BOCA RATON, Fla., Jan. 14, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Q.E.P. CO., INC. (OTC: QEPC.PK) (the Company or QEP) today reported its consolidated results of operations for the first nine months and third quarter of its fiscal year ending February 28, 2021 and announces a five percent special stock dividend.

QEP reported net sales of $288.0 million for the nine months ended November 30, 2020, a decrease of $11.1 million or 3.7% from the $299.1 million reported in the same period of fiscal 2020. The Company reported net sales of $98.9 million for the quarter ended November 30, 2020, an increase of $2.2 million or 2.3% from the $96.7 million reported in the same period of fiscal 2020. The fiscal 2021 nine month decline in sales compared to the prior year reflects the adverse impact of the worldwide economic downturn caused by the COVID-19 pandemic during the first quarter of the current year. All subsequent quarters reflect increased year-over-year net sales.

Lewis Gould, Executive Chairman, commented on the Companys results, I am pleased that the Company was able to generate sales growth for the second consecutive quarter, which has further offset the sales decline in the first quarter that was the results of the COVID-19 related economic downturn. The sales increase during the previous two quarters was driven by retail channels in North America, despite COVID-19 related challenges in the dealer and distributor channels, and growth in the Companys overseas operations. During the quarter, the Company continued to maintain aggressive cost control measures, which included lower personnel cost, along with reduced overhead and marketing expenses. Collectively, these actions resulted in the Companys increased profitability during the quarter and for the first nine months of the year.

Mr. Gould concluded, The Company is diligently monitoring and adjusting its response not only to the COVID-19 pandemic, but also to the challenges presented by the weakening U.S. Dollar, shifts in global sourcing patterns and political uncertainty in the U.S. and U.K. I believe that the Company under the current leadership team is emerging from the current crisis better positioned for long-term profitability and the creation of sustainable shareholder value.

The Companys gross profit for the first nine months of fiscal 2021 was $81.8 million compared to $79.5 million in the corresponding fiscal 2020 period, an increase of $2.3 million or 2.8%. Gross profit for the third quarter of fiscal 2021 was $28.7 million, representing an increase of $2.2 million or 8.2%, from $26.5 million in the fiscal 2020 period. The Companys gross margin as a percentage of net sales for the first nine months and third quarter of fiscal year 2021 was 28.4% and 29.0%, respectively, which increased from 26.6% and 27.4% in the prior fiscal year periods, respectively. The gross margin as a percentage of net sales improvement is due to favorable changes in product mix and timely actions taken by the Company to reduce manufacturing overhead during the first nine months and third quarter of fiscal 2021.

Operating expenses, excluding restructuring loss, for the first nine months and third quarter of fiscal 2021 were $71.7 million and $25.1 million, respectively, or 24.9% and 25.3% of net sales in those periods, compared to $85.1 million and $26.5 million, respectively, or 28.4% and 27.4% of net sales in the comparable fiscal 2020 periods. The reduction in operating expenses is due to year-over-year synergies realized through the integration and rationalization of fiscal 2019 acquisitions, lower personnel costs through reduction-in-force and employee furlough activities during the COVID-19 economic downturn, lower marketing and travel expenses, along with government subsidies received for maintaining employment levels at the Companys international operations.

Restructuring charges for the first nine months and third quarter of fiscal 2021 represent the legal, administrative and asset impairment cost associated with the restructuring of the Companys Canadian subsidiary, net of the benefit related to the Plan of Compromise agreed with the subsidiarys unsecured creditors.

The lower interest expense during the first nine months and third quarter of fiscal 2021 compared to the same periods in the prior fiscal year was principally due to a reduction in borrowings under the Companys credit facilities during the current period.

The provision for income taxes as a percentage of incomes before taxes was 28.0% for the first nine months and third quarter of fiscal 2021 compared to a benefit for income taxes as a percentage of the loss before taxes of 28.0% for the related fiscal 2020 periods.

Net income for the first nine months and third quarter of fiscal 2021 was $5.5 million and $2.1 million, respectively, or $1.75 and $0.66, respectively, per diluted share. For the comparable periods of fiscal 2020, net loss was $3.7 million and $0.4 million, respectively, or $1.16 and $0.13, respectively, per diluted share.

Earnings (loss) before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA) as adjusted for non-operating income and restructuring charges for the first nine months and third quarter of fiscal 2021 was $13.4 million and $4.8 million, respectively as compared to a loss of $2.0 million and income of $1.2 million for the first nine months and third quarter of fiscal 2020, respectively.

Cash provided by operations during the first nine months of fiscal 2021 was $30.6 million as compared to $1.8 million in the first nine months of fiscal 2020, reflecting an increase in operating income and a reduction in net investments in working capital. During the first nine months of fiscal 2020, the Company sold a certain non-core product line and recorded a gain on the sale of $2.4 million before income taxes, which was recorded in non-operating income. In the first nine months of fiscal 2021, cash from operations was used primarily to pay down $17.8 million of debt and increase cash balances. In the prior fiscal year period, cash provided by operations and proceeds from the sale of a non-core product line was used to pay down debt.

Working capital at the end of the Companys third of fiscal 2021 was $41.1 million compared to $29.1 million at the end of fiscal 2020. Aggregate debt, net of available cash balances at the end of the third quarter of fiscal 2021 was $19.1 million or 27.6% of equity, a decrease of $27.3 million compared to $46.4 million or 73.9% of equity at the end of fiscal 2020.

On June 29, 2020, the Companys Canadian operating subsidiary, Roberts Company Canada Limited, was granted an Order by the Ontario Superior Court of Justice (Commercial List) to commence a restructuring proceeding under the Companies Creditor Arrangement Act (CCAA). This filing was initiated to allow the subsidiary to be able to continue operating while it efficiently restructures its business. The subsidiary has substantially completed its reorganization and is expected to fully emerge from the CCAA protection before the end of fiscal 2021. The Company is not a party to this proceeding.

On January 13, 2021, the Companys Board of Directors declared a one-time, special stock dividend of 5% per share on the common stock of the Company. The stock dividend is distributable on or about February 19, 2021, to shareholders of record at the close of business on January 18, 2021.

Conference Call Information

The Company will be hosting the following conference call to discuss its third quarter financial results and answer questions.

About QEP

Founded in 1979, Q.E.P. Co., Inc. is a leading global provider of high quality, innovative and value-driven flooring and flooring installation solutions. QEP manufactures, markets and sells a comprehensive line of flooring installation tools, adhesives, and underlayment for both consumers as well as professional installers. Under the Harris Flooring Group , QEP manufactures and offers a complete line of hardwood, luxury vinyl, and modular carpet tile. QEP sells its products throughout the world to home improvement retail centers, professional specialty distribution outlets, and flooring dealers under brand names including QEP, LASH, Roberts, Harris Flooring Group, Capitol, HarrisWood, Kraus, Naturally Aged Flooring, Vitrex, Homelux, Brutus, PRCI, Plasplugs, Tomecanic, Premix-Marbletite (PMM), Apple Creek and Elastiment.

QEP is headquartered in Boca Raton, Florida with offices in Canada, Europe, Asia, Australia and New Zealand. Please visit our website at http://www.qepcorporate.com.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements for purposes of the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. All statements contained in this press release, other than statements of historical facts, may constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of the federal securities laws. These statements can be identified by words such as "expects," "plans," "projects," "will," "may," "anticipates," "believes," "should," "intends," "estimates," and other words of similar meaning. Any forward-looking statements contained herein are based on current expectations and beliefs, and are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties. These forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements regarding economic conditions, sales growth, price increases, profit improvements, product development and marketing, operating expenses, cost savings, acquisition integration, operational synergy realization, global sourcing, political uncertainty, cash flow, debt and currency exchange rates. Forward-looking statements may also be adversely affected by general market factors, competitive product development, product availability, federal and state regulations and legislation, manufacturing issues that may arise, patent positions and litigation, among other factors. The forward-looking statements contained in this press release speak only as of the date the statements were made, and the Company does not undertake any obligation to update forward-looking statements, except as required by law.

-Financial Information Follows-

CONTACT: Q.E.P. Co., Inc.Enos BrownExecutive Vice President andChief Financial Officer561-994-5550

Here is the original post:
Q.E.P. Co., Inc. Reports Fiscal 2021 Nine Month and Third Quarter Financial Results and Announces a 5 Percent Special Stock Dividend - GlobeNewswire

Comprising a well-researched and geographically inclusive selection of design objects, documentation of offsite projects, and scientific testimonials to the earths accelerating ecological collapse, the Museum of Modern Arts Broken Nature exhibition proffers an array of individually innovative ideas that, when considered in relation to the situation at hand, ultimately prompt more concerns for the future of design as we now know it, rather than (as the catalog lays out) a clear ideological framework through which it might lead us into a less destructive future.

The show is installed on the MoMAs public (free) ground floor gallery closest to 53rd Street in Manhattan, where floor-to-ceiling windows are situated across the street from andin clear conversation with the bougie gleam of modern and contemporary design objects in the museums own design store.

Curated by Paola Antonelli, senior curator of the MoMAs Department of Architecture and Design, Broken Nature proposes not so much of a reimagining of the structures that delivered us to this moment as pseudo-spiritual repentance to Gaia, suggesting that design can conceive a multitude of solutions to the exponentially accelerating forces of climate change while retaining the support of centralized wealth through the invention of environmentally consciousyet still aesthetically pleasingproducts. While transmuting the original 2019 exhibition in Milan (which was nearly six times larger) into one of the smallest galleries in the museum required the exclusion of some of the more sprawling or intricate projects, the selection on view at MoMA feels too sanitized for an exhibition about the literal apocalypse.

One of the best examples of restorative design included in the exhibition is the Maldives/Sandbars project (201819), which uses the oceans own wave patterns to encourage the regrowth of sandbars around the that have been worn away from rising sea levels. The aerial photographs on display in the exhibition demonstrate the re-accumulation of sand beneath the lagoon, encouraged by strategically placed concrete structures anchored to the ocean floor, using the oceans own movements to rebuild the atolls natural defenses from flooding as they break up incoming waves.

Yet, much of the shows language smacks of selective blindness to the scope and machinations of structural inequality, one of the biggest hurdles to comprehensive, collective action in the fight to slow climate change. In describing Alexander Groves and Azusa Murakamis Palm Stool from the Can City project (2013), the catalog describes the catadores (trash pickers) of So Paulo as breathing new life into the materials they source from the landfill in their artisanal enterprise of creating jewelry or furniture from the citys scrap. While the designers concept of a mobile foundry, cleverly constructed from local materials and used to create the aluminum furniture on view in the exhibition, is undoubtedly a useful one, the tired dynamic between an utterly disenfranchised caste of laborers and the appropriation of their practices by a privileged design studio is clearly present.

Aki Inomatas Think Evolution #1: Kiku-ichi (Ammonite) (201617) provides another useful metaphor for the past and future of humans inhabitation of the earth: an HD video shows a small octopus exploring the interior of a clear resin 3D print of an ammonite fossil. In an earlier stage of their evolution, the notoriously clever cephalopods used to inhabit shells (similar to the behavior of a hermit crab) but eventually dispensed with this tendency in order to more efficiently evade predators, rendering Inomatas video both a meditation on the generational transmission of instinctual behavior and a clever visual framework through which we might consider a de-evolution of our own preferred habitats.

Perhaps most affecting objects in the exhibition are those comprised of manmade materials and designed by natureKelly Jazvacs Plastiglomerate (2013), a series of irregularly shaped lumps of variegated plastic, compressed and pressured to sedimentary rock-like density; one might think of the catalogs call for elegance under pressure, an apt metaphor for precious gems, however, the Plastiglomerate are anything but elegant. Punctuated by flecks of neon-hued debris and tattered strands of castoff polymers, these objects feel more like coldly prognostic markers of the late Anthropocene than emphatically ominous evidence regarding the geological characteristics of an epoch whose outcome is yet unfolding. Examples of the series are well-placed just to the right of the entrance, establishing a logically coherent but rather hopeful node between the chic algae-based carafes from Studio Klarenbeek & Dros for Atelier Luma and Mandy Barkers (2016).

The latter also focuses on the abundance of plastic detritus disrupting the planets natural processes, but on the microscopic level. The long-exposure photos take the format of the natural history plates created by 19th-century marine biologist John Vaughan Thompson, who amassed and documented an archive of plankton samples off the coast of Ireland. Barkers iteration uses modern technology to capture much clearer pictures of the microorganisms populating 21st-century seassourced from the same location Thompson used, Cork Harbourhowever, instead of plankton, the images exhibit microplastics. Consumed by plankton, these microscopic fragments of plastic bags, netting, and other debris make their way into every facet of the aquatic ecosystem from the bottom up.

While every work in the show was conceived in response to the climate crisis, the Plastiglomerates are the only truly found objects on view, representing humans permanent impact on the earth and invoking an eerie reassurance that the earth will endure long after were gone, and perhaps eventually recover from our presence. While their presence between the microscopic shards of polymer and the tastefully minimalist home goods makes a clear statement regarding the aesthetic and practical possibilities for transitioning away from synthetic materials, many of the objects sleek allure remain predicated upon and as yet inexorable from a global economy unlikely to de-escalate and refocus the parameters of production to an extent that will save the planet and its inhabitants (humans included) from a destruction of our own making.

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Chic-osystem Form outshines function at the MoMA's Broken Nature - The Architect's Newspaper

Faade installation has resumed at611 West 56th Street, aka823 Eleventh Avenue, a 450-foot-tall condominium tower in Hells Kitchen. Designed by Portuguese architectAlvaro SizawithSLCEas the architect of record, and developed bySumaida + KhuranaandLENY, the 37-story tower will yield 80 units designed byGabellini Sheppard Associates.

Recent photos show the bright limestone curtain wall surpassing the halfway point of the slender tower. At the time of our last update in late August, the faade only covered the seven-story podium and work appeared stalled.

611 West 56th Street. Photo by Michael Young

611 West 56th Street. Photo by Michael Young

611 West 56th Street. Photo by Michael Young

611 West 56th Street. Photo by Michael Young

Scaffolding rigs on the wide southern elevation mark the transition point of the different layers of the exterior assembly.

611 West 56th Street. Photo by Michael Young

611 West 56th Street. Photo by Michael Young

611 West 56th Street. Photo by Michael Young

The rear northern wall is largely blank, but retains the same pattern of a parquet floor tiling depicted in previous renderings that show the extended mechanical portion above the last habitable floor. This can be seen in the next several images below.

611 West 56th Street. Photo by Michael Young

611 West 56th Street, designed by Alvaro Siza

611 West 56th Street. Photo by Michael Young

The concrete and cinder block walls have been painted black and await the rest of the metal framework that will hold up the limestone.

611 West 56th Street. Photo by Michael Young

A formal completion date for 611 West 56th Street has not been announced, though sometime in the second half of 2021 is possible.

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Continued here:
Faade Installation Resumes at 611 West 56th Street in Hell's Kitchen, Manhattan - New York YIMBY

Dustin George|The Shelby Star

Two Cleveland County high school gyms will have a fresh new look later this year.

The Board of Education voted on Monday to approve a project to replace gym floors and bleachers at Burns and Crest high schools. The projects, which will cost around $484,000, will be completed by H2I Group, a national contractor company which has been in business for over 90 years. The final price includes a $30,000 contingency should any repairs need to be done to the concrete underneath the gym floors.

H2I Group was one of four companies to bid for the gym floor project and one of only three to bid for bleacher replacement projects at both schools. It was one of only two companies to submit a combined bid for both schools.It's combined bid was nearly $21,000 lower than the only other bid, placed by Southern Floor, a contractor out of South Carolina.

Replacing the floors has been a key priority for the district over the last year.

The floors really need replacing, said board member Danny Blanton, who, along with board chair Robert Queen and member Greg Taylor visited Crest ahead of Mondays meeting.

There are visible humps and cracks between the boards ...The bleachers are the original equipment,that's when the schools was built over 50 years ago. They've had plastic covers simply put over the original structures," Blanton said.

Board members did not visit Burns before the meeting, but Blanton said the floors and bleachers are the same age and in similar states of disrepair.

"We expect the floors at Burns will need to be replaced in the very near future. We do save money by replacing the floors and bleachers at both schools at the same time, he said.

Work on the gym floors will being later this year, following a pair of projects to install new HVAC and humidity control units in both gyms. Those projects were approved by the board in October and will be necessary to keep the new floors warrantied if anything should go wrong after they are installed.

The HVAC projects will begin at the conclusion of the current basketball season and should be completed by summer. The new floors and bleachers will begin after that work is finished.As the floors are removed, both schools will sellpieces of them to raise money for their respective athletics departments.

Original post:
Board approves new floors, bleachers at Crest and Burns high schools - Shelby Star

Rep. Bob Lattas deputy chief of staff said in a statement the representative did trigger the metal detector.

COLUMBUS, Ohio Three Ohio congressmen have reportedly taken issue with new metal detectors installed outside the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives, objecting to increased security measures put in place after insurrectionists stormed the U.S. Capitol building just a week ago.

All three of them Reps. Steve Stivers of Upper Arlington, Bob Gibbs of Lakeville and Bob Latta of Bowling Green previously supported efforts to install metal detectors in school buildings as a method of preventing school violence.

The U.S. House of Representatives met Tuesday evening to debate a resolution asking Vice President Mike Pence to invoke the 25th Amendment to remove President Donald Trump from office. The body convened again Wednesday morning to consider a vote to impeach the president for his actions related to the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol which left five people dead, including a police officer.

Metal detectors were recently installed within the building.

Matt Fuller, a reporter for The Huffington Post, has made note of several Republican lawmakers who oppose the new security measure.Fuller reported that Gibbs walked around the metal detector on Wednesday morning.Latta reportedly set off the metal detector on Wednesday, but walked past law enforcement officers to enter the House floor.

On Tuesday,Fuller reported that Stivers went through the metal detector but told the officers present he thought it was unconstitutional.

The Ohio Capital Journal asked spokespersons for the three lawmakers to explain their objections to the metal detectors, particularly in light of their prior support for detectors inside Ohio schools.

Rebecca Card Angelson, Lattas deputy chief of staff, said in a statement the representative did trigger the metal detector.

(Congressman Latta) has the utmost respect for the Capitol police and the work they do to keep the Capitol grounds and all who are on it safe, Angelson wrote. This is a new procedure in place and the Congressman did display his phone and keys as he went through the metal detectors so the police officers could see why the alarm was triggered. The Congressman did not hear anything further from the Capitol Police as he went through the metal detector, so the Congressman proceeded to the House floor to vote.

Spokespersons for Gibbs and Stivers did not respond to a request for comment.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is pushing for the chamber to institute fines for lawmakers who do not go through the metal detectors properly.The Associated Press reported Pelosi has proposed a fine of $5,000 for a first offense and $10,000 for a second offense to be deducted from their congressional salaries.

In 2018, all three representatives voted for the Students, Teachers, and Officers Preventing (STOP) School Violence Act. Stivers was also a co-sponsor for the bill.

The legislation sought to address the issue of school violence by developing better training practices and creating a new system to anonymously report potential threats of violence.

The bill would have also allocated grant funding for school districts to install metal detectors and other deterrent measures,according to a summary of the legislation.

The U.S. House of Representatives passed the legislation, but it failed upon not being passed by the U.S. Senate.

More:
Ohio congressmen take issue with U.S. Capitol metal detectors; supported them in schools - WTOL

New York, Jan. 15, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Reportlinker.com announces the release of the report "Europe Floor Care Polymers Market Forecast to 2027 - COVID-19 Impact and Regional Analysis by Product Type, Function, and Application" - https://www.reportlinker.com/p06004161/?utm_source=GNW The floor care polymers such as polyethylene, acrylic, acrylonitrile, and biopolymers are used in adhesives, floor finish coatings, film formulations, and strippers, etc. to fix the tiles, marbles, or granite with bed techniques. These adhesives act as a replacement to the traditional thick bed techniques of cement and sand. Additionally, these adhesives are also suitable for fixing dense and concrete surfaces and help saving cost as they reduce the need for replacing old tiles with the new ones. The floor care polymers in floor finish coatings have been reliable and time tested products used for floor protection. Different types of polymers such as polyaspartic, epoxy, concrete epoxy, and urethane are available for the floor finish coatings. They help in healing the concrete cracks and making the floor smoother and stronger. Acrylic floor care polymers are applied to the floor finish coatings for hardening the surfaces used in heavy construction areas. Besides the inherent properties, other benefits such as hardness, gloss, toughness, scuff resistance, detergent resistance, and slip resistance drive the growth of the floor care polymers market.In terms of product type, the biopolymer segment is expected to grow at the fastest growth rate during the forecast period.Biopolymers are the natural polymers that are produced from the cells of living organisms.

They consist of monomeric units, which are bonded covalently to give rise to larger molecules.Biopolymers find their application in resin flooring that is available in infinite colours.

The resin flooring ensures the safety of homes, buildings, and the environment.Biopolymers add natural elasticity for resin flooring, which makes it easier to clean and maintain compared to concrete flooring.

It makes the floor harder and durable. The floor screeds made using biopolymers are usually placed on concrete or wooden panels of floors to establish a firm base for laying floor parquet or carpets in homes and buildings. Succinoglycan is another type of biopolymer used in floor screeds that are easy to install. Biopolymers can be renewed and reduce the level of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. It is a highly preferred polymer for floor covering due to its eco-friendly nature.COVID-19 has affected economies and industries in various countries due to lockdowns, travel bans, and business shutdowns.In Europe, Italy and Russia are the worst-affected countries due to the outbreak of COVID-19.

As Italy recorded the highest number of COVID-19 cases, it is anticipated to suffer an economic hit due to a lack of revenue from various industries.Other member states have implemented drastic measures and travel restrictions, including partially closing their borders.

This is anticipated to negatively impact the market growth in Europe.The overall Europe floor care polymers market size has been derived using both primary and secondary sources.To begin the research process, exhaustive secondary research has been conducted using internal and external sources to obtain qualitative and quantitative information related to the market.

The process also serves the purpose of obtaining overview and forecast for the Europe floor care polymers market with respects to all the segments pertaining to the region.Also, multiple primary interviews have been conducted with industry participants and commentators to validate the data, as well as to gain more analytical insights into the topic.

The participants who typically take part in such a process include industry experts such as VPs, business development managers, market intelligence managers, and national sales managers along with external consultants such as valuation experts, research analysts, and key opinion leaders specializing in the Europe floor care polymers market. Arkema Group; Buckeye International, Inc.; Cargill, Incorporated; Mitsui Chemicals, Inc.; OMNOVA Solutions Inc.; Stahl Holdings B.V.; The Dow Chemical Company; Zschimmer & Schwarz, Inc. are among a few players operating in the Europe floor care polymers market.Read the full report: https://www.reportlinker.com/p06004161/?utm_source=GNW

About ReportlinkerReportLinker is an award-winning market research solution. Reportlinker finds and organizes the latest industry data so you get all the market research you need - instantly, in one place.

__________________________

Originally posted here:
Europe Floor Care Polymers Market Forecast to 2027 - COVID-19 Impact and Regional Analysis by Product Type, Function, and Application - GlobeNewswire

By The Associated Press

VINCENNES The one-time Indiana home of the nations ninth president is getting a $1.2 million restoration that will include sprucing up the more than 200-year-old mansions main floor with new windows and porches.

Workers with Columbus, Ohio-based Durable Restoration Company recently started working on Grouseland, the Vincennes residence that was William Henry Harrison's home when he was governor of the Indiana Territory in the early 19th century. Harrison was elected U.S. president in 1840.

The restoration will focus on the two-story brick home's first floor, specifically its study and dining room, and include adding exact replicas of the home's original wood windows, repairing its first-floor fireplaces and adding new, period-appropriate wallpaper.

A makeshift plastic tunnel has been installed to hold down dust inside the rest of the mansion, which remains open for tours by appointment, said Lisa Ice-Jones, executive director of the Grouseland Foundation, which looks after the historic home.

The mansion was completed in 1804 and is located about 50 miles (80 kilometers) north of Evansville on a plot of land a short distance from the Wabash River.

The current restoration project represents about half of the work the foundation plans for the building. Workers will also reveal some original wood floors in the dining room, repair some exterior masonry and rebuild the homes front and side porches.

Everything in this house will be real. The history that happened here is real. And Im so excited for people to come back and see it once its completed," Ice-Jones told the Vincennes Sun-Commercial.

Durable Restoration expects the first phase of the restoration project to take at least six months, likely wrapping up sometime in June.

The Grouseland Foundations board of directors hired Mesick Cohen Wilson and Baker in 2014 to assess the mansion and its restoration needs. The Albany, New York-based architectural firm recommended a $3.5 million restoration, but the foundation opted to handle that work in phases.

After the foundation received a $400,000 grant from the Thomas Jefferson Foundation, Ice-Jones led a successful effort that raised the remaining $800,000 needed for the first phase.

Grouseland officials also led a successful push for Knox Countys innkeepers tax to be increased by 1% to help fund the various phases of restoration, although Ice-Jones said the coronavirus pandemic has stifled revenue for now.

Continued here:
Home of 9th US president being restored - The Herald

Bathrooms can serve as sanctuaries, providing a warm tub to soak in after a long, weary day or a private place to retire for a few minutes of peace and quiet. Bathrooms also can be dangerous places, as various groups warn that most slip and fall accidents that occur at home will happen in the bathroom.

The combination of hard surfaces and moisture from sinks and showers can create dangerous conditions. Furthermore, bathrooms tend to be small spaces, so should a fall occur, it's more likely a person will hit various surfaces on the way down.

The risk of falling in a bathroom increases with age. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, seniors over age 65 have a 25 percent chance of falling in the bathroom. Seniors generally have less flexibility and balance than younger people, meaning falls can be life-threatening. Bones easily can become fractured and internal bleeding may occur in serious cases. Bathrooms can be made safer in a few simple ways.

Any individual with a health condition that causes vision disturbances or difficulties with balance should work with a doctor to find a resolution. These conditions may contribute to falls.

Metro Creative Connection

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How to prevent slips and falls in the bathroom - theday.com

Sarah, a teacher in a rural Midwestern town, is always receiving compliments on her home. It has a cozy feel with soft lighting, shag rugs, and a beautiful cobblestone path leading to the front door -- what's not to love?

Unfortunately, her 80-year-old mother, who recently moved in with Sarah, has slipped several times. She ended up in the emergency department after one of the falls.

In Sarah's home, as in many homes, there are three significant trouble areas where older adults are most at risk of falling: the bathroom, stairs, and hallways or pathways.

If you're an older adult and want to make changes that will "fall-proof" your home and reduce your risk, here are some tips that might help:

The bathroom is the most common place for falls because it has a lot of wet and slippery surfaces; you have to step in and out of the shower or tub; and using the toilet requires you to sit and stand up -- which isn't easy if you have trouble keeping your balance.

Solutions:

Walking up and down stairs requires balance, lower body strength, good depth perception and endurance, all of which can be a challenge for some older adults. Falling down stairs, in particular, can have severe consequences, so it's important to have something to grab onto to keep that from happening.

Solutions:

The problem with hallways and other general living spaces is they can easily become cluttered, not have good lighting, or have uneven or slippery floors or rugs.

Solutions:

Sarah ended up installing grab bars in her bathrooms, installing additional lighting to the hallways and stairways, replacing the shag rug in the living room, and creating a smooth, concrete pathway next to the cobblestones for her mother to walk on when going in and out of the house.

Her mother has not had an at-home fall since.

In addition to fall-proofing your home, there are other fall-prevention strategies that you can try at home, such as modifying your diet and wearing proper footwear.

Nutritional strategies:

Supportive footwear (inside and outside the home):

Now that you have the knowledge you need to fall-proof your home, don't wait to make a change. Look around and see what you can do today to make your home a safer and healthier place.

This is the second blog post in the series, Reducing Falls For Older Adults. The goal of the series is to help older adults and their family members better understand how to reduce the risk and impact of falls. Patients referenced are composites, compiled from actual patient experiences

Claire Jacobson is a master's degree student in Community Health and Prevention Research at Stanford studying chronic disease prevention and healthy aging. Stanford professor and primary care physician Randall Stafford, MD, PhD, studies strategies to improve chronic disease treatment, including increasing the role of patients in their health care.

Photo by Sidekix Media

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Reducing falls for older adults: What are the trouble spots in your home? - Scope

Downtown Anchorages former Key Bank Plaza Building will be modernized and expanded into a sleek, glacier-inspired office building, courtesy of Perkins&Will.

The nine-story building was originally built in 1972 at 601 W 5th Avenue. The building required extensive structural repairs as a result of a 7.1 magnitude earthquake in November 2018 and, as such, will receive much-needed seismic reinforcements as part of the redesign. On the interior, all mechanical, electrical, and plumbing systems will be replaced, a new stair tower will be built, and modern elevators and a freight elevator will be installed.

The exterior is also set to undergo substantial work that pays homage to Alaskas natural wonders. This includes a 40,000-sf sloped facade that reconfigures the building to resemble a glacier, replacing the precast concrete cladding with floor-to-ceiling windows.

To account for dark, snowy winters, radiant heating, six new skylights, and drought-tolerant native plants have been incorporated into the projects master plan. Due to the sites potential for substantial pedestrian activity, onsite landscape and hardscape improvements have become a top priority for the design team.

The buildings owners hope the project will reinvigorate Anchorages downtown area, which has not seen any new construction for the past 10 years. The $30 million-project is slated for completion in 2022.

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Anchorage to receive new glacier-inspired office building - Building Design + Construction