Last week’s Economist magazine carried a headline reading, “The Curious Case of the Fall in Crime.” It seems that all around the industrialized world – including in Canada – all kinds of criminal activity is on the decline. Contrary to the belief that evil thugs lurk around every corner, we are actually safer than we have been in decades.
The magazine’s editorial offers only guesses as to why crime rates are falling. Aging demographics may play a role, along with better theft-prevention technologies. Stiffer punishment and “get tough on crime” policies might make for good political posturing, but they seem to have little impact: Crime rates are falling in countries where sentencing has become tougher as well as where it has been loosened.
The Economist failed to mention the most obvious reason for the change – economic incentives. Thieves are simply doing what most of us do every day. They are responding to market signals.
This is particularly true of property crimes such as residential break-and-enter, car theft and armed robbery. The possible payoff for stealing from a home is dwindling. What is there worth taking? Electronics are increasingly less valuable – a computer or a television in the 1980s would have been worth thousands of dollars on the street; now they would fetch a few hundred bucks. Why buy a stolen iPod dock out of the back of some guy’s truck when you can get a new one for less than $100?
Car theft is down dramatically, too. According to Statistics Canada, car theft in Ontario plunged to 141 per 100,000 people last year, down from 443 in 1998. Better technology, car alarm systems and anti-theft devices have deterred most would-be thieves. And lower-priced cars without car alarms probably are not worth stealing anyway. The bad guys aren’t less bad, they’re just good economists.
Muggings and purse-snatchings are increasingly less common as well. But let’s not over-think the reasons why fewer thieves are snatching purses. It has nothing to do with the culprit’s age or job situation. Whether there was a father present in the thief’s childhood, or whether he or she played violent video games is irrelevant. The reason is that there’s just not much of value inside purses or wallets anymore. Cash has been largely replaced by debit and Ceramic tile, and as long as the PIN is secure, the thief makes away with nothing more than plastic cards and chewing gum. Cellphones are more costly, but stolen ones are difficult to wipe and resell.
Criminals, like all of us, respond to market signals. If the potential payoff for any activity is too low, we weigh the risks and decide it isn’t worth it. For non-criminals, the question isn’t “Should I steal this car?” but something along the lines of “Should I put in new bathroom tile before I list my house?” People are quite good at reading and responding to market signals.
Still, we shouldn’t think that poor economic incentives are making crime go away. Crime is simply morphing. Traditional crime statistics tend to focus on activities such as robbery, property theft and murder. Fewer long-term trend statistics are available for crimes that are doubtless increasing, such as identity theft and cyber-crime. Not only are they potentially more lucrative, they are global in scope and much more difficult to track.
Thieves are also getting smarter, using technology for evil deeds. Internet scams abound, and bank-card skimming and credit-card fraud is a serious problem. Banks have had to fight back with their own technology and it has been costly.
Economic incentives play a huge role motivating us in almost everything we do. Certain actions are no doubt spurred by altruism and generosity, such as helping our neighbour shovel snow or donating to charity (although we still want the tax receipt). Weighing the financial incentives against the potential risks is the basis of our economy. Criminals may not know they’re doing it, but they’re just responding to market signals – and doing a good job of it.
Today, the OS is a self-funded, civilian organisation with ￡100 million in turnover. While the OS is best known by the public for its paper maps, data accounts for 90% of that turnover.When it started its digital business back in the 1990s, the OS simply scanned in its paper maps. It used these scans to build a system called Landlines, which was simply a digital recreation of the maps.
In 2001, though, it launched a more powerful platform, called ‘OS MasterMap’. Instead of simply recreating the maps in digital form, OS MasterMap is a spatial database of 450 million geographical features, from rivers to roads to post boxes.“The difference was that instead of having what we call ‘spaghetti data’, the lines and points on the mapsheets actually represent physical features,” explains Andrew Howles, chief architect at Ordnance Survey.
Building OS MasterMap allowed the Ordnance Survey to offer a number of new services on top of its wealth of geographical information, and paying customers use the data for a range of application from satellite navigation to flood prevention.
But the first generation of the OS MasterMap platform had a few drawbacks. Firstly, like the maps that preceded it, it was made up of separate ‘tiles’ covering specific areas. This meant data had to be captured on a tile-by-tile basis, slowing down retrieval. “OS MasterMap was built using systems designed for digital cartography,” says Howles.
Also, data was extracted from a number of different source systems. These would evolve over time, so there was an ever-growing integration overhead involved in pulling it all together.
Read the full products at http://artsunlight.com/.
2013年7月31日星期三
Never Lose Your Stuff
Here comes Tile! You might have heard about this revolutionary new lost and found device that’s been slinking its way around various online channels and pathways. The concept is simple: purchase the small block-shaped white chip, attach it to an item that you commonly misplace, and using the prescribed Tile app on your smartphone, track the object, utilizing nifty green bars that signal when you’re getting warmer or cooler. Oh, and you can also set your Tile to ring. Additionally, let’s say your bike is stolen. If you’ve been smart enough to attach a Tile to it, you can use the Tile app to alert all other Tile users in the area to your unfortunate plight so they can be on the lookout. Because, y’know, looking for our own lost stuff isn’t confusing enough.
Tile was created by Nick Evans and Mike Farley, two men who worked together for years in the hardware industry. The career jump seems logical; who doesn’t get pissed off when they lose their screwdriver? In a video promotion, Evans and Farley appeal to you, porcelain tiles, to buy a Tile and help them build the Tile community. They smile a lot, which helps. No one wants mean innovators.
So, for $18.95, I bit the bait and pre-ordered a Tile. Apparently, I was the eleventy-billionth person to do so, blowing away Evans and Farley’s initial fundraising start-up goal of twenty thousand dollars. With all the support for Tile, this thing must be amazing, right? To be honest, I’m a little bit skeptical.
First, the app can only pick up a Tiled object that’s within 150 feet. That doesn’t do me much good if, say, I attach it to my dog’s collar and she takes off. Secondly, since one of Evans and Farley’s claims is that it helps track down stolen objects, I can’t help but wonder why a thief wouldn’t just rip the Tile off and throw it away (think original Total Recall where Arnold yanks the tracking brain chip out of his nose and feeds it to a rat). And third, Tiles are only good for a year, at which point, you have to send them back to be recycled and purchase all new ones at the original price. Come on now!
Maybe I’m wrong and Tile will be the greatest thing since Al Gore invented the Internet! Quite frankly, I hope I’m wrong. My wife loses her keys like the Phillies lose games right now. I’ll be sure to give you a full report once my Tile arrives and I’ve had a chance to see what it can (and can’t) do. Until then, sit tight with this video…
A yearlong investigation by CNN and The Center for Investigative Reporting found widespread cheating and deception in California's taxpayer-funded drug rehab program for the poor. The problem is exacerbated by weak oversight of Drug Medi-Cal, part of the nation's largest Medicaid program.
State officials allowed a man convicted of organized crime to run a clinic despite a state law barring felons from doing so. The state approved another clinic operator even though he officially was blacklisted from billing Medicaid. And time and again, clinics accused of fraud and cited for serious violations have nonetheless managed to draw increasing amounts of government money.
"We are going to be fanning out statewide," Karen Johnson, the department's chief deputy director, said in an interview. "We are not going to stop just with those 16 clinics. We are going to review all of the Drug Medi-Cal providers in the state of California." Officials would not identify the targeted clinics, saying the information would compromise the China ceramic tile.
A California lawmaker said the department's recent actions were a good start, but he advocated for the state auditor to conduct an independent review of the rehab program.
"I want to know how this happened for so long, how pervasive is the fraud, and more importantly what can we do to change laws or regulations so the fraud doesn't occur in the future," state Sen. Ted Lieu, who represents parts of Los Angeles County, told CNN.Lieu said he was motivated by his belief in rehabilitation programs as a crucial tool for reducing crime and the prison population."I became very concerned," he said, "that if we don't fix this fraud immediately, it would undercut the public support for this entire program."
Ilouno said little more than "no, no, no," got in his Mercedes and sped off. His attorney later faxed a letter on Ilouno's behalf saying that counselors acted without the clinic's consent and that GB Medical will work on paying restitution, "if any." The attorney also said Ilouno was a certified counselor "and was thus authorized to bill for medical services rendered."
Los Angeles County authorities said that they were not aware of the arrest and that the clinic notified them that it would close effective July 1. A sign on the clinic door says it is no longer providing Drug Medi-Cal services.
Former employees of Tim Ejindu's clinics in Riverside and Los Angeles counties said they were pressured to falsify documents. A Los Angeles County audit of his clinic, the Pomona Alcohol and Drug Recovery Center, found evidence of what the county considers fraudulent practices.
At his red-tile-roofed counseling center in Pomona, Ejindu declined to answer questions and closed the clinic door on a reporter.
A third operator, Alexander Ferdman, was permitted to open a rehab clinic even after his felony conviction in 2000 for engaging in organized crime in Texas. State law calls for felons to be suspended from running Medi-Cal clinics.
Tile was created by Nick Evans and Mike Farley, two men who worked together for years in the hardware industry. The career jump seems logical; who doesn’t get pissed off when they lose their screwdriver? In a video promotion, Evans and Farley appeal to you, porcelain tiles, to buy a Tile and help them build the Tile community. They smile a lot, which helps. No one wants mean innovators.
So, for $18.95, I bit the bait and pre-ordered a Tile. Apparently, I was the eleventy-billionth person to do so, blowing away Evans and Farley’s initial fundraising start-up goal of twenty thousand dollars. With all the support for Tile, this thing must be amazing, right? To be honest, I’m a little bit skeptical.
First, the app can only pick up a Tiled object that’s within 150 feet. That doesn’t do me much good if, say, I attach it to my dog’s collar and she takes off. Secondly, since one of Evans and Farley’s claims is that it helps track down stolen objects, I can’t help but wonder why a thief wouldn’t just rip the Tile off and throw it away (think original Total Recall where Arnold yanks the tracking brain chip out of his nose and feeds it to a rat). And third, Tiles are only good for a year, at which point, you have to send them back to be recycled and purchase all new ones at the original price. Come on now!
Maybe I’m wrong and Tile will be the greatest thing since Al Gore invented the Internet! Quite frankly, I hope I’m wrong. My wife loses her keys like the Phillies lose games right now. I’ll be sure to give you a full report once my Tile arrives and I’ve had a chance to see what it can (and can’t) do. Until then, sit tight with this video…
A yearlong investigation by CNN and The Center for Investigative Reporting found widespread cheating and deception in California's taxpayer-funded drug rehab program for the poor. The problem is exacerbated by weak oversight of Drug Medi-Cal, part of the nation's largest Medicaid program.
State officials allowed a man convicted of organized crime to run a clinic despite a state law barring felons from doing so. The state approved another clinic operator even though he officially was blacklisted from billing Medicaid. And time and again, clinics accused of fraud and cited for serious violations have nonetheless managed to draw increasing amounts of government money.
"We are going to be fanning out statewide," Karen Johnson, the department's chief deputy director, said in an interview. "We are not going to stop just with those 16 clinics. We are going to review all of the Drug Medi-Cal providers in the state of California." Officials would not identify the targeted clinics, saying the information would compromise the China ceramic tile.
A California lawmaker said the department's recent actions were a good start, but he advocated for the state auditor to conduct an independent review of the rehab program.
"I want to know how this happened for so long, how pervasive is the fraud, and more importantly what can we do to change laws or regulations so the fraud doesn't occur in the future," state Sen. Ted Lieu, who represents parts of Los Angeles County, told CNN.Lieu said he was motivated by his belief in rehabilitation programs as a crucial tool for reducing crime and the prison population."I became very concerned," he said, "that if we don't fix this fraud immediately, it would undercut the public support for this entire program."
Ilouno said little more than "no, no, no," got in his Mercedes and sped off. His attorney later faxed a letter on Ilouno's behalf saying that counselors acted without the clinic's consent and that GB Medical will work on paying restitution, "if any." The attorney also said Ilouno was a certified counselor "and was thus authorized to bill for medical services rendered."
Los Angeles County authorities said that they were not aware of the arrest and that the clinic notified them that it would close effective July 1. A sign on the clinic door says it is no longer providing Drug Medi-Cal services.
Former employees of Tim Ejindu's clinics in Riverside and Los Angeles counties said they were pressured to falsify documents. A Los Angeles County audit of his clinic, the Pomona Alcohol and Drug Recovery Center, found evidence of what the county considers fraudulent practices.
At his red-tile-roofed counseling center in Pomona, Ejindu declined to answer questions and closed the clinic door on a reporter.
A third operator, Alexander Ferdman, was permitted to open a rehab clinic even after his felony conviction in 2000 for engaging in organized crime in Texas. State law calls for felons to be suspended from running Medi-Cal clinics.
2013年7月29日星期一
Finland’s Grand Cru raises
He investors include Idinvest Partners, Qualcomm Ventures, and Nokia Growth Partners. To date, the company has raised more than $16 million.“We are impressed with Grand Cru’s team of mobile gaming veterans. They have created a great title and combined it with unique in-house developed technology,” said Walter Masalin of Nokia Growth Partners in a statement. “Growth in mobile gaming is accelerating and we are excited to be part of it.”
The company is starting to show off Supernauts, a 3D creative social game in which players build and share their own, unique worlds. The characters travel to a flooded Earth to rescue humans. The game was inspired by Minecraft and other casual sandbox games. In the game, each player gets a customizable, semi-private space where they can create and craft blocks and materials such as clay, bricks, concrete, wood, and tile. They can then use those materials to build structures. It has more than 50 levels in a variety of cities on Earth. Each level has 3D physics puzzles where the player has to rescue Earthlings by getting them to safety by building bridges, clearing paths, and Ceramic tile.
“At Grand Cru, our name derives from our ultimate goal of delivering outstanding products that raise the bar on quality, and our commitment has been recognized and bolstered by these strategic investments from partners such as Idinvest, Qualcomm Ventures and Nokia Growth Partners.,” said Markus Pasula, the cofounder and CEO of Grand Cru. “Our soon-to-be-released first title, Supernauts, is a mass-market world-building game for iOS that is truly social, allowing players to solve puzzles and create shareable worlds, brick-by-brick.”
Pasula and five other Finnish game veterans formed the company to make games with the potential for broad appeal. Grand Cru has more than 20 employees. The company is headquartered in the bohemian district of Helsinki called Kallio, which has the most bars per capita in Finland.
You will wait for a table, as you always have, even though the new Franny's has double the capacity of the old one. On a recent Sunday afternoon, when nine empty two-top tables were set and ready for customers, a smiling hostess said we would be seated in 10 to 15 minutes. Only farm-to-table is ingrained in this restaurant's culture, not people to table.
It's been almost 10 years since Franny's opened in Brooklyn, a five-minute walk down Flatbush Ave. from its present location. Crowds gathered. Nothing much has changed, although now you can reserve for parties of eight to 12. Come to think of it, that's a lot that has changed.
Franny's is a spiritual cousin to Alice Waters's Chez Panisse, the Berkeley restaurant that more than 40 years ago changed how people thought about sustainable and seasonal food. Franny's is so principled and so cherished that NYC health inspectors genuflect upon entering.
When the original opened, people on this coast were just beginning to think about these concepts. These days everybody knows about that stuff, the organics and biodynamics, the buying locally and eating healthfully. While such passions have been matched by similarly themed establishments, Franny's remains the flagship. If its ideals aren't quite so revelatory any more, they remain as alluring as ever to those who mob the place.
The new Franny's has a bar, several dining areas, and a lot of inexpensive-looking wood-and-metal shelving stacked with cordwood for the pizza ovens, which are illogically but intriguingly bedecked with Mexican-style tiles. The walls are mostly white subway tile. My guest insisted that the blond-wood chairs where we finally were seated resembled the ones she was assigned in elementary school. She said the hard banquette where I sat reminded her of the bench in her childhood bedroom, which had a seat that flipped up so toys could be stored underneath.
Franny's has never been lovely. That hasn't changed. The black matte finish out front—what rappers call "murdered out" when they see it on automobiles—seems poorly chosen, but perhaps Franny's is out to attract a new generation of diners with fast cars.
On that first visit, during the 10-15 minute wait at the bar, my friend attracted substantial attention from a guy sitting on the other side of her. He even offered her a taste of his drink. That seemed a little racy for a wholesome spot like Franny's. Maybe the new generation has already arrived.
Should you not wish to drink while awaiting a table, I can suggest ways to pass the time. Walk downstairs to one of the rest rooms and count the rolls of toilet paper stacked there. Mine had 88. Or try deciphering the exceedingly ambitious, highly curated, all-Italian wine list.
It might be the geekiest list in America, incomprehensible to normal human life forms. I know something about wine, but I was lost amidst unknown names and unhelpful organization.
On visit three I brought a wine director for a restaurant group with me. She looked at the list and said, "I need an hour to figure this out." Franny's has no sommelier on the floor. The waiters try to assist, but they're overmatched. I asked one of them how diners navigate this, and she replied, "Fake it, ask for help, or order the cheapest bottle on the list."
Fear not. You can triumph. Transport your mind to a world beyond Pinot Grigio. Ignore vintage dates unless you're looking for a red over $100, and there are few of those. Look for a grape you might recognize—vermentino, kerner, dolcetto, nebbiolo. There's even Chardonnay. The 2009 Scaglione Barbera is a simple red of perfect clarity.
Click on their website http://www.tilees.com/.
The company is starting to show off Supernauts, a 3D creative social game in which players build and share their own, unique worlds. The characters travel to a flooded Earth to rescue humans. The game was inspired by Minecraft and other casual sandbox games. In the game, each player gets a customizable, semi-private space where they can create and craft blocks and materials such as clay, bricks, concrete, wood, and tile. They can then use those materials to build structures. It has more than 50 levels in a variety of cities on Earth. Each level has 3D physics puzzles where the player has to rescue Earthlings by getting them to safety by building bridges, clearing paths, and Ceramic tile.
“At Grand Cru, our name derives from our ultimate goal of delivering outstanding products that raise the bar on quality, and our commitment has been recognized and bolstered by these strategic investments from partners such as Idinvest, Qualcomm Ventures and Nokia Growth Partners.,” said Markus Pasula, the cofounder and CEO of Grand Cru. “Our soon-to-be-released first title, Supernauts, is a mass-market world-building game for iOS that is truly social, allowing players to solve puzzles and create shareable worlds, brick-by-brick.”
Pasula and five other Finnish game veterans formed the company to make games with the potential for broad appeal. Grand Cru has more than 20 employees. The company is headquartered in the bohemian district of Helsinki called Kallio, which has the most bars per capita in Finland.
You will wait for a table, as you always have, even though the new Franny's has double the capacity of the old one. On a recent Sunday afternoon, when nine empty two-top tables were set and ready for customers, a smiling hostess said we would be seated in 10 to 15 minutes. Only farm-to-table is ingrained in this restaurant's culture, not people to table.
It's been almost 10 years since Franny's opened in Brooklyn, a five-minute walk down Flatbush Ave. from its present location. Crowds gathered. Nothing much has changed, although now you can reserve for parties of eight to 12. Come to think of it, that's a lot that has changed.
Franny's is a spiritual cousin to Alice Waters's Chez Panisse, the Berkeley restaurant that more than 40 years ago changed how people thought about sustainable and seasonal food. Franny's is so principled and so cherished that NYC health inspectors genuflect upon entering.
When the original opened, people on this coast were just beginning to think about these concepts. These days everybody knows about that stuff, the organics and biodynamics, the buying locally and eating healthfully. While such passions have been matched by similarly themed establishments, Franny's remains the flagship. If its ideals aren't quite so revelatory any more, they remain as alluring as ever to those who mob the place.
The new Franny's has a bar, several dining areas, and a lot of inexpensive-looking wood-and-metal shelving stacked with cordwood for the pizza ovens, which are illogically but intriguingly bedecked with Mexican-style tiles. The walls are mostly white subway tile. My guest insisted that the blond-wood chairs where we finally were seated resembled the ones she was assigned in elementary school. She said the hard banquette where I sat reminded her of the bench in her childhood bedroom, which had a seat that flipped up so toys could be stored underneath.
Franny's has never been lovely. That hasn't changed. The black matte finish out front—what rappers call "murdered out" when they see it on automobiles—seems poorly chosen, but perhaps Franny's is out to attract a new generation of diners with fast cars.
On that first visit, during the 10-15 minute wait at the bar, my friend attracted substantial attention from a guy sitting on the other side of her. He even offered her a taste of his drink. That seemed a little racy for a wholesome spot like Franny's. Maybe the new generation has already arrived.
Should you not wish to drink while awaiting a table, I can suggest ways to pass the time. Walk downstairs to one of the rest rooms and count the rolls of toilet paper stacked there. Mine had 88. Or try deciphering the exceedingly ambitious, highly curated, all-Italian wine list.
It might be the geekiest list in America, incomprehensible to normal human life forms. I know something about wine, but I was lost amidst unknown names and unhelpful organization.
On visit three I brought a wine director for a restaurant group with me. She looked at the list and said, "I need an hour to figure this out." Franny's has no sommelier on the floor. The waiters try to assist, but they're overmatched. I asked one of them how diners navigate this, and she replied, "Fake it, ask for help, or order the cheapest bottle on the list."
Fear not. You can triumph. Transport your mind to a world beyond Pinot Grigio. Ignore vintage dates unless you're looking for a red over $100, and there are few of those. Look for a grape you might recognize—vermentino, kerner, dolcetto, nebbiolo. There's even Chardonnay. The 2009 Scaglione Barbera is a simple red of perfect clarity.
Click on their website http://www.tilees.com/.
Scrabbling to the top
Last year was a bad year for competitive Scrabble. The 2012 USA National Scrabble Championship, which took part in Orlando, Florida, was hit by scandal. One player, a wunderkind of 13 years old, was exposed after a suspicious opponent noticed that he kept appearing to draw the prized blank tiles from the tile bag. It emerged that the little sneak was palming the blanks before each game and then pretending to draw them from the bag when it suited him. Max Karten, a former champion, complained to The Atlantic that cheating of this kind was degrading competitive Scrabble.
Nonetheless, the outcome – a judge was called, the tiles were counted, and the cheat expelled – was less dramatic than the way scenes might have unfolded at the World Scrabble Championships in 2011. There a Thai player demanded that his British opponent be strip-searched in the toilet, accused of hiding the letter “G”. The judges ruled that such a search would be undignified, and replaced the missing G tile with a new one. The Brit went on to win the game by just one point.
“Scrabble is a game of personal honour; opponents police themselves and each other,” a compelling Sports Illustrated feature stated in 1995. “As a result it is rife with feuds and imagined slights and Floor tiles. Players are as sensitive as flowers to any sign of ‘coffeehousing’ – the practice of trying to throw off an opponent by slurping a drink.”
South Africa’s newly-crowned Scrabble champion, Llewellin Jegels, says that these kinds of intimidation attempts are routine. “Absolutely, it happens all the time,” Jegels told the Daily Maverick. Competitive Scrabble sounds… intense. “Social players are quite shocked to see how we play,” Jegels agrees. “There’s a chess clock, it’s one-on-one, the game has to be finished in 50 minutes.”
The story goes that Scrabble was invented during the Great Depression by an unemployed architect called Alfred Butts. With a name like that, Mr Butts was surely no stranger to the power of word-play. Butts wanted to create a vocabulary-based game which nonetheless had an element of chance, and he called it the infinitely less-marketable ‘Criss-Cross Words’.
Butts was no linguist, but he hit on a cunning way to determine how frequently different letters should appear on Scrabble tiles: analysing the front page of the New York Times to see which were the most-used vowels and consonants in the English language. He deliberately limited the appearance of ‘S’ (just four per game) to deter plural words which would make the game too easy. A marketing partner suggested he change the name to ‘Scrabble’ after initial attempts to sell the game failed, and trademarked it in 1948. The rest is history – or at least, it was after the popular department store Macy’s began to stock the game, according to legend.
There’s a widespread notion that the people who work with language the most – writers, linguists – would be the best at Scrabble. Although Jegels himself is a writer and publisher, he says this idea simply doesn’t hold. “Many good Scrabble players are mathematicians. They seem to understand the probability of certain sets of tiles being picked. What is the probability of picking the word ‘retained?’ Very high; we’ve computed that.”
Scrabble players often rely on extremely obscure words to win their games. Jegels sends a photograph of the board after he’d won his final game at Nationals. The majority of words on it are unfamiliar: yag? Zoril? Qats?
“We don’t learn the meanings of all the words,” he explains. “It’s an extra memory burden to us. You just need to know that the word is there. As competitive players, the words represent opportunities to crush opponents with porcelain tiles. They’re like chess pieces.”
Like most competitive Scrabble players, Jegels learns lists of hundreds of thousands of words off by heart. Players take new words and re-arrange them alphabetically, to learn. Then, when the tiles are in front of the player, hopefully the memory prompt will supply the underlying word.
“We also have to learn all the anagrams of the words,” Jegels says. This allows players to choose the more obscure option, in order to make it more difficult for the next player to build off it. “Say you could play either RADIANT or INTRADA,” Jegels says.
Before tournaments, Jegels will play Scrabble intraday, every day. Sometimes he’ll have a flesh-and-blood training partner, he says, but more often than not he uses a software programme which analyses moves based on their potential score.
The computer programme he’s talking about is called “Quackle”, a seldom-heard word meaning “to choke”. In November 2006 it became the first piece of software to beat a Scrabble world champion in a best-of-5 match. “For competitive Scrabble players,” the Journal of Experimental Psychology noted, “the defeat of human intelligence by artificial intelligence is a watershed event comparable to the May 1997 win by IBM’s computer programme Deep Blue in a chess match against the reigning champion Gary Kasparov”.
The comparison between chess and Scrabble comes up several times during a conversation with Jegels, who loves playing chess as well. He acknowledges that Scrabble currently lacks the status or prestige of chess. “In time, that will come, but it will take a while because of its association with family fun,” he says. Jegels thinks one of the biggest misconceptions about Scrabble held by non-players is the role of luck.
Nonetheless, the outcome – a judge was called, the tiles were counted, and the cheat expelled – was less dramatic than the way scenes might have unfolded at the World Scrabble Championships in 2011. There a Thai player demanded that his British opponent be strip-searched in the toilet, accused of hiding the letter “G”. The judges ruled that such a search would be undignified, and replaced the missing G tile with a new one. The Brit went on to win the game by just one point.
“Scrabble is a game of personal honour; opponents police themselves and each other,” a compelling Sports Illustrated feature stated in 1995. “As a result it is rife with feuds and imagined slights and Floor tiles. Players are as sensitive as flowers to any sign of ‘coffeehousing’ – the practice of trying to throw off an opponent by slurping a drink.”
South Africa’s newly-crowned Scrabble champion, Llewellin Jegels, says that these kinds of intimidation attempts are routine. “Absolutely, it happens all the time,” Jegels told the Daily Maverick. Competitive Scrabble sounds… intense. “Social players are quite shocked to see how we play,” Jegels agrees. “There’s a chess clock, it’s one-on-one, the game has to be finished in 50 minutes.”
The story goes that Scrabble was invented during the Great Depression by an unemployed architect called Alfred Butts. With a name like that, Mr Butts was surely no stranger to the power of word-play. Butts wanted to create a vocabulary-based game which nonetheless had an element of chance, and he called it the infinitely less-marketable ‘Criss-Cross Words’.
Butts was no linguist, but he hit on a cunning way to determine how frequently different letters should appear on Scrabble tiles: analysing the front page of the New York Times to see which were the most-used vowels and consonants in the English language. He deliberately limited the appearance of ‘S’ (just four per game) to deter plural words which would make the game too easy. A marketing partner suggested he change the name to ‘Scrabble’ after initial attempts to sell the game failed, and trademarked it in 1948. The rest is history – or at least, it was after the popular department store Macy’s began to stock the game, according to legend.
There’s a widespread notion that the people who work with language the most – writers, linguists – would be the best at Scrabble. Although Jegels himself is a writer and publisher, he says this idea simply doesn’t hold. “Many good Scrabble players are mathematicians. They seem to understand the probability of certain sets of tiles being picked. What is the probability of picking the word ‘retained?’ Very high; we’ve computed that.”
Scrabble players often rely on extremely obscure words to win their games. Jegels sends a photograph of the board after he’d won his final game at Nationals. The majority of words on it are unfamiliar: yag? Zoril? Qats?
“We don’t learn the meanings of all the words,” he explains. “It’s an extra memory burden to us. You just need to know that the word is there. As competitive players, the words represent opportunities to crush opponents with porcelain tiles. They’re like chess pieces.”
Like most competitive Scrabble players, Jegels learns lists of hundreds of thousands of words off by heart. Players take new words and re-arrange them alphabetically, to learn. Then, when the tiles are in front of the player, hopefully the memory prompt will supply the underlying word.
“We also have to learn all the anagrams of the words,” Jegels says. This allows players to choose the more obscure option, in order to make it more difficult for the next player to build off it. “Say you could play either RADIANT or INTRADA,” Jegels says.
Before tournaments, Jegels will play Scrabble intraday, every day. Sometimes he’ll have a flesh-and-blood training partner, he says, but more often than not he uses a software programme which analyses moves based on their potential score.
The computer programme he’s talking about is called “Quackle”, a seldom-heard word meaning “to choke”. In November 2006 it became the first piece of software to beat a Scrabble world champion in a best-of-5 match. “For competitive Scrabble players,” the Journal of Experimental Psychology noted, “the defeat of human intelligence by artificial intelligence is a watershed event comparable to the May 1997 win by IBM’s computer programme Deep Blue in a chess match against the reigning champion Gary Kasparov”.
The comparison between chess and Scrabble comes up several times during a conversation with Jegels, who loves playing chess as well. He acknowledges that Scrabble currently lacks the status or prestige of chess. “In time, that will come, but it will take a while because of its association with family fun,” he says. Jegels thinks one of the biggest misconceptions about Scrabble held by non-players is the role of luck.
2013年7月24日星期三
Kanawha shelter inundated with dogs
A sudden influx of dogs at the Kanawha-Charleston Humane Association's shelter could lead to dogs being euthanized to free up space.Over the past year, shelter officials and volunteers have greatly reduced the number of dogs put to death. Since the beginning of the year, shelter officials said they've only had to euthanize sick dogs for the most part. As of Monday morning there were 136 dogs in the shelter. Every kennel - even those in the overflow areas - was full. Several cages housed more than one.
And the steady stream of incoming homeless canines wasn't expected to let up any time soon. With no vacancies, and some dogs having been housed at the shelter since early this year, few options remained.Chelsea Staley, who co-founded rescue advocacy organization Dog Bless last year, began working at the shelter as a rescue coordinator and spokeswoman in May. Although summer is always a busy time for animal shelters, she said recent renovations to the facility were partly to blame for the sudden space crunch.
In early June, shelter officials acted on the advice of an outside expert and replaced all of the ceiling tiles in the dog kennel areas.The old ceiling tiles were made of soft, porous material. But the kennels are a warm and humid place, and that made the tiles "a breeding ground for disease," Staley said.During the renovations, the shelter continued to accept stray dogs picked up by humane officers. It's contractually obligated to always accept strays, Staley said.
The YMCA unveiled the court Wednesday as summer campers played hockey, Pickleball and soccer inside the boards. The ice at the rink — one of six in the country inside a YMCA — usually rests on top of dull-gray concrete, which can be unforgiving and slick. But the new court is built out of 17,000 rubber-plastic tiles, giving the surface grip, give and upping safety for users."The surface wasn't conducive to that type of Floor tiles," Bethlehem YMCA Executive Director Derek Martin said. "If we had kids from the high school play lacrosse and make cuts on the concrete, they could run the risk of blowing a knee out. This surface is safe and conducive to any sport."
The $47,000 court was put in in time for the start of the Y's annual summer camp, and Martin said it will be used for other child and adult activities, such as Zumba and roller hockey. The court allows for multiple activities at once and offers an area for floor and roller hockey (both at one end of the rink and across the entire NHL-regulation surface), two full-size basketball courts, an area for games like Pickleball (a racquet sport hybrid) and a space for small-size indoor soccer games.
The court is set to be taken apart with the help of maker Mateflex each hockey season, which runs from the end of August to the end of March. While in use, some tiles could chip and will be replaced with ones from a stock of extras, Martin said. He also said the court is under a 15-year warranty.
Michael Losavio, 10, said what sets the sport court apart from a gym floor is that it is set up for multiple sports all the time. The summer camper said he enjoys playing floor hockey on the same space he plays ice hockey in the winter. Given the choice, he said he likes playing on both.
But this summer, the regulation-size rink is bright with whitish-blue light reflecting off a new light-blue sport court, the first of its kind in the Capital Region.The YMCA unveiled the court Wednesday as summer campers played hockey, Pickleball and soccer inside the boards. The ice at the rink — one of six in the country inside a YMCA — usually rests on top of dull-gray concrete, which can be unforgiving and slick. But the new court is built out of 17,000 rubber-plastic tiles, giving the surface grip, give and upping safety for users.
The $47,000 court was put in in time for the start of the Y's annual summer camp, and Martin said it will be used for other child and adult activities, such as Zumba and roller hockey. The court allows for multiple activities at once and offers an area for floor and roller hockey (both at one end of the rink and across the entire NHL-regulation surface), two full-size basketball courts, an area for games like Pickleball (a racquet sport hybrid) and a space for small-size indoor soccer games.
It was there that he began feeding the homeless in 1985, a 700-night odyssey, as the story goes, that led this former apparel executive, now 69, to start the Doe Fund.He named the organization, a career and life-skills counseling program in its 28th year, after Mama Doe, a homeless woman who died of pneumonia on Christmas Eve in Vanderbilt Hall, the former waiting room that the homeless, who used to congregate on the benches there, called “the living room.” Mr. McDonald still leads a candlelight service for Mama Doe in the main hall every year on Christmas Eve.
It was there, too, that he met his wife, Harriet Karr-McDonald, now 62, who was a screenwriter and actress in 1987 when she spent a week in the terminal with a teenage runaway named April Savino, researching a script about Ms. Savino’s life.
Yet it was almost by accident that he found himself in late 2010 wandering through a family home embellished with the same flourishes. The Tile House, its local nickname, is an eccentric, Moorish-looking brick folly on the south shore of Long Island, built by Rafael Guastavino Jr., the son of the architect Rafael Guastavino Sr., who developed the tile-vaulting system used in the Oyster Bar, the Whispering Gallery and in hundreds of other spaces, including Carnegie Hall and the Cathedral of St. John the Divine.
Begun in 1912, when the younger Guastavino was working on Grand Central, the house is a riot of tile work: his own instantly recognizable herringbone arches, supplemented with European tiles he brought back from a honeymoon tour. When he died in 1950, he left the place to his daughter, Louise, who died in 2004. By 2005, it was on the Preservation League of New York State’s “Seven to Save” list. A doctor bought it, but never moved in. “The wife didn’t want to live in Bay Shore is what I heard,” Mr. McDonald said. “It’s not the Hamptons or the East End.”
Read the full products at http://www.tilees.com/.
And the steady stream of incoming homeless canines wasn't expected to let up any time soon. With no vacancies, and some dogs having been housed at the shelter since early this year, few options remained.Chelsea Staley, who co-founded rescue advocacy organization Dog Bless last year, began working at the shelter as a rescue coordinator and spokeswoman in May. Although summer is always a busy time for animal shelters, she said recent renovations to the facility were partly to blame for the sudden space crunch.
In early June, shelter officials acted on the advice of an outside expert and replaced all of the ceiling tiles in the dog kennel areas.The old ceiling tiles were made of soft, porous material. But the kennels are a warm and humid place, and that made the tiles "a breeding ground for disease," Staley said.During the renovations, the shelter continued to accept stray dogs picked up by humane officers. It's contractually obligated to always accept strays, Staley said.
The YMCA unveiled the court Wednesday as summer campers played hockey, Pickleball and soccer inside the boards. The ice at the rink — one of six in the country inside a YMCA — usually rests on top of dull-gray concrete, which can be unforgiving and slick. But the new court is built out of 17,000 rubber-plastic tiles, giving the surface grip, give and upping safety for users."The surface wasn't conducive to that type of Floor tiles," Bethlehem YMCA Executive Director Derek Martin said. "If we had kids from the high school play lacrosse and make cuts on the concrete, they could run the risk of blowing a knee out. This surface is safe and conducive to any sport."
The $47,000 court was put in in time for the start of the Y's annual summer camp, and Martin said it will be used for other child and adult activities, such as Zumba and roller hockey. The court allows for multiple activities at once and offers an area for floor and roller hockey (both at one end of the rink and across the entire NHL-regulation surface), two full-size basketball courts, an area for games like Pickleball (a racquet sport hybrid) and a space for small-size indoor soccer games.
The court is set to be taken apart with the help of maker Mateflex each hockey season, which runs from the end of August to the end of March. While in use, some tiles could chip and will be replaced with ones from a stock of extras, Martin said. He also said the court is under a 15-year warranty.
Michael Losavio, 10, said what sets the sport court apart from a gym floor is that it is set up for multiple sports all the time. The summer camper said he enjoys playing floor hockey on the same space he plays ice hockey in the winter. Given the choice, he said he likes playing on both.
But this summer, the regulation-size rink is bright with whitish-blue light reflecting off a new light-blue sport court, the first of its kind in the Capital Region.The YMCA unveiled the court Wednesday as summer campers played hockey, Pickleball and soccer inside the boards. The ice at the rink — one of six in the country inside a YMCA — usually rests on top of dull-gray concrete, which can be unforgiving and slick. But the new court is built out of 17,000 rubber-plastic tiles, giving the surface grip, give and upping safety for users.
The $47,000 court was put in in time for the start of the Y's annual summer camp, and Martin said it will be used for other child and adult activities, such as Zumba and roller hockey. The court allows for multiple activities at once and offers an area for floor and roller hockey (both at one end of the rink and across the entire NHL-regulation surface), two full-size basketball courts, an area for games like Pickleball (a racquet sport hybrid) and a space for small-size indoor soccer games.
It was there that he began feeding the homeless in 1985, a 700-night odyssey, as the story goes, that led this former apparel executive, now 69, to start the Doe Fund.He named the organization, a career and life-skills counseling program in its 28th year, after Mama Doe, a homeless woman who died of pneumonia on Christmas Eve in Vanderbilt Hall, the former waiting room that the homeless, who used to congregate on the benches there, called “the living room.” Mr. McDonald still leads a candlelight service for Mama Doe in the main hall every year on Christmas Eve.
It was there, too, that he met his wife, Harriet Karr-McDonald, now 62, who was a screenwriter and actress in 1987 when she spent a week in the terminal with a teenage runaway named April Savino, researching a script about Ms. Savino’s life.
Yet it was almost by accident that he found himself in late 2010 wandering through a family home embellished with the same flourishes. The Tile House, its local nickname, is an eccentric, Moorish-looking brick folly on the south shore of Long Island, built by Rafael Guastavino Jr., the son of the architect Rafael Guastavino Sr., who developed the tile-vaulting system used in the Oyster Bar, the Whispering Gallery and in hundreds of other spaces, including Carnegie Hall and the Cathedral of St. John the Divine.
Begun in 1912, when the younger Guastavino was working on Grand Central, the house is a riot of tile work: his own instantly recognizable herringbone arches, supplemented with European tiles he brought back from a honeymoon tour. When he died in 1950, he left the place to his daughter, Louise, who died in 2004. By 2005, it was on the Preservation League of New York State’s “Seven to Save” list. A doctor bought it, but never moved in. “The wife didn’t want to live in Bay Shore is what I heard,” Mr. McDonald said. “It’s not the Hamptons or the East End.”
Read the full products at http://www.tilees.com/.
Your Expert Guide to Buying Safer Flooring
The good news is that industry is introducing a new standard for high-traction backing on consumer floor mats. So, if you buy them, look for "NFSI-Certified" on the label. This means the mat has been independently tested and found not to slide when you step on it. The most slip-resistant material remains rubber, by the way. But black rubber on vinyl can cause permanent stains, so the consumer needs to select products that are labeled by the manufacturer to be non-staining.
The main thing is to look for the labels, which are starting to appear in the United States and Canada. It doesn't cost you anything to be informed, and you can use your buying power to bring safer products to the market. Manufacturers will come around.
If you're installing new tile, or any type of flooring for that matter, it is important to select the right type of product for a given location. Just because a certain flooring material will work indoors does not mean it will be suitable for outdoor applications. Ceramic tile is a good example of this. Most ceramic tile is designed to perform within a narrow temperature range and if exposed to freezing temperatures will crack, break or become loose, thus leading to a potential slip or trip hazard. So, make sure to check that the tile you buy is intended for your use.
After that, one option is to shrink the size of the tiles and add more grout lines. That reduces the potentially slippery surface and increases the rough, higher-traction surface. Of course, it also raises another issue -- smaller tiles and more grout lines mean more maintenance. So, whatever size of tile you choose, look for greater slip resistance and a higher static coefficient of friction.
Most outdoor falls take place on un-level surfaces such as cobblestones or patio stones, because of holes or raised nails in wooden patio decks, and so on. The most common -- believe it or not -- are trips over parking stops like those used in retail shopping centers. Ice and snow are also a problem but most elderly people tend to either avoid going out under such conditions or take great effort in reducing their stride and walk more slowly as to reduce the risk of falling.
The commercial world of stores and businesses has more square footage and higher traffic, so it uses a lot of tile-type floors. Still, just like you do in your own home, business owners have to maintain the flooring, provide adequate lighting, and remove clutter and cords.
The thing that's different at home is that a dog might be around the corner. It is common for people to trip over their pets. Professionals in the assisted living industry recommend putting a bright colored pet sweater, vest or collar on pets to make them more recognizable, especially when they are sleeping on the floor. A collar bell or jingly pet tags can help to provide audible cues as to the location of a pet as well.
"Grid ceiling systems are commonly used in commercial buildings, schools, and other interior structures. Such ceiling systems are created by suspending a T-bar grid from the building's structural ceiling and filling the T-bar grid with ceiling tiles. The T-bar grid is made up of interconnected T-bars that form grid openings for the ceiling tiles, which, when dropped into the grid openings, are supported on the T-bars' bottom horizontal T-walls. The most common dimensions for the grid openings are the two foot by two foot and four foot by four foot for supporting similarly sized ceiling tiles, however, other grid opening dimensions are possible for accommodating different ceiling tile sizes, for example five foot by five China Porcelain tile. Ceiling tiles used in grid ceilings are typically acoustic tiles for enhancing the acoustical environment of the interior space below the grid ceiling.
"Customarily, luminaires are provided in the grid ceiling system for general illumination. Luminaires adapted for this use are called troffers, and are typically fluorescent luminaires having fluorescent light sources, however, other light sources, such as incandescent and HID lamps are sometimes used. Troffers are sized in correspondence with the grid openings of the T-bar grid and are mounted in selected grid openings instead of a ceiling tile. (The number and distribution of the troffers on the grid ceiling depend on the type of troffer used and the general lighting requirements of the space.) Parabolic troffers and lens troffers are currently the most common luminaires designed for T-bar grid mounting; however, other types of troffers are commercially available, for example, troffers with a secondary perforated reflector under the lamps.
"The physical dimensions of the lamps, lamp sockets, and optical components used in conventional troffers require that the troffer have a minimum height. While the height of commercially available troffers varies, most have a height of at least three inches. Thinner troffers have been designed for T-5 fluorescent lamps, which have a relatively small diameter, but the component dimensions of such troffers would still impose a lower limit on the height on the troffer. Generally, troffer heights less than about 11/2 inch would be difficult to achieve.
"The height of a troffer can have important implications in the shipment, installation, use, and ultimately the disposal of the troffers. For example, the height of the troffer determines its volume and the greater the volume the greater space and packaging material that will be needed to ship the troffers. The presence of the troffers in the grid ceiling must also be taken into account when determining the space required between the grid ceiling system and the building's overhead structural ceiling. The space between the top of the troffers and the structural ceiling has to be adequate to accommodate HVAC and fire alarm systems, sprinkler piping, and other utilities in the building. Use of conventional troffers, which have a depth that causes the troffers to protrude significantly above the grid ceiling, adds to this space requirement.
This added space requirement can be meaningful in terms of building construction costs. For example, a reduction of three inches in the requirement for the space above the grid ceiling will translate to three inches less in the requirement for the separation between the building's structural floors and structural ceilings. This can, in turn, result in less material required to construct the building due to a reduction in overall building height. Or it can possibly allow for an additional floor being added to a high rise building. For example, a three inch saving in the space above the grid ceiling will allow a floor to be added to a 40-story high rise building normally having a structural floor to structural floor dimension of 10 feet."
The main thing is to look for the labels, which are starting to appear in the United States and Canada. It doesn't cost you anything to be informed, and you can use your buying power to bring safer products to the market. Manufacturers will come around.
If you're installing new tile, or any type of flooring for that matter, it is important to select the right type of product for a given location. Just because a certain flooring material will work indoors does not mean it will be suitable for outdoor applications. Ceramic tile is a good example of this. Most ceramic tile is designed to perform within a narrow temperature range and if exposed to freezing temperatures will crack, break or become loose, thus leading to a potential slip or trip hazard. So, make sure to check that the tile you buy is intended for your use.
After that, one option is to shrink the size of the tiles and add more grout lines. That reduces the potentially slippery surface and increases the rough, higher-traction surface. Of course, it also raises another issue -- smaller tiles and more grout lines mean more maintenance. So, whatever size of tile you choose, look for greater slip resistance and a higher static coefficient of friction.
Most outdoor falls take place on un-level surfaces such as cobblestones or patio stones, because of holes or raised nails in wooden patio decks, and so on. The most common -- believe it or not -- are trips over parking stops like those used in retail shopping centers. Ice and snow are also a problem but most elderly people tend to either avoid going out under such conditions or take great effort in reducing their stride and walk more slowly as to reduce the risk of falling.
The commercial world of stores and businesses has more square footage and higher traffic, so it uses a lot of tile-type floors. Still, just like you do in your own home, business owners have to maintain the flooring, provide adequate lighting, and remove clutter and cords.
The thing that's different at home is that a dog might be around the corner. It is common for people to trip over their pets. Professionals in the assisted living industry recommend putting a bright colored pet sweater, vest or collar on pets to make them more recognizable, especially when they are sleeping on the floor. A collar bell or jingly pet tags can help to provide audible cues as to the location of a pet as well.
"Grid ceiling systems are commonly used in commercial buildings, schools, and other interior structures. Such ceiling systems are created by suspending a T-bar grid from the building's structural ceiling and filling the T-bar grid with ceiling tiles. The T-bar grid is made up of interconnected T-bars that form grid openings for the ceiling tiles, which, when dropped into the grid openings, are supported on the T-bars' bottom horizontal T-walls. The most common dimensions for the grid openings are the two foot by two foot and four foot by four foot for supporting similarly sized ceiling tiles, however, other grid opening dimensions are possible for accommodating different ceiling tile sizes, for example five foot by five China Porcelain tile. Ceiling tiles used in grid ceilings are typically acoustic tiles for enhancing the acoustical environment of the interior space below the grid ceiling.
"Customarily, luminaires are provided in the grid ceiling system for general illumination. Luminaires adapted for this use are called troffers, and are typically fluorescent luminaires having fluorescent light sources, however, other light sources, such as incandescent and HID lamps are sometimes used. Troffers are sized in correspondence with the grid openings of the T-bar grid and are mounted in selected grid openings instead of a ceiling tile. (The number and distribution of the troffers on the grid ceiling depend on the type of troffer used and the general lighting requirements of the space.) Parabolic troffers and lens troffers are currently the most common luminaires designed for T-bar grid mounting; however, other types of troffers are commercially available, for example, troffers with a secondary perforated reflector under the lamps.
"The physical dimensions of the lamps, lamp sockets, and optical components used in conventional troffers require that the troffer have a minimum height. While the height of commercially available troffers varies, most have a height of at least three inches. Thinner troffers have been designed for T-5 fluorescent lamps, which have a relatively small diameter, but the component dimensions of such troffers would still impose a lower limit on the height on the troffer. Generally, troffer heights less than about 11/2 inch would be difficult to achieve.
"The height of a troffer can have important implications in the shipment, installation, use, and ultimately the disposal of the troffers. For example, the height of the troffer determines its volume and the greater the volume the greater space and packaging material that will be needed to ship the troffers. The presence of the troffers in the grid ceiling must also be taken into account when determining the space required between the grid ceiling system and the building's overhead structural ceiling. The space between the top of the troffers and the structural ceiling has to be adequate to accommodate HVAC and fire alarm systems, sprinkler piping, and other utilities in the building. Use of conventional troffers, which have a depth that causes the troffers to protrude significantly above the grid ceiling, adds to this space requirement.
This added space requirement can be meaningful in terms of building construction costs. For example, a reduction of three inches in the requirement for the space above the grid ceiling will translate to three inches less in the requirement for the separation between the building's structural floors and structural ceilings. This can, in turn, result in less material required to construct the building due to a reduction in overall building height. Or it can possibly allow for an additional floor being added to a high rise building. For example, a three inch saving in the space above the grid ceiling will allow a floor to be added to a 40-story high rise building normally having a structural floor to structural floor dimension of 10 feet."
2013年7月22日星期一
Passaic County man is charged
A 42-year-old warehouse worker was arrested Monday and charged with attempting to arrange sexual encounters with children over the Internet, Passaic County Sheriff Richard H. Berdnik said.The suspect, Dewayne Stewart, was arrested at a tile store on Route 46 in Totowa, where he is an employee, Berdnik said.
The sheriff said the arrest followed an undercover investigation that began late last year after the sheriff’s department received two separate complaints of an adult trying to meet children on the Internet. Stewart was caught in a sting operation in which an undercover detective posed as a 14-year-old girl, Berdnik said.Stewart, using the screen name BobbyBrown58, engaged in sexually explicit chats and attempted to arrange meetings to have sex, Berdnik said.
He was originally tracked to an address in Clifton, but was believed to have moved or to have stayed at as many as three different addresses in Passaic County during the course of the investigation, the sheriff said. Stewart’s last known permanent address is in Wayne, Berdnik said.Stewart was charged with attempted sexual assault of a minor, attempted endangering the porcelain tiles of a minor, attempted sexual contact of a minor and attempted luring and enticing a minor. He was being held on $100,000 bail at the Passaic County Jail in Paterson pending an initial court appearance.
I keep waiting for the news that the Peace House mural is being torn down. It could happen any day now, since Peace House has officially moved into its new home. The organization is going to be in a much better building that fits its needs, and in the space where the rather dilapidated building stands now, there will be nice new affordable housing units, so all in all, everybody’s happy—except maybe the people, including me, who love that mural.
I pass Angela Carlson Talle’s glittering mosaic several times a week. When the sun is setting, it sparkles with color and light. It makes me happy. I’m going to be really sad when it’s gone.After returning to the Twin Cities from Philadelphia, Talle decided that the raggedy looking building “needed some love,” and after getting permission and input from Peace House, raised the money herself, getting tile donations from local glass and tile shops. She knew there was a possibility of a new development there, but she went and made the mosaic anyway. And of course it was worth it, even if the mural can’t be preserved, because it gave us—anyone who took joy in it—a piece of beauty for the short time that it has existed.
As someone with a background in theater, I should know this. Theater exists in the ephemeral. Theater companies spend weeks, months, even years (well, in Europe anyway) creating a performance, which is over in an instant. Even a show has a long run is unique each night. No two performances are ever exactly the same. Does that mean that it’s not worth doing? Of course not. It’s worth it to create something beautiful, to create something that inspires, that moves, that haunts people, even if just for a moment.
Muralists and graffiti artists understand this. Last month, street artist CAW made a mural for the Greenway Glow, a fundraiser for the Midtown Greenway Coalition, and a Hennepin County crew painted over the mural because the artists hadn’t secured a permit. (The artists had permission from the owner of the adjoining building, but the wall itself is in the county's jurisdiction, and the cleaning crew was unaware of the mural's origin and purpose.) The obscuring was only partly accomplished, with some of the mural left intact, so CAW transformed the mural into a long-necked dragon creature complete with website address.
I think at heart, artists share a drive to always create, and if the product doesn’t last forever? Well, we wish that we could preserve as much of the good stuff as we can. But sometimes, you have to just appreciate a beautiful thing for what it is for as long as you have it.As for me, I’ve been taking deep breaths each time I pass the Peace House mural, soaking it in, holding onto the memory for when it’s gone. I’ve resisted the urge to jump the fence and grab some of the tiles, as others have. I think the tiles belong with the people who spent time at the Peace House.
“ProColor Plus is the first of several new grout lines planned for the ProSpec ProColor brand and is part of a focused effort to broaden our line of tile and stone setting products,” said Paul Henning, Chief Operating Officer for ProSpec. “ProColor Plus offers many of the features we have heard contractors need in a high-performance grout such as color consistency, efflorescence-free and a quick return to service.”
The new grout is offered in 20 of the most popular colors found in the ProSpec ProColor Grout line. It incorporates proprietary ProSpec technologies, Rapid Cure Technology for high strength and Glossy floor tile, and Expansion Stabilization Technology for improved crack and shrink resistance.
Its rapid-setting formula can be opened to foot traffic within three to four hours, shower use within 24 hours and water immersion within seven days. Its low absorptivity will provide increased stain resistance compared to a portland cement grout. It can be used both indoors and outdoors and in residential, light commercial and heavy-duty commercial installations due to its durability.
Now, I forget which it is: are we, as a culture, at the point where we’re past the whole “zed” thing thanks to a glut of undead-themed artistry, or was it that we’re past the whole “being past the whole ‘zed’ thing” thing thanks to a glut of critics railing against an assumed glut of undead-themed artistry? Brain… hurt…
Point being, the base Zombies digital game is identical to the cardboard one, mechanically speaking. Players are survivors rushing towards a helicopter escape via the rotted streets of some Smalltown, Anywhere. The twist is that those streets aren’t laid out from the start: each turn a player draws a tile and chooses where to place it, and the very last tile is the helipad. The map is built as the game progresses and, barring some probabilistic fluke or unimaginative friends, is never the same.
This is big. While Zombies has other mechanics that pull the appropriate genre-conscious strings–players can scavenge health and bullets which help in fights with deadies, and every turn affords the opportunity to play some gruesome trick out of a hand of event cards–it’s the evolving, unpredictable map that really evokes the surreal panic of a zombie apocalypse. You can run, but where to? Will your pal put the hospital down next to you, with all it’s life saving medicine? Or will he block off your road with, ugh, the friggin’ gardening shop.
There’s opportunities for dickery with the events cards, too, specials you can play once per turn. Some are just location specific bonuses to combat, or allow for extra moves in a turn. Others let you swarm a player’s location with zeds or prevent said player from moving, the latter being deadly effective in a game where movement and scavenging are key to survival. The coveted “Alternative Food Source” stops all combat until your next turn, great for making a run at the helipad, or for delaying another player’s attempt at a combat victory.
The sheriff said the arrest followed an undercover investigation that began late last year after the sheriff’s department received two separate complaints of an adult trying to meet children on the Internet. Stewart was caught in a sting operation in which an undercover detective posed as a 14-year-old girl, Berdnik said.Stewart, using the screen name BobbyBrown58, engaged in sexually explicit chats and attempted to arrange meetings to have sex, Berdnik said.
He was originally tracked to an address in Clifton, but was believed to have moved or to have stayed at as many as three different addresses in Passaic County during the course of the investigation, the sheriff said. Stewart’s last known permanent address is in Wayne, Berdnik said.Stewart was charged with attempted sexual assault of a minor, attempted endangering the porcelain tiles of a minor, attempted sexual contact of a minor and attempted luring and enticing a minor. He was being held on $100,000 bail at the Passaic County Jail in Paterson pending an initial court appearance.
I keep waiting for the news that the Peace House mural is being torn down. It could happen any day now, since Peace House has officially moved into its new home. The organization is going to be in a much better building that fits its needs, and in the space where the rather dilapidated building stands now, there will be nice new affordable housing units, so all in all, everybody’s happy—except maybe the people, including me, who love that mural.
I pass Angela Carlson Talle’s glittering mosaic several times a week. When the sun is setting, it sparkles with color and light. It makes me happy. I’m going to be really sad when it’s gone.After returning to the Twin Cities from Philadelphia, Talle decided that the raggedy looking building “needed some love,” and after getting permission and input from Peace House, raised the money herself, getting tile donations from local glass and tile shops. She knew there was a possibility of a new development there, but she went and made the mosaic anyway. And of course it was worth it, even if the mural can’t be preserved, because it gave us—anyone who took joy in it—a piece of beauty for the short time that it has existed.
As someone with a background in theater, I should know this. Theater exists in the ephemeral. Theater companies spend weeks, months, even years (well, in Europe anyway) creating a performance, which is over in an instant. Even a show has a long run is unique each night. No two performances are ever exactly the same. Does that mean that it’s not worth doing? Of course not. It’s worth it to create something beautiful, to create something that inspires, that moves, that haunts people, even if just for a moment.
Muralists and graffiti artists understand this. Last month, street artist CAW made a mural for the Greenway Glow, a fundraiser for the Midtown Greenway Coalition, and a Hennepin County crew painted over the mural because the artists hadn’t secured a permit. (The artists had permission from the owner of the adjoining building, but the wall itself is in the county's jurisdiction, and the cleaning crew was unaware of the mural's origin and purpose.) The obscuring was only partly accomplished, with some of the mural left intact, so CAW transformed the mural into a long-necked dragon creature complete with website address.
I think at heart, artists share a drive to always create, and if the product doesn’t last forever? Well, we wish that we could preserve as much of the good stuff as we can. But sometimes, you have to just appreciate a beautiful thing for what it is for as long as you have it.As for me, I’ve been taking deep breaths each time I pass the Peace House mural, soaking it in, holding onto the memory for when it’s gone. I’ve resisted the urge to jump the fence and grab some of the tiles, as others have. I think the tiles belong with the people who spent time at the Peace House.
“ProColor Plus is the first of several new grout lines planned for the ProSpec ProColor brand and is part of a focused effort to broaden our line of tile and stone setting products,” said Paul Henning, Chief Operating Officer for ProSpec. “ProColor Plus offers many of the features we have heard contractors need in a high-performance grout such as color consistency, efflorescence-free and a quick return to service.”
The new grout is offered in 20 of the most popular colors found in the ProSpec ProColor Grout line. It incorporates proprietary ProSpec technologies, Rapid Cure Technology for high strength and Glossy floor tile, and Expansion Stabilization Technology for improved crack and shrink resistance.
Its rapid-setting formula can be opened to foot traffic within three to four hours, shower use within 24 hours and water immersion within seven days. Its low absorptivity will provide increased stain resistance compared to a portland cement grout. It can be used both indoors and outdoors and in residential, light commercial and heavy-duty commercial installations due to its durability.
Now, I forget which it is: are we, as a culture, at the point where we’re past the whole “zed” thing thanks to a glut of undead-themed artistry, or was it that we’re past the whole “being past the whole ‘zed’ thing” thing thanks to a glut of critics railing against an assumed glut of undead-themed artistry? Brain… hurt…
Point being, the base Zombies digital game is identical to the cardboard one, mechanically speaking. Players are survivors rushing towards a helicopter escape via the rotted streets of some Smalltown, Anywhere. The twist is that those streets aren’t laid out from the start: each turn a player draws a tile and chooses where to place it, and the very last tile is the helipad. The map is built as the game progresses and, barring some probabilistic fluke or unimaginative friends, is never the same.
This is big. While Zombies has other mechanics that pull the appropriate genre-conscious strings–players can scavenge health and bullets which help in fights with deadies, and every turn affords the opportunity to play some gruesome trick out of a hand of event cards–it’s the evolving, unpredictable map that really evokes the surreal panic of a zombie apocalypse. You can run, but where to? Will your pal put the hospital down next to you, with all it’s life saving medicine? Or will he block off your road with, ugh, the friggin’ gardening shop.
There’s opportunities for dickery with the events cards, too, specials you can play once per turn. Some are just location specific bonuses to combat, or allow for extra moves in a turn. Others let you swarm a player’s location with zeds or prevent said player from moving, the latter being deadly effective in a game where movement and scavenging are key to survival. The coveted “Alternative Food Source” stops all combat until your next turn, great for making a run at the helipad, or for delaying another player’s attempt at a combat victory.
Debris still plague coastal lakes
Superstorm Sandyslammed New Jersey's coastal lakes, saddling many with sand and debris, but eight months after the storm they remain a lower priority than beaches, according to environmental advocates.At least 15 scenic lakes still need sand, debris or fallen trees removed, and many pose flood threats to neighboring homes. Several lakes have overflowed during heavy rainstorms in recent weeks.
"The coastal lakes have been mostly forgotten," said Edward Bonanno, chairman of the Avon Environmental Commission and a former environmental crimes bureau chief in the state Attorney General's Office. "We hope there will be a solution for all the coastal lakes, a plan for porcelain tiles, for storm water management and for shoreline restoration" with restored habitats, Bonanno said.
The lakes are key elements of their communities, and it's unfortunate that lake restoration is getting less attention than other Jersey Shore restoration efforts, said President Stephen J. Souza of Princeton Hydro, a Ringoes, N.J.-based environmental consulting firm.
"It's been going much slower than what you see happening along the coastal areas, the boardwalks repairs and things like that," said Souza, a consultant to the Deal Lake Commission.For decades, coastal lakes in Monmouth and Ocean counties have served as giant receptacles for polluted stormwater runoff and sediment from their heavily developed watersheds.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency has received few requests for Sandy relief money to restore coastal lakes in the two counties and the Army Corps of Engineers eventually may study lakes, according to officials.
The federal Natural Resources Conservation Service had received 37 applications from across the state for Emergency Watershed Protection Program money after Hurricane Sandy. Proposed projects ranged from debris removal to bulkhead repair, according to Carrie Mosley, state conservationist in the agency. But some of the applications were ineligible.
The Army Corps will conduct a $2.5 million study of Wreck Pond in Spring Lake and Sea Girt, N.J., focusing on how to reduce flooding and pollution. But the study will take several years to complete. Every year, rainfall triggers numerous ocean swimming bans at four beaches near the pond.
The state Department of Environmental Protection is seeking more information from communities about flooding, debris, sand and damage to storm water infrastructure, according to spokesman Larry Hajna. The agency will use the information to develop restoration strategies and is looking into possible sources of financing.
Federal officials have approved $59.7 million in grants to the state for contractors to remove sand and sediment debris from navigable waterways following Sandy. But officials had not determined whether any of the money would go toward dredging and cleaning up coastal lakes, according to spokesman Larry Ragonese of the Department of Environmental Protection.The surge affected about 100 named lakes in New Jersey. In general, Monmouth County had the worst damage, said Jill Lipoti, director of the Department of Environmental Protection's Division of Water Monitoring and Standards.
Before Sandy struck the Jersey Shore, officials lowered several lakes, including Silver Lake and Lake Como in Belmar, in an unsuccessful effort to prevent flooding.Nearly 25 years ago, the Monmouth County Health Department found generally poor water quality in nine lakes in the county.Erosion since the early 1900s has led to large amounts of glazed porcelain tile, sand and silt washing into the coastal lakes, according to a 2009 study by Monmouth University researchers and Souza. Stream banks were stripped of vegetation, flood plains were filled and tidal areas paved over, causing more flooding and worsening erosion in lake tributaries.
In February, Monmouth University hosted a Coastal Lakes Summit that focused partly on Sandy's effect on the 11 coastal lakes in Monmouth County and four in Ocean County.The Leap Motion Controller is a motion-sensor for your computer -- think of it as a tiny Kinect that works with a Windows PC or Mac. The Controller tracks your hands -- all 10 fingers, plus joints -- in 3D space, with far more precision than you’d expect: up to 1/100th of a millimeter accuracy, according to Leap Motion.
Put it down in front of your computer, in front of the keyboard or your laptop, and the space above it becomes a zone where you can use your hands to control stuff on your computer. Its sensory field, however, is limited to a narrow dome that extends above and around the tiny unit -- 2 feet above the controller, 2 feet wide, and 2 feet deep -- 8 cubic feet. It effectively covers a good chunk of your desktop space between you and your computer screen.
For people wondering what you can "do" with the Leap Motion Controller, the answer so far is: a lot, but not much that's useful. The Controller is compatible with Windows PCs and Macs, but it mostly works with software from the Airspace Store, an app store that's specifically designed for the unit. I tried the Controller on a MacBook Air, on an HP Elitebook Revolve, and on a bigger-screen Dell XPS 18. I played with about a dozen or so apps, and tried navigating Windows 8 and OS X with it.
Familiar apps like Google Maps and games like Cut the Rope have been Leap-enabled, and there were a host of other games and exploratory educational apps in the Airspace Store that were fun to noodle around with -- some even delivered a magic moment or two. But make no mistake: the Leap Motion Controller is a hobby accessory. No matter how cool it could be, or occasionally is, it won’t replace your touch pad, mouse, keyboard, and touch screen. It’s an experience more than an essential tool. For the most part, though, it works. And if the right apps were made available for it, it could get interesting.
An included “Orientation” tutorial you go through when you install the device shows you that virtual space and how your fingers are tracked. Immediately, you can see that it can sense subtle movements like a little finger waggle or rapid air-writing.
Once you’re done with the tutorial, you’re sent to Airspace Home, Leap Motion’s app launcher and gateway to the Airspace Store, where Leap Motion-compatible apps are sold. You need to set up an Airspace account; while the Leap Motion Controller could run apps outside the Airspace Store ecosystem (Google Earth 7.1 is one of them), the store’s a cleanly laid-out way to discover what apps are out there already, and a good chunk of them are free.
"The coastal lakes have been mostly forgotten," said Edward Bonanno, chairman of the Avon Environmental Commission and a former environmental crimes bureau chief in the state Attorney General's Office. "We hope there will be a solution for all the coastal lakes, a plan for porcelain tiles, for storm water management and for shoreline restoration" with restored habitats, Bonanno said.
The lakes are key elements of their communities, and it's unfortunate that lake restoration is getting less attention than other Jersey Shore restoration efforts, said President Stephen J. Souza of Princeton Hydro, a Ringoes, N.J.-based environmental consulting firm.
"It's been going much slower than what you see happening along the coastal areas, the boardwalks repairs and things like that," said Souza, a consultant to the Deal Lake Commission.For decades, coastal lakes in Monmouth and Ocean counties have served as giant receptacles for polluted stormwater runoff and sediment from their heavily developed watersheds.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency has received few requests for Sandy relief money to restore coastal lakes in the two counties and the Army Corps of Engineers eventually may study lakes, according to officials.
The federal Natural Resources Conservation Service had received 37 applications from across the state for Emergency Watershed Protection Program money after Hurricane Sandy. Proposed projects ranged from debris removal to bulkhead repair, according to Carrie Mosley, state conservationist in the agency. But some of the applications were ineligible.
The Army Corps will conduct a $2.5 million study of Wreck Pond in Spring Lake and Sea Girt, N.J., focusing on how to reduce flooding and pollution. But the study will take several years to complete. Every year, rainfall triggers numerous ocean swimming bans at four beaches near the pond.
The state Department of Environmental Protection is seeking more information from communities about flooding, debris, sand and damage to storm water infrastructure, according to spokesman Larry Hajna. The agency will use the information to develop restoration strategies and is looking into possible sources of financing.
Federal officials have approved $59.7 million in grants to the state for contractors to remove sand and sediment debris from navigable waterways following Sandy. But officials had not determined whether any of the money would go toward dredging and cleaning up coastal lakes, according to spokesman Larry Ragonese of the Department of Environmental Protection.The surge affected about 100 named lakes in New Jersey. In general, Monmouth County had the worst damage, said Jill Lipoti, director of the Department of Environmental Protection's Division of Water Monitoring and Standards.
Before Sandy struck the Jersey Shore, officials lowered several lakes, including Silver Lake and Lake Como in Belmar, in an unsuccessful effort to prevent flooding.Nearly 25 years ago, the Monmouth County Health Department found generally poor water quality in nine lakes in the county.Erosion since the early 1900s has led to large amounts of glazed porcelain tile, sand and silt washing into the coastal lakes, according to a 2009 study by Monmouth University researchers and Souza. Stream banks were stripped of vegetation, flood plains were filled and tidal areas paved over, causing more flooding and worsening erosion in lake tributaries.
In February, Monmouth University hosted a Coastal Lakes Summit that focused partly on Sandy's effect on the 11 coastal lakes in Monmouth County and four in Ocean County.The Leap Motion Controller is a motion-sensor for your computer -- think of it as a tiny Kinect that works with a Windows PC or Mac. The Controller tracks your hands -- all 10 fingers, plus joints -- in 3D space, with far more precision than you’d expect: up to 1/100th of a millimeter accuracy, according to Leap Motion.
Put it down in front of your computer, in front of the keyboard or your laptop, and the space above it becomes a zone where you can use your hands to control stuff on your computer. Its sensory field, however, is limited to a narrow dome that extends above and around the tiny unit -- 2 feet above the controller, 2 feet wide, and 2 feet deep -- 8 cubic feet. It effectively covers a good chunk of your desktop space between you and your computer screen.
For people wondering what you can "do" with the Leap Motion Controller, the answer so far is: a lot, but not much that's useful. The Controller is compatible with Windows PCs and Macs, but it mostly works with software from the Airspace Store, an app store that's specifically designed for the unit. I tried the Controller on a MacBook Air, on an HP Elitebook Revolve, and on a bigger-screen Dell XPS 18. I played with about a dozen or so apps, and tried navigating Windows 8 and OS X with it.
Familiar apps like Google Maps and games like Cut the Rope have been Leap-enabled, and there were a host of other games and exploratory educational apps in the Airspace Store that were fun to noodle around with -- some even delivered a magic moment or two. But make no mistake: the Leap Motion Controller is a hobby accessory. No matter how cool it could be, or occasionally is, it won’t replace your touch pad, mouse, keyboard, and touch screen. It’s an experience more than an essential tool. For the most part, though, it works. And if the right apps were made available for it, it could get interesting.
An included “Orientation” tutorial you go through when you install the device shows you that virtual space and how your fingers are tracked. Immediately, you can see that it can sense subtle movements like a little finger waggle or rapid air-writing.
Once you’re done with the tutorial, you’re sent to Airspace Home, Leap Motion’s app launcher and gateway to the Airspace Store, where Leap Motion-compatible apps are sold. You need to set up an Airspace account; while the Leap Motion Controller could run apps outside the Airspace Store ecosystem (Google Earth 7.1 is one of them), the store’s a cleanly laid-out way to discover what apps are out there already, and a good chunk of them are free.
2013年7月18日星期四
Sweltering weather keeps pressure
The nearly 90-degree temperature made for a tough fight against a fire that gutted an abandoned home in Deer Isle on Thursday morning.Four companies — from Deer Isle, Brooklin, Sedgwick and Stonington — were necessary to provide adequate manpower, said Jim Foley, assistant fire chief in Deer Isle.
The large numbers of firefighters were needed so that each crew could work in 15-minute rotations, Foley said. While one crew fought the fire, which burned the second floor and roof of an abandoned house on Sunset Crossroad, the others received food and water from paramedics, who monitored each firefighter’s vitals before they went back to work.With turnout gear and air packs, fire crews risked health problems if they stayed in the hot building much longer than 15 minutes, Foley said.
“As soon as you get hot, you can stop functioning so well,” Foley said. “We didn’t want anyone to get hurt.”The fire was reported by Michael Kovac, who lives in a mobile home just a stone’s throw away from the home that burned. Kovac said he saw the fire and smoke around 10 a.m.“I went out to check the mail and smoke a cigarette,” he said. “I just saw tons of smoke and fire coming out of the roof, so I called 911.”
Firefighters knocked down the bulk of the blaze within about 15 minutes, Foley said, but additional flare-ups kept sparking in “void” spaces, between walls and above ceiling tiles. Because the fire had burned through the floor of the second story, crews had to punch holes the roof and attack from above.Kovac and his girlfriend, Meranda Smith, said they suspected a bolt of lightning from Wednesday night’s storm caused the fire. Smith said that around 3 a.m., the couple was awakened by the storm, and said she thought she smelled something burning at that China Porcelain tile.
Foley said firefighters could see no obvious natural cause of the blaze, and wouldn’t speculate. An investigator from the Office of the Maine State Fire Marshal was scheduled to arrive Thursday afternoon to begin probing for the fire’s origin.
Stunning 1 bedroom 1 bathroom apartment in elevator building with 18' high ceilings, floor-to-ceiling south facing windows for plenty of natural light, and private balcony. This condo rental features all the modern amenities you need for maximum comfort: central AC and heat, energy efficient vented washer/dryer, Bosch dishwasher, microwave, Caesarstone countertops, stainless steel Fisher Paykel appliances, deep soaking tub, rainfall shower with separate body shower, tankless dual flush toilets, and radiant heating on the bathroom floors so you never have to step onto cold tiles again. 25-year tax abatement through 2033.
Located on a quiet street in Prospect Heights/Crown Heights north on the edge of Park Slope, Clinton Hill, and Ft Greene, this exclusive community of 6 buildings will have everything you need at your front door. Shared amenities include a business and entertainment suite with wi-fi, screening room, billiards and game room, children's playroom, and also available soon are an indoor pool, gym, and sauna. Hundreds of highly rated restaurants and charming cafes abound, many featuring top chefs and if nobody's cooking beats yours then you have several grocery options nearby or you can visit the weekly Farmer's Market at Grand Army Plaza by Prospect Park. With the iconic Brooklyn Museum, Botanic Gardens, and Brooklyn Zoo nearby there is something for everyone. Located just 1.5 blocks from the C train at Clinton/Washington, and a short distance to the 2/3, 4/5, B/Q, and G trains, 3 avenues to the Atlantic Terminal for the LIRR, you're just 10 minutes to Manhattan.
Police officers were dispatched to the 900 block of West Exchange Street July 6 on reports of a man pointing a gun at someone. Officers stopped the vehicle of a 26-year-old man who lived nearby, and drugs and loaded guns were found, according to officers. The man was charged with possession of marijuana, trafficking in marijuana, possession of criminal tools and carrying a concealed weapon (three counts).
A 53-year-old Biruta Avenue man was charged with disseminating matter harmful to juveniles July 8. According to officers, the man was drinking, using drugs and watching pornography. Though he paused the movie when a 12-year-old girl entered the room, she could still see the images on the television, according to the police report. The man also was charged with possession of drug paraphernalia.
A 19-year-old Stow man was charged with possession of heroin and possession of drug abuse instruments July 8. Stopped at Copley Road and Storer Avenue for a traffic violation, officers found heroin and a syringe on his person.
A 19-year-old Oakdale Avenue man reported he answered the door July 9 to two unknown black males between 17 and 25 in gray hoodies and masks. They ordered him to the floor and hit him in the back of the head, causing minor injuries, before leaving with a TV, video game system and games and smartphone, according to the police report.
A 29-year-old Dominion Drive man was charged with having weapons under disability, carrying a concealed weapon, improper handling of a firearm in a motor vehicle and receiving stolen property July 9 after being stopped at North Hawkins Avenue and Cliffside Drive. The man, who has a previous felony conviction, was in possession of a loaded .45-caliber handgun, according to officers.
A 40-year-old Mull Avenue man was apprehended and charged with two counts of aggravated robbery and possession of marijuana and booked into the Summit County Jail July 12. Around 10:30 p.m. that evening, the man allegedly confronted a 25-year-old woman stopped at a traffic light at North Main and Olive streets by walking up to her car, stating he had a gun and ordering the female out of her car. When she refused, he slammed her head against the headrest several times, according to the police report. She took her keys out of the ignition and fled out the passenger side door, according to the report. The same evening, a 29-year old-male reported he also was approached at the same intersection by a man who said he had a gun and wanted the victim’s car, but he was able to put his car in reverse and drive off.
Click on their website http://www.tilees.com/.
The large numbers of firefighters were needed so that each crew could work in 15-minute rotations, Foley said. While one crew fought the fire, which burned the second floor and roof of an abandoned house on Sunset Crossroad, the others received food and water from paramedics, who monitored each firefighter’s vitals before they went back to work.With turnout gear and air packs, fire crews risked health problems if they stayed in the hot building much longer than 15 minutes, Foley said.
“As soon as you get hot, you can stop functioning so well,” Foley said. “We didn’t want anyone to get hurt.”The fire was reported by Michael Kovac, who lives in a mobile home just a stone’s throw away from the home that burned. Kovac said he saw the fire and smoke around 10 a.m.“I went out to check the mail and smoke a cigarette,” he said. “I just saw tons of smoke and fire coming out of the roof, so I called 911.”
Firefighters knocked down the bulk of the blaze within about 15 minutes, Foley said, but additional flare-ups kept sparking in “void” spaces, between walls and above ceiling tiles. Because the fire had burned through the floor of the second story, crews had to punch holes the roof and attack from above.Kovac and his girlfriend, Meranda Smith, said they suspected a bolt of lightning from Wednesday night’s storm caused the fire. Smith said that around 3 a.m., the couple was awakened by the storm, and said she thought she smelled something burning at that China Porcelain tile.
Foley said firefighters could see no obvious natural cause of the blaze, and wouldn’t speculate. An investigator from the Office of the Maine State Fire Marshal was scheduled to arrive Thursday afternoon to begin probing for the fire’s origin.
Stunning 1 bedroom 1 bathroom apartment in elevator building with 18' high ceilings, floor-to-ceiling south facing windows for plenty of natural light, and private balcony. This condo rental features all the modern amenities you need for maximum comfort: central AC and heat, energy efficient vented washer/dryer, Bosch dishwasher, microwave, Caesarstone countertops, stainless steel Fisher Paykel appliances, deep soaking tub, rainfall shower with separate body shower, tankless dual flush toilets, and radiant heating on the bathroom floors so you never have to step onto cold tiles again. 25-year tax abatement through 2033.
Located on a quiet street in Prospect Heights/Crown Heights north on the edge of Park Slope, Clinton Hill, and Ft Greene, this exclusive community of 6 buildings will have everything you need at your front door. Shared amenities include a business and entertainment suite with wi-fi, screening room, billiards and game room, children's playroom, and also available soon are an indoor pool, gym, and sauna. Hundreds of highly rated restaurants and charming cafes abound, many featuring top chefs and if nobody's cooking beats yours then you have several grocery options nearby or you can visit the weekly Farmer's Market at Grand Army Plaza by Prospect Park. With the iconic Brooklyn Museum, Botanic Gardens, and Brooklyn Zoo nearby there is something for everyone. Located just 1.5 blocks from the C train at Clinton/Washington, and a short distance to the 2/3, 4/5, B/Q, and G trains, 3 avenues to the Atlantic Terminal for the LIRR, you're just 10 minutes to Manhattan.
Police officers were dispatched to the 900 block of West Exchange Street July 6 on reports of a man pointing a gun at someone. Officers stopped the vehicle of a 26-year-old man who lived nearby, and drugs and loaded guns were found, according to officers. The man was charged with possession of marijuana, trafficking in marijuana, possession of criminal tools and carrying a concealed weapon (three counts).
A 53-year-old Biruta Avenue man was charged with disseminating matter harmful to juveniles July 8. According to officers, the man was drinking, using drugs and watching pornography. Though he paused the movie when a 12-year-old girl entered the room, she could still see the images on the television, according to the police report. The man also was charged with possession of drug paraphernalia.
A 19-year-old Stow man was charged with possession of heroin and possession of drug abuse instruments July 8. Stopped at Copley Road and Storer Avenue for a traffic violation, officers found heroin and a syringe on his person.
A 19-year-old Oakdale Avenue man reported he answered the door July 9 to two unknown black males between 17 and 25 in gray hoodies and masks. They ordered him to the floor and hit him in the back of the head, causing minor injuries, before leaving with a TV, video game system and games and smartphone, according to the police report.
A 29-year-old Dominion Drive man was charged with having weapons under disability, carrying a concealed weapon, improper handling of a firearm in a motor vehicle and receiving stolen property July 9 after being stopped at North Hawkins Avenue and Cliffside Drive. The man, who has a previous felony conviction, was in possession of a loaded .45-caliber handgun, according to officers.
A 40-year-old Mull Avenue man was apprehended and charged with two counts of aggravated robbery and possession of marijuana and booked into the Summit County Jail July 12. Around 10:30 p.m. that evening, the man allegedly confronted a 25-year-old woman stopped at a traffic light at North Main and Olive streets by walking up to her car, stating he had a gun and ordering the female out of her car. When she refused, he slammed her head against the headrest several times, according to the police report. She took her keys out of the ignition and fled out the passenger side door, according to the report. The same evening, a 29-year old-male reported he also was approached at the same intersection by a man who said he had a gun and wanted the victim’s car, but he was able to put his car in reverse and drive off.
Click on their website http://www.tilees.com/.
More than 50 shades of gray
Forget about the title of that racy best-seller. Color expert Kate Smith says our eyes can distinguish more than 500 shades of gray.Add a color to white or beige, Smith notes, and eventually both will become lighter versions of the added color. Add color to gray, however, and only its intensity will change. “It becomes more complex because there is more variation,” she says. Those vague hues we describe as grayish-blues, or reddish-grays are what she means. Such blending is what enables grays to play well with other colors, taking on cool or warm qualities depending on the colors mixed in.
And not every color can be as effective in sweats as it is in a tailored business suit. As with clothing, gray interiors can be fun and relaxed or no-nonsense formal. They can be dressed up or down depending on the materials, accessories and supporting colors used. “Gray can change depending on what’s next to it,” Smith says.
Use gray with orange in a dining room, and the result is surprising warmth. Try it with pale pink in a bedroom, and get soft sophistication. Pair gray and white in a kitchen for Ceramic tile alternative to safe, vanilla predictability. In a nursery, gray and white make a gender-neutral baby room that’s friendly to all those colorful toys.
“Gray really creates that perfect backdrop for a simple, timeless nursery,” says Kim Terry, spokeswoman for Pottery Barn Kids, which offers numerous gray options in bedding, room accessories and even its kid-size Anywhere chair. Younger parents who grew up around beautiful, contemporary furnishings want the same in their own homes, Terry says. “That modern aesthetic has made its way into nurseries.” In kitchens and bathrooms, gray has become a new “it” color, according to the National Kitchen and Bath Association. Earlier this year, the Hackettstown-based organization surveyed its interior designer members and found that the use of gray is a steadily rising trend.
“People are just more interested in a softer look than stark white,” explains South Orange interior designer Antoinette Fraser, who recently used gray elements in the kitchen and dining area of a Millburn home. Gray grout anchors a beautiful wall accent of gray glass with gray and white marble. “Gray is a natural transition from the white,” she says. “A lot of the whites were gray-based whites.”Those grayish-whites complemented stainless steel appliances, whose popularity helped usher gray into our kitchens, says Becky Ralich, head of color marketing and design services for paint-maker Sherwin-Williams. “All that stainless has given us the acceptance of gray,” she says. “We are now accustomed to it, and we are open to it.”
From the steely color of stainless to grays with a hint of morning coffee, gray wall paints and finishes for cabinetry should be chosen with consideration of what will be nearby.“Gray is a little bit tricky,” Ralich notes. With its various undertones, grays should be tested with a room’s permanent fixtures to ensure a good marriage, she says. “Take a bunch of samples home and see what each is going to look like in your light.” Careful selection will ensure that the chosen gray complements rather than competes with its surroundings.
Good effect is magnificently illustrated in a kitchen (at top) that Heidi Piron of Summit recently designed for a Bayhead summer house. European apple wood cabinetry, with its striking stripe-like grain pattern, warms the schist stone countertops and an abundance of blue-gray glass tiles. “The last two to three years, I have used quite a bit of gray in kitchens,” says Piron. “It’s a great neutral and it blends with everything. It can go traditional, it can go contemporary.”
In gray kitchens and bathrooms, fixtures can help set a casual or formal tone, says Piron. For more traditional designs, she works with deeper, richer grays and the sheen of Floor tiles, polished brass or pewter hardware.And for anyone who thinks of “gray days” and “gray moods” and wonders if too much gray will be an interior design downer, color expert Smith notes that a gray area can become decidedly sedate or stimulating.If the goal is a more upbeat space, bring in brights and high-contrast colors, she suggests. “The more contrast, the more stimulating,” she notes. “Excitement is created by color and contrast.”
But Smith appreciates gray’s quiet side, and selected it for her own bedroom. “Gray can be rather calming,” she says. “I happen to like gray because I look at color all day long. Gray gives me a little rest from all the visual stimulus.” SnapStone was one of 18 “recommended” floorings out of the 51 products tested by Consumer Reports, with an overall score that ranked second highest in the magazine's rating system.
The World-Herald featured SnapStone while examining Nebraska's ties to China. A reporter and photographer visited a Shanghai factory that produces some of the porcelain tiles that the company uses. The tiles are shipped to Omaha, where SnapStone employees insert them into plastic trays with interlocking tabs. The tiles can then be snapped together to form a floating tile floor.Company president and CEO Jonathan McIntosh said it's hard to say yet whether the rating will increase sales, but he said his company is hearing from people who read the magazine article or saw news reports about it.
SnapStone is sold at home improvement stores such as Menards as a do-it-yourself product. A similar product from the company is sold under the Avaire brand name at Nebraska Furniture Mart and other retailers. In addition, McIntosh said, “two large, prominent, national chains, within the past two weeks, have suddenly become much more receptive to our advances.”
The stove would have to be moved to get at the flooring underneath it. The stove is heavier than most, so it would take two guys to move it, one of whom would be me, but that wasn't a problem. Moving the stove means turning off the gas to it, which means I wouldn't be able to cook on it, which would in fact be a problem. But we have another stove in the basement, so the problem would be an inconvenience, not a tragedy.
And not every color can be as effective in sweats as it is in a tailored business suit. As with clothing, gray interiors can be fun and relaxed or no-nonsense formal. They can be dressed up or down depending on the materials, accessories and supporting colors used. “Gray can change depending on what’s next to it,” Smith says.
Use gray with orange in a dining room, and the result is surprising warmth. Try it with pale pink in a bedroom, and get soft sophistication. Pair gray and white in a kitchen for Ceramic tile alternative to safe, vanilla predictability. In a nursery, gray and white make a gender-neutral baby room that’s friendly to all those colorful toys.
“Gray really creates that perfect backdrop for a simple, timeless nursery,” says Kim Terry, spokeswoman for Pottery Barn Kids, which offers numerous gray options in bedding, room accessories and even its kid-size Anywhere chair. Younger parents who grew up around beautiful, contemporary furnishings want the same in their own homes, Terry says. “That modern aesthetic has made its way into nurseries.” In kitchens and bathrooms, gray has become a new “it” color, according to the National Kitchen and Bath Association. Earlier this year, the Hackettstown-based organization surveyed its interior designer members and found that the use of gray is a steadily rising trend.
“People are just more interested in a softer look than stark white,” explains South Orange interior designer Antoinette Fraser, who recently used gray elements in the kitchen and dining area of a Millburn home. Gray grout anchors a beautiful wall accent of gray glass with gray and white marble. “Gray is a natural transition from the white,” she says. “A lot of the whites were gray-based whites.”Those grayish-whites complemented stainless steel appliances, whose popularity helped usher gray into our kitchens, says Becky Ralich, head of color marketing and design services for paint-maker Sherwin-Williams. “All that stainless has given us the acceptance of gray,” she says. “We are now accustomed to it, and we are open to it.”
From the steely color of stainless to grays with a hint of morning coffee, gray wall paints and finishes for cabinetry should be chosen with consideration of what will be nearby.“Gray is a little bit tricky,” Ralich notes. With its various undertones, grays should be tested with a room’s permanent fixtures to ensure a good marriage, she says. “Take a bunch of samples home and see what each is going to look like in your light.” Careful selection will ensure that the chosen gray complements rather than competes with its surroundings.
Good effect is magnificently illustrated in a kitchen (at top) that Heidi Piron of Summit recently designed for a Bayhead summer house. European apple wood cabinetry, with its striking stripe-like grain pattern, warms the schist stone countertops and an abundance of blue-gray glass tiles. “The last two to three years, I have used quite a bit of gray in kitchens,” says Piron. “It’s a great neutral and it blends with everything. It can go traditional, it can go contemporary.”
In gray kitchens and bathrooms, fixtures can help set a casual or formal tone, says Piron. For more traditional designs, she works with deeper, richer grays and the sheen of Floor tiles, polished brass or pewter hardware.And for anyone who thinks of “gray days” and “gray moods” and wonders if too much gray will be an interior design downer, color expert Smith notes that a gray area can become decidedly sedate or stimulating.If the goal is a more upbeat space, bring in brights and high-contrast colors, she suggests. “The more contrast, the more stimulating,” she notes. “Excitement is created by color and contrast.”
But Smith appreciates gray’s quiet side, and selected it for her own bedroom. “Gray can be rather calming,” she says. “I happen to like gray because I look at color all day long. Gray gives me a little rest from all the visual stimulus.” SnapStone was one of 18 “recommended” floorings out of the 51 products tested by Consumer Reports, with an overall score that ranked second highest in the magazine's rating system.
The World-Herald featured SnapStone while examining Nebraska's ties to China. A reporter and photographer visited a Shanghai factory that produces some of the porcelain tiles that the company uses. The tiles are shipped to Omaha, where SnapStone employees insert them into plastic trays with interlocking tabs. The tiles can then be snapped together to form a floating tile floor.Company president and CEO Jonathan McIntosh said it's hard to say yet whether the rating will increase sales, but he said his company is hearing from people who read the magazine article or saw news reports about it.
SnapStone is sold at home improvement stores such as Menards as a do-it-yourself product. A similar product from the company is sold under the Avaire brand name at Nebraska Furniture Mart and other retailers. In addition, McIntosh said, “two large, prominent, national chains, within the past two weeks, have suddenly become much more receptive to our advances.”
The stove would have to be moved to get at the flooring underneath it. The stove is heavier than most, so it would take two guys to move it, one of whom would be me, but that wasn't a problem. Moving the stove means turning off the gas to it, which means I wouldn't be able to cook on it, which would in fact be a problem. But we have another stove in the basement, so the problem would be an inconvenience, not a tragedy.
2013年7月16日星期二
Artists, teachers find inspiration
Former Traverse City resident Kristin Anton and Liz Lancashire, sister of the SCRAP Portland executive director, both moved from Portland to Traverse City and decided to put their efforts towards opening a SCRAP locally along with Meaghan Wells Thomas, says Dayna Valpey, SCRAP TC director."They all felt that TC was a great fit because of the close-knit community, services that SCRAP TC could provide to educators, and the strong focus on protecting and educating the community about our environment," Valpey says.
By selling items that are donated rather than allowing them to be thrown out, SCRAP TC keeps these potential art supplies out of landfills, which has added up to about 4,500 pounds of items this year alone."Instead of adding additional products to our growing waste stream you are keeping products from the waste stream by creatively reusing them...In addition, our items are priced extremely reasonably and whether you are an educator or glazed porcelain tile , everyone likes to save money, especially in the difficult economy of the last few years," Valpey says.
SCRAP takes a variety of donations (which can be turned away if it is something they don't need, can't take or isn't clean) including zippers, crochet hooks, silk flowers, candle wax, buttons, frames, large carpet samples, various office supplies, bottle caps, slide projectors, and the list goes on and on.They have seen a variety of unique items come through their doors, including a recent donation of 30 plastic foot-shaped displays from a shoe store, which have now found new life as planters.
Local businesses have also gotten on board with the SCRAP TC mission. McLain Cycle and Fitness is one such business; it donates used inner tubes that have been repurposed as mini flower gardens and even as pieces for a fashion show."We truly appreciate the local businesses that work with us and are always actively seeking more to partner with," Valpey says.
Anyone can shop at SCRAP, from teachers, to artists, to hobbyists looking for a great deal on supplies. Because SCRAP TC is run by volunteers, they are only open two days a week for shopping and for the public to drop off donations. Valpey hopes to increase the hours of operation and offer more special events, in addition to their current craft night, such as workshops and birthday parties, as more volunteers are added to the organization.
SCRAP is especially useful for teachers, because of budget cuts in the classroom. Recently retired art teacher and glass fusing artist Debra Coburn-Anton has been shopping at SCRAP for a little over a year. Due to limited classroom budgets for supplies she has been able to get more bang for her buck by shopping here.
"My list is quite extensive, as I shop there often. Fabric, yarn, wine corks for sculpture-making, buttons, beads, illustration board, ceramic tile, and my favorite is the containers that come in for storing my supplies," Coburn-Anton says.Prior to retiring, Coburn was able to introduce reusable materials into the classroom for her students to use from SCRAP."Our favorite projects were recycled art, where the students made sculptures out of wine corks. They worked in teams of two to three students and created really amazing scenes, such as a giraffe eating leaves from a tree,'" she says.
Coburn-Anton also takes the time to volunteer about every six weeks at SCRAP and sometimes attends craft nights, where she purchases her supplies. She encourages others to shop at SCRAP in order to save money and come up with new and fun ideas."SCRAP TC offers us as educators a way to connect students to the importance of reuse and repurposing craft supplies that may otherwise find their way into a landfill," Coburn-Anton says. "It helps us get the message out that we all must do our part to salvage and donate extra items we may not use again but others will find them true treasures to be used in their own artistic adventures."
Mixed-media artist Pam Yee began shopping at SCRAP soon after it opened in order to get supplies for her artwork which includes altered books, journals and cards. She began this art form about 13 years ago."Altered books are made of old discarded books and turned into works of art," Yee says. "Repurposing books keeps them out of the landfills and makes a nice addition to a coffee table or shelf. Using what we have instead of buying more is a small way to save the planet."
She creates these pieces of art by taking an existing book and making changes to it with items she already has, like ink and glue, but adds materials found at SCRAP to the mix like wallpaper and notebooks, or whatever she can get her hands on.Using odds and ends to create art can be a challenge, says Yee, but it truly makes her art unique while helping the china glass mosaic .
"SCRAP is the place to go to pick up materials for art projects without spending too much and to keep more room in the landfills," she says.SCRAP TC is open on Tuesdays from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. and Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Visit their website and Facebook page to learn more.
Brown County commissioners will take public testimony and consider a petition for partial abandonment of County Ditch 28 at 10:30 a.m. today in the courthouse.The hearing deals with a petition by Gary Tauer and Daniel Tauer for partial abandonment of a public drainage system in Section 27, Mulligan Township. The Tauers farm their properties together, according to the RBA.
The petition reads that the location and configuration of the open ditch on Daniel Tauer's property interferes with and makes impractical petitioner's use of the irrigation system on both of their properties.The petition proposes a portion of the open ditch of CD 28 crossing Daniel Tauer's property be abandoned and filled in, and that the Tauers build a private tile line to replace the portion of the open ditch that will be abandoned.
The private tile line will be of sufficient capacity and design to drain and serve as an outlet for that portion of the open ditch of CD 28, located in the southwest corner of the southeast quarter of Section 27. The private tile line will drain the Tauers' property and outlet into the open portion of CD 28, according to the petition.All lands to be drained by the proposed private tile line currently are assessed benefits for CD 28 and are part of the CD 28 ditch system. After the private tile line is built, the open ditch portion of CD 28 crossing Daniel Tauer's property will no longer serve any substantial purpose and should be abandoned, according to the petition.
The open ditch of CD 28 has sufficient capacity and is an adequate outlet for the proposed private tile line, according to the petition which state laws as legal references.
By selling items that are donated rather than allowing them to be thrown out, SCRAP TC keeps these potential art supplies out of landfills, which has added up to about 4,500 pounds of items this year alone."Instead of adding additional products to our growing waste stream you are keeping products from the waste stream by creatively reusing them...In addition, our items are priced extremely reasonably and whether you are an educator or glazed porcelain tile , everyone likes to save money, especially in the difficult economy of the last few years," Valpey says.
SCRAP takes a variety of donations (which can be turned away if it is something they don't need, can't take or isn't clean) including zippers, crochet hooks, silk flowers, candle wax, buttons, frames, large carpet samples, various office supplies, bottle caps, slide projectors, and the list goes on and on.They have seen a variety of unique items come through their doors, including a recent donation of 30 plastic foot-shaped displays from a shoe store, which have now found new life as planters.
Local businesses have also gotten on board with the SCRAP TC mission. McLain Cycle and Fitness is one such business; it donates used inner tubes that have been repurposed as mini flower gardens and even as pieces for a fashion show."We truly appreciate the local businesses that work with us and are always actively seeking more to partner with," Valpey says.
Anyone can shop at SCRAP, from teachers, to artists, to hobbyists looking for a great deal on supplies. Because SCRAP TC is run by volunteers, they are only open two days a week for shopping and for the public to drop off donations. Valpey hopes to increase the hours of operation and offer more special events, in addition to their current craft night, such as workshops and birthday parties, as more volunteers are added to the organization.
SCRAP is especially useful for teachers, because of budget cuts in the classroom. Recently retired art teacher and glass fusing artist Debra Coburn-Anton has been shopping at SCRAP for a little over a year. Due to limited classroom budgets for supplies she has been able to get more bang for her buck by shopping here.
"My list is quite extensive, as I shop there often. Fabric, yarn, wine corks for sculpture-making, buttons, beads, illustration board, ceramic tile, and my favorite is the containers that come in for storing my supplies," Coburn-Anton says.Prior to retiring, Coburn was able to introduce reusable materials into the classroom for her students to use from SCRAP."Our favorite projects were recycled art, where the students made sculptures out of wine corks. They worked in teams of two to three students and created really amazing scenes, such as a giraffe eating leaves from a tree,'" she says.
Coburn-Anton also takes the time to volunteer about every six weeks at SCRAP and sometimes attends craft nights, where she purchases her supplies. She encourages others to shop at SCRAP in order to save money and come up with new and fun ideas."SCRAP TC offers us as educators a way to connect students to the importance of reuse and repurposing craft supplies that may otherwise find their way into a landfill," Coburn-Anton says. "It helps us get the message out that we all must do our part to salvage and donate extra items we may not use again but others will find them true treasures to be used in their own artistic adventures."
Mixed-media artist Pam Yee began shopping at SCRAP soon after it opened in order to get supplies for her artwork which includes altered books, journals and cards. She began this art form about 13 years ago."Altered books are made of old discarded books and turned into works of art," Yee says. "Repurposing books keeps them out of the landfills and makes a nice addition to a coffee table or shelf. Using what we have instead of buying more is a small way to save the planet."
She creates these pieces of art by taking an existing book and making changes to it with items she already has, like ink and glue, but adds materials found at SCRAP to the mix like wallpaper and notebooks, or whatever she can get her hands on.Using odds and ends to create art can be a challenge, says Yee, but it truly makes her art unique while helping the china glass mosaic .
"SCRAP is the place to go to pick up materials for art projects without spending too much and to keep more room in the landfills," she says.SCRAP TC is open on Tuesdays from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. and Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Visit their website and Facebook page to learn more.
Brown County commissioners will take public testimony and consider a petition for partial abandonment of County Ditch 28 at 10:30 a.m. today in the courthouse.The hearing deals with a petition by Gary Tauer and Daniel Tauer for partial abandonment of a public drainage system in Section 27, Mulligan Township. The Tauers farm their properties together, according to the RBA.
The petition reads that the location and configuration of the open ditch on Daniel Tauer's property interferes with and makes impractical petitioner's use of the irrigation system on both of their properties.The petition proposes a portion of the open ditch of CD 28 crossing Daniel Tauer's property be abandoned and filled in, and that the Tauers build a private tile line to replace the portion of the open ditch that will be abandoned.
The private tile line will be of sufficient capacity and design to drain and serve as an outlet for that portion of the open ditch of CD 28, located in the southwest corner of the southeast quarter of Section 27. The private tile line will drain the Tauers' property and outlet into the open portion of CD 28, according to the petition.All lands to be drained by the proposed private tile line currently are assessed benefits for CD 28 and are part of the CD 28 ditch system. After the private tile line is built, the open ditch portion of CD 28 crossing Daniel Tauer's property will no longer serve any substantial purpose and should be abandoned, according to the petition.
The open ditch of CD 28 has sufficient capacity and is an adequate outlet for the proposed private tile line, according to the petition which state laws as legal references.
2013年7月14日星期日
You may think it's wood or stone
Yes -- but these products definitely are not the shiny orange sheet that covered your mom's kitchen floor, or the old peel-and-stick school hall tiles your dad plopped down in the foyer. Modern luxury vinyl is a broad category that includes wood- and stone-look products with colors and textures good enough to fool the eye.
It's a category that's growing rapidly. Sales of luxury vinyl hit $500 million last year -- up 13 percent, Floor Daily reported.For those who don't choose carpet, hardwood or hard tile, luxury vinyl -- instead of laminate -- is likely to be the favorite option.
Local flooring pros say they've seen the trend in their showrooms."In the past year, it's like it's a hot item," said Jennifer Fallon, owner of the Floor Gallery of Lake Norman in Mooresville. She sells slightly more of the tile-look luxury vinyl, but wood styles are not far behind.
At Hughes Flooring in Charlotte, N.C., Rodney Hughes reports the same. "It's taking off," he said. "[Floor companies] are putting a lot of marketing money into it ... and we're starting to see that."If you visit your favorite home center or floors website, you'll find lots of options. Online you'll find discussions of the best products and polished tiles.
If you have the top products installed by a pro, though, you can pay about as much for luxury vinyl as for some standard hardwood or ceramic tile. Say, $8 to $10 a square foot installed, Fallon estimated. Hughes said simply: "This is not a price-point product."
Again, the appearance is one reason. The tile-look products can be grouted, to make it look more like ceramic or stone. The wood-look planks feature rich colors and textures. Hughes said that the technology responsible for such looks is helping to drive the popularity.
It's softer under foot than tile, and stands up to spills and large pets better than hardwood, Fallon said. Hughes said one huge advantage for luxury vinyl is that it isn't damaged by moisture. "You can soak it in the bathtub and it won't swell or buckle," he said. "There's no wood inside."
These floors can be glued down, or they can be "floated." Individual tiles and planks can be clicked together and then installed without glue, to float on special underlayment. Floating floors can cover up minor imperfections in the subfloor during a renovation.
Luxury vinyl is thinner than hardwood, and thinner than stone or ceramic tile installed on the required underlayment. When remodeling, it's easier to match a thinner product to the level of the surrounding existing floors.
There are few good-looking options for the edge, or transition, where luxury vinyl abuts another type of flooring or a floor that's a slightly different level."They don't make a transition," Fallon said. "I sometimes have to use wood, and stain it to match. They make metal, like you'd use on an old vinyl floor. But it doesn't look good."
Our community deserves strong leadership. The city council is an integral part of the local government. As I complete my third term of office as a city councilman, I have been able to work together with the other council members, the mayor and community leaders from many groups and organizations to provide direction, vision, strategy and action. I still bring fresh ideas, energy and a professional financial perspective from pre-9/11 and post-9/11 eras. I tend to be more of a "financial advisor" and decision maker" than a politician.
The purchase of the new city hall property demonstrates a clear long-term vision and plan to reduce operating expenses, unnecessary costs and therefore provide more resources for general services, like recreation, parks, pools, libraries and the museum.
Leaders must make the tough decisions (the right decisions), even if they are not always the popular choice for special interest groups. I have demonstrated an ability to lead and make decisions based on the facts and information. I will continue to support the essential programs that provide a unique distinction between Dearborn and other communities in this area.
I truly understand the city’s financial challenges and the tools available to solve these problems. I work hard to understand the service mix and priorities for neighborhoods; maintaining the high quality services is the biggest challenge during a time of financial cutbacks and shrinking revenues. Throughout the budget process I strive to balance the “needs” and “wants” of everyone. This establishes a clear direction for the administration.
Click on their website http://www.tilees.com/.
It's a category that's growing rapidly. Sales of luxury vinyl hit $500 million last year -- up 13 percent, Floor Daily reported.For those who don't choose carpet, hardwood or hard tile, luxury vinyl -- instead of laminate -- is likely to be the favorite option.
Local flooring pros say they've seen the trend in their showrooms."In the past year, it's like it's a hot item," said Jennifer Fallon, owner of the Floor Gallery of Lake Norman in Mooresville. She sells slightly more of the tile-look luxury vinyl, but wood styles are not far behind.
At Hughes Flooring in Charlotte, N.C., Rodney Hughes reports the same. "It's taking off," he said. "[Floor companies] are putting a lot of marketing money into it ... and we're starting to see that."If you visit your favorite home center or floors website, you'll find lots of options. Online you'll find discussions of the best products and polished tiles.
If you have the top products installed by a pro, though, you can pay about as much for luxury vinyl as for some standard hardwood or ceramic tile. Say, $8 to $10 a square foot installed, Fallon estimated. Hughes said simply: "This is not a price-point product."
Again, the appearance is one reason. The tile-look products can be grouted, to make it look more like ceramic or stone. The wood-look planks feature rich colors and textures. Hughes said that the technology responsible for such looks is helping to drive the popularity.
It's softer under foot than tile, and stands up to spills and large pets better than hardwood, Fallon said. Hughes said one huge advantage for luxury vinyl is that it isn't damaged by moisture. "You can soak it in the bathtub and it won't swell or buckle," he said. "There's no wood inside."
These floors can be glued down, or they can be "floated." Individual tiles and planks can be clicked together and then installed without glue, to float on special underlayment. Floating floors can cover up minor imperfections in the subfloor during a renovation.
Luxury vinyl is thinner than hardwood, and thinner than stone or ceramic tile installed on the required underlayment. When remodeling, it's easier to match a thinner product to the level of the surrounding existing floors.
There are few good-looking options for the edge, or transition, where luxury vinyl abuts another type of flooring or a floor that's a slightly different level."They don't make a transition," Fallon said. "I sometimes have to use wood, and stain it to match. They make metal, like you'd use on an old vinyl floor. But it doesn't look good."
Our community deserves strong leadership. The city council is an integral part of the local government. As I complete my third term of office as a city councilman, I have been able to work together with the other council members, the mayor and community leaders from many groups and organizations to provide direction, vision, strategy and action. I still bring fresh ideas, energy and a professional financial perspective from pre-9/11 and post-9/11 eras. I tend to be more of a "financial advisor" and decision maker" than a politician.
The purchase of the new city hall property demonstrates a clear long-term vision and plan to reduce operating expenses, unnecessary costs and therefore provide more resources for general services, like recreation, parks, pools, libraries and the museum.
Leaders must make the tough decisions (the right decisions), even if they are not always the popular choice for special interest groups. I have demonstrated an ability to lead and make decisions based on the facts and information. I will continue to support the essential programs that provide a unique distinction between Dearborn and other communities in this area.
I truly understand the city’s financial challenges and the tools available to solve these problems. I work hard to understand the service mix and priorities for neighborhoods; maintaining the high quality services is the biggest challenge during a time of financial cutbacks and shrinking revenues. Throughout the budget process I strive to balance the “needs” and “wants” of everyone. This establishes a clear direction for the administration.
Click on their website http://www.tilees.com/.
2013年7月11日星期四
Whitney converts to luxury apartments
With the assistance of Estates Management Company, Seven Hundred Woodrow, LLC has purchased The Whitney Hotel in Columbia to convert it into luxury residences for lease beginning August 2013.
“We are rebranding The Whitney to 700 Woodrow-A Devine Address to reflect the fact that residents will be able to extend their quality of life beyond their home,” said Matt Mundy, an associate of Estates Management Company that will manage the development. “It is an alluring, pedestrian-friendly property. Residents will be within walking distance of downtown Columbia’s premier shopping and dining district. We are excited about the opportunity to develop a community we believe will enhance the lives of our residents, the local economy, and the surrounding neighborhoods.”
Located at the corner of Woodrow and Devine Streets, 700 Woodrow, which is seven stories, is situated in one of the most sought after, upscale neighborhoods in Columbia.The 75-unit apartment community will feature 14 one-bedroom, onebath homes and 61 twobedroom, two-bath homes. Each unit will include ninefoot ceilings, Ceramic tile, and a private balcony to enjoy views of downtown and beautiful Columbia sunsets.
All residences will be renovated to include gourmet kitchens with stainless steel-energy star appliances, built-in microwaves, tiled kitchen backsplashes, and granite countertops with dine-in casual bar tops and wood cabinetry with decorative hardware.
Living areas will also have designer lighting including ceiling fans; simulated hardwood flooring; brushed nickel faucets, curved shower rods, and ceramic tile in bathrooms; oversized mud/laundry rooms with washer/dryer connections and linen closets and wiring for cable and Internet access.
The upgraded apartments will include a concierge desk that will be staffed with a full-time employee and a contemporary club that will include a social lounge with coffee bar and a gathering area with televisions and comfortable seating. Residents will also have access to an outdoor entertainment area featuring garden/ yard games, abundant seating, a dining area and gas grill. Parking will be available in front of and around the building.
“Young and mature professionals seeking an eclectic, urban living experience will be attracted to 700 Woodrow,” Mundy said. “They will be able to walk or ride their bikes to local boutique retailers and places like Devine Foods, Cantina 76, Burger Tavern 77, Half- Moon Outfitters, Britton’s, and Earth Fare. Plus they will only be a mile away from great places like Whole Foods, Ulta, Charleston Cooks!, Taziki’s, and Basil Thai Restaurant.”
Founded in 1988, Estates Management Company is committed to delivering exceptional living experiences by providing unique living communities that residents are proud to call home. Estates Management has experienced phenomenal growth in real estate development and property management, including multifamily communities, office, retail, and luxury condominium residences.
A musician in his younger days, a flooring company owner since 1985, Larry Bally says there are similarities between the two pursuits.The skills a musician masters on one instrument carry over to others that he picks up. In the same vein, Bally has expanded from his original product — hardwood flooring — to include concrete polishing and other flooring choices.
"I just say that the greatest asset I own is my reputation," Bally, owner of Great American Hardwood Flooring, said. "I've spent 30 years building a reputation."
Actually a little longer than that. Bally had been running a paint contracting business under the "Great American" name for a decade when a hardwood floor installer messed up one of his jobs in 1985. Bally says he asked the general contractor in charge why he'd hire such incompetent help.Bally did, and after struggling for a few years, was able to give up painting and concentrate on flooring in 1992.
"It's very hard work but you get more respect and a chance to make more money in this trade," he said. "The margins are better."Bally opened his first showroom, on South Laura, in 1995 and moved to his current location on South Washington in 2006.Great American installs, repairs and refinishes hardwood floors. Much of its work can be seen around Old Town in buildings like River City Brewery and the Player Piano Lofts.
In the early 2000s, Great American also worked "coast to coast" for restaurant chains such as Ted's Montana Grill. The recession put a stop to that and also shut down much residential work, but Bally found a new market installing gymnasium floors in high schools and colleges around the state. Residential work has started to pick up again in the past year, he said.
Great American employs about four office workers and from 10 to 20 workers in the field. Bally added concrete polishing to its service line in 2009. "Next thing you know, it exploded," he said.
Bally's son, Jeff, heads up residential work while another son, Tim, is the estimator for gymnasium jobs and supervises concrete polishing. In June his wife, Pam, joined the business to help start Great American Floors and Decor, offering carpets, laminate, vinyl, ceramic tile and area rugs, along with a decorating service."It was just a natural," Bally said. "She (Pam) has a really strong background in retail and decorating."
Bally, who used to play drums for the divekings and other local bands, doesn't play much anymore but allows a heavy metal band to practice in part of the building. He's busy running the biggest hardwood flooring company of its kind in Wichita and the largest gym floor installer in Kansas, a development he attributes to one simple rule: "We do what we promise."
Click on their website www.tilees.com.
“We are rebranding The Whitney to 700 Woodrow-A Devine Address to reflect the fact that residents will be able to extend their quality of life beyond their home,” said Matt Mundy, an associate of Estates Management Company that will manage the development. “It is an alluring, pedestrian-friendly property. Residents will be within walking distance of downtown Columbia’s premier shopping and dining district. We are excited about the opportunity to develop a community we believe will enhance the lives of our residents, the local economy, and the surrounding neighborhoods.”
Located at the corner of Woodrow and Devine Streets, 700 Woodrow, which is seven stories, is situated in one of the most sought after, upscale neighborhoods in Columbia.The 75-unit apartment community will feature 14 one-bedroom, onebath homes and 61 twobedroom, two-bath homes. Each unit will include ninefoot ceilings, Ceramic tile, and a private balcony to enjoy views of downtown and beautiful Columbia sunsets.
All residences will be renovated to include gourmet kitchens with stainless steel-energy star appliances, built-in microwaves, tiled kitchen backsplashes, and granite countertops with dine-in casual bar tops and wood cabinetry with decorative hardware.
Living areas will also have designer lighting including ceiling fans; simulated hardwood flooring; brushed nickel faucets, curved shower rods, and ceramic tile in bathrooms; oversized mud/laundry rooms with washer/dryer connections and linen closets and wiring for cable and Internet access.
The upgraded apartments will include a concierge desk that will be staffed with a full-time employee and a contemporary club that will include a social lounge with coffee bar and a gathering area with televisions and comfortable seating. Residents will also have access to an outdoor entertainment area featuring garden/ yard games, abundant seating, a dining area and gas grill. Parking will be available in front of and around the building.
“Young and mature professionals seeking an eclectic, urban living experience will be attracted to 700 Woodrow,” Mundy said. “They will be able to walk or ride their bikes to local boutique retailers and places like Devine Foods, Cantina 76, Burger Tavern 77, Half- Moon Outfitters, Britton’s, and Earth Fare. Plus they will only be a mile away from great places like Whole Foods, Ulta, Charleston Cooks!, Taziki’s, and Basil Thai Restaurant.”
Founded in 1988, Estates Management Company is committed to delivering exceptional living experiences by providing unique living communities that residents are proud to call home. Estates Management has experienced phenomenal growth in real estate development and property management, including multifamily communities, office, retail, and luxury condominium residences.
A musician in his younger days, a flooring company owner since 1985, Larry Bally says there are similarities between the two pursuits.The skills a musician masters on one instrument carry over to others that he picks up. In the same vein, Bally has expanded from his original product — hardwood flooring — to include concrete polishing and other flooring choices.
"I just say that the greatest asset I own is my reputation," Bally, owner of Great American Hardwood Flooring, said. "I've spent 30 years building a reputation."
Actually a little longer than that. Bally had been running a paint contracting business under the "Great American" name for a decade when a hardwood floor installer messed up one of his jobs in 1985. Bally says he asked the general contractor in charge why he'd hire such incompetent help.Bally did, and after struggling for a few years, was able to give up painting and concentrate on flooring in 1992.
"It's very hard work but you get more respect and a chance to make more money in this trade," he said. "The margins are better."Bally opened his first showroom, on South Laura, in 1995 and moved to his current location on South Washington in 2006.Great American installs, repairs and refinishes hardwood floors. Much of its work can be seen around Old Town in buildings like River City Brewery and the Player Piano Lofts.
In the early 2000s, Great American also worked "coast to coast" for restaurant chains such as Ted's Montana Grill. The recession put a stop to that and also shut down much residential work, but Bally found a new market installing gymnasium floors in high schools and colleges around the state. Residential work has started to pick up again in the past year, he said.
Great American employs about four office workers and from 10 to 20 workers in the field. Bally added concrete polishing to its service line in 2009. "Next thing you know, it exploded," he said.
Bally's son, Jeff, heads up residential work while another son, Tim, is the estimator for gymnasium jobs and supervises concrete polishing. In June his wife, Pam, joined the business to help start Great American Floors and Decor, offering carpets, laminate, vinyl, ceramic tile and area rugs, along with a decorating service."It was just a natural," Bally said. "She (Pam) has a really strong background in retail and decorating."
Bally, who used to play drums for the divekings and other local bands, doesn't play much anymore but allows a heavy metal band to practice in part of the building. He's busy running the biggest hardwood flooring company of its kind in Wichita and the largest gym floor installer in Kansas, a development he attributes to one simple rule: "We do what we promise."
Click on their website www.tilees.com.
2013年7月9日星期二
Dearborn Planning Commission Tables Vote on Garage Ordinance
The Dearborn Planning Commission says it needs more time to review proposed changes to a city zoning ordinance amendment governing the use of residential garages.The commission voted 7-0 with Chairman Gary Errigo and Vice Chairwoman Nancy Siwik absent to table the amendment defining acceptable uses for garages at its meeting on Monday.
As it is currently written, the city's ordinance states that garages only can be used for storing vehicles, however the Planning Commission has been working with the city's attorneys to draft language that would accomodate other uses, such as for hobbies or backyard parties.
The issue stems from Orchard Street residents who have come under scrutiny in recent months for converting their garages into social gathering spaces and installing glass doors instead of using standard retractable garage doors. DiBiasi said in the eyes of the Floor tiles, that’s a sign of the garage possibly being turned into a living space, which is not permitted. In addition, it does not leave room to park a car, and driving a car over the door's sliding track repeatedly could cause it to break and cause a safety hazard.
All houses in the city are required to have off-street parking for at least two vehicles, and all houses built after 1993 must have a garage that can store at least two cars side by side. The requirements make it easier for emergency vehicles to navigate city streets, and also accomodate street sweepers during Public Service Days.
"While the city does require homes to have off-street parking for two vehicles, it does not mandate that people park their cars in their garage," Commissioner Theresa Skora explained. "The tricky part is determining what is fair and equitable for everyone knowing that driveways and property lots are different sizes."
At Monday's meeting, DiBiasi outlined some of the acceptable uses of garages that the Planning Commission may approve. Some revisions include permission to install carriage doors in designated historic districts provided they keep with the home's historic designs; allowing for storage of household items for those living in the house; and allowing sliding glass doors to be installed on the back or side of the garage.
Residents can have basic electrical service and a small sink in their garage, however sleeping, cooking and open-flame heaters would not be allowed. In addition, homeowners cannot store commercial machines or machinery products in garages, DiBiasi said.
"People shouldn't be sleeping in their garages," Commissioner Caryn Charter said. "Defining when a garage becomes a habitual living space has been a sticking point with us."Prior to the vote, Commissioner Kevin Watts asked that the amendment language be changed to clarify what is considered "living" in a garage."To me 'living' has a nebulous meaning," he said. "You can live in your garage for two hours a day doing car repair."
Watts said ideally the ordinance should permit certain uses for garages as long as those uses do not impede city parking requirements."If someone wants to build a man cave or a hobby space, they still have to be able to get a car in the garage," he said.Dearborn resident Muheeb Nabulsy expressed outrage with the city's regulation of garages."I feel this is a jealousy issue," he said. "People who cannot afford to renovate their home always complain when they see other people's homes."
Nabulsy has been in talks with the city for more than a year, ever since he laid down ceramic tile on his garage floor and installed sliding glass doors. His goal was when the electric overhead door is open, the sliding doors will make the space feel more like an enclosed patio, where he can sit in fresh air and visit with neighbors.
"We are not causing any issue," he said. "I can park six cars in my driveway and the street is empty. I agree with no kitchen, no cooking or anything that could hurt myself, my family or my neighbors. If I have an argument with my wife, I sleep in the garage. What's wrong with that?"
"If I am doing something illegal, you are more than welcome to come to my home and break it in front of my eyes," Nabulsy told the Commission.A resident who identified herself only as Mrs. Carson, agreed, stating: "Who's business is it what people do with their houses? We should celebrate families being families."Some residents however, say the modifications are distracting and dangerous.
"I don't hold anything against someone who wants to work on their garage, but I've seen chandeliers and flat screen TVs in some of these garages that have been dry walled and completely finished," Marium Wilke, president of the Eastborn Neighborhood Association said. Wilke said when garages are converted into living areas, owners often leave their lawn equipment, trash cans and other storage items in the backyard causing issues with blight for neighbors.
Read the full story at http://www.tilees.com/!
As it is currently written, the city's ordinance states that garages only can be used for storing vehicles, however the Planning Commission has been working with the city's attorneys to draft language that would accomodate other uses, such as for hobbies or backyard parties.
The issue stems from Orchard Street residents who have come under scrutiny in recent months for converting their garages into social gathering spaces and installing glass doors instead of using standard retractable garage doors. DiBiasi said in the eyes of the Floor tiles, that’s a sign of the garage possibly being turned into a living space, which is not permitted. In addition, it does not leave room to park a car, and driving a car over the door's sliding track repeatedly could cause it to break and cause a safety hazard.
All houses in the city are required to have off-street parking for at least two vehicles, and all houses built after 1993 must have a garage that can store at least two cars side by side. The requirements make it easier for emergency vehicles to navigate city streets, and also accomodate street sweepers during Public Service Days.
"While the city does require homes to have off-street parking for two vehicles, it does not mandate that people park their cars in their garage," Commissioner Theresa Skora explained. "The tricky part is determining what is fair and equitable for everyone knowing that driveways and property lots are different sizes."
At Monday's meeting, DiBiasi outlined some of the acceptable uses of garages that the Planning Commission may approve. Some revisions include permission to install carriage doors in designated historic districts provided they keep with the home's historic designs; allowing for storage of household items for those living in the house; and allowing sliding glass doors to be installed on the back or side of the garage.
Residents can have basic electrical service and a small sink in their garage, however sleeping, cooking and open-flame heaters would not be allowed. In addition, homeowners cannot store commercial machines or machinery products in garages, DiBiasi said.
"People shouldn't be sleeping in their garages," Commissioner Caryn Charter said. "Defining when a garage becomes a habitual living space has been a sticking point with us."Prior to the vote, Commissioner Kevin Watts asked that the amendment language be changed to clarify what is considered "living" in a garage."To me 'living' has a nebulous meaning," he said. "You can live in your garage for two hours a day doing car repair."
Watts said ideally the ordinance should permit certain uses for garages as long as those uses do not impede city parking requirements."If someone wants to build a man cave or a hobby space, they still have to be able to get a car in the garage," he said.Dearborn resident Muheeb Nabulsy expressed outrage with the city's regulation of garages."I feel this is a jealousy issue," he said. "People who cannot afford to renovate their home always complain when they see other people's homes."
Nabulsy has been in talks with the city for more than a year, ever since he laid down ceramic tile on his garage floor and installed sliding glass doors. His goal was when the electric overhead door is open, the sliding doors will make the space feel more like an enclosed patio, where he can sit in fresh air and visit with neighbors.
"We are not causing any issue," he said. "I can park six cars in my driveway and the street is empty. I agree with no kitchen, no cooking or anything that could hurt myself, my family or my neighbors. If I have an argument with my wife, I sleep in the garage. What's wrong with that?"
"If I am doing something illegal, you are more than welcome to come to my home and break it in front of my eyes," Nabulsy told the Commission.A resident who identified herself only as Mrs. Carson, agreed, stating: "Who's business is it what people do with their houses? We should celebrate families being families."Some residents however, say the modifications are distracting and dangerous.
"I don't hold anything against someone who wants to work on their garage, but I've seen chandeliers and flat screen TVs in some of these garages that have been dry walled and completely finished," Marium Wilke, president of the Eastborn Neighborhood Association said. Wilke said when garages are converted into living areas, owners often leave their lawn equipment, trash cans and other storage items in the backyard causing issues with blight for neighbors.
Read the full story at http://www.tilees.com/!
2013年7月7日星期日
Stunning home offers ocean views from every room
Watch the waves crash against the rocky shore, view the seals basking in the sun or simply admire the sunrise over the vast horizon. With spectacular ocean views from every room the stunning architecturally designed home on Ocean Boulevard in income-tax-free Rye, NH is an amazing find. Just a short stroll from Wallis Sands beach, the pristine home has been expertly designed for the location and a contemporary luxurious oceanfront lifestyle.
Sitting high above the rocks on a large lush lot bordered by fragrant beach roses and stonewalls; the shingle-style home is a gem in the prized beachfront neighborhood. The private yard is pure perfection with verdant landscaping including a lush lawn, mature trees, blue stone walkways, a patio and an array of flowering plants that invite butterflies and birds.
The professional landscaping, weather-resistant exterior and fabulous architectural details of the home create a visual delight enhanced by the natural beauty of the seacoast.
The luxurious three-bedroom home has a sense of relaxed elegance. There are marvelous architectural details at every turn from the expansive full-length mahogany oceanfront-covered porch to a Carrara marble fireplace and red oak floors with Brazilian rosewood inlay, this gorgeous home is truly special.
Entering the large front foyers, a visitor is greeted by a striking bridal staircase with carved and tapered balusters. Straight ahead is a heart stopping view through to the ocean. The red oak floors gleam, the wide openings between rooms are accented by subtle custom moldings and there is an abundance of natural light. Formal columns provide visual definition, but allow for an open floor plan and incredible ocean views at every turn.
The expansive oceanfront living room and gracious dining room are superb for entertaining or everyday living. Multiple sets of French glass doors lead out to the full-length oceanfront covered mahogany porch, allowing for seamless indoor/outdoor living. Subtle architectural details accent the large space including a Carrara marble gas-log fireplace that is highlighted by a custom designed mantle and Brazilian rosewood inlay that adds a special touch to a beautiful hardwood floor.
The eat-in cook’s kitchen is a dream with cherry cabinets, gorgeous granite countertops, a center island, like-new stainless steel appliances including double wall ovens, built-in wine rack, large pantry, tumbled marble tile backsplash, ceramic tile floor and of course ocean views. There are double windows framing astonishing ocean views in the breakfast area. Add in a door directly out to the patio and barbeque area for easy casual dining and entertaining.
The first floor also features a handsome study that could also be converted to a first floor bedroom. A lovely full bath with attractive ceramic tile is conveniently next door.Heading up the remarkable staircase is a treat as the landing features another inlay accent and the numerous windows bathe the staircase in natural light. There is an open and bright landing area with a door that leads out to a balcony overlooking the lovely flower garden.
Upstairs are three bedrooms, each with a private balcony and offering ocean views. The first charming guest bedroom offers a cozy balcony and a large cedar closet. The second sunny guest room has a larger balcony and walk in closet. The two bedrooms share a luxurious large bath with a whirlpool tub, a separate water closet and linen closet.
The master bedroom suite is impressive with two sets of glass doors out to a mahogany balcony offering one of the most spectacular ocean views on the Seacoast. There are even “his & hers” walk-in closets. The master bath is an oasis of beauty and comfort with a double cherry wood vanity, whirlpool tub, separate shower, separate water closet and bidet. The room is immaculate and the palette of tile colors, woods and accents echo the natural tones of the beach and oceanfront.
The upstairs features extensive closet storage and a nice laundry room complete with a sink and folding area.There is also a fabulous freestanding carriage house with the neatest two-car garage imaginable, including a vinyl matt floor covering and built-in storage. Upstairs the carriage house offers a surprising professional office that would be perfect for the busy executive that requires private home office space. The professionally finished, flexible year-round space is heated and air-conditioned.
Recently built, the home offers an extensive list of high-end amenities including central air conditioning, high-efficient hydro-air heating, central vacuum, a security system, an irrigation system and a generator.
The city is set to witness the transformation of traditional games like goti and hopscotch into professional pursuits
Remember how as a young boy you thought that your trouser pocket was meant only to carry marbles. You stuffed it with them. You kept adding to your proud collection; those little glass spheres, some clear, others with different colours in them. How many times have you held the blue or red marble to the light to see the world look so different? Marbles were favourites.
The game was simple and could be played anywhere. Dig a small hole or draw a circle on the ground, choose the Floor tiles, and you were ready. There was a time when it was usual to see boys shooting marbles all over the neighbourhood.
Like so many aspects of childhood, playing marbles and other forms of amusement are rapidly becoming extinct. Fondness for old-fashioned, traditional games is not just about being nostalgic or foolishly sentimental. There are groups who have begun to show concern and have chalked out elaborate plans to revive the game. A professional goti tour is slated to begin with the Cochin Open Professional Tournament in Kochi sometime in August this year.
“The date has not been finalised. But it will be in August. We know that there are some serious players in Thiruvananthapuram, Alappuzha and Thrissur. In Kochi some of us are players. We hope to follow it up with a Travancore Royal Goti Challenge and the Malabar Classic Goti Tour this year itself. All these events will be professionally organised and managed,” says Sijin B.T., founder of Synergians, an NGO formed by a group of professionals engaged in various social responsibility activities.
Marbles is one of the world’s most popular street games. It is also known by other names such as goli and goti. “This is just a part of our initiative to revive and promote traditional sports. We have begun an effort to package a few such games such as goti, hopscotch and seven tiles. Now our prime focus is on redesigning goti as a professional game, seeing as it is considered a children’s game and even stigmatised in some societies.
More than preservation or revival of a traditional game, the Synergians embarked on this venture more as part of social commitment. “We believe that sport has the power to transform individuals. Sport is also a business and an employment opportunity but unfortunately in our country it remains, cricket being an exception, still an unexploited industry. We thought we should move away from established sports and provide a new platform. Instead of depending on government assistance, games that require very little investment, like goti for example, can be effectively promoted,” explains Jibu Gibson, joint-founder, Synergians.
Their first attempt was to revitalise hopscotch, a traditional game also known as vatu kali or akku kali. “Hopscotch is very popular worldwide. We know that celebrities such as Michelle Obama, Helen Mirren, Jennie Finch and others are hooked on to this game. Our version is called Hopzz, a blend of hope and hop. We have not attempted to promote it as a competitive sport but rather as an exercise regimen. It is supposed to be an effective cardiovascular exercise with properties of resistance exercise and is good to build leg muscles, offers flexibility and balance and helps develop coordination,” says Sijin.
Click on their website http://www.tilees.com/.
Sitting high above the rocks on a large lush lot bordered by fragrant beach roses and stonewalls; the shingle-style home is a gem in the prized beachfront neighborhood. The private yard is pure perfection with verdant landscaping including a lush lawn, mature trees, blue stone walkways, a patio and an array of flowering plants that invite butterflies and birds.
The professional landscaping, weather-resistant exterior and fabulous architectural details of the home create a visual delight enhanced by the natural beauty of the seacoast.
The luxurious three-bedroom home has a sense of relaxed elegance. There are marvelous architectural details at every turn from the expansive full-length mahogany oceanfront-covered porch to a Carrara marble fireplace and red oak floors with Brazilian rosewood inlay, this gorgeous home is truly special.
Entering the large front foyers, a visitor is greeted by a striking bridal staircase with carved and tapered balusters. Straight ahead is a heart stopping view through to the ocean. The red oak floors gleam, the wide openings between rooms are accented by subtle custom moldings and there is an abundance of natural light. Formal columns provide visual definition, but allow for an open floor plan and incredible ocean views at every turn.
The expansive oceanfront living room and gracious dining room are superb for entertaining or everyday living. Multiple sets of French glass doors lead out to the full-length oceanfront covered mahogany porch, allowing for seamless indoor/outdoor living. Subtle architectural details accent the large space including a Carrara marble gas-log fireplace that is highlighted by a custom designed mantle and Brazilian rosewood inlay that adds a special touch to a beautiful hardwood floor.
The eat-in cook’s kitchen is a dream with cherry cabinets, gorgeous granite countertops, a center island, like-new stainless steel appliances including double wall ovens, built-in wine rack, large pantry, tumbled marble tile backsplash, ceramic tile floor and of course ocean views. There are double windows framing astonishing ocean views in the breakfast area. Add in a door directly out to the patio and barbeque area for easy casual dining and entertaining.
The first floor also features a handsome study that could also be converted to a first floor bedroom. A lovely full bath with attractive ceramic tile is conveniently next door.Heading up the remarkable staircase is a treat as the landing features another inlay accent and the numerous windows bathe the staircase in natural light. There is an open and bright landing area with a door that leads out to a balcony overlooking the lovely flower garden.
Upstairs are three bedrooms, each with a private balcony and offering ocean views. The first charming guest bedroom offers a cozy balcony and a large cedar closet. The second sunny guest room has a larger balcony and walk in closet. The two bedrooms share a luxurious large bath with a whirlpool tub, a separate water closet and linen closet.
The master bedroom suite is impressive with two sets of glass doors out to a mahogany balcony offering one of the most spectacular ocean views on the Seacoast. There are even “his & hers” walk-in closets. The master bath is an oasis of beauty and comfort with a double cherry wood vanity, whirlpool tub, separate shower, separate water closet and bidet. The room is immaculate and the palette of tile colors, woods and accents echo the natural tones of the beach and oceanfront.
The upstairs features extensive closet storage and a nice laundry room complete with a sink and folding area.There is also a fabulous freestanding carriage house with the neatest two-car garage imaginable, including a vinyl matt floor covering and built-in storage. Upstairs the carriage house offers a surprising professional office that would be perfect for the busy executive that requires private home office space. The professionally finished, flexible year-round space is heated and air-conditioned.
Recently built, the home offers an extensive list of high-end amenities including central air conditioning, high-efficient hydro-air heating, central vacuum, a security system, an irrigation system and a generator.
The city is set to witness the transformation of traditional games like goti and hopscotch into professional pursuits
Remember how as a young boy you thought that your trouser pocket was meant only to carry marbles. You stuffed it with them. You kept adding to your proud collection; those little glass spheres, some clear, others with different colours in them. How many times have you held the blue or red marble to the light to see the world look so different? Marbles were favourites.
The game was simple and could be played anywhere. Dig a small hole or draw a circle on the ground, choose the Floor tiles, and you were ready. There was a time when it was usual to see boys shooting marbles all over the neighbourhood.
Like so many aspects of childhood, playing marbles and other forms of amusement are rapidly becoming extinct. Fondness for old-fashioned, traditional games is not just about being nostalgic or foolishly sentimental. There are groups who have begun to show concern and have chalked out elaborate plans to revive the game. A professional goti tour is slated to begin with the Cochin Open Professional Tournament in Kochi sometime in August this year.
“The date has not been finalised. But it will be in August. We know that there are some serious players in Thiruvananthapuram, Alappuzha and Thrissur. In Kochi some of us are players. We hope to follow it up with a Travancore Royal Goti Challenge and the Malabar Classic Goti Tour this year itself. All these events will be professionally organised and managed,” says Sijin B.T., founder of Synergians, an NGO formed by a group of professionals engaged in various social responsibility activities.
Marbles is one of the world’s most popular street games. It is also known by other names such as goli and goti. “This is just a part of our initiative to revive and promote traditional sports. We have begun an effort to package a few such games such as goti, hopscotch and seven tiles. Now our prime focus is on redesigning goti as a professional game, seeing as it is considered a children’s game and even stigmatised in some societies.
More than preservation or revival of a traditional game, the Synergians embarked on this venture more as part of social commitment. “We believe that sport has the power to transform individuals. Sport is also a business and an employment opportunity but unfortunately in our country it remains, cricket being an exception, still an unexploited industry. We thought we should move away from established sports and provide a new platform. Instead of depending on government assistance, games that require very little investment, like goti for example, can be effectively promoted,” explains Jibu Gibson, joint-founder, Synergians.
Their first attempt was to revitalise hopscotch, a traditional game also known as vatu kali or akku kali. “Hopscotch is very popular worldwide. We know that celebrities such as Michelle Obama, Helen Mirren, Jennie Finch and others are hooked on to this game. Our version is called Hopzz, a blend of hope and hop. We have not attempted to promote it as a competitive sport but rather as an exercise regimen. It is supposed to be an effective cardiovascular exercise with properties of resistance exercise and is good to build leg muscles, offers flexibility and balance and helps develop coordination,” says Sijin.
Click on their website http://www.tilees.com/.
2013年7月4日星期四
Second Toynbee Tile removed in Topeka
As he waited for the light to change, something caught his eye on the pavement just to his left.It was another rare Toynbee Tile, similar to one spotted and removed a couple of weeks ago three blocks away at 6th and S. Kansas Avenue.Toynbee Tiles originated around 30 years ago in Philadelphia and since have been found in some two dozen U.S. cities, as well as in the capitals of several South American countries.The tiles often contain short, cryptic messages.
City officials have said they consider the placement of Toynbee Tiles to be vandalism, on the same par as graffiti. Some local residents, however, consider them a type of folk art that need to be preserved.The city view prevailed for a second time in Topeka. The tile Bowen spotted Wednesday had been removed by Thursday morning, just as was the tile found and removed on the night of June 20.
Efforts to reach Topeka city officials on Thursday afternoon weren’t immediately successful.Bowen called The Topeka Capital-Journal on Thursday morning, and a reporter went over to check out the polished tiles.
There, in the left southbound lane on the north side of the intersection, was a license plate-sized rectangle of replacement asphalt, of the same approximate size as the Toynbee Tile that had been pulled up from 6th and S. Kansas Avenue.
Reached by phone Thursday afternoon, Bowen gave the following account of what he saw the day before:“I saw it there yesterday,” he said. “I just pulled up to the light in the southbound lane and looked down and there it was.“I didn’t take the time to see what all it said. When the light turned green, I had to go.”Bowen said he wishes now he would have pulled over and taken a picture of it.Though he didn’t read its message, he said the words were multi-colored — just like the other Toynbee Tile found a couple of weeks earlier in downtown Topeka.
BETA Holdings originated from Alpha Bricks, a company established in 1953 to manufacture bricks in the Mount Hampden area.In 1991 the company changed ownership and name to Beta Holdings, a brand that is now well recognised in Zimbabwe’s construction sector.Now Beta Holdings, through two of its operating units: Beta Bricks and Beta Tiles, has opened a distribution centre to offer services to Mutare and the surrounding areas. Quality clay bricks and concrete roof tiles will now be easily accessible to the local market.
Beta Holdings are coming into the Mutare market because we believe the area deserves quality products and services. Beta Holdings, as the largest construction material producer in Zimbabwe, cannot therefore afford neglect the Manicaland area as a whole.Beta is well known for their quality, value for money and customer focus.
As the largest brick and concrete roof tile supplier in the country and with a growing customer base, Beta can attest the expansion into Mutare as a clear signifier of their continued growth.Beta Bricks and Tiles is here to stay and will add more products and services through the depot here in Mutare.The Beta Bricks product range consists of 15 different clay brick types which are used for foundations, load bearing construction, laying of driveways, pavements and walkways, decorative exteriors as well as industrial, commercial and domestic building structures.
Beta clay bricks have the highest dimensional stability and compressive strength as well as being a durable and timeless building material that complements the aesthetic and functional needs of any building.As members of the Standards Association of Zimbabwe, Beta can guarantee that their clay bricks are of assured quality.
The Beta concrete roof tile is a modern tile made from cement, sand and pigments and is manufactured using an extrusion process resulting in utmost strength and density. The concrete roof tiles are manufactured from durable concrete made to strict strength specifications. There are 2 types of roof tile profiles currently available at Beta: the Mendip and the Double Roman.
The Mendip profile forms a gentle flowing pattern that gives instant visual appeal. It combines its exceptional strength and beautiful smooth surface with stunning aesthetics.The Double Roman profile is a modern version of the profile seen on roofs throughout Europe for over 2000 years and offers all the functional benefits of todays interlocking concrete technology.
After buying a new home in New York last November, the “House” actress had been trying to sell her Los Feliz home. Olivia Wilde first listed the place for $2.495 million and eight months later closed the deal for $2.19 million, according to property records.
The 3,284-square-foot home is a 1920s Spanish style with original Malibu tile, hardwood floors, stained glass and iron details throughout. With 4 bedrooms and 3.5 baths, as well as outdoor terraces and patios, the home had no shortage of living space for the 29-year-old star.
A larger California spread isn’t what the “The O.C.” actress is after, though. With her divorce from Italian filmmaker Tao Ruspoli finalized in 2011 and her engagement to actor Jason Sudeikis announced earlier this year, Wilde is ready to make her move to the Big Apple more permanent.
Read the full story at http://www.tilees.com/!
City officials have said they consider the placement of Toynbee Tiles to be vandalism, on the same par as graffiti. Some local residents, however, consider them a type of folk art that need to be preserved.The city view prevailed for a second time in Topeka. The tile Bowen spotted Wednesday had been removed by Thursday morning, just as was the tile found and removed on the night of June 20.
Efforts to reach Topeka city officials on Thursday afternoon weren’t immediately successful.Bowen called The Topeka Capital-Journal on Thursday morning, and a reporter went over to check out the polished tiles.
There, in the left southbound lane on the north side of the intersection, was a license plate-sized rectangle of replacement asphalt, of the same approximate size as the Toynbee Tile that had been pulled up from 6th and S. Kansas Avenue.
Reached by phone Thursday afternoon, Bowen gave the following account of what he saw the day before:“I saw it there yesterday,” he said. “I just pulled up to the light in the southbound lane and looked down and there it was.“I didn’t take the time to see what all it said. When the light turned green, I had to go.”Bowen said he wishes now he would have pulled over and taken a picture of it.Though he didn’t read its message, he said the words were multi-colored — just like the other Toynbee Tile found a couple of weeks earlier in downtown Topeka.
BETA Holdings originated from Alpha Bricks, a company established in 1953 to manufacture bricks in the Mount Hampden area.In 1991 the company changed ownership and name to Beta Holdings, a brand that is now well recognised in Zimbabwe’s construction sector.Now Beta Holdings, through two of its operating units: Beta Bricks and Beta Tiles, has opened a distribution centre to offer services to Mutare and the surrounding areas. Quality clay bricks and concrete roof tiles will now be easily accessible to the local market.
Beta Holdings are coming into the Mutare market because we believe the area deserves quality products and services. Beta Holdings, as the largest construction material producer in Zimbabwe, cannot therefore afford neglect the Manicaland area as a whole.Beta is well known for their quality, value for money and customer focus.
As the largest brick and concrete roof tile supplier in the country and with a growing customer base, Beta can attest the expansion into Mutare as a clear signifier of their continued growth.Beta Bricks and Tiles is here to stay and will add more products and services through the depot here in Mutare.The Beta Bricks product range consists of 15 different clay brick types which are used for foundations, load bearing construction, laying of driveways, pavements and walkways, decorative exteriors as well as industrial, commercial and domestic building structures.
Beta clay bricks have the highest dimensional stability and compressive strength as well as being a durable and timeless building material that complements the aesthetic and functional needs of any building.As members of the Standards Association of Zimbabwe, Beta can guarantee that their clay bricks are of assured quality.
The Beta concrete roof tile is a modern tile made from cement, sand and pigments and is manufactured using an extrusion process resulting in utmost strength and density. The concrete roof tiles are manufactured from durable concrete made to strict strength specifications. There are 2 types of roof tile profiles currently available at Beta: the Mendip and the Double Roman.
The Mendip profile forms a gentle flowing pattern that gives instant visual appeal. It combines its exceptional strength and beautiful smooth surface with stunning aesthetics.The Double Roman profile is a modern version of the profile seen on roofs throughout Europe for over 2000 years and offers all the functional benefits of todays interlocking concrete technology.
After buying a new home in New York last November, the “House” actress had been trying to sell her Los Feliz home. Olivia Wilde first listed the place for $2.495 million and eight months later closed the deal for $2.19 million, according to property records.
The 3,284-square-foot home is a 1920s Spanish style with original Malibu tile, hardwood floors, stained glass and iron details throughout. With 4 bedrooms and 3.5 baths, as well as outdoor terraces and patios, the home had no shortage of living space for the 29-year-old star.
A larger California spread isn’t what the “The O.C.” actress is after, though. With her divorce from Italian filmmaker Tao Ruspoli finalized in 2011 and her engagement to actor Jason Sudeikis announced earlier this year, Wilde is ready to make her move to the Big Apple more permanent.
Read the full story at http://www.tilees.com/!
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