you are planting them, bear in mind that anything with a narrower neck than body will be reluctant to let go of its inhabitant when the time comes and one or the other may have to be sacrificed.
If you're on a shoestring budget and you want to make something for friends, try these ideas - dead simple, cheap as chips, and fun to make.
A container for garden string is a godsend. Get off to the supermarket to find a really attractive tin - golden syrup and treacle tins are examples, but it's totally a matter of personal taste. Eat (or decant) the contents, make a hole in the lid and hammer the edges to make sure there are no sharp bits. Put a ball of string inside, thread the end through the hole in the lid, put it on, and you're done.
Something with a slightly more creative bent is a shell garden. You need a terracotta plant saucer which you can either leave natural or paint a colour of your choice.
Buy one spectacular shell from a decor shop or bazaar and a string of shell beads. Collect other shells and pieces of driftwood from your nearest beach and arrange in your saucer. It makes a lovely, summery decoration for an outdoor dining table or to sit on a terrace or porch step.
No time for crafty stuff? Buy a vibrant ceramic tile and a gorgeous matching candle.
A tin watering can. I hate those bulbous plastic watering cans and they stick out like sore thumbs wherever you leave them in the garden. A tin model, though, looks lovely whether you're watering something with it or stuffing it full of flowers or foliage. You can also buy tiny little ones to make gifts with tiny little plants in them.
The same applies to a tin bucket. Lovely for the garden, and doubles as a suitable vessel for carting out hot ashes - this from someone who once used a plastic bucket, the bottom of which melted before I even got out of the living room and spilt hot ashes all over the rug. Oh, and a fire extinguisher, thanks.
At the top is a sizeable Lotto win, thanks, so I can bulk buy plants and rent a bloke in little shorts to plant them so The Partner can be put to work on more creative pursuits.
Second is a pair of really fabulous, high quality, top of the line secateurs that cost about $50, not $5, and that have a device attached which makes a high-pitched screaming noise when they are imprinted with any fingerprints but mine. If you have a friend or rellie who's a real gardener, even a pair without the screaming device will be hugely appreciated, I bet.
A six-pack of really girly garden gloves that a blokey landscaper would be ashamed to be seen in.
Garden belt. My former mother-in-law wore hers like other people wear watches, and she was, therefore, never caught short when something needed a quick cutback or a flower simply begged to be cut and brought inside.
A really good torch. You may have to force yourself to remember to do this, but prowling about the garden in the pitch dark with a torch is fascinating. Not only can you catch the criminals who are eating your basil and violating your strawberries, but you'll see everything else in (literally) a new light.
Temperature and rain gauge. These make great gifts for anyone who is interested in the weather.
And in the same gift box, a compass, thanks. It's always useful when you're about to plant something in a secluded corner and you're not quite sure exactly where north is, and if you're ever looking at a new property, you can't go past it.
It's always difficult buying decorative gifts for other people's gardens because tastes vary, but a posh copper garden light is hard to mess up. If the recipient doesn't absolutely love it he or she can camouflage it under a fatsia, say.
Pots and containers are easier. Surely everyone loves beautifully shaped urns and terracotta olive jars, whether empty or planted. If you are planting them, bear in mind that anything with a narrower neck than body will be reluctant to let go of its inhabitant when the time comes and one or the other may have to be sacrificed.
If you're on a shoestring budget and you want to make something for friends, try these ideas - dead simple, cheap as chips, and fun to make.
A container for garden string is a godsend. Get off to the supermarket to find a really attractive tin - golden syrup and treacle tins are examples, but it's totally a matter of personal taste. Eat (or decant) the contents, make a hole in the lid and hammer the edges to make sure there are no sharp bits. Put a ball of string inside, thread the end through the hole in the lid, put it on, and you're done.
Something with a slightly more creative bent is a shell garden. You need a terracotta plant saucer which you can either leave natural or paint a colour of your choice.
Buy one spectacular shell from a decor shop or bazaar and a string of shell beads. Collect other shells and pieces of driftwood from your nearest beach and arrange in your saucer. It makes a lovely, summery decoration for an outdoor dining table or to sit on a terrace or porch step.
No time for crafty stuff? Buy a vibrant ceramic tile and a gorgeous matching candle.
A tin watering can. I hate those bulbous plastic watering cans and they stick out like sore thumbs wherever you leave them in the garden. A tin model, though, looks lovely whether you're watering something with it or stuffing it full of flowers or foliage. You can also buy tiny little ones to make gifts with tiny little plants in them.
The same applies to a tin bucket. Lovely for the garden, and doubles as a suitable vessel for carting out hot ashes - this from someone who once used a plastic bucket, the bottom of which melted before I even got out of the living room and spilt hot ashes all over the rug. Oh, and a fire extinguisher, thanks.
2011年12月12日星期一
Closure, takeover force redundancies
A UNIQUE Brighouse business has shut its doors and another company has been taken over amid fears of job losses.
Sagar Marine Ltd built luxury barges for almost 40 years at its base in Wharf Street next to Brighouse Marina.
The company, established in 1975 by Stephen and Wendy Sagar, had a high reputation for the quality of its craftsmanship and unique Dutch barges.
But over the last 12 months the economic climate had meant a drop in business for the family firm which has now gone into voluntary liquidation.
Director Stephen Sagar said the reluctant decision had been taken due to a downturn in trade.
“Over the last 12 months the lack of business has just got worse due to the economic climate,” he said. “We decided to go into voluntary liquidation so all the suppliers and customers have been paid and no-one has been left out of pocket.
“I am more disappointed about the five redundancies we made as most of them had been with the company for at least 25 years.”
Working alongside their sons Jonathan and Andrew, the Sagars built up a reputation in the waterways world and were awarded the coveted John Beardsmore award for excellence for their type of craft.
When the Sagars started, they were virtually the only boat builders of their type in the area and one of only a handful in the country. They did everything themselves from building the original steel hull to carpentry and upholstery work.
Initially specialising in traditional and semi-traditional narrow boats, they built their first Dutch-style barge in 1991 and introduced their Mini-Luxe, designed specially for use on UK canals in 1993.
A second Brighouse business which started as a cottage industry and became one of the fastest growing companies in the north of England has been bought out.
Ceramic Prints Ltd, which has a factory at George Street, has been bought by British Ceramic Tile (BCT) of Devon for an undisclosed sum.
News of the take-over comes with a warning that jobs may have to go as part of efforts to streamline the two operations.
BCT has about 300 employees and Ceramic Prints has about 130. It is not yet known where the jobs will be lost but BCT chief executive Matthew Gazzard said the firm envisaged there would be fewer than 100 redundancies from among the 430 staff of the combined businesses.
A 30-day period of consultation with employee representatives is now underway.
Tony Taylor, who started Ceramic Prints in his garage in Birkby in 1983, will stay on as commercial director with British Ceramic Tiles which will become one of the largest tile companies in the UK.
Sagar Marine Ltd built luxury barges for almost 40 years at its base in Wharf Street next to Brighouse Marina.
The company, established in 1975 by Stephen and Wendy Sagar, had a high reputation for the quality of its craftsmanship and unique Dutch barges.
But over the last 12 months the economic climate had meant a drop in business for the family firm which has now gone into voluntary liquidation.
Director Stephen Sagar said the reluctant decision had been taken due to a downturn in trade.
“Over the last 12 months the lack of business has just got worse due to the economic climate,” he said. “We decided to go into voluntary liquidation so all the suppliers and customers have been paid and no-one has been left out of pocket.
“I am more disappointed about the five redundancies we made as most of them had been with the company for at least 25 years.”
Working alongside their sons Jonathan and Andrew, the Sagars built up a reputation in the waterways world and were awarded the coveted John Beardsmore award for excellence for their type of craft.
When the Sagars started, they were virtually the only boat builders of their type in the area and one of only a handful in the country. They did everything themselves from building the original steel hull to carpentry and upholstery work.
Initially specialising in traditional and semi-traditional narrow boats, they built their first Dutch-style barge in 1991 and introduced their Mini-Luxe, designed specially for use on UK canals in 1993.
A second Brighouse business which started as a cottage industry and became one of the fastest growing companies in the north of England has been bought out.
Ceramic Prints Ltd, which has a factory at George Street, has been bought by British Ceramic Tile (BCT) of Devon for an undisclosed sum.
News of the take-over comes with a warning that jobs may have to go as part of efforts to streamline the two operations.
BCT has about 300 employees and Ceramic Prints has about 130. It is not yet known where the jobs will be lost but BCT chief executive Matthew Gazzard said the firm envisaged there would be fewer than 100 redundancies from among the 430 staff of the combined businesses.
A 30-day period of consultation with employee representatives is now underway.
Tony Taylor, who started Ceramic Prints in his garage in Birkby in 1983, will stay on as commercial director with British Ceramic Tiles which will become one of the largest tile companies in the UK.
2011年12月11日星期日
Clay and canines
You may not see the dog in Wendy Gingell's mural-like "Atlas Unfettered." At first perusal, the assembly of black and white ceramic clay tiles composed of angles, wavy lines, swirls and the repeated use of the word "tree" may seem abstract and chaotic.
Not until you back off from the piece does the wide-eyed image of Atlas -- the artist's real life yellow Lab -- pop into view.
Atlas is more than just the subject and inspiration of the piece, part of an exhibit of new work by Gingell now on display at the International Gallery of Contemporary Art. In a way, he's also the reason that Gingell finds herself working in Alaska, the reason why this show is happening where it is.
Originally from Gravelbourg, Saskatchewan, Gingell went to college in Toronto, planning on majoring in international studies. But she found herself enjoying art classes so much that she just kept taking them "for many, many years."
When she finally got her bachelor's degree, she moved on to Montreal, where she took French and more art classes. Eventually she had to "learn to pay the bills," she said, working in social services for some years to pay off her student loans.
"I finally paid that debt off three years ago," she said, with a note of relief.
In the meantime, among other adventures, she had relocated to Vancouver, met and married Eric Lazo, moved to Guemes Island near Anacortes, Wash., and adopted Atlas and Taupin, a black Lab. Gingell described them as "dropouts from a local assistance (companion) dog program."
She also got into tile. Among the neighbors on the tiny island -- Guemes is off the state ferry grid and depends on a county ferry to connect with the mainland -- was Sue Roberts, an experienced tile artist.
"I helped her with her garden; she let me use her kiln," Gingell said.
They had grown a little bored with the island after finishing a house there, she said. But neither were they chomping at the bit for another move when fate stepped in.
Or rather Atlas did.
"Our dog needed some very expensive knee surgery," she said. More than they could easily afford. But, fortuitously, 11 months ago, Lazo was offered a marketing job in Anchorage.
"We moved so we could afford to have the surgery," she said. "Honestly. And I stayed back there for two months after Eric moved just to help (Atlas) with his rehab after the surgery. That's the kind of people we are."
Arriving in Alaska this year, she wanted to continue with tile work but didn't have access to a running kiln. Instead she spent her time doodling "images of the north, woods, the environment" and baby-sitting the Labradors.
She connected with the local arts community. She found support at the Upstairs Studio in downtown Anchorage and the International. She met other "ceramic, fine arts and craft junkies."
And she won one of the most coveted art awards in Alaska -- a Connie Boocheever Fellowship. The prize, named for the former president of the Alaska State Council on the Arts, is given to people the council considers to be significant "emerging artists" in different disciplines each year. In 2011 it went to visual artists. Other winners were photographers Ben Huff of Juneau and Michael Conti of Anchorage and painter James Adcox of Nome.
The Boocheever Fellowship, which included a cash award of $2,500, made the current show possible.
The show includes a number of functional dishes and bowls -- Gingell said they are microwave safe -- and numerous tiles displayed as wall hangings. Some are single pieces, others use six or nine separate tiles pulled together to form a single picture.
The images include wildly animated faces, anatomical designs and fanciful critters like a narwhal, a walrus with a fish tail and something bug-like.
"I'm always interested in what people tell me they see," she said.
Even when the title suggests a narrative, as in the nine-tile "Parable of the Whale and the Starfish," its specifics are elusive. "I can't tell you what it means," she said.
But the single-tile "Man Attacked by Giant Mosquitoes" is pretty self-explanatory.
And "Atlas Unfettered" is an undisguised tribute to the happy dog's new life on new knees in Alaska.
Gingell said she was "shocked" to win a Boocheever award. But the judges weren't alone in their estimation of her talent. Almost as soon as she arrived, she began displaying her work during the First Friday openings at downtown's Upstairs Studio and, more recently, was included with local clay masters Paul Dungan, Gina Hollomon and Ahna Iredale in a show at 2 Friends Gallery in midtown.
She had her artwork juried into the statewide Earth, Fire and Fibre competition, now on exhibit at the Anchorage Museum, and her tableware is sold in the museum gift shop. Beyond Alaska, she's had work accepted for shows next year at the Museum of Northwest Art in La Conner, Wash., and at the Smithsonian Craft Show in Washington, D.C.
Despite the success and numerous semesters of art classes, she's not shy about being called an "emerging artist." She acknowledged that she still has a lot to learn.
Not until you back off from the piece does the wide-eyed image of Atlas -- the artist's real life yellow Lab -- pop into view.
Atlas is more than just the subject and inspiration of the piece, part of an exhibit of new work by Gingell now on display at the International Gallery of Contemporary Art. In a way, he's also the reason that Gingell finds herself working in Alaska, the reason why this show is happening where it is.
Originally from Gravelbourg, Saskatchewan, Gingell went to college in Toronto, planning on majoring in international studies. But she found herself enjoying art classes so much that she just kept taking them "for many, many years."
When she finally got her bachelor's degree, she moved on to Montreal, where she took French and more art classes. Eventually she had to "learn to pay the bills," she said, working in social services for some years to pay off her student loans.
"I finally paid that debt off three years ago," she said, with a note of relief.
In the meantime, among other adventures, she had relocated to Vancouver, met and married Eric Lazo, moved to Guemes Island near Anacortes, Wash., and adopted Atlas and Taupin, a black Lab. Gingell described them as "dropouts from a local assistance (companion) dog program."
She also got into tile. Among the neighbors on the tiny island -- Guemes is off the state ferry grid and depends on a county ferry to connect with the mainland -- was Sue Roberts, an experienced tile artist.
"I helped her with her garden; she let me use her kiln," Gingell said.
They had grown a little bored with the island after finishing a house there, she said. But neither were they chomping at the bit for another move when fate stepped in.
Or rather Atlas did.
"Our dog needed some very expensive knee surgery," she said. More than they could easily afford. But, fortuitously, 11 months ago, Lazo was offered a marketing job in Anchorage.
"We moved so we could afford to have the surgery," she said. "Honestly. And I stayed back there for two months after Eric moved just to help (Atlas) with his rehab after the surgery. That's the kind of people we are."
Arriving in Alaska this year, she wanted to continue with tile work but didn't have access to a running kiln. Instead she spent her time doodling "images of the north, woods, the environment" and baby-sitting the Labradors.
She connected with the local arts community. She found support at the Upstairs Studio in downtown Anchorage and the International. She met other "ceramic, fine arts and craft junkies."
And she won one of the most coveted art awards in Alaska -- a Connie Boocheever Fellowship. The prize, named for the former president of the Alaska State Council on the Arts, is given to people the council considers to be significant "emerging artists" in different disciplines each year. In 2011 it went to visual artists. Other winners were photographers Ben Huff of Juneau and Michael Conti of Anchorage and painter James Adcox of Nome.
The Boocheever Fellowship, which included a cash award of $2,500, made the current show possible.
The show includes a number of functional dishes and bowls -- Gingell said they are microwave safe -- and numerous tiles displayed as wall hangings. Some are single pieces, others use six or nine separate tiles pulled together to form a single picture.
The images include wildly animated faces, anatomical designs and fanciful critters like a narwhal, a walrus with a fish tail and something bug-like.
"I'm always interested in what people tell me they see," she said.
Even when the title suggests a narrative, as in the nine-tile "Parable of the Whale and the Starfish," its specifics are elusive. "I can't tell you what it means," she said.
But the single-tile "Man Attacked by Giant Mosquitoes" is pretty self-explanatory.
And "Atlas Unfettered" is an undisguised tribute to the happy dog's new life on new knees in Alaska.
Gingell said she was "shocked" to win a Boocheever award. But the judges weren't alone in their estimation of her talent. Almost as soon as she arrived, she began displaying her work during the First Friday openings at downtown's Upstairs Studio and, more recently, was included with local clay masters Paul Dungan, Gina Hollomon and Ahna Iredale in a show at 2 Friends Gallery in midtown.
She had her artwork juried into the statewide Earth, Fire and Fibre competition, now on exhibit at the Anchorage Museum, and her tableware is sold in the museum gift shop. Beyond Alaska, she's had work accepted for shows next year at the Museum of Northwest Art in La Conner, Wash., and at the Smithsonian Craft Show in Washington, D.C.
Despite the success and numerous semesters of art classes, she's not shy about being called an "emerging artist." She acknowledged that she still has a lot to learn.
2011年12月8日星期四
Updated Arlington Cape Cod
While many Washington-area residents think of Clarendon as the Arlington neighborhood where young professionals live in condos and enjoy plenty of local nightlife and restaurants, this part of Northern Virginia is also full of charming single-family homes that appeal to young families.
Lyon Park, located six blocks from the Clarendon Metro and numerous shops, restaurants and clubs, offers a central location for families to gather while the children enjoy the playground equipment. Each Halloween, residents gather at the park for a neighborhood Halloween parade. A community center at the park is used frequently for community meetings and private gatherings.
Across the street from Lyon Park, on a prime corner lot at 3003 Fourth St. N, an expanded Cape Cod-style home is on the market for $875,000. Built in 1922, this home has been updated with a new kitchen, a new roof, a new water heater and a new electrical panel.
The pale yellow siding of this home is complemented by dark green shutters and a flagstone front walk. Mature trees surround the property, which has been beautifully landscaped on all sides. In the back of the house is a fully fenced, landscaped backyard with a storage shed. A private drive next to the house adds space for off-street parking.
The front door opens into a living room with hardwood flooring and a gas fireplace with an adjacent built-in bookcase. The living room has a double window facing the front yard.
Nearby is a formal dining room with a brushed-nickel chandelier and a window framing a view of the backyard. The dining room has been painted bright red to add a splash of color to the main level.
Just beyond the living room and dining room are two first-floor bedrooms. One bedroom faces the front yard and includes a closet. The second bedroom faces the backyard and has two closets. These two bedrooms are linked by a connecting full bath with a pedestal sink, a tile floor and a combination tub and shower.
Every room on the main and upper levels has its original solid-wood paneled door with the original glass doorknobs.
The updated kitchen, renovated recently with granite counters and stainless steel appliances, has gas cooking. The kitchen includes a distinctive pressed-tin backsplash in a nod to the 1920s, a window over the sink and ceramic tile flooring.
The cabinets have been designed to maximize every inch of space, with narrow cabinets for baking sheets, a special cabinet for wine storage, a pantry and triangular corner cabinets. The wood cabinets have beadboard on the bottom doors and plain fronts on the top.
Both the kitchen and the living room have entrances to the sunroom, a former porch with a beadboard ceiling that has been enclosed.
The sunroom has a picture window facing Lyon Park that nearly fills one wall, plus a window facing the front yard and a sliding glass door that opens onto the wood deck. The sunroom can be used as a family room, a home office, a casual dining area or a playroom. The deck includes a gate with a few steps to the backyard.
Hardwood stairs lead to the upper level, which has hardwood flooring throughout. At the top of the stairs is a charming landing with a dormer window, under-eaves storage and a second window. This space easily could be used as a reading or computer nook.
The master bedroom features a sloping ceiling with three skylights, a wall of mirrored closets and undereaves storage. At one end of the bedroom is a nook with two windows overlooking the backyard, perfect for a cozy sitting area.
Lyon Park, located six blocks from the Clarendon Metro and numerous shops, restaurants and clubs, offers a central location for families to gather while the children enjoy the playground equipment. Each Halloween, residents gather at the park for a neighborhood Halloween parade. A community center at the park is used frequently for community meetings and private gatherings.
Across the street from Lyon Park, on a prime corner lot at 3003 Fourth St. N, an expanded Cape Cod-style home is on the market for $875,000. Built in 1922, this home has been updated with a new kitchen, a new roof, a new water heater and a new electrical panel.
The pale yellow siding of this home is complemented by dark green shutters and a flagstone front walk. Mature trees surround the property, which has been beautifully landscaped on all sides. In the back of the house is a fully fenced, landscaped backyard with a storage shed. A private drive next to the house adds space for off-street parking.
The front door opens into a living room with hardwood flooring and a gas fireplace with an adjacent built-in bookcase. The living room has a double window facing the front yard.
Nearby is a formal dining room with a brushed-nickel chandelier and a window framing a view of the backyard. The dining room has been painted bright red to add a splash of color to the main level.
Just beyond the living room and dining room are two first-floor bedrooms. One bedroom faces the front yard and includes a closet. The second bedroom faces the backyard and has two closets. These two bedrooms are linked by a connecting full bath with a pedestal sink, a tile floor and a combination tub and shower.
Every room on the main and upper levels has its original solid-wood paneled door with the original glass doorknobs.
The updated kitchen, renovated recently with granite counters and stainless steel appliances, has gas cooking. The kitchen includes a distinctive pressed-tin backsplash in a nod to the 1920s, a window over the sink and ceramic tile flooring.
The cabinets have been designed to maximize every inch of space, with narrow cabinets for baking sheets, a special cabinet for wine storage, a pantry and triangular corner cabinets. The wood cabinets have beadboard on the bottom doors and plain fronts on the top.
Both the kitchen and the living room have entrances to the sunroom, a former porch with a beadboard ceiling that has been enclosed.
The sunroom has a picture window facing Lyon Park that nearly fills one wall, plus a window facing the front yard and a sliding glass door that opens onto the wood deck. The sunroom can be used as a family room, a home office, a casual dining area or a playroom. The deck includes a gate with a few steps to the backyard.
Hardwood stairs lead to the upper level, which has hardwood flooring throughout. At the top of the stairs is a charming landing with a dormer window, under-eaves storage and a second window. This space easily could be used as a reading or computer nook.
The master bedroom features a sloping ceiling with three skylights, a wall of mirrored closets and undereaves storage. At one end of the bedroom is a nook with two windows overlooking the backyard, perfect for a cozy sitting area.
2011年12月7日星期三
Deadly Jefferson blaze a reminder of winter fire risks
Three house fires over the past four days, including two on Tuesday — one of them fatal — mark the annual arrival of Iowa’s dangerous winter fire season.
The blazes prompted state and federal fire and consumer safety officials to warn Iowans of the threat posed by space heaters, unattended stoves and other fire hazards as the colder weather and busy holiday season approach.
State Fire Marshal Ray Reynolds said Iowa has had about 40 fire-related deaths so far this year, already near the annual average of 46 such fatalities. Most house fires happen between October and May, especially in winter, he added.
“We see fatalities increase when it gets cold,” Reynolds said.
Investigators in Jefferson are trying to determine whether a space heater ignited a house fire early Tuesday that killed 18-year-old Cody Garreans-Walsh and sent his younger brother, Nicholas, 14, to an Iowa City hospital with burns on his hands and feet.
The boys’ mother, Sandy Garreans, said she heard a boom and smelled smoke before seeing flames down the hall.
Her fiance could save only Nicholas from the boys’ upstairs rooms. The home didn’t have a working smoke detector, firefighters said.
“I just can’t believe it’s real,” Garreans said. “I can't believe I lost my son.”
The second house fire on Tuesday broke out shortly after 7 a.m., in a four-unit apartment building in Waterloo.
Fire officials credited a smoke alarm in a second-floor apartment with awakening residents and alerting them to the fire, the Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier reported in its online edition.
Two people inside the ground-floor apartment where the fire started managed to escape to a porch roof where they were rescued by firefighters. Both were treated for smoke inhalation but were not hospitalized.
Steven Jordan, the city’s fire marshal said the fire appears to have been electrical in nature and started near a couch in the living room/kitchen area of the apartment.
On Saturday, witnesses reported hearing a small explosion before a fire engulfed a house in rural Fayette.
No one was home at the time and the cause remains under investigation.
The heightened risk of house fires over the winter months means now is the time for people to shore up their stockpiles of both batteries and common sense.
“We tell people the importance of changing the battery in smoke detectors when the time changes” between daylight saving time and standard time, Reynolds said.
In 86 percent of fatal fires over the past five years, Reynolds said smoke detectors were either faulty or had dead or missing batteries.
That’s prompted the fire marshal’s office to work with federal agencies and local businesses to install 21,000 donated smoke detectors free of charge in homes with young children.
Another 11,000 will be installed in homes in which parents requested the devices through grade school surveys statewide.
The 31,000 detectors would have cost about $736,000 had the parents purchased them in stores, he said.
Young children and elderly are at the most risk of fire-related deaths, Reynolds said.
This year alone, 158 Iowans were saved by smoke detectors. Most were sleeping when the fire broke out, Reynolds said.
“Relying on waking up on your own is not a good plan,” he said.
In Des Moines, fire department spokesman Capt. Steve Brown said home fires spike in the city many winters, but not all. “This year we haven’t seen that many,” Brown said.
Cooking accidents are blamed for most of the house fires, but candles, chimneys and furnaces are also in the mix.
Space heaters aren’t a huge problem as long as residents plug them directly into the wall, keep them three feet away from other items, and turn them off when the room is empty.
“Mainly, it’s carelessness that causes these fires,” Brown said.
Patty Davis, spokeswoman for the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, said space heaters are a significant threat in winter, though untended stoves cause far more fires.
“It’s very real,” Davis said of the threat from space heaters, which can ignite drapes, upholstery or blankets. “They can kill.”
Based on 2006-08 data, the most recent available, portable heaters cause about 1,700 home fires a year in the United States, Davis said.
Those fires kill 70 and send another 180 to the hospital annually.
“We would urge consumers to never leave the room while a space heater is running,” Davis said. “Don’t go to sleep with that space heater on. Make sure it is at least three feet away from drapes, furniture and bedding.”
By comparison, stoves and other cooking equipment caused 149,500 fires a year, while heating and cooling systems are blamed for another 56,500.
The blazes prompted state and federal fire and consumer safety officials to warn Iowans of the threat posed by space heaters, unattended stoves and other fire hazards as the colder weather and busy holiday season approach.
State Fire Marshal Ray Reynolds said Iowa has had about 40 fire-related deaths so far this year, already near the annual average of 46 such fatalities. Most house fires happen between October and May, especially in winter, he added.
“We see fatalities increase when it gets cold,” Reynolds said.
Investigators in Jefferson are trying to determine whether a space heater ignited a house fire early Tuesday that killed 18-year-old Cody Garreans-Walsh and sent his younger brother, Nicholas, 14, to an Iowa City hospital with burns on his hands and feet.
The boys’ mother, Sandy Garreans, said she heard a boom and smelled smoke before seeing flames down the hall.
Her fiance could save only Nicholas from the boys’ upstairs rooms. The home didn’t have a working smoke detector, firefighters said.
“I just can’t believe it’s real,” Garreans said. “I can't believe I lost my son.”
The second house fire on Tuesday broke out shortly after 7 a.m., in a four-unit apartment building in Waterloo.
Fire officials credited a smoke alarm in a second-floor apartment with awakening residents and alerting them to the fire, the Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier reported in its online edition.
Two people inside the ground-floor apartment where the fire started managed to escape to a porch roof where they were rescued by firefighters. Both were treated for smoke inhalation but were not hospitalized.
Steven Jordan, the city’s fire marshal said the fire appears to have been electrical in nature and started near a couch in the living room/kitchen area of the apartment.
On Saturday, witnesses reported hearing a small explosion before a fire engulfed a house in rural Fayette.
No one was home at the time and the cause remains under investigation.
The heightened risk of house fires over the winter months means now is the time for people to shore up their stockpiles of both batteries and common sense.
“We tell people the importance of changing the battery in smoke detectors when the time changes” between daylight saving time and standard time, Reynolds said.
In 86 percent of fatal fires over the past five years, Reynolds said smoke detectors were either faulty or had dead or missing batteries.
That’s prompted the fire marshal’s office to work with federal agencies and local businesses to install 21,000 donated smoke detectors free of charge in homes with young children.
Another 11,000 will be installed in homes in which parents requested the devices through grade school surveys statewide.
The 31,000 detectors would have cost about $736,000 had the parents purchased them in stores, he said.
Young children and elderly are at the most risk of fire-related deaths, Reynolds said.
This year alone, 158 Iowans were saved by smoke detectors. Most were sleeping when the fire broke out, Reynolds said.
“Relying on waking up on your own is not a good plan,” he said.
In Des Moines, fire department spokesman Capt. Steve Brown said home fires spike in the city many winters, but not all. “This year we haven’t seen that many,” Brown said.
Cooking accidents are blamed for most of the house fires, but candles, chimneys and furnaces are also in the mix.
Space heaters aren’t a huge problem as long as residents plug them directly into the wall, keep them three feet away from other items, and turn them off when the room is empty.
“Mainly, it’s carelessness that causes these fires,” Brown said.
Patty Davis, spokeswoman for the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, said space heaters are a significant threat in winter, though untended stoves cause far more fires.
“It’s very real,” Davis said of the threat from space heaters, which can ignite drapes, upholstery or blankets. “They can kill.”
Based on 2006-08 data, the most recent available, portable heaters cause about 1,700 home fires a year in the United States, Davis said.
Those fires kill 70 and send another 180 to the hospital annually.
“We would urge consumers to never leave the room while a space heater is running,” Davis said. “Don’t go to sleep with that space heater on. Make sure it is at least three feet away from drapes, furniture and bedding.”
By comparison, stoves and other cooking equipment caused 149,500 fires a year, while heating and cooling systems are blamed for another 56,500.
2011年12月6日星期二
Over 25 ceramics manufacturing units closed in Gujrat, Gujranwala
More than 25 Ceramics Manufacturing Units have been closed down in Gujarat and Gujranwala districts during the current year 2011 due to fuel and energy shortages, primitive methods of manufacturing, inability to assemble and deploy intellectual, human and financial resources effectively, lack of vision for growth, limited perception of business requirements and restricted funding sources.
In a survey report conducted by International Finance Corporation of World Bank Group with the cooperation of State Bank of Pakistan and Owners of the Ceramics Industry, it was pointed out that this sector does not experience seasonal fluctuations and is fairly dependent upon business conditions. The business suffers from lack of technology and good quality raw materials which affects the quality of the product to great extent.
Therefore, Ceramics Industry has a heavy reliance on their suppliers and most of the businesses rely on more than five suppliers according to our primary survey.
According to Pakistan Ceramics Manufacturing Associations, the businesses in Ceramics Industry approach their customers, which are retail shops, by paying personal visits and arrange agreements. Most of the businesses have pre-selected retailers to whom they sell their products. Only about 10 percent have their own retail shops.
Survey disclosed that around 56 percent businesses have no fixed asset requirements as majority of them face issues related to availability of power and supply of gas, which are considered major constraints for growth. However, these businesses show a high requirement for working capital/overdraft requirement. The remaining 44 percent require fixed asset from which majority require finance for machinery and equipment.
Ceramics Industry is generally underserved with respect to financing and banking products. The businesses operating in the segment are hesitant to obtain financing and to have a closer and long-term relationship with banks and financial institutions due to lack of awareness, survey pointed out.
According to IFC survey, working capital is dependent upon payment terms offered to customers and received from suppliers. Ceramics sub-segment operates on payment from retailers and wholesalers and in some instances they export directly to international market. As evidenced from primary research, 61 percent of businesses have payment terms offered to customers and received from suppliers are within one month, overall indicating a short working capital lifecycle. Half of the businesses in this segment do not prepare formal financial statements. However; Ceramics Industry owner do prepare single entry records and/or cash registers for bookkeeping purposes. About 44 percent of them claim to prepare financial statements from which only 5 percent get their accounts audited from chartered firms. Owners/managers keep track of accounts themselves, their lack of accounting knowledge and experience presents a constraint for preparation and keeping an organised track of cash movement.
As per research findings, none of the business owners in the segment had carried out a formal assessment of their financial positions with regards to capital invested, business assets employed, annual revenue, income and expenses. The information gathered was an estimate provided to us by the interviewees.
Business owner's reluctance and non availability of proper accounting records presents an issue for calculation of segment's benchmark financial ratios. Devising from the information attained in the course of primary research, the indicative ratios will be an estimate at best and cannot be utilised to assess an accurate position of the individual businesses operating in the segment.
Conclusively it can be said that there exists an ample demand for good quality ceramics and glass products and can compete well in international markets. The existing scenario provides ample opportunities for entry into this business.
According to survey, funds are mostly managed by the owners themselves, mainly required for business assets and working capital, which are mostly fulfilled by their own personal savings, or borrow from friends and family or cash flows from the business. Among the fixed assets, finance requirements mainly centered on machinery and equipment of the business.
Survey mentioned that ceramics industry requires good quality raw material for the manufacturing of its products. However this means purchasing the raw material for higher cost than the average which adds serious cash flow problems to the business. Working capital financing can provide the SMEs in the segment with further room for growth with by allowing them to purchase new merchandise when a new vehicle or motor cycle model arrives in the market.
Unavailability of international standard machines in the ceramics sub-segment poses a grim picture for its future growth at local and especially at international level.
Pakistan's ceramic sub-segment can be divided into two major categories; roof tiles and sanitary ware. Roof tiles is a fairly organised sub-segment and has gained popularity, especially with the lower income segment of the population due to their low cost, durability, easy installation and maintenance as compared to concrete roofs.
Demand for construction remains constant throughout the year. However, construction activities slow down in some parts of the country where weather is extremely cold in winters. Ceramics sanitary wares and tiles are essential consumer items in the urbanised areas of the country. With rapid urbanisation and new construction, the demand for tiles and sanitary wares has increased manifold over the last three years. It is however a relatively unorganised sub-segment and is dependable on the quality of raw material available to it.
According to Pakistan Ceramics Manufacturing Association, ceramics industry has been unable to meet foreign and local demands due to slow manufacturing process and shut down of many units. The industry consists of small, medium and large corporations involved in the manufacturing of the ceramics. The annual capacity of large enterprises vary largely to 2,000 Sqm and above, while in the SME enterprises, annual capacity ranges between 800 Sqm and below.
There are seven ceramic tile manufacturing industries with installed capacity of 22 million Sqm per year and production of 18.7 million Sqm per year. The production figure has risen from 10.6 million Sqm in 2003-04 to the 18.7 million in 2009-10, depicting significant potential for further growth.
In a survey report conducted by International Finance Corporation of World Bank Group with the cooperation of State Bank of Pakistan and Owners of the Ceramics Industry, it was pointed out that this sector does not experience seasonal fluctuations and is fairly dependent upon business conditions. The business suffers from lack of technology and good quality raw materials which affects the quality of the product to great extent.
Therefore, Ceramics Industry has a heavy reliance on their suppliers and most of the businesses rely on more than five suppliers according to our primary survey.
According to Pakistan Ceramics Manufacturing Associations, the businesses in Ceramics Industry approach their customers, which are retail shops, by paying personal visits and arrange agreements. Most of the businesses have pre-selected retailers to whom they sell their products. Only about 10 percent have their own retail shops.
Survey disclosed that around 56 percent businesses have no fixed asset requirements as majority of them face issues related to availability of power and supply of gas, which are considered major constraints for growth. However, these businesses show a high requirement for working capital/overdraft requirement. The remaining 44 percent require fixed asset from which majority require finance for machinery and equipment.
Ceramics Industry is generally underserved with respect to financing and banking products. The businesses operating in the segment are hesitant to obtain financing and to have a closer and long-term relationship with banks and financial institutions due to lack of awareness, survey pointed out.
According to IFC survey, working capital is dependent upon payment terms offered to customers and received from suppliers. Ceramics sub-segment operates on payment from retailers and wholesalers and in some instances they export directly to international market. As evidenced from primary research, 61 percent of businesses have payment terms offered to customers and received from suppliers are within one month, overall indicating a short working capital lifecycle. Half of the businesses in this segment do not prepare formal financial statements. However; Ceramics Industry owner do prepare single entry records and/or cash registers for bookkeeping purposes. About 44 percent of them claim to prepare financial statements from which only 5 percent get their accounts audited from chartered firms. Owners/managers keep track of accounts themselves, their lack of accounting knowledge and experience presents a constraint for preparation and keeping an organised track of cash movement.
As per research findings, none of the business owners in the segment had carried out a formal assessment of their financial positions with regards to capital invested, business assets employed, annual revenue, income and expenses. The information gathered was an estimate provided to us by the interviewees.
Business owner's reluctance and non availability of proper accounting records presents an issue for calculation of segment's benchmark financial ratios. Devising from the information attained in the course of primary research, the indicative ratios will be an estimate at best and cannot be utilised to assess an accurate position of the individual businesses operating in the segment.
Conclusively it can be said that there exists an ample demand for good quality ceramics and glass products and can compete well in international markets. The existing scenario provides ample opportunities for entry into this business.
According to survey, funds are mostly managed by the owners themselves, mainly required for business assets and working capital, which are mostly fulfilled by their own personal savings, or borrow from friends and family or cash flows from the business. Among the fixed assets, finance requirements mainly centered on machinery and equipment of the business.
Survey mentioned that ceramics industry requires good quality raw material for the manufacturing of its products. However this means purchasing the raw material for higher cost than the average which adds serious cash flow problems to the business. Working capital financing can provide the SMEs in the segment with further room for growth with by allowing them to purchase new merchandise when a new vehicle or motor cycle model arrives in the market.
Unavailability of international standard machines in the ceramics sub-segment poses a grim picture for its future growth at local and especially at international level.
Pakistan's ceramic sub-segment can be divided into two major categories; roof tiles and sanitary ware. Roof tiles is a fairly organised sub-segment and has gained popularity, especially with the lower income segment of the population due to their low cost, durability, easy installation and maintenance as compared to concrete roofs.
Demand for construction remains constant throughout the year. However, construction activities slow down in some parts of the country where weather is extremely cold in winters. Ceramics sanitary wares and tiles are essential consumer items in the urbanised areas of the country. With rapid urbanisation and new construction, the demand for tiles and sanitary wares has increased manifold over the last three years. It is however a relatively unorganised sub-segment and is dependable on the quality of raw material available to it.
According to Pakistan Ceramics Manufacturing Association, ceramics industry has been unable to meet foreign and local demands due to slow manufacturing process and shut down of many units. The industry consists of small, medium and large corporations involved in the manufacturing of the ceramics. The annual capacity of large enterprises vary largely to 2,000 Sqm and above, while in the SME enterprises, annual capacity ranges between 800 Sqm and below.
There are seven ceramic tile manufacturing industries with installed capacity of 22 million Sqm per year and production of 18.7 million Sqm per year. The production figure has risen from 10.6 million Sqm in 2003-04 to the 18.7 million in 2009-10, depicting significant potential for further growth.
2011年12月5日星期一
Amorosa Village largest project for Burbank Housing
The Amorosa Village affordable apartment and town house community, located at 1300 Pebble Creek Drive in southwest Santa Rosa, started taking residents last spring.
Built at a cost of $29 million, construction was financed by the Housing Authority of the city of Santa Rosa, and finished with additional federal stimulus funding. The project received the support of the Department of Economic Development and Housing.
Amorosa Village is the multi-family portion of the existing Dutton Village at 2740 Dutton Meadow Drive.
With a total of 150 units, Amorosa is the largest of 46 developments built to date by Burbank Housing Development Corporation, a non-profit organization dedicated to increasing the supply of low-income housing in Sonoma County.
Phase II, with 53 units, was completed in June, and Phase I, with 97 units, was finished in September. Fifty two of Phase II’s units are targeted to households at 30, 50 and 60 percent of area median income along with one unrestricted manager’s unit.
“Amorosa is like a small rural town with its own community pavilion, resident gardens, mail room, laundry, two playgrounds (one for small children), a basketball court, and two acres of outdoor space for picnics and barbecues. There are also several small plazas dispersed within the village for communal living,” said Larry Boughton, construction department manager with Burbank Housing.
“Every unit has a view and the village offers a feeling of openness. You don’t feel cramped in. Durable finishes and plumbing fixtures were used that don’t need replacement as often. We also incorporated extensive ceramic tile flooring and a 50-year rated roofing system.”
Amorosa is comprised of two and three story buildings with flats on the first floor and town homes above.
With an average of 30 units per acre, the complex covers five acres on a parcel that once served as farmland.
There are 17 buildings on the site with a total of 160,000 square feet of living space. Units include 480 to 500 square foot studios, plus one, two and three bedroom units up to 1,000 square feet. All ground units are accessible with seven units completely outfitted with special features to aid the physically challenged.
Buildings are divided into smaller sections connected by breezeways to allow for natural ventilation and daylight.
Cutting edge physical plant facilities, such as condensing boilers, produce radiant baseboard heat and hot water achieving energy savings 40 percent more efficient than levels set by state standards.
Midstate Construction was the general contractor and the Structural Design Group provided engineering support.
Hunt Hale Jones Architects created a contemporary design with traditional residential details. This combination allows larger scale apartments to become a bridge between legacy home concepts and major infill housing styles.
“One of our goals was to create micro neighborhoods within Amorosa Village enhanced and identified by different color schemes,” said Bob Iwersen, project designer and manager with Hale Hunt Jones Architects.
“Some 17 paint colors were used, including a blend of tints and hues, to give each building a distinctive look. This rich palate was created by color consultant Leslie Tipple of L.T. Designs.”
Each building was constructed as a wood frame structure with an acrylic stucco exterior, concrete and steel stairs and landings, metal railings and perimeter fencing as well as attractive balconies topped off with metal roofing.
The village landscape includes large grassy areas shaded by deciduous native trees and shrubs. Vegetated bioswales were placed in parking areas to channel and absorb runoff from the hardscape and treat water before it enters the storm drain system, in keeping with best management practices.
Organized in 1980, Burbank Housing builds and manages family and senior low-income rental housing and creates home ownership opportunities through its mutual, self-help program.
Built at a cost of $29 million, construction was financed by the Housing Authority of the city of Santa Rosa, and finished with additional federal stimulus funding. The project received the support of the Department of Economic Development and Housing.
Amorosa Village is the multi-family portion of the existing Dutton Village at 2740 Dutton Meadow Drive.
With a total of 150 units, Amorosa is the largest of 46 developments built to date by Burbank Housing Development Corporation, a non-profit organization dedicated to increasing the supply of low-income housing in Sonoma County.
Phase II, with 53 units, was completed in June, and Phase I, with 97 units, was finished in September. Fifty two of Phase II’s units are targeted to households at 30, 50 and 60 percent of area median income along with one unrestricted manager’s unit.
“Amorosa is like a small rural town with its own community pavilion, resident gardens, mail room, laundry, two playgrounds (one for small children), a basketball court, and two acres of outdoor space for picnics and barbecues. There are also several small plazas dispersed within the village for communal living,” said Larry Boughton, construction department manager with Burbank Housing.
“Every unit has a view and the village offers a feeling of openness. You don’t feel cramped in. Durable finishes and plumbing fixtures were used that don’t need replacement as often. We also incorporated extensive ceramic tile flooring and a 50-year rated roofing system.”
Amorosa is comprised of two and three story buildings with flats on the first floor and town homes above.
With an average of 30 units per acre, the complex covers five acres on a parcel that once served as farmland.
There are 17 buildings on the site with a total of 160,000 square feet of living space. Units include 480 to 500 square foot studios, plus one, two and three bedroom units up to 1,000 square feet. All ground units are accessible with seven units completely outfitted with special features to aid the physically challenged.
Buildings are divided into smaller sections connected by breezeways to allow for natural ventilation and daylight.
Cutting edge physical plant facilities, such as condensing boilers, produce radiant baseboard heat and hot water achieving energy savings 40 percent more efficient than levels set by state standards.
Midstate Construction was the general contractor and the Structural Design Group provided engineering support.
Hunt Hale Jones Architects created a contemporary design with traditional residential details. This combination allows larger scale apartments to become a bridge between legacy home concepts and major infill housing styles.
“One of our goals was to create micro neighborhoods within Amorosa Village enhanced and identified by different color schemes,” said Bob Iwersen, project designer and manager with Hale Hunt Jones Architects.
“Some 17 paint colors were used, including a blend of tints and hues, to give each building a distinctive look. This rich palate was created by color consultant Leslie Tipple of L.T. Designs.”
Each building was constructed as a wood frame structure with an acrylic stucco exterior, concrete and steel stairs and landings, metal railings and perimeter fencing as well as attractive balconies topped off with metal roofing.
The village landscape includes large grassy areas shaded by deciduous native trees and shrubs. Vegetated bioswales were placed in parking areas to channel and absorb runoff from the hardscape and treat water before it enters the storm drain system, in keeping with best management practices.
Organized in 1980, Burbank Housing builds and manages family and senior low-income rental housing and creates home ownership opportunities through its mutual, self-help program.
2011年12月4日星期日
New owners of Tile Outlet celebrate 2nd year of business
Anna and Stelian Creta recently celebrated two years since buying Tile Outlet in the Whispering Pines business area of Grass Valley.
Since then, the Romanian immigrants and Penn Valley residents have noticed a change in their customer base that's tied directly to the continuing poor economy: More and more, homeowners are doing tile work themselves, Anna Creta said.
“Most of the people try to find friends to do the work, or if it's a small thing, do it themselves,” Anna Creta said. By cutting out the contractor, “it's a little more affordable.”
Tile Outlet still offers tile-laying services to those who want it — Stelian Creta does much of that work himself. And the Cretas still service what, during the housing boom, was the major portion the business, which is contractors.
Ceramic tile, Italian-style decorative work, granite countertops, porcelain sink-and-counter combinations, slate and travertine floor tiles, and wood and wood-laminate flooring line their small showroom and larger warehouse behind the store.
Whatever they don't carry, they can order, Anna Creta said.
They also carry supplies and some tools, and offer discounts to contractors and those buying in large quantities.
The Cretas enjoy the area's small-town atmosphere, Anna Creta said.
Anna Creta grew up in a small town in Transylvania, a province of northern Romania. She and her husband started a new life in Sacramento 11 years ago, bringing with them a 10-month-old son.
The size of California's capital “was pretty overwhelming,” she said.
A second boy was born, and the family moved to Nevada County six years ago. Anna got involved in her two sons' schools in Penn Valley. At first, her sons' friends were puzzled by her accent, she said.
“Then I told them I had been in Dracula's castle, and they thought that was cool,” Anna Creta said with a smile.
Meanwhile, Stelian worked on tile-setting jobs for then corporate-owned Tile Outlet.
“That's how we were able to buy the business,” she said.
Two years ago, the corporation sold all its franchises — and the Cretas jumped at the chance to run their own shop. They celebrated their anniversary on Nov. 1, Anna Creta said.
Since then, the Romanian immigrants and Penn Valley residents have noticed a change in their customer base that's tied directly to the continuing poor economy: More and more, homeowners are doing tile work themselves, Anna Creta said.
“Most of the people try to find friends to do the work, or if it's a small thing, do it themselves,” Anna Creta said. By cutting out the contractor, “it's a little more affordable.”
Tile Outlet still offers tile-laying services to those who want it — Stelian Creta does much of that work himself. And the Cretas still service what, during the housing boom, was the major portion the business, which is contractors.
Ceramic tile, Italian-style decorative work, granite countertops, porcelain sink-and-counter combinations, slate and travertine floor tiles, and wood and wood-laminate flooring line their small showroom and larger warehouse behind the store.
Whatever they don't carry, they can order, Anna Creta said.
They also carry supplies and some tools, and offer discounts to contractors and those buying in large quantities.
The Cretas enjoy the area's small-town atmosphere, Anna Creta said.
Anna Creta grew up in a small town in Transylvania, a province of northern Romania. She and her husband started a new life in Sacramento 11 years ago, bringing with them a 10-month-old son.
The size of California's capital “was pretty overwhelming,” she said.
A second boy was born, and the family moved to Nevada County six years ago. Anna got involved in her two sons' schools in Penn Valley. At first, her sons' friends were puzzled by her accent, she said.
“Then I told them I had been in Dracula's castle, and they thought that was cool,” Anna Creta said with a smile.
Meanwhile, Stelian worked on tile-setting jobs for then corporate-owned Tile Outlet.
“That's how we were able to buy the business,” she said.
Two years ago, the corporation sold all its franchises — and the Cretas jumped at the chance to run their own shop. They celebrated their anniversary on Nov. 1, Anna Creta said.
2011年12月1日星期四
Resale of the week: Four-level NW charmer
Since 1924, the stately home at 4331 Cathedral Ave. NW in Wesley Heights has presided over this quiet street from within its private setting.
While the home has been meticulously renovated and enlarged over its 87-year history, the elegance of its architecture has never faded. Stone steps lead from the sidewalk to the covered front door, which is flanked by tall windows with shutters. The quadruple window at the top of the house offers an enticing suggestion of the delightful rooms to be found on the attic level.
The pale-gray-painted shingle exterior is complemented by a glass-enclosed porch on each side of the main level, and the home is encircled by lawns, mature trees and low-maintenance plantings. The terraced rear yard provides a deck, a flagstone patio with a corner fountain and pond, plus a level lawn perfect for a children’s play area. Stone steps lead from the deck to the top of the terraces, where a gate opens onto a two-car parking area with a row of enclosed storage sheds.
On the market for $1,995,000, this home has four finished levels with approximately 4,250 finished square feet. A fire damaged the upper levels in 2001 but also gave the owners an opportunity to replace the electrical systems in the home, add a new roof and remodel the two top floors of the house.
Architectural elements such as crown molding and deep trim around the baseboards, doorways and windows provide continuity in the older and new sections of the residence, along with hardwood flooring throughout the main and upper levels. Recessed lighting has been installed throughout the home, and the kitchen and all five bathrooms have been remodeled.
Perhaps the biggest change during the home remodeling was the addition of living space on either side of the home. While all the rooms in this home have oversized windows that let in plenty of natural light, the two enclosed porches are wrapped in windows on three sides, with transoms above for even more daylight.
One of the enclosed porches functions as the family room, with a wall of built-in bookcases and cabinets, floor-to-ceiling windows and a glass-paneled door leading to the deck. On the opposite side of the house, the other enclosed porch has floor-to-ceiling windows, French doors leading to the terrace, an exposed stone wall and a pocket door leading into the living room. This room currently functions as a home office but can be used a sunroom.
The wide center-hall entrance retains its traditional design and is filled with natural light that flows through a fanlight above the front door and sidelights.
To the right of the center hall is the generously proportioned formal living room, which stretches from the front of the house to the back. French doors open onto the front garden at one end, while a second set of French doors opens onto the deck. Built-in bookcases and cabinets flank the French doors, while a wood-burning fireplace with a carved Federal-style mantel adds warmth to the room. A side window frames a view of the patio, with a glimpse of the corner fountain and pond.
Across the foyer from the living room is the formal dining room, which has crown and chair-rail molding, French doors opening onto the front garden, a pocket door to the family room, and a swing door into the kitchen.
The kitchen and breakfast area have been renovated and include two walls of windows framing views of the deck and the terraced backyard. The focal point for the kitchen is the oversized center island, which has plenty of space for guests to gather and an abundance of open shelving and pull-out drawers and cabinets on all sides.
The kitchen includes granite counters; extensive wood and glass-paneled cabinets, including a pantry; undercabinet lighting; stainless steel appliances; ceramic tile flooring; and distinctive pendant lights. Nearby are a powder room and two double-door coat closets.
A hardwood staircase with a window seat on the landing leads to the first of two upper levels, which has a master suite with a spacious and charming sitting area with oversized windows on two sides. The suite includes a walk-in closet with custom-designed cabinets and a luxurious master bath with a whirlpool tub set under a window, a glass-enclosed shower, marble flooring and a double-sink vanity.
This level has two spacious secondary bedrooms, each with windows on two sides and a double-door closet. These two bedrooms share a renovated hall bath with beadboard walls, tile flooring and a pedestal sink.
On the attic level, a long window seat flanked by built-in bookcases and cabinets provides extra seating in a charming sky-level sitting room. The adjacent bedroom includes a gently sloping ceiling, a wall of built-in drawers, a closet and access to attic storage.
While the home has been meticulously renovated and enlarged over its 87-year history, the elegance of its architecture has never faded. Stone steps lead from the sidewalk to the covered front door, which is flanked by tall windows with shutters. The quadruple window at the top of the house offers an enticing suggestion of the delightful rooms to be found on the attic level.
The pale-gray-painted shingle exterior is complemented by a glass-enclosed porch on each side of the main level, and the home is encircled by lawns, mature trees and low-maintenance plantings. The terraced rear yard provides a deck, a flagstone patio with a corner fountain and pond, plus a level lawn perfect for a children’s play area. Stone steps lead from the deck to the top of the terraces, where a gate opens onto a two-car parking area with a row of enclosed storage sheds.
On the market for $1,995,000, this home has four finished levels with approximately 4,250 finished square feet. A fire damaged the upper levels in 2001 but also gave the owners an opportunity to replace the electrical systems in the home, add a new roof and remodel the two top floors of the house.
Architectural elements such as crown molding and deep trim around the baseboards, doorways and windows provide continuity in the older and new sections of the residence, along with hardwood flooring throughout the main and upper levels. Recessed lighting has been installed throughout the home, and the kitchen and all five bathrooms have been remodeled.
Perhaps the biggest change during the home remodeling was the addition of living space on either side of the home. While all the rooms in this home have oversized windows that let in plenty of natural light, the two enclosed porches are wrapped in windows on three sides, with transoms above for even more daylight.
One of the enclosed porches functions as the family room, with a wall of built-in bookcases and cabinets, floor-to-ceiling windows and a glass-paneled door leading to the deck. On the opposite side of the house, the other enclosed porch has floor-to-ceiling windows, French doors leading to the terrace, an exposed stone wall and a pocket door leading into the living room. This room currently functions as a home office but can be used a sunroom.
The wide center-hall entrance retains its traditional design and is filled with natural light that flows through a fanlight above the front door and sidelights.
To the right of the center hall is the generously proportioned formal living room, which stretches from the front of the house to the back. French doors open onto the front garden at one end, while a second set of French doors opens onto the deck. Built-in bookcases and cabinets flank the French doors, while a wood-burning fireplace with a carved Federal-style mantel adds warmth to the room. A side window frames a view of the patio, with a glimpse of the corner fountain and pond.
Across the foyer from the living room is the formal dining room, which has crown and chair-rail molding, French doors opening onto the front garden, a pocket door to the family room, and a swing door into the kitchen.
The kitchen and breakfast area have been renovated and include two walls of windows framing views of the deck and the terraced backyard. The focal point for the kitchen is the oversized center island, which has plenty of space for guests to gather and an abundance of open shelving and pull-out drawers and cabinets on all sides.
The kitchen includes granite counters; extensive wood and glass-paneled cabinets, including a pantry; undercabinet lighting; stainless steel appliances; ceramic tile flooring; and distinctive pendant lights. Nearby are a powder room and two double-door coat closets.
A hardwood staircase with a window seat on the landing leads to the first of two upper levels, which has a master suite with a spacious and charming sitting area with oversized windows on two sides. The suite includes a walk-in closet with custom-designed cabinets and a luxurious master bath with a whirlpool tub set under a window, a glass-enclosed shower, marble flooring and a double-sink vanity.
This level has two spacious secondary bedrooms, each with windows on two sides and a double-door closet. These two bedrooms share a renovated hall bath with beadboard walls, tile flooring and a pedestal sink.
On the attic level, a long window seat flanked by built-in bookcases and cabinets provides extra seating in a charming sky-level sitting room. The adjacent bedroom includes a gently sloping ceiling, a wall of built-in drawers, a closet and access to attic storage.
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