By Mark Rutkowski Special to Press & Guide Newspapers

More than 60 years later, he admits that dream he had has been realized more than he could have ever imagined.

This year marks the 60th anniversary of Italy American Construction, a company Armando started out of the basement of his home with one truck, less than $1,000 and a belief he could always do better.

I was married, and I told my wife I had nothing to lose, recalled Armando, who, at 86, still is in the office regularly. I had $600 or $700 and a used pickup.

What started primarily as a cement contracting company is today a full-service construction and remodeling business with offices at 8401 Telegraph Road. The company employs several crews who handle all aspects of residential and commercial work.

We are continuing to grow, said Antonio Mastroianni, another son and partner.

It most certainly wasnt that way in the beginning. Although he had experience working for a brother-in-law, Armando spoke little English and had no way of getting the word out that he was looking for business. With the help of a nephew, he answered a classified ad seeking a cement man.

The prospective employer asked if he was any good and to prove his abilities, Armando took a chance that would be hard to imagine today: He offered to do a garage floor and foundation for a new home on Linden Street. If the man placing the ad didnt like Armandos work, he said he didnt have to pay him. If he did like it, they could discuss other jobs.

The next day he called me, Armando said. I was afraid I was going to lose everything. He asked how many jobs I could take, so I took about four or five more jobs. Thats how it started.

The company continued to grow from that point on, and in the late 1960s, Frank Mastroianni started spending summers doing what kids do, namely helping in the family business. He later became a partner in the company, as did his brother, Antonio, in the mid-1980s. In more recent years, a third generation Franks son, Michael has joined the business. Continued...

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Italy American Construction company celebrates 60 years

August 6, 2014

Students in the organization Rebuilding Green, which grew out of the Green Buildings and Green Remodeling course taught last fall, work on the labyrinth they are building west of Boe Memorial Chapel.

In a new environmental studies course taught last fall, students learned about green building and remodeling techniques. This summer, a group of those students is putting that knowledge into action on campus.

The course, called Green Buildings and Green Remodeling, was co-taught by Associate Professor of ChemistryandEnvironmental Studies Paul Jackson 92 and Assistant Vice President for Facilities Pete Sandberg. As their final project for the course, students created a plan to renovate Swanson House, currently used as the Norwegian language honor house, to make it more environmentally sound.

Now theyre carrying out that plan, as well as several other ideas to make the St. Olaf campus more sustainable, such as constructing a labyrinth on the Hill and restoring avegetable garden behind another honor house.

We wanted to create an opportunity for students in the course to take their collaborative ideas to the implementation phase, says Jackson. It is one thing to test them on a paper and another to actually translate their knowledge into practice and to do so creatively and collaboratively.

Matt Johnson 14 (left) and Regan Keller 14 work on the labyrinth they are building west of Boe Memorial Chapel with the organization Rebuilding Green.

Sandberg was able to include a team of summer interns in the budget for the Swanson House renovations, and when he and Jackson proposed the idea to the class, the response was overwhelming.

When we asked the class how many would be interested in exploring such an opportunity, about 90 percent of the students said yes, says Jackson. Out of that interest group we ended up with a group of eight for whom the logistics and interest level worked well.

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Students put theory into practice on campus renovations

The future remains uncertain for the partially demolished three-story mansion at 360 Mountain Home Road in Woodside. The mansion made news in 2012 when it was sold for $117.5 million, a new U.S. record for a single-family home, according to news reports at the time.

The town's Planning Commission deadlocked on July 31 over what to do about the unauthorized removal of the first floor and first-floor framing as part of what was described in a staff report as a "simple remodel."

The town's stop-work order has been in place since July 3, and the mansion's second and third floors have been resting on steel beams in mid-air above a hole in the ground.

Should work be allowed to continue, but with added conditions? Or should the owner be forced to seek new permits based on what staff now considers a demolition? Both questions were voted on by the seven-member Planning Commission, and both received 3-3 votes, leaving the property owner with two paths forward: canceling the project or appealing to the Town Council. The deadline for an appeal is Monday, Aug. 11. An appeal is expected.

Commissioner Aydan Kutay was absent.

Staff reports list the owner of the 8.74-acre property as SV Projects LLC. The owner has been represented in public meetings by the Mill Valley firm Van Acker Construction Associates, and by attorney John Hanna of the Palo Alto firm Hanna & Van Atta.

What happened?

The 7,423-square-foot mansion was completed in 2009. The 2013 remodeling plans included replacing wooden siding with stone, expanding the basement, and replacing the roofs with gray slate.

While the 2009 home was considered by the Architectural and Site Review Board and the Planning Commission as "inconsistent" with the town's design criteria, the limited scope of proposed changes in 2013 led to the town's permission to expand the house, including adding 400 square feet of floor space.

The project was presented to the town by the applicant as a "simple remodel, with recladding and small additions," according to a staff report.

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Woodside council likely to decide mansion's fate

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Owens Corning Basement Finishing System Reviews ~ Remodel USA (800) 649-5391
Finishing your basement may be one of the easiest ways to add livable space to your home, and if you live in Baltimore, Washington, DC, Fairfax, Woodbridge, Hagerstown, or another nearby area...

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By Priya Anand, MarketWatch

What irks people most? New data show that consumers complain most about having to deal with cars whether false sales ads or repairs, according to the Consumer Federation of America and the North American Consumer Protection Investigators.

The groups analyzed more than 250,000 complaints to 40 agencies across 23 states last year, finding that consumers are peeved about their auto experiences but also consider home improvement a nightmare, with issues ranging from roofing rip-offs to new home defects.

Read: I complained online and got $1,200 back

Here are the top 10 consumer complaints, and some MarketWatch tips on how to avoid having to make them.

1. Auto: Misrepresentations in advertising or sales of new and used cars, lemons, faulty repairs, leasing and towing disputes

Heres the typical car repair saga: You go in for a simple oil change or tire replacement and they spring surprise repairs on you, claiming that your car is a death trap without those extra fixes and a bill to match. Some ways to avoid getting cheated by car mechanics: Take your owners manual out of the glove compartment and actually read it. It sounds obvious, but the manual is a guide as to what maintenance your car actually needs, and it helps to know what youre talking about when facing a mechanic who is peddling more repairs.

2. Home improvement/construction: Shoddy work, failure to start or complete the job

Americans shell out $275 billion a year on home improvement work - patching roofs, repairing plumbing, remodeling and more, according to a Harvard University survey. And in that process, theyre scammed out of at least $17 billion, according to some estimates. Projects like deck improvements and basement remodeling offer solid returns on the investment, if youre taking on the challenge of home improvement. Home Depot and Lowes account for 80% of the home improvement industrys $153.8 billion annual revenue, estimates show, but bigger isnt always better. Here are 10 things you should know before embarking on a project.

3. Credit/debt: Billing and fee disputes, mortgage modifications and mortgage-related fraud, credit repair, debt relief services, predatory lending, illegal or abusive debt collection tactics

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10 things consumers complain about the most

SUBLETTE Seventy-five years ago, in 1939, the historic Sublette Community Building was created. Over the years, the building has been the focal point of local activities. It has been used for dances, plays, talent shows, wedding receptions, church socials, meetings and reunions. Many years ago, there was even a bowling alley in the lower level. It also was the centerpiece during the Sublette Centennial in 1957.

There are many improvements needed to restore the building to bring it up to todays standards including upgrading the furnace, creating handicap accessibility, installing new bathrooms and a septic system, and remodeling the basement and kitchen. Several years ago, a group of local residents began the restoration process and painted the interior, resurfaced the hardwood floors, and installed new windows and doors.

Hoping to create an awareness of how valuable the building is to the community, the Sublette-365 organization over the past year hosted a series of Dueling Piano fundraisers that were held at the Community Building. Many friends and neighbors have now visited the building and are realizing how important the building truly is.

Recently, the Sublette-365 Organization and Community Building Board of Directors have decided to start a campaign to raise $75,000 to complete the necessary upgrades to the building. Sublette-365 is hoping to kick off the Fund Drive with profits derived from SubletteFest-2014. Local families and businesses are urged to consider making a one-time contribution or a five-year pledge toward the restoration and preservation of the building. Donors pledging $2,500 or more will have their name permanently recognized inside the building and on the Sublette-365 Facebook Page.

OVERALL CONTRIBUTION ANNUAL CONTRIBUTION

$2,500-$4,999 ($500-$1,249 Year Pledge)-Bronze

$5,000-$7,499 ($1,250-$1,499 Year Pledge)-Silver

$7,500-$9,999 ($1,500-$1,999 Year Pledge)-Gold

$10,000+ ($2,000+ Year Pledge)-Platinum

Community minded citizens and friends of Sublette are encouraged to make a donation and/or pledge to the fund. The donations may be dropped off at Farmers State Bank of Sublette or mailed to Farmers State Bank of Sublette, Attn: Community Building Fund, PO Box 20, Sublette, IL 61367. A fund drive marker will be placed in front of the building, so community members can keep track of funding progress.

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Sublette launches fundraiser for community building

Owens Corning Basement Finishing System ~ Customer Testimonial ~ Remodel USA 855-525-9000
Watch as this family transforms their ugly basement into a comfy and cozy living space, greatly increasing the livable space in their home. Finishing your basement may be one of the easiest...

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Owens Corning Basement Finishing System ~ Customer Testimonial ~ Remodel USA 855-525-9000 - Video

Owens Corning Basement Finishing Systems Customer ~ Remodel USA 855-525-9000
Finishing your basement may be one of the easiest ways to add livable space to your home, and if you live in Baltimore, Washington, DC, Fairfax, Woodbridge, Hagerstown, or another nearby area...

By: Remodel USA

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Owens Corning Basement Finishing Systems Customer ~ Remodel USA 855-525-9000 - Video