Santa Fe is experiencing an uptick in commercial construction this spring, particularly on the south side.

The city Land Use Department has issued about half a dozen major commercial construction permits in the last 60 days.

Notable projects along city's southwestern edge include a McDonald's restaurant, State Employees Credit Union, and Murphy's Oil filling station going in at Las Soleras development east of Cerrillos Road near the Super Wal-Mart. Work has begun on a new building for a Guadalupe Credit Union on the south side of Airport Road, just east of Jemez Road, and a Dollar General store west of South Meadows in the same area was recently completed.

Downtown, the Drury Hotels chain last week started construction of a parking garage that will accompany its planned renovation of the old St. Vincent Hospital buildings into a 200-room hotel.

"What we are seeing is commercial construction that is self-financed on the corporate level," said Land Use Director Matthew O'Reilly.

Construction in the city slowed in fiscal year 2009/10, but this fiscal year shows some signs of recovery.

The total volume of building permits issued has increased about 35 percent from the 2009 trough, he said. Those numbers are somewhat deceiving, however, because many of the permits are for very small projects such as home renovations.

"I don't know if it is a sign of recovery, but for Santa Fe, it is a sign that people are spending some money on real estate, whether they are renovating a commercial building or renovating or doing additions to residential structures," O'Reilly said. "I think that is a good thing. It puts money into the economy and employs contractors and it means people are wanting to invest back into their property."

At a Little Caesars Pizza restaurant and drive-thru on the west side of Cerrillos Road between the Arby's Restaurant and the Long John Silver's, Star Construction expects to wrap up exterior work next month. Another contractor will do interior work, said foreman Isaac Cisneros. The Albuquerque-based company started in January and brought all its workers to Santa Fe from Albuquerque, Edgewood and Moriarty. It also bought most of its supplies there, he said.

For Winona Nava, president and chief executive officer of Guadalupe Credit Union, having Santa Fe workers was important, she said.

Excerpt from:
Commercial construction projects on rise

Greenville Fire/Rescue crew remains on the scene of an early morning fire that began about 2:30 a.m. Friday, officials said.

Capt. B.H. Davenport said two adults and one juvenile escaped the fire at 312 Prince Road without injury.

The fire crew continues to work to put out any remaining "hotspots" in the 9,600 square foot home, he said.

"It was a 9,600 square foot house, and that was a big challenge," Davenport said. "The owner had done extensive additions onto the structure."

Davenport said the original home was about 1,700 square feet.

Cindy Challender, a neighbor who lives adjacent to the Prince Road home, said the initial response from the fire department was inadequate for the size of the structure.

"There was a delayed response, and it's unfortunate," she said.

Challender and her husband Chris said officials with the department responded to the fire on Prince Road, where homes are smaller. The 9,600 square foot home backs up to Lori Drive, which provided the best access for officials to fight the fire, the Challenders said.

"The homes on (Prince Road) are generally small, brick ranches that are 1,500 to 1,700 square feet," said Chris Challender, who said he is also the insurance agent for homeowner Donald Stanley.

The Challenders said neighbors were on the phone pleading for the fire department to send additional trucks and crew to Lori Drive to fight the blaze. They said only one fire engine was originally sent to the Eastwood development.

Read more:
Family escapes early-morning fire

Ashley Day

Published on Mar 23, 2012

Armored Core has always been one of those series for the initiated. If you love tinkering around in the garage before taking your personally customised AC into battle then this is the series for you.

Everyone else has either looked in from the outside, wondering what all the fuss was about, or simply shrugged their shoulders and ignored it. But after the breakthrough success of From Softwares Dark Souls last year, perhaps its time to give Armored Core another look.

Perhaps From Sofware has taken some of the bold innovation found in Dark Souls and completely turned the mech combat genre on its head.That would have been nice wouldnt it?

Sadly, extensive online modes aside, Armored Core V stubbornly sticks to the same basic formula it always had. Think about that for a minute. Armored Core began life on the PlayStation. Not the PS3, or even PS2, but the original PlayStation, way back in the mid-Nineties.

Back then a third-person shooter with customisable mechs was a novelty. Now that novelty has grown old. At its heart, Armored Core is still a very basic third-person shooter a game of duck and cover, and endless circle strafing.

Sure, you can mess around with hundreds of parts to tailor the AC to both the mission and your tastes, but its still based around gameplay that dates back to the dawn of the genre.

Read more:
Armored Core V Review

POWERED BY YEAST FIRST ANNIVERSARY PARTY

LAMBIC BLENDING SEMINAR 4- 5:30 p.m. Saturday, March 24, 2012 Bazi Bierbrasserie, 1522 S.E. 32nd Ave.; $20, Reservations here

In West Flanders, brew masters often blend old (oude) and young (jong) lambic beers to create a final product sold to the public. Join Artisanal Imports and Powered by Yeast at Bazi to taste and experience how the addition of a very sour beer into a more mild beer changes the character. Participants will get to sample six different lambic blends all while learning about the history and characteristics of this style of beer. Inevitably, beer enthusiasts will find a balance that suits them, whether its a strong percentage of young beer or 100% sour.

Big Time Brewing Co, founded in Seattle in 1988, is Washingtons oldest brewpub. Head brewer Drew Cluley and asst. brewer Bradley Zimmerman are in Portland for two events tonight and tomorrow afternoon, so you can taste some of their fine ales. Whiny the Complainer and Wheatapaug Groove will be pouring at Saraveza tonight and theyll be joined by Powderfinger Rye Ale and Scarlet Fire IPA at Apex tomorrow, which is also the site of a washoe tournament for beer industry teams.

About the beer: Whiny is a delicious triple India Pale Ale that features an abundant amount of bitterness, hop flavor and aroma from over 3 lbs of hops per barrel. Hops include, Cascade; Centennial, Chinook; Columbus; Magnum; Amarillo; and Simcoe. WtC was dry hopped with Nelson Sauvin hops from New Zealand. Original gravity 1.088; Terminal gravity 1.019; 9.1% abv. The name Whiny the Complainer was thought up by former head brewer Bill Jenkins it is in homage to Russian Rivers Pliny the Younger and the patrons who whine because they missed out on their coveted few ounces of PtY. Whiny was the 2,300th batch brewed at the Big Time since batch #1 was brewed on November 10th 1988.

Wheatapaug Groove is a hoppy American wheat ale with lots of Cascade, Chinook and Amarillo hops. The addition of orange juice concentrate to the boil adds to the citrusy goodness of this beer. Original gravity 1.054; Terminal gravity 1.012 5.5% abv. Powderfinger is a pale spicy ale with 18% rye malt supporting a decent bitterness and floral note from the plentiful use of Liberty hops. Original gravity 1.067; Terminal gravity 1.015; 6.8% abv.

Scarlet Fire IPA became the fifth year round beer at the Big Time in 1996 joining Bhagwan's Best IPA, Prime Time Pale Ale, Atlas Amber, and Coal Creek Porter as the only beers always available in our pub. These five ales are augmented by 25 to 30 seasonal beers throughout the year. Scarlet Fire features Cascade, Columbus, Chinook and Centennial hops. Original gravity 1.066; Terminal gravity 1.017; 6.4% abv.

BROTHERLY LOVE IN BOTTLES

The first bottle-conditioned beer from The Commons is finally ready: Brotherly Love, a variation of Little Brother Belgian dark strong ale. Its matured in Heaven Hill bourbon barrels with red tart cherries and roasted Peruvian cocoa nibs and there are just 150 bottles available as befits the Commons nano-brewery heritage. The Beetje Series is a celebration of those beginnings. First brewed in 2010 on a one-barrel system housed in Mike Wrights garage, these small-batch beers pay homage to the rustic brewery that continues to inspire our creativity and ingenuity.

Fearless Brewing celebrates the vernal equinox and its this years batch of its popular Maibock (36 IBU and 7.5% alcohol) with a release party that includes live music by Fireside Six, plus brewer Ken Johnson will be on hand for brewery tours and to answer questions about beer styles and brewing techniques. German brewers were once only able to brew beer during the winter months, and Maibock was the first beer released, and is characterized by its freshness, with pronounced grain and continental hop flavors. Theyll begin pouring Maibock at noon and will also have Scottish Ale, Clackamas Cream Ale, Peaches n Cream Ale, Porter, Mjolnir IPA and Loki Red on tap, plus a bit of Fearless Strong Scotch Ale.

Read more:
Malt Ball, PBY party, first Commons bottles: the Beer Here for the week of Mar 23- 29

CRYSTAL LAKE The citys Planning and Zoning Commission gave its informal blessing to plans to double the size of Crystal Lake Public Library.

An architect recently drew up plans to add more than 40,000 square feet to the library through a major expansion and renovation project.

Designs call for demolishing the house at 17 McHenry Ave. and the oldest part of the existing library building to make way for additions and a two-story parking garage with 200 spaces.

The library bought the house several years ago and has been renting it out. The parking garage would be on the east side of the librarys three-acre site at 126 Paddock St.

Commission Chairman Thomas Hayden said he was impressed with the preliminary plans.

I really like it, he said at a review meeting Wednesday. I think its outstanding.

The library has been cramped for years at about 40,000 square feet and 98 parking spaces. Administrators told the commission that studies dating to 1995 have shown the library needs more space for books, computers, meeting rooms and parking.

Voters rejected an advisory referendum in 2004 to issue bonds to build a new library at a different site. At the time, many voters said they didnt want the library to be relocated. Since then, library administrators have focused on rehabbing the Paddock Street building to handle a growing number of visitors and rising circulation.

It is a challenging situation for the library, commission member Darrel Gavle said. The site doesnt lend itself easily to being expanded. I think this particular model is, if not the best, very close to what the best would be.

Other commission members raised concerns about how a bigger, more dense library would fit in with the mostly residential neighborhood. Commission member David Goss asked whether neighbors had been notified of the expansion plans.

More here:
Crystal Lake planners back library expansion plan

Las Vegas - Rapidly building its line of energy efficient outdoor lighting for commercial and industrial applications, MaxLite will introduce a number of LED fixtures and Induction at Lightfair International (LFI) 2012, which will take place at the Las Vegas Convention Center from May 9 through May 12, 2012. MaxLite, a leading global manufacturer and marketer of MaxLED, an award-winning line of innovative LED luminaires and lamps using state-of-the-art LED technology, will exhibit the MaxLED line and as well as additional energy efficient lighting products at Booth #2914.

"During the past year, we have grown our line of LED and other lighting fixtures designed for outdoor applications," said Thomas Rhee, Senior Vice President of Sales, Marketing and Product for MaxLite. "We hope that lighting industry professionals will be significantly impressed with our latest exterior lighting solutions and technologies at Lightfair in May."

New additions to the company's exterior lighting line will include: Induction Lighting; Small LED Floods; LED Parking Area Lights and Large Flood luminaires; LED Parking Garage and Fuel Pump Canopy Luminaires with new control and battery backup options; and Roadway LED Cobra Heads.

o The new Induction Lighting fixtures include surface mount and flood lights that combine high power and very long life (up to 100,000 hours) with designs that utilize self-contained generators to create this type of fluorescent lighting.

o Engineered with integral drivers, the Small LED Flood Lights offer diminutive and efficient, energy saving replacements for metal halide and high-pressure sodium fixtures.

o The recently released Parking Area Lights and Large Flood Lights are engineered to address parking lot and building illumination using MaxLite's patent pending Optic Pressure Plate Technology, which provides light where you need it, while improving thermal efficiencies.

o The new line of LED Parking Garage and Fuel Pump Canopy Luminaires is upgraded with multiple control and battery backup options, including occupancy and bi-level sensors.

o The new Cobra Head LED Fixtures are available in a variety of styles and sizes for street and roadway lighting applications.

About MaxLite (www.maxlite.com)

Inheriting global manufacturing and marketing expertise that dates back to 1955, MaxLite was one of the first movers into LED technology in the industry. Committed to energy-efficiency as an ENERGY STAR Partner of the Year in 2009, MaxLite established the MaxLED brand, an extensive line of indoor and outdoor lighting fixtures featuring innovative LED luminaires and lamps using the latest state-of-the-art technology, ranging from the award-winning Flat Panel collection, to the best-selling outdoor lineup, plug-and-play light bars and lamps.

Read the original post:
MaxLite Will Expand LED Outdoor Line with Induction and LED Luminaires at Lightfair ...

Put Grandma in the garage? Yes. But a garage transformed into a well-appointed studio apartment with skylights and a patio for morning coffee.

Home remodeling for those who can afford it is one answer to a growing issue: How do you take care of family members in their late-retirement and twilight years? And then, a tougher question: When a home solution won't work, what assisted-living or nursing home options are available?

[See The Best Places to Retire in 2012.]

Growth of multigenerational households (mostly grandparents, parents, and minor children, but also other extended-family relationships) accelerated during the economic downturn. Some families shared quarters because the unemployment rate (a 30-year high) forced some out-of-work adult children to move back home. Sometimes it was the senior generation that needed a housing solution because they were no longer able to physically or financially go it alone.

The rate of this change is worth noting. In 2008, 6.2 million intergenerational households resided in the United States. That's 5.3 percent of all households. That number jumped to 7.1 million households, or 6.1 percent, by 2010. The two-year increase marked a faster rate of growth than the previous eight years combined, according to AARP's Public Policy Institute.

Even if the economy improves, it's a trend that looks to stick as families address graying baby boomers who may be facing an underfunded retirement, according to aging and financial professionals.

In the best and worst of times, the benefit of companionship and shared household duties, such as childcare, can't be dismissed. For some families, living together is not a solution to a problem but an exercise in bonding. There are also different cultural interpretations of the social value of multigenerational households. But for many families, finances are certainly a factor in their decision to merge under one roof.

Kevin Young, a certified financial planner with Young Wealth Management in Davis, Calif., sees an increasing number of "sandwich generation" clients in his tax practice. "They're taking care of aging parents and children at the same time, sometimes working multiple jobs to accomplish that," he says.

[See How to Avoid Being a Financial Burden on Your Children.]

Young says some boomers and their parents are still playing retirement savings catch-up as corporate America (and the public sector too, in some cases) shifts from defined benefits such as pensions to market-reliant 401(k)s and other individual retirement accounts (IRAs). Others just dropped the ball and didn't save enough.

Follow this link:
Should Seniors Live Alone or With Family?

Eighth grade state writing assessment scores were up this year, with students scoring higher than both RESA (Regional Educational Service Agency) and state averages for this year.

Were real proud of that accomplishment, assistant superintendent Sherrie Gibney-Sherman told the board of education at their business meeting Tuesday night. Thats outstanding.

In other business, the board officially approved the 2012 2013 school calendar. School will start on Aug. 10 this year and end on May 24, 2013. This calendar includes 185 student days. Days prioritized for snow days are Feb. 15, 18 and March 15.

PERSONNEL RECOMMENDATIONS

The board heard that long-time middle school principal Matt Boggs will retire at the end of this school year.

In other action, the board approved the following personnel recommendations:

Ila Elementary School teacher Ashley Witters, has announced her intention to leave at the end of the 2012 school year.

Colbert Elementary Parapro Brenda Chandler was increased from half-time to full time.

Hull Sanford Elementary Parapro Tina Cleveland was approved a two-day leave without pay.

MCMS Teacher Buffy Wennersten was approved for maternity leave and the board hired Carey Metts as a PE teacher to replace Mark Turner for the 2013 school year. They accepted the resignation of nurse Joan Busbin and approved Tanya Lynch as her long-term substitute.

Read more:
Eighth grade writing assessment scores up

North Ogden Wind gusts fuel blaze; two escape unharmed.

Fire caused more than $1 million in damage to a North Ogden house on Saturday.

A neighbor called to report smoke coming from a house at 282 E. Lomond View Drive about 4:35 a.m., said North View Fire Chief Dave Wade. The two people living in the house were able to escape, and no one was injured.

Wade said he was "pretty sure [the fire] had got a good head start on us before we arrived."

Wade said the roughly 10,000-square-foot house had several additions and the fire did at least $1 million or more in damage.

"It is pretty well destroyed," Wade said adding that any area of the house that didnt have fire damage had smoke or water damage. However, some of the garage and the ATVs and vehicles inside were salvaged.

When fire crews arrived, they could see only light smoke coming from the house. As they began to attack the fire, flames went up the inside of the walls and into the attic and continued to spread. Wade said strong gusts of wind "contributed to moving that fire around also."

After about six hours, 20 firefighters from across Weber County were able to contain the fire enough to bring in a backhoe to knock down the walls to make sure the fire was out.

The North View fire marshal and inspector Saturday were investigating the fires cause. Wade said they believe the blaze may have started on the main level or in the basement near the front of the house.

cimaron@sltrib.com

Originally posted here:
Fire causes $1 million in damage to northern Utah home

North Ogden Wind gusts fuel blaze; two escape unharmed.

Fire caused more than $1 million in damage to a North Ogden house on Saturday.

A neighbor called to report smoke coming from a house at 282 E. Lomond View Drive about 4:35 a.m., said North View Fire Chief Dave Wade. The two people living in the house were able to escape, and no one was injured.

Wade said he was "pretty sure [the fire] had got a good head start on us before we arrived."

Wade said the roughly 10,000-square-foot house had several additions and the fire did at least $1 million or more in damage.

"It is pretty well destroyed," Wade said adding that any area of the house that didnt have fire damage had smoke or water damage. However, some of the garage and the ATVs and vehicles inside were salvaged.

When fire crews arrived, they could see only light smoke coming from the house. As they began to attack the fire, flames went up the inside of the walls and into the attic and continued to spread. Wade said strong gusts of wind "contributed to moving that fire around also."

After about six hours, 20 firefighters from across Weber County were able to contain the fire enough to bring in a backhoe to knock down the walls to make sure the fire was out.

The North View fire marshal and inspector Saturday were investigating the fires cause. Wade said they believe the blaze may have started on the main level or in the basement near the front of the house.

cimaron@sltrib.com

See the article here:
Fire does $1M in damage to North Ogden home