In a lawsuit filed in Kenton Circuit Court, Kenton County Attorney Garry Edmondson alleges Kenton Judge-executive Steve Arlinghaus illegally spent public funds renovating county offices – a claim Arlinghaus and his attorney deny.
Arlinghaus says he’s complied with the county’s administrative code, and he accuses Edmondson of giving “conflicting and inconsistent advice on this matter from the very beginning.”
Edmondson is seeking reimbursement of $23,314.47 from Arlinghaus, as well as interest and costs, and reimbursement of 115 hours of paid staff time for claims that he says were illegally paid and presented to Kenton Fiscal Court.
“What prompted this (lawsuit) was the action taken by the judge-executive and the fact that the Fiscal Court refused on several occasions to ratify it,” Edmondson said. “Once that happens, it’s incumbent on me to make sure that the bill does not get paid until the fiscal court authorizes it.”
Edmondson alleges in his lawsuit that Arlinghaus purchased goods and services and ordered county employees to renovate second-floor office space without securing Kenton Fiscal Court’s approval, and later presented claims totaling $11,194.78 for materials already installed, in violation of state law.
Before that, Edmondson said some initial bills totaling $10,583.57 for the second-floor renovation project were paid, but the contract for that work had not been authorized by Fiscal Court, as required. He said the latter payment was brought to his attention after one of the county commissioners raised the issue at a meeting.
In a memo to county officials, Edmondson said Arlinghaus briefly discussed the work with Kenton County Commissioners Beth Sewell and Kris Knochelmann while standing in front of their desks in fiscal court chambers. However, no presentation was made in an open Fiscal Court meeting, and no vote was taken by county officials to do the remodeling or spend county funds on that work, Edmondson said.
The lawsuit also alleges a bill totaling about $1,536 has yet to be presented to Fiscal Court. Arlinghaus said there’s an outstanding bill for about $1,400 for renderings for new entrance doors for the county administration building’s first floor entrances. He said that was a project Sewell and Knochelmann had asked him to look into and that it had nothing to do with the second-floor renovations.
Arlinghaus says he authorized the renovations for security reasons and to improve the work environment for county employees. He and his attorney, Mark Arnzen, say Arlinghaus did nothing wrong. Arlinghaus claims the lawsuit is “to settle a political score,” adding Edmondson supported his opponent in the 2010 judge-executive’s race.
Edmondson, who says he’s never sued a member of Kenton Fiscal Court in his 19 years as county attorney, denied that his motives are political. He says in the lawsuit that state law requires him, in his role as county attorney, to ensure that no illegal or wrongful appropriation of county public dollars is made.
“I’m just doing my job as the statutes have laid out,” Edmondson said. “I’ve tried talking to (Arlinghaus), and I’ve tried talking to the other commissioners to see if there was some way to work this out. I told them if they didn’t work it out in open (fiscal) court (meetings) that I’d have to file a lawsuit. (The fiscal court) could settle this tomorrow by having a meeting and ratifying the expenditures.”
At a special Fiscal Court meeting Wednesday, it was proposed that Edmondson, Deputy Judge-executive Mark Kreimborg and Acting Treasurer Doug Bramlage review and revise the county’s purchasing policies and procedures.
Arlinghaus produced an email from an attorney with the Kentucky Department for Local Government and a letter from a state assistant attorney general that appear to support his claims that he had the authority to do the renovations.
In citing language in Kenton County’s administrative code, the attorney for the Kentucky Department for Local Government wrote: “The county appears to have authorized the judge to exercise authority for purchases under $20,000, with certain purchase orders over $15,000 also requiring pre-approval by the fiscal court. The judge’s authority is not stated as clearly as it could be, but is strongly implied...”
2012年4月9日星期一
2012年3月5日星期一
New designs for the old
Considering that old age is inevitable, it is strange that so little thought is given to making living spaces elderly-friendly. Failing eyesight, slower reflexes, weaker bones and tentative grip are issues that we all succumb to with advancing years. So making houses barrier-free, accident-proof and easy-to-access make more sense than unsightly and ad hoc additions to the building as the years go by.
Subtle is beautiful. Right from floor plans to storage spaces, creating friendly spaces for the aged is possible without using overt and patronising fixtures. “Ideally, this should be incorporated into the design,” says architect Anuradha Naresh Rao, Aprobuild Architects.
“Right from the point of entry at the gate, have a gentle ramp leading up to the house,” suggests architect Sriram Ganapathi, KSM Consultants.
Try to accomodate the bedroom of the elderly person in a quiet spot of the house, with a view of the street. “At the same time, this room must be well-connected with the rest of the house so that the person can see and hear what is going on. On the other hand, a cry for help should also not go unheard,” says architect Pradeep Varma of Varsha and Pradeep Architects.
Along walkways, grip support in the form of pillars, seats and other structures can be installed rather than plain railings. Consider the grip bar that Aprobuild designed: a granite fence post embedded horizontally on the walls, which blends with the décor. Coating the granite grip bar with a layer of resin can help keep it moss-free, informs Anuradha. Provide grip supports in all spaces, especially the kitchen, washroom, and by the water closets and basins. Placing a cuddapah or granite seat under the shower would also facilitate a comfortable, seated shower or bath. “It is good to have hand railings along both edges of the stairway. When you have to stand aside and give way, this will provide a support to hold on to,” says Pradeep.
The shiny, smooth vitrified tiles that have become so popular now, are unnerving for most elders.
Moreover, if you walk for long on it, it hurts your knee or back, because you have to strain your body to retain grip when walking on the smooth surface. “Anti-skid, matt finish are advisable,” says Sumitra Vasudevan, Aprobuild. Also, maintain the same flooring material throughout the house.
If there are level differences in the floor, highlight it with colour or textural changes, so that an elderly person does not miss noticing the step. “Introduce a textural change just before it too, which alerts the elderly person of the step, because they may not be able to see as well as they can feel. Inputs from the two senses can work better than input from just one,” suggests Sriram. “Don't settle for a one-step level difference. If there are two or three steps, the level difference is difficult to miss,” mentions Pradeep.
Provide for good ventilation and natural lighting within the house, as elders are not going to get adequate exposure of the outdoors. If space permits, an open courtyard within the house can be a blessing, allowing housebound elders to experience the outdoors.
“A track of (low energy consuming) LED lights at a height of one and half feet from the floor level, can help light the way during elders' nightly walks to the washroom or other places,” suggests Anuradha. Ironically, toilets, the space most often associated with slips and falls get allotted dim bulbs. Have adequate lighting in the washrooms.
Doors should open into the room, rather than into the bathroom. “It is difficult to manoeuvre a wheel chair within the bathroom, to create space to swing the door shut. And from a wheelchair, it is easier to pull than to push,” says Sriram. For windows, sliding doors are easier to handle than pull-push doors.
Storage spaces such as shelves and drawers shouldn't be below the counter, because bending to take out things gets difficult with age. Having drawers is a better option. Remarks Sriram, “It is very trendy to have low-slung furniture, as it generates a sense of space; but when you sit on it, the knee bend is above the hip level, and aging knees find it a tough proposition to lift their own weight from a lower level.”
Subtle is beautiful. Right from floor plans to storage spaces, creating friendly spaces for the aged is possible without using overt and patronising fixtures. “Ideally, this should be incorporated into the design,” says architect Anuradha Naresh Rao, Aprobuild Architects.
“Right from the point of entry at the gate, have a gentle ramp leading up to the house,” suggests architect Sriram Ganapathi, KSM Consultants.
Try to accomodate the bedroom of the elderly person in a quiet spot of the house, with a view of the street. “At the same time, this room must be well-connected with the rest of the house so that the person can see and hear what is going on. On the other hand, a cry for help should also not go unheard,” says architect Pradeep Varma of Varsha and Pradeep Architects.
Along walkways, grip support in the form of pillars, seats and other structures can be installed rather than plain railings. Consider the grip bar that Aprobuild designed: a granite fence post embedded horizontally on the walls, which blends with the décor. Coating the granite grip bar with a layer of resin can help keep it moss-free, informs Anuradha. Provide grip supports in all spaces, especially the kitchen, washroom, and by the water closets and basins. Placing a cuddapah or granite seat under the shower would also facilitate a comfortable, seated shower or bath. “It is good to have hand railings along both edges of the stairway. When you have to stand aside and give way, this will provide a support to hold on to,” says Pradeep.
The shiny, smooth vitrified tiles that have become so popular now, are unnerving for most elders.
Moreover, if you walk for long on it, it hurts your knee or back, because you have to strain your body to retain grip when walking on the smooth surface. “Anti-skid, matt finish are advisable,” says Sumitra Vasudevan, Aprobuild. Also, maintain the same flooring material throughout the house.
If there are level differences in the floor, highlight it with colour or textural changes, so that an elderly person does not miss noticing the step. “Introduce a textural change just before it too, which alerts the elderly person of the step, because they may not be able to see as well as they can feel. Inputs from the two senses can work better than input from just one,” suggests Sriram. “Don't settle for a one-step level difference. If there are two or three steps, the level difference is difficult to miss,” mentions Pradeep.
Provide for good ventilation and natural lighting within the house, as elders are not going to get adequate exposure of the outdoors. If space permits, an open courtyard within the house can be a blessing, allowing housebound elders to experience the outdoors.
“A track of (low energy consuming) LED lights at a height of one and half feet from the floor level, can help light the way during elders' nightly walks to the washroom or other places,” suggests Anuradha. Ironically, toilets, the space most often associated with slips and falls get allotted dim bulbs. Have adequate lighting in the washrooms.
Doors should open into the room, rather than into the bathroom. “It is difficult to manoeuvre a wheel chair within the bathroom, to create space to swing the door shut. And from a wheelchair, it is easier to pull than to push,” says Sriram. For windows, sliding doors are easier to handle than pull-push doors.
Storage spaces such as shelves and drawers shouldn't be below the counter, because bending to take out things gets difficult with age. Having drawers is a better option. Remarks Sriram, “It is very trendy to have low-slung furniture, as it generates a sense of space; but when you sit on it, the knee bend is above the hip level, and aging knees find it a tough proposition to lift their own weight from a lower level.”
2011年11月14日星期一
Tiny Arizona border town full of strange stories
Deborah Grider is a guera, one of those light-skinned, blond-haired women who look Anglo but are actually Mexican-American.
Gueras and gueros are common at the border, where stereotypes don't easily apply. But it still surprises visitors when Grider switches from English to Spanish in midsentence or when Grider tells them her grandfather, Carlos Escalante, and great-aunt, Raquel Serrano Weaver, both Mexicans, founded the town of Sasabe around 1916.
It surprises them even more if they assume she's Anglo and say something bad about Mexicans. More on that later.
If you have never heard of Sasabe, you are not alone. The tiny speck of a town sits on the border, 72 miles from Tucson. Just 11 people live here. And the only way to get to Sasabe is to drive 20 miles west from Tucson on Ajo Way and then south on Arizona 286 from Robles Junction through nearly 50 miles of nothing but desert scrub land.
Anyone who has spent time in Sasabe knows Grider. She runs the general store, along with her mother, Alice Knagge.
The store has been in their family since 1932, and you can usually find Grider or her mother behind the cash register from sunrise to sunset. It's the only store left in this town, and they are the only two people who work there.
In 1960, Life magazine sent famed photographer J.R. Eyerman to take pictures of Sasabe after Grider's grandfather put the entire town up for sale for $500,000. The price included 450 acres of land and 29 adobe buildings.
"My grandfather built all of these houses," said Grider, who is not about to tell you her age, no matter how much you prod.
Eyerman's black-and-white photographs ran in the March, 28, 1960, edition of the magazine under the headline, "Any Money Down, A Desert Town."
In one photo, the town's entire population, all 30 men, women and children, is shown standing on a hill with Sasabe's rooftops and electric poles in the background. Grider, a little girl in a white blouse, her hair freshly curled, stands in the foreground with her mother, her stepfather, Mike Knagge, her grandparents, Carlos and Luisa Escalante, and her brother Bill, who is looking down at his feet.
Shortly after, Grider's family sent her away to boarding school in Tucson. Grider spent 10 years being taught by nuns at Immaculate Heart Academy, then an all-girls Catholic school.
"My grandparents wanted me to have a good education," Grider said.
As a girl, Grider lived in Sasabe only during the summers. She remembers walking across the border into Mexico to buy candy. When she would return, the customs agents "would just wave you through if they knew you," Grider said.
She remembers playing hide-and-seek and hopscotch with the other children in town. Their parents, most of them ranch hands or customs agents who worked at the port of entry, rented adobe houses built and owned by her grandfather.
There are no children living in Sasabe now, and the entire town is owned by a wealthy Mexican businessman named Domingo Pesqueiro. The San Fernando Elementary School is still there, but the school's 17 students come from Arivaca and other nearby towns or from across the border in El Sasabe.
Grider finished high school in Sahuarita. She used to get up at 5 a.m. to catch the bus for the 1 hour and 45 minute trip from Sasabe to Sahuarita north of Green Valley.
After high school, Grider studied at Pima Community College in Tucson but came home to Sasabe after a year to help her mother at the store.
Grider never married or had children. She moved back to Tucson and spent most of her life living and working there. But doing exactly what, she won't say.
All she will say is, "I had a very interesting life."
"I had lots of jobs," Grider said. "I also ran several of my own businesses. One of them was a mail-order business. Not M-A-L-E order but M-A-I-L order."
In 2001, Grider returned to Sasabe for good. She lives with her mother in a stately ranch house with tall cypress trees overlooking the border. She has been working at the store ever since.
If you visit the store and are lucky, Grider will pull a set of keys from behind the counter and walk you through the store -- past the rows of canned food, the stacks of propane tanks and the racks of T-shirts that say, "Where the Hell Is Sasabe?" -- to a door in back painted green and purple.
A sign above says Hilltop Bar. And when Grider unlocks the door, it feels almost like magic. Hidden inside has got to be the strangest, if not the smallest, bar in Arizona. Just 12 stools and a little table big enough for a game of cards.
"Bienvenidos al rincon de los borrachos," says the ceramic tile hanging on the door. Welcome to the drunkards' corner. (Grider makes sure there is always a designated driver.)
But it's not just the size that makes the bar seem so weird. It's the way the women have decorated the place, kind of like a cross between cowgirl shabby chic and a museum.
On the cement floor are a couple of mano y metates, the grinding stones used by Native Americans in prehistoric times. An old broom and a metal pitchfork hang from one of the walls. A mounted deer head, a gift from one of Grider's hunter friends, juts out from the side of the bar.
But the most bizarre item is a female mannequin. Decked out in a cowboy hat and woolly chaps, the curvy figure is propped up on a table in the middle of the bar clutching a six-pack of beer. A perpetual smile graces her face.
"We used to have a clothing department. She used to be our clothing mannequin," Grider said. "Did you notice she hardly has any fingers? Some kids from across the line broke her fingers off. They thought she was real, so they broke her fingers off to see if she would bleed."
The mannequin is just one example of Grider's quirky sense of border humor.
Over the bar, Grider has posted a sign listing the "House Specials." Sasabe sits in the middle of one of the biggest human-smuggling and drug-trafficking corridors on the border. Using Mexican border slang, Grider has concocted drink specials that pay homage to the various characters found along the border. One drink, tequila and a "secret juice chaser that makes it real smooth," is called "La Migra" -- the Border Patrol.
"The juice is green, and what does La Migra do? They chase people," Grider said.
Another -- tequila, bloody Mary mix in a glass rimmed with salt and chili powder --is called "El pollero," or the smuggler.
"I can say these things because I'm Mexican. And in Mexico we are not politically correct," Grider says with a laugh.
Grider opens the bar just two nights a week, on Fridays and Saturdays, and for special occasions. On a good night, the bar might draw 15 people. But usually it's just Grider and four or five customers. Some are town residents. Others are visitors from the nearby Rancho De La Osa Guest Ranch, an exclusive hotel that serves gourmet meals.
During hunting season in October and November, the bar also fills up with hunters who sometimes stay at a bunkhouse that Grider rents out for $25 a night per person next to the store.
Grider has a rule against foul language at the bar. Customers who break it stick a dollar in a "cuss jar" she keeps on the counter. When the jar fills up, she donates the money to charity.
And here is the part where Grider sometimes hears people say bad things about Mexicans. It's usually the hunters sitting at the bar after they've had a few drinks. Because she is guera, the hunters assume she is Anglo. Grider, who has an easy-going manner and a charming smile, lets them dig a deep hole before she lets on.
Gueras and gueros are common at the border, where stereotypes don't easily apply. But it still surprises visitors when Grider switches from English to Spanish in midsentence or when Grider tells them her grandfather, Carlos Escalante, and great-aunt, Raquel Serrano Weaver, both Mexicans, founded the town of Sasabe around 1916.
It surprises them even more if they assume she's Anglo and say something bad about Mexicans. More on that later.
If you have never heard of Sasabe, you are not alone. The tiny speck of a town sits on the border, 72 miles from Tucson. Just 11 people live here. And the only way to get to Sasabe is to drive 20 miles west from Tucson on Ajo Way and then south on Arizona 286 from Robles Junction through nearly 50 miles of nothing but desert scrub land.
Anyone who has spent time in Sasabe knows Grider. She runs the general store, along with her mother, Alice Knagge.
The store has been in their family since 1932, and you can usually find Grider or her mother behind the cash register from sunrise to sunset. It's the only store left in this town, and they are the only two people who work there.
In 1960, Life magazine sent famed photographer J.R. Eyerman to take pictures of Sasabe after Grider's grandfather put the entire town up for sale for $500,000. The price included 450 acres of land and 29 adobe buildings.
"My grandfather built all of these houses," said Grider, who is not about to tell you her age, no matter how much you prod.
Eyerman's black-and-white photographs ran in the March, 28, 1960, edition of the magazine under the headline, "Any Money Down, A Desert Town."
In one photo, the town's entire population, all 30 men, women and children, is shown standing on a hill with Sasabe's rooftops and electric poles in the background. Grider, a little girl in a white blouse, her hair freshly curled, stands in the foreground with her mother, her stepfather, Mike Knagge, her grandparents, Carlos and Luisa Escalante, and her brother Bill, who is looking down at his feet.
Shortly after, Grider's family sent her away to boarding school in Tucson. Grider spent 10 years being taught by nuns at Immaculate Heart Academy, then an all-girls Catholic school.
"My grandparents wanted me to have a good education," Grider said.
As a girl, Grider lived in Sasabe only during the summers. She remembers walking across the border into Mexico to buy candy. When she would return, the customs agents "would just wave you through if they knew you," Grider said.
She remembers playing hide-and-seek and hopscotch with the other children in town. Their parents, most of them ranch hands or customs agents who worked at the port of entry, rented adobe houses built and owned by her grandfather.
There are no children living in Sasabe now, and the entire town is owned by a wealthy Mexican businessman named Domingo Pesqueiro. The San Fernando Elementary School is still there, but the school's 17 students come from Arivaca and other nearby towns or from across the border in El Sasabe.
Grider finished high school in Sahuarita. She used to get up at 5 a.m. to catch the bus for the 1 hour and 45 minute trip from Sasabe to Sahuarita north of Green Valley.
After high school, Grider studied at Pima Community College in Tucson but came home to Sasabe after a year to help her mother at the store.
Grider never married or had children. She moved back to Tucson and spent most of her life living and working there. But doing exactly what, she won't say.
All she will say is, "I had a very interesting life."
"I had lots of jobs," Grider said. "I also ran several of my own businesses. One of them was a mail-order business. Not M-A-L-E order but M-A-I-L order."
In 2001, Grider returned to Sasabe for good. She lives with her mother in a stately ranch house with tall cypress trees overlooking the border. She has been working at the store ever since.
If you visit the store and are lucky, Grider will pull a set of keys from behind the counter and walk you through the store -- past the rows of canned food, the stacks of propane tanks and the racks of T-shirts that say, "Where the Hell Is Sasabe?" -- to a door in back painted green and purple.
A sign above says Hilltop Bar. And when Grider unlocks the door, it feels almost like magic. Hidden inside has got to be the strangest, if not the smallest, bar in Arizona. Just 12 stools and a little table big enough for a game of cards.
"Bienvenidos al rincon de los borrachos," says the ceramic tile hanging on the door. Welcome to the drunkards' corner. (Grider makes sure there is always a designated driver.)
But it's not just the size that makes the bar seem so weird. It's the way the women have decorated the place, kind of like a cross between cowgirl shabby chic and a museum.
On the cement floor are a couple of mano y metates, the grinding stones used by Native Americans in prehistoric times. An old broom and a metal pitchfork hang from one of the walls. A mounted deer head, a gift from one of Grider's hunter friends, juts out from the side of the bar.
But the most bizarre item is a female mannequin. Decked out in a cowboy hat and woolly chaps, the curvy figure is propped up on a table in the middle of the bar clutching a six-pack of beer. A perpetual smile graces her face.
"We used to have a clothing department. She used to be our clothing mannequin," Grider said. "Did you notice she hardly has any fingers? Some kids from across the line broke her fingers off. They thought she was real, so they broke her fingers off to see if she would bleed."
The mannequin is just one example of Grider's quirky sense of border humor.
Over the bar, Grider has posted a sign listing the "House Specials." Sasabe sits in the middle of one of the biggest human-smuggling and drug-trafficking corridors on the border. Using Mexican border slang, Grider has concocted drink specials that pay homage to the various characters found along the border. One drink, tequila and a "secret juice chaser that makes it real smooth," is called "La Migra" -- the Border Patrol.
"The juice is green, and what does La Migra do? They chase people," Grider said.
Another -- tequila, bloody Mary mix in a glass rimmed with salt and chili powder --is called "El pollero," or the smuggler.
"I can say these things because I'm Mexican. And in Mexico we are not politically correct," Grider says with a laugh.
Grider opens the bar just two nights a week, on Fridays and Saturdays, and for special occasions. On a good night, the bar might draw 15 people. But usually it's just Grider and four or five customers. Some are town residents. Others are visitors from the nearby Rancho De La Osa Guest Ranch, an exclusive hotel that serves gourmet meals.
During hunting season in October and November, the bar also fills up with hunters who sometimes stay at a bunkhouse that Grider rents out for $25 a night per person next to the store.
Grider has a rule against foul language at the bar. Customers who break it stick a dollar in a "cuss jar" she keeps on the counter. When the jar fills up, she donates the money to charity.
And here is the part where Grider sometimes hears people say bad things about Mexicans. It's usually the hunters sitting at the bar after they've had a few drinks. Because she is guera, the hunters assume she is Anglo. Grider, who has an easy-going manner and a charming smile, lets them dig a deep hole before she lets on.
2011年10月23日星期日
Manlius estate offers resort-style amenities
Staying at a resort for a few days can be restorative and restful, so what would it be like to wake up every morning in resort-like surroundings?
There's a 5-acre property at 5118 Duguid Road in Manlius that may hold the answer to that question. The property, home to Lisa and Mike Muraco and their children for over 20 years, is on the market for $995,000. An unspecified amount of additional land is also available.
Dubbed "Cheshire Farms," because it is said to resemble the green hills of Cheshire, England, the estate's brick and wrought iron gated entry swings open to reveal a dramatic, oak tree-lined private drive, flanked by expanses of rolling lawn. The view of the property from the road is reminiscent of the Southfork ranch from the "Dallas" TV show or of Kentucky horse county estates.
The 7,600-square-foot brick and cedar-sided Colonial home, built in 1963, has five bedrooms, four full bathrooms and three half-baths, central air and five wood-burning fireplaces.
The formal dining room, illuminated by two walls of windows, has crown molding, a marble floor and a 15-foot-high ceiling. A butler's pantry, hidden behind a swinging door, is tucked between the dining room and kitchen.
The adjacent family room feels like a ski lodge with its cherry cathedral ceiling, clear pine judges paneling, slate floor and floor-to-ceiling limestone fireplace built with stone gathered on the property. Cherry cabinetry divides the family room from the gourmet kitchen and breakfast nook.
French doors in the dining room and family room open to the expansive cement and brick patio and the L-shaped salt water pool with diving board and recently replaced liner.
The pool and patio, hidden from the driveway by a tall, brick privacy wall, combine with a huge rock garden and a deep back yard to provide a 3-acre, fully fenced play area for adults, children and pets. There is also a bocce court, bordered with landscape timbers and shaded by arborvitae, next to the pool.
An 1,100-square foot pool house is connected to the main house by an underground tunnel. The pool house offers many spa-like amenities, including a well-appointed room in which to relax and change clothes, and has a coffered ceiling, judges paneling, a water closet and sink. The pool house gym offers plenty of space for exercise equipment, and has a ceramic tile floor, exposed brick, ceiling fans and windows with transoms overlooking the pool and patio. A huge granite-walled walk-in shower and steam room awaits exercisers and swimmers.
The resort-like atmosphere extends to the front-to-back formal living room and the marble foyer with its sweeping staircase at the front of the home. A first-floor mahogany-paneled library with quartersawn pegged oak floors and a wood burning fireplace provides a sumptuous spot for study or contemplation.
The second-floor master suite features French doors that open to a balcony overlooking the pool, and a spacious master bath with marble floors, walls and countertops. The room has a jetted tub, separate water closet and walk-in shower as well as a double-sink vanity and heat lamp.
An adjoining combination walk-in closet and dressing room has built-in shelves, drawers and racks, recessed lighting and a cedar-lined ceiling.
Lisa described the property as a lovely, peaceful and safe setting to raise children, to let the dogs run free and to enjoy nature and the seasons. Some of her fondest memories include hosting holiday celebrations for friends and family members, watching the children play hide and seek in the dark, and sledding and snowshoeing.
"Our family feels very blessed that our children had the opportunity to grow up here," Lisa said.
There's a 5-acre property at 5118 Duguid Road in Manlius that may hold the answer to that question. The property, home to Lisa and Mike Muraco and their children for over 20 years, is on the market for $995,000. An unspecified amount of additional land is also available.
Dubbed "Cheshire Farms," because it is said to resemble the green hills of Cheshire, England, the estate's brick and wrought iron gated entry swings open to reveal a dramatic, oak tree-lined private drive, flanked by expanses of rolling lawn. The view of the property from the road is reminiscent of the Southfork ranch from the "Dallas" TV show or of Kentucky horse county estates.
The 7,600-square-foot brick and cedar-sided Colonial home, built in 1963, has five bedrooms, four full bathrooms and three half-baths, central air and five wood-burning fireplaces.
The formal dining room, illuminated by two walls of windows, has crown molding, a marble floor and a 15-foot-high ceiling. A butler's pantry, hidden behind a swinging door, is tucked between the dining room and kitchen.
The adjacent family room feels like a ski lodge with its cherry cathedral ceiling, clear pine judges paneling, slate floor and floor-to-ceiling limestone fireplace built with stone gathered on the property. Cherry cabinetry divides the family room from the gourmet kitchen and breakfast nook.
French doors in the dining room and family room open to the expansive cement and brick patio and the L-shaped salt water pool with diving board and recently replaced liner.
The pool and patio, hidden from the driveway by a tall, brick privacy wall, combine with a huge rock garden and a deep back yard to provide a 3-acre, fully fenced play area for adults, children and pets. There is also a bocce court, bordered with landscape timbers and shaded by arborvitae, next to the pool.
An 1,100-square foot pool house is connected to the main house by an underground tunnel. The pool house offers many spa-like amenities, including a well-appointed room in which to relax and change clothes, and has a coffered ceiling, judges paneling, a water closet and sink. The pool house gym offers plenty of space for exercise equipment, and has a ceramic tile floor, exposed brick, ceiling fans and windows with transoms overlooking the pool and patio. A huge granite-walled walk-in shower and steam room awaits exercisers and swimmers.
The resort-like atmosphere extends to the front-to-back formal living room and the marble foyer with its sweeping staircase at the front of the home. A first-floor mahogany-paneled library with quartersawn pegged oak floors and a wood burning fireplace provides a sumptuous spot for study or contemplation.
The second-floor master suite features French doors that open to a balcony overlooking the pool, and a spacious master bath with marble floors, walls and countertops. The room has a jetted tub, separate water closet and walk-in shower as well as a double-sink vanity and heat lamp.
An adjoining combination walk-in closet and dressing room has built-in shelves, drawers and racks, recessed lighting and a cedar-lined ceiling.
Lisa described the property as a lovely, peaceful and safe setting to raise children, to let the dogs run free and to enjoy nature and the seasons. Some of her fondest memories include hosting holiday celebrations for friends and family members, watching the children play hide and seek in the dark, and sledding and snowshoeing.
"Our family feels very blessed that our children had the opportunity to grow up here," Lisa said.
2011年10月18日星期二
Two Red Roses Acquires 1860s Cinderella Story Tiles
A rare set of ceramic tiles made by the English firm Morris, Marshall, Faulkner & Company of London in the early 1860s has recently been acquired in London by the Two Red Roses Foundation of Palm Harbor. Seven pairs of hand painted tiles depict the story of Cinderella or the "Cinder-Wench…the maid with the shoe of glass." Only four sets of these tiles are known to have survived.
In 1862, British artist Edward Burne-Jones began to design fairy tale tiles in his illustrational, narrative style for Morris's newly founded company. The Cinderella story tiles were designed first, followed by Beauty and the Beast, and Sleeping Beauty. All three tales were commissioned by British watercolorist Myles Birket Foster for his new home, called The Hill, in the Surrey countryside, where they were installed as overmantels.
The Cinderella set now owned by the Two Red Roses Foundation includes a pair of tiles depicting the romantic culmination of the story, the wedding scene originally designed for the Sleeping Beauty narrative. According to Morris tile expert Richard Myers, all of the tiles, including the bonus pair, appear to have been painted by the same decorator in the late 1860s or early 1870s.
The staff of Morris had little expertise in ceramics and could not produce tiles from scratch in their facilities. White, tin-glazed earthenware tiles called "blanks" were imported from Holland and then painted by in-house decorators with low-fire overglaze enamels. An intermediate clear glaze was evidently applied to the blank and fired to maximize the bond with the surface decoration. Multiple colors required several firings at decreasing temperatures in a kiln Morris's staff also used for stained glass. Overglaze is a notoriously difficult medium to handle and often results in a fragile surface, prone to abrasion and flaking; consequently few examples of these early fairy tale tiles have survived.
Two other examples of the Cinderella story tiles are at the Walker Art Gallery, Liverpool, and the Huntington Library, San Marino, Calif. A fourth set, which also included the extra wedding scene, was sold in 1999 by Christie's in London.
In 1862, British artist Edward Burne-Jones began to design fairy tale tiles in his illustrational, narrative style for Morris's newly founded company. The Cinderella story tiles were designed first, followed by Beauty and the Beast, and Sleeping Beauty. All three tales were commissioned by British watercolorist Myles Birket Foster for his new home, called The Hill, in the Surrey countryside, where they were installed as overmantels.
The Cinderella set now owned by the Two Red Roses Foundation includes a pair of tiles depicting the romantic culmination of the story, the wedding scene originally designed for the Sleeping Beauty narrative. According to Morris tile expert Richard Myers, all of the tiles, including the bonus pair, appear to have been painted by the same decorator in the late 1860s or early 1870s.
The staff of Morris had little expertise in ceramics and could not produce tiles from scratch in their facilities. White, tin-glazed earthenware tiles called "blanks" were imported from Holland and then painted by in-house decorators with low-fire overglaze enamels. An intermediate clear glaze was evidently applied to the blank and fired to maximize the bond with the surface decoration. Multiple colors required several firings at decreasing temperatures in a kiln Morris's staff also used for stained glass. Overglaze is a notoriously difficult medium to handle and often results in a fragile surface, prone to abrasion and flaking; consequently few examples of these early fairy tale tiles have survived.
Two other examples of the Cinderella story tiles are at the Walker Art Gallery, Liverpool, and the Huntington Library, San Marino, Calif. A fourth set, which also included the extra wedding scene, was sold in 1999 by Christie's in London.
2011年10月8日星期六
Warming to idea of in-floor heating
The London Home Builders' Association hosted the annual Parade of Renovations last weekend in London.
The event was an opportunity for the public to view some of the amazing work done during the last year by RenoMark Certified renovators who showcased the innovative products and technologies available for homes.
Of particular interest to me were the number of homes that utilized in-floor heating systems to complement or replace the conventional forced-air heating system.
Once considered exclusive, expensive and overly complicated, this technology has become commonplace in the residential housing market for good reason. It's relatively easy to install for professionals, it's extremely economical to operate, and it can be used in the smallest of areas, or throughout the entire house, making it one of the most flexible and versatile home heating choices available.
In-floor heating also has many attractive features not available with any other type of forced-air system. It does not require ductwork, and therefore will not require bulkheads in a finished basement ceiling. Because there is no air being forced through a duct and register, there is no noise from moving air, and it's less dusty, making it perfect for allergy sufferers.
There are two main types of in-floor heating: electric, typically used in a small area such as a bathroom and to complement a forced-air heating system; and liquid systems that pump warmed liquid through a closed loop.
Most hydronic in-floor heat systems work on the thermal mass principle, where a dense material such as concrete or gypsum is heated by pipes passing through or under it. Hydronic systems also work well with geothermal and solar, making in-floor heating an environmentally conscious choice. The dense material can be finished on its own but is usually covered with other dense materials such as ceramic tile.
Although in-floor heating is often referred to as radiant heat, it actually uses radiation, convection and conduction in harmony to warm the floor, the air and your body.
In a nutshell, heat radiates from the floor to the air, or from an area of higher heat to lower heat. That's the radiant part.
The warmed air rises, warming the whole room from the bottom up. That's the convection part.
Last, the floor surface is as warm or warmer than our body temperature, and therefore prevents us from losing body heat through conduction, or "touching" a cold surface. This is what makes the floors so comfortable to walk on.
In-floor heating also provides a consistent and controlled temperature, unlike a conventional forced-air system where air temperature is measured by a thermostat at a single location. The thermostat doesn't consider that bedrooms or living areas can feel warmer or cooler depending on our activity level.
Furthermore, thermostats are designed to detect when the temperature has cooled off enough for the furnace to come on, but this can sometimes be up to three degrees cooler than the preferred temperature. This cycle of heating up and cooling off combined with cool and overly warm areas may result in occupant discomfort.
In-floor heat is set to a consistent monitored temperature that never varies. Even in the event of a power blackout, the thermal mass of the floor would hold the heat for a long time before it would cool off.
In-floor heat is ideal for garages, workshops and even patios, making it perfect for hobbyists and outdoor enthusiasts alike. It's also ideal for foyers, mudrooms and bathrooms because wet floors dry on their own almost instantly.
The event was an opportunity for the public to view some of the amazing work done during the last year by RenoMark Certified renovators who showcased the innovative products and technologies available for homes.
Of particular interest to me were the number of homes that utilized in-floor heating systems to complement or replace the conventional forced-air heating system.
Once considered exclusive, expensive and overly complicated, this technology has become commonplace in the residential housing market for good reason. It's relatively easy to install for professionals, it's extremely economical to operate, and it can be used in the smallest of areas, or throughout the entire house, making it one of the most flexible and versatile home heating choices available.
In-floor heating also has many attractive features not available with any other type of forced-air system. It does not require ductwork, and therefore will not require bulkheads in a finished basement ceiling. Because there is no air being forced through a duct and register, there is no noise from moving air, and it's less dusty, making it perfect for allergy sufferers.
There are two main types of in-floor heating: electric, typically used in a small area such as a bathroom and to complement a forced-air heating system; and liquid systems that pump warmed liquid through a closed loop.
Most hydronic in-floor heat systems work on the thermal mass principle, where a dense material such as concrete or gypsum is heated by pipes passing through or under it. Hydronic systems also work well with geothermal and solar, making in-floor heating an environmentally conscious choice. The dense material can be finished on its own but is usually covered with other dense materials such as ceramic tile.
Although in-floor heating is often referred to as radiant heat, it actually uses radiation, convection and conduction in harmony to warm the floor, the air and your body.
In a nutshell, heat radiates from the floor to the air, or from an area of higher heat to lower heat. That's the radiant part.
The warmed air rises, warming the whole room from the bottom up. That's the convection part.
Last, the floor surface is as warm or warmer than our body temperature, and therefore prevents us from losing body heat through conduction, or "touching" a cold surface. This is what makes the floors so comfortable to walk on.
In-floor heating also provides a consistent and controlled temperature, unlike a conventional forced-air system where air temperature is measured by a thermostat at a single location. The thermostat doesn't consider that bedrooms or living areas can feel warmer or cooler depending on our activity level.
Furthermore, thermostats are designed to detect when the temperature has cooled off enough for the furnace to come on, but this can sometimes be up to three degrees cooler than the preferred temperature. This cycle of heating up and cooling off combined with cool and overly warm areas may result in occupant discomfort.
In-floor heat is set to a consistent monitored temperature that never varies. Even in the event of a power blackout, the thermal mass of the floor would hold the heat for a long time before it would cool off.
In-floor heat is ideal for garages, workshops and even patios, making it perfect for hobbyists and outdoor enthusiasts alike. It's also ideal for foyers, mudrooms and bathrooms because wet floors dry on their own almost instantly.
2011年9月22日星期四
Choose your mood
Courtyards, a multi-phase condominium project being developed by North York-based Greatwise Developments not far from the Queensway Carleton Hospital, promises not just 598 up-to-the-minute condo units, but an enticing checklist of outdoor options as well.
The scale model of the project in the on-site sales office shows six buildings of various sizes and configurations on a block of land bounded by Baseline Road, Morrison Drive and Draper Avenue. Connected to each of the buildings is a themed courtyard with names like Relaxation Zen Garden, Animation Café and Recreation Bocce Court.
There’s also a central courtyard modelled on an Italian piazza, a town square where locals have traditionally gathered to chew over whatever needs to be chewed over. The courtyards are accessible by walkways from anywhere in the project and should be a highlight of the multi-year development.
“The main thing we wanted was different courtyards, but with a continuity of pedestrian traffic,” says Rudy Levstek of Larocque Levstek Consulting Services, the project’s landscape architects. “It was an opportunity to do something different, where the exterior is just as important as the inside.”
Kathie McMahon likes the inside very much — or at least the sleek, contemporary model unit she saw at the sales centre. In fact, she’s already bought a condo in Courtyards One, the six-storey, 73-unit building that is the first phase of the project.
“I loved the feel,” says McMahon, a former interior decorator. “And it won’t be too hard to clean.”
McMahon, who paid about $300,000 including parking for her 683-square-foot unit on the fifth floor with one bedroom and a study, was one of the first to buy. Currently living in Australia, the recently widowed woman is eager to move to Ottawa to be close to her children and grandchildren.
“My daughter lives nearby and I’m very comfortable with this neighbourhood. I’ve seen how it’s developed over the past few years. I’ve just been waiting for this building to open so I could buy.”
McMahon has returned to Australia to wrap up her life there while Greatwise gets on with building Courtyards One, which should be ready for occupancy in December 2013.
When she moves in, she can expect to enjoy standard granite countertops in the kitchen and bathroom, nine-foot ceilings, stacking washer and dryer, and laminate flooring everywhere except the bathroom, where it’s ceramic tile. She’s also looking forward to life on her east-facing balcony, although condo living means giving up the garden she now has Down Under.
Units on the top floor above her will include ceramic tile in the foyer and crown moulding throughout as standard features.
At the ground level, meanwhile, there will be a kitchen-equipped lounge with an adjacent exercise room and an outdoor terrace area with a barbecue.
By the time McMahon moves in, the eight-storey Courtyards Two next door to her building could be under way. That will eventually be followed by a couple of 12-storey, linked buildings as well as two low-rise, L-shaped buildings at the rear of the property along Draper Avenue.
Ottawa architect Roderick Lahey designed Courtyards. It’s based on an original concept by architect Douglas Hardie and The Regional Group, who were going to build the project until Greatwise took over.
Among other features, Lahey points to the open, ground-level archway in the link between the central buildings. As you enter the property from Baseline Road, you’ll be able to see through the archway to Draper Avenue at the rear, a visual surprise that will also underscore the site’s flowing design.
The windows, balconies and other exterior features of Lahey’s buildings emphasize squares and rectangles, with surfaces that protrude and recede in a tantalizing fashion.
“The square is a beautiful form in itself,” he says. “There’s a lot of activity (on the exterior), but as you move through the site and the courtyards, there’s much less activity. We tried to create a bit of an urban space with all these little courtyards.”
The area that will become that urban space is currently occupied by 84 rental townhomes known as the Redwood Community. Tenants and neighbours reacted strongly to The Regional Group’s original proposal for redevelopment, which included a 20-storey tower and a total of 537 units. Their fears included increased traffic and a worry that tenants in the existing townhomes would be unable to find other affordable accommodation.
Compromises on building height helped the project win city council approval in 2009. The development is also in line with the city’s intensification plans.
The scale model of the project in the on-site sales office shows six buildings of various sizes and configurations on a block of land bounded by Baseline Road, Morrison Drive and Draper Avenue. Connected to each of the buildings is a themed courtyard with names like Relaxation Zen Garden, Animation Café and Recreation Bocce Court.
There’s also a central courtyard modelled on an Italian piazza, a town square where locals have traditionally gathered to chew over whatever needs to be chewed over. The courtyards are accessible by walkways from anywhere in the project and should be a highlight of the multi-year development.
“The main thing we wanted was different courtyards, but with a continuity of pedestrian traffic,” says Rudy Levstek of Larocque Levstek Consulting Services, the project’s landscape architects. “It was an opportunity to do something different, where the exterior is just as important as the inside.”
Kathie McMahon likes the inside very much — or at least the sleek, contemporary model unit she saw at the sales centre. In fact, she’s already bought a condo in Courtyards One, the six-storey, 73-unit building that is the first phase of the project.
“I loved the feel,” says McMahon, a former interior decorator. “And it won’t be too hard to clean.”
McMahon, who paid about $300,000 including parking for her 683-square-foot unit on the fifth floor with one bedroom and a study, was one of the first to buy. Currently living in Australia, the recently widowed woman is eager to move to Ottawa to be close to her children and grandchildren.
“My daughter lives nearby and I’m very comfortable with this neighbourhood. I’ve seen how it’s developed over the past few years. I’ve just been waiting for this building to open so I could buy.”
McMahon has returned to Australia to wrap up her life there while Greatwise gets on with building Courtyards One, which should be ready for occupancy in December 2013.
When she moves in, she can expect to enjoy standard granite countertops in the kitchen and bathroom, nine-foot ceilings, stacking washer and dryer, and laminate flooring everywhere except the bathroom, where it’s ceramic tile. She’s also looking forward to life on her east-facing balcony, although condo living means giving up the garden she now has Down Under.
Units on the top floor above her will include ceramic tile in the foyer and crown moulding throughout as standard features.
At the ground level, meanwhile, there will be a kitchen-equipped lounge with an adjacent exercise room and an outdoor terrace area with a barbecue.
By the time McMahon moves in, the eight-storey Courtyards Two next door to her building could be under way. That will eventually be followed by a couple of 12-storey, linked buildings as well as two low-rise, L-shaped buildings at the rear of the property along Draper Avenue.
Ottawa architect Roderick Lahey designed Courtyards. It’s based on an original concept by architect Douglas Hardie and The Regional Group, who were going to build the project until Greatwise took over.
Among other features, Lahey points to the open, ground-level archway in the link between the central buildings. As you enter the property from Baseline Road, you’ll be able to see through the archway to Draper Avenue at the rear, a visual surprise that will also underscore the site’s flowing design.
The windows, balconies and other exterior features of Lahey’s buildings emphasize squares and rectangles, with surfaces that protrude and recede in a tantalizing fashion.
“The square is a beautiful form in itself,” he says. “There’s a lot of activity (on the exterior), but as you move through the site and the courtyards, there’s much less activity. We tried to create a bit of an urban space with all these little courtyards.”
The area that will become that urban space is currently occupied by 84 rental townhomes known as the Redwood Community. Tenants and neighbours reacted strongly to The Regional Group’s original proposal for redevelopment, which included a 20-storey tower and a total of 537 units. Their fears included increased traffic and a worry that tenants in the existing townhomes would be unable to find other affordable accommodation.
Compromises on building height helped the project win city council approval in 2009. The development is also in line with the city’s intensification plans.
2011年6月12日星期日
Oscar-winner Colin Firth
There were large crowds at the first of the Green Days to see the beginning of the 45th Bedford Park Festival. Despite dark clouds and predictions of rain, it remained dry with even occasional glimpses of sunshine.
The proceedings kicked off with a special ceremony involving two of the area’s best-loved personalities.
Richard Briers, who has lived in the area for over 40 years, made a presentation to Mr Lad, who ran the newsagents on Bedford Corner for more than 30 years. He was given a painting of the shop by the Bedford Park Society’s president, Nigel Woolner.
The newsagents closed just before Christmas, when its lease ran out. This was the first time Mr Lad, whose real name is Kishur Mistry, has returned to Chiswick.
In another farewell to Chiswick, the world-famous Rambert Dance Company performed on the festival stage, Rambert’s youth dancers, Quicksilver Dance, performed on the Green on the Saturday afternoon. The Company is leaving the area soon after being based here for 40 years.
And in Strictly Rambert, on Wednesday June 15th, the company’s artistic director, Mark Baldwin, will discuss its distinguished past, new repertoire and exciting future plans, with video clips.
Richard Briers then judged the children’s fancy dress competition at the Green Days fete, which attracts thousands of people each year with its mix of live music, children’s events, stalls, refreshments, Craft Fair and funfair. The crowds were well up to typical levels despite the uncertain weather and there was the usual scattering of well known faces including this year Michael Gambon, a regular visitor to the event.
On the Sunday, a church service on the Green is followed at noon by WorldBusk, aiming to beat the record for the world’s biggest combined busk.
Green Days weekend opens a fortnight of community and arts events in aid of charities and St Michael & All Angels Church, supported by dozens of local businesses. Events include comedy, opera, dance, concerts, exhibitions, talks and open gardens.
Another Chiswick star, West End diva Rosie Ashe, who’s appeared in Les Miserables, Mary Poppins and the original production of Phantom of the Opera, will sing her favourite songs from the world’s great musicals at the Tabard Theatre. She’ll be accompanied by Jonathan Cohen, from TV’s Play Away and Music Time.
Other stars of this year’s Festival include Covent Garden tenor Justin Lavender; poet and biographer Blake Morris; actor Dudley Sutton (best-known as Tinker in TV’s Lovejoy); and the London Tango Quintet. The vicar of St Michael’s, Father Kevin Morris, will take the title role in The Mikado, performed by one of the brightest young opera companies Opera Novella, featuring Sally-Ann Stephenson and other singers from the D’Oyly Carte.
Oscar-winner Colin Firth and ‘Pirates of the Caribbean’ star Kevin McNally, who both live in Chiswick, are on the jury for a new film-making competition to encourage young talent. The winning films will be screened on the last night, as part of the Bedford Park Film Festival, featuring entertaining clips set in Chiswick.
“We’ve got a fantastic range of entertainment this year, with something for everyone” says Torin Douglas, the Festival co-ordinator. “And to encourage people to make a real fortnight of it, we’ve introduced a special offer – 10 per cent off, if you buy any 10 tickets for Festival events.”
The proceedings kicked off with a special ceremony involving two of the area’s best-loved personalities.
Richard Briers, who has lived in the area for over 40 years, made a presentation to Mr Lad, who ran the newsagents on Bedford Corner for more than 30 years. He was given a painting of the shop by the Bedford Park Society’s president, Nigel Woolner.
The newsagents closed just before Christmas, when its lease ran out. This was the first time Mr Lad, whose real name is Kishur Mistry, has returned to Chiswick.
In another farewell to Chiswick, the world-famous Rambert Dance Company performed on the festival stage, Rambert’s youth dancers, Quicksilver Dance, performed on the Green on the Saturday afternoon. The Company is leaving the area soon after being based here for 40 years.
And in Strictly Rambert, on Wednesday June 15th, the company’s artistic director, Mark Baldwin, will discuss its distinguished past, new repertoire and exciting future plans, with video clips.
Richard Briers then judged the children’s fancy dress competition at the Green Days fete, which attracts thousands of people each year with its mix of live music, children’s events, stalls, refreshments, Craft Fair and funfair. The crowds were well up to typical levels despite the uncertain weather and there was the usual scattering of well known faces including this year Michael Gambon, a regular visitor to the event.
On the Sunday, a church service on the Green is followed at noon by WorldBusk, aiming to beat the record for the world’s biggest combined busk.
Green Days weekend opens a fortnight of community and arts events in aid of charities and St Michael & All Angels Church, supported by dozens of local businesses. Events include comedy, opera, dance, concerts, exhibitions, talks and open gardens.
Another Chiswick star, West End diva Rosie Ashe, who’s appeared in Les Miserables, Mary Poppins and the original production of Phantom of the Opera, will sing her favourite songs from the world’s great musicals at the Tabard Theatre. She’ll be accompanied by Jonathan Cohen, from TV’s Play Away and Music Time.
Other stars of this year’s Festival include Covent Garden tenor Justin Lavender; poet and biographer Blake Morris; actor Dudley Sutton (best-known as Tinker in TV’s Lovejoy); and the London Tango Quintet. The vicar of St Michael’s, Father Kevin Morris, will take the title role in The Mikado, performed by one of the brightest young opera companies Opera Novella, featuring Sally-Ann Stephenson and other singers from the D’Oyly Carte.
Oscar-winner Colin Firth and ‘Pirates of the Caribbean’ star Kevin McNally, who both live in Chiswick, are on the jury for a new film-making competition to encourage young talent. The winning films will be screened on the last night, as part of the Bedford Park Film Festival, featuring entertaining clips set in Chiswick.
“We’ve got a fantastic range of entertainment this year, with something for everyone” says Torin Douglas, the Festival co-ordinator. “And to encourage people to make a real fortnight of it, we’ve introduced a special offer – 10 per cent off, if you buy any 10 tickets for Festival events.”
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