City requests county adopt building code fees

by Dan Sanderson-Staff Writer

Wednesday, June 20, 2012 9:42 AM EDT

The door is not closed on requiring building permit fees for reroofing, residing and installing windows in an least the City of Grayling.

The Grayling City Council has requested the Crawford County Board of Commissioners to add fees for the home improvement projects into its building fee schedule.

The Crawford County Building and Zoning Department handles building code inspections for the City of Grayling.

In May 2009, the county board rejected a proposal to adopt the fees for reroofing, residing and installing windows because they believed it would place a hardship on homeowners and contractors.

In 2009, Joe Duran, director for the Crawford County Building and Zoning Department, recommended the Crawford County Board approve the new fees to protect the unknown public regarding the new building requirements.

Duran said the inspections covered by the fee would ensure the work was being done to manufacturer's specifications. The inspections would also protect the health, safety and welfare of county residents by cutting down mold and mildew contamination in homes and helping eliminate complaints that go to the Department of Consumer and Industry Affairs for shoddy work.

The fee request was prompted by a state law, which went into effect on June 1, 2009, which amended the Michigan Residential Code and incorporates International Residential Code specifications for family dwellings into state building requirements.

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City requests county adopt building code fees

22-06-2012 00:01 http 314-966-2666 Before your windows or patio doors go out of warranty or the window/patio door manufacturer goes out of business do this simple test to check for broken seals. Hi, I'm Dennis McHugh, replacement window and patio door expert. I have 20 years...

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St. Louis Window Replacement: Test Before Warranty Expires - Video

Often surrounded by a mass of cables, inputs and high-end equipment, one could be forgiven for thinking that DJs indulge in an expensive, complicated craft. But all you need is a DJ app on an iPad to blend your favourite tunes and cast your sorcery on the dance floor.

Apple's versatile tablet has made the art of mixing more accessible than ever, with apps such as djay for iPad and iDJ making it a great stepping stone into the world of turntabling. Have you always fancied trying your hand on the decks? If so, here's how to set yourself on the path to becoming the next Tiesto.

To begin your illustrious career as a tablet DJ, you'll need an iPad packed with your favourite selection of high-quality tunes. Your mobile DJ station will need to be running iOS 4.2 or better, with at least 20MB of space -- not including your chosen tracks.

You'll also need $20 (13) worth of iTunes credit to buy djay for iPad. Download it here. One of the most impressive apps on the market today, djay for iPad is easy to use but packed with features -- perfect for seasoned vinyl heads or MP3 newbies alike.

There's also a range of easily expandable features. One great accessory, if you want to take things up a notch, is the Griffin DJ Cable. It lets you hear what the PA is playing and the track you're cueing up, giving you even more control over your mix -- once you know what you're doing. You'd also be well advised to invest in some quality headphones.

A DJ is nothing without his record bag, or in this case, his iTunes library. Your first step is to assemble a mass of your favourite tracks in the highest-quality format you can afford. This will make all the difference.

After downloading djay, you should be able to easily access your songs. One of djay's many plus points is its ability to see your iTunes library in its entirety -- making importing tracks to your decks a painless experience.

When you first open djay, you'll be presented with a familiar DJ scene -- left and right decks with a horizontal cross-fader in the middle and vertical pitch faders either side. The pitch faders control the speed of the song, while the cross-fader is the tool that does the blending -- the most important control for a DJ.

Mixing is the blending of tracks -- not the twisting or forcing together of them -- so it's always a good idea to find two songs that complement each other, with a similar tempo or beats per minute (BPM).

Once you've chosen your two tracks, you have a couple of options. Firstly, pressing the sync button will adjust both tunes to the same speed -- so mixing is as simple as choosing when to start the second song and moving the cross-fader along. The more difficult, but ultimately more rewarding, method would be to ignore the sync button altogether and instead sync the tracks using your own newly discovered DJing skills.

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How to DJ on your iPad

A Commerce woman faces four criminal charges after she allegedly decked another woman she thought was involved in a relationship with her estranged husband.

Take me to jail because I done knocked out that (woman) for (having sex) with my man, advised Danielle Marie McDaniel, 33, of 155 Beaver Creek Drive, Commerce, according to the Commerce police report on the incident.

The victim, a white female, claimed to have no knowledge of what McDaniel was talking about, according to the report. She told the officer she was walking across the street near Prestos convenience Store, Old Maysville Road, when McDaniel appeared, struck her in the face and accused her of sleeping with McDaniels soon-to-be-ex-husband.

The officer said he asked the victim if she had a relationship with the man. The victim replied that she did not, that she didnt know anyone in the area and was just going on a walk with her daughter when McDaniel came out and attacked her.

The officer charged McDaniel with battery, cruelty to a child, disorderly conduct and criminal trespass.

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Wife decks woman she thinks slept with husband

GROTON -- After a yearlong effort, members of the Lost Lake Sewer Committee are prepared to begin the final lap in their work to have a new wastewater system installed in the environmentally sensitive Lost Lake neighborhood.

At a meeting held last Monday night, member Tom Orcutt reported meeting with officials in Ayer updating them on the commission's progress.

Earlier in the year, Groton joined Ayer in an inter-municipal agreement regarding a proposed hook up between a planned sewer line for the Lost Lake area and wastewater facilities in the neighboring town.

In the meantime, the commission has continued to move forward with plans to install a sewer system at Lost Lake having submitted a final report on its feasibility to the Board of Selectmen last year.

The final report by the Sewer Committee estimated that to serve 390 potential households, it could cost as much as $10 million to install a sewer system in the Lost Lake area exclusive of a wastewater treatment plant.

Last Monday night, commission Chairman Carol Quinn estimated that if a plan including hook up with Ayer were followed, it would cost every person who owned land along the sewer line between $18,000 and $24,000 each in betterment fees paid over 20 or 30 years depending on the type of loan the town could secure.

Those numbers however, would also be conditioned upon whether the town could secure federal or state grant money for the project or if town residents agreed to cover

To find out what residents wanted to do in regard to a Lost Lake sewer system or covering part of its expense with taxes, the commission plans to send out a survey with late summer billing from the Groton Electric Light Department.

Questions on the survey are to include whether residents were aware of the Lost Lake sewer project; whether they supported the idea; and if they would support paying a portion of the project via taxes and if so, what percentage.

After the results have been received, the committee plans to hold a number of public hearings and informational sessions in the autumn prior to fall town meeting.

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Lost Lake neighbors closer to new system

SAVE THE DATE

Come enjoy music and a cocktail buffet on the porches of two beautiful Victorian homes in the Heights at the Shelter Island Educational Foundations third annual porch party on Sunday, July 1 from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $50 and may be reserved by calling Jody Thompson at 749-2352.

DICK CAVETT TO SPEAK

Emmy Award-winning talk show host and comedian, Dick Cavett, and his wife, fellow author Martha Rogers, Ph.D., will speak on Saturday, June 30 at the Shelter Island Librarys 22nd annual Book & Author Luncheon. Sponsored by the Friends of the Shelter Island Public Library, the event will take place at noon at the Rams Head Inn and Gary Paul Gates will moderate. Tickets are $75 for open seating and $125 for reserved seating and an autographed book. Call the library at 749-0042 for information and reservations.

READING CLUB BEGINS

Dream Big, Read! is the theme of the Summer Reading Club at the Library. Kids can help fill the childrens room with stars by putting up a star for every book they read, while collecting stickers, books and weekly prizes. Registration begins Friday, June 22; book reporting starts on Tuesday, July 3. Call the library at 749-0042 for information or to register.

FIRST CONCERT AT PERLMAN

The Perlman Music Program will open its summer season on Friday, June 22, with its annual Faculty Concert, which will take place under the tent at the schools Shore Road campus. This concert is an opportunity to hear performances by the programs faculty, including violinist Itzhak Perlman.

The performance begins at 7:30 p.m. and is free and open to the public and kids of all ages. Call 212- 877-5045 or 749-0740 for more information or go to perlmanmusicprogram.org for a season schedule.

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What’s happening on Shelter Island and beyond

(NAPSI)While the real estate market remains a challenge for those looking to sell, some simple staging and remodeling tips can help make your home more attractive to prospective buyers.

Bathrooms can sell houses but not if they are lackluster and out of date. While it can be easy to spend five figures on a complete remodel, there are less expensive ways to give your bathroom a fresh new look. For example, a little paint, some fresh flowers and new shower fixtures can take your bathroom from outdated to outstanding. Here are a few tips to help:

If you cant afford to replace outdated wallpaper, work with the colors you already have. Buy some matching towels or a new shower curtain to coordinate the look.

If you can paint, its an easy weekend project that will brighten the space. Go for lighter colors; white is a classic.

Clear off the counters. This is especially important in a smaller bathroom to create the illusion of more space.

Clean the bathroom thoroughly. Make sure everything sparkles.

Styles change, so if possible, update your shower fixtures. Finding fixtures in styles that fit your decor doesnt have to break your budget.

The Neo Collection adds bold style for a modern look, while the graceful curvature of the hardware in the Alexandria Collection helps create a luxurious feel.

The distinctive details of the Caspian Collection offer an unconventional, modern touch and the Rainier Collection delivers a unique square design so bold it can update any traditionally styled bathroom.

Stylish and innovative valves, designer faucets and accessories can be obtained to effectively coordinate your remodeling efforts.

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Nice-looking bathrooms can help make for faster sale of your home

The melodious chamber music filling the sanctuary at First Parish in Lexington every Friday is helping to ensure the sounds of the churchs historic organ continue to fill the space every Sunday.

First Parishs Friday Noon Concerts are free, but donations from concertgoers go to restore and maintain the churchs Hutchings organ. Built in 1897 by George Hutchings, one of Bostons finest organ builders, the instrument was installed at First Parish in 1898.

Carolyn Bruse, chairman of the organ subcommittee at First Parish, said the 115-year-old organ has a replacement value of $750,000 to $1 million.

You have to do routine maintenance all the time, she said. Its quite expensive, and there are bigger things that come up every 30 years or so that you have to be prepared for.

Bruse said money raised from the concert series serves as a cushion for the churchs annual organ maintenance budget. Last summer, the concert series raised about $3,000 in donations. This year, the fundraising goal is $10,000.

The church contracts the Andover Organ Company to perform any maintenance on the organ. Recently, the church hired organ consultant, Barbara Owen, to help develop a maintenance schedule for the future. Owen suggested restoring the organ to its original form but First Parish Music Director Suzanne Jubenville did not feel it would be suitable for the congregation.

We decided not to restore it to its original state because musically it is more usable and versatile the way it is, Jubenville said. Were not interested in maintaining an antique. We want to keep a historic organ going rather than have a museum piece.

The organ contains 1,900 wooden and metal pipes, of which only 27 are visible to the congregation. The remaining pipes are concealed in the organ room, located behind the instrument. Each set of pipes is a different size and construction, which determines the tone.

According to Jubenville, whose husband Jeffrey plays the organ at church services every Sunday, the organ is a tracker organ, meaning it uses mechanical rather than electrical functions to produce sound.

Tracker organs are all really different, she said. Every organ is unique. It takes a little bit more action to work it, and there might be a small delay between your finger pushing the key and the actual sounds.

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Concert series helps maintain historic organ at Lexington church

The installation marked the near-completion of a $40 million renovation and expansion of Tulsa's oldest church.

The crowd broke into cheers, whistles and clapping as the first section of the 10,000-pound steeple touched down, just as the church bells completed the hymn "Lift High the Cross," arranged by music director Ron Pearson.

The second section of the steeple, a spire and a cross, was installed hours later.

In a brief ceremony preceding the installation, the Rev. Jim Miller said church steeples through the ages were often the tallest structures in towns, in the very center of town, calling people to a three-dimensional view of life, and "reminding people of the God in Jesus Christ, highly exalted, author of every blessing, who yearns to be at the center of our lives."

Miller said the steeple "literally points to the cross."

An 8-foot, steel, Celtic cross will adorn the new steeple and the original steeple that remains on the old section of the building at Seventh Street and Boston Avenue.

Bob Pielsticker, the volunteer chairman of the church building committee, thanked the numerous contractors on the project.

"It's a glorious day, and it's been 20 months to get here," he said.

He said the 60,000-square-foot expansion will allow the 2,600-member congregation to meet under one roof.

In recent years, church activities have been split between the 100,000-square-foot original church building and the Bernsen Center across the street.

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New steeple signifies near-completion of First Presbyterian Church renovation

Anne Cutler

5:10 p.m. CDT, June 22, 2012

NEW ORLEANS

Choosing a home appliance repairman doesn't have to be a guessing game.

With 30 years of experience, the folks at Solar Refrigeration and Appliance have heard horror stories from customers who've gotten a raw deal somewhere else. Corrine Caruso says, "You go out of town, come home, maybe your ice maker floods your kitchen or when he's putting the appliance back doesn't take the care to push the appliance back properly and cracks a granite countertop or scratches a cabinet."

However, now there's a new option to find a repairman you can trust. A website called Repair.com matches customers with qualified companies. Visit the site and it'll ask what type of appliance and where you live. Up pops a list of pre-qualified technicians with background screening and factory training. Each technician is rated to help you decide. "And then the consumer sees the schedule because we share our schedules with Repair.com," says Caruso, "So they see what our availability is."

You can book the appointment right online. It doesn't cost anything for a company to be listed on Repair.com, however every time a customer is referred, that company pays a one-time fee. Caruso says, "We pay a service fee for every consumer that is sent to us, which is very much like paying for paying for advertising."

You'll get the peace of mind that comes with a reputable technician and the extra assurance of a 90 day guarantee.

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Hammer-and-Heels: New Website Takes Risk out of Appliance Repair