NEW ALBANY A street closure could take effect as early as Monday to continue improvements on Slate Run Road.

Sidewalks are being added and stormwater upgrades are being made in the area.

City Engineer Larry Summers told the New Albany Board of Public Works and Safety on Tuesday that the contractors work on Garretson Lane last week in association with the project was delayed due to the weather. If the contractor can get back on schedule this week, Summers anticipated the road closure for Slate Run Road could begin Monday and last until Thursday. The roadway will be closed between Slate Run Elementary School and Lochwood Apartments for a pipe to be installed.

Thats going to be the last major stormwater thing theyll have to do. Theyre still working on sidewalks and driveways, Summers said.

The initial schedule called for the project to be completed by late July. The major goal of the effort is to improve walkability in the area.

This helps tie the school system with the sidewalks and its also, of course, going to have new asphalt and stormwater system, said Summers referencing curb and gutter upgrades.

Summers added that the city is in talks with Duke Energy about improving street lighting along the corridor.

Signs will be posted at Charlestown Road and Old Ford Road warning of the closure. Summers said drivers will be directed to take Old Ford Road as a detour.

In other action, the 2020 paving effort for the city moved forward Tuesday with the selection of a contractor.

Contingent upon legal and engineering review, the board of works unanimously approved Libs Paving for the project. Libs submitted the lowest of five bids for the paving plan at $2,081,879.99.

Link:
Portion of Slate Run Road to close for construction; paving contract awarded - Evening News and Tribune

SIOUX CENTERThe Sioux Center City Council approved paving the driveway access to the ballfields at Open Space Park and adding ADA compliant sidewalks to the bleachers.

City manager Scott Wynja told the council at its meeting Tuesday, April 28, that the project is part of ongoing efforts to create better accessibility, among other improvements to the area.

During a public hearing, the council heard the estimated cost of the project was $107,600 with an alternate of $18,000 for adding sidewalk that would connect the new paved roadway to existing trails in the park area.

An anonymous comment was made during the public hearing that this was a much needed addition.

After closing the public hearing, the council reviewed four bids for the project and approved the low bid of $88,305.68 with the cost of the alternate portion at $16,524.42. The bid was submitted by Firm Foundation of Sioux Center.

The four bids ranged from the $88,000 up to $116,000, with the alternate additions ranging from the $16,000 to almost $22,000.

Though the city approved the total low bid of $104,830.10, Wynja said it is a joint-use project, so the city will pay 50 percent, or $52,415.05, of the project cost with the remaining 50 percent to be covered by the Sioux Center School District and Dordt University.

Wynja noted that once paved, the access road would be gated off, so the paving also includes creating a handicap accessible area on the edge of the existing paved portion of the Sioux Center High School parking lot.

Where theres gravel to extend the current parking lot that will be removed and turned back to grass as there wont be a need for the parking lot extension once the high school moves to its new location, Wynja said.

Visit link:
Open Space Park ballfield drive to be paved - nwestiowa.com

Crews will install sewer pipes and structures in the Martin Luther King Jr. Way and 6th Avenue intersection, closing this intersection during the weekend of May 16. Work hours are Saturday and Sunday from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. The contractor plans to open the intersection in the morning of Monday, May 18. Follow detours on Division Avenue, J Street, Sprague Avenue and S. 9th Street. Access the hospitals, medical centers and emergency department on MLK Jr. Way from Division Ave. The contractor may keep an eastbound lane on 6th Avenue open and allow traffic to turn right (southbound) onto MLK Jr. Way, if possible.

In other areas, crews continue to install track on Martin Luther King Jr. Way, moving to the area between S. 11th And S. 10th St. Crews continue to install track, the platform for the Stadium District Station, and curb, gutter and sidewalks on N. 1st St. On Division Ave., crews are excavating and will move rail into place later this week. Commerce Street is closed in both directions between S. 7th St. and I-705 for utility work.

COVID-19. The health and safety of all workers on Sound Transits construction sites are of utmost importance to us. Our contractors have primary responsibility for their wellbeing while working on our projects. Sound Transit is actively working with the contractors and construction management teams on all our projects to assure that public health guidelines are being followed.

Construction and traffic restrictions on Commerce Street, Stadium Way, N. 1st Street, Yakima Avenue, Division Avenue, Martin Luther King Jr. Way, 6th Avenue, S. 10th Street, S. 11th Street, and S. 17th Street

Week of May 11

In addition, the contractor continues installing a sewer line on S. 10th St. and MLK Jr. Way. After completing work in this intersection, crews will install the sewer line on S. 10th St. on the west side of MLK Jr. Way to the alley.

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Martin Luther King Jr. Way and 6th Avenue intersection closes for utility work during the weekend of May 16 - soundtransit.org

Wow- a lot of progress this past month. So busy I have not had time to update the blog. But finally I have some time so I will show you what we have been doing.

Mid March we were still working on the driveway.

Rain has been a big problem. You cant pour concrete in the rain. So Jeff Copeman has been doing sections in between rain as best he can. Here he has the forms laid out for the section leading to the workshop and then halfway down the driveway. Slow going!

We have all the utilities crossing the driveway at the entrance, so these had to be marked for when they dig this portion out. The driveway apron has to be dug deeper as they will be laying in 7 inches of concrete here.

Aside from this work we are doing various indoor things. Measuring toilet rough-ins to make sure the toilets will fit, measuring the HVAC outlets for the floor vent covers, measuring the stairways to determine size of stairway skirts, treads and risers.

Coleman Nurseries is starting to plant trees. The first to go in were four river birches we are installing on the right side of the driveway.

They were starting to bud so Randy wanted to get them in the ground. The grading is mostly done on that side so this was OK. There still needs to be some grading on the left side so I didnt want anything planted there at this time.

It will be nice to have a driveway. To get to the house means slogging through this mud.

In early April we had the living room wood stove delivered. It is a NEO 2.5. Very nice model.

It is sitting on a black granite surround. Looks very nice there.

They finally got to the driveway apron. Ah- we will soon be able to walk on actual pavement up to the house!

That is Jeff Copeman on the left. He and his crew have done a great job on all the concrete in the house- starting with the basement slab oh so long ago!

I installed the vent cover for the rangehood. And we got all the floor vent covers for the HVAC vents and started to install these.

And finally by the first week of April the driveway was finished!

While this was completing, Dayna wanted to repaint the master bath walls (already and we havent even moved in!). So I did that- from a flat white to a flat gray. Looks good.

And then a key moment arrived- the mailbox!

It was great to finally get the mailbox in, and we got rid of the dumpster. It is really starting to look like a house.

Grading on the left side of the house was completed by Terry Hicks, so Coleman Nursery was able to start planting on that side. We had three river birches going there, so these were installed first.

That weekend Dayna and I went up to Richmond to check out a granite countertop supplier. We actually have settled on a quartz product.

We can get the same stuff at Home Depot for much cheaper. They contract out to the same company but get a much better price.. This will look good with the maple hardwood flooring and the dark walnut cabinetry in the kitchen.

Yes, in spite of the Coronavirus, the building community remains active. We have not had any slowdown in the building of our house- except for delays caused by rain, of which there have been many.

Another big milestone in early April the hardwood flooring arrived!

It is prefinished Mirage maple hardwood. The model is Element Hudson in 3 1/4 inch planks. Very good quality wood from a Canadian company. Dayna really wanted the prefinished wood because it has that hard aluminum oxide coating that is impossible to get with wood finished on-site. Our previous house at Ashleigh Road had such wood and it lasted for 20 years without any need for refinishing. It looked just as good when we sold the house as when we got it installed.

We hired Hampton Roads Flooring Solutions to install the floor.

Alot of wood! While this was going on, I had my workshop delivered by Packrat.

There were sporadic showers in the morning so I called the movers and told them to wait until the afternoon. Sure enough the rain subsided enough that we could move stuff into the house without getting soaked.

It was pretty quick work getting everything moved in. For awhile there it looked like it all wouldnt fit, but after doing some preliminary arranging it looks like it will work out. It will be good to start woodworking again after 2 years!!

At about the same time my workshop tools were delivered, they delivered the outside deck substrate material

These are 30 X 48 composite panels 1 inch thick that are screwed to the deck joists. I will then be cementing porcelain tiles to this. I thought this would be an interesting alternative to your typical composite plank decking material. We shall see.

On top of all this, I got my VW truck delivered. Out of storage after 2 years it is finally home.

The guy who stored it would start it up every month just to keep the engine in shape. He said it was starting hard and recommended a carb overhaul, so I put that on my small list of things to do

Meanwhile the flooring guys were making good progress.

What a difference flooring makes! Wow, I feel I could almost move in. Just a couple cabinets to make and boom, we will have a certificate of occupancy. Well- it will take a little time, but we will get there.

A key is getting my workshop in shape. I have been organizing it and it is getting to the point of being very useable.

I have pretty much all the tools I need except for a lathe which is sometime in the future.

One of the first things I built were wood storage racks.

I designed these racks to be able to store wood horizontally and vertically. The shop has a great ceiling height so I can easily store 12 ft long pieces of wood vertically to save on space.

I continue working in the Master bath with installation of a towel warmer rack and clothes hangar rods in the master bath closets.

I tested the under tile floor warmer in the master bath. Works like a charm! Nothing like warm tile under foot on a cold winters day.

They completed all the hardwood install except for the entrance foyer. We need another 90 sq ft of wood so this will be completed later.

It all turned out very well. Dayna and I are really pleased with the look.

While they were finishing up the hardwood flooring, I was starting to work on the deck.

The panels are not that heavy, maybe 30 pounds a piece. Alot easier than hauling long planks of composite decking. The trick is to fit them so that the ends fall on joists. Unfortunately Scott OBrian did not strictly space the joists at 1 foot, due to location of deck support beams, so in some cases the ends of the panels didnt fall on joists and I have to install blocking for the panels to rest on.

Coleman came and did the final landscaping- installation of trees, bushes, mulch and sod. Wow- the place was transformed in one week.

We didnt originally want any grass, but unfortunately along the right side of the house there is alot of water flowing from the front to the back and mulch would have just washed away. Sod is a very effective erosion control so we elected to sod this entire slope. It is only about 4000 square feet, so not that much to mow!

Grading and landscaping are for the most part done. We need to look at a sprinkler system for the grass, as the summers here in Williamsburg can be hot and dry. I will probably install some drip irrigation on other parts of the property as well, but we want to minimize water usage to the extent possible.

I completed the chop saw/storage bench on the one side of the workshop.

So the workshop is now fully operational. I will start making cabinets next weekend (hopefully).

Oh, and I did overhaul the VW carburator. Runs great, although something is going on with the choke because it takes a while to start when cold.

I took it for a spin to the Ace hardware store. I must say the old car sure does attract attention. Not often you see a full bed VW Type 2 pickup!

I hope to be updating this blog more often, but I am getting pretty busy, going every Friday, Saturday and Sunday to work on the house. When will we be able to move in? I tell everyone- in a couple months. Ive been saying this for a couple months already. Haha.

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11 May 2020 Light at the end of the tunnel! - stopthefud

North Texas families havespent more than a month and a half under safer at home orders. A good bit ofthat time might have been spent playing board games.

A family in Fate, near Rockwall, took that to the next level. Jaime Way and her children are now known for their elaborate art-scapes made of sidewalk chalk in their driveway.

It started as just painting rocks and then hiding them for the neighborhood kids to find. Something that would help pass the time.

Then we started doingthe movie characters, Way said. Then, my daughter says Mom! I really want tomake a giant Monopoly [board]. I thought about it and was like the foursections of the driveway kind of look like the Monopoly board folded up so Isaid, lets do it and it kind of sparked from there.

The family has now created so many works of art the neighborhood can enjoy, including a replica of the video game Pacman.

Way, who is an elementaryschool counselor in Garland, said while its fun for her and her family, itsalso a way to help people forget whats going on, even if its just for alittle while.

I like to see people smile and I kind of miss that about school. Working with the kids and seeing them smile. [I like] the togetherness that this has kind of brought families here. Seeing a little kid coming up and looking at it, or trying to play on it, its just nice to see that, Way said.

Every time it rains, theycome up with a new idea, wait until the old one washes away and get to work.

Every morning, NBC 5 Today is dedicated to delivering you positive local stories of people doing good, giving back and making a real change in our community.

Way also said their chalk art wont stop here. She and her daughter are already thinking of some cool things they can do on the pavement at her school, once the kids are allowed back in class.

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Local Family Gets in the Chalk Art Game - NBC 5 Dallas-Fort Worth

Westford Food Pantry continues to help community

WESTFORD The Westford Food Pantry at 20 Pleasant St. is open Wednesdays from 6 to 8 p.m. and Fridays from 9 to 11 a.m. The food pantry is currently limiting its number of volunteers to minimize risk exposure to COVID-19.

Clients can receive a prepackaged bag of goods and protein such as chicken, fish, eggs or cheese. Contact the pantry at 978-692-5523 or info@westfordfoodpantry.com for more information.

Boutique travel company goes virtual

LANCASTER Lancaster-based Womens Adventure Travels has found ways to adapt amid the COVID-19 pandemic. The boutique travel company recently developed a quarantine routine, which includes virtual work sessions for interns and a Zoom speaker series. The series features professionals such as John Sessa, executive director of The Vanderpump Dog and co-founder of Vanderpump Pets.

Even when safety measures meant that all of their work would have to be completed remotely, team WAT found ways to work together and stay motivated and inspired, a news release states.

For more information, visit womensadventuretravels.com.

Cultural Council hosts sidewalk chalk art contest

AYER With school still closed and only so much paper to color on, local kids have been taking their art skills to the pavement lately.

The Ayer Cultural Council will be hosting a monthly Sidewalk Chalk Art Competition from May through July. Local kids up to 18 years old looking to participate can draw their own creation on the sidewalk in front of their home, the street end of their driveway or anywhere theyre allowed to draw. Participants then take a picture of their work and post it on the councils Facebook page by the 25th of each month. Four finalists per month will be chosen by the council and then submitted to the public for a vote. Winners can receive a $25 gift card from the Ayer business of their choosing.

Those looking for more information can email jgovang@ayer.ma.us.

Shawsheen Tech School Committee to vote on superintendent contract

BILLERICA On Tuesday, the Shawsheen Tech School Committee will meet to vote on the contract for incoming superintendent Brad Jackson. Earlier this month the committee voted to appoint Jackson to the position, pending contract negotiations.

Jackson currently works as Hollistons superintendent. His contract with Shawsheen is expected to last for two or three years.

The public will be able to watch the meeting live through Wilmington Community Television (WCTV), which will stream the virtual meeting online. The meeting starts at 7 p.m. Those interested in watching can do so at http://www.wctv.org/meetings.

Emma Murphy

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The Five Minute Read - Lowell Sun

Tiny homesare still all the rage within the minimalist and wanderlust communities of the world, and what better place to consider tiny living than in the warmth of the big island, Hawaii? If equatorial location is on your must-have list, this tiny home might be just the serving of simplicity and decadence youre looking for.

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Designed by the brother and sister team, Ellie and Dan Madsen, the Oasis Tiny House lives up to each aspect of its name. Measuring in at just 260 square feet, thistiny homeprovides an oasis with an abundance of luxury features inside and out. An A-frame ceiling and curved roof leave an airy feeling of space far beyond what is actually there. Complete with a ceiling fan, stained beams and an octagonal window at the peak, the eye is drawn to all the features above. Copious windows provide an abundance of light that embraces the tropical vibe of the home.

Related: 7 tips for decorating a tiny home

This theme continues inside the bathroom with a skylight roof above the shower for an outdoor feel, where you just might think youre actually under a rain shower. The shower design projects out onto the tongue of the trailer for a spacious overall bathroom design. A space-efficient corner shelf holds a vessel sink, and the corner islit naturallyand with added track lighting.

The kitchen features stainless steel counters with husky tool drawers and black cabinetry, but theexotic curly mango woodwindowsill ledge and large pass-through window are the focal points of the space. A subway tile backsplash and mounted shelving round out the accents. This space-conscious design still manages to incorporate a washing machine into the kitchen, a feature many tiny homes lack.

The mango wood laced stairs leading to the bedroom loft offer copious storage underneath, and a row of submarine-style bubble windows offer a 180-degree view. The living room allows space for furniture as well as a multi-functional bar-height table for work, dining or entertaining. Since the tiny house is located in Hawaii, outdoor living is an essential component. The design welcomes this with an outdoor bar located directly below the pass-through kitchen window.

Paradise Tiny Homes combined the talents of the two Madsen siblings, who, after having lived in different states for a decade, came back together after the passing of their mother. Feeling reunited by the importance and love of family, they saw that their two different but compatible skill sets could come together beautifully to produce some of the most unique and remarkable homes in Hawaii.

+ Paradise Tiny Homes, LLC

Images via Paradise Tiny Homes, LLC

See the article here:
Brother sister duo create tropical tiny home in Hawaii - Inhabitat

Keeping children engaged while they and their grownups take shelter from the novel coronavirus pandemic can be a challenge, especially if the adults are working from home. Danielle Waite, Director UC Merceds Early Childhood Education Center, compiled this list of age-appropriate activities for kids.

One of the goals of these activities is to give children an alternative to computers or phones. Screen time can be used to assist parents and caregivers during part of the day, but children need a break from these devices.

Safety reminder: If your child puts objects and materials in the mouth, please choose larger materials that are not a choking hazard.

Remember, children like repetition. These activities can be cycled every few days. Change an item or two or put them in a different location to keep them interesting and fresh.

Light Table: Line the sides of a transparent tub or container with aluminum foil, leaving the bottom uncovered. Place battery-operated or plug-in string lights under the inverted tub. Youve created a light table! This can be a base for translucent plastics, arranging loose parts (toothpicks, flowers, leaves, corks, bottle caps, feathers, etc.) for ephemeral art designs, and tracing (for older children). Its a great attraction in the dark corner of a room.

Table Tent: Convert any tall table (dining room or kitchen table) into a cozy tent and hiding spot. Place a large sheet or blanket over the table and add pillows, toys or books to make it an entertaining getaway. If you made a light table (above), add it to the tent. You can check in on their play by leaving the blanket six inches or so above the floor. The children still will feel they are in a secret hiding area.

Paper Airplanes: Make an abundance of paper airplanes. Talk your child through the construction or quickly fold a number of them. You can use recycled paper. Let them decorate the planes, then throw! You can limit which rooms (if indoors) or directions (if outdoors) your child can throw them. Children like to throw and retrieve them over and over. You can encourage building an airport or similar docking area from old cereal boxes. For infants, you can throw the paper airplane for the child to retrieve, encouraging movement.

Card Slot/Ball Drop: Using an oatmeal container, coffee container, Pringles can, wipes container, etc., create a simple activity that engages fine motor and auditory skills. Make a small hole or slit in the lid and let your child drop corks, playing cards, paper clips, balls, or other small toys through the lid. Let them experiment with different sizes of objects and discover the different sounds they make.

Animal Tape Rescue: Use masking tape to trap plastic animals/dinosaurs/vehicles on walls, the floor or doors. You can even tape them together. Use less tape for younger children, more for older ones. Have your child figure out how to free the toy! Provide tweezers and scissors for older children to help with their fine motor skill development.

Muffin Pan Sorting: Provide your child with assorted muffin pans for a variety of sorting projects. Small blocks, Duplos, magnetic letters, small rocks and even small toys can be put into the muffin slots. Watch how your child begins to use the sections of the pans. Sometimes this type of open-ended activity is the most inspiring for a young child.

Shredded Paper: Grab a big pot, basket or box, fill it with paper from a paper shredder (or use grass cuttings), and hide objects and toys in the container for your child to find. This may get messy, but it is easy to clean up.

Tape Parades: Place masking tapeon your carpet or floors. Make patterns or designs to inspire your child. Have your child place toys, rocks, cars, trains, Duplos, bottle caps, and natural items (flowers, leaves, small pinecones, etc.) on the tape to make their own parade. Your child may be inspired to make other play scenarios from the patterns on the floor.

Sink/Float: Fill a tall pot, dishpan, or clear large-mouth jar (mayonnaise or spaghetti jars are ideal) with water to experiment with sink/float aspects. Provide objects like small balls, pieces of sponge, toys, leaves, rocks, utensils, etc., and let the child experiment. Older children can chart their predictions and/or findings on whether an object sinks or floats. Add dish soap to see if it changes the properties. Make sure you have a towel nearby for any spills.

Pouring: This is a good activity for outside or inside a dishpan. Give your child a number of small containers (small glasses, coffee cups, vases, bowls, etc.). If you have watercolors, you can color the water. I do not recommend food coloring for this because it stains. You also can add a little oil or soap. Children love to pour from container to container. They see shape and volume. You can provide a small sponge for your child to mop up spills in the dishpans. Squeezing a sponge is great for strengthening hands and fingers for writing and other fine motor activities. You can add eye droppers, turkey basters, spoons, small scoops and syringes (use clean medication syringes). You also can do this as a dry activity instead of water, use dirt, sand or gravel with small scoops, spoons and other utensils.

Sticky Webs: Take some tape and criss-cross it in an open doorway or between two chairs, making a web that is child height. Then provide items for your child to stick on the tape (and peel them off again). Light items such as paper scraps, feathers, Q-tips, small toys, etc. work best.

Wrapping Paper Play: If you have rolls of wrapping paper youre willing to sacrifice, children of all ages love to play with it and can be entertained for hours. Older children can design a fort, explore how they can drape it, color the backside, or design something new. Younger children love the papers rustling sound and enjoy hiding under it, crawling or waking on it, and ripping it. Save the tubes for another activity and imagination play.

Mirror and Window Painting: For older children, provide dry erase markers or shaving cream for painting on a window or mirror. For children who still put things in their mouth, you can use something edible such as pudding or whipped cream. Shaving cream should not be used by children who may put it in their mouth. Make it extra challenging by using tape to make designs and create a stained-glass window look!

Flashlights: Set this up in a darker part of the house and watch the fun! For infants, you can hang the flashlights from above so your baby can explore the light on the floor. Walking infants and older will want to hold it and turn it on and off while exploring the beam of light.

Water Painting: With a small container and an old paintbrush, give your child some water to paint outside on cement and wooden fencing. The water will create a darker shade, then evaporate. If you have extra pans and rollers from a painting project, have your child use these as well, experimenting with different sizes and shapes. Spray bottles also are a big hit for water painting or watering the foliage in your yard.

Shadow Drawing: This is best for older children and can be done outdoors and indoors. For outdoors, place an object or toy on the driveway or sidewalk and have your child trace the shadow with chalk. Indoors, you can use the sunlight through a window and trace the shadows on paper with pencil, crayon or markers. Children can outline their dinosaurs, farm animals, flowers, your shadow or a pet onto the pavement or paper. Endless possibilities!

Coloring in a Box: Get a large box, put your child in it and let her color. Depending on the type of writing tools you provide, you may end up with a marked-up child as well. Colored pencils and crayons are safe against skin coloring, just watch for those who still may try to eat them. If you have small crayons or broken pieces and want to make larger ones that are difficult to put in the mouth, set an oven to 200 degrees or use a microwave to melt crayons into a larger mass. A silicone mold works best, but an old can will do. There are many videos and instructions online that show how to do this.

Loose Parts: As weve seen in our classrooms, sometimes simple, everyday material can become something interesting. Collections of things to put into containers, boxes from the recycling taped up to make a city, scarves to stuff and pull or dress up with or tie together, washers and nuts from a drawer to put together, cookie cutters as stencils, clothes pins or chip bag clips to clip onto edges, sticks and hand-sized stones. Small toys that may be getting old (Duplos or other manipulatives) can be added to the mix. Setting up these things in bowls, baskets or boxes and leaving them in a place to be discovered (and viewed safely from where youre working) can be part of the fun. Mirrors can be added as well.

Water play: With a large pot or dish pan, you can set up a water activity on the kitchen floor that you can supervise. Make sure you have a towel or two handy and its advisable, especially with younger children, to make sure the container isnt big enough to sit in. You dont need to provide too much water for these, just enough to keep your childs interest. For younger children, providing a few toys, small cups, old infant formula scoops or small measuring cups, and even rocks, will engage your child for quite a while. For older children, you can have them develop a theme with some small toys, provide some of the materials listed for younger children, as well as safe syringes or eye droppers (from old medicine dosing, cleaned), sponges trimmed for a childs hand, small glasses or vases, and fresh flowers or leaves from outside.

Ice Play: Take an empty half-gallon milk carton, wash it well, and then add water and freeze. This block of ice can keep your child entertained for a while. You choose to add toys before freezing so child can work to get the toys out. You can provide salt, water, eye droppers, a small rock to smash, or other tools for your child to try to free the captive toys. If you prefer to just offer a block of ice, theres still plenty to explore. You can provide toys and other loose parts. The child provides the imagination. Just remember to put the ice into a pot or dishpan to catch water as the block melts and have a towel available nearby.

Homemade Playdough : This requires a little adult preparation, but it will last for weeks. The playdough is edible and if it gets into the carpet, just let it dry, scrape it off, then wash the area with soap and water. If you dont have corn oil, other vegetable oils will work, but they dry faster. When not in use, store in an airtight container or plastic zip-lock bag. Making it without colors is fine, too.

Recipe

1 cups flour1 cup salt

2 cups water

4 tsp cream of tartar

2 TBSP corn oil

Food coloring or watercolor

Mix dry ingredients, then mix in wet ingredients. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly. Remove from heat when the dough is not sticky to the touch.

The last two activities use food items for play. Not every family believes food is something for children to play with, but these are easy activities that are safe to provide at home with materials you may already have.

Colander Threading: For the younger child, an inverted colander (or other food strainers/sieve) is great to stick dried spaghetti/vermicelli through. Give your child a small handful of unbroken spaghetti in a cup and let him experiment with pushing the dried pasta through the holes. For an older child, you can use this as a threading activity. Give the child a long piece of yarn or string with a taped end needle and let the fun begin!

Goop: Combine cornstarch and water in a brownie-type pan or dishpan. Add enough water to give the cornstarch a wet, goopy consistency. The mixture is both a liquid and a solid. It is recommended that you do this outside or in the kitchen. It can be quite messy, but its fun!

Read more:
23 Fun Ways to Keep Kids Busy While Everyone is Home | Newsroom - UC Merced University News

A MUM has shared her painstaking house renovation, and it looks so good people have asked whether she knocked it down and bought a new one.

Joanne Lewis from Kent said she once owned the ugliest house on the street, but after three years and a few extensions, shes turned it into her dream home.

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The mum-of-two and her partner bought their forever home by the sea back in 2017, but admitted it was upside down, with the bedrooms and bathroom on the ground floor, while the kitchen and living room was on the second floor.

The pair set about creating a sensible layout, and added an extension on the ground floor for their kitchen.

Sharing the progress on Instagram and Twitter, Joanne revealed their-step-by-step process, saying: We changed the windows in the living room, from rectangle to square.

The house itself was square so we worked with what we had keeping the theme of the house square but modern.

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After all this is a stepping stone to our forever home. So working with what we had was key.

Upstairs was the kitchen and lounge. We created a hallway which would lead into one master bedroom, a second bedroom and a shower room.

The couple stripped wallpaper, knocked down walls, tackled the garden and even added a new staircase.

Documenting their extreme renovation, Joanne said: A year later we added another floor to the house.

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Making the house four bedrooms, two bathrooms and two balconies with sea views.

The house was rendered. Wood added to balcony areas. Intended to paint the wood black but still unsure.

Aluminium fascia was added to the roof and under balconies. Paving on the driveway completed.

Electricity box is still to be covered with wood that matches the house.

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As the house grew so did their family, with the couple welcoming two children along the way.

They adapted the house to accommodate their brood, continuing: Another nursery and our new bedroom.

The original master bedroom below, with the built in wardrobes is now a dressing room. This has been finished very recently, still working on furnishing the main room.

Sky light above the bed means perfect star gazing at night.

In the last few days the couple have finally finished their garden, and shared incredible before-and-after photos to social media.

Joanne said: A modern home by the sea is the end result to what was once a garage, then a 2 bedroom house now a four bed.

Its still a work in progress. But very nearly complete.

Also sharing the transformation on Twitter, Joanne said: The ugliest house on the street" as quoted by a neighbour...

Well, not anymore.

Her post has racked up more than 40,000 likes, as people could scarecely believe it was the same property.

Commenting online, one person said: What a transformation. It's amazing.

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Another wrote: This is incredible. Well done! Looks like a massive job.

A third said: What an amazing transformation. I bet it's easily the nicest house on the street now.

Someone else asked: Did you knock it down and build a new one? Looks fantastic.

While this person raved: Love this, such an amazing transformation!

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And this mum completely transformed ashabby Wendy house she got second hand with some old paint and charity shop bargains.

Meanwhile thisdad-of-three made an incredible playhouse for his kidswhich includes a garage and private lawn and it cost just 150.

Plus this bloke transformed his tired bedroom into trendy boutique hotel style room with bargains from Amazon and eBay.

Read more:
Mum with ugliest house on the street reveals amazing transformation & people think she built a new one - The Irish Sun

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Burlington streets are less icy as the weather warms, but there are potholes in its place. Here's where to be on the lookout.

A link has been sent to your friend's email address.

A link has been posted to your Facebook feed.

Your road woes are over as the ice melts in Burlington, right? Tell that to the people reporting potholes around the Queen City.

Burlington's SeeClickFix gives the public a chance to flag issues, like graffiti and icy conditions, for the city to address. Manyrecent complaints are filed under "Street Pavement Condition" and point to potholes spotted around town. The Department of Public Works tweeted March 7 about the crews addressing the craters around the city.

Until the road dips are completely addressed, you might want to stay alert. Here are the locations flagged by complainants in recent days:

Want to see more stories like this?

Contact Maleeha Syed at mzsyed@freepressmedia.com or 802-495-6595. Follow her on Twitter@MaleehaSyed89.

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Read or Share this story: https://www.burlingtonfreepress.com/story/news/2020/03/09/burlington-see-click-fix-potholes-where-to-look-out-around-city-dpw-addressing/4998687002/

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Read more:
Burlington SeeClickFix users report potholes around the city: Here's where to be careful - Burlington Free Press