In a whitewashed barn at SweetBriarCollege, a 360-year-oldplantation home lays in pieces a sprawling pile of wood and brick.

The home once stood about seven miles north of SweetBriaras the crow flies, on an Amherst County plantation known asTusculum. When it was built in the 1750s, Central Virginia was rugged frontier land.

In 2005, the college salvaged the home from a developer who had planned to raze it to build a housing community.

For SweetBriar, losingTusculumwould mean losing a link to its past. The estate was the childhood home of Maria Crawford Fletcher, the mother of Sweet Briars founder, and it provided a vital like to the colleges history as a plantation.

The two-story home was dismantled and stowed away in a ramshackle barn on the fringe of campus. With each piece meticulously labeled, it was a jigsaw puzzle waiting to be assembled.

By 2008, SweetBriarhatched a plan to rebuild the home on campus and convert it into classroom space. But there was one hitch: The school needed to raise $2 million.

You can imagine though, the economy took a dive just as we started working on this, said LynnRainville, founding director of theTusculumInstitute, the organization tasked with overseeing the restoration.

The recession forced theTusculumprojectto the back burner, allowing SweetBriarto focus on more pressing needs, such as renovating the library.

Right now the reconstruction is kind of on an indefinite hold,Rainvillesaid on a recent day in June. The pieces are all being protected.

Though the buildings fate is unknown, the TusculumInstitute remains committed to preserving local history.Rainvillehas shifted her focus to making history more accessible to the public through educational programs and online resources, such as creating a database of slave families.

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Dismantled in 2005, Tusculum still awaits restoration at Sweet Briar

Baltimore Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake has named an advisory panel to assist in the search for the city's next police commissioner following the retirement of Frederick H. Bealefeld III.

The mayor's office said the panel will conduct interviews of internal and external applicants and recommend finalists to Rawlings-Blake. It's headed by Baltimore attorney Ken Thompson, a partner at Venable LLP. Rawlings-Blake's new chief of staff, Alexander M. Sanchez, is vice chairman, and the group includes leaders of three universities and a former city fire chief.

The commissioner, whose last official day is Aug. 1, has delegated day-to-day operations to Deputy Commissioner Anthony Barksdale. Bealefeld is expected to meet with the panel before they interview applicants, officials said.

Among internal candidates, Barksdale is believed to be best-positioned for the post, having served in the No. 2 role for nearly five years after being the youngest-ever deputy commissioner. But aides to Rawlings-Blake say there is not a favorite and that they want a deep pool of candidates from outside the agency.

Ryan O'Doherty, a spokesman for Rawlings-Blake, said the city has contracted with the Police Executive Research Forum, a nonprofit law enforcement think tank in Washington, to conduct the search and screen applicants. The think tank will be paid $25,000 for the work, O'Doherty said.

Chuck Wexler, its executive director and a former Boston police official, is also a member of the advisory panel and is the only member with law enforcement experience.

The job posting for the position, obtained by The Baltimore Sun last month, sets the qualifications for the job as a bachelor's degree in a law enforcement field and five years of command-level experience or a high school diploma with 10 years of command-level experience. It also lays out requirements such as strong leadership skills and ability to interpret crime statistics.

Bealefeld, who got the Baltimore job over former Washington, D.C., Police Chief Charles H. Ramsey, did not have a college degree when he took the helm of the department in 2007, though that is increasingly rare among police chiefs nationwide. Ramsey campaigned for the job and signed a contract before then-Mayor Sheila Dixon changed her mind.

Dixon's search process was led by a less formal panel consisting of Cabinet officials and a handful of community members, including her pastor, the Rev. Frank M. Reid III of Bethel AME Church.

In addition to Bealefeld, Rawlings-Blake is also losing her Cabinet's top adviser on crime, Sheryl Goldstein, who worked closely with the Police Department and secured millions in grant funds. She announced her retirement the same day as Bealefeld, and she will step down this week.

Excerpt from:
Mayor names panel to look for Bealefeld replacement

Truman Geiman, right, shakes hands with Gorden Myers during the 72nd reunion of the Eichelberger Class of 1940 last week. Thirteen class members and 10 guests met for lunch at Hoss s Steak and Sea House in Hanover to catch up and tell old stories. (THE EVENING SUN BRETT BERWAGER)

Treasurer Dale Alwine raised one hand for quiet and assured his fellow class members around the banquet tables that, yes, he had prepared a story.

Something to share with the class.

So there's this old man who can't hear too good anymore, Alwine said.

He goes to the doctor's office. The doctor looks him over, then pulls out his light and shines it in the man's ear.

Here's the trouble, the doctor says: you've got a suppository in your ear.

"Well," the guy says, "at least now I know what I did with my hearing aid."

Guffaws and cheers then, from the Wednesday lunch crowd at Hoss's Steak and Sea House.

Now then, on to serious business.

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Graduation season finds Eichelberger High School alumni going strong

Well, at least Ed Hochuli (white hat) will have more time for the gym. (Getty Images)If the NFL and the NFL Referees' Association can't come to terms on a new agreement -- and it certainly seems that they won't for a good while -- how will that affect the games? We assume the league will bring replacement refs more professional than the guy who asked Jerry Rice for his autograph before a game in 2001 (true story, via Sam Farmer of the L.A. Times), the last time there was an impasse between the league and its officials. NFL Director of Recruiting Officials Ron Baynesrecently sent a memo to scouts to help in finding officials who "look the part," but the parameters seem a bit weird.

Among those qualities required are that the officials have "recently retired from a successful career in College officiating and [are] still physically able to officiate at a high level of competency, [or] lower division college officials, professional league officials and semi-professional league officials whose window of opportunity for advancement has pretty much closed but who have the ability to work higher levels but just got overlooked."

In addition, prospective officials must subject themselves to a "rigorous training program," pass a background check and come with a doctor's note (no, really) stating that they're up the rigors of professional officiating.

So ... in other words, the NFL could wind up with a bunch of Arena League and UFL castoffs, and/or the guys who were so bad in the Pac-12 a couple years ago, they couldn't even pass muster with noted officiating apologist, former conference "interim coordinator of officiating," and current "consultant" Mike Pereira. A scary thought, to be sure.

And since officials were recently tasked with the additional responsibility of making sure that concussed players get the hack off the field and stay there (since the NFL doesn't seem to want to put independent neurologists on every field of play), how is locking the real refs out an example of the player safety mandates Roger Goodell won't shut up about? In addition, every head official and crew comes with their own tendencies and scouting reports -- there are weeks when you know you'll be able to get away with more, and weeks in which you'd better watch your Ps and Qs, because Mr. Ticky-tack has the whistle.

For the players, there are varying degrees of concern.

Matthew Stafford may be more disheveled by replacement refs than he thinks. (Getty Images)

"To tell you the truth, until (Tuesday) I didn't even know that was going on," Detroit Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford told the Detroit Free Press this week. "I had no idea about it. We're going to play games, that's all I know. Whoever is out there reffing is going to be out there reffing. Obviously, the guys that we know and have been within the past, it would be nice to have them out there. But if not we'll have to adjust and keep moving."

Of course, the Lions might want different people in place -- they were the fourth-most penalized team last year, and their reputation for on-field buffoonery certainly precedes them at times.

Former Houston Texans offensive tackle Eric Winston, who now plays for the Kansas City Chiefs (the NFL's fifth-most penalized team in 2011), was a bit more aggrieved about the prospect of replacement refs.

Originally posted here:
How much would replacement refs affect the NFL?

Myers Crow & Saviers, Ltd., will begin construction on the 135,000- square-foot Mason Creek Office Center, on Merchants Way near Mason Road in Houston's Energy Corridor, in the third quarter of 2012 with completion in April 2013. The property is located on 10.8 acres in Mason Creek Corporate Park, a covenant- restricted, master-planned business park owned by Parkside Capital. The two-story office building will feature 67,500-square-foot floorplates, energy-efficient construction and systems, and flexible parking ratios to accommodate high-density office users. The project is applying for LEED certification by the U. S. Green Building Council. Moody Rambin Interests has been retained to lease and manage the property.

With the construction of the Grand Parkway in Katy from I-10 to Highway 290, the timing is right for this location, says Mark Saviers, principal, Myers Crow & Saviers. "Large companies seeking cost-efficient, Class A space are moving westward along I-10 to find it and to be closer to where their employees live. The strength of this market is demonstrated by the fact that Mason Creek Office Center is a speculative development; construction is proceeding without the requirement of tenant pre-leasing.

Mason Creek Office Center is designed to appeal to the most active tenants in the marketenergy, engineering and health care companies that have consolidation needs in west Houston/Katy, says Bob Cromwell, managing director, Moody Rambin Interests. "This property meets or exceeds the power and energy-efficiency requirements for the long-term growth of today's businesses."

Katy Area Economic Development Council CEO Lance LaCour noted that this will be the first major speculative office building located in the Katy area west of Park Ten. "The EDC assisted with the site selection search and will help with marketing and incentives. We are excited about this facility and the business recruiting opportunities it will bring to the Katy area," he said.

Mason Creek Office Center is immediately accessible to Interstate 10/Katy Freeway and the Grand Parkway/Highway 99. The residential neighborhoods of Katy/Cinco Ranch and Northwest Houston are nearby. The building's location has the electrical capacity for two 6.5-megawatt circuits to be brought to the building to power call or data center operations. The property also includes backup generator infrastructure, partially covered parking and two-story atrium entries. The 6-cars-per-1,000-square-foot parking ratio is expandable to approximately 6.5 cars per 1,000 square feet for high-density parking requirements.

Myers, Crow & Saviers, Ltd. is a real estate development, leasing and investment firm focusing on the development of office and industrial buildings in Houston, Dallas/Fort Worth and San Antonio. Established in January 1994, the firm has more than

70 completed or current projects totaling 11,000,000 square feet.

Moody Rambin Interests is Houston's largest locally owned, full-service commercial real estate brokerage and management firm. Established in 1969, Moody Rambin Interests specializes in providing project leasing, tenant representation, disposition, development, consulting and management services to owners and tenants throughout the United States. The firm's portfolio includes the retail, office and industrial properties.

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Construction to begin on Mason Creek Office Center

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ADA A groundbreaking ceremony for the new Life Community Church and Memorial Chapel was held Monday in Ada.

The new Life Community Church, replacing the existing facility at 330 E 14, will be a modern 24,000-square-foot church and 1,400-square-foot memorial chapel that occupies a 10-acre site formerly owned in three parcels by the Pre-Paid Legal Services, the Kerr Foundation and the Chickasaw Nation.

Construction on the church and chapel is expected to begin during the summer and be completed by November 2014.

The groundbreaking ceremony featured presentations by the Rev. Mickey Keith, pastor of Life Community Church; Harland Stonecipher, founder and former CEO of Pre-Paid Legal Services; and other dignitaries, as well as recognition of attending state and local elected officials.

Keith said Harland and Shirley Stonecipher, who attend his church, contributed an estimated $3.5 million for the construction of the new church and a memorial chapel, which is specifically designed to aid bereaved parents who have lost children.

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15 photos

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Church and chapel groundbreaking held in Ada

Preserve, renovate or demolish: It's a recurring dilemma in South Florida, where development and history often collide.

While some view historic buildings as treasures, other see them as obstacles to something grander. Boynton Beach is just the latest community to enter the fray after it opted to spare a 1927 high school and put it to new commercial use.

Now the architect's bold design, calling for two-story glass additions, is giving city officials pause.

"Often this type of renovation comes into controversy," said Juan Contin, the Lake Worth architect chosen to rehabilitate the building.

The line between adaptive reuse, which demands modernizing renovations, and historic preservation is a blurry one.

In Hollywood, for example, developers want to partially demolish the 1920s-era Great Southern Hotel and build a 19-story condo tower. Two sides of the building's facade would remain, but 229 apartments would shoot up from behind it.

Commissioners approved the project over outcry from the preservation community.

"It's not historic preservation. It's not adaptive reuse. It's gone," said advocate Sara Case.

In Fort Lauderdale , preservationists are fighting plans to build a parking garage around aCoca-Cola bottling plant built in 1938. That building is one of 11 endangered sites identified by the Florida Trust for Historic Preservation.

"You would not even recognize or see or distinguish the Coca-Cola plant from what was being proposed to build around it," said activist Steven Glassman.

Read more here:
Restoration of old Boynton school sets off debate

Preserve, renovate or demolish: It's a recurring dilemma in South Florida, where development and history often collide.

While some view historic buildings as treasures, other see them as obstacles to something grander. Boynton Beach is just the latest community to enter the fray after it opted to spare a 1927 high school and put it to new commercial use.

Now the architect's bold design, calling for two-story glass additions, is giving city officials pause.

"Often this type of renovation comes into controversy," said Juan Contin, the Lake Worth architect chosen to rehabilitate the building.

The line between adaptive reuse, which demands modernizing renovations, and historic preservation is a blurry one.

In Hollywood, for example, developers want to partially demolish the 1920s-era Great Southern Hotel and build a 19-story condo tower. Two sides of the building's facade would remain, but 229 apartments would shoot up from behind it.

Commissioners approved the project over outcry from the preservation community.

"It's not historic preservation. It's not adaptive reuse. It's gone," said advocate Sara Case.

In Fort Lauderdale , preservationists are fighting plans to build a parking garage around aCoca-Cola bottling plant built in 1938. That building is one of 11 endangered sites identified by the Florida Trust for Historic Preservation.

"You would not even recognize or see or distinguish the Coca-Cola plant from what was being proposed to build around it," said activist Steven Glassman.

Read the original post:
Restoration of old Boynton school sets off architecture debate

Advice

Mock-up design of what Roger's kitchen should look like when completed.

The DIY addiction

World-Herald reporter Roger Buddenberg and his wife are embarking on a major home remodeling project. He'll blog about the ups and downs, delays and accomplishments at omaha.com/living

* * *

The DIY

June 6

After you swab a paintbrush back and forth for a few hours, it's hard not to ponder how DIY got into your DNA. And why it's still there after all these years, an impulse that ignores the body parts moaning oilcan! oiiiilcaaan! like the Tin Woodsman. Why do you still do this? you mumble to yourself.

It was a question from the start of our kitchen remodel. We chose a contractor partly because he was willing to let us do some of the project ourselves, working around him not an easy decision for contractors to make. No doubt they all can tell horror stories about homeowners who thought they could tackle the world because they watched This Old House once.

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The DIY addiction

Amy Suardi recently started growing some of her familys food. On many days, she can be found with her children in the front yard of her home in Washington, tending their edible garden. Later, the family might make pizzas (using herbs theyve grown), tidy up the house (with cleaning supplies theyve made), watch a DVD (TV programs are not permitted) or play games the children invented.

While Suardi, 42, has fashioned a lifestyle for her family that is reminiscent of a slower, less stressful era, she is also decidedly 21st century: She blogs about her life, and gets paid for it.

I dont make a lot of money, but the trade-off is that I can be home with the kids, she says. I can also make dinner every night and take care of the house.

For Suardi, thrifty living is at the heart of the life she craves. On her blog, Frugal Mama, she shares her experiences, offering insight on creating a high-quality life on a small budget.

Her expertise, she says, is based on learning to live on a shoestring since college, first as a single young woman in New York, then as the wife of a doctor in training.

My philosophy, she says, is about finding the fun in saving and keeping life simple so we have time for whats important.

With her husband, Enrico, now working full time after recently

completing his medical training, and with Suardi earning money by writing, the couple has more income than ever before. However, they are also both in their mid-40s, have four children (ages 10, 8, 4 and 1), almost no money in retirement and a 100-year-old house that needs work.

For Suardi to remain an at-home working mother while they bulk up their retirement savings, the family cuts corners wherever possible: The children attend public schools and co-ops and wear secondhand clothing. The adults drive used cars and use pay-as-you-go cellphones. They clean their own home, shop at thrift stores, dont have cable, walk instead of drive when they can and eat most of their meals at home.

We live frugally out of necessity, but I would continue to do so even if I had a lot of money, says Suardi. Being frugal has led me on interesting paths and made us a better, closer family.

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Thrifty and thriving