Muskingum County Sheriff Matt Lutz is warning residents of an asphalt scam by two men named Bill Boswell and Teddy Lee. Lutz says the two are suspected of running fake businesses called "Asphalt Construction" and "A-1 Paving." Lutz says the two men have been traveling across the nation, making stops in Ohio and right here in Muskingum County going door-to-door askingresidentsif they needtheir driveway re-paved.

"They try to basically convince them to let them put it down without quoting a price," Lutz explained. "They get so far and people see what they're doing and kind of stop them and say , 'hey how much is this going to cost?' and then they over charge them for it."

On top of cheating people out of money, Lutz says the suspects don't finish the job. The two men are known to target the elderly, and have addresses in multiple states.

"Spring and summer will be coming hopefully pretty soon and we want to make sure before that happens, that if these people are seen or these names are used in the community to contact Detective Wilson."

If you have been scammed by Asphalt Construction or A-1 Paving, you are urged to contact Detective Wilson at 740-452-3637 EXT 6019.

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Residents Warned To Keep An Eye Out For Asphalt Scams

Published: Monday, March 3, 2014 at 1:00 a.m. Last Modified: Sunday, March 2, 2014 at 6:07 p.m.

Drivers in Sarasota, Manatee and Charlotte counties are advised to use caution in the following areas where the Florida Department of Transportation says road construction or other projects are underway:

Expect lane closures tonight and Tuesday night while crews perform maintenance on the north Longboat Key bridge.

SARASOTA COUNTY

Interstate 75 from Sumter Boulevard in North Port to River Road. Crews widening the highway to six lanes. Expect lane closures from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m.

I-75 from University Parkway to the Charlotte County line. Expect delays. Crews are installing closed-circuit cameras, roadside sensors and other equipment for an intelligent transportation system.

I-75 overpass at Jacaranda Boulevard. Crews painting the overpass. Lane closores on Jacaranda may occur.

I-75 at Fruitville Road, Laurel Road, Jacaranda Road and Sumter Boulevard. Crews replacing overhead signs. Lane closures between 10:30 p.m. and 6 a.m.

U.S. 41 between Shamrock Boulevard and the Lowes entrance in Venice. Southbound outside lane closed from 9 p.m. to 5:30 a.m. while crews construct a new driveway.

U.S. 41 north of Wood Street. Outside southbound lane closed from 1 a.m. to 5:30 a.m. Tuesday while crews perform maintenance.

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TRAFFIC ADVISORY: Watch for closed lanes on these roads

Last week, I wrote about the annual Wild Ones conference on designing with native plants and the ideas of speaker Douglas Owens-Pike, founder of EnergyScapes, a St. Paul-based landscape and garden design business that Owens-Pike launched in 1989.

In those days, Martha Stewart was in charge of matters of taste, indoors and out. Her gardens combined traditional English flower borders with the more formal perfectionism of the French and Italian style, all clipped parterres and geometric shapes.

In the glossy pages of Martha Stewart Living and the comparably impeccable Garden Design magazine, the trend to a more relaxed aesthetic became evident in the '90s, as more of the gardens featured native prairie plants and grasses and more of the gardeners credited organic methods for their success.

There seemed to be less emphasis on chemicals and more on how to make compost.

We were advised to mulch our beds and let the organic matter decompose to feed the soil. We were told to ditch the leaf-bag attachment on lawn mowers and let the grass clippings stay put.

As to design, why slavishly copy European gardens? Why not implement an American style?

Garden design has always swung between man's penchant for controlling nature and nature's genius at painting the land with flora that suits the climate and topography and meets the needs of wildlife.

Owens-Pike all along had focused on the plants. An ecologist by training, he believed healthy native soils are best suited for growing healthy native plants.

The plants have a twofold purpose: They beautify the Earth because they are renewing it.

I've often wondered, what exactly is "healthy" soil?

Link:
Blundering Gardener: Here's the dirt on how to grow healthy plants in healthy native soil

Rafkind Road improvements could get underway as early as April.

PHOTO BY DEBBIE WALSH

Borough Engineer Paul Darmofalski delivers a presentation on a Rafkind Road sidewalk assessment and road-paving project.

Residents who live in the Phase II section were invited to the Feb. 18 Borough Council meeting to hear a presentation on the project, which includes new curbing, sidewalks and paving. Residents will be responsible for paying the costs for sidewalks that bound the front of their properties on Rafkind Road.

Borough Engineer Paul Darmofalski said the total project cost of Phase II is estimated at $835,000 including the cost of the sidewalks. The borough received a $250,000 New Jersey Department of Transportation (DOT) grant for the project. The borough's share of the costs will be $380,000 and the residents' share will be $205,000. The 4-foot-wide sidewalks will be 4 inches thick, and driveway aprons will be 8 inches thick. Darmofalski said a property with 100 feet of frontage will have an estimated assessment of $4,867.

At the onset of the presentation, Mayor Jonathan Dunleavy recalled that when the borough received bids for Phase I of the project last fall, the bids came in 38 percent lower than projections and it is hoped the municipality will have the same luck with Phase II. Dunleavy said Darmofalski uses conservative numbers when coming up with the estimates.

According to the mayor, some residents living in the Phase I area were contemplating sidewalk replacements and had sought contractors' estimates for the work. Dunleavy said these residents were pleased with the borough's projections, which came in lower than private contractor estimates. Phase I, which stretches from Glen Road to the end by Martha B. Day School, and Phase II, which encompasses Rafkind Road from Union Avenue to Glen Road, will be completed at the same time.

Dunleavy told residents that the borough acts as the banker for the project. It will bond the project and assess residents based on linear footage. The interest rate secured will likely be in the 0.75- to 1.5-percent range, and the project will be paid for over a 10-year period. If residents recently replaced their sidewalks, they should arrange for Darmofalski to inspect the sidewalk.

Darmofalski said Phase I consisted of 60 properties and 25 of those property owners asked him to visit to complete a sidewalk or apron inspection. Of the 25, 15 did not have to replace their sidewalks or a portion of their sidewalks.

"Most of what we kept was new or almost new. I can't have a checkerboard," he said.

Original post:
Bloomingdale to make presentation on Rafkind Road improvements

Published: Sunday, February 23, 2014 at 9:11 p.m. Last Modified: Sunday, February 23, 2014 at 9:11 p.m.

1. State Road 17 at Palm Street (Frostproof): Expect intermittent southbound lane closures from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. while crews build a driveway entrance and sidewalk along the southbound lanes.

2. U.S. 17 from East Central Avenue to East Park Avenue: U.S. 17 will be closed from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday for the lake Wales Mardi Gras parade. Northbound traffic will be detoured at Johnson Avenue and southbound traffic will be detoured at Sessoms Avenue.

3. U.S. 27 from Silver Crest Drive to Bates Road: Crews are relocating light poles and bases at Bates Road and U.S. 27 and constructing turn lanes on U.S. 27. Expect nighttime southbound lane closures and daytime southbound shoulder closures.

4. U.S. 98 at Farm Road: Crews are placing signs and pavement markings.

5. Interstate 4 eastbound exit ramp at County Line Road and South Frontage Road: Daytime lane closures while crews install drainage structures, widen the roadway and begin paving at eastbound exit ramp.

6. Rock Ridge Road at Gator Creek: Crews will be demolishing the westbound lanes of the bridge. Traffic is scheduled to be shifted from the south side of the bridge to new lanes on the north side. The project includes new pavement markers at Rock Ridge Road from U.S. 98 to Deen Still Road.

7. SR 60 from west of Saddlebag Lake Road to east of Sam Keen Road: No lane closures are scheduled as crews add street lights to both sides of the roadway. Work is expected to be complete in the fall.

8. U.S. 98 from County Road 540A to SR 540 (Winter Lake Road): Roadway widening and installation of drainage pipes.

9. SR 60 from west of U.S. 98 to west of U.S. 17: Drivers should watch for intermittent nighttime lane closures through Thursday.

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Road Watch: A Guide to Closings & Construction

Overlay Driveway
Video showing StoneSet overlay driveway paving. Surface dressing for concrete or asphalt surfaces using resin bound pebbles.

By: StoneSet08

Original post:
Overlay Driveway - Video

Last Friday, Feb. 21, the Weekly reported that Pima County Supervisor Ally Miller had changed transportation staff recommendations on transportation projects to include paving of Oasis Road in her own neighborhoodand that one of her closest political allies and other campaign contributors lived along Oasis Road as well.

Miller did not return a phone call from the Weekly to answer questions about her transportation priorities before our stories ran, but she and her defenders later complained that the stories were inaccurate because a portion of Oasis Road in front of the contributors' homes were not paved.

Sherese Steffens, for example, argued on this blog that Pima Countys road repair was conveniently stopped just before the driveway to Steffens and Jimenez's house. So maybe you should get your facts straight before you print a hit piece. And in case you also didn't check out the facts, we pay pima county property taxes and a lot of them. Was stopping the paving before our houses political retribution for our support of Ally? Looks that way doesn't it.

The big problem with Steffens argument: That section Oasis Road that remained unpaved actually belongs to the town of Marana, which annexed roughly 37 acres in the area last October.

Marana Planning Director Ryan Mahoney confirmed today that Pima County paved the road up to the Marana town limits and that a stretch of approximately 1/8 of a mile inside of Marana remained unpaved.

Read more:
More on Pima County Supervisor Ally Miller's Road Troubles

CONYERS Rockdale County will demolish four houses that have been deemed unfit for human habitation following a vote by the Board of Commissioners Tuesday morning.

The houses are located at 1582 Broad St., 1777 Grimes St., 2662 Zingara Road, and 3817 Arbor Lane.

Planning and Development Director Marshall Walker told commissioners at a work session last week that the county had gone through the necessary process to notify property owners of code violations and proceed with the demolition.

Walker said Tuesday that court hearings were held for each property and each was found to be uninhabitable. Under state law, if a property cannot be brought up to code at a reasonable cost in relation to the present value, the owners may be ordered to demolish the structures.

Since the owners failed to carry out the demolition within the time specified by the court, commissioners voted to proceed with the demolition at county expense.

The county is authorized by state law to place a lien against the real property where the houses are located in order recoup the cost of demolition, including all court costs, appraisal fees, administrative costs incurred by the tax commissioner and all other costs associated with the demolition. Walker said Tuesday that the county will be responsible for removing and disposing of the structures, in addition to any driveway paving. The cost of demolition for each house is in the $10,000 range, he said.

Under state law, the countys lien will be superior to all other liens except tax liens.

More:
Rockdale to demolish four unsafe houses

Bergen County Driveway Paving
http://www.vrutaandsons.com. For 41 years, the Rutas have been paving their way around Bergen County. The family, the late Vincent and his sons Carmen Tony...

By: VRutaAndSons

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Bergen County Driveway Paving - Video

The Florida Department of Transportation has issued the following road watch alerts for Lee and Collier Counties for this week.

COLLIER COUNTY

I-75/Alligator Alley Rest Area at mile marker 63: Construction project: Work continues to build two recreational access areas adjacent to the Big Cypress National Preserve backcountry trails, replace the existing rest area, build a new public safety center and water treatment plant, and upgrade the existing wastewater treatment plant.

THE ENTIRE REST AREA IS CLOSED UNTIL PROJECT COMPLETION, ESTIMATED FALL 2014. ALL FACILITIES (including the picnic area, parking, restrooms or potable water) are unavailable. Entrance and exit ramps at mile marker 63 are open for motorists to turn around if needed. Motorists are cautioned to remain clear of the construction zone and be aware of construction vehicles entering/exiting the roadways around the rest area. Signs are posted to advise motorists of this closure. The rest area at mile marker 34 is open.

Estimated project completion is fall 2014. The design/build contractor is Stantec/Wright Construction Group.

US 41 from Immokalee Road to 109th Avenue North: Maintenance permit project: Crews will be removing and replacing curb and constructing a driveway. Motorists can expect the outside southbound lane closed during the nighttime/overnight hours of 7 p.m. to 5 a.m. Drivers are asked to use caution as crews work near the roadway.

US 41 from Rattlesnake Hammock Road to Broward Street: Construction project: Crews are striping US 41 at Rattlesnake Hammock Road and US 41 at Broward Street. Motorist should expect lane closures from 7 p.m. to 6 a.m. for this work. Drivers are asked to use caution and expect delays. Motorists should expect construction equipment entering/exiting the roadway. Estimated project completion is early 2014. Contractor is L-J Construction Company.

US 41/Tamiami Trail East from SR 951 to Greenway Road: Construction project: Crews continue work to expand two-lane US 41 to six lanes from SR 951 to Joseph Lane and to four lanes from Joseph Lane to Greenway Road. A 30-foot median will separate northbound and southbound travel lanes. The project also includes a 10-foot multi-use pathway along southbound travel lanes and a six-foot sidewalk parallel to northbound lanes. Median openings spaced throughout the project allow for left turns and U-turns. Crews also replace the traffic signal at Manatee Road. Work includes clearing vegetation along the roadway relocating utilities, and hauling embankment. Project completion is expected in fall 2016. The design/build team is Wantman Group Inc./Ajax Paving Industries of Florida, LLC.

SR 84/Davis Boulevard from west of Radio Road to Santa Barbara Boulevard: Construction project: Crews are expanding the road to six lanes, adding sidewalk, bike lanes, and street lights, and building a noise wall. Crews continue placing fill dirt, lighting, sidewalk and sod on the south roadway of the project. Motorists should expect intermittent lane closures during these activities. Please use caution when traveling throughout the work zone as well as when entering and exiting the roadway. Estimated project completion date is early 2014, weather permitting. The contractor is Guymann Construction.

SR 84/Davis Boulevard from Florida Club Circle to Falling Waters Boulevard: Construction project: Crews will be installing light pole bases, pull boxes and underground conduits along both sides of Davis Boulevard. Motorist should expect lane closures from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. and 7 p.m. to 6 a.m. for this work. Drivers are asked to use caution and expect delays. Motorists should expect construction equipment entering/exiting the roadway. Estimated project completion is summer 2014. Contractor is American Lighting and Signalization, Inc.

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Road watch alert from Florida Department of Transportation