COLUMBUS The 175 students at Shell Creek Elementary School werent the only ones excited when classes were dismissed for the semester last week.

Construction crews who have spent the past 10 months remodeling the K-6 school will use the summer break to make the final push toward completion of a $5.12 million expansion project there.

It will make things a lot easier, said Jeff Keating of Bierman Contracting Inc., the projects construction manager.

Although Keating said things went surprisingly well with classes in session, the absence of students will allow for unimpeded progress on the new wings and renovations planned in the old building.

Keating expects the project to be wrapped up around July 15.

Schedule-wise, were right where we need to be, he said.

The school, located just north of Columbus at 16786 280th St., will be a double-track facility with two classrooms for each of the seven grades when classes resume this August.

Students and staff began using five of the seven new classrooms a few weeks ago after the majority of work on the east addition was complete.

They were pretty excited that they got to be in the new classrooms, said Principal John Mlinar.

And thats just a portion of the benefits adding about 30,000 square feet to the school will bring.

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Shell Creek school project to be done in July

Summary: The system will handle about 45 percent of the electricity needs for the refurbished Lafayette Hotel, whose guests once included stars such as Ava Gardner and Bob Hope.

The Lafayette Hotel, a historic site in San Diego whose swimming pool was designed by Tarzan star Johnny Weismuller, has installed a 40-kilowatt ClearEdge Power fuel cell as part of a massive remodeling.

The cell should help the property save up to $30,000 annually in energy costs, according to the partnership that operates the Lafayette. It will handle approximately 45 percent of the electricity that the property needs to operate, according to ClearEdge Power. There are seven buildings on the site, hosting 131 guest rooms.

The ClearEdge Power fuel cell uses natural gas to produce its energy; the electrochemical process that takes place along the way generates enough heat to keep the Olympic-sized swimming pools temperature between 76 degrees and 79 degrees Fahrenheit year-round.

One of the key challenges in this renovation was finding an alternative energy solution that would preserve the buildings historic value, said Tara Hamacher, president and owner of Historic Consultants, in the press materials about the project. With ClearEdge Powers fuel cell system, we were able to comply with strict guidelines and qualify for energy upgrade rebates and tax credit incentives that help make this renovation a reality in one of the toughest real estate and hospitality recessions.

The energy efficiency measures embraced by the hotel, which should save $70,000 annually, helped the property managers qualify for tax credits that helped fund installation of the ClearEdge Power fuel cell system, which is housed in the basement of the main building.

Heather Clancy is an award-winning business journalist with a passion for green technology and corporate sustainability issues.

Writing publicly about what the high-tech industry is actually doing to help itself and the world get greener or more sustainable is one way I figure I can contribute more meaningfully to said effort. I am also a big OMG-kind-of-fan of smart leadership, which is why the goodly folks who publish this blog let me go on about this topic and why I am always on the hunt for forward-looking business management ideas.

My daily writing is focused on looking for topics for my blogs, GreenTech Pastures and Business Brains. I also write often about emerging technology trends such as mobile computing, unified communications and cloud computing. Occasionally, I will pop up at an industry conference in some sort of speaking capacity. In cases where a speaking engagement involves a sponsor that may be covered in this blog, that fact will be disclosed in coverage as appropriate.

My corporate writing work usually consists of crafting research white papers about some aspect of technology. In the event that my commentary (in written, audio or video form) mentions a company for which I have provided consulting advice, I will disclose that fact. However, there is no connection between these projects and the topics that I am covering in my blog.

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Hollywood hotel casts ClearEdge fuel cell in supporting role

ELKO Business is booming at the City of Elko building department, with nearly all categories reporting gains in April.

Permits issued for the month totaled 153, an increase from the 95 issued during the same month a year prior. Permit valuations were also up, with $6.7 million reported for the month more than double the $2.5 million reported during April 2011.

If we keep on this pace, were going to way outdo last year, said Elko Building Official Ted Schnoor, who added the biggest category continues to be residential single-family dwellings.

The number of single-family dwellings permitted this year is more than double last years figure 29, compared with 14 year-to-date in 2011.

In April, residential construction again posted the highest figures of the various application types, with 69 permits issued for 10 new buildings. The valuation was $2.1 million, an amount largely due to the permitting of an additional building at the Rabbit Brush Run apartment complex, which amounted to $1.1 million in permit valuations.

Valuations were on the rise across the board, with a heating, ventilation and air conditioning system upgrade at Northside Elementary School amounting to nearly $2 million, and at the Elko Indian Colony the Te-Moak Tribe of Western Shoshone is in the process of building a new education center, with a valution of nearly $1 million.

Rounding out projects resulting in high permit valuations are the commercial remodels of McDonalds and Walmart, both on Mountain City Highway. Each of these projects contributed nearly half a million dollars apiece in permit valuations in April.

Theres a lot of activity, said Schnoor, who added the number of commercial permits being issued by the building department continue to grow, particularly with commercial warehouse remodeling.

He expects to see the number of commercial applicants outpace residential as the summer season approaches.

With the number of applications being seen, the building department is reporting a wait of six weeks or longer to issue permits, depending upon the complexity of the project.

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Double the dollars; City building continues strong upward trend

ELKO Business is booming at the City of Elko building department, with nearly all categories reporting gains in April.

Permits issued for the month totaled 153, an increase from the 95 issued during the same month a year prior. Permit valuations were also up, with $6.7 million reported for the month more than double the $2.5 million reported during April 2011.

If we keep on this pace, were going to way outdo last year, said Elko Building Official Ted Schnoor, who added the biggest category continues to be residential single-family dwellings.

The number of single-family dwellings permitted this year is more than double last years figure 29, compared with 14 year-to-date in 2011.

In April, residential construction again posted the highest figures of the various application types, with 69 permits issued for 10 new buildings. The valuation was $2.1 million, an amount largely due to the permitting of an additional building at the Rabbit Brush Run apartment complex, which amounted to $1.1 million in permit valuations.

Valuations were on the rise across the board, with a heating, ventilation and air conditioning system upgrade at Northside Elementary School amounting to nearly $2 million, and at the Elko Indian Colony the Te-Moak Tribe of Western Shoshone is in the process of building a new education center, with a valution of nearly $1 million.

Rounding out projects resulting in high permit valuations are the commercial remodels of McDonalds and Walmart, both on Mountain City Highway. Each of these projects contributed nearly half a million dollars apiece in permit valuations in April.

Theres a lot of activity, said Schnoor, who added the number of commercial permits being issued by the building department continue to grow, particularly with commercial warehouse remodeling.

He expects to see the number of commercial applicants outpace residential as the summer season approaches.

With the number of applications being seen, the building department is reporting a wait of six weeks or longer to issue permits, depending upon the complexity of the project.

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City building continues strong upward trend

ELKO Construction valuations in Elko County surged in April to slightly more than $8 million, or nearly double the $4.15 million in valuations for April 2011, thanks to a major project at Cactus Petes in Jackpot.

That $4.5 million project almost doubled valuations, said Thomas Ingersoll, Elko Countys director of building and safety.

He said Cactus Petes has gutted 89 rooms in the Granite Range tower for the remodeling project, so those rooms are closed to the public.

They want to get it done in June so its a big push, he said.

Building permits totaled 200 in April, up from 110 in the 2011 time period, and permit applications totaled 80, up from 56 in April 2011. Permit fees rose to $75,022, compared with $49,791 last year.

We had an almost 100 percent increase in residential for single-family dwellings, Ingersoll said.

New residential applications totaled 21, up from 11 the prior year, and residential permits totaled 98, up from 50. Residential accessory permit applications also were up, to 33 from 18 last year, and residential accessory permits totaled 57, up from 30.

Ingersoll said the jump in accessory permits really shows a strong economy.

The April list of permits issued in Elko County, including the owners name, location, description, valuation and builder:

Commercial, miscellaneous accessory structures W.H. Gibbs, Gibbs Ranch, telephone equipment, $5,656; Spring Creek Christian Center, 285 Spring Creek Parkway, detached garage, $21,841, Esprit Construction;

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Jackpot project boosts county construction

Visitors to the Vernon County Courthouse will be greeted with new signs and sturdier stairs in the near future.

At the April 17 county board meeting, Vernon County Board supervisors approved a resolution, which included spending $60,000 repairing the stairs at the south and east entrances of the courthouse, as well as installing new signs at the courthouse and Banta Building.

The signs were budgeted by the county to cost no more than $10,000 for both buildings and will help direct visitors to county offices and the Vernon County Circuit Court, housed within both buildings.

The courthouse basement will also be painted, but first the basement has to be tested for asbestos and mold.

The countys buildings and facilities committee approved $1,481 for the cost of the tests at its May 3 meeting.

We want to make sure the white fuzzy stuff coming out of out of the cracks isnt mold, its just some calcification or something, Carter Arndt, of MSA Professional Services Inc., said.

The tests will cover the basement and where the stairs at the south entrance of the courthouse will be replaced.

Committee chairman Jerry Cade asked Arndt about testing for asbestos and mold in the countys other buildings.

We can do specific point assessments of areas of concern, Arndt said. Secondarily, if the county wanted to institute a countywide asbestos management plan we know other consultants school districts for an example do this, it is a requirement of state law so there are firms actually out there who will do a management plan and basically help you manage your asbestos.

But if we have to end up doing some remodeling over there [at the Erlandson Building], weve got to check this out ahead of time, so if you can come back with a price for that, Cade said.

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County makes plans to replace stairs at courthouse entrances

GOSHEN A total reconstruction of the Main Street building that housed Graber Designs Gallery, 208 S. Main St., which is set to re-open June 1, is the 40th downtown construction project completed by Jeremy Stutsman and his firm, Lofty Ideas.

There is not a surface that did not get changed, from the basement to the ceiling, Stutsman said this week, after he stripped the walls and floors and replaced the Main Street facade to the building.

He said five layers of flooring were removed to expose the original wood floor, which was then restored. The facade was removed and replaced by one designed by Dave Pottinger, Stutsmans father-in-law and sometimes partner in the restoration business.

The drywall and plaster were removed from the brick walls, the back wall was rebuilt with new insulation, the basement stairs rebuilt and the original metal 14-foot ceiling exposed, restored and repainted. Jeremy explained he uses a process of replacing the missing metal ceiling panels by vacuum-forming plastic replacements. He said 32 new panels were made and installed before a coat of grey paint was applied.

Replacement doors have been installed at the Main Street sidewalk with old wooden ones that Stutsman has rescued from other projects.

The new basement stairs will allow the business to expand and use the front half of the basement for retail sales space.

Stutsman said he was assisted in this project by fellow carpenters Joel and Alfonso Jimenez, a father and son team.

This is my 40th major project downtown, Stutsman said after starting his business with his wife, Maija, 11 years ago.

The projects have included four or five new facades, painting and improvements at Jon Wieands The Famous, Kelly Jae Next Door, Jules Boutique, Chucks Photography, work at Snyder Mens Store and on the streetscape projects.

Jeremy said the Grabers plan to reopen their business on June 1 with a new name, Found.

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Stutsman completing his 40th downtown project

Gail Orcutt's only symptom was an occasional cough. Doctors eventually diagnosed lung cancer in the non-smoker, and removed her lung. Today, she is a rare survivor of what is suspected to be radon-induced cancer caused by exposure in her home, and advocated for more awareness of the issue.

Hundreds of radon mitigation systems that are supposed to funnel toxic gas out of basements are not getting tested and could be defective.

Classified as a class A carcinogen like arsenic and asbestos, the colorless and odorless gas causes lung cancer when radon decay particles attach to dust and are breathed into the lungs and damage the DNA, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

"The law says we're supposed to do inspections but we can't because we don't have the funds to do it," said Rick Welke, radon program manager at the Iowa Department of Public Health. "There's people installing 200 systems a year, and they've never been inspected."

How serious is the problem?

"It's very prevalent in the Unites States, and of the U.S., Iowa is in the highest range for radon levels," says Kim Johnson, Environmental Health Director for Buena Vista County. "In Iowa, northwest Iowa is the highest."

Solid numbers are hard to come by, and there is a limited database of completed tests to go on, but one website indicates that the average indoor radon level in BV County homes tested with Air Chek Inc. equipment is 9.3 pCi/liter, well above the 4 pCi level that the EPA suggests for taking action. The website reports that 70 percent of the tests done in the county are at 4 pCi or above.

"I know we have had houses here with test result levels in the hundreds," Johnson says. "And don't go by your neighbors - two houses right next to each other may test out completely different."

The county environmental office makes test kits available for $7. A homeowner puts the test in the lowest lived-in level of their home for 3-7 days, then sends it in for a reading. For privacy, results are mailed to the homeowner only.

Often problem level radon locally can be dealt with by "tightening up a home," Johnson says - such as repairing cracks in a basement floor or foundation and covering holes or floor drains - especially those that lead to sump pumps.

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Cancer-causing radon escapes legislative attention

SYCAMORE - Kelli Larsen wanted a home for herself and her two sons.

"Being a single parent, I couldn't afford one," the Sycamore woman said. So she filed a request with Habitat for Humanity of DeKalb County.

Established in 1998, HFHDC is a nonprofit, Christian-based group that has built 10 simple, affordable houses for people who need help. As part of their agreement, partner families are required to participate in the construction process and to have an income, since they'll have to pay the mortgage on the property once the house is complete.

"Unfortunately, we can't give away free houses," HFHDC board president Jennifer Mescher said.

Unable to find a lot in its price range, Mescher said the group decided to try its first remodeling project, settling on a Sycamore home built in 1890.

"We've completely gutted the house," she said. Remodeling has brought on some special challenges for contractor John Horst not normally encountered when building a house from scratch, she added.

As part of the demolition, Mescher said they've dug out the concrete in the basement floor and are adding furring strips to the walls to make the house more energy efficient. Roofing, electricity and plumbing are also areas to be addressed.

As with all Habitat projects, the current build has benefited from numerous donations from local businesses and from volunteer labor, which includes members of the board, like William Dawson of DeKalb. Community groups also help out, including church and student groups.

The project began Oct. 29 and is scheduled to end in September. Mescher said the volunteers only work on Saturdays, but professionals are allowed to work during the week. Even with volunteer labor, equipment and materials, the whole project is expected to cost about $100,000.

Anyone 16 and older interested in volunteering can do so by contacting Chris Peddle at 815-758-5055 or visiting http://www.hfhdcillinois.org.

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Habitat for Humanity remodeling project

What will happen to the basement salon at the Dorsa Lofts has yet to be determined and preservation of its curvy wall, stylized plaster cloud and other art moderne traits is not assured.

That's the word today from the broker marketing the downtown space for the new owner, a businessman from Columbia, Mo. Lord Partners broker Starion (Ronny) Cuka says preservation of the 1940s space is a hope but that the new tenant will have much to say about becomes of the place.

The building dates from 1899 but a remodeling for the Dorsa Co. in 1946 produced an art moderne facade, lobby and adjoining basement salon where the company showed its latest women's fashions to apparel buyers. Lofts occupy most of the building now but the old Dorsa lobby and basement area remain vacant and largely intact.

Most remarkable is the small basement, which features a curvy staircase and a tiny stage. The salon is a mess and some wall plaster has water damage but the swoopy, art moderne characteristics remain visible.

Kerry Chao, who owns frozen yogurt shops in Columbia and Creve Coeur, recently bought the empty Dorsa space on Washington Avenue downtown. Abrochure touts the space's possibility as a restaurant and highlights the salon's stage as a potential performance spot.

Cuka says Chao has no plan for a frozen yogurt shop in the space and is ready to listen to a variety of ideas for the 7,500-square-foot location. The cost of preserving the art moderne features will be a factor, Cuka adds.

While the new owner understands the art moderne appeal of the space, what happens to it will largely be determined by a new tenant, Cuka says.

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New tenant could determine fate of Dorsa features