Developer Clive Berghofers 52-block housing estate on the corner of Tarlington and Ramsay Sts in Middle Ridge is set to hit the market in the next fortnight.

DAVE NOONAN

TOOWOOMBA has been riding in the fast lane of Australia's two-speed economy, with home building approvals up 75% year-on-year in the three months to April.

Housing Industry Association Queensland executive director Warwick Temby said the figures were directly linked to the city's proximity to major resource developments in the Surat Basin.

He said the boost represented a return to health for the housing industry after "very depressed levels of last year for the state as a whole".

"Home building approvals are up 75% in Toowoomba, 83% in Rockhampton and 84% in Gladstone on the same period in 2011," he said.

"This is a direct result of the massive investment that is taking place in the resources sector."

Developer Clive Berghofer warned land sales had slowed in recent months.

Of the 65 new Highfields housing blocks he put on the market in January, 58 were sold before the State Government's $10,000 building boost grant expired on April 30.

"Inquiries have come to a stop since then," he said.

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Home building approvals up 75%

BIRD, ROBERT P., Scranton, Wednesday, 10 a.m., Semian Funeral Home, 704 Union St., Taylor, by the Rev. Wayne Shontz. Interment, Fairview Memorial Park, Elmhurst. Calling hours today, 5 to 8 p.m. Contributions: Greater Pennsylvania Chapter, Alzheimer's Association, 57 N. Franklin St., Wilkes-Barre, PA 18701.

BRIZINSKI, CATHERINE J., Dickson City, Wednesday, 9:30 a.m., Frank T. Mazur Funeral Home Inc., 601 Dundaff St., Dickson City. Mass, 10, St. Mary's Visitation Church, Dickson City. Interment, Our Mother of Sorrows Cemetery, Finch Hill. Calling hours Wednesday, 8:30 to 9:30. Condolences: http://www.mazur funeralhome.com.

BURNETT, THE REV. KENNETH AARON "DUKE," Wilkes-Barre, Wednesday, noon, Kniffen-O'Malley Funeral Home Inc., 465 S. Main St., Wilkes-Barre, by the Rev. Eric Brown. Calling hours today, 5 to 8 p.m., and Wednesday, 11 a.m. to service. Donations: Bethel AME Church Building Fund, 611 Hepburn Street, Williamsport, PA. Condolences: BestLifeTributes.com.

CIULLO, ROCCO N., West Scranton and Gino Merli Veterans Center, today, Patrick F. Guido Funeral Home, 120 S. Main Ave., Scranton. Mass, 9:30 a.m., St. Lucy's Church, 949 Scranton St., Scranton. Interment with military honors, Cathedral Cemetery. Contributions: St. Lucy's Church Restoration Fund, 949 Scranton St., Scranton, PA 18504. Condolences: patrickguidofuneralhome.com.

CUNNINGHAM, JESSICA FAITH McDONALD, Scranton, today, 9:45 a.m., Kearney Funeral Home Inc., 125 N. Main Ave., Scranton. Mass, 10:30, Holy Rosary Church, 316 William St., Scranton, by the Rev. Cyril Edwards, pastor. Interment, Cathedral Cemetery. Calling hours today, 9 to service. Contributions: Mary, Mother of God, Parish, 316 William St., Scranton, PA 18508. Condolences: KearneyFuneral Home.com.

DUBAS, ROBERT M., Dickson City, today, 10 a.m., Louis M. Margotta Funeral Home, 511 Church St., Jessup. Interment, St. Adalbert's Cemetery, Dickson City. Condolences: margottafuneral homes.com.

FRENAK, MARGARET M. "MARGIE," Jessup, today, 9:30 a.m., Arthur A. Albini Funeral Home, 1003 Church St., Jessup. Divine Liturgy, 10, Holy Ghost Byzantine Catholic Church, First Avenue, Jessup. Interment, St. Michael's Cemetery, Jessup. Contributions: Holy Ghost Byzantine Catholic Church, 313 First Ave., Jessup, PA 18434.

HANNOCK, MARY PIJAR, formerly of Olyphant, Monday, Mass, St. Patrick's Church, Olyphant, by the Rev. Raj A. Nalazala, assistant pastor of Holy Cross Parish, Olyphant. Pallbearers: attorney Edward and Kevin Krowiak; Gregory and Richard Pijar; Robert Brophy and Bernie Rutkowski, nephews. Interment, St. Michael the Archangel Cemetery, Olyphant.

HOLMES, ALICE, Clarks Green, Wednesday, Mass, 10 a.m., Church of St. Gregory, 330 N. Abington Road, Clarks Green, by the Rev. John M. Lapera, pastor, and Monsignor John H. Louis, pastor emeritus. Interment, Our Mother of Sorrows Cemetery, Finch Hill. Visitation, today, 4 to 7 p.m. Donations: Friends of the Poor, 2300 Adams Ave., Scranton, PA 18509. Arrangements: Jennings-Calvey Funeral and Cremation Services Inc., 111 Colburn Avenue, Clarks Summit, PA 18411. Condolences: jenningscalvey.com.

JEZIERSKI, JOHN A., Dickson City, Monday, Frank T. Mazur Funeral Home Inc., Dickson City, Mass, St. Mary's Visitation Church, Dickson City, by Monsignor Patrick Pratico. Pallbearers: Thomas and George Novak; and Chester Jr. and Robert Jezierski. Interment, St. Mary's Cemetery, Dickson City.

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funeral notices

The State Controlling Board has released $396,859 to put a new basement under the historic Bimeler House Museum, which has been closed to the public since it was damaged by a flood in 2005.

The Controlling Board approved $661,319 on Monday to the Ohio Historical Society, which owns the Bimeler House, to make repairs and maintain historical sites throughout the state.

We want to get the building on a firm foundation so there is no more damage to it, said George Kane, director of historic sites and facilities for the historical society.

Other projects being funded out of the $661,319 include replacement of the furnace at the Zoar Bakery and Dairy and repairs to the foundation and front porch of the Zoar Number One House.

The Bimeler House, built in 1868, sustained some of the worst damage during flooding that hit the village in January 2005.

Floodwaters caused part of the buildings foundation to cave in, which led to the cracks in the house that could be seen from the exterior. It no longer was safe to allow visitors inside the building. All the artifacts inside were removed.

During a second flood in the spring of 2008, the Bimeler House had 7 feet of water in its basement.

Kane estimated that it will cost about $750,000 to get the structure into a condition in which it once again can receive visitors. Grants and insurance will pay some of that cost, but the society still needs to raise about $225,000 to complete the restoration.

The society hopes to raise the rest of the money within a year, he said.

Because the building has been unheated for so many years, it needs extensive interior work, including fixing cracked plaster, redoing interior finishes, replacing the furnace and the electrical panel and eliminating mold.

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Zoar Bimeler House restoration in ‘home stretch’

Aging-in-place projects can help seniors prepare for a long and happy retirement -- right in their own homes.

By Scott Murfey

As more and more baby boomers begin preparing for retirement, many are seeking an alternative to traditional assisted living facilities and senior homes. Some boomers may wish to live with their families, but fear the strain that close quarters can put on good relationships. Others may simply want to stay in their homes as long as possible. In either case, changes are often necessary in order to facilitate a safe and comfortable environment for seniors. However, a recent trend in the remodeling and interior design community known as aging in place deals with these challenges head on lending greater autonomy to aging adults while preserving their ties to home.

According to a recent report in the U-T, the notion of aging in place began to take hold here in San Diego back in 2006. Today, it represents a move toward more holistic building projects that incorporate future-oriented planning through architecture and interior design alike. As for existing homes, they too can be remodeled for the sake of improved safety and accessibility. For example, wider doorways and roll-in showers can be designed to accommodate seniors with walkers or wheelchairs, while home expansion projects can increase overall living space for live-in family members or caretakers.

Build a home to last a lifetime with expert construction and design professionals

Countless baby boomers retire every day; and as they begin to assess their health and lifestyle needs for the future, architects and designers are following suit. With an eye to helping seniors maintain a sense of freedom, as well as making it possible for them to stay in their homes and avoid the disruption that comes with moving into a smaller house or unfamiliar community, contractors and builders across the country are working on new aging in place innovations for the boomer generation.

At Murfey Construction, we help clients achieve the homes of their dreams. From consulting to interior design assistance, from room-by-room remodeling to complete building projects, we meet your needs at any level and consistently exceed expectations with superior craftsmanship and technical expertise. Contact us to discuss aging-in-place projects of any size and scope. Whether you are looking to create a more accessible bathroom design or build a major addition to your home to accommodate caretakers, our skilled team can ensure a holistic approach for lifelong use. When it comes to your retirement, take control and live life on your own terms. Learn more online, at http://www.murfeconstruction.com.

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Preparing for retirement: aging in place with smart remodeling ideas for seniors

TORONTO, June 11, 2012 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- On May 31, 2012 the Canadian Plastics Industry Association (CPIA) announced the winners of the 2012 Plastics Industry Awards. CPIA's awards recognize outstanding individuals and businesses for their commitment and dedication to the growth and sustainability of the Canadian plastics industry.

"We are delighted to be able to celebrate the contributions of the winners in all of the award categories." said Carol Hochu, President and CEO of CPIA.

Since 1966 the Leader of the Year Award has been given to individuals that are recognized as having made important contributions to the Canadian plastics industry and continually use their knowledge and influence to improve the competitive, innovative and environmental performance of the industry. In addition, they contribute their time and resources to community and faith groups or other organizations dedicated to society-building.

This year the Leader of the Year Award recipient is Paul Cohen, President of W. Ralston (Canada) Inc.

W. Ralston is a family owned business that has been making polyethylene film in Canada since 1960. The company currently operates six manufacturing facilities in Canada and the USA, employing approximately 450 people.

Paul has always had a strong involvement and leadership in the plastics industry over the years including:

Paul, together with his company, has been a leader in the area of environmental and product stewardship including recycling and composting initiatives and continues to lead and contribute to the growth and development of the Canadian plastics industry.

In addition, Paul's on-going philanthropic activities, fundraising and volunteerism benefits many worthwhile charities and initiatives including his participation on the board of Walrus Magazine, a non-profit charitable magazine about Canada; managing a community hockey team, volunteering and fundraising for his synagogue; and participating in his children's school council by serving as treasurer and by fundraising.

The Plastics Innovation Award is for those companies or individuals that have contributed to the expansion of the Canadian plastics industry, through advancement of plastic technology. This year's Plastics Innovator Award winner is Dr. Mohini Sain, Professor and Director, Centre for BioComposites and BioMaterials, University of Toronto. An academic and entrepreneur with 25 years career in polymer and industrial bioproducts sector.

Dr. Sain continually provides leadership in academia and technology commercialization to industry by actively involving himself in the creation of flagship programs such as Canadian Natural Composite Council, ISO Standardization committee for Nanotechnology, BIOCAR, and Ontario BioAuto Council.

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CPIA Announces 2012 Plastics Industry Award Winners

Apple on Monday announced that it was developing a new mapping service from the ground up, with the company doing the cartography by itself.

In addition to street maps, the new mapping service will show traffic status and provide information about businesses depending on location. The company has already integrated information about 100 million businesses in the mapping service, and is integrating Yelp for reviews and ratings.

The new service will be the default mapping feature in Apple's latest iOS 6.0 mobile operating system, which was announced at the Worldwide Developers Conference in San Francisco. Apple's iPad and iPhone use iOS, and iOS 6.0 will be released for devices in the fall, the company said. A beta of iOS 6.0 is being shipped to developers on Monday. The mobile OS will support iPhone 3GS or later, the second- and third-generation iPad, and the fourth-generation iPod touch.

The mapping service will also show turn-by-turn navigation, and anonymous, real-time, crowdsourced data from other iOS users will keep traffic information up-to-date. The estimated time of arrival for a specific route will be updated in real time based on the traffic information gathered, and the mapping service will be able to recommend a faster route to cut down travel time.

A feature called Flyover provides 3D models of buildings and maps. For example, the service will be able to provide a 3D overview of a whole route and users will be able to zoom in and pan in the imagery.

The integration of Apple's own mapping service inside iOS spells trouble for Google, whose mapping service was used on many iOS products. Google last week announced upgrades to its mobile mapping service, including the additions of 3D imaging, a flyover feature and offline viewing capabilities.

(Macworld staff contributed to this story.)

Agam Shah covers PCs, tablets, servers, chips and semiconductors for IDG News Service. Follow Agam on Twitter at @agamsh. Agam's e-mail address is agam_shah@idg.com

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Apple Announces Homegrown Mapping Service for IPhone, IPad

CANFIELD, Ohio--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

Farmers National Banc Corp. (FMNB) will join the Russell Microcap Index when Russell Investments reconstitutes its family of U.S. indexes on June 25, according to a preliminary list of additions posted on http://www.russell.com.

Membership in the Russell Microcap Index, which remains in place for one year, means automatic inclusion in the appropriate growth and value style indexes. Russell determines membership for its equity indexes primarily by objective, market-capitalization rankings and style attributes.

This announcement is great news on two fronts, says Farmers President and CEO John S. Gulas. First, positive recognition such as this will surely be a value to our current shareholders. Second, investors from all over the country will now be introduced to the Farmers story, through Russell and see the benefits in joining our shareholder ranks. Either way, its gratifying to see our companys growth plans achieve success.

Todays Russell announcement comes just weeks after Farmers was named one of 200 best community banks in America by American Banker Magazine (www.americanbanker.com) and notice from PrimeVestFarmers financial services partner for investment servicesthat Farmers is its number two producer of investment services in the US for banks its size.

Russell indexes are widely used by investment managers and institutional investors for index funds and as benchmarks for both passive and active investment strategies. In the institutional marketplace, an industry-leading $3.9 trillion in assets currently are benchmarked to them. Russell calculates more than 80,000 benchmarks daily covering approximately 98 percent of the investable market globally, 83 countries and more than 10,000 securities.

Annual reconstitution of Russell Indexes captures the 4,000 largest U.S. stocks as of the end of May, ranking them by total market capitalization to create the Russell 3000 Index and Russell Microcap Index. These investment tools originated from Russell's multi-manager investment business in the early 1980s when the company saw the need for a more objective, market-driven set of benchmarks in order to evaluate outside investment managers.

Total returns data for the Russell Microcap and other Russell Indexes is available at http://www.russell.com/indexes/data/US_Equity/Russell_US_Index_returns.asp.

About Farmers National Bank

Farmers National Bank is Mahoning Valleys leading community bank with more than $1 billion in Banking assets and $1 billion in Trust assets. With 19 banking locations and two trust offices throughout Trumbull, Mahoning, Columbiana and Stark counties, Farmers also has a full array of financial services to include Farmers National Investments, Farmers Trust Company and Farmers National Insurance.

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Farmers National Banc Corp. to Join Russell Microcap Index

11-06-2012 12:38 http 314-966-2666 Some of my windows won't stay up and some have seal failure with moisture between the window glass. Is Window Repair an option? Hi, my name is Dennis McHugh and I'm an expert at solving problems related to home and business window and door repairs and replacement in St. Louis, Missouri. People often ask me why some of their windows won't stay up, why they have moisture between the window glass and if those types of windows can or should be repaired. Window and door replacement companies just want to sell new windows and they don't like it when I tell their best prospects what I'm about to share with you. I hope it helps you or someone you know. With so many new construction and replacement window manufacturers competing on price, some of them cut corners in one area where they shouldn't. I'm talking about the window seal that holds the two panes of window glass together and the window's hardware. The extreme weather variables in St. Louis cause the window glass to expand and contract which often causes a broken window seal. Then, through the broken seal, moisture gets pulled in between the window's glass panes. Even the inexpensive window seals and window hardware should last five years, but that doesn't always happen. If you have windows and doors that have moisture between the window glass, or won't stay up, a simple repair instead of window replacement may be all you need. Here's how it works. With the glass replacement ...

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St. Louis Window Repair: Windows Designed for Window Repair - Video

11-06-2012 16:18 Bob Sanisvero, Exteriors Assistant Sales Manager at Alure Home Improvements, discusses window replacement options. Bob explains how energy inefficiency is a big problem, and replacing your windows in New York with Alure can save you between 40-50% on your energy bills. The newer products you'll get through Alure actually reflect heat, making your heating and cooling much more efficient.

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Replace Your WIndows- Save on Bills - Video

SCRANTON, Pa., June 11, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Sapia Builders recently completed the renovation of a 1954 cape style house in Old Lyme, CT, using AZEK Trim and AZEK Mouldings to take it from ordinary to spectacular. After expanding the home's footprint, Nick Sapia, owner, and his crew stripped down the home's original siding and trim and prepped it for a facelift. According to Sapia, AZEK's board profiles and mouldings are easy to replicate and the perfect replacement for wood.

"We took great pride in our use of AZEK Trim and AZEK Mouldings as sustainable products that are also durable, as well as a great complement to the fiber cement siding we chose," said Sapia. Since we live and work in this area, we appreciate AZEK's longevity and ability to satisfy customers." For the most recent colonial home renovation, Sapia Builders used 5 1/2" AZEK crown molding on all the exterior rake details. "To us, the 5 1/2" crown is the most impressive part of the trim details," said Sapia. "Not only is it used for the rake detail, but we're constantly using it to achieve what I call 'the historic dormer'. It's the perfect dimension for creating recessed panels, roof returns, and window pediments--especially when they're on the second or third floor where they're extremely difficult to get to after the fact."

Other fine detail work included:

"The results are amazingsimple, classic, and beautiful and AZEK helped us achieve it and bring this home to life," said Sapia. To check out Nick Sapia's Blog go to: http://www.sapiacorp.com/?page_id=72. For more information about AZEK Trim and AZEK Mouldings, visit http://www.azek.com.

About AZEK Building Products:

With more than 25 years of cellular pvc manufacturing experience, AZEK Building Products makes and markets premium, low maintenance exterior building products under the AZEK brand such as AZEK Deck, the leading brand of low-maintenance decking, and AZEK Trim, the leading brand of low-maintenance trim. Other AZEK products include AZEK Mouldings, AZEK Porch, and AZEK Rail. All of these products offer tangible benefits as an ideal wood replacement product for a myriad of outdoor uses. For more information about AZEK Building Products, call 1-877-ASK-AZEK (275-2935) or visit the AZEK website at http://www.azek.com.

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Sapia Builders Creates Classic Colonial Homes with AZEK® Cellular PVC Trim and Mouldings