Years of struggle came to fruition Friday as Shaffer Road residents rejoiced as they watched the paving of their road.

Four years of fighting and praying finally coming to completion, said Steve Harnick, a resident of West Shaffer Road in Sanford.

Four years ago next month began a long and difficult wait for the asphalt to be laid on this one mile stretch. On Friday the asphalt was a welcome sight to Harnick and his neighbors.

In years past, signs along the side of the road were not as friendly. This time around, a new set of signs adorned the roadside signs of gratitude, right next to Fridays victory barbecue.

One sign read: Thank you Comish Finley, MCRC Manager Mr. Gupta, MDN Editor Mr. Telfer & Sam, (referring to Sam SanMigel, Midland County Road Commission superintendent).

For the first time in four years, Linda Friend and Susan Harnick were finally able to walk the entire length of the road without fear of potentially hazardous road dust.

Even members of the crew laying the asphalt were smiling. The workers had obtained this sign from the road: We love asphalt, and attached it to their vehicle. Harnick quickly grabbed the camera next to him, explaining how the whole process had been documented, and he shared the photos of the sign on the truck.

The road that Harnick and his neighbors live on was in need of repairs and was later pulverized a few years back. At the time, however, the road was not sealed and the dust particles that remained contributed to numerous concerns.

It was a safety hazard, a rust hazard, a health hazard, said resident Mike Weaver.

Weaver owns property on the south side of the road, across from Harnick.

More here:
Neighbors celebrate paving of Midland County's Shaffer Road

Road work will close Grove Street from Route 35 to Old Quarry Road on Tuesday morning, Aug. 12, and Ledges Road will likely close in the afternoon.

The road work milling of the road surface in advance of paving it is expect to go from 7 a.m. to about noon.

Paving of the two roads is planned later in the week, probably starting Thursday, depending on the weather.

During Tuesdays milling, work crews will allow travelers limited access to commercial buildings off Grove Street, as well as the rear entrance-exit to Casagmo.

Casagmo traffic will be expected to enter the condominium complex via the Main Street driveway, but will be allowed to exit via the Grove Street driveway although there may be a wait.

Were going to keep it open as long as we possibly can, said Highway Department Foreman Dave Buccitti.

When were working right in front of their driveway, itll be closed off.

The milling work is an operation that moves down the street, so the waits shouldnt be too long, he said.

Originally posted here:
Road Work will close Grove Street Tuesday

Dorothy and Marv Davenport say they should have known better, but recently lost $6,000 in an asphalt paving scam. Now, the Cathlamet couple want other people to learn from their mistake.

We dont like to admit it, but I guess were in the senior citizen category now and I know thats who is most vulnerable to these things, said Dorothy, 75. Its been a bad lesson for us.

The Davenports were minding their own business on Elochoman Valley Road on Aug. 1, she said, when a man in a truck pulled up offering a deal on a little bit of asphalt he said he had left over from another job.

They agreed to a small paving job, but soon noticed the crew doing much more work than they had agreed to.

When questioned, the workers said it just made sense to do the whole thing and offered what they called a great deal at only $2,000, Dorothy said.

When they were done, though, they demanded $9,000.

I said Youve got to be kidding, Dorothy said.

Next, the man offered to knock it down to $7,000.

Eventually, Marv Davenport ended up giving him $6,000 in cash for the larger-than-asked-for job, which the couple now admits was a mistake.

We didnt sleep good at all after that, she said.

See the original post:
Couple taken in by shoddy paving job they didn't want

One Sherwood Park resident who is upset that some households are paying for sidewalk replacement, while others arent, will be taking his complaints to a future council meeting.

The issue for William Kidd, a resident of Village Estates, began in February 2011, when a paperboy for the Sherwood Park News slipped on the curb of the sidewalk out front of Kidds home, hitting his head quite hard.

The grater had taken out part of the stones there it was slippery, it was jagged and thats where he went down, he said, noting his sidewalk hasnt been replaced in its 32 year existence.

While the boy was eventually fine, Kidd said he phoned Ward 1 councillor Vic Bidzinski and voiced his concerns. In turn, Bidzinski and Ian Gray, director of Transportation and Agriculture Services with the county, visited the Kidd household and inspected the area in question.

Mr. Gray said to me, We cant do your whole curb driveway right now, we just dont have the funds, Kidd recalled.

He said to me, Were going to do your whole area in two years. That was in 2011.

Two years following the meeting, Kidd said Strathcona County and Devlin Construction returned to pull and repair sidewalks in the area.

While Kidd had been told by the inspector on duty that the sidewalk in front of his home was a hazard and needed to be removed, he said crews had pulled out nearly all of the sidewalk on his side of the block, except for a section along his property line and along a neighbours property line.

I was left with five sets of sidewalk, Kidd said. They did pull out the curb area where the young fellow had fallen, which I was very grateful for, but my argument was that if youre going to come into an area and do this, at least pull out everybodys treat everybody equally.

Strathcona Countys residential paving program is one that combines spot concrete removal and replacement, and asphalt rehabilitation.

More here:
Sidewalk headaches in the Estates

Paul Rignell

Columbus Reporter

Columbus City Council voted on Wednesday, July 23 to move ahead on new paving of gravel roads in two areas this fall after public hearings were held for neighbors to speak.

The residents who spoke from one of the neighborhoods were all in favor of getting paved roads along with being billed thousands of dollars in assessments. Vocal neighbors from the other area under review by the council, however, were decidedly split whether asphalt roads and higher costs would be a good trade-off.

Four council members, with Mayor Dave Povolny absent, first opened discussion on a neighborhood involving 33 lots that could be billed on 177th Lane, 178th Lane and Heidelberg Street.

An estimated month of work, ending in mid-October, would end with topping those roads with 3 inches of asphalt. City Engineer Larry Bohrer projected the neighborhoods cost at $270,100 for a price per lot of $8,185.

Residents speak

Doug Palmer, a resident who said he has lived on 177th Lane since 1987, introduced himself as the neighbor who began a petition to work with the city on paving in the neighborhood.

I am really, really glad to see it at this stage right now, Palmer said. I think it is long overdue to have this (these roads) updated.

Most lots in the other area where the city is considering road paving this year, on Bender Street and 184th Avenue, would be assessed $8,581 per lot based on the engineers total estimate of $188,790.

More here:
Columbus moving ahead with paving gravel roads

OSKALOOSA The Oskaloosa City Council approved the South 11th Street Pavement Rehabilitation Project at it meeting Monday night.

The project encompasses milling the existing pavement, asphalt overlay, concrete pavement reconstruction, full-depth and partial-depth patching, repair of concrete curb and gutter, new ADA-accessible sidewalk ramp reconstruction, sidewalk and driveway replacement, storm sewer intake rebuilds and alley approach, according to Oskaloosa city documents.

The project includes construction along South 11th Street from A Avenue East to 15th Avenue East. The engineers estimated cost is $732,875, according to city documents.

Mayor Dave Krutzfeldt said city officials read two bids received on July 30. Norris Asphalt and Paving Co. submitted the low bid at $696,087 5 percent below the engineers estimate.

City staff recommended adding a 10 percent construction contingency $69,600 for unforeseen circumstances.

The City Council approved the bid with a 5-0 vote. Council members Doug Yates and Jason Van Zetten were absent.

The South 11th Street project got the green light for construction after the City Council decided to delay the proposed Third Avenue East reconstruction project because of a lack of adequate bids, according to city documents.

The South 11 Street project will begin in late August or early September and is anticipated to take 60 working days to complete. Work may be suspended for the winter. In that case, work would begin again next spring, Krutzfeldt said.

Herald Editor Duane Nollen can be reached by email at oskynews@oskyherald.com

Continued here:
City Council approves South 11th Street paving project

Q: What are permeable driveways?

A: Summers longer, drier days and warmer temperatures offer ideal conditions for repairing or replacing driveways and sidewalks.

The most common driveway paving materials are asphalt or concrete, which are smooth and seamless. A second option is becoming more popular with homeowners: driveways that are made of permeable paving materials.

In addition to being a less-expensive method, permeable paving allows water to flow through it rather than diverted to the nearest sewer.

Rainwater that falls off roofs, runs down hard-surface driveways and fills rivers, ponds and municipal water systems may start out fresh. But as it travels, it picks up debris from the roof, oil and fertilizer from driveways and sidewalks, and a wealth of garbage from the street. This adds pollution to our waterways, and creates extra work for water-treatment facilities.

The beauty of permeable paving is that water is absorbed through the paving before it can reach our water sources. With many permeable-paving options, you can save money and be environmentally responsible.

Permeable-paving products run the gamut from low to high tech. The simplest of them is grass. Like a path worn in the woods, grass that is constantly pressed down by vehicles will form a natural and permeable driveway.

Two thin paving strips can provide a path for car tires. You can also use permeable material such as gravel for the strips. Paving strips might seem a rather antiquated approach, but they have been gaining in popularity as homeowners look toward sustainable construction.

One of the most common methods of creating permeable driveways is the use of loose stones and gravel.

Gravel has been supporting traffic of all kinds for centuries, but a modern addition is the use of plastic grids. These are created using recycled grids or blocks that form a hard driving or walking surface, but still allow water to flow through. Grids can be filled with sand and soil or gravel. They are long lasting, easy to install and maintenance free.

Original post:
Permeable driveways are cheaper, greener | HomeWork

Courtesy PhotoImage

The Lincoln County Sheriff's Office has received information that a phony paving company may be operating in southwest Nebraska.

The company usually takes advantage of the elderly. Please warn older adults not to fall for this.

Heres the way the scam works, according to the sheriff: The scammers go door to door and offer to put asphalt a driveway with some left over asphalt.

Upon completing the job they will charge 3-4 times the price they originally quoted for the job. Large men that are intimidation generally go up to the door to ask for the money, so the elderly person feels forced to pay the higher amount.

Call the Sheriff's Office if you see this type of activity in the area. (308) 535-9599.

This is the latest in a series of probable scams in the area.

On July 26, Nebraskaland National Bank issued a warning about scam robotic phone calls from an unknown number telling people that their debit card has been compromised.

The robo caller tells them to please press 1 immediately, then asks for the account and PIN numbers, which is what the scammer needs to use or forge the card.

Also, on July 14, a group of individuals sold magazines door-to-door in a village in Lincoln County without proper permits, so Lincoln County deputies told them to leave.

See the original post:
Sheriff: Look out for paving scammers

L.I. Paving and Masonry Driveway Paving
Description.

By: L.I. Paving and Masonry

Read this article:
L.I. Paving and Masonry Driveway Paving - Video

LOWELL -- A Billerica man is accused of fraud by accepting a partial payment to repave a Dracut couple's driveway/parking lot, tearing up the concrete, leaving and not returning.

In Lowell District Court on Tuesday, Tommy M. Stevens, 36, who has no clear address, pleaded not guilty to charges of entering into a commercial transaction under false pretenses and malicious/wanton destruction of property

He was released on personal recognizance and ordered to stay away from the alleged victim. Stevens' next court date is Sept. 26 for a pretrial conference.

Dracut police write in court documents that an Arlington Avenue couple contacted them on April 30. The victims allege that on Sept. 24 they were approached by Stevens, formerly of Dracut, who provided a card identifying himself as the owner of U.S.A. Roofing & Paving at 105 Lowell St., Lowell. Police state that Lowell does not have a Lowell Street.

Stevens looked at the couple's driveway/parking lot and quoted a price of $800 to pave it, with $400 paid up front and the remaining $400 after the job was completed, police allege. Stevens was given a check for $400 and in return he provided a slip that stated "ReNew Paring Black Concreat (sic) high two inches she Deposit to me 400.00." It was signed "Tommy."

The couple said Stevens broke up and removed pieces of concrete from the lot, then state he was leaving to get supplies and would return to complete the job, police allege. Stevens never returned, according to court documents.

The $400 check given to Stevens was cashed that day.

Since Sept. 24, the couple have called Stevens 15 to 20 times, speaking to him several times on the phone and allegedly receiving assurances from Stevens he would refund the money. The last time the couple spoke to Stevens was three months ago. The money has never been refunded.

Dracut Police Officer Jon Gosselin reported that he had been told three months earlier that Stevens may have been involved in a driveway-paving scam, but there was no indication of misdeeds.

Gosselin said he made multiple attempts to reach Stevens at several phone numbers and different addresses, but to no avail. The Sun tried to reach Stevens via a phone number in court documents, no one answered and there was no voicemail available to leave a message.

Original post:
Billerica man accused of driveway scam