Stratford homeowners are being urged to take care this winter and guard against burst pipes.

Every winter unsuspecting property owners experience catastrophic frozen pipe bursts. According to Aquarion Water Company, unprotected pipes and water meters can freeze and expand within hours of the onset of frigid weather. Pipes running through uninsulated exterior walls or other unheated spaces usually are at the highest risk, although pipes in heated rooms can freeze if exposed to cold drafts.

Frozen pipes can burst, resulting in thousands of dollars in damage for remodeling, mold remediation, emergency substitute housing costs, as well as the loss of irreplaceable belongings. To help customers avoid these problems, Aquarions website Aquarionwater.com is featuring tips on preventing frozen pipes and meters.

It doesnt take much. Even a tiny split in a pipe can spew hundreds of gallons of water into your home or business in one day, said Donna Parlatore, Director of Utility Operations for Aquarion Water Company. We strongly encourage property owners to review and utilize the frozen pipe and meter prevention tips on our website to prevent this from happening to them.

Keeping cold temperatures away from pipes and water meters with insulation is far easier and less expensive than replacing pipes that freeze and burst. Some actions customers can take to prevent frozen pipes include:

Letting a faucet fed by pipes exposed to the cold drip to prevent the water inside from freezing.

Never completely shutting off the heat in a building unless all the pipes and toilets are drained first.

Keeping the doors to rooms where the pipes and water meter are located, including sink cabinets, open so warm air can keep temperatures above freezing.

Eliminating cold drafts near water pipes (and, if indoors, the water meter) by filling cracks in walls and around windows, replacing broken glass, and installing storm windows on basement windows.

If a meter freezes, Aquarion will send a service technician to replace it, but the company will not thaw frozen pipes or repair burst ones. Parlatore also stressed that anyone trying to thaw a pipe on their own should never use a torch or open flame.

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Homeowners urged to guard against frozen pipes

Yorba Linda, California (PRWEB) January 15, 2015

Today Precision-Paragon [P2] announced that 430 of the manufacturers energy-efficient LED lighting product configurations achieved DesignLights Consortium (DLC) Qualified Products Listing during 2014.

The DLC Qualified Products List is the industrys leading public list of high quality, high efficiency LED products for the commercial sector. To be included on the list, a product must meet rigorous quality standards, and have its efficacy and lifespan independently tested and verified by a qualified laboratory.

DLC listing is also a requirement of many utility- and government-administered energy-efficiency rebate programs and incentives across the country.

DLC listing is important for lighting professionals and building owners said Russ Price, [P2] director of engineering. So we made it a priority during the past year, and it will continue to be a priority going forward.

At the end of 2013, [P2] had 122 LED products on the DLC Qualified Products List. Today, the company has a total of 552 DLC listed products. Fifty-six of those products are retrofit kits, 101 are outdoor luminaires and the remaining 395 are a mixture of indoor and specialty application LED luminaires.

There is no one-size-fits-all in energy-efficient lighting, said Price. Now our customers can choose from over 550 DLC listed LED products from [P2] when theyre planning their next lighting retrofit.

One hundred and forty-one of [P2]s DLC listed products are rated at efficacies of 100 lumens per watt or higher, and 15 are rated at 110 lumens per watt or higher.

Not too long ago, 100 lumens per watt was a dream, said Price. Today we can offer over a hundred different products with that level of efficiency.

[P2]s DLC listed products can be viewed on the DLC Qualified Products List website. Detailed product and ordering information is available on http://www.p-2.com.

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Lighting Manufacturer Adds 430 DLC Listed LED Products During 2014

Humans: Architects of Destiny - Grey Goo Gameplay Trailer
Humans are an advanced and powerful military force, capable of defending their base against a massive onslaught, and then taking the fight to the enemy quickly. Visit all of our channels:...

By: GameSpot Gameplay

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Humans: Architects of Destiny - Grey Goo Gameplay Trailer - Video

Respect Da Architects Live - Hartosopash y Falanga (Parte 2)
Segunda parte del live completo de Hartosopash Falanga en la segunda edicin de Respect Da Architects, realizada en la Sala Razzmatazz3 (Barcelona) el pasado 4 de octubre de 2014. Cmara:...

By: Crypta Magazine

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Respect Da Architects Live - Hartosopash y Falanga (Parte 2) - Video

FIGMENT, the Emerging New York Architects Committee (ENYA) of the American Institute of Architects New York Chapter (AIANY), and the Structural Engineers Association of New York (SEAoNY) have announced two winning designs for the 2015 City of Dream Pavilion Competition. Pending approvals and fundraising, both the Billion Oyster Pavilion by New Yorkbased BanG studio and the Organic Growth Pavilion by Madrid- and London-based Izaskun Chinchilla Architects will be assembled on Governors Island and open to the public this summer.

BanG Studios pavilion proposal incorporates the New York Harbor Schools Billion Oyster Project, which focuses on the long-term benefits of growing new oyster beds in the harbor. The pavilions base will be comprised of custom Reef Balls to create an artificial habitat for the oysters, and it will be topped with a woven canopy. After the pavilion is decommissioned at the end of the summer, the will be donated to the school and its materials will be reused on Governors Island.

Billion Oyster Pavilion by BanG Studio, Brooklyn (2014 BanG Studio)

The Organic Growth Pavilion proposal by Izaskun Chinchilla Architects was also inspired by nature and features recycled materials, such as broken umbrellas, old stools, and damaged bicycle wheels. The proposal draws awareness to the large amount of waste in landfills and provides solutions for recycling the pavilion after its use, such as indoor chandeliers and seasonal protection for outdoor spaces.

Organic Growth Pavilion by Izaskun Chinchilla Architects, Madrid/London (2014 Izaskun Chinchilla Architects)

After reviewing more than 100 submissions, the jury selected five finalists who had one month to develop their designs. The three additional finalists were: The Pulp Pavilion by MegaZoo, Tied Together by Hou de Sousa, and Galassia by Michele Zanella.

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BanG Studo and Izaskun Chinchilla Architects Win 2015 City of Dreams Competition

Pryor & Morrow Architects and Engineers, P.A. is proud to announce Ashley Studdard Hughes will be joining Pryor & Morrow Architects and Engineers, PA as an interior designer. Ashley brings several years of interior design experience with emphasis in higher education, multi-family residential, military and healthcare design. Mrs. Hughes is a native of Columbus and a graduate of Mississippi State University. Ashley earned her bachelors of science in interior design in May of 2007.

Hughes began her career at Bullock Tice Associates in Pensacola, Florida. While employed as a project interior designer, Ashley worked extensively with clients to determine project space needs for planning, completed project specifications and construction documents. Mrs. Hughes has completed the certification process with the Mississippi Interior Design Advisory Committee and was approved as a certified interior designer in the state of Mississippi.

"We are very glad to have Ashley on board leading our interior design department. Her experience with client relations, space planning and project scheduling will be very helpful to our design team," said Chris Morrow, AIA, Principal. Pryor & Morrow Architects and Engineers, P.A. is a thriving architecture and engineering firm founded in 1985 by Chris Morrow, AIA and Roger Pryor, AIA. Pryor & Morrow Architects and Engineers, PA has projects across the state of Mississippi and employs nearly 30 in our two locations (Columbus and Tupelo). The professional staff at Pryor & Morrow includes interior designers, engineers, architects, landscape architects and designers specializing in sustainable design.

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Business brief: Hughes hired

Rendering of the proposed Station Park Green mixed-use residential development near the Hayward Park Caltrain Station in San Mateo.

The long-proposed residential and retail community known as Station Park Green is closer to construction as the San Mateo Planning Commission approved the proposal to redevelop the 12-acre site at a prime intersection near the Hayward Park Caltrain Station.

EBL&S Developments plans to construct a 1-acre park and up to 599 apartments, 30,000 square feet of retail space and 15,000 square feet of office space at the corner of Delaware Street and Concar Drive were approved by the Planning Commission Tuesday night and will now be up for City Councils vote Feb. 2.

The project, which was approved in 2011 but put on hold due to financing, was amended and required EBL&S, city staff and planning officials to iron out details over the last year. The proposal outlines four main buildings with residences wrapping around an enclosed, above-ground parking structure. The former proposal called for eight, smaller buildings and increased office and retail space.

I think working together with the Planning Commission and the staff, we came up with a better project and I think its going to be a project I can be proud of. Its sort of a legacy project for me, that will be here long after I am, said Alan Talansky, EBL&S senior vice president of development and a San Mateo resident. I think what were going to be able to do is set a standard for how these villages should be at [Caltrain stations] and I think theyre important for the future transit and growth of the area.

Should the council approve the proposal, Talansky said he anticipates starting demolition within three months at the former sites of Kmart and Michaels Arts and Crafts. Construction is likely to take about two years, he added. The Shell gas station has already been demolished.

An evolving juncture

The Hayward Park Caltrain station has served as the catalyst for several redevelopment proposals including the Hines complex, which will transform 3.3 acres into 292,400 square feet of offices directly across from Station Park Green, and Caltrain plans to construct a mixed-use residential complex on 2.7 acres of its surface parking lot.

Its a prime location because it had underutilized space. You had space that was old retail, that was really not that viable for the area, Talansky said. The whole impetus comes from the corridor plan that San Mateo did several years ago, so this was asked for by the city and the citizens a long time ago.

Planning Commission Chair Rick Bonilla said the city has long sought mixed-use projects like Station Park Green since approving the Rail Corridor Plan, which promotes transit-oriented developments, in 2005.

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Station Park Green plan heads to council: Planning Commission approves 599-unit residential development

The retail space in real estate market of Ahmedabad witnessed a slow year due to highest increase in mall vacancy among top eight cities in 2014. According to the latest report by Cushman & Wakefield, a global real estate consultancy, at the end of 2014, Ahmedabad's mall vacancy grew by 1.8 per cent to stand at 32.1 per cent, due to low preference for poor quality mall space.

The total eight cities including Delhi, Mumbai, NCR, Kolkata, Bengaluru and Chennai, among others saw only 1.7 million square feet (msf) of fresh mall space being infused in the calendar year 2014.

Leading cities of India saw an addition of only 5 new malls of which Pune noted the influx of 2 malls adding upto 500,000 square feet (sq ft) of mall space. Hyderabad (500,000 sq ft), Bengaluru (310,000 sq ft) and Delhi-NCR (250,000 sq ft) witnessed an infusion of 1 mall each. Kolkata saw an addition of 120,000 sq ft to the city mall inventory.

In Ahmedabad, limited availability of quality mall space kept the transaction activity in Ahmedabad low. Increasing vacancy levels in a few poor quality malls on S.G. Highway led to city's overall mall vacancy increasing by 1.8 percentage points over the last one year and was noted at 32.1 per cent.

"There has been a period of low activities in the mall supply across the country as the developers are cautious of taking up retail projects which are high gestation and high investment as retailers still remain concerned on uptake and are therefore cautious with their expansion plans in India. Having said that, any new retail location that has appropriate catchment areas have witnessed good levels of activities," said Sanjay Dutt, Executive Managing Director, South Asia, Cushman & Wakefield.

The total supply that was estimated to enter the market in 2014 was approximately 12 msf of which less than 15 per cent came into existence amounting to indefinite deferment of approximately 25 malls across key cities of India. Maximum number of malls (9) were deferred in Delhi-NCR totalling to 6.7 msf of new mall space, which is 56 per cent of the total mall space deferred. Though Bengaluru, Pune and Kolkata witnessed some supply during this year, a large quantum has been deferred. Bengaluru lost out on 7 planned malls while 4 malls were deferred in Pune. Kolkata witnessed the deferment of 1 mall while Chennai and Hyderabad both witnessed the deferment of 2 malls each.

The delays have happened due to a variety of reasons, mostly from approval construction linked delays in Pune, Hyderabad, Bengaluru, Kolkata and Delhi-NCR. However, low demand has also led to the deferment of some malls in Delhi-NCR, Bengaluru and Chennai.

However, leasing activities in the existing and new mall spaces remained stable with vacancy levels remaining similar to the previous year recording a very marginal drop in vacancy at 0.2 per cent. The average vacancy level stood at 14.3 per cent.

In Ahmedabad, despite rising vacancies, landlords kept the rentals for these malls steady during the last year.

Since higher preference for main-street format was noted in Ahmedabad, it did not witnessed any mall supply during 2014 and currently has just one under-construction mall.

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Ahmedabad records highest rise in mall vacancy in 2014

Correction: A Thursday Tulsa World story incorrectly stated the amount of money the Muscogee (Creek) Nation plans to contribute to a new development at RiverWalk Crossing in Jenks. The nation plans to contribute $11 million to the $22 million project. This story has been corrected.

JENKS The Muscogee (Creek) Nation announced a $22 million entertainment complex that will be built at the RiverWalk Crossing in Jenks.

The facility will offer high-tech golf, family-oriented games, restaurants, sports bar, party rooms and corporate space.

Principal Chief George Tiger said the tribe hoped to have the facility finished in 18 months. It will be built in an open space just north of the shopping centers movie theater.

There will be nothing like it within a 250-mile radius of Tulsa, Tiger said.

Tiger said the announcement is just the first of several to be made regarding RiverWalk Crossing, located along the west bank of the Arkansas River in Jenks.

The new development will be a partnership between the tribe and RW Restaurant Group, a new entity that was formed specifically for the venture. Of the $22 million cost, $11 million will be covered by the tribe and the rest covered by RW.

John Vollbrecht, a local investor and representative of RW, said the group was proud to work with the tribe.

Were honored to be partnered with them, and we believe this will be the start of a great revitalization of RiverWalk Crossing, he said.

Sean Kouplen, a local banker who is chairman of One Fire, the business arm of the Creek Nation, said the fate of the movie theater will be determined later.

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Creeks announce $22 million entertainment complex at Jenks' Riverwalk Crossing

Greensburg grew in 2014, with the number of new construction projects and new businesses rising significantly from 2013.

The city Planning Department presented its annual report to city council Monday, showing a positive year for the city.

Councilman Jonathan Vesely pointed to Seton Hill University's construction of a dance and visual arts center on West Otterman Street and the Westmoreland Museum of American Art's major renovation of its North Main Street building as the city's most significant construction projects in decades.

There were four cranes working on these new buildings for the first time in 30 years, Vesely said.

The Planning and Zoning Department collected a total of $213,070 in building permits, occupancy permits and related fees in 2014, up more than 31 percent from last year's total of $146,012.

According to the report, 24 businesses signed new leases for retail and office space downtown, while three businesses canceled existing leases.

A lot of that is trickle down from Seton Hill, said city Planning Director Barbara Ciampini.

The college's new developments and heightened downtown presence has spurred more businesses to want to set up shop in Greensburg, Ciampini said.

The Stack Hookah Lounge, which opened on West Otterman Street over the summer, is one example of a business that chose a location close to college facilities, Ciampini said.

Downtown Greensburg has changed a lot in the last five years or so, she said.

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Construction projects, businesses increased in Greensburg in 14