Yet another Chinatown building has been hit with a slew of violations — ranging from rodents, leaks in ceilings and toilets to broken windows and floor tiles — and more residents could be on the streets as new inspections have found possible structural problems, the Herald has learned.
Records show the city’s Inspectional Services Department stormed into 15 Beach St. on Feb. 7 and found dozens of violations, including broken lights, faulty hot-water heaters, ceiling leaks, broken bathroom fixtures and malfunctioning windows. Meanwhile, residents have complained of pests.
“There are a number of problems with the building,” said Mark Liu, deputy director of the Chinatown Progressive Association. “It has really old windows. There’s a rodent problem. Leaky ceilings.”
The building owner, Chinagate Housing Associates, has repaired some problems but new inspections revealed cracks in the foundation that threaten the stability of the building, records show.
The “substandard” condition of the building threatens the removal of more Chinatown residents and has led the federal Department of Housing and Urban Development to take steps to terminate its contract with Chinagate, Liu said.
“There could be a structural issue that could make it unsafe for the tenants,” Liu said.
Attempts to reach a Chinagate manager yesterday were unsuccessful.
The problems at 15 Beach St. come just days after the city evacuated a run-down rooming house at 25 Harrison Ave. that was littered with code violations, including broken fire escapes, poor ventilation, no fire alarms and structural problems. The building’s 49 residents were removed and put up in shelters or public housing in South Boston.
City Councilor Bill Linehan, who represents Chinatown, called for a crackdown on slumlords.
“If these sort of things are popping up around Chinatown, then we certainly have to be more vigilant,” Linehan said. “We have to stand by the residents and make sure all landlords are compliant.”
Many of the displaced residents, as well as those from 15 Beach St., spoke yesterday about the devastating impact of the housing woes. Many don’t speak English and are worried about being forced out of Chinatown for good.
Maple Zou, a Chinese interpreter, said of one elderly couple displaced from the Harrison Avenue building: “Neither she nor her husband speak the (English) language. They want to move back into the building or somewhere nearby.”
More than 1,000 new luxury units are under construction in Chinatown and Liu fears working-class residents are being forced out by gentrification.
“What we want to figure out with the city ... is how do we keep those units in the community in good condition and still affordable for folks?” Liu said.
2012年2月29日星期三
2012年2月13日星期一
NSF International offering environmental certification
NSF International, an independent global organization that writes public health standards and certifies products for food, water and consumer goods, now offers Green Squared Certification for sustainable ceramic tiles, glass tiles and installation materials.
NSF’s Sustainability division is a leading developer of sustainable standards and certification programs for building and furnishing products such as furniture, wallcoverings, and furnishing fabrics, carpets and flooring.
Developed by the Tile Council of North America (TCNA), Green Squared certification provides accurate, third-party verified information on the environmental impacts of certified tile products.
Green Squared certification through NSF Sustainability helps manufacturers and suppliers of tiles and installation materials distinguish their products from competitors, earn preferred vendor status by environmentally-minded consumers and companies, and demonstrate compliance to state and federal purchasing requirements.
The NSF certification process includes a comprehensive documentation review and onsite facility audit to verify conformance to the standard upon which the Green Squared certification program is based -- ANSI A138.1 American National Standard Specifications for Sustainable Ceramic Tiles, Glass Tiles and Tile Installation Materials.
This consensus-based standard requires an evaluation of products in five categories of performance: product characteristics, manufacturing, corporate governance, innovation, and end-of-life.
“Green Squared provides a standard of excellence in sustainability for the entire industry as it covers not just tile products but also the materials required for their installation,” says Bill Griese, TCNA standards development and green initiative manager. “We are pleased that the certification bodies we have participating in Green Squared are leaders in the realm of developing sustainability standards and certification programs for interior furnishing products, and these organizations have the expertise and industry experience necessary to provide high quality certifications under the Green Squared program.”
Tiles covered by the Green Squared program may include mosaic, quarry, pressed floor, glazed wall, porcelain, specialty, cast glass, fused glass, and low-temperature coated glass tiles.
Installation materials may include mortar adhesives, mastic adhesives, reactive resin adhesives, grouts, tile backer units, crack isolation membranes, waterproofing membranes, water containment membranes, and sound reduction membranes.
NSF’s Sustainability division is a leading developer of sustainable standards and certification programs for building and furnishing products such as furniture, wallcoverings, and furnishing fabrics, carpets and flooring.
Developed by the Tile Council of North America (TCNA), Green Squared certification provides accurate, third-party verified information on the environmental impacts of certified tile products.
Green Squared certification through NSF Sustainability helps manufacturers and suppliers of tiles and installation materials distinguish their products from competitors, earn preferred vendor status by environmentally-minded consumers and companies, and demonstrate compliance to state and federal purchasing requirements.
The NSF certification process includes a comprehensive documentation review and onsite facility audit to verify conformance to the standard upon which the Green Squared certification program is based -- ANSI A138.1 American National Standard Specifications for Sustainable Ceramic Tiles, Glass Tiles and Tile Installation Materials.
This consensus-based standard requires an evaluation of products in five categories of performance: product characteristics, manufacturing, corporate governance, innovation, and end-of-life.
“Green Squared provides a standard of excellence in sustainability for the entire industry as it covers not just tile products but also the materials required for their installation,” says Bill Griese, TCNA standards development and green initiative manager. “We are pleased that the certification bodies we have participating in Green Squared are leaders in the realm of developing sustainability standards and certification programs for interior furnishing products, and these organizations have the expertise and industry experience necessary to provide high quality certifications under the Green Squared program.”
Tiles covered by the Green Squared program may include mosaic, quarry, pressed floor, glazed wall, porcelain, specialty, cast glass, fused glass, and low-temperature coated glass tiles.
Installation materials may include mortar adhesives, mastic adhesives, reactive resin adhesives, grouts, tile backer units, crack isolation membranes, waterproofing membranes, water containment membranes, and sound reduction membranes.
2012年1月11日星期三
Camarillo school celebrates 10-year anniversary
The unveiling of a colorful mural marked the 10th anniversary of La Mariposa Elementary School in Camarillo on Monday.
Pupils, staff members and parents decorated 424 ceramic tiles for the mural. The tiles were joined together to create an 8-foot by 14-foot installation on the side of a building facing the playground at the school, which serves the Mission Oaks neighborhood.
"I was really amazed at the creativity you showed," Principal Jay Greenlinger said in his remarks to pupils, staff members, parents and Pleasant Valley School District officials. "Each tile is unique, and when you look at them together, it's pretty great."
The bright tiles have decorations such as rainbows, flowers, teddy bears, stripes and patterns, and the names of those who made them.
"It was a group idea, with teachers and parents wanting to do something permanent to mark the anniversary," Greenlinger said. "I think the most notable part of our school is the community that we've built, and that's what this really is able to communicate because it's a lot of little pieces coming together."
Camille Fisher, 4, whose sisters Brinley, 10, and Anna, 7, attend La Mariposa, was excited to see the tile she painted on the wall.
"There's two butterflies and one bumblebee and four flowers, and there's some grass," she said as her mother, Michelle Fisher, held her up to look.
"When you put it all together, it makes a really great picture, and that's kind of how La Mariposa is," Fisher said. "There's such great parent involvement, and the teachers here are so great, and the students love coming here, and I think that this just shows how much everyone loves being part of this school."
Patti Stouch has two children at the school and another who will be attending when she's old enough. Each of Stouch's children decorated tiles.
"My kids will permanently be here. It's very cool," she said.
Dianne Quimby-Anders, the school's first principal, described the very first day, at the start of the 2002-03 school year, as "the most exciting day."
"I'll never forget it," she said after Monday's ceremony. "The school has grown, but so many things are still the way we started with them, and each principal has built on that, and it's become a very strong school."
After the first year at the school and 30 years with the school district, Quimby-Anders retired. Pamela Gonzalez took over as principal, staying for five years.
"This is just a very special school. It's a wonderful place to learn. The staff is just terrific," said Gonzalez, now principal of Las Colinas Middle School.
"It started because there was a need for another school to accommodate the population of Camarillo. So this school was built, and it was full when it opened. Over time, it just developed and became a California Distinguished School. There are just lots and lots of things to celebrate here."
Of the original staff, 16 teachers are still at the school, along with office manager Nancy Thompson.
And people still talk of the day the bear came to visit.
"A bear wandered up out of the ravine, and it was wandering in the neighborhood, and we had to do one of those calls to everybody to stay home until the bear had been captured," said Gonzalez, who was principal at the time. "It was a funny thing to happen."
Pupils, staff members and parents decorated 424 ceramic tiles for the mural. The tiles were joined together to create an 8-foot by 14-foot installation on the side of a building facing the playground at the school, which serves the Mission Oaks neighborhood.
"I was really amazed at the creativity you showed," Principal Jay Greenlinger said in his remarks to pupils, staff members, parents and Pleasant Valley School District officials. "Each tile is unique, and when you look at them together, it's pretty great."
The bright tiles have decorations such as rainbows, flowers, teddy bears, stripes and patterns, and the names of those who made them.
"It was a group idea, with teachers and parents wanting to do something permanent to mark the anniversary," Greenlinger said. "I think the most notable part of our school is the community that we've built, and that's what this really is able to communicate because it's a lot of little pieces coming together."
Camille Fisher, 4, whose sisters Brinley, 10, and Anna, 7, attend La Mariposa, was excited to see the tile she painted on the wall.
"There's two butterflies and one bumblebee and four flowers, and there's some grass," she said as her mother, Michelle Fisher, held her up to look.
"When you put it all together, it makes a really great picture, and that's kind of how La Mariposa is," Fisher said. "There's such great parent involvement, and the teachers here are so great, and the students love coming here, and I think that this just shows how much everyone loves being part of this school."
Patti Stouch has two children at the school and another who will be attending when she's old enough. Each of Stouch's children decorated tiles.
"My kids will permanently be here. It's very cool," she said.
Dianne Quimby-Anders, the school's first principal, described the very first day, at the start of the 2002-03 school year, as "the most exciting day."
"I'll never forget it," she said after Monday's ceremony. "The school has grown, but so many things are still the way we started with them, and each principal has built on that, and it's become a very strong school."
After the first year at the school and 30 years with the school district, Quimby-Anders retired. Pamela Gonzalez took over as principal, staying for five years.
"This is just a very special school. It's a wonderful place to learn. The staff is just terrific," said Gonzalez, now principal of Las Colinas Middle School.
"It started because there was a need for another school to accommodate the population of Camarillo. So this school was built, and it was full when it opened. Over time, it just developed and became a California Distinguished School. There are just lots and lots of things to celebrate here."
Of the original staff, 16 teachers are still at the school, along with office manager Nancy Thompson.
And people still talk of the day the bear came to visit.
"A bear wandered up out of the ravine, and it was wandering in the neighborhood, and we had to do one of those calls to everybody to stay home until the bear had been captured," said Gonzalez, who was principal at the time. "It was a funny thing to happen."
2011年12月22日星期四
Shaw Achieves LEED Gold Certification for Georgia Facility
Shaw Industries Group, Inc. today announced it has received Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Gold Certification from the United States Green Building Council (USGBC) for Plant 95, an administrative facility on its corporate campus in Dalton.
Plant 95 is the first building in Dalton to achieve certification under the LEED Existing Buildings: Operations and Maintenance rating system, and the second Shaw facility to achieve LEED certification. The 32,335 square foot facility was previously first privately owned building in Dalton to achieve the US EPA Energy Star rating.
“The social and environmental responsibility of all our facilities is a fundamental part of our commitment to sustainability. We are continually assessing the infrastructure and processes at all our facilities to find new ways to increase water and energy efficiency, and to reduce the overall impact of our buildings,” Shaw Corporate Facilities Director Jason Bowling said. “Plant 95 is a great example of this commitment – our consistent investment in improving the environmental responsibility of this facility made LEED certification a logical next step.”
According to Bowling, the high level of energy efficiency that helped the building garner Energy Star also made a significant contribution towards the building’s LEED rating. Shaw Corporate Facilities Manager Rhonda Allen, one of the project leaders, agreed. “Thanks to the building’s already high efficiency, achieving LEED certification did not require extensive capital investment; instead, we simply had to work with USGBC to provide the appropriate documentation and tracking for the work we had already done,” Allen said.
In addition to energy efficiency, the building scored very highly in several other areas of the rating system, including water efficiency, water efficient landscaping, environmentally responsible sourcing and purchasing, green cleaning, waste reduction and recycling, and lighting, according to Allen.
“Plant 95 is now serving as a model for moving other Shaw facilities towards the LEED standard,” she said.
“Sustainable organizations require sustainable facilities,” said Shaw Vice President of Sustainability Paul Murray. “Achieving LEED certification for our key buildings is one of the many ways we are working to ensure we’re upholding the most rigorous standards for environmental efficiency in all facets of our business – from product to manufacturing to our physical infrastructure.”
Shaw’s Patcraft brand achieved LEED Gold certification for its Chicago showroom in early 2010, and several other Shaw facilities are currently at some stage of the LEED certification process, including two additional facilities in Dalton and the Shaw Contract Group showroom in Shanghai, Murray said.
Shaw Industries, a subsidiary of Berkshire Hathaway, Inc., is the world's largest carpet manufacturer and a leading floor covering provider with more than $4 billion in annual sales and approximately 24,000 associates. Headquartered in Dalton, Ga., the company manufactures and distributes carpeting, rugs, hardwood, laminate and ceramic tile for residential and commercial applications worldwide.
Plant 95 is the first building in Dalton to achieve certification under the LEED Existing Buildings: Operations and Maintenance rating system, and the second Shaw facility to achieve LEED certification. The 32,335 square foot facility was previously first privately owned building in Dalton to achieve the US EPA Energy Star rating.
“The social and environmental responsibility of all our facilities is a fundamental part of our commitment to sustainability. We are continually assessing the infrastructure and processes at all our facilities to find new ways to increase water and energy efficiency, and to reduce the overall impact of our buildings,” Shaw Corporate Facilities Director Jason Bowling said. “Plant 95 is a great example of this commitment – our consistent investment in improving the environmental responsibility of this facility made LEED certification a logical next step.”
According to Bowling, the high level of energy efficiency that helped the building garner Energy Star also made a significant contribution towards the building’s LEED rating. Shaw Corporate Facilities Manager Rhonda Allen, one of the project leaders, agreed. “Thanks to the building’s already high efficiency, achieving LEED certification did not require extensive capital investment; instead, we simply had to work with USGBC to provide the appropriate documentation and tracking for the work we had already done,” Allen said.
In addition to energy efficiency, the building scored very highly in several other areas of the rating system, including water efficiency, water efficient landscaping, environmentally responsible sourcing and purchasing, green cleaning, waste reduction and recycling, and lighting, according to Allen.
“Plant 95 is now serving as a model for moving other Shaw facilities towards the LEED standard,” she said.
“Sustainable organizations require sustainable facilities,” said Shaw Vice President of Sustainability Paul Murray. “Achieving LEED certification for our key buildings is one of the many ways we are working to ensure we’re upholding the most rigorous standards for environmental efficiency in all facets of our business – from product to manufacturing to our physical infrastructure.”
Shaw’s Patcraft brand achieved LEED Gold certification for its Chicago showroom in early 2010, and several other Shaw facilities are currently at some stage of the LEED certification process, including two additional facilities in Dalton and the Shaw Contract Group showroom in Shanghai, Murray said.
Shaw Industries, a subsidiary of Berkshire Hathaway, Inc., is the world's largest carpet manufacturer and a leading floor covering provider with more than $4 billion in annual sales and approximately 24,000 associates. Headquartered in Dalton, Ga., the company manufactures and distributes carpeting, rugs, hardwood, laminate and ceramic tile for residential and commercial applications worldwide.
2011年4月21日星期四
Size Doesn't Matter With Quicksilver Games 'Slots in the City'
Start spreading the news - Quicksilver Games have launched their latest multi line online slot feature, Slots in the City, this season's must-have feature. This game brings together the glitz and glam of Las Vegas with the cool, sultry style of New York. Slots in the City is the fresh new face at Quicksilver, joining the ranks of other exclusive Quicksilver online games such as Top Banana, Maxamillion, Le Posh Nosh and Kasharoo.
Inspired by 'the City That Never Sleeps', this is one online slot machines game that never stops giving, with a top random progressive prize that just keeps on rising. And as not everybody has their own Mr Big, Slots in the City bucks the trend with a progressive prize that's not actually linked to the bet amount. So size really doesn't matter – the 3 random progressives can be won with any paid spin, at any amount, and at any time. That means everybody is in with a chance of taking a chunk out of this Big Apple, with bets starting from just 5p through to £4!
Slots in the City has virtually strutted its way straight out of Quicksilver's recently formed online game studio, and features a host of glamorous 3D animated characters as well as a dazzling horde of 3D slot graphics set against a bustling metropolitan soundtrack that perfectly pertains to the epitome of Manhattan lifestyle. Think cocktails, champagne on ice, the archetypal New York yellow taxicab, classy handbags, killer heels and a generous sprinkling of sassy sparkles and you're almost there!
And so to celebrate the unveiling of Slots and the City, the drinks are on Quicksilver Games. Players that are in that New York state of mind can enjoy 10 free spins that are retriggered when three or more cocktail glasses are shaken (but not stirred!). But that's not all, Slots in the City proves itself as the cream of the crop, with prizes tripled during the free spin sequence.
Inspired by 'the City That Never Sleeps', this is one online slot machines game that never stops giving, with a top random progressive prize that just keeps on rising. And as not everybody has their own Mr Big, Slots in the City bucks the trend with a progressive prize that's not actually linked to the bet amount. So size really doesn't matter – the 3 random progressives can be won with any paid spin, at any amount, and at any time. That means everybody is in with a chance of taking a chunk out of this Big Apple, with bets starting from just 5p through to £4!
Slots in the City has virtually strutted its way straight out of Quicksilver's recently formed online game studio, and features a host of glamorous 3D animated characters as well as a dazzling horde of 3D slot graphics set against a bustling metropolitan soundtrack that perfectly pertains to the epitome of Manhattan lifestyle. Think cocktails, champagne on ice, the archetypal New York yellow taxicab, classy handbags, killer heels and a generous sprinkling of sassy sparkles and you're almost there!
And so to celebrate the unveiling of Slots and the City, the drinks are on Quicksilver Games. Players that are in that New York state of mind can enjoy 10 free spins that are retriggered when three or more cocktail glasses are shaken (but not stirred!). But that's not all, Slots in the City proves itself as the cream of the crop, with prizes tripled during the free spin sequence.
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