Before the sun rises, Brian Gay of Mendon is at work loading his truck and quietly placing milk in metal drop boxes or coolers left in people's driveways or doorsteps, back porches or garages.

I'm kind of a dinosaur, Mr. Gay, 48, said.

Mr. Gay, owner of Maple Farm Dairy, is a milkman, one of a few left around who deliver milk in glass or plastic bottles to homes and businesses in vintage-style trucks.

You see my truck in the neighborhood, it's there for only one reason. When you see that truck, you know what it is doing, Mr. Gay said, adding that he still delivers glass-bottle milk from Monroe Dairy in Providence, and plastic-bottle milk from Oakhurst Dairy in Connecticut.

Mr. Gay took over the delivery business from his uncle when he was 18 years old, delivering milk out of the back of his Chevy van to 120 customers. Mr. Gay's Mendon company does not run a dairy.

Today, Maple Farm Dairy delivers to about 1,000 customers in more than 20 communities, as far out as Norfolk and Wrentham. However, Mr. Gay, like other milkmen, has had to deliver more than milk to stay in business.

I've got a whole grocery store in that truck. You just can't make it on milk and eggs alone anymore, Mr. Gay said, adding that the Maple Farm Dairy trucks carry juices, baked goods, breads, frozen vegetables, butter, cheese, coffee and yogurt .

Gibson's Village Dairy Farm on Sunderland Road in Worcester has been delivering milk to area homes since 1923 and continues to do so now as Gibson's enters the family's fourth generation of ownership.

When my grandfather started this dairy there were 52 dairies doing home delivery in Worcester, Francis Gibson said. Mr. Gibson works with his brother Glenn, and the fourth generation his daughter Sarah Gibson and nephew Glenn Gibson Jr.

Mr. Gibson said his daughter and partner Allison Smith rescued the home-delivery service by incorporating local organic products, adding that Gibson's largest customer base today is young families who are dedicated to the buy local movement.

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Got milk?

This time of year when temperatures flirt with or conquer 100 degrees every day the inevitable question is: How on earth did people survive before air conditioning?

The idea of spending a day or night in an non-airconditioned house seems unimaginable. The most obvious answer is that because few people had any form of artificial air conditioning in their homes before the 1950s, they had no idea what they were missing and simply toughed it out.

That's partly true, but not entirely. In fact, homes built in pre-air conditioning days were made to be livable without air conditioning. Many newer homes are not.

A drive through older parts of Wichita Falls will show you. Note that the homes built before the advent of any form of air conditioning tend to have tall roofs and spacious attics. Those attics weren't added just to store Grandma's old cedar chest, but to create a buffer between the blazing sun and the living areas of the house. Back then, most people just stayed out of the upstairs bedrooms during the heat of the day, opting to stay on the lower floors where it was a tad cooler. Many homes had tall ceilings so the heat could follow its natural tendency to rise above where people were.

Pre- air conditioning homes were also pre-Sheetrock homes. Brick and stone homes were really brick and stone not veneer. Wooden homes consisted of plaster and lath walls. Even prehistoric people knew caves were cool in the summer. Our more recent ancestors knew the insulation value of bringing cave-like walls above the ground.

Houses back then had lots of windows that would actually open and close. They were positioned so that opening one on one wall and another on another wall would pull a draft of air through the room. Likewise, the front doors were often lined up with the back doors so drafts through the screen doors would waft through the length of the house.

Then there's the front porch that nostalgic relic of yesteryear. In pre-television and computer days, people actually did sit on the porch in the relative cool of the evening and socialize with neighbors. In some older Wichita Falls neighborhoods you'll find the front porches closed in. That happened with the coming of air conditioning and TV. A back porch screened off from mosquitoes was an excellent alternative bedroom on those especially brutal nights.

Porches front, back and side had another purpose: they shaded the house from the sun. Trees, bushes and vines offered the same insulation. It's doubtful the earliest trees here were planted for their ornamental value.

Was it as comfy cool as our modern air-conditioned homes?

Absolutely not. But it was bearable.

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Walker: Before we became cool, we had porches

Rotten wood on the porches of 64-year-old Amanda Singleton's St. Helena Island home created holes all the way to the foundation. It got so bad she was afraid to go anywhere.

"It was scary," she said. "I had to learn to maneuver around the situation to get in and out of my house."

With no cartilage in her knee, the retired certified nursing assistant already has problems walking -- having to pivot from one place to another around soft boards made the situation even worse.

Now Singleton can walk across her porches without fear of falling through. Last week, a group of hard-working teens replaced them as part of the weeklong Salkehatchie Summer Service project.

About 110 teens from 14 Methodist churches from across the state including Greenville, Myrtle Beach and Rock Hill, as well as North Carolina, repaired and renovated nine homes on St. Helena Island last week. Local churches helped by preparing two meals for the group each day.

This is the 30th year for the project on St. Helena Island. Salkehatchie has 52 other camps in North Carolina, Georgia and South Carolina.

A BONDING EXPERIENCE

In addition to new wood on the porches and a new roof, much of Singleton's house got a fresh coat of paint.

Sitting in a white plastic chair on the new porch, Singleton clapped her hands and smiled as she watched a team of 20 teens and camp leaders work all around her.

"It was a blessing," she said of being chosen to receive renovations on St. Helena Island. This was the third year she had applied for help to repair her home, and the first time she was chosen. Each year about 50 people apply and about 10 are picked.

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Salkehatchie Summer Service volunteers repair homes, rebuild lives on St. Helena Island

Because of a growing congregation, one local church is making a massive overhaul.

A $1 million renovation at Evangelical Free Church, 3111 S. Sixth St., will add youth classrooms and relocate the sanctuary.

Bob Kosbau, a pastor at the church, said the church's space can no longer comfortably accommodate his flock.

"We have a growing number of young families," he said.

To better serve those families, the church will more than double its amount of classrooms from five to 11. Both children's and adult classrooms will increase.

The expansion will turn what now is a warehouse into the new worship center, John Henze, facilities director for the church, said. It will seat 630 parishioners- an upgrade from the current sanctuary's 400.

Although Kosbau said the church usually only hosts roughly 300 parishioners each week, the extra space will help them be more comfortable. A large, open multi-purpose children's area will provide space for between 80 and 100 kids to enjoy puppet shows, singing and teaching.

One of the biggest differences church goers will notice, Henze said, is they will have to enter on the building's west side.

Kosbau said church staff has been considering the renovation for the last couple years. Charitable donations have already funded half its construction.

"We have been praying for many months for this," he said. "We are going to move forward and trust him to provide the remaining amount."

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Local church makes $1 million in renovations

Access Fixtures 40 Jackson St. Suite 1000 Worcester, MA, 01608, USA

New LED technology from Access Fixtures drives down the price of LED tennis court lighting, while achieving higher lumen output and more uniform light distribution.

WORCESTER, Mass., -- The newest LED tennis lighting packages from Access Fixtures achieve optimal playing conditions for tennis while maintaining consideration for sustainability. LED technology saves massive amounts of energy for customers and produces beautiful and even light across the playing area. Access Fixtures provides the latest energy efficient lighting technology, while dramatically reducing its clients' costs.

"LED technology can achieve amazing light levels," said Access Fixtures Lighting Specialist, Steven Rothschild. He continued, "Our New LED lighting systems are the perfect marriage of functionality and sustainability."

The low energy requirements and high light levels are not only great for tennis, but they are also great for the environment. Each LED fixture produces 12,825 lumens using only 171 watts; that's an incredible 75 lumens per watt. Access Fixtures tennis court systems featuring Toshiba LED technology are rated for 50,000 hours, meaning you have a long lasting solution with years of payback. The quality, efficiency, and low prices make Access Fixtures the foremost choice for sports lighting in public, commercial and private facilities.

Access Fixtures sports lighting packages include everything required to light a play area including: poles, luminaires and mounting hardware. All systems are commercial grade and CSA list for wet conditions. Access Fixtures also provides lighting solutions for indoor tennis courts. Beyond tennis lighting, Access Fixtures sports lighting includes lighting packages for basketball, volleyball, horseshoes, shuffleboard, and bocce as well as general sports lighting.

The LED tennis court lighting packages can be found here: http://www.accessfixtures.com/Tennis-...

About Access Fixtures

Access Fixtures offers commercial and sports lighting for less. With 30 years of collective experience, Access Fixtures offers standard and custom light fixtures that are long lasting and energy saving. Access Fixtures offers everything from classic HID fixtures that provide high light output and great value, to efficient technology such as LED and e-HID that can significantly reduce energy costs. Fixture types include wall packs, area lights, bollards, garage lighters, vandal resistant, exit and emergency, high bay, low bay, linear fluorescent and track lighting. Lighting technologies include LED, induction, HID, eHID, T5, T5HO, T8 linear fluorescent; metal halide, and high pressure sodium.

For more information Visit http://www.AccessFixtures.com.

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LED Tennis Lighting helps achieve optimal playing conditions.

HACKENSACK, N.J. When it comes to renovation projects, contractors say homeowners often don't (pardon the pun) think outside the box.

Want a closet? You can steal some space from a neighboring room. Want a room? You can re-purpose that little-used closet into something more practical. When your contractor takes a peek behind your walls, you might be surprised to find you have usable space you never knew existed.

A savvy contractor can often come up with an innovative solution for home design and construction problems.

"People sort of get tunnel vision," says Richard Graniere, owner of Wayne, N.J.-based Advantage Contracting. "They work in the existing space instead of working within the outside perimeters of the house. They get blinded by the walls."

One of the easiest ways to re-purpose space is to take down nonload-bearing walls, which are most walls in your home, Graniere says. Even a load-bearing wall can be removed, but it requires support beams to be erected in its place.

Dominic Mangiarelli recalls a woman who asked him about four years ago to renovate a bathroom, but also talked about how much she wanted more closet space for her five-bedroom colonial in Livingston, N.J.

Mangiarelli had to take down a wall between the bathroom and the hallway. In the middle, he discovered a cavity between a chimney and the hallway wall.

"It was small, only about 18 inches by 18 inches, but to her it was a gold mine," he says. Mangiarelli carved out the space for a linen closet in that cavity.

A custom door for such a small size would be very expensive, but Mangiarelli came up with a novel idea: He used one panel of a bi-fold door. A little paint and Spackle and a carpet remnant completed the job.

"She was just as excited about that closet as she was about the weeks of work I put into the bathroom," Mangiarelli says with a laugh.

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Renovations that tap into your hidden space

Northern Virginia (PRWEB) June 30, 2012

A finished basement holds the potential to be transformed into a dream room. Whether a homeowner desires to build a bedroom, office, play room or entertainment area, the basement offers lots of possibilities.

It is best to consult a professional when thinking about a basement remodel; they can give you advice on what can realistically be built in your space. Basement projects often require, structural alterations, along with plumbing and wiring modifications, said Tim Gatling, Owner of Tims Quality Construction. He shares foundational advice before turning a dream into reality.

Eliminate basement moisture. A homeowner must take care of any water or moisture problems before getting started on a basement remodel. A drain and sump pump system can resolve most basement moisture problems. Normal dehumidifiers, will not always do the trick, make sure the dehumidifier is basement rated, said Tim. Basement pipes should be checked to make sure they are not leaking. Pipes could require sealing, also insulating pipes can reduce moisture that is caused by condensation, added Tim.

Most often, a moisture problem can be traced back to the floor, so chose flooring carefully. Concrete flooring is porous and can emit moisture from the ground surface below. Installing a good subfloor can help with moisture problems and provide extra insulation and warmth, if a homeowner is installing carpet, laminate or vinyl, said Tim. Tile is another option. If a homeowner has an unfortunate problem with flooding, tile is easy to clean. Installing radiant flooring can help provide warmth to the floor, if a hard surfaced floor is installed.

Effective planning is crucial to the success of any project, said Tim.

For more information about this company please call (571) 237-5833, or visit their website at http://www.timsqualityconstruction.com

About Tims Quality Construction & Restoration

Tims Quality Construction & Restoration is fully licensed and insured. They do any size residential or commercial job. With over 20 years of experience, they have earned a proven track record of excellence in designing, managing and constructing projects around the Northern Virginia area. Their services include; room additions, bathroom and kitchen remodels, basement finishing, new garage construction, installation of flooring, including hardwood and carpet, drywall and framing. They work hard to make sure the job is done correctly, while saving the customer time, money and aggravation. They believe in quality without compromise. Call today to get a project underway.

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Fairfax Basement Remodeling Expert Announces Tips for Homeowners Interested in Remodeling Their Basement

If you're not yet giving much thought to how much energy your new house is going to use, and how much it's going to waste, then it's time you started.

It should be one of your top priorities if for no other reason than your own pocketbook.

Energy used for heating and cooling homes is going to continue to get more expensive and as we've seen recently, world politics can quickly and dramatically affect your access to cheap energy.

Saving energy isnt just about saving money. It's also an important part of good design.

A Little History

This isn't the first energy crunch we've had. In the 1970's, when I was a college student studying Environmental Design, world events conspired to create an American energy crisis. It was an interesting time to study architecture, because the buildings we designed were required to respond to the environment by using natural energy sources as much as possible.

The homes we created used technology and inventive design to give them form. We designed solar homes, earth-sheltered homes, thermal-mass homes, and other types in a wide variety of shapes and sizes. They collected heat from the sun and the ground and held it inside as long as possible. They blocked excessive solar radiation with deep overhangs and shading devices, and they were very carefully oriented to the angle of the sun and prevailing winds.

Sure they looked a little weird (some were downright ugly) but we designed homes that stayed warm in the winter and cool in the summer and used almost no energy at all.

But then in the 1980's energy got cheap again, and everybody forgot about low-energy homes.

Zzzzzzz.

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Energy Efficiency Designs

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Friends like Megan and James Levesque have played a big part in helping first-time homeowner Joey Cresta complete renovations.Joey Cresta photo

Friends have the uncanny ability to pick you up right at the moment when you most feel like staying down.

I've recently been discouraged by the slow rate of progress we're making on our home renovations. Our 1930 New Englander has proven to be a challenging first-ever renovation for this novice homeowner. Particularly, I'm upset that the process of installing our cabinets and countertops has taken so long.

Our cabinets have been in at least two weeks, but just a few days ago, we ordered our countertops. It will be a couple of weeks, at the very least, before they arrive. Even worse, our walls aren't square, and I dread that the countertops as we've measured them won't work out. I'm even bracing for the installation to be much more of a process than one might expect. That's been the way everything has gone thus far.

That was our situation on one recent weekend. It was mid-morning, and I was sitting around, not expecting to do much work around the house. At that point, I was feeling like things were pretty hopeless and why bother exerting effort when the cabinets are going to continue sitting there, taunting me in their half-finished state.

My friend James Levesque had different plans. He has been a work horse on this project. He works for a construction company and has a knack for everything from hanging and taping drywall to installing doors and windows. Our home would be nothing without him.

As such, I often feel guilty about asking him to help. Weekends are precious for everyone and he's done so much for us already. So has his wife, Megan. So, on this particular morning, I hadn't even thought about bothering him. I figured it would be a good opportunity to take a weekend off and unwind after so much hard work.

Then I got a text from James, totally out of the blue.

"Morning, big cat, what's on the agenda today? Meg's workin' so I'm free if you need any help," he wrote.

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Friends with construction skills: priceless

Melville, Saskatchewan (PRWEB) June 29, 2012

Today (June 29, 2012) the City of Melville, SK, became the second local government in the province to embrace the iCompass Meeting Management Solution, a technology service that will provide easier access to information for the public and council as well as a reduction in paper waste. In subscribing to iCompass meeting and tracking applications, Melville is furthering its efforts to go green. Adopting a paperless agenda solution adds to the many eco-friendly initiatives underway at the municipality.

iCompass Technologies of Kamloops, BC provides a web-based Meeting Management Solution that streamlines the creation, approval and distribution of agendas, minutes and related meeting actions for over 400 local government customers across North America.

Melville Assistant City Clerk, Kayla Hauser, says: We are very excited to use the Meeting Management Solution software provided by iCompass. This will make us one step closer to achieving our goal of going green within our City.

iCompass President and CEO, Todd Stone, says: Municipalities of all sizes are increasingly faced with the challenge of managing huge amounts of data, websites that need to be updated frequently, and never-ending constituent requests, said Stone.

"Municipal employees are buried under thousands of pages of documents that need to be organized, and they often cant find what theyre looking for in a timely fashion. Now, for the first time ever, small to medium urban and rural municipalities are able to afford information management applications that have traditionally only been available to the larger municipalities, added Stone.

About the City of Melville The City of Melville is a clean, safe and friendly community of approximately 4517 residents, which constitutes an excellent environment to raise a young family or to retire. Melville is located in South Eastern Saskatchewan along Highway # 10.

Over the last several years, the City has been bustling with new commercial, industrial and residential developments. One of the newest additions to Melville is the Horizon Credit Union Centre. This facility will be a health, wellness, and cultural centre for Melville and the surrounding communities.

About iCompass Technologies During the past 14 years, iCompass has built a market of over 400 local government and other public sector customers across North America. iCompass provides CivicWeb, the leading cloud-based meeting, records and content management solutions for city clerks who are swamped with never-ending tasks related to managing their meeting process, records administration and tracking responsibilities.

CivicWeb automates meeting, records and content management workflow in one system, facilitating open governance through comprehensive and seamless access to information. It provides a real-time pulse and complete visibility into whats going on across the entire organization, and enables the shifting of resources to other pressing priorities.

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City of Melville, SK, Purchases Paperless Agenda Software as Further Commitment to Environment