CHICO The Chico Urban Area Nitrate Compliance project could be coming to your neighborhood if you live in north Chico.

The upcoming project is bordered by Pillsbury Road, East Avenue and Cohasset Road, but spills into Burnap, Lupin and North avenues pockets too.

New sewer pipes connecting about 770 residences and businesses to the city's sewer plant are planned, along with backhoe trenching down the streets to accommodate the pipe work.

This will be the third of a six-phase, $38 million Chico project, impacting properties on septic systems. Lassen Avenue and Chapman-Mulberry areas have been completed.

Required by the state because of nitrates in the groundwater, all septic tanks in Chico must be disabled and replaced by sewer service.

High levels of nitrates in drinking water can be a danger to infants, causing reduced oxygen supply. In adults, prolonged intake of nitrates has been linked to intestinal problems, according to the city's sewer project website.

On the up side, city sewer access can mean tapping areas monopolized by septic tanks and leach lines, the ability to install a garbage disposal, and a higher resale value, according to the county.

Because Chico is a combination of city and county jurisdictions, the two governments are working jointly on the Chico Urban Area Nitrate Compliance Program.

The city and county identified a number of nitrate "hot spots" in Chico, which now fall under the compliance program. Property owners inside

Other septic tank owners not be in the compliance will still be required to eventually connect to city sewers.

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Sewer project ready to start in north Chico

Space-saving tips for bathroom remodeling

Space-saving expert Gale Steves suggests ways to renew your bathroom in her book, "Right-Sizing Your Home: How to Make Your House Fit Your Lifestyle" (Northwest Arm Press):

1. Enhance space and storage by swinging the door outward. Use hooks or pegs to hang towels, put a storage cabinet or shelves above the toilet and use below-sink cabinetry and mirrored medicine cabinets.

2. In smaller bathrooms, create a larger, spa-like shower by getting rid of the shower/tub combo. If a dedicated bather, go with a space-saving built-in soaking tub.

3. Install lighting that can dim as well as go off (along with exhaust fans) automatically after a period of time.

4. Separate the toilet from the sink area with a frosted glass wall, or if there's more space, with a toilet room (add venting for noise and odor control).

5. To enhance counter space, use a single-bowl rather than a double-bowl vanity. If there's enough room, use two sinks and add privacy by separating them with built-in wall storage.

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Bath renovations: Practicality wins out over luxury

Members of First United Methodist Church in Decatur are finding a niche reaching out to communities forgotten in the aftermath of disaster.

But two trips to help Oakville, Iowa, rebuild from devastating flooding that put Cedar Rapids in the news in 2008 have done more than provide a valuable bonding experience with the townspeople.

The experience has also built bonds among the missionaries that span generations.

So much so that 45 people, up from 35 last year and ranging from preschoolers to retirees, have signed up to go to Poplar Bluff, Mo., to help towns in that area recover from damage related to the deadly tornado that hit Joplin on May 22, 2011.

The group leaves June 24 and returns June 30.

When you sweat next to people for four or five days and eat meals with them, you tend to get better acquainted, said Matt Stevens, 59, of Decatur. Youre also doing something important for people who need help.

Indeed, Marise Robbins-Forbes, her husband, Guy, and daughters, Sydney, 12, and Katie, 9, of Decatur cant wait to get involved after hearing about the mission trips the past couple years.

Were a busy family, so were seeking quality time together and want to instill in our daughters the value of helping others, Robbins-Forbes said.

She suspects Sydney might be asked to help prepare meals for the group because she loves to cook.

Other tasks, besides cooking and construction, include a story/craft time for children in the local park.

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First United Methodist Church members help those affected by disasters

A South Side church plans to convert 4,000 square feet of its current building, including its sanctuary, into a community center for one of Madisons most racially and culturally diverse neighborhoods.

Fountain of Life Church and its Nehemiah Community Development Corp. announced in a festive groundbreaking ceremony Friday evening that its existing facility at 633 W. Badger Road will undergo a $300,000 renovation to become the South Madison Center for Culture and Community, described as a neighborhood gathering place to bring various cultures together.

"We are remodeling and refurnishing the current auditorium, meeting spaces and kitchen" for the new center, the Rev. Alex Gee, pastor of Fountain of Life Church, said before the ceremony began.

"If we had the time and space resources we would probably create a gym," Gee said.

Nehemiah, the churchs umbrella nonprofit organization, will manage the space, providing a location for courses, training, plays, art shows, film festivals, concerts and forums, Gee said. It will also offer a place for 12-step programs.

The updated kitchen and meeting space also will be available for banquets, he said.

Fountain of Life, a congregation of about 200 families, is also funding construction of a new $1 million church adjacent to the community center that will house a 500-seat sanctuary and 10 new classrooms. Both the new church and community center are expected to open by February.

"My first words are, Its about time. Weve wanted to do this expansion for years," said Madison police Officer Corey Saffold, who attended the groundbreaking both as a church member and as the Fisher-Baird neighborhood officer.

The church will pay for the community centers new roof and facade, but Gee hopes that outside donations will fund the interior and equipment upgrades. More information is online at http://www.southmadisonccc.org.

"I grew up in South Madison. And I have longed to see greater cultural expression here," Gee said. "Our center is going to certainly stress African-American art and culture. But another mission is to be a gathering place where we can learn about each others cultures.

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South Side church to create cultural center

WHERE: 195 N. Main St., Warrensburg, IL 62573

CONTACT: 672-3541; revkevtow@yahoo.com

ABOUT THE CHURCH

Warrensburg United Methodist Church is a United Methodist church with a traditional worship service. Worship attendance averages 25. Kevin Treptow is in his second year of serving as the pastoral minister.

Service days and times:

Sunday school: 9:15 a.m.; Sunday worship: 10:30 a.m.

OUTREACH

Warrensburg United Methodist Church delivers food baskets to people in need during Thanksgiving. The church participates with the local Lions Club Brotherhood Tree to help needy families for Christmas. They also assist WLCO in helping meet the supply needs for students and teachers. Through extra giving and the Methodist connectional system, aid is sent to institutions such as Baby Fold and Imagine No Malaria.

HISTORY

Warrensburg United Methodist Church dates back to before there was a Warrensburg. In 1857, a Methodist Society held meetings at the Illinois Central Depot. Later, the group met at Mount Pleasant School, which was located east of the current Warrensburg. In 1867, a pastor was appointed and an official church was formed.

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Church of the Week: Warrensburg United Methodist Church

ANDOVER Last Sunday, the Rev. Jon Heydenreich led the congregation out of Faith Lutheran Church singing "On Our Way, Rejoicing" as they gathered in the construction area.

Thus began the ground breaking at the church for a new addition.

"Bless those who have worked and contributed to provide this site, which today we set apart for the addition to our church," Heydenreich said in his prayer.

"May this be a place where your glory dwells. May we soon celebrate your presence in this addition and in the time to come, may we praise you forever in your eternal home."

After the blessing, Heydenreich turned over three shovelfuls of dirt on behalf of the Holy Trinity father, Son and Holy Spirit.

Construction started on Monday by Northpoint Construction LLC of Hudson, N.H. Work will be done during the summer as Faith Lutheran hosts an Andover/North Andover YMCA after-school program during the academic year and the addition is scheduled to be complete by mid-September.

"There's a big sense of anticipation and fear because of the unknown," said Roberta Ede, who along with her husband Tim Ede, are co-chairs of the Building Expansion Committee.

"When you're building your own house it's one thing, but when you're building the house of God, you want to make sure everything is in order and that everyone will be happy," Ede said.

Members of Faith Lutheran have been planning the addition since 2007, which was going to be done in three phases. The economic downturn made church members scale back, scraping plans to build a new sanctuary and rest rooms.

They will go ahead with phase II of the project, which will add 1,625 square feet of space that will include the fellowship, Christian education, youth group and storage space, which Ede said the church desperately needs.

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Faith Lutheran breaks ground on church addition in Andover

ALBANY The lot at the corner of New Scotland and Hollywood avenues is a dirt-caked space, devoid of a building, a parking lot, even grass.

Instead, it is filled with construction equipment and piles of dirt ranging in height from a couple of feet to more then 20 feet tall, all of which is enclosed by dusty chainlink fencing.

But at Friday evening's groundbreaking ceremony, members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, or Mormons, envisioned the new 13,000-square-foot building that will be the church's Albany Second Branch in the space.

The groundbreaking comes after months of controversy involving the city's Planning Board regarding the demolition of the former St. Teresa of Avila Middle School. But Friday's event was devoid of acrimony.

"We look forward to being here, and we look forward to meeting our neighbors," LDS Gospel Doctrine teacher Robert Blanchard said to the roughly 70 people assembled before him. "We love you and look forward to having you be our friends and neighbors."

The ceremony included a speech from longtime neighborhood resident and city councilman James Sano, who was among those who questioned the demolition of the former building and the construction of a new one.

"Who's to say what's coming isn't as good, or better, than what was here before?" he said. "It's nice to see the energy these people bring."

After the site and old building were sold to the LDS church for $1.34 million in 2010, the proposal to raze the building was unanimously denied by the Planning Board, which cited the church's own findings that the cost to reuse the building would be "nearly identical" to the cost to demolish it and build in its place.

Sano said the questioning was never based on religion but was instead in defense of the demolition ordinance already in place.

The church subsequently filed a lawsuit in March 2010, charging that the board had wrongly denied permission to demolish the building. The suit was upheld by Supreme Court Justice Richard Platkin in October 2010. He ruled that the board's claims that the building was integral to the Helderberg Neighborhood "lacks rational basis."

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A church is born and controversy is buried

KITCHENER City buildings officials say the residents in an eight-storey apartment building at Ottawa Street and Midland Drive cannot use their enclosed balconies.

Building inspectors declared the balconies at 24 Midland Dr. unsafe because wooden studs and drywall were used to build the exterior walls when the balconies were enclosed in 1990 with no building permit.

The exterior walls of the balconies do not comply with the Ontario Building Code.

The owners have until Dec. 1 to complete the work to make the balconies safe for each of the 73 units. The building is in the ward represented by Coun. Berry Vrbanovic, who organized a meeting among the residents, city building officials and engineers.

The latest review says all the balconies do not meet the code, there are concerns with them, some are particularly bad and there are life-safety issues, potentially, with the balconies, Vrbanovic said in an interview Friday.

The building, known as Stanley Park Place, was built in 1967. The units are owned by the occupants in a condominium-like arrangement.

For the seniors it is worrisome, Vrbanovic said. It is going to be a potentially significant chunk of money.

It could cost up to $25,000 to bring each balcony up to the standards of the building code. The construction season is in full swing right now and that could push the costs up, so Vrbanovic hopes the deadline can be extended.

Mike Seiling, the citys top building official, said nobody is allowed to use the enclosed balconies until the exterior walls are replaced.

If we have to give them some extra time we will be willing to listen, but we want to see some action, he said. We understand this is going to be expensive, we are sympathetic to that.

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Safety concerns mean apartment owners can’t use their balconies

There's no actual porch at The Front Porch, the Southern-inspired eatery in Bernal Heights known for its deep-fried... lots of things. Instead, you are greeted on the sidewalk to an outdoor dining setup unlike one we've ever seen: a line of benches facing a trellis, which covers a handful of small tables among a mishmash of houseplants, rocking chairs and strung lights. It may take you a few minutes to notice that the whole space is a converted driveway and garage, cozied up next to a seemingly residential staircase. The eclectic abundance is inviting, and it all feels somewhat neighborly -- if your neighbor is the kind of person who parks salvaged chairs outside her house to relax in and sip iced tea (or a Bloody Mary). It's during brunch service (10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Saturday and Sunday) that the makeshift "porch" really shines, particularly on a sunny day when the indoor area of stuffed leather booths and low ceilings seems far too dim.

The brunch menu is similar to the dinner one, with Cajun and Creole classics from New Orleans guiding the theme. A few breakfast and lunch additions bring a morning slant to the line-up, such as the Country Breakfast ($9) with eggs, biscuits and your choice of meat, or the Po'Boy ($15), a homey sandwich filled with cornmeal-crusted shrimp, oysters or flounder.

Coffee, both regular hot and iced, is brewed with chicory, just like they do it at New Orleans' famous Cafe du Monde. For those sticking with typical brunch beverages, The Front Porch offers the regular suspects to choose from, like a mimosa ($6) or Bloody Mary ($8) -- and even a couple of surprises, such as red beer with spicy tomato juice ($6).

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The Front Porch Brunch: Prop Up Your Feet and Dig In

Six Home Depot employees want the iconic granders wall in Kailua Villageto be a source of community pride.

Since Thursday, they have been voluntarily restoring the iconic wall, located in Konas Waterfront Row, which for decades has recognized the anglers and top-notch professionals who have caught a grander a marlin weighing 1,000 pounds or more.

The project leaders electrical department supervisor Cheryl LeMieux, plumbing department associate Bruce Newlun and appliance sales specialist Renee Medeiros noticed the walls wear and tear, as well as vandalism, while walking around downtown earlier this year.

The six decided the neglected, weathered wall didnt befit Kona, a fishing town considered by many to be the marlin capital of the world. Kona is also home to the famous Hawaiian International Billfish Tournament, LeMieux said.

They decided restoring the wall, with its more than 60 records and photos, would be a great hands-on service project for the Home Depot Kailua-Kona store. Once every quarter, store employees roll up their sleeves and get dirty while voluntarily working to improve the community through various projects, LeMieux said.

This was just an opportunity to give back, she said. After all, we have the resources and skills to transform the scruffy, worn-down granders wall. By restoring it, were sort of helping restore Konas pride and its famed image of being the prime fishing ground (where you can) land the coveted grander. Its also an example of whats good about our community.

Home Depot wanted to get the project done before next months World Cup Blue Marlin Championship. Held annually on July 4, the tournament features teams who fish for eight hours in their time zone to see who can catch the largest blue marlin. The winner takes all; theres no second place. The Maui Jim team, with Capt. Thomas Casey and angler Scott Shaw, won last years tournament by catching a 729-pound marlin in the waters off Kona.

Home Depot contacted Clark Commercial Group property management portfolio manager Patti Kiernan and assistant commercial portfolio manager Laura Gentry, asking for permission and collaboration on the project. Home Depot provided the all-volunteer labor and approximately $300 worth of materials, including paint, varnish, refurbished frames, updated lighting and Plexiglas. Meanwhile, Clark worked with a local photographer to restore the photos, including transforming them all into black and white, LeMieux said.

When Hawaii Island residents and visitors see the finished wall this weekend, LeMieux hopes theyre filled with pride and amazed by the feats accomplished by anglers.

They will learn about Kona Capt. George Parker, the first person in the state to land a blue marlin grander in the Pacific Ocean. Theyll notice that 52 years ago angler James Schultz and skipper Murray Heminger Jr. were the first to capture a grander in Kona waters. The biggest grander ever caught was 1,640 pounds and was landed in 1986, LeMieux said.

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Wall restoration helps restore Kona’s fishing pride