Weeks after ground was broken for the new Reagor-Dykes Toyota at 1220 S. I-27, the newly issued building permit for the project caused construction values for November to soar.

As an added result, Novembers building activity brought the citys year-to-date construction activity to $10.5 million, almost double the $5.6 million recorded for the same period in 2013.

Ground was broken in late September on the Reagor-Dykes project, and the city issued a $2 million commercial remodel permit on Nov. 17 since the new facility will incorporate an existing structure on the site along the I-27 west service road. The new auto dealership will be located south of the Reagor-Dykes Toyota pre-owned location and north of Barley Funeral Home.

Reagor-Dykes, according to previous announcements, will construct a state-of-the-art Image II Toyota facility on the 10.5-acre site.

We anticipate hiring 50 new employees to start, Joe Landin, Reagor-Dykes marketing manager, said during groundbreaking ceremonies, and grow to around 100 in the following areas sales management, sales, office/clerical, mechanical technicians and auto detail.

As local general manager, Eddie Ashburn will oversee operations at both Plainview locations.

The current location at 808 N. I-27 will house the Ford and Lincoln franchises, with the new location at 1220 S. I-27 housing a Toyota-only dealership.

Novembers building report, released Monday, includes a $100,000 commercial addition at Templo Emanuel Church, 2502 W. 19th; a $2,000 commercial remodeling project at 915 Ash; a $1,500 commercial remodel to add a wall in the new Plainview Commons shopping center at 1601 N. I-27 A; and a $300 commercial remodel for a restroom at 620 Ash.

Other projects receiving construction permits during November include two residential additions for a total value of $2,100; three residential remodel projects, $9,100; two garage/carport projects, $1,050; one storage building at South Plains College Plainview; $10,000; and two signs, $200.

In all, the city issued 15 permits during November for a combined value of $2,126,250. That brings the year-to-date total to $10,515,155. Last month, the city issued 21 permits for a combined value of $82,529.

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New Toyota store boosts building permits 12-02-14

GILFORD The amount of money approved by voters at town meeting in March for the renovation and additions to the police station is less than the amount proposed by two construction companies for the work, but a third companys proposal may fit the bill, town officials said.

Town officials say they will try to have the work done by the company offering the lowest proposal, Gary Chocoine Construction of Weare, whose proposal for the work is $1,365,048.

The town has roughly $1,382,000 in the budget, as there is additional money for architectural and other work needed for the project, said Town Administrator Scott Dunn.

Its really tight, Dunn said. But we will enter into discussions with (Chocoine Construction) to see if we can get this done with what we have.

The other proposals which were not bids, Dunn said came from Meridian Construction of Gilford, which proposed $1.6 million, and Turnstone Construction of Milford, which submitted a proposal of $1.4 million.

At present, there are deficiencies in the police section of building, including safety and building code violations. But the big problem is space, as the building is bursting at the seams, Dunn said previously.

Among the renovations planned are a new garage and sally port for prisoners, two new holding cells and a new booking room. At present, officers have to walk through the booking room to get to other parts of the station, and there are only two cells.

There will be a new training room for police as part of a new emergency operations center, which could be used in times of crisis or a major police operation, and could serve as a call-in center for residents during an emergency. The plan is to add more than 6,000 square feet of space to the building, town officials said.

Before the project was approved in March, the town tried to enlarge and improve the police department twice before but failed to get voter approval. In 2006, a proposal for a new standalone station with a cost of about $2 million failed. In 2009, a proposal for renovations and an addition with a price of $1.58 million failed to get the required 60 percent approval.

dseufert@newstote.com

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Gilford choice on police station renovations nears

'Lost Souls Volume 1' ($12.50)

Originally released on Harold Ott's local Psych of the South label, "Lost Souls Vol. 1" is the definitive document of Arkansas's 1960s garage and psychedelic rock scene. The Problems of Tyme, The Roustabouts, The Shades, The Vycounts all of your (cool grandfather's) favorites are here. And as of September, it's available on vinyl via Get Hip Records. WS

Roku streaming player ($49)

I didn't know I wanted a Roku until my daughter gave me one for Christmas. It's a plug-in device that streams TV channels via WiFi. Lots of free channels. Easy access to subscription services like Netflix and Amazon Prime. You can buy the device for as little as $49. There's no monthly charge. It's a big step forward in weaning yourself from cable TV. Easy to set up. Easy to use. Even for a technophobe. MB

'Moosewood Restaurant Cooks at Home' cookbook ($17.98)

When I was a sophomore in college, I visited my older brother's house and found an untouched copy of a cookbook on his shelf called "Moosewood Restaurant Cooks at Home," which I subsequently stole. It was my first cookbook, and 12 years later it's still the one I use most often. There's no better way to learn a repertoire of cheap, quick, healthy, tasty meals that are mostly vegetarian; no recipe takes more than an hour to cook, and rarely do they call for ingredients that aren't available at your average Walmart. Try the pad thai, the cauliflower paprikash, the sweet potato quesadillas, the minestra. Give a copy to your own college student, or to any friend with a low-to-moderate kitchen literacy, or maybe to my brother. BH

DJI Phantom Drone Quadcopter ($479)

I want what every good boy and girl wants for Christmas: the ability to fly. It isn't possible quite yet, but I can come close to seeing what the city looks like from up there with the new, handy-dandy DJI Phantom Aerial UAV GoPro Mount 2.4GHz Drone Quadcopter. Yes, drone. This state of the art adult toy can be good for all kinds of things such as spying on your neighbors or getting free into outdoor concerts and sporting events. On the tech side the Quadcopter is great for shooting aerial shots and easily connects to a GoPro camera. JG

Marvel Unlimited ($9.99 or $69)

I used to read comic books as a teenager, and now my 4-year-old is obsessed with superheroes and asking me questions like, "Who is Thor's mother?" and "What are Black Panther's powers?," so it seemed like a good time for me to start reading comics again. It's gotten way easier and way cheaper since I last regularly read them a dozen years ago. Now, for $9.99 a month or $69 a year, you can subscribe to Marvel Unlimited, which gives you unlimited access to a massive chunk of Marvel's catalog. The newest stuff is months old, but there's so much archive stuff, with new additions all the time, you're gonna have a hard time running out of comics to read. A tablet is the best device for reading these, though there is a phone app that displays individual panels and isn't terrible if you need a comics fix while killing time. LM

Excerpt from:
2014 holiday gift guide

QUICKREAD

Jami Cardile

Sandstone Real Estate, LLC

970-250-1307

By Special to the Sentinel Monday, November 24, 2014

1220 La Mesa Lane Area: Fruita List Price: $875,000 Bedrooms: Four Bathrooms: Two and one-half Total Square Feet: 4,110 Year Built: 2004 Lot: 2.3 Irrigated Acres Garage: Eight Car Garage + RV Garage/Shop

This home has many high dollar upgrades and lots of new additions; granite counters, breakfast nook, formal dining, surround sound throughout, brand new tankless hot water heater, brand new carpet, new windows, new roof, new copper gutters and freshly painted! The outdoor covered back patio has a relaxing setting with built-in kitchen including a grill, refrigerator and sink. Recently added a 1,000 sq. ft. mother-in-law suite with all appliances included, gorgeous hardwood floors and new carpet. 3,000 sq. ft. garage/shop includes a bathroom, all new central air cooling and forced air heat, 2-220 outlets, lots of brand new storage cabinets truly every mans dream!

Bring your toys! Very large paved driveway and lots of awesome views of the Monument, Grand Mesa and Mt. Garfield. This is one of a kind that has it all!

Continued here:
1220 La Mesa Lane, Fruita

Update for November 24 December 1, 2014 Go directly to: News & Views | Join our Networks | Resort Events | Refurbishments and Attraction Closures | Discounts and Promotions News and Views New Downtown Disney garage opens to public | Disney's Animal Kingdom honored with international award | Friends meet goal to hit every Walt Disney World ride in one day. | ESPN Wide World of Sports hosts basketball tournament | Disney Springs construction update | Frozen gingerbread castle displayed in Disney's Contemporary Resort | Holiday discounts offered for Richard Petty Driving Experiences | Disney's Animal Kingdom begins latest expansion project | Walt Disney World Holiday Event Guide|Views from Around the World Discussion of the Week | Quick takes | Discussion of the Week | Crowd update New Downtown Disney garage opens to public

Just in time for the holiday rush, Walt Disney World opened the new Downtown Disney parking garage last week according to Rikki Niblett from our sponsor TouringPlans.com

The garage opens with plenty of space to park along with escalators to move guests through its several floors. Photo by J. Jeff Kober.

The garage is located on the West Side of Downtown Disney. A walking path has been constructed from the garage to the shopping district near the Downtown Disney AMC theaters.

Above each parking space are lights that can indicate to cars from a distance the availability of open parking spaces. Photo by J. Jeff Kober.

Drivers using the parking garage will notice a great piece of new technology in the new garage: a light over each parking spot indicating if it's open or full. If the light is green, a spot is available; if it's red, it is occupied. This means easier navigation in the garage due to cars not needing to go up and down the aisles to find an open spot.

Construction work continues on the garage and the plan is to have all of the garage and its technology ready for official opening by December.

Last week, the Themed Entertainment Association (TEA) awarded Disney's Animal Kingdom's Wilderness Explorers with the Award for Outstanding Achievement - Interactive Park Attraction on a Limited Budget.

This week Wilderness Explorers at Disney's Animal Kingdom won the TEA award for Outstanding Achievement--Interactive Park Attraction on a Limited Budget. Photo by J. Jeff Kober.

Wilderness Explorers utilizes an interactive experience where visitors talk with cast members at different stations across the park to learn about nature, and then collect badges at each station to complete their expedition.

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Walt Disney World Resort Update

Approved: placing a house at 321 Riverview Road on the town register of historic places.

Held: a public hearing and adopted the Section 8 Choice Voucher Program for 2015.

Appointed: Sandra Pace a member of the Historic Preservation commission.

Authorized: the supervisor to sign a payment processing service agreement with Value Payments Systems LLC for electronic payment of real property taxes.

Reduced: the speed limit on Hatlee Road to 40 miles per hour on a stretch of roadbetween Jonesville and Benedict Road to the north.

Approved: a contract amendment with MJ engineering for $28,000 to compensate forunanticipated costs of acquisitions for the Crescent Road Trail under the Eminent Domain Procedures Act.

Approved: a change order for a decrease of $3,199 for the Longkill Park District No, II playground equipment improvements project.

Halfmoon

Planning Board

Set: Nov. 24 for a public hearing on site plans and special use permit for the proposed 2,400-square-foot maintenance equipment garage. Continued...

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Town Crier: November 24 - 30

Indianapolis, IN (PRWEB) November 24, 2014

The Indianapolis Museum of Art is excited to announce the inventive new ARTx series, made possible with a $1 million gift from The Efroymson Family Fund, a fund of Central Indiana Community Foundation (CICF).

The ARTx series was developed by the IMAs first-ever curator of audience experiences and performance, Scott Stulen, and offers smart, dynamic and highly interactive experiences for audiences on the IMA campus and within the local community. The robust lineup features new public programming and community initiatives, along with enhancements to existing campus programs and events. New offerings such as Art X Fit, Grown-up Summer Camp and Avant Brunch continue to strengthen the IMAs reputation for quality experiences and intellectual rigor, while creating playful and unexpected points of access for a variety of audiences.

Through the series, Stulen hopes to reinvent perceptions of what to expect at an art museum and transform the IMA into a vibrant community hub.

Museums are at a crossroads, and forward thinking institutions must change how they attract, engage and interact with audiences, said Stulen. The ARTx series is an aggressive response to this challenge by creating smart, fun and highly participatory programming to activate the entire IMA campus and reach a diverse demographic of visitors. If successful, ARTx will not only become a leading model for how to create and deploy innovative audience experiences, but also alter how public programs support the mission of a museum.

The series will focus on five categories: art education, connecting to the community, family programs and young learners, unique experiences and special events, and supporting local artists. The series is aligned with the IMAs focus on visitor experience and community engagement.

The ARTx series is a continuation of our effort to leverage all of the features of the IMA campus, said Dr. Charles L. Venable, Melvin & Bren Simon Director and CEO. The new programming is welcoming and fun. It makes the IMA accessible to a wider audience and transforms the institution into a lively, exciting destination that embraces all that Indianapolis has to offer. Thanks to the generosity of The Efroymson Family Fund, were able to provide these dynamic new experiences to our visitors and create new connections with the local community.

The Efroymson Family Fund has had a long relationship with the IMA. The Efroymson Contemporary Art Fund, an endowed fund at the IMA, was established in 2006 by the Efroymson Family Fund to support work by emerging and established local, national and international contemporary visual artists through a rotating installation program in the IMAs Efroymson Family Entrance Pavilion. The newest gift to the institution, the $1 million programming grant, will fund the ARTx series through July 2018.

The new ARTx series focuses on accessibility and building connections, with programs and initiatives that support a visitor-centered experience. Since joining the Museum this past spring, Stulen has worked to diversify program options for visitors coming to the IMA campus.

Upcoming ARTx programming scheduled through 2015 includes:

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Indianapolis Museum of Art Receives $1 Million Grant from The Efroymson Family Fund to Support Innovative New ...

BURLINGTON, Vt. -

A massive redevelopment project was unveiled Thursday in downtown Burlington.

The new owners of the Town Center mall are planning not only a complete rehab of the shopping center, but some big additions as well.

An investment of $200 million from both the city of Burlington and the owners of Burlington Town Center will totally change the look of the mall to include a wide range of new amenities.

The mall's owner, Don Sinex, who bought the facility in 2013, said his ideas for the mall align with the Mayor Miro Weinberger's Plan BTV initiative, one of the top goals of which is to spur economic growth in the city. Sinex estimates his renovations could make the mall worth $450 million per year in economic activity and he says he will craft the final plans to respond to the public's needs.

"You know there is a need for housing in this city. We therefore conclude that housing should be a part of our project. We don't have much in the form of entertainment and shopping here. We want to change our tenant mix to reflect that. A hotel is a possibility," said Sinex.

"The mall is currently a grand obstruction to our existing grid. Cherry and Bank Streets are locked and imperviousness," said Joan Shannon, City Council president.

Sinex hopes the renovations will encourage more activity on Cherry and Bank streets and open them up to bikers and pedestrians.

The renovations will also include a new rooftop park between Macy's and Church Street. Sinex estimates the renovation will include 250 apartment units and could create over 1,000 new jobs in the Queen City.

A convention-style hotel with 250 rooms and large showrooms is a possibility as well.

Read more here:
Burlington mall unveils massive redevelopment project

Melbourne, Victoria, Australia (PRWEB) November 18, 2014

An increasing number of Melbournians are swapping expensive residential renovations for a single, strategic addition to their homes: the installation of a carport.

These attractive, affordable structures are said to escalate a homes value while providing additional protection from environmental damage, making carports an increasingly common site in the greater Melbourne area.

The benefits of a new carport go way beyond what most people think of, said Chris Taylor, owner of Carports Melbourne, a company that provides affordable carport installations in Melbourne. Its not just about making your home look better or increasing its value. Carports help protect your residence, your family, and your vehicle from the elements.

By offering cover from rain, hail, sun, wind and extreme weather events, carports provide a myriad of protection for homes, vehicles, and residents alike. Carports also shield vehicles from falling trees, and offer an extra measure of security for children, singles, and the elderly by creating the shortest distance possible between their vehicle and the entrance to the house.

For many homes in Melbourne, the addition of a carport creates extra storage, work, or organization space.

We have other customers who uses their carport as a tool sheds, said Mr Taylor, while others use it to store boats, trailers, motorbikes and more. Many families use the space to entertain because the shade provided from the carport creates the perfect spot for a BBQ.

The most popular carports in Melbourne are constructed from either timber or steel. Some opt for a pergola style carport using either shade cloth and or vines, a great way to go if constrained by a smaller budget.

Timber carports allow residents to install rich shades of wood that complement their home and surrounding landscaping. Steel carports offer a sleek, modern look for the discerning home owner who wants the ultimate in security and design. Both carport types can be customized based on size, dimensions, roofing materials, and home layout.

Further customization is available still through companies like Carports Melbourne, by providing painting options so that residents can match their existing house colors or modernize the front of the property.

More here:
Carports Melbourne Confirms That A New Carport Addition Will Increase A Homes Value

Timothy Sexton

Timothy Sexton is an award-winning author who started writing in 1994. He has written on topics ranging from politics and golf to nutrition and travel, and his work appears online for Zappos.com, Disaboom and MOJO, among others. He has also done work for "Sherlock Holmes and Philosophy." He holds a Bachelor of Arts in English from the University of West Florida.

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Garage & Room Addition Ideas | eHow