Restaurant owner denies knowing people were living in adjacent suites condemned

The co-owner of Oh! Calcutta restaurant testified Tuesday he was aware a wooden door had been placed on the basement floor as a makeshift bridge so staff could walk across raw sewage about 15 to 20 centimetres deep from a sewer backup.

Ehsan Ali, however, said he was unaware anybody was still living in the basement when public health inspector Daria Romanish ordered the restaurant to be closed down and declared the basement suite unfit for human inhabitation on March 21, 2011.

Ali said he found out people were living illegally in the basement a week or 10 days prior to Romanish’s inspection and told them to leave. He said he called police on March 21, the same day as the sewage backup was discovered by health officials.

Romanish found evidence of three people living in the basement.

There were three separate sleeping areas with beds, a large-screen television, clothing, personal items such as toothbrushes and toothpaste and photos, among other things.

As well, restaurant items standing in the sewage could be seen in photos entered as exhibits by prosecutor Rob O’Neill.

There were also plastic bottles floating in the sewage that could be seen in the pictures.

Ali and co-owner Salauddin Choudhury each face 58 charges under the Public Health Act relating to the restaurant, the basement and two illegal suites in the upstairs of the building at 507 17th Ave. S.W.

Choudhury failed to show up for the first two days of trial and was arrested Tuesday, spending the night in custody, and he has not participated in this trial.

Ali said he also was unaware that several people were still living in the two upstairs suites at the time of the March 21 inspection, long after it had been deemed unfit for human inhabitation.

Even if he was aware, he said, he was not responsible for them as he had relinquished the lease on the upstairs.

However, O’Neill told provincial court Judge Heather Lamoureux in his final argument that Ali should be convicted as he still had control and was responsible for maintenance at that time.

O’Neill cited numerous health and safety infractions in the upstairs suites, including uncovered plug-ins and missing or non-functioning smoke alarms.

As well, he said an outside staircase to the upstairs had rotting boards with grass, plants and weeds growing between steps, and no lights for the stairwell or at the landing area, creating a highly dangerous situation.

Ceiling tiles were buckling and had fallen because of the water damage, mould had eaten through the ceiling and the kitchen ceiling had caved in and fallen from the water damage. There was also mould on the walls in the pantry.

O’Neill also noted the fact that, although there were windows in the bedrooms, none of them complied with minimum size requirements for egress, in case of fire or other emergency situations.

He insisted the owners had allowed the upstairs suites to be reoccupied in the face of the inspector’s order, without any of the repairs being done as required.

O’Neill requested that Choudhury’s trial begin next Monday, as two weeks were set aside for the entire case and Ali’s trial is expected to be concluded by the end of this week.

Memorial Dedicated to Honor Flying Tiger

Hundreds of eyes turned skyward Saturday as a Chinese plane, trailing smoke, peeled off from a formation of four, heading west.

That “missing man” flyover culminated the midday dedication of a second memorial at Gilliam-McConnell Airfield in Carthage, both honoring young fighter pilots lost in battle defending people in distant lands against invading oppressors.

The new memorial joins a historic granite monument supporting the bronze tablet France sent to Carthage in 1917 following the death of James Rogers McConnell — last of the Lafayette Escadrille to fall before the United States entered the Great War.

Now two new granite pillars stand in tribute to a 21-year-old Flying Tiger pilot from High Falls lost in World War II. One is engraved and has his picture on a ceramic tile. The other carries a golden plaque and a second tile showing a gigantic granite cross that bears his name on a mountainside in China.

The plaque says in both Chinese and English, “2nd Lt. Robert Hoyle Upchurch will live forever in the hearts of the Chinese people.” It was hand carried from China by a delegation of 11 men who had flown halfway around the world to take part in these ceremonies.

Two flags — the red flag and gold stars of the People’s Republic of China and the Star-Spangled Banner — snapped in the breeze overhead as cadets of Pinecrest High School’s Air Force Junior ROTC lifted sabers over delegates from China and other dignitaries crossing a red carpet as they arrived.

Mayors and representatives of every municipality in Moore County came, each bearing a resolution endorsing the day. State Sen. Harris Blake greeted them and welcomed J. Don Hobart, the official representative of Gov. Bev Perdue.

Among the Chinese delegates were two from Huaihua — where the Flying Tigers were based — and two from Zhijiang, Pinehurst’s sister city. There were delegates from Hunan’s capital city of Changsha, the district’s central city of Chenzhou, and from Guidong, Moore’s sister county.

The crowd — estimated at more than 300 — stood to face the two flags as a brass ensemble conducted by the Rev. Dr. Paul Murphy played the anthems of two nations. Airfield owner Roland Gilliam then led the Pledge of Allegiance.

A nearly full-sized replica of a Curtiss P-40N fighter plane like the one Upchurch had flown “over the hump” on the Burma front to get into China stands on the memorial site. It was a P-40 Upchurch was flying Oct. 6, 1944, returning from the last mission of the day when last seen near cloud-shrouded mountains in Hunan Province.

Upchurch was listed as missing in action. His mother and father never knew his fate.

But in the mountains of Guidong County, a team had hiked four days to reach the crash site in hopes of rescuing the doomed plane’s pilot. It was not to be. They returned with bits of the wreckage and what they could recover of his body, which was washed, wrapped in red silk and placed in the traditional 7-inch thick coffin reserved for heroes.

Hundreds in Guidong gathered to mourn their unknown American pilot, and they buried him down the slope from a Ming Dynasty tower on Santai Mountain overlooking the city.

For more than 60 years Guidong people brought flowers and said prayers there until DNA identified him. When his remains were reburied in the family plot with military honors, the mayor of Guidong wrote to propose the two counties formally form a sister-county bond.

Firm approved to build new recreation center

At a special Martinsburg-Berkeley County Parks and Recreation meeting, board members chose Martinsburg company W. Harley Miller Contracting Inc. to be the construction company for the upcoming South Berkeley Recreation Center.

Board members accepted the $2,159,000 bid proposal from W. Harley Miller, which Executive Director Steve Catlett said included all of the equipment for the gymnasium like the scoreboards, baskets and curtains.

After the Eastern West Virginia Community Foundation approved an additional $600,000 for the project, a total of $2,100,000 is being given through the foundation and the Randy Smith Fund, leaving $59,000 to be collected through additional funding resources.

"We're selling sponsorships and stuff, so we'll make that up easily. That won't be a problem at all," Catlett said. "What we're trying to sell total is about $90,000 worth of sponsorships."

Additional money raised for the recreation center could be used for multiple additions to the building not included in the base bid, such as sound absorbing panels, exterior masonry or the instillation of ceramic tile.

The South Berkeley Parks and Recreation Center will be located in Inwood next to Musselman High School.

"It's going to have the main gymnasium, a double gymnasium with all the support stuff like administrative offices, restrooms lobby, concessions, whatever it takes. The structure we're building now, like we did (at the Berkeley 2000 Recreation Center) where we built an original structure and then expanded it several times, we will have room for expansion (at the South Berkeley location) as well," Catlett said.

Since board members just approved a construction company for the project, a beginning and completion date for the project won't be known until a meeting with W. Harley Miller, although Catlett hopes the center will be open to the community by winter 2013.

Wow factor in custom-built home

“Wow!” is the word Realtor Don Weaver hears over and over again as he takes prospective buyers on a tour of 59 Donelle Way in Lancaster.

The wow factor is evident in every room of this stunning colonial designed by a professional builder as his personal dream house. Luxury, quality and style are apparent in every square foot.

“The owner/builder of this home took his 40 years of experience and attention to detail in building custom homes, and incorporated all the best amenities into this layout,” said Weaver, listing broker with Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage in Northborough. “The architectural style and craftsmanship are truly unique and second to none.”

The approach to the five bedroom, 5.5-bath home at the end of a cul-de-sac is as dramatic as its architecture. A circular driveway with custom stone pavers leads to the dramatic front door topped by a Palladian window. The door was custom-designed for the owner and crafted in Mexico.

‘Luxurious’ is the word that comes to mind — after ‘Wow’ — upon entering the home.

The effect is stunning as the eye sweeps past a bridal staircase and a sumptuous dining room and to the stately in the living room with its view of a courtyard and gazebo through a bank of windows.

The gleaming black granite foyer floor shows the reflection of the front door and Palladian window as well as the sparkles from an Italian crystal chandelier so complex and delicate it appears to be made from thousands of diamonds.

The chandelier has a motorized support for easy cleaning.

Elegant columns frame the entrance to the living room and dining room.

“There are 96 pieces of wood in these pillars,” said Weaver. “Every little piece is custom made.”

The moldings on the door casings are 9 inches wide and as finely crafted as the pillars. In fact, every piece of woodwork in this home, from the balusters on the staircase to the baseboards crown moldings and tray ceilings, are a beauty in their own right.

“Wherever you go in this house, it’s all quality,” said Weaver. “The broker/customer feedback on this home has been great. They all say it is an up-style home, yet very functional and easy to enjoy. The layout is so well thought out.”

The dining room, to the left of the foyer, has hardwood floors, accent lighting within a tray ceiling, built-in mirrored china cabinets, and a bay window. The dining room also boasts another exquisite Italian chandelier.

Bryan Voltaggio’s home kitchen

The kitchen in Bryan Voltaggio’s previous home was small. It had an electric oven, bisque-colored appliances and such a dearth of cabinet space that most of his cooking equipment was stored in a free-standing cabinet in another room.

The kitchen in his home today? Well, it’s much different.

Earlier this year, Voltaggio, 35, moved his family of four to a five-bedroom house just down the road in Frederick. Not surprisingly, the kitchen was one of the main attractions for the chef.

“I like that it feels like a professional kitchen environment,” says Voltaggio, “and we have space to entertain a lot of people.”

A spacious, 20-by-20-foot room houses multiple rows of dark wood cabinets, granite countertops, a walk-in pantry, a wet bar, a granite-topped center island and stainless-steel appliances, including the high-tech Samsung refrigerator that Voltaggio and his brother, Michael, can be seen pitching in a recent television commercial.

Adjacent and open to the kitchen is a 21-by-11-foot addition, which the previous owners used as a sunroom. But the Voltaggios consider it an additional dining area. A 77-inch white oak table sits in the center, and a wine refrigerator stands nearby.

With the ample space, Voltaggio now has more than enough room to house all of his favorite kitchen “toys,” as he calls them, including a Vitamix blender , a Delonghi espresso machine , a Breville toaster oven and, the most recent addition, an Acrobaleno pasta extruder .

The extra room also makes it easier for him to do something else he loves: cook with his 4-year-old son.

“Thatcher likes to cook more than he likes to eat,” says Voltaggio. “Sometimes I’ll come home and there will be carrot peels on the counter. He won’t eat the carrots, but he’ll peel them.”

To foster his son’s interest in food, Voltaggio includes Thatcher in meal prep.

“Kids love Play-Doh, so why not give them pasta dough?” he says. “Their eating habits will be better if you cook with them.”

Voltaggio says he cooks at home less than one would think. But when he does, it’s typically for crowds. For last month’s Super Bowl, he and his wife, Jennifer, hosted 50 people.

Cooking for large crowds has become second nature to Voltaggio, whose Frederick restaurant Volt has become a popular, hard-to-get-a-reservation-for destination. Besides his cooking , the restaurant’s high profile can be attributed to his appearance on “Top Chef” seven months after Volt opened in 2008.

“I’m glad I did ‘Top Chef,’ ” he says. “I definitely enjoyed the experience, and I can’t deny we are busier because of it. But I was asked to do All-Stars, and I declined because I want to stay in the restaurant. . . . I want to stay close to the stove.”

Back in his home kitchen, Voltaggio is planning a few minor tweaks. He’d like to remove the island and replace it with a U-shaped or L-shaped cookspace. He wants to add a wine cellar in the basement, replace the double oven and microwave, swap out the gas range with an induction cooktop and, maybe, change the ceramic tile backsplash.

Real estate maverick goes for sleek, simple spaces

Last Christmas marked realtor Gab Perez’s first year in his bachelor’s pad. His unit at Angelica Manor in San Antonio Village, Ortigas, Pasig City, is a testament to his success as a young entrepreneur.

At 23, and just two years out of college, he already runs Green Asia Real Estate and Development.

Angelica Manor was Green Asia’s first foray into the real estate business, and the soon-to-be-launched Privato Tower is his first venture in the condotel concept.

Perez maintains the flat at Angelica Manor as a bachelor’s pad where he entertains friends, although he did use it extensively during his Masteral classes at Ateneo Rockwell. It was closer to school than the Quezon City family home. But with the Perez residence now an empty nest, he finds himself living there most of the time to keep his parents company.

“I come from a tight-knit family, and I enjoy spending time with them,” he says. His flat reflects his aesthetic philosophy: it’s clean, stark and crisp.

White makes his unit look bigger than its 69-sq-m floor area. The furniture is apt—a white modular sofa on one side and an entertainment console right in front of it. The throw pillows are covered in black, while the center tabletop is also made of black Emperador marble. The flatscreen TV and DVD player enhance the immaculate display case.

On the other side of the room, a dining table for six delineates the dining area. Everything is spic-and-span. The table has a contemporary base in white, while all the seats are upholstered in white leather. Behind it is a mirrored sliding door opening to a cozy kitchen.

The unit has three rooms. The master’s bedroom has a queen-size bed and vanity side tables. A black, upholstered panel stretches from ceiling to floor, serving as the headboard. It breaks the room’s monochromatic look. Lighting comes from the panels behind the bed and the recessed ceiling.

Two other rooms serve as Perez’s mini-gym and spare room.

The space is small and the fixtures are sleek yet basic, but then how much furniture does a gentleman really need nowadays? By keeping clutter to a minimum and utilizing mirrored panels throughout the unit, Perez is able to create a sense of space.

Angelica Manor served as his crash course in real estate development. He wore a number of hats in this endeavor: developer, contractor, purchasing officer, interior planner, and even sales and marketing head. It was a one-man affair. “My dad wanted to guide me throughout the project’s duration,” he says. “But after three construction meetings, he felt that I had gotten the hang of it and decided to give me full control to work it all out.”

He didn’t feel like his dad abandoned him in the middle of the project, though. He says they were raised that way. His dad is a civil engineer and industrialist, while his mom is a pediatrician. His siblings have their own professions.

“We grew up tending to our own affairs,” he says. “That’s why I quickly adapted to working independently.”

Perez found himself in the real estate business by accident. Learning that his parents had no immediate plan for the empty lot that the family owned, he developed his own plan for a mid-rise property. Although he did internship work for Discovery Suites and Sta. Lucia Realty, none of these stints completely prepared him for the actual nitty-gritty of the industry.

While he was not formally trained in construction, he would look at showrooms and display units to see what was in vogue in real estate design. This gave him an idea of the treatments and fixtures to use if and when he finally had his own building. The construction part of the business was what he learned on the job.

Time to update preparing, cooking, baking, eating area

Ken and Deb Lasher acknowledged they were not getting any younger.

Neither was their kitchen.

When their refrigerator stopped working, the Morningside couple decided it was time to update their preparing, cooking, baking and eating area.

"We had talked about remodeling prior to the refrigerator breaking down," Deb Lasher said. "Once that happened, we moved up our planning dramatically."

They were practically forced into refurbishing as other things seemed to no longer work in the kitchen following the refrigerator's demise.

"It just seemed like nothing was handy anymore or nothing was comfortable for me," Lasher said.

The decision was made to pull out all the stops, including the drywall in the kitchen and start from the floorboards up.

"I started to research kitchens at the large retail home improvement stores to get some ideas," Lasher explained. "I also went online."

That's where she discovered Bryan Wise of Le Mars, Iowa, who calls himself the Kitchen Design Guy.

"I contacted Bryan and he came out and did measurements and talked to us about what we wanted," Lasher said.

Thus, began the collaboration on the modest kitchen area, measuring about 18 feet long by 12 feet wide. Like most women, Lasher wanted more storage, more counter space.

"We had soffits above the original cabinets, wasted space literally," she pointed out. "Now, the cabinets reach to the ceiling and we even added a floor-to-ceiling pantry with several cabinets and drawers."

The cabinets from Heartwood Cabinetry in Le Mars are oak, stained in a medium brown, with silver hardware. The drawers have dovetailed corners made of hardwood with full extension drawer guides and soft close features.

"It's just so handy," Lasher said, demonstrating the gliding in and out. "It's particularly great where I have my pots and pans, so I no longer have to creep and crawl on a knee and dig to get something out."

The Lashers wanted to be creative in having the space reflect their lifestyle -- empty nesters with grandchildren who visit.

"We considered granite," Deb admitted. "But for a tenth of the cost, we decided to go with a Wilson HD laminate and I love it. I'd say the new countertops were the best part of the kitchen. Before we had two-inch ceramic tile with grout for countertops. It was very hard to keep clean and very impractical."

Counter space was freed up when the microwave was moved off the counter and installed on a wall. The Lashers decided to go with stainless steel appliances.

"I had white and it was dated," Deb said. "I'm so glad we went with the stainless steel."

Most of the colors are rich in tone, but the backsplash has brighter browns and ivories.

"That was deliberate," Deb confessed. "I like bling and I wanted that backsplash to sparkle. It does!"

The floor has an unusual checkered pattern in various tones of light brown.

"That was another conscious choice," Deb noted. "We went with a laminate on the floor," rather than wood or tile.

The focal point of the kitchen is a rectangular island, complete with drawers and cabinets, and two chairs.

"I wanted an island for more counter space," Deb said. "But what I really like is Brian made wheels for the island so it can be moved anyplace. And because he remembered I like bling, he found wheels that look like crystals."

The large patio doors that open out onto a deck provide natural light, but on cloudy days, the kitchen is illuminated with recessed lights which add to the comfort of the cozy area.

An interesting addition, found at Lowe's, is a retractable fan inside an overhead light with clear ceiling blades.

"This is way fun," Deb said, demonstrating how the fan works with a remote. "And, because it retracts when it's not running, you don't have to dust it."

The finished product with a fresh, modern look, which took about two months from choice to completion, provides the Lashers with easy movement around the kitchen to reach storage, food preparation, cooking and eating.

"I'm within 10 feet or less of everything in the kitchen," Deb said, as she walked from sink to counter to stove to island. "I like to bake and Ken likes to cook, so this has really suited us well."

Comments sought on proposals for signature piece

To the casual observer, the Isaac Murphy Memorial Art Garden seems to be a plot of land at Third Street and Midland Avenue noted only by an occasional fleet of brightly colored flags or a lighted Christmas tree.

Beginning Feb. 10, all of us will get to help decide which signature piece of art will define that space. Artists from Lexington, Ohio, California and New York have submitted scaled models of pieces they hope will be chosen as the magnet to draw visitors to the area to explore Murphy's life and those of other black jockeys who aren't prominent in history books.

Those five works will be on display at Land of Tomorrow Gallery for two weeks to allow us to view and comment on them. Community comments will be taken into consideration when the selection is made.

David Cozart, president of the memorial park board, said the group wanted something different, something personal, at the park.

"We know we want to be unique and not like any other place," he said. "But we won't risk integrity."

The nine-member board joined with LexArts to solicit pieces from artists nationwide. The park, which has been stalled for several years, is intended to be an entryway to the East End, a historic African-American neighborhood, and to honor Murphy, who rode the winner in three Kentucky Derbys.

The call for art went out in October, and the works came in last week.

The five proposals "are all really different," said Steve Austin, vice president of the Bluegrass Community Foundation. "Each tells a story of the Thoroughbred industry."

A part of the Legacy Trail project, which is overseen by the Bluegrass Community Foundation and stretches from the Kentucky Horse Park to Third Street and Midland Avenue, the park now has enough money for construction and to seed the art pieces, Cozart said.

"We are really beginning to put this all together," Austin said.

The artists who submitted proposals — Garry R. Bibbs of Lexington; Neal and Tiffany Bociek of San Diego; Willis "Bing" Davis of Dayton, Ohio; Stacey Farley of Garrison, N.Y.; and LaVon Williams of Lexington —visited the site of the park and learned about the East End community, the Legacy Trail and Lexington before creating their pieces.

Bibbs, an associate art professor at the University of Kentucky, said he was inspired by the juxtaposition of Murphy and the era in which he lived.

"This man is winning his first race after Reconstruction, 40 years after the Civil War," Bibbs said. "I wanted to take into consideration the impact of a winning jockey maneuvering through the major racial issues of the times.

"He is racing two races all the time," he said, "and also has two victories at the same time."

The sculpture, A Race to the Finish, is displayed along a curved wall and uses three metals. "I want to make good art, but I want it to contain the truth," Bibb said.

The husband-and-wife team of Neal and Tiffany Bociek are using Murphy's image in their work, My Home Is a Horse and a Track.

"Because there is an interest in knowing who and what Isaac Murphy was, I didn't want to do something abstract," Neal Bociek said. "You will know who he is immediately."

Their proposed piece features a silhouetted image of Murphy racing on a horse that intersects with another, to contrast Murphy's gentleness with the power of a race horse. Rising above the horses is a circular disc bearing Murphy's image that can spin 360 degrees.

The piece is meant to show Murphy looking over his property and the nearby community that once included the Kentucky Association Racetrack, Neal Bociek said.

"It is not just about the art, but it is really about the community," Tiffany Bociek said. "We were inspired by a whole lot of YouTube videos about the Legacy Trail. We were really inspired by that energy those videos gave off. We kind of felt like it was a great place to be."

William "Bing" Davis got that same vibe when he walked the land, and visited African Cemetery No. 2 on East Seventh Street and the Kentucky Horse Park.

"I became familiar with Lexington and watched some of the dig at the park and put my hands in the dirt," Davis said. "It just filled me up and totally changed my idea from what I had envisioned."

Davis submitted a sleek sculpture in which rider and horse appear to be one. The piece will be made of a composite material that is light, he said, but as strong as steel. Portions of two bridges in Dayton are made of the composite.

The finished piece, covered with three to five coats of a synthetic fiberglass and painted with ultraviolet auto-body paint, would be 5 feet by 3 feet and sit atop a pedestal.

Davis named the piece, which he describes as an abstract of a horse and rider working as a unit to become winners, Jah Aswon which stands for "jockey and horse as won."

Stacey Farley's works are installed at train stations, museums, gardens and parks in the form of ceramic tiles. She has been working with tiles for 25 years.

Farley's proposal includes transferring an image of Murphy onto a giant tile that will be the backdrop for a three-sided shelter containing a bench.

"You can see it from far away, but when you get closer you will learn more information," she said. "You can see him in the context of U.S. history."

On one short wall, there will be a time line that features Murphy's Derby wins, constitutional amendments and the Civil War, she said. On the other short wall there will be a poem by Frank X Walker.

"I am interested in people who are anonymous or who got lost along the way," Farley said. "Here is a very important person who disappeared from the history books. It is right up my alley to tell that story. I was drawn to it."

Whether she wins or not, Farley said, she enjoyed doing the research. "It was a great ride."

Noted woodcarver and former UK basketball player LaVon Williams first heard of Murphy from his father, a schoolteacher who taught young people about little known men and women in black history, he said.

"Murphy was my father's hero," said Williams, who grew up in Florida.

Although his principle medium is wood, Williams said he would sculpt the Murphy piece in metal so it would withstand the elements.

The three pieces he created are meant to cover the back and sides of a bench that would be in the park.

One side, Lucy, would acknowledge Murphy's love for his wife, Lucy, to whom he would give a rose or flower every day. Another, Race Man, is a tribute to Murphy as a jockey with innate skills, winning without using a whip. And the last, American Style, depicts his original riding style, which was straighter, and how Murphy learned other styles, using whichever best suited his mount.

"It is a piece that welcomes everybody," said Williams, a member of the 1978 UK team that won a national championship . "Murphy brought people together. He was gracious and kind."

Construction of the park should start in early spring and include a range of art created by children, said Austin. Construction of the signature piece will begin when the artist is available.

Also on display at with the proposed works will be artifacts uncovered during a recent archeological dig and historic markers about Murphy and the East End that will be placed in the park.

Mosaic restored in time for Pennridge class's 50th reunion

Even though Pennridge High School is closed for the holidays, plenty of activity is going on inside its walls – literally.

People strolling by the auditorium would have seen a gaping hole in the wall Wednesday, but by Thursday the space was filled with a 340-pound piece of history.

The 43-by-37 inch ceramic mosaic of the high school seal, the class gift from graduates in 1962, was mounted above the auditorium doors in the previous high school building. The gift would have been lost in the rubble when the building was demolished in 2006 if class member Marlene Bryan and others had not rescued it.

They also salvaged some bricks from the old building, using them as centerpieces for the 45th class reunion in 2007 and then allowing classmates to take them home as souvenirs.

“Classmates came from all over the country,” Bryan said. “They really cherish [the bricks].”

The mosaic itself, however, hung in Ray Weidner’s garage until this week.

“We thought now’s the time to place it,” said Bryan, chair of the reunion committee. Bryan has worked on the four previous reunions, which are held every five years, and is currently helping to plan the 50th.

The mosaic, complete with the high school seal’s scroll and quill pen, was originally designed by Richard Kuhn, the cousin of Barry Kuhn, class of 1962 member who headed up this week’s installation project. Olean Tile Company in Lansdale, where a class member’s parent worked, fashioned the mosaic from the artist’s rendering. Olean is the ceramic tile manufacturer that made much of the tile that lines the Pennsylvania Turnpike tunnels, according to Bryan.

“It was a huge employer in our area,” Bryan said.

The installation, completed by Gary Schott, was completed in two days rather than the three Barry allotted for the project.

The restored mosaic is just the beginning of what Barry called “a special anniversary.” The reunion will take place on Saturday, Sept 29 at Indian Valley Country Club, but plans are also in motion for an activity Friday evening. The three-day reunion weekend will finish off with Sunday brunch Sept. 30. Invitations for the reunion will be sent out in April or May, Bryan said.

The 14 members of the reunion committee have been working together for many years.

“We’re very close,” Bryan said. “Everyone does their own thing but they all help each other.”

Quicksilver Resources Inc (KWK) Downgraded by Barclays Capital (BCS) to "Equal Weight"

Equities research analysts at Barclays Capital (NYSE: BCS) downgraded shares of

Quicksilver Resources Inc (NYSE: KWK) from an "overweight" rating to an "equal

weight" rating in a research note to investors on Wednesday. The analysts currently

have a $16.00 price target on the stock.

Separately, analysts at BMO Capital Markets upgraded shares of Quicksilver Resources

Inc from a "market perform" rating to an "outperform" rating in a research note to

investors on Tuesday. Also, analysts at Zacks Investment Research reiterated a

"neutral" rating on shares of Quicksilver Resources Inc in a research note to

investors on Wednesday, January 19th. They now have a $16.00 price target on the

stock.

Shares of Quicksilver Resources Inc traded down 0.76% during mid-day trading on

Thursday, hitting $13.695. Quicksilver Resources Inc has a 52 week low of $10.53 and

a 52 week high of $15.98. The stock's 50-day moving average is $14.52 and its 200-

day moving average is $14.42. The company has a market cap of $2.343 billion and a

price-to-earnings ratio of 5.64.

Quicksilver Resources Inc last announced its quarterly results on Monday, February

28th. The company reported $0.18 earnings per share (EPS) for the previous quarter,

beating the Thomson Reuters consensus estimate of $0.15 EPS by $0.03. During the

same quarter in the prior year, the company posted $0.27 earnings per share. The

company's quarterly revenue was up 2.5% on a year-over-year basis. On average,

analysts predict that Quicksilver Resources Inc will post $0.04 EPS next quarter.

Quicksilver Resources Inc. (Quicksilver) is an independent energy company. The

Company is primarily engaged in exploration, development and production of

unconventional natural gas onshore in North America. Quicksilver owns producing oil

and natural gas properties in the United States, principally in Texas, Colorado,

Wyoming and Montana, and Canada in Alberta and British Columbia. As of December 31,

2009, it had total proved reserves of approximately 2.4 trillion cubic feet

equivalents (Tcfe) of natural gas. Quicksilver also has exploration activities in

North America, principally in the Horn River Basin of Northeast British Columbia and

the Green River Basin of Colorado. It also owns approximately 61% of Quicksilver Gas

Services LP (KGS), a midstream master limited partnership controlled by Quicksilver.

It owns approximately 40% of the limited partner units of BreitBurn Energy Partners

L.P. (BBEP), an oil and natural gas exploration and production master limited

partnership.