At its first meeting of 2015, held on Thursday, January 8, the Village Board of Trustees approved nine supplemental work orders for the new senior center project on Golf Club Lane. As a result the original contract price for the project dropped from $450,000 to $439,300. Deputy Mayor Episcopia examined the details.

"What we received from Recreation was a list of costs, both positive and negative. We had deductions and savings with the building of the basement. When you take a look at the original contract and spreadsheet we received from deBruin Engineering, there's $275,000 for the building foundation. When someone takes a look at that, you begin to wonder why it was that much. Was it a lot of overhead, or did it have to do with the gravel, the moving, and roads?" he asked.

Kevin Ocker, chairman of the board of commissioners of Garden City Parks and Recreation, explained that the $275,000 was the price of the bid for the installation of the building's foundation for the contractor. Afterward the project was "value-engineered" to reduce the scope of work for the foundation.

"The total job awarded to the contractor was $450,000. When we backed out the credits or savings we achieved for the foundation, and with all of the small change orders in front of the board this evening, the net effect is that the contract will come in about $19,100 under budget. Most of the items have had to be done already with construction going on," Ocker said.

The credits for revising the original foundation resulted in a supplemental work order for a credit of $60,000, with less excavation, backfilling, shoring, underpinning and concrete work needed.

There was also a credit of $7,600 for concrete and footings of the building's attached porches, which were removed when the building was moved from its former place as the model house for DoubleDay Court Condominiums.

The senior center's drains and drywall were completed on Wednesday, January 7. Two drywells for the stairwell to the senior center's basement is the next step, as outlined by a $1300 supplemental work order.

In addition, with the excavation of the building's foundation an abandoned well was found. To fill the well the contractor needed to use 186 yards of pea gravel and cap it with concrete, for a cost of $8,400. Ocker told the board that work will be charged to the water enterprise fund.

The other supplemental work orders covered the following: $3,500 for dampproofing foundation walls; $1,700 for the installation of columns; $1,200 for the installation of foundation air vents; and

The main outlier with the senior center is a new roof, for which the cost has not been agreed to with deBruin Engineering. The roof was not included as part of the original contract, and Ocker says his department's subcommittee will discuss the options for a renovated roof or a new roof.

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Senior center construction work comes in under budget

West Lebanon As early as next week, the periodic scent of rotten eggs may cease to be a part of the Route 12A corridors ambiance and the city may be one step closer to selling energy from gases produced by its landfill.

It would be nice to have a locally grown fuel source, Lebanons Solid Waste Manager George Murray said Tuesday morning.

Murray noted that several area businesses, including Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center, Kleen Laundry and Pike Industries, have recently shifted to using compressed natural gas as a fuel source, and a Hanover developer has proposed to site a natural gas depot on property in Lebanons Route 120 corridor.

The odor that wafts out of the citys landfill has long been a nuisance to residents and visitors. After a series of delays and temporary measures, a permanent fix appears to be on the horizon.

As Murray spoke, Kingsbury Co. employees worked in frigid temperatures to install a propane-powered biogas flare intended to burn off foul smells at the West Lebanon landfill, which accepts about 38,000 tons of trash annually.

Murray said the landfills stench primarily stems from hydrogen sulfide produced by the decay of gypsum, a component found in drywall.

It doesnt take much to smell it, Murray said.

Murray said he expects the flares installation to be complete by Jan. 15, and once installed, he anticipates it will eliminate 95 percent of the odors now associated with the 30-acre landfill, located between the Connecticut River and Route 12A.

Lebanon resident and Dartmouth College chemistry professor Gordon W. Gribble said he notices an amazing odor coming from the landfill during his weekly visits to the Route 12A Price Chopper store.

Upon hearing of the citys plans for the flare project, Gribble said some of the sulfur compounds producing the smell may not be flammable.

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The Smell of Progress: Lebanon Works to Permanently Curb Landfill Odor

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By JEFF KAROUB Associated Press

DETROIT (AP) - An unusual home taking shape inside General Motors' sprawling Detroit-Hamtramck Assembly plant is intended to be part of a movement to rebuild the city's economy and deteriorating, disappearing housing stock.

Skilled-trades workers, taking breaks from their tasks at the factory that produces the electric Chevrolet Volt and other vehicles, dart in and out to do door, window and wall installation and framing, as well as electrical and plumbing work. Meanwhile, a nonprofit urban farming group is preparing property a few miles away that will welcome the project, what's believed to be the city's first occupied shipping container homestead.

Come spring, the house-in-progress will be delivered to Detroit's North End neighborhood and secured on a foundation where a blighted home once stood. After finishing touches and final inspections, the 40-foot-long former container will feature 320 square feet of living space with two bedrooms, a bathroom and a kitchen, and will serve as home base for a university-student caretakers of a neighborhood farm and agricultural research activities.

One shipping container home won't turn around Detroit's housing woes. The city emerging from bankruptcy has roughly 40,000 vacant homes waiting to be demolished. But it's a start and, organizers hope, a model to lure and keep residents as Detroit removes blight and recovers from bankruptcy.

Shipping containers converted into living or working spaces are common in some other cities. For instance, in Salt Lake City's rundown warehouse district, a nonprofit group last year converted them into "micro-retail" spaces. A Seattle-based company designs and builds houses out of reclaimed containers.

Containers have been modified for both basic and luxury living elsewhere. But Tyson Gersh of the Michigan Urban Farming Initiative is unaware of another project involving a major manufacturer and nonprofit designed to serve many socio-economic needs through what he calls "social innovation."

Organizers hope the container project can lure millennials who don't want their grandfather's bungalow yet also provide predominantly poor, longtime residents with a low-cost housing alternative.

"Finding a place where both those communities can find common ground is beautiful," said Gersh, president and co-founder of the group that operates a farm and owns property in the North End, where blight and vacancy are common, but so are signs of residential and commercial renewal. "It's scalable, works for everyone and it's also not going to ruin the environment. It's easier to maintain and can repurpose existing materials."

Gersh said reusing the containers and other components has environmental benefits but points out that people working solely toward that end "are doing it from a position of privilege," and that's "not what Detroit is."

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Shipping container home readying for Detroit debut

Washington D.C, (PRWEB) December 30, 2014

Emergency 911 Security, Inc (Washington D.C.) has been a Verified Vendor with US Federal Contractor Registration since March 2014. While enrolled in the Simplified Acquisition Program, Emergency 911 Security, Inc won a government contract from the Department of the Navy for $370,172. Prior to their enrollment into the Simplified Acquisition Program, US Federal Contractor Registration administered a qualification assessment to determine if Emergency 911 Security, Inc would be a good fit for government contracting. This qualification process will help determine if a business has available opportunities in the federal marketplace that meet their criteria. It is important vendors conduct a qualifying evaluation with US Federal Contractor Registration to discover current solicitations, follow government spending trends and find out if their business qualifies for any federal set-asides.

After reviewing their business model and assessing their qualifications, US Federal Contractor Registration Acquisition Specialists decided a Simplified Acquisition Program would be the best solution to maximize Emergency 911 Security, Incs chances of winning government contracts and networking with procurement officers across the nation.

The Simplified Acquisition Program is designed to target federal officials and government buyers that have a track record of buying a specific product or service. The Simplified Acquisition Program helps create real connections and networking opportunities with federal buyers. Businesses currently utilizing the Simplified Acquisition Program feel more prepared to accept and government contracts.

Below is a copy of the contract awarded to Emergency 911 Security, Inc from the Department of the Navy, as recorded in the Federal Procurement Data System:

Vendor Name:EMERGENCY SECURITY INC. Contracting Agency: DEPT OF THE NAVY Date Signed:September 26, 2014 Action Obligation: $370,172 Contracting Office: NAVSUP FLT LOG CTR NORFOLK NAICS (Code): LOCKSMITHS ( 561622 ) PSC (Code): MAINT/REPAIR/REBUILD OF EQUIPMENT- HARDWARE AND ABRASIVES ( J053 ) Vendor City: WASHINGTON Vendor DUNS: 623753837 Vendor State: DC Vendor ZIP: 200193823

About Emergency 911 Security, Inc (Washington D.C.)

Emergency 911 Security, Inc is a Woman Owned, 8(a) certified, SBDE, MDOT, WMATA approved business and HUBZone certified government contracting company based in Washington D.C.. Emergency 911 Security, Inc. was established in 1991 and specializes in homeland security, medical, uniform, safety/industrial, recreation, and general contracting. Emergency 911 Security, Inc. provides a full range of services designed to meet the changing needs of commercial, industrial, state, federal and local government agencies. Emergency 911 Security, Inc. is one of the only area LSDBE that can provide businesses with a diverse complement of services. Their customer service representatives can provide a government agency with the readiness to service their clients or staff immediately. They can also develop and design specifications to outfit a facility inside and out. Emergency 911 Security, Inc. clients includes the Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Management Agency, Fire Departments, Police Departments, Department of Health, Department of Human Services, DC Schools and many other federal, city and state agencies.

Emergency 911 Security, Inc Vendor Profile

DUNS: 623753837 CAGE: 4MVW3 Active in SAM; Registration valid until 1/10/2015 Woman Owned Small Business Minority Owned Business North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) codes 238210 - Electrical Contractors and Other Wiring Installation238310 - Drywall and Insulation Contractors 321911 - Wood Window and Door Manufacturing 332321 - Metal Window and Door Manufacturing 334220 - Radio and Television Broadcasting and Wireless Communications Equipment Manufacturing 339113 - Surgical Appliance and Supplies 339920 - Sporting and Athletic Goods Manufacturing 423320 - Brick, Stone, and Related Construction Material Merchant Wholesalers 423430 - Computer and Computer Peripheral Equipment and Software Merchant Wholesalers 423450 - Medical, Dental, and Hospital Equipment and Supplies Merchant Wholesalers 423610 - Electrical Apparatus and Equipment, Wiring Supplies, and Related Equipment Merchant Wholesalers 423840 - Industrial Supplies Merchant Wholesalers 423850 - Service Establishment Equipment and Supplies Merchant Wholesalers 423910 - Sporting and Recreational Goods and Supplies Merchant Wholesalers 424320 - Mens and Boys Clothing and Furnishings Merchant Wholesalers 424340 - Footwear Merchant Wholesalers 443142 - Electronic Stores 444190 - Other Building Material Dealers 451110 - Sporting Goods Stores 561621 - Security Systems Services (Except Locksmiths) 812331 - Linen Supply 561622 - Locksmith Installation 315210 - Police Supply - Apparel Cut and Sew Contractors 238390 - Office Furniture Modular System Installation 423210 - Office Furniture Merchant Wholesalers 424120 - Office ad Stationary Supplies Merchant Wholesalers 238220 - Sprinklers System Services 541350 - Building Inspection Services 541330 - Engineering Services 611699 - All Other Miscellaneous Schools and Instruction

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Emergency 911 Security, Inc Wins Government Contract for $370,172 Thanks to US Federal Contractor Registration and ...

Jefferson City inspected 35 food-service establishments during the month of November.

The inspections note critical and non-critical violations.

Critical violations are the more serious, as they are more likely to compromise food safety and cause health problems. Critical violations often concern improper food temperatures, either on a stove/grill or in holding areas after cooking or before cooking, such as in a refrigerator. They also could involve plumbing repairs, personal hygiene, people who are sick handling food or contamination such as pest infestations.

Non-critical violations are more minor offenses, which could deal with cleaning/maintenance of floors, walls, ceilings, open waste receptacles, unshielded light bulbs in a food preparation area or a missing thermometer in a refrigerator.

The November inspections noted:

Lewis and Clark Middle School, 325 Lewis and Clark Drive, two non-critical violations: paint flaking and peeling from wall by dish room triple sink and deteriorating cement block due to unpainted water damage; numerous burned-out lights in basement walk-in cooler.

Applebees Neighborhood Grill, 2319 Missouri Blvd., two critical violations: broil side cooler needs holding temperature below 41 degrees; dish machine did not reach 160 degrees and three non-critical violations: inside of prep line table had food debris and splatter present for fry side and the middle section; paper towel holder not working to generate paper towel to dry hands; floors in walk-in cooler had food and debris present.

Wendys Old Fashion Hamburgers, 2108 Missouri Blvd., three critical violations: can opener had food debris present (corrected on site); employee making slaw without gloves; hand sink in drive-up area not draining properly and four non-critical violations: no trash can near back hand sink; shelving unit had peeling and chipping paint near pots and pans, also rusting spots near pots and pans (manager removed all items from this unit); floors in walk-in cooler had food debris present; front upright cooler had frosty debris present on outside.

Aldis Grocery Store, 2225 Missouri Blvd., six non-critical violations: floors in walk-in freezer had food debris and paper debris under the pallets of product; paper and other debris on the floors under racks in dairy walk-in cooler; debris on floor in walk-in meat cooler; inside tracks of all chest freezers dirty; paper and other debris present in front of reach-in frozen coolers; trash and other debris in mop sink.

Brew House Coffee, 1507 E. McCarty St., two critical violations: no sanitizer testable or present in dish machine; employee bare-hand contact with ready-to-eat food (bacon, toast, etc.) in kitchen area and six non-critical violations: worn brush taped with loose bristles; no test kit for chlorine sanitizer; battery in towel dispenser at kitchen hand-wash sink non-functional, therefore no paper towels available; gaskets of espresso two-door cooler and blender base have food residues present, and ceiling fan has hanging dust present; no thermometer available for cooks use.

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Jefferson City restaurant inspections for November 2014

Photo Gallery | Construction tour of Hotel on North

PITTSFIELD >> The owners of a boutique hotel being built on North Street said on Thursday they hope to retain vintage features of the historic buildings while offering modern conveniences like a spa, gym and a restaurant.

During a guided tour of the four-story Hotel on North, they said restaurant is expected to open in March, followed by the rest of the facility in May. The $14 million project is about 35 percent complete.

"There's some real major work yet to come," said co-owner David Tierney III, referring to the installation of elevators, drywall and electrical work. "The major surprises are out of the way."

Tierney and his wife and business partner, Laurie, led a tour of the construction site on Thursday for local legislators, economic development leaders and Pittsfield Mayor Daniel L. Bianchi.

The Tierneys are currently renovating two buildings at 273-297 North St. to create a 45-room hotel, the first of its kind in Pittsfield. The structures, located in what was known as the "Burns Block" during the 1960s, are part of a downtown historic district.

"If we had to put a title on what our style is I'd say vintage industrial," Laurie Tierney said. "We're keeping the old brick walls and the floors as much as we can. As we go along we'll have some light fixtures that will be cool and funky and bring back the old industrial feel to it.

"If you had to add a theme to it, I'd say old meets the new," she said. "We're nodding to the past and looking forward to the future."

The building at 273 North St. was once occupied by the Besse-Clark men's clothing store, while 297 North St. was occupied by the E.P. Gowdy Co., which sold office supplies.

The ground floors of both structures were most recently occupied by two restaurants, Spice Dragon and Mad Jack's barbecue, both of which closed when construction began.

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Pittsfield's Hotel on North envisioned as a blend of old and new

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Drywall installation can be described with those "three little words" that mean so much to homeowners in the midst of remodeling: quick, easy, and inexpensive. Also known as wallboard, plasterboard, Gyproc, or Sheetrock (although these last two are really trademarks), drywall consists of a layer of gypsum plaster enclosed by two mats made of fiberglass or heavy paper. Compared to concrete construction, panels formed in this way are lightweight and simple to use as non-load-bearing interior walls. They can be attached to ceiling joists or wall studs, using screws, nails, or even glue. For good looks, drywall does require a finishing process before painting. Let's take a look at what that entails.

Covering Seams and Holes

Installing drywall, by its nature, leaves seams at the joins between panels, as well as screw holes. These must be hidden before painting for an even appearance. To finish drywall, start by driving screw and nail heads deep into the material so they don't protrude. After that, conceal seams, holes, and other imperfections with joint tape, followed by drywall compound, affectionately known as "mud." Compound is available in both powdered and ready-mixed forms, and is applied with a flexible drywall-taping knife.

The most attractive results will be achieved by means of a "skim coat." This may refer to either covering the entire wall with an ultra-thin layer of compound, or veneer plastering; that is, applying a thicker coat of a substance known as "finish plaster."

Sanding and Cleanup

Once the compound has dried completely, it will need to be sanded smooth. This is a slow and dirty process, but it makes all the difference to a professional drywall finish. Cleanup of the mess that results from hand sanding can be avoided by fitting your shop vacuum with a dustless drywall sanding attachment. Sand lightly with 150-grit drywall sandpaper.

There is a difference of opinion about how much cleaning is necessary before painting drywall. Some state that you should vacuum up every bit of dust, while others prefer to leave a light coating on the drywall, claiming that the dust will bind with your primer and paint to provide the best surface finish.

Priming

Prepare your drywall by applying a heavy coat of high quality primer, either latex or polyvinyl acetate (PVA) designed especially for plasterboard. This step creates a water-resistant, smooth surface for your paint to cling to. It also prevents "thirsty" drywall from absorbing an excessive amount of paint. A roller is the best tool for primer application on drywall. Be sure to choose a primer that is a reasonably close match to the paint you'll be using for the top coat. It does not need to match exactly, but the primer should not be a great deal darker. Make sure the coat is as even as possible. Then allow to dry for four hours.

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The secrets of smooth, even drywall finish

Drywall installation and repair in the Thurmont MD area
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Drywall installation and repair in the Thurmont MD area - Video

The Worst Thanksgiving Family Football Conversation Ever

A play by Mike Tanier

Setting

Great Aunt Eunice's family room, Nov. 27, 2014.

As the rest of the family prepares side dishes, sets tables or gossips in other rooms, a handful of football junkies, couch potatoes and people no one else in the family likes gather around the television for 10-and-a-half hours of NFL action.

Cast of Characters

AUNT EUNICE: Remembers the Truman administration. Cooks Thanksgiving dinner using recipes she brought over from the Old Country (Piscataway Township). Gets all of her news, football and otherwise, from major-network daytime talk shows.

UNCLE CARMINE: Former deputy shop steward for Pipefitters Local 31415 (resigned in disgrace, 1997). Bought you your first bottle of vodka before the junior high homecoming dance. Divorced four times from three women. Chews with mouth open.

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Worst Thanksgiving Family Football Conversation Ever