Ah, the sweet sounds of summer: hammering, sawing, digging, demolition. Well, theyre not sweet exactly, but certainly familiar to anyone who lives in one of Canadas larger cities. With real estate prices in a state of flux, it seems everyone is eager to spruce up what theyve got and hopefully be rewarded with an increase in property value. However, as we know, not all renovations are created equal. Just because youre sinking the money into your home doesnt mean youll see a return on your investment. And just about everyone has an opinion on what you should and shouldnt be tearing out.

I came across a handy-dandy online tool offered by the Appraisal Institute of Canada, which can help you determine how much of a return you can expect to get out of your home renovation. (The AIC is a self-regulating professional association and the largest property valuation organization in Canada, with 4,800 members in Canada and around the world.)

Choose a reno, plug in your expected cost, and it will tell you how much of your investment you can expect to get back. For example, if you spend $25,000 on a kitchen reno you are likely to get 75 to 100 per cent of that investment back when you sell, or $18,800 to $25,000.

Clearly, these are general guidelines, not hard and fast rules, and how much you spend will affect how much you get back. If you blow $70,000 on a fabulous bathroom job in a house thats only worth double that, youre unlikely to ever see a dime of that money again. In addition, choosing a renovation should be about more than just return on investment it is your home, after all, and any work you do should also be for your enjoyment. But if youre mulling over one job versus another and youre looking to sell soon, it might be prudent to go for the basement reno over the swimming pool (see below).

Some of the big winners are obvious (bathroom and kitchen renovations appear to give the biggest bang for your buck), but there were others that were more surprising to me (only 25 to 50 per cent return on landscaping? Say it aint so).

Heres a look at the return on investment you can expect from 25 of the most popular home renovations, according to the Appraisal Institute of Canada:

Bathroom and kitchen renovations are the real winners, providing a return on investment of about 75 to100 per cent, followed closely by exterior or interior painting at 50 to 100 per cent.

Other safe bets include basement renovation, garage construction, window/door replacement, rec room additions and fireplace installation, which return about 50 to 75 per cent, as do exterior siding and upgrades to flooring or furnace/heating systems.

You can expect a slightly lower return on investment (25 to 75 per cent) with concrete paving and roof shingle replacement, as well as installing central air conditioning or building a deck.

The lowest return on investment comes from landscaping, asphalt paving, building a fence or interlocking brick walkways, or even installing a home theatre room, which all return about 25 to 50 per cent. The home renovations that are least likely to increase property value are skylights, whirlpool tubs and swimming pools, which return between 0 and 25 per cent.

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How much do you think you’ll get back for that reno?

Preserve, renovate or demolish: It's a recurring dilemma in South Florida, where development and history often collide.

While some view historic buildings as treasures, other see them as obstacles to something grander. Boynton Beach is just the latest community to enter the fray after it opted to spare a 1927 high school and put it to new commercial use.

Now the architect's bold design, calling for two-story glass additions, is giving city officials pause.

"Often this type of renovation comes into controversy," said Juan Contin, the Lake Worth architect chosen to rehabilitate the building.

The line between adaptive reuse, which demands modernizing renovations, and historic preservation is a blurry one.

In Hollywood, for example, developers want to partially demolish the 1920s-era Great Southern Hotel and build a 19-story condo tower. Two sides of the building's facade would remain, but 229 apartments would shoot up from behind it.

Commissioners approved the project over outcry from the preservation community.

"It's not historic preservation. It's not adaptive reuse. It's gone," said advocate Sara Case.

In Fort Lauderdale , preservationists are fighting plans to build a parking garage around aCoca-Cola bottling plant built in 1938. That building is one of 11 endangered sites identified by the Florida Trust for Historic Preservation.

"You would not even recognize or see or distinguish the Coca-Cola plant from what was being proposed to build around it," said activist Steven Glassman.

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Restoration of old Boynton school sets off architecture debate

Preserve, renovate or demolish: It's a recurring dilemma in South Florida, where development and history often collide.

While some view historic buildings as treasures, other see them as obstacles to something grander. Boynton Beach is just the latest community to enter the fray after it opted to spare a 1927 high school and put it to new commercial use.

Now the architect's bold design, calling for two-story glass additions, is giving city officials pause.

"Often this type of renovation comes into controversy," said Juan Contin, the Lake Worth architect chosen to rehabilitate the building.

The line between adaptive reuse, which demands modernizing renovations, and historic preservation is a blurry one.

In Hollywood, for example, developers want to partially demolish the 1920s-era Great Southern Hotel and build a 19-story condo tower. Two sides of the building's facade would remain, but 229 apartments would shoot up from behind it.

Commissioners approved the project over outcry from the preservation community.

"It's not historic preservation. It's not adaptive reuse. It's gone," said advocate Sara Case.

In Fort Lauderdale , preservationists are fighting plans to build a parking garage around aCoca-Cola bottling plant built in 1938. That building is one of 11 endangered sites identified by the Florida Trust for Historic Preservation.

"You would not even recognize or see or distinguish the Coca-Cola plant from what was being proposed to build around it," said activist Steven Glassman.

Read more here:
Restoration of old Boynton school sets off debate

BARRINGTON BARRINGTON ZONING BOARD OF APPEALS BARRINGTON, RHODE ISLAND

PUBLIC NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN THAT A PUBLIC HEARING WILL BE HELD ON THURSDAY, JUNE 21, 2012 AT 7:00 P.M. IN THE TOWN COUNCIL CHAMBER

THE FOLLOWING APPLICATIONS WILL BE HEARD: Continuation of application #3671, Carol Bell, 39 Shore Drive, Barrington, RI 02806, applicant and owner, for permission to raise garage roof and add a small connec- tion between current residence and pro- posed modification; Assessors Plat 1, Lot 281, R-10 District, 296 Narragansett Avenue, Barrington, RI 02806, requiring dimensional relief for side yard setback, rear yard setback, exceeding lot coverage as well as for being within 100 of a wet- lands/waterbody.

Application #3673, Judy Chong, 41 Miller Street, Barrington, RI 02806, applicant and owner, for permission to replace exist- ing fence with a six-foot fence; Assessors Plat 29, Lot 75, R-10 District, 41 Miller Street, Barrington, RI 02806, requiring dimensional relief for fence height.

Application #3674, John and Susan Wood, 23 Brook Street, Barrington, RI 02806, applicants and owners, for permission to build a new front porch; Assessors Plat 12, Lot 287, R-10 District, 23 Brook Street, Barrington, RI 02806, requiring dimension- al relief for setback from Hope Court.

Application #3675, Amy and John Tomasi, 63 Lamson Road, Barrington, RI 02806, applicants and owners, for permission to construct second story and mudroom additions; Assessors Plat 34, Lot 150, R- 10 District, 63 Lamson Road, Barrington, RI 02806, requiring dimensional relief for front yard setback, side yard setback and for construction within 100 of a wetlands/waterbody.

All persons interested are invited to attend the meeting at said time and place to be heard thereon. You may obtain a copy of the applications from the Zoning Department, Barrington Town Hall, Monday - Friday, 8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.

The Town of Barrington will provide accommodations needed to ensure equal participation in all meetings. Please con- tact the Town Clerks office prior to the meeting so arrangements can be made to provide such assistance. A request for accommodations can be made in writing to 283 County Road or by calling 401-247- 1900, Ext. 301 (voice) or call 711 Relay if you are a TDY OR TDD user. The Barrington Town Hall, Barrington Public Library and Barrington Public Safety Building are accessible to the disabled.

June 6, 2012

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Barrington Zoning Board - 06/06

HUNTINGTON, W.Va.-The Thundering Herd has added Boston College transfers Dominick LeGrande and Okechukwu Okoroha to its football program, the school announced Monday.

Both student-athletes, who graduated from BC in four years, have enrolled in graduate school at Marshall and will be eligible to compete for the Thundering Herd this season. Both will be safeties in Marshalls program.

We are excited to have these two young men in our program, said Marshall head coach Doc Holliday. These additions will help bolster the depth in our secondary immediately.

LeGrande (6-3, 211, Staten Island, N.Y./Curtis HS) played in 35 games, starting six for the Golden Eagles. He posted 72 tackles (47 solo, 25 assists), including 3.5 tackles for loss, three fumble recoveries, two interceptions with one sack, one pass breakup and one forced fumble during his time in Chestnut Hill. He also returned kicks as a sophomore, averaging 21.3 yards on his six attempts.

Okoroha (6-1, 205, Lanham, Md./Eleanor Roosevelt) saw action in 21 games and also started six, recording 34 tackles along the way, with a pass breakup, a fumble recovery and a half tackle for loss.

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Marshall adds 2 football Transfers

Civic improvements and financial matters were on the agenda for Oneida aldermen Monday.

City attorney Dan Alcorn said there has been a default judgment in the citys favor with regards to the former Oneida Snack Shack on U.S. 34 in the city. He advised waiting 30 days before the city demolishes the former restaurant.

Ward 2 Alderman Chris Campagna reported he had asked Tyler Bock to mow an unoccupied property which had grown unsightly and presented a bill for $105 for Bocks services, for which the council approved payment.

Aldermen also discussed several other properties in the city which are, or may be, in violation of the citys ordinances with regard to repair of property or unsightly grass and weeds. Photos will be taken and presented to the city attorney for notices to be sent.

Clean Up Day will be Friday with all items on the curb by 7 a.m. If possible, large items need to be broken down and smaller ones need to be in bags or bundled up. Items that will not be picked up are: tires, batteries, oil/fuel, paint, landscaping (tree limbs, brush, grass clippings), automotive parts, structural tear downs (lumber or concrete), hazardous items, electronics, items more than five feet long and items placed by non-residents.

There will be no garbage collection on Clean Up Day.

Ward 1 Alderman Mike Ader reported on the Trees Forever project which was accomplished quickly with the help of Rutledge RW Landscaping and Nursery of Alpha.Ader said planting would have taken much longer without Rutledges help. Local Brownies and FFA members also assisted with the project.City employee Dan Lawson has a schedule for watering the trees at least once a week.

A bid from Mike Cannon of Altona to repair and replace sidewalks in the city was approved. Additions may be made to the original amount of sidewalk to be done so aldermen approved the bid with the stipulation that all work was not to exceed the budgeted amount for sidewalks.

Teresa Welch of Blucker, Kneer and Associates reported on the citys audit which resulted in clean opinion from the accounting firm.

The council also approved:

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Oneida may demolish former restaurant

Tuesday, June 5, 2012 | 8:08 a.m. CDT; updated 1:16 p.m. CDT, Tuesday, June 5, 2012

BY The Associated Press

ST. LOUIS St. Louis officials say communications mistakes are to blame for the failure to remove a dead deer from near the Gateway Arch for a full day.

A deer bounded into the downtown area Friday afternoon. It was seen along busy streets and even inside a parking garage. It eventually ended up on Memorial Drive near the Arch, where it was struck by a car and killed. Police moved it off the roadway to a gravel area along the side of the road.

But the dead deer remained there until Saturday. City streets director Todd Waelterman says his department would have removed the deer immediately but was never notified about it.

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Communications errors blamed for overlooked deer in downtown St. Louis

CASTINE Maine Maritime Academy's volleyball and softball coach, Katrina Dagan, has resigned her position. Dagan, who also serves as the Academy's Senior Woman Administrator, will join the Adams' School Staff as a Physical Education Teacher.

Dagan is the only coach to have headed up the volleyball program at Maine Maritime. Since the program began in 2003, she put together a 152-71 record. Dagan coached the Mariners to the North Atlantic Conference (NAC) Championship Finals in each of the past five seasons, winning the league in four of those seasons. Under her direction, the Mariners have won 40 consecutive matches in Smith Gymnasium.

The third coach in the 14-year history of the softball program, Dagan posted a record of 78-107. Her .422 winning percentage is the best on record at the Academy, as are her 78 wins. Dagan's Mariners appeared in the NAC Championship Tournament in five of the last six seasons, advancing to the finals in 2010.

A national search for her replacement will commence immediately.

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Katrina Dagan Resigns Post

Downtown shop owners fear corporate impact

Rising rents are raising concerns among downtown shop owners.Rich Beauchesne/rbeauchesne@seacoastonline.com

While the Golden Arches might not be making an appearance in downtown Portsmouth any time soon, there is always a concern among developers, Realtors and business owners that the city might stray too far from what provides its unique and vibrant character.

Rent can range from $1,000 to nearly $10,000 a month for commercial space downtown. It's a struggle for retailers selling books, T-shirts and trinkets to make enough sales to pay the bills, as the recent move of RiverRun Bookstore and the closure of Earthtec proved.

With rents climbing ever higher and the economy still not back to its pre-recession strength, there are some in the downtown community who worry about the fate of the small, independent business owner. There is anxiety that only restaurants or corporate-backed businesses will be able to afford downtown real estate, and that once a space converts from retail to restaurant, it will never revert back and Portsmouth will have forever lost a bit of its diversity.

In fact, those representing the voices of entrepreneurs, real estate brokers and city officials all agree there are legitimate reasons for concern.

A store going out of business is not a rare sight. Some are fledgling businesses that never quite got off the ground. Others, like Little Timber: The Bonsai Nature Store, were forced to close after being in business for years.

Landlords "just care about getting as much money as they can," said Valerie Menzies-Murphy of Haverhill, Mass., who owned the Little Timber shop on Congress Street for 20 years before closing it in January. "These little stores can't afford to stay in business."

Menzies-Murphy said her rent, originally $800 a month, went up only sporadically for years. But by the beginning of 2012, it had ballooned to $3,000 a month. Meanwhile, her prices stayed the same and her profit disappeared.

"People loved the store," she said. "There was something for everyone, from little kids all the way on up. I think they'll miss me this summer."

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Chain reaction: Local shops fear impact of corporate businesses

BUCKSPORT The Maine Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) said Thursday that the amount of papermaking chemical spilled as the result of a train derailment last week is less than originally believed.

Initial estimates indicated that 4,000 to 6,000 gallons of a liquid latex product known as emulsified styrene butadiene copolymer had spilled into the Penobscot River when four cars went off the Pan Am Railway tracks Friday evening, May 25.

Those tank cars were part of a 32-car train headed for the Verso paper mill.

In an e-mail Thursday afternoon, DEP spokesman Samantha DePoy-Warren said department officials now believe somewhere between 100 and 1,000 gallons of the latex product spilled.

Our estimates are always based on the available information we are provided by our partners and can gather from our review of the scene while also taking into account planning for the worst case scenario, DePoy-Warren explained, and are subject to be updated as new information becomes available.

The two tank cars containing the liquid latex were fully offloaded Wednesday, DePoy-Warren said, with the contents being pumped up a steep embankment and into waiting empty rail cars.

Two other cars containing kaolin, a clay slurry also used in the papermaking process, are being offloaded Thursday and Friday. Some of that product has also spilled into the river, but DePoy-Warren said DEP has been unable to estimate a quantity.

The derailment occurred on a section of track where a steep embankment drops sharply toward the Penobscot River. At high tide, one of the cars is fully submerged, while another car is partially submerged and the end of a third car is also in the water.

One of those cars is leaking a small amount of [kaolin] product when the tide washes in and the water around the cars continues to be visibly milky, DePoy-Warren wrote. She said the material is expected to disperse and dissolve over the course of the tide cycles.

The plan for removing the derailed cars involves patching them and transporting three of them via the Penobscot River to Winterport, where a Pan Am crane will pull them out of the water, according to DePoy-Warren.

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DEP: Bucksport Derailment Spill Smaller Than Originally Thought