Published: Monday, March 9, 2015 at 1:00 a.m. Last Modified: Thursday, March 5, 2015 at 2:51 p.m.

The Florida Department of Transportation advises drivers in Sarasota and Manatee counties that crews will be working this week at the following roads, where delays and detours may be expected:

SARASOTA COUNTY

Sarasota County Advance Traffic Management System (ATMS) Phase IV:

Construction project: Sarasota County has contracted with Traffic Control Devises, Inc. (TCD), to upgrade the traffic signal controllers and equipment for 52 intersections throughout Sarasota County, City of Sarasota and the City of North Port. The improvements will consist of installing, integrating and testing the ATMS field elements, including traffic controllers and cabinets, Closed-Circuit Television (CCTV) cameras, and fiber optic communications cable and transmission equipment along the roadways. As part of this project, 10 intersections will receive full Americans with Disability Act (ADA) upgrades to meet current standards. Expected completion is spring 2016. Beginning Wednesday March 4, 2015, the contractor will begin the work of removing existing copper cable and existing pull boxes in order to install new fiber optic cable and newer pull boxes for the communications infrastructure for the countywide ATMS system. This work will start at Tuttle Road and 17th Street, moving in an easterly direction to Beneva Road. This work will also include removal of sections of sidewalk along the South side of 17th Street, and re-construction of the removed sections of sidewalk with the newly installed pull boxes. There will be construction equipment and personnel operating in the area. Motorists should use caution while traveling through this area and be mindful of the construction personnel and equipment. Appropriate sidewalk closures will be in place with detour directions. Minimal concrete dust will be present, but suppressed.

I-75: From Sumter Boulevard to River Road: Construction project: This project expands I-75 to six lanes. Crews are clearing and placing embankment in the median, installing drainage, constructing ponds and placing sod on the outside shoulders, Monday through Saturday, 7 a.m. to 5 p.m., weather permitting. Expect nightly southbound inside lane closures between 9 p.m. to 5 a.m., from Monday, March 9 to Friday, March 13. Pay attention to traffic signs and barricades throughout the construction project, stay alert, and use caution in the work zone. Estimated completion is summer 2016. The contractor is Conalvias USA.

US 41 at SR 789: Maintenance permit project: The sidewalk located along the west side of US 41 from SR 789 to Ritz Carlton Drive and sidewalk located along the north side of SR 789 from Sunset Drive to US 41 will remain closed until construction of the development located at the corner of US 41 and SR 789 is complete. Pedestrians should follow the established detour.

US 41 from Marcia Street to Baywood Drive and from Reynolds Road to Gulf Gate Drive: Construction project: Crews are resurfacing the roadway, installing highway lighting, constructing sidewalk and making drainage improvements. Nighttime/overnight lane closures occur from 7 p.m. to 11 a.m. Expected completion is spring 2015. Ajax Paving is the contractor.

US 41 Between Oscar Scherer Park and Bay Acres Road: Maintenance contracts project: Crews will be cleaning and reshaping roadside ditches both north and southbound directions. Contractor will conduct intermittent outside lane closures between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. through March.

US 41/Venice Bypass from Venice Avenue to Bird Bay Drive: Utility permit project:

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TRAFFIC ADVISORY: Road work in Sarasota-Manatee may cause detours, delays

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Derry Area School District will be expanding its agriculture and horticulture program starting in the 2015-16 school year.

School directors voted Thursday to add a second instructor to the department.

The move to add an agriculture/horticulture teacher enables Derry to become one of only a few districts in the state offering the Curriculum for Agricultural Science Education, or CASE program, according to agriculture/ horticulture instructor and FFA adviser Roy Campbell.

It's very significant for the school going forward, Campbell said. We're excited about all the new possibilities it's going to bring to the program. I believe it's going to bring a new level to the ag curriculum that's going to be based around STEM education, science, technology, engineering and mathematics. It's taking agriculture, which is really a science-based field, and using that as the basis of what the curriculum will be.

The additional instructor will enable extension of the program to the middle school, with an eighth-grade program and middle-school FFA, Campbell said.

We do have our tuition students who come in from other districts, so this may also be of interest to some students from other districts, Campbell said. This year I currently have seven students who give up their home school to come here (for the agriculture/horticulture program), so this may expand that also because we're offering more.

The school board approved a revised calendar for the remainder of the 2014-15 school year, which would move the last day of instruction to June 5 and reduce the district's spring break by two days to make up for snow days, including Thursday's cancellation.

School directors approved contracts for three capital projects, awarding the contract for resurfacing of the gymnasium floor to S&S Flooring for $35,400 and replacement of middle/high school pool lockers to Three Rivers Wholesale for $17,129.80. The middle/high school driveway paving project was divided into four areas for bidding purposes. Contracts for the project totaled $152,958 with a $13,050 contract to Murin and Murin, a $120,400 contract with Tresco Paving and two contracts totaling $16,928 with K. Dolan Construction for paving work and a contract of $2,580 with JR Paving for line painting.

The board unanimously rejected a motion to approve Olds Engineering Consultants, Inc. as project engineer for HVAC renovations at Eastern Westmoreland Career and Technology Center at a fee not to exceed 5.5 percent of the project cost.

Greg Reinbold is a staff writer for Trib Total Media. He can be reached at 724-459-6100, ext. 2913 or greinbold@tribweb.com.

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Derry Area adds instructor for agriculture, horticulture

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Construction on the Imperial Beach Palm Avenue McDonalds location has begun by demolishing portions of the existing restaurant.

Posted: Monday, March 2, 2015 12:43 pm

Imperial Beach McDonalds Remodeling Underway by Pete Salisbury Imperial Beach Eagle & Times |

After a million dollar renovation, a larger McDonalds will rise in place of the old one at Palm Avenue and Florida Street this summer.

The project will demolish portions of the existing 3,100 square foot building, add 1,800 square feet, the play area will be relocated within the building while adding a new drive-through aisle with two order-points behind the building. Vehicular ingress and egress will be through two driveways on Palm Ave. and one on Florida Street.

City recommendations to make the project pedestrian-friendly have been incorporated in the plans by providing a canopy over the drive-aisle while the driveway will be surfaced with decorative paving and be screened and separated from the Palm Ave sidewalk with landscaping and a block wall to minimize impacts from vehicle lights. The existing McDonalds sign will stay.

Employees at the Burger King Restaurant across the street said they have had an increase in customers since the construction began and are working on ways to keep them coming back when the remodeled store opens.

Posted in News on Monday, March 2, 2015 12:43 pm.

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Imperial Beach McDonalds Remodeling Underway

Published: Monday, March 2, 2015 at 1:00 a.m. Last Modified: Thursday, February 26, 2015 at 1:41 p.m.

The Floruida Department of Transportation urges drivers to use caution in these areas in Sarasota and Manatee counties where road crews are expected to be working this week:

The Longboat Pass bridge is undergoing maintenance this week.

SARASOTA COUNTY

I-75: From Sumter Boulevard to River Road: Construction project: This project expands I-75 to six lanes. Crews are clearing and placing embankment in the median, installing drainage, constructing ponds and placing sod on the outside shoulders, Monday through Saturday, 7 a.m. to 5 p.m., weather permitting. Nighttime southbound traffic will shift at Deer Prairie Creek on Monday, March 2. Expect nightly southbound inside lane closures between 9 p.m. to 5 a.m., from Monday, March 2 to Friday, March 6. Pay attention to traffic signs and barricades throughout the construction project, stay alert, and use caution in the work zone. Estimated completion is summer 2016. The contractor is Conalvias USA.

US 41 at SR 789: Maintenance permit project: The sidewalk located along the west side of US 41 from SR 789 to Ritz Carlton Drive and sidewalk located along the north side of SR 789 from Sunset Drive to US 41 will remain closed until construction of the development located at the corner of US 41 and SR 789 is complete. Pedestrians should follow the established detour.

US 41 from Marcia Street to Baywood Drive and from Reynolds Road to Gulf Gate Drive: Construction project: Crews are resurfacing the roadway, installing highway lighting, constructing sidewalk and making drainage improvements. Nighttime/overnight lane closures occur from 7 p.m. to 11 a.m. Expected completion is spring 2015. Ajax Paving is the contractor.

US 41 Between Oscar Scherer Park and Bay Acres Road: Maintenance contracts project: Crews will be cleaning and reshaping roadside ditches both north and southbound directions. Contractor will conduct intermittent outside lane closures between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. through March.

MANATEE COUNTY

US 41 from 69th Avenue to SR 684/Cortez Road: Construction project: Crews are making intersection improvements and pedestrian safety upgrades including pedestrian refuge islands throughout the project limits. Expect nighttime/overnight lane closures from 7 p.m. to 6 a.m. within 600 feet of signalized intersections. FDOT permits daytime and nighttime lane closures not within 600 feet of a signalized intersection from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. and from 7 p.m. to 6 a.m., Florida Safety Contractors, Inc., is the contractor. Expected completion is fall 2015.

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TRAFFIC ADVISORY: Watch for road crews, detours this week

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Construction based scams are a sign of the changing seasons, as homeowners prepare to patch up their property after the damaging winter weather.

Construction scammers feed on the spring thaw, during which property owners can find themselves conned into shoddy or incomplete work.

One common scam, which follows a similar model as other construction scams, deals with driveway paving and seal coating.

"People pull up and say they have extra blacktop," explained Paul Watts, owner of WT Paving in Lebanon. The companies will then solicit work for what is presented as a discounted price, as a way to get rid of the supposed surplus.

"It's usually more than we charge anyhow," said Watts, who explained that legitimate businesses are often too busy to need to solicit work. "Ninety-nine percent of blacktop companies which are reputable will not come knocking on your door to get your driveway paved," he said.

Often, companies who do solicit are from out of the area. Watts recalled a company from Buffalo, N.Y., coming to Lebanon County to solicit work using low-quality materials.

"It makes the reputable companies look bad," said Watts, whose company has gone through the licensing process mandated by the Home Improvement Consumer Protection Act.

Construction scams such as these are often seasonal and take place when home improvement work is common.

"In the summer, we've had some driveway pavement scams," said Chief Bruce Harris of the Cornwall Borough Police Department.

Some other construction-based scams Harris mentioned were installing lightning rods on barns, soliciting for roofing projects and what he called "distraction theft," which occurs "once the weather warms up."

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Construction scams heat up with warmer weather

DETURKSVILLE Although constructing a Washington Township municipal building had been discussed for years, it was only upon the insistence of then-resident Wendell Gainer that a decision to take the first step was finally agreed to August 2010.

As of the Feb. 16 meeting, the project was in the planning stage. On the request of Gainer, now a township supervisor, the office building will be on the March 16 agenda for discussion.

Grass

With spring right around the corner, the board agreed it was time to advertise for mowing and maintenance of the recreational park and the grounds around the garage. The advertisement would state that interested bidders should contact Roadmaster Gary Neidlinger to set up an appointment for a walk-around the areas involved.

Gary Brown, a lawn care specialist and owner of Little Bugger, was one of last years bidders. He requested the board be consistent with job specifications.

The person who won because he was the lowest bidder wasnt expected to do all the work, Brown said.

Although Brown did not elaborate, he had said last fall that the contract the supervisors had approved had not been fulfilled.

Hes not billed for (all) the items which he won the bid on, Brown said, adding that fertilizing had not been done.

It was not billed and you didnt veto the fertilizing, Brown said.

Gainer requested that Secretary Dawn Koch compare what was spent on lawn care and maintenance in 2013 and 2014. Brown provided the service during 2013.

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Washington Township supervisor eyes building project

Before the Wyoming City Council meeting Feb. 17, there was a public hearing related to the 2015 street and utility improvement project. Most questions from city residents were about the cost of the project for individual property owners.

City Engineer Mark Erichson reviewed the scope of the work for the two sections of the city included in the project and the timetable for completion. The first part of the project is east of Forest Boulevard and west of Fenwick north of 263rd Street. It includes 264th, 266th through 270th streets; Felton, Fenwick, Finley, Flintwood, Forli, Foxboro, Freisland and Railroad avenues; Flintwood Circle; Flintwood Lane; and Freeport Court.

The second area is also east of Forest Boulevard but south of Wyoming Trail. Streets included in this area are 261st, 263rd, 264th, Flint Trail Flint Court, Galen Drive, Freeport Avenue and Glen Oak Drive.

Within each area, the proposed improvements include full pavement reclamation and paving of rural streets. Sanitary sewer repairs will be made based on televised reports. Some fire hydrants will be replaced, and others will be added. Drainage improvements will also be made. The lift station on Railroad Avenue will be upgraded. The project includes a total of 4.1 miles of streets to be repaired in the first area, as well as 1.74 miles of streets in the second area.

The total cost of the project is $5.1 million. About $3.3 million of that will go toward street improvements, with the rest split between improvements to sanitary sewers, water mains, storm sewers and lift stations.

Erichson explained that there may be some improvements to ditches so flow is better during rain events.

Most of the area is sandy, so water drains in quickly and there are no plans to add curb and gutter. Those who live on corner lots will only be assessed one as one unit. Residents will only be assessed for improvements if their driveway is on a project street. The assessment portion of the property tax bill is not a tax deductible expense.

City Administrator Craig Mattson explained that the city is assessing the minimum amount allowable for the project (20 percent). The assessment policy will be applied to the surface improvement cost ($3.3 million) for the project area.

The total number of assessable units in the project area is 359.5. Dividing the estimated surface improvement cost by the units, the average assessment per unit is $1,845.84.

According to Mattson, the final assessment numbers are dependent upon the actual bids, when the city needs the money to make payments, interest-rate at the time of the bond sale and the term of the payback. He estimated that the term of the assessment payments will be about five to seven years, with the bank that is buying the bonds setting the interest rate. An assessment hearing will be held in the fall of 2015, when the exact amount of the assessments for each parcel will be known.

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Wyoming preps for road work